Archive of Our Own

Agott hates this.

She has an idea as to why she feels this way. No, she definitely knows. Everyone around her knows. Even Master Olruggio tried talking to her about it. It was embarrassing.

She rips apart a page with a horribly drawn spell and buries her head in her knees. She can't concentrate. Not for a moment. How could she? The forest outside the atelier where the four of them often studied was as loud as every

Tartah has been coming over way more than usual. He's here every other day. And right now, he and Coco are giggling a few feet away under a tree. They're so loud. Especially Tartah. Something about his voice makes Agott want to leave. She can faintly hear Tetia explaining a spell to Richeh. Something about fluffy clouds. Ones that are safe enough to land on in case of falling. And…huh?

Wait, why is the voice getting louder?

No…Please no. Agott couldn't deal with them today.

But before she can think of an escape plan, she feels two hands dig into her shoulders.

‘AGOTT!’ Tetia exclaims in her usual, cheery voice.

Agott lifts her head up, only to see Richeh's face mere inches away from hers. She lets out an annoyed sigh.

‘I thought I told you not to bother me.’ Agott says as she gets up from the ground and begins to gather the pieces of paper from the ground. She stuffs them inside of her bag in a clumsy manner and crosses her arms, waiting for the two girls to explain themselves.

Richeh flips around, lying on her back while making awkward upside down eye contact with Agott.

‘We weren't going to, really! I promise!’ Tetia doesn't sound very convincing.

‘Then why did you? You're wasting my time.’

Agott turns to walk away, but a tug at the bottom of her cloak stops her. Richeh.

‘You aren't drawing any spells. Instead…you're just looking at Coco and Tartah.’ She says.

‘You've been doing that for the past couple of days, actually.’ Tetia adds.

Have they really noticed it? Agott was sure she was only glancing at them when no one was looking. Was she not being as sneaky as she thought she was? She swallows, hoping that the strange feeling in her chest goes away. It doesn't.

‘You're imagining it.’

‘Um…’ Tetia starts. ‘We are here if you want to talk.’

‘Talk? What is there to talk about?’

‘Oh come on! Something is clearly bothering you when it comes to Tartah!’

She didn't exactly hate Tartah. No one can hate a person like him. The problem was his relationship with Coco.

‘He shouldn't be here. Doesn't he have better things to do?’

Agott digs her nails into her fists to stop herself from further insulting Tartah. It isn't right. She knows it isn't and yet… a part of her wants to call him every cruel name that there is.

‘Well…not really. He still hasn't found a master. You know that things are hard for him right now. Master Qifrey says that some time with Coco might help him feel better…’

And what about Agott? How is she meant to feel?

‘Why doesn't he hang out with Custas? Or one of his other friends?’ Agott barely manages to keep her voice steady. Her nails are now likely leaving marks.

‘I heard rumors about him having a crush on Coco.’ Richeh muses, her hand slowly letting go of Agott's cloak.

Agott's head immediately turns to Richeh.

‘Richeh!’ Tetia exclaims, both of her hands covering her mouth in surprise.

Before Agott has a chance to react, she storms off using her sylph shoes. The abnormal speed forces her to think of a certain someone.

Someone she's not good enough for, apparently.

Why must Tartah be the way he is? Why can't Agott mimic a fraction of that?

~

Coco feels her cheeks turn bright red. She turns to Tartah and grabs him by the shoulders, shaking him violently.

‘DO YOU THINK SHE HEARD US!?’ She demands to know, tears of embarrassment forming in her eyes. Her life was over.

If Agott heard- No, she couldn't have possibly heard them! She was too far away! But…but why would she storm off? Agott doesn't normally storm off without a very good explanation… Oh she definitely overheard them!

‘Tartah…what am I going to do…?’ She cries, shaking the boy some more while staring at Agott, who slams the doors of the atelier shut behind her. It's like Coco can feel the slam within her bones.

‘Don't worry. It's very unlikely that she heard us.’ Tartah reassures her, looking uncomfortable despite his words.

‘Ah! Sorry!’ Coco blurts out after stopping, realising what she's been doing. She dramatically collapses on the ground, covering her face with her hands. ‘I knew that this was a risky idea…’

‘Maybe you should come over the next time we are doing this…Just to be safe.’

‘There won't be a next time! Have you seen how angry she looked!? I could've sworn I saw her shoes catching fire!’

Tartah blinks a few times.

‘You're not listening to me, are you?’ he complains.

She heard them. She heard them. She definitely heard them. Oh this is so embarrassing.

Coco's whole life turned upside down after she realised that she may have developed feelings for Agott. Feelings she wasn't sure how to describe at first. It was Tartah who helped her realise that she may have developed a crush on Agott.

This realisation made things very awkward. Coco completely forgot how to act around Agott, for some reason. She'd make sure to go to sleep before Agott did to avoid saying goodnight. Mornings weren't any better. She spent hours working on a spell that would pour water on her to wake her up hours before Agott did. All that just to avoid her.

Coco would start sweating whenever they talked, and Agott, being as sharp as she is, always noticed. Thankfully, she seems quite oblivious. That's a very good thing.

Coco wasn't sure why things couldn't go back to the way they were before her big realisation. She always knew that she admired Agott…but love? Why does putting a title on a relationship suddenly change everything? Why is Coco embarrassed by this perspective?

Coco slaps herself.

‘Coco…?’ Tartah's voice helps bring her back to reality, and she sits up, determined to fix whatever disaster she just caused for no good reason at all. She should've gone to Agott first. Not Tartah.

Before she can properly even form a plan, she's up from the ground, running towards the atelier. She can hear Tartah calling out her name a couple of times. Asking her to slow down and think about what she's about to do. She doesn't.

Coco has made a mistake. One so bad to the point where it might ruin her friendship with Agott if she doesn't fix it soon. Coco must explain herself, regardless of the outcome.

~

‘Why do ya think she likes him back?’ Olruggio asked.

He didn't know why he was still here. In Coco and Agott's room, trying to comfort a heartbroken Agott, who refused to admit she was heartbroken. This was something that even someone as oblivious as he could see.

However, as silly as it seems, he is very happy that Agott went to him. She also explained everything. With eyes full of tears. That means a lot, mainly because she rarely ever spoke so openly about her feelings.

‘She hangs out with him more than she does with all of us combined. It's the most logical conclusion.’ Agott explains, her voice weak and shaky from all the crying.

This might be the first time Olruggio has seen her cry. People like her don't let their emotions get the better of them. Tartah's presence must've affected her a lot. The poor thing hasn't shown him a spell in weeks. Which is very unlike her. Agott usually runs to his workshop multiple times a day, because, according to her, Olruggio's compliments have a bigger effect than Qifrey's.

He supposes it only makes sense for him to be the one comforting her. Qifrey is tending to the garden, so he's out of the question either way. Or maybe she would've gone to Qifrey if he was free. Tetia and Richeh… Olruggio doubts that they can offer much advice on this matter. They both approach romance in a very open manner. Unlike Agott.

Olruggio still doesn't think that he's the best person to talk to about this, despite everything. At least this is better than having Agott drown in her own feelings.

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck.

‘And, why exactly would it bother ya if Coco did have a thing for Tartah?’ He asks, testing the waters.

‘She…’ Agott starts, biting her lip. She has been doing that an awful lot lately. He needs to stop pushing her.

Olruggio gestures to the marktea on Agott's nightstand, the one he brought for her to help calm her.

Reluctantly, she takes a few sips.

‘It's okay. Think about it first. Actually, you don't even have to tell me. I'd respect that. Maybe you want Coco all to yourself. That's fine. Maybe you fear that Tartah will take her away from you.’ He takes slow steps, taking in the room. He remembers the way it used to be when Coco first came here. Agott had drawn a line in the middle of the floor to make sure that Coco's things wouldn't mess with Agott's side. And now… now Coco's things are everywhere. The line has been gone for months. Olruggio is pretty sure that the jacket draped across Agott's chair is actually Coco's.

Their relationship reminded Olruggio of two rascals. He smiles to himself. And then frowns. And then realises that Agott is staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

‘Look, you'll feel better if you admit it to yourself first. I promise you.’ He tells her, realising that if he can't push her to admit it, he can at least point it out and hope for the best.

‘...Are you speaking from experience?’ She asks, somewhat hesitantly. She didn't deny it.

At that moment, right before Olruggio can react, the door flies open and Coco stands in the doorway. Her eyes wander around the room until she spots Agott. It's like Olruggio doesn't even exist. Ouch.

He slowly makes his way out of the room, closing the door behind him. Hopefully Coco knows what she's doing. Or no. If anyone knows what they're doing, it's Coco. She has got this.

~

‘Agott!’ Coco shouts after noticing the tears running down Agott's cheeks. She rushes to her side and takes a seat next to her by the window. Her mind barely registers someone else leaving the room.

Agott, surprisingly, doesn't move away or give Coco a dirty look. Instead, she buries her head in her knees, just like she did a while ago when they were both outside. Is she… hiding?

Why was she crying…? Did the idea of Coco being in love with her disgust her so much…?

Maybe Coco should turn away. Maybe this was a bad idea-

‘Why did you follow me?’ Agott asks. Her voice makes it even more obvious that she's been crying. Coco feels horrible. Maybe the best thing she can do now is leave. Let Agott calm down a little before approaching her.

But… What if that's not what Agott currently needs? She didn't kick Coco out so…

‘I'm sorry. I know I messed up.’ She blurts out, looking away from Agott.

Agott lifts her head up and looks at Coco.

‘I didn't mean for that to happen, Tartah and I should I should have been quieter, we weren't thinking-’

Oh dear. Coco can barely make sense of her own words. How is she supposed to properly verbalise her feelings to Agott? Will this even fix anything? Is their friendship still salvageable?

‘Agott, I-’

‘Save it. I don't need your explanation.’

‘...What?’

‘I don't want to hear anything from you.’

‘But Agott, at least let me explain myself-’

But unfortunately for Coco, Agott stands up, making her way out the room.

‘Please, Agott!’ Coco shouts, following after her.

Agott pauses in the doorway, staring at the ground. Her tears have began pouring out again, staining her cheeks. She seems even angrier than before. Coco stops a few feet away from her.

‘Don't look at me like that…’ Coco tells her. No. Begs her.

‘Like what?’

‘Like I'm beneath you. Like my feelings are gross. Like… I don't know…just stop it!’

Silence. Awkward, deafening silence.

Agott leaves the room, and Coco just stands there.

Stands there as her heart shatters into a million tiny pieces, all over their room. She slowly drops to her knees, feeling nothing but an empty void inside of her.

She knew that Agott could be mean sometimes. She knew that and it never bothered her. She never took it to heart. But…

Sometimes her words left a deep mark on Coco.

Moments like that were rare. It didn't bother Coco when Agott blamed her for her mom's situation. Agott's attempts at getting Coco kicked out weren't that bad either. Coco knew that Agott was a good person deep down. Agott is somebody who wishes to make people happy with her magic. How can somebody like that find love disgusting?

Maybe Coco really was disgusting. But… why? Is liking a girl different from liking a boy? Is that why Agott reacted the way she did?

Back in her village, things like that weren't as accepted as they are in the witch society. Coco assumed that Agott was as open minded as the rest of the witches.

Or maybe… maybe Agott wasn't disgusted by the fact that Coco was a girl. Maybe Agott was disgusted by Coco being Coco.

…

~
Ridiculous.

Why would she try to apologise, or whatever it was that she did?

Agott wasn't sure where she was going. She noticed master Olruggio on her way out, but she ignored him. He tried going after her, and failed to keep up with her sylph shoes.

It was way too loud inside the atelier. Outside wasn't any better. Agott needed some peace and quiet. Where is she meant to go?

She knew her crush was obvious. Coco must have noticed it too. And now Coco feels like she has to apologise for not liking Agott back. That is so like her. Someone so kind would obviously see nothing wrong with what she did.

Agott has never felt so humiliated in her life. She wishes she could bury herself inside a hole and stay there forever.

Wait.

A hole.

That's it!

~

Coco found herself skipping lunch an hour later. She couldn't face Agott. Not now at least. Tartah came in to check on her before leaving. He said he wasn't feeling well, and that he hoped that Agott and Coco would talk. Little does he know that Coco might have ruined whatever she and Agott had. Agott may never want to speak with Coco ever again.

Coco has never felt so ashamed before. She covers her head with her pillow, hoping that maybe if she squeezes her head hard enough, she'll wake up and realise that all this was just one bad dream.

Agott overheard Coco and Tartah talking about her. More specifically, Coco was gushing over how Agott was kind enough to stay up late with her and help her with creating a new spell. They barely got any sleep, and didn't even spend the majority of the time working on magic. Instead, they talked. A lot.

Coco could think of at least a million positive things to say about Agott.

Her spells are brilliant. She's a wonderful person, even if she may not realise it yet. And most importantly of all, Agott is fighting hard for the things that she wants. How could Coco not fall in love with her? How can she not praise her every chance she gets?

There are often times when Coco wishes Agott would be as interested in her as she was in magic. A silly fantasy. Something that would never happen. Coco understands that, she really does. But…but it still hurts.

She throws the pillow off into the distance, groaning as she stares at the ceiling.

Surprisingly, the pillow doesn't land with a loud thud. It doesn't land at all.

Coco sits up, confused, only to find Master Qifrey standing there, holding the pillow with a concerned look on his face.

She stares at him for a moment. He stares back. All of a sudden, her head begins to feel heavy, and her eyes watery.

‘I hear that you and Agott had a quarrel of sorts.’ He tells her while taking a seat on her bed and placing the pillow down. Coco grabs it, and holds on to it.

His eye is full of concern as he tilts his head, probably waiting for Coco to speak.

This is so awkward. She knows that master Qifrey would never judge her, and yet she still hesitates to talk to him. Tartah was the only one she mentioned her crush to. And only because Tartah said something about liking somebody. She wonders who that somebody is. He never told her and always avoided the topic. Coco thought that if she told him about Agott, he'd open up. But he didn't. Instead, he started helping her talk to Agott without getting nervous. She appreciates his help, despite everything. A part of her had her suspicions, but she chose to ignore them as Tartah would've likely wanted.

‘I'll admit,’ Master Qifrey starts, crossing his arms ‘I did notice tension between you two these last couple of days.’

Coco blinks a few times, and stutters while trying to form her words.

‘W-what!? No! Tension? Between me and Agott? Pfft! Never!’

He looks at her in an assessing way.

‘Okay, okay, okay! Maybe… maybe a little. A tiny bit of tension. But nothing too serious!’

‘This seemed very serious. I'll understand if you tell me that you aren't ready to talk.’

Coco squeezes the pillow, avoiding eye contact. She wants to talk to her master, and tell him everything, but at the same time she isn't sure how to put all these feelings into words.

‘...It's fine. I… I'd love to talk, actually.’ She tells him, moving to sit next to him. She can at least give it a try.

‘Richeh offered to swap rooms with you, in case you're interested.’

Swap rooms? Coco guessed it wouldn't make much of a difference, since the bedrooms were separated. She only saw Agott while studying. Which was during…most of her day.

Oh no. Coco's days are going to become very awkward now. How will she concentrate on magic? How is she meant to concentrate on anything but the wound Agott left on her heart?

‘I can't do that.’ She tells her master with absolute certainty.

‘Temporary is fine too.’

Coco shakes her head.

‘I'd like to stay with Agott. Maybe I can still…’ Fix things? Make herself forget about this whole crush thing? Get Agott back as her friend and be happy with that?

She buries her head in the pillow, sobbing loudly while mumbling something about how she must graduate as soon as possible and then move as far away as possible so that Agott doesn't feel uncomfortable.

She feels Master Qifrey flinch before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and pulling Coco in for a hug. She accepts it, throwing the pillow away. He doesn't seem to mind. And she doesn't seem like she'll be able to stop anytime soon.

‘It's okay. Let it out.’ He tells her, arms wrapped around Coco in a way that makes her feel safe, despite all the horrifying flashbacks flooding her mind.

‘What do I do…?’ She barely manages to say while wiping her tears away. ‘Magic can't fix this, can it?’

‘Not unless you turn to forbidden magic, and we don't want that, do we now?’

‘So… what do I turn to?’

Master Qifrey then proceeds to pick her up with ease, carrying her downstairs.

‘Before you turn to anything, you should gather your thoughts.’ He explains, entering the kitchen, which smells of all kinds of things that Coco has no appetite for. She never felt this way about food before. ‘And you can't do that on an empty stomach, can you?’

‘...I'm sorry about skipping lunch. I didn't mean to offen-’

‘Nonsense. Don't apologise.’

‘But master…’

He puts her down, and kneels in front of her.

‘I don't want anybody in my atelier to develop an unhealthy relationship with food. You shouldn't force yourself to eat when you're feeling down.’

She feels a little relieved hearing that.

‘However, I simultaneously don't want anyone to be left hungry because they skipped a meal.’

‘I'm sor-’ Coco starts but quickly corrects herself ‘I don't think I can eat anything now…’

At that, Qifrey smiles.

‘Of course you can't eat anything now. Food takes time to prepare.’

Coco tilts her head to the side, confused.

~

Qifrey didn't expect this to work. If anything, he nearly threw up from worry of whether cooking will be enough to distract Coco from her fight with Agott. He was glad that she didn't notice him sweating so much.

They've been working on making frosting for the past couple of minutes, during that time, Coco told Qifrey everything about what went down today.

According to Coco, Agott got mad at her after overhearing her conversation with Tartah, in which she admitted having feelings for Agott.

Olruggio found this explanation odd. He claims that Agott ran off because she couldn't handle seeing Tartah and Coco together anymore.

What Qifrey can deduce for sure is that there was a misunderstanding. One that he wasn't sure how to handle.

How would Beldaruit deal with this? Qifrey thought long and hard, and spent an entire hour pondering for an appropriate way to approach this situation. In the end, he decided that cooking with Coco might help him think of something while also keeping her from falling apart. Cooking usually cleared his mind and gave him ideas for spells, surely it has numerous other functions. It must have.

‘This must be pretty awkward for you too…’ Coco says after having finished filling the piping bag with frosting. She looks at the plain cupcakes as if they were at fault.

Poor Coco. Even in times like these, she thinks of everyone but herself. During their entire chat, she's only brought up her assumption on how Agott must feel, never once mentioning her own turmoil.

Qifrey often envied her selflessness. It's a trait any witch should be proud of. He knows for sure that Coco's future is going to be bright.

He frowns.

‘I will admit, I never expected my apprentices to develop crushes on one another.’

Coco suddenly looks panicked.

‘Not that there is anything wrong with that!’ He explains as he finishes putting the icing on the last cupcake on his tray. ‘It's not awkward. I'm just struggling to find a way to help the two of you. This wasn't in the fifth test…’

His own honest words make him flinch for a moment. He's been trying to be more honest with the people around him, especially Coco now that she knows about the parasite inside of him, but it's only caused him more pain.

The roots sometimes wiggle around the inside of his skull, making Qifrey feel as if his body isn't his own, but somebody else's. He hates that feeling more than anything.

‘... Master?’

He feels something poke his hand. His very shaky hand.

‘Forgive me. What is it that you said?’

Coco pauses for a while before giving him a light smile.

‘I'm just surprised that you struggle with anything.’

He gives her a blank stare.

‘When it comes to us, I mean!’

At that, Qifrey chuckles. He'll never understand why those close to him view him as a good person. Especially Coco.

~

Agott ran out of free pages to draw on. Her ink was also running low. To top it all off, she was starving. How long has it been since she ran away? She can't know for sure. There is no light underground. If she had to guess, she'd say a few hours. Yeah. That seems about right.

What is she supposed to do now?

She takes the bottle of ink up to her eyes and looks at it. She should've brought more before leaving. How long should she even stay here? Her head was slowly beginning to spin, and on top of that, the lamp contraption she quickly grabbed with her is slowly shutting down.

What to do. What to do. What to do.

If Coco were here she would kno-

Agott throws the lamp, making it shatter against a rock. A few shards fly in her direction.

~

‘Hey, wait a moment…’ Coco says to herself, placing her finished cupcakes next to her master's as a sudden realisation hits her.

‘Hm?’

‘Where is everyone?’

Her and Master Qifrey have been hanging out in the kitchen for a while now, and no one seemed to have made a sound. Not even Tetia. She usually comes running down towards the smell of sweets. Cupcakes are one of her favorite treats, too.

She hears Master Qifrey turn the water off, he has been washing something in the sink for a little longer than necessary. She found it odd, mainly because her master usually used spells to wash things. Why would he…

‘They should be outside. Or… now that you mention it…’ he turns towards the window and opens it, looking out of it. ‘It has been a little long, hasn't it? It isn't like Olly to take a break for so long.’

‘Maybe he fell asleep and the others took advantage of that?’

‘Possible. Still, perhaps we should check up on them. What do you think?’

Coco pauses for a moment. Going out means likely seeing Agott again.

Is she ready for this? Maybe. But what about Agott? Does Agott wish to see her again? What if this is it? What if this is the thing that causes them to never speak to each other again?

No. No overthinking. Coco has to talk to Agott. She can't avoid her without explaining herself.

‘Y-yeah. Let's go!’

Master Qifrey gives her a skeptical look before playfully ruffling her hair.

‘I'm sure Agott will hear you out. Both you and I know that despite her cruel demeanor, she isn't somebody who hates. Her heart is full of love.’

‘if only that love was directed at me…’ Coco mumbles to herself out loud, immediately regretting it. She expects her master to laugh at her. To find it silly. But he doesn't, he just looks at her with the usual smile on his face.

‘Talk to her, Coco.’ He tells her, offering her a plate with two cupcakes.

She takes them, heading towards the door when Qifrey suddenly stops her.

‘Wait! I think I had heart shaped sprinkles in here somewhere-’

‘Heart shaped… No! I can't just offer Agott a cupcake with a heart on it!!! I would totally be dismissing her feelings!!!’

Master Qifrey doesn't listen, instead he goes through nearly every cabinet, searching for the little hearts. He hits his head a couple of times, and often has to bring every jar super close to his face, but eventually, he finds them. He looks a little too proud of himself.

Coco's hands are shaking, nearly dropping the cupcakes, and her cheeks are heating up. Why would he suggest this!? Agott is definitely going to move away to another atelier in a different continent after Coco offers her one of these.

Before she can process the entire scenario in her head, the sprinkles are already on the two cupcakes.

‘Where did you get these…?’ Coco asks her master.

‘They were a gift. From the Great Hall.’

‘From Master Olruggio?’

‘...’

~

How on earth was Olruggio supposed to tell Qifrey that he lost track of Agott? He said he had it under control. And he did. She was sitting on a log in the forest drawing spells before disappearing all of a sudden.

‘Anything?’ He asks Richeh, who has been monitoring the forest from above.

‘Nothing.’ She shouts back.

This is a disaster. Agott is exactly the type of kid to run away without a trace. And all because of a little crush.

…

He was no better than her. He would've probably disappeared too if his crush found someone else. Agott and Olruggio were familiar in that way. Only Olruggio luckily never knew what it was like to have somebody else be into a person you love. Since his crush was a loner that everyone ran away from.

‘Master Olly, look! It's Qifrey and Coco! What do we tell them?’

Olruggio turns to the sound of Tetia's voice, only to find Qifrey and Coco entering the forest and walking up to them with two baskets.

‘Simple. We'll say that Agott got lost.’ He tells Tetia.

‘Not that she ran away?’

He pauses.

‘Okay. We'll tell them that she ran away. You're right.’ Running away seems more acceptable for Agott than getting lost. Haha.

Tetia gives him an odd look before running towards Qifrey. Her hands move in all kinds of directions, gesturing towards all areas of the forest they've checked already, before Qifrey's eye slowly moves to Olruggio.

The guilt swallows him whole. This is his fault. He should've paid more attention to what Agott was doing.

Richeh slowly gets down from the sky and stands next to Olruggio. She sniffs the air.

‘Sweets.’

‘I- what?’

‘Master Qifrey and Coco made sweets.’

He sniffs. Huh. Seems like they did. Maybe the smell will lead Agott to them. Please let the smell lead Agott to them. If anything happens to her-

‘Agott ran away!?’ Qifrey repeats Tetia's words, eye still fixed on Olruggio. He looks scared.

Richeh rushes to the other two girls while Qifrey pulls Olruggio to the side. He doesn't seem mad. Not that he is ever mad. Why isn't he mad? He should be very mad. Now is the perfect time to be mad.

‘Don't blame yourself. Tell me what happened.’

Dammit, Qifrey.

~

Agott is gone. Agott is gone and no one knows where she is. Coco holds the basket in her hands as if her life depends on it. She should've never accepted Tartah's help. That was one huge mistake. She should've never told him about her feelings for Agott. She should've kept it to herself and hoped that they went away.

When she finds Agott, she'll try everything in her power to… view the love she has for her through a platonic lens. She can do it. Coco will find a way. She always does.

But first…

Coco runs deeper into the forest, shouting Agott's name as loudly as possible. She makes sure to carefully analyse every odd movement. Every tree. Every rock. Anything that might lead her to Agott.

She must be around here. She has to be. What will Coco do with herself if she isn't? Or if she got hurt? What if Agott got hurt!?

Please be okay.

Coco takes a few deep breaths. She can't focus like this. Her chest feels like it might explode. Deep breaths. Come on.

She takes out her magic equipment and stares at it for a moment. What should she draw? A contraption would be far more useful.

Wait… a contraption! That's right!

How did no one else think of this?

Richeh's rings!

~
Agott didn't expect to start feeling lightheaded so soon. The strong stench of blood might be one of the contributing factors. Gross.

She doesn't even have the strength to sit up. This is a good thing. She can barely think now.

In this state, she doesn't have to listen to Coco and Tartah laugh while making fun of her.

How nice.

Maybe if she stays here long enough, she'll instead see a life where she and Coco live together. Agott working as a librarian. Coco as… whatever Coco wants to do. She doesn't care. She just wants to share this one life with her.

The dirt feels oddly cold. It's hard to make up scenarios in a place like this. Agott tries to roll to the side but fails. Her hand barely moves, and breathing feels difficult.

~

Coco is now really starting to get worried. Richeh just reminded her that Agott's ring got destroyed a couple of days ago, which meant that they couldn't locate her. Great. Just great.

Now Coco was really starting to panic. Everyone is brainstorming ideas that could help find Agott, and Coco can't think of a single thing.

Where would Agott hide after getting really really disgusted? What would be a good hiding space for a disgusted Agott?

Coco has never seen a disgusted Agott before.

She feels somebody pull her into a hug from behind. Tetia. Coco can feel her pink curls brushing against her neck.

‘What do we do, Tetia…?’

‘I…I don't know…but… worrying won't get us anywhere! Cheer up!’

‘Easier said than done…’

Agott… Where are you?

The sun is slowly starting to set. Master Qifrey and master Olruggio are carrying around large lamps as they speed through the forest using their sylph shoes.

A disgusted Agott… An Agott that feels nothing but pure disgust. A disgust so strong that she has to distance herself from everyone.

Coco tries to see things from Agott's perspective.

Let's say that… Tartah confessed his love to her. How would Coco feel? Awkward, if anything. A typical Agott would also bear similar feelings. Except this isn't a typical Agott but one that hates Coco with every ounce of her being.

But…why hate? Why run away? Why not call Coco disgusting to her face?

Agott would've called her disgusting if she meant it. So maybe…just maybe there is something else going on. Maybe Agott isn't disgusted at all.

What, then?

Confused?

No… Agott isn't the type to run away from things that confuse her.

What could it be…

‘Hey. Stay here, okay?’ Tetia tells Coco, letting go of her and placing a brushbuddy on Coco's shoulder. The brushbuddy immediately curls itself around Coco's neck, as if it can feel her need for comfort. ‘You're pale. Take a rest. The rest of us will will find her!’

‘Hi there.’ She tells it as Tetia launches into the sky. The create squeezes tighter. ‘You enjoy cuddling, don't you? Even at the worst possible times.’

The brushbuddy then crawls into Coco's hair and hides, seeming pretty embarrassed.

Wait… embarrassed!

That's it!

Agott must have been embarrassed after overhearing her and Tartah! That would explain her odd behavior! Shame is one feeling that could explain where Agott went. So… Unless she's looking too much into this-

~

Cold. So cold and… Agott is a fool. She shouldn't have thrown that lamp. Instead, she could've drawn a spell to get her out of here. But now she can't. The ink bottle must have spilled somewhere and even if it hadn't, she can't move to find it.

Even blinking hurts. Every time she does it, her cheeks begin to burn. She did this to herself. If she were to die here, she'd accept it.

Agott wondered if anyone was even looking for her. Why would they? She's acting like a child. Throwing a tantrum over nothing. How can she ever show her face again? She allowed her feelings to get the better of her.

Coco doesn't deserve somebody like Agott.

For the first time, Agott begins to understand why she would choose Tartah. He is so much more open than Agott will ever be. Why put in the extra effort when Tartah is right there, with his arms wide open for Coco?

Agott should've been so happy for them.

She slides into a lying position, dirt touching her face. There are so many different bugs crawling about, probably curious as to why Agott would join them in a place like this. She wonders if any of them can feel things as strongly as she can.

She is losing her mind. Analysing bugs. Ridiculous.

~

‘You're acting a little too calm.’ Olruggio points out, and Qifrey turns to look at him.

He is feeling anything but calm. The roots haven't been this quiet in months. How could he have lost his first apprentice?

‘We will find her.’ He tells Olruggio, though it feels more like he's reassuring himself.

Qifrey's thighs hurt and his legs feel wobbly. Olruggio likely feels the same. They've been in the air for far too long. When Qifrey finally decides to get on the ground to avoid overexhausting himself, he nearly falls over. He's forced to hold on to a tree to stay steady.

‘Careful.’ Olruggio says before landing, and immediately tripping on a branch. He falls on the ground and doesn't bother getting back up. Qifrey doesn't blame him. Olruggio runs his fingers through his hair, looking absolutely defeated.

‘Speak for yourself.’

‘I'll say it was my fault.’

‘No you won't. Because we'll find her. And then it won't matter whose fault it was.’

The look Olruggio gives Qifrey is enough to have Qifrey pulling out his drawing equipment.

‘Don't tell me you're thinking-’

Qifrey gives Olruggio a soft smile.

‘I'm going to need the watchful eye to close his eyes for a moment. Will he be able to do that for me?’

Olruggio says nothing, keeping his eyes open. Good. He understands.

‘I'll make an exception.’

‘Of course you will.’

Qifrey isn't sure whether the spell he's about to draw is correct. One wrong stroke and he'd likely have to deal with the Knights Moralis.

Despite all the risks, his hand moves, and doesn't hesitate for a second. He can feel Olruggio staring at him.

‘Master Olly! Master Qifrey!’ Tetia's panicked voice appears out of nowhere. Qifrey immediately hides the spell underneath his robes. Risky indeed. He waits for a second before turning to Tetia. She shouldn't be able to notice it.

Olruggio is already up, showing little to no signs of exhaustion.

‘Did you two find something? Where is Coco?’ He asks them.

‘We can't find her.’ Richeh says, sounding scared. ‘And our rings keep pointing in all kinds of directions. Do you think-’

Qifrey doesn't hear what else Richeh and Tetia have to say, because he has closed the ring on his spell.

~

Ants are so interesting. You rarely ever see one alone. Agott can feel multiple little legs crawling all over her. One might have gotten in her ear. Her hearing is becoming a little muffled.

Are the ants going to eat her corpse? Do they eat humans? Agott wouldn't consider herself particularly sweet.

At least they picked her instead of the rotten fruit that fell in here with her. She smiles at the absurdity of her own words, and then begins to laugh. Her cheeks sting, but she can't stop. She flips on to her back and deeply inhales before closing her eyes.

Is this it?

Seems like Agott will never get a chance to prove herself worthy of being a librarian. Her mother was right. She is useless. What kind of witch allows feelings to kill her? Agott shouldn't call herself a witch. She isn't worthy of the title. She-

A light? Agott struggles to open her eyes. Is this the afterlife? Why is she up in the clouds? And most importantly, why is Coco there with her?

Coco.

Oh, Agott would gladly never set foot in the Arklaum house again if given the chance to look into those bright green eyes for the rest of her life. Why did she even want to become a librarian? It all sounds so hilarious now.

Why is Coco frowning so much? And… are those… tears? Why would…Why would Coco be…

She feels light tapping on her right cheek… Some big white ant…
…

~

‘AGOTT!!!’

No, no, no! This can't be happening!

Coco tries shaking Agott, but she doesn't wake up. Even brushbuddy's attempts at tickling aren't doing much. The air in the underground cave feels very strange. Coco coughs a few times after making sure she's turned away from Agott.

‘Agott… Agott your face!’

She has a few minor cuts across her face, but what really stands out is this massive wound on her left cheek. It is bleeding.

‘You're hurt…’

Coco checks if Agott is breathing, heart beating louder with each moment that passes.

Yes. Okay. Barely, but yes.

Good.

She's alive.

By now the others must have noticed that Coco is gone too. She makes sure that her ring is on her finger before trying to force Agott to sit up. She's heavy, but nothing too unmanageable.

Oh, Agott. Coco will never forgive herself for not running after Agott. This could've been avoided so easily.

‘Agott… Please. I need you to wake up…’ Coco begs, wiping the blood off of Agott's face with her sleeves. She couldn't care less about the mess. She'll make herself a new witch uniform if she has to.

Just then, Coco remembers that she brought some water with her. The basket! She looks around the space before finding the basket buried under some dirt right at the entrance where she fell. Getting here took Coco numerous attempts, but she did it. She burned through three thick stacks of paper. Ones she had stacked away for emergencies.

‘I'm going to pour some water in your mouth… okay? Um… let's hope that this goes well!’ Coco tells Agott, unsure whether she's listening.

Coco gently, very very gently, grabs the back of Agott's head while pressing the tip of the bottle against her lips. She lifts it up, and watches carefully as it pours out into Agott's mouth.

Agott swallows.

‘AGOTT!’

‘Co…co…?’

‘AGOTT! YOU'RE FINE! WE ARE FINE! IT'S GOING TO BE FINE!’ Coco can't stop herself from wrapping her arms around Agott and pulling her in for a hug.

‘Where…How…’

‘We are inside…uh… I'm sorry I'm not sure what you called this. If you called it anything. We are in your dirt… space? Is that fine? Yeah. We are inside your little dirt space. I made a hole that reaches the surface. All we need to do now is climb up. I would've carried you, but uhm-’

‘Coco.’ Agott interrupts her.

‘Yes?’ Coco pulls back from the hug, looking at Agott while still holding her by the shoulders.

What she does not expect to see are tears running down Agott's face. Tears mixed with dirt and blood and…are those bugs? Oh wow, Agott is covered in bugs! Still, Coco doesn't stop holding her.

‘Why are you here…?’ Agott manages, her voice sounding weak.

‘Huh? What do you mean?’

‘Why did you come…?’

What?

‘Why wouldn't I?’

‘You should leave.’

‘I'm not going to do that! Do you know how much effort everyone put into looking for you? You wouldn't want all that to go to waste, would you?’

‘I…what? Looking for me?’

The surprise on Agott's face worries Coco. The lack of oxygen underground must be messing with Agott's mind. Just how deep down are they? Coco can't help but admire whatever spell Agott made to come to this point. Climbing up will probably take a while, especially since the dirt wiped away the spells on their sylph shoes.

Coco pushes the basket towards Agott.

‘Here. Eat something. That way you will regain your energy faster.’

Agott hesitantly takes the basket, her hands shaking. She opens it.

Ah, the hearts-

Oh, this is very embarrassing.

~

Agott expected anything but cupcakes with heart shaped sprinkles. She raises an eyebrow at Coco, who is blushing. Why does she have this with her?

‘Master Qifrey put those on there. I promise!’ She blurts out.

‘Why…’ Agott finds it very difficult to speak. How can she? Coco came looking for her.

Everyone did. She wonders where the others are. Have they gotten lost?

Master Olruggio and Master Qifrey must be furious with her. She shivers at the thought of how much trouble she'll be in. Neither of them are the type to administer punishments, but…but she deserved one. She wouldn't mind if Qifrey chose to kick her out of his atelier. Or… actually…

‘Agott? Are you with me?’ Coco is leaning in super close, supporting Agott's occupied hand. If it weren't for the cupcake in-between them, this would've been very… strange.

‘I'm with you.’

‘Phew! Scared me there for a second. Do you want me to feed you?’

‘F-feed!?’

‘You know! Since your hands aren't exactly working right now!’ Coco sounds nervous.

‘R-right…’ Agott considers the offer for a moment, and shakes her head. She uses all of her strength to bring the cupcake to her lips. The first bite immediately wakes her up. This cupcake may be the best thing she has ever had.

It takes her only two more bites before finishing it. Coco hands her the other one, and Agott finishes it just as quickly. She finds it difficult to hold eye contact with Coco after demolishing the two cupcakes.

‘How are you feeling?’ Coco asks her.

‘Better…’

‘...And?’

‘And…huh?’

‘Do you think I'm… disgusting?’

Agott isn't sure whether she heard that correctly. Disgusting? Coco? If anyone here is disgusting, it's Agott. And for two different reasons. The other being that she has white, sugary frosting smeared all over her cheeks. Agott doubts that sugar and wounds go well together.

The cuts…

She almost forgot about them.

‘Coco…’

‘Listen, I really didn't want it to come out like that. I wasn't even planning on telling you any time soon… or at all. I should have kept this to myself and put in more effort to hide my feelings. If I had known how you would react-’

‘Stop it.’

‘W-what?’

‘Don't you dare apologise to me. This is all my fault. I'm the one who can't control her feelings.’

‘I- no! No, that's not how I wanted this conversation to go. Listen to my apology!’

Agott covers her ears and begins to stand up, walking away from Coco before she can hear anything. She doesn't want Coco's apology. It will only make her feel even worse.

~

‘Qifrey, what the hell?’

Olruggio can't believe what he just witnessed.

‘Keep your eyes closed.’ He tells Olruggio, low enough so that Tetia and Richeh don't hear.

The girls assumed that this was just an advanced spell Qifrey came up with. That's good. Let's see how long it will take them to figure out that their master used forbidden teleportation magic. And while we are at it, he also slapped a repetition spell on it. Great!

‘I will. Just… warn me the next time you decide to dig a tunnel this large.’

This is no tunnel. No. Qifrey has combined a repetition spell with teleportation and digging, using it to move the four of them underground at a rapid speed. It looks a lot like he's just digging a hole using earth magic, but no. It's far more complicated than that. This is making Olruggio feel incredibly claustrophobic. How is Qifrey getting rid of all the dirt? Not a single speck has stained any of them. If anything, the dirt appears to shy away. Olruggio can't help but feel a little impressed.

‘I'll try.’ Qifrey manages in a weak tone.

Olruggio feels a tug on his robes.

Richeh.

‘Why would Agott be underground?’

‘Well, we've checked the surface. And the sky. It only makes sense for her to be here.’ Qifrey answers

‘That's a very random conclusion…’ Tetia points out.

‘I'll explain everything as soon as we find those two. I promise.’

‘Pinky promise?’

‘Pinky promise.’

Underground. What a strange place to hide in. And yet Qifrey looks very confident, drawing seal after seal. Olruggio places a hand on Qifrey's shoulder, causing him to flinch.

They exchange a quick glance.

Agott is definitely here somewhere.

Olruggio is sure of that.

He takes out a pen and some paper, and begins drawing.

‘Qifrey, girls.’

The girls turn to him, Qifrey doesn't.

‘Qifrey.’

‘Hm?’

‘Close your eyes.’ He says, addressing everyone.

~

Well, at least she can stand now. That's good. Coco leans against the dirt wall behind her and lets out a long sigh of relief. Agott is safe. She is here and she is safe. She might hate her, though. Whatever. As long as she is safe…

‘I'm so happy…’ Coco says, her voice cracking.

Agott refuses to face her, or even acknowledge that Coco is speaking. But Coco doesn't care. All Coco currently feels is joy.

‘While digging the tunnel,’ She starts, ‘I thought of how boring our atelier would be without you.’

No reaction from Agott, still.

‘My mind went to the worst case scenario. Which is very unlike me. Do you know how worried I have to be to reach that point? You scared me to death, Agott.’ Coco begins to fidget with her fingers.

‘Why would you worry about somebody like me? I have nothing positive to offer you.’

Nothing positive? Yeah, something was definitely up with the air here.

‘Yes you do.’

Agott turns to look at Coco, blood dripping from her cheek.

‘Your spells have nearly surpassed mine. If it's knowledge you seek, I have none more to offer you.’

‘Knowledge? You really think that the reason I like you so much is because you're better than me in magic?’

Agott abruptly breaks eye contact.

Coco gets up, legs slightly shaking. She really shouldn't have skipped lunch. She approaches Agott, and takes her hands in her own. Agott is so cold. Like an ice cube. Both in the physical and mental sense.

‘I like you. A lot. And while your magic is something I look up to, there are a bunch of other reasons for my love for you.’ Coco explains, giving Agott a gentle squeeze and a smile.

‘H-how… How can you say that? Without my magic, I'm nothing. Take away my status as a witch and all my likeable qualities are gone.’

‘Agott.’

‘Why would you ever choose me? No, why do you always choose me when there are so many other options out there? Tartah made you a pen, for heaven's sake! He put so much thought and effort into it. And what did I do? I put you through hell. You would've been so much better off without me.’

Agott pulls away, looking up to the opening that leads outside.

Tartah? What does he have to do with anything? Coco tilts her head.

‘And…and how did you even find m-’

Before Agott can finish her sentence, a strong flash of light appears out of nowhere, knocking Coco out of her consciousness. The last thing she sees are a pair of worried purple eyes, and a bloodied hand reaching out for her with zero hesitation.

No one cares as much as Agott cares. That thought warms Coco's heart. No one has a heart so full of love like Agott does.

Which is why Coco never gave up on her. Never will. No matter how mean Agott can be at times. The love she holds is enough to crush her. She doesn't know what to do with it, so instead of getting help, she runs. And runs and runs, waiting to be crushed under the weight of her own care.

But that isn't going to happen.

Coco will hold her wrist and stop her every time.

Everything is black, and Coco can barely move. She feels a lot of commotion around her. The light isn't gone yet, but it's slowly dimming. She feels tiny little paws touch her. Brushbuddy. Hopefully these little guys are good at climbing.

Agott… Where is Agott? Coco has to find her.

Her finger twitches as she tries to move it.

Come on… Something, Anything… Move…Please…

…!

Something wet falls on her face.

~

‘COCO! AGOTT!’ Qifrey shouts, feeling a little too relieved at the sight of the two girls. They're safe. They're alright. Even the Brushbuddy is here. Coco must have accidentally stared at Olruggio's explosion spell for too long, causing her to faint.

That's okay. What matters is that she's fi-

…

No. She is not fine.

Coco is dead. Coco is dead. Coco is dead.

The roots can't take over now. He can't become a tree thousands of feet underground. Why is this happening now?

‘Look! Agott is injured!’ Tetia shouts.

Good. No. Not good.

Qifrey freezes.

~

Tetia is giving Coco some water, meanwhile Richeh is doing her best to bandage up Agott. The entire time Agott has been sobbing like never before.

Olruggio remembers the first time he met Agott. Qifrey had brought in a crying child from the Arklaum House. Olruggio expected her to be another one of those spoiled brats. Instead, she kept having panic attacks every night. It took him and Qifrey weeks to get her to calm down. In the end, what was the most effective was time. She needed to know that they weren't going to abandon her like her mother did. She wasn't rotten, not at all.

Agott, despite looking so tough on the outside, is as fragile as glass. One wrong move and she can break. And it is this atelier’s job to keep her in one piece.

Additionally, it is also Olruggio's job to check up on Qifrey. He has been acting very distant ever since they found the two girls.

Why is he pacing in circles in the corner of the cave?

‘Qifrey? What wrong?’ Olruggio asks him carefully. Luckily the girls haven't noticed anything yet. At least he hopes they haven't.

‘I'll be fine. Go check on Coco and Agott.’

‘They're doing alright. Agott might need to be taken to get stitches, though.’

This appears to calm Qifrey down. He stops pacing and looks at his apprentices.

‘Is Agott…’

‘Panic attack. Yeah.’

There he is. There's Master Qifrey. Olruggio watches as Qifrey makes his way over to Agott, who has mostly calmed down by now. Poor thing. He should've pushed more when talking to her earlier. She would've hated it but it could've saved them a lot of trouble.

He reaches to rub the spot on the back of his neck, rethinking the events of today while his eyes dance over the cave exit.

Why would Agott's mother reject somebody as talented as Agott? Making a hole this big must've taken a lot of effort, and not to mention how smooth it is.

Agott is going to go far in life. It is his and Qifrey's job to make sure that she reaches her full potential. They're her family.

It would be a shame for her to give up over something as small as love.

Olruggio looks at Qifrey.

Small. Yes.

He frowns.

Mainly because he understands Agott way more than he would like to admit.

~

Coco's eyes slowly open up, only to realise that she's being carried by none other than Master Qifrey. She leans into him, trying to remember what happened.

The cave.

Agott.

‘Ago-’

‘Shh. She's fine. It's alright.’ Master Qifrey tells her with a warm smile.

She wonders whether she's hallucinating or there is a leaf poking out of her master's glasses. It's a very familiar leaf. She knows she has seen it before…

She's about to reach out for it, but instead, the leaf falls on its own, landing somewhere on the ground.

Ah, her head hurts!

‘Where…are we going?’ Coco asks.

‘Kalhn. Both you and Agott need a check up. It should be quick.’

Agott's face flashes before Coco's eyes. The blood mixed with dirt and ants… she shivers. The large cut across Agott's cheek will probably take a while to heal. Poor Agott…

Coco takes a closer look at her surroundings. It's daytime. How long has she been asleep?

~

Qifrey leans against the wall, sliding down as the rollercoaster of emotions from last night takes over. He feels exhausted. He had no clue as to how he managed to carry Coco to Kalhn.

Judging by the looks on the nurses’ faces, they were probably shocked too. One offered to check his vitals. He refused, thanking him for the offer.

What a night.

Richeh and Tetia slump down next to him. One on each side. They refused to return to the atelier and rest, so instead they came with him and Olruggio to the hospital in Kalhn. Qifrey would have preferred it if they were at home, sleeping after spending the entire night searching the forest. However, he admired their determination to stay by Coco and Agott's side.

‘I think I'm gonna sleep for a week straight after this…’ Tetia comments, leaning her head on Qifrey's shoulder.

‘Same.’ Richeh agrees, letting out a yawn.

The hospital was packed for some reason. Something about a natural disaster not far from here.

Qifrey was already dreading the visit by the Knights Moralis that's certain to come. They could be spying on him right now for all he knew. The holes he and Agott made underground combined with Olruggio's explosion ought to raise a few eyebrows.

Luckily, there were no serious injuries. Most of the people in the waiting room are complaining of headaches. Others are paranoid that the ground might open up and swallow them whole.

Both he and Olruggio needed to be more careful in the future. This was incredibly dangerous.

Qifrey is very grateful to Brushbuddy for deciding to scratch him every now and then. He refuses to feed it, because the pain keeps him grounded.

‘Did master Olly already head home?’ Tetia asks.

‘He's in there.’ Qifrey points to Agott's room, finger lightly shaking

‘Hey, no fair! How come he gets to go inside but we can't!?’

~

‘Master Olruggio...’

‘What were you thinking!?’

The way she looks down makes Olruggio reconsider this. No, he shouldn't be scolding her. What is he thinking? No kid ever listens to being scolded.

‘I'm not mad. Or, well, yes I am mad. We are all a little mad. Even Coco.’

At the mention of Coco's name, Agott frowns. Is this scolding? Agh… He's horrible at this.

‘A little seems to be an understatement.’ Agott tells him. ‘But I get it.’

‘Good. I'm glad that you do.’

Agott sinks into her pillow, covering her head with the blanket and turning her back to Olruggio.

‘I wish you had talked to someone before running off. No one in our atelier would've made fun of you for liking Coco.’

‘I do not like her!’

Olruggio rolls his eyes, despite Agott not being able to see him. He leans forward in his chair.

‘Do you want to know a secret?’ He asks her, already regretting this.

She slowly turns around to face him again, a curious glare in her eye as she raises an eyebrow.

‘A secret?’

‘Yes. I'm only telling YOU this.’

Now she really looked curious. Olruggio wanted to leave. Why is this the one thing he thought of?

‘... Why?’

Why indeed? Is it because Olruggio sees himself in Agott? Probably. How can he not? If he and Agott were the same age during his time at the Great Hall, they would've hated each other. Precisely because of how similar they'd have been.

Things change. Olruggio changed. He doesn't want Agott to experience the bad changes that he went through. He wants to protect her from the things he can.

‘I'm in love with Qifrey.’

‘That's not a secret.’

‘...’

‘...?’

‘Well…point taken?’

Agott pauses for a moment. Then nods, holding back a laugh.

‘Okay.’ Olruggio tells her, resting his chin on his hand. ‘What I'm trying to say is, don't hold back. Tell Coco how you feel. Or else it will be too late.’

‘Too late?’ Agott echoes.

‘I don't mind the life I have with Qifrey right now. I wouldn't trade it for anything. However, there are times when I wish he knew how I really felt about him. It is all just useless labels… but…’

‘Shouldn't you lead by example?’

Olruggio is taken aback by this suggestion. He stares at her, not knowing what to say. He can feel his face burning up.

‘D-don't change the topic! We are talking about YOUR love life here!’

‘But…master… you started it…’

Olruggio shakes his head in disbelief. He did. He couldn't deny it. All he wanted to do was encourage Agott to be more honest with Coco. Not… this.

It is too late to tell Qifrey anything. It's best to keep things as they are to avoid unnecessary awkwardness. Besides, Olruggio is pretty certain that romance isn't something Qifrey would be into. Surely Qifrey would have made a move on him if he felt the same.

‘Do you… really think that Coco would choose me over Tartah?’ Agott asks, her voice smaller than ever before.

‘Definitely.’

She blinks.

‘She cares about Tartah like she cares about anyone in her life, but her feelings towards you are something else.’

‘How can you even tell?’

‘Everyone knows, Agott. Coco likes you. Your feelings are reciprocated. Don't let pessimism cloud your thoughts.’

Olruggio gets up, grabbing a large container of water from Agott's bedside table. He pours some into a glass and hands it to Agott

‘How are your wounds?’ He asks her as she takes a few small sips.

‘Managable. They burn a little.’

Burn, huh… He looks around before taking out a sheet of paper and a pen. He creates an ice pack spell, and hands it to Agott.

‘This should help.’

She holds it up to the bandaged side of her face. The smaller cuts have mostly healed already. In a few days they'll likely be gone. The big one, though…

‘Listen,’ he starts. ‘If you ever need someone to talk to about anything, know that I'm here. Even when I'm busy. Feel free to bother me. This goes for all of you. I may not officially be considered your master but feel free to rely on me as much as you do on Qifrey.’

He lets the words sink in for a moment before leaving. The others must be quite eager to speak with Agott. He has already taken enough of her time. Surely this little chat meant something to her… right?

Right before he opens the door, he hears sheets rustling behind him. He pauses, and is about to turn to face Agott again, when he feels a pair of small arms wrap around him in a hug.

He returns it, smiling.

~

Coco barely managed to talk the nurses and the doctors into letting her leave her room. They still wanted to do some tests on her to make sure that everything was fine, but Coco couldn't care less about any of that. She needed to see Agott.

It took a lot of begging and promising that she wasn't running away until they finally decided to let her go. As she walked through the hospital halls, she could've sworn she heard a few nurses saying something about how reckless witches are.

She almost immediately recognised her masters in the waiting room. They are standing out quite a lot. She chuckles at the comparison between most people, who are sitting in chairs and patiently waiting, and them. Master Olruggio is snoring rather loudly while his head rests on Master Qifrey's shoulder. Everyone is giving them strange looks, but Master Qifrey doesn't seem to mind.

Despite having large eyebags under his eyes and looking like he might fall asleep at any moment, he chooses to stay awake. He smiles in acknowledgment as Coco walks over to him.

She gestures to Olruggio.

Qifrey blinks a few times before pointing to a hall on the other side of the waiting room while mouthing Agott's name. Coco wastes no time heading there.

Her headache is mostly gone. Whatever that explosion was, it clearly wasn't meant to hurt anybody. An interesting spell. She'll have to ask her masters about what happened once they're home. Kalhn is no place for such discussions.

‘Coco!’ a voice calls from behind Coco, tackling her to the ground, she falls down with a loud thud.

Tetia smiles while looking at her with a huge grin on her face.

‘I'm so glad you're okay!’ she says, giving Coco a hug that nearly suffocates her.

‘I'm happy to- agh!’

‘Sorry!’ Tetia gets up, dragging Coco with her and hugging her in a gentler manner.

‘I'm happy to see you too! Where are Richeh and Agott?’

‘Richeh left to get us all some food. Agott is in her room. Here, let me take you there!’ She grabs Coco and starts dragging her to the end of the hall, they both nearly trip multiple times while bumping into the hospital staff. Coco doesn't remember the last time she apologised to so many people at once.

How embarrassing.

Agott's door is wide open. She is sitting at the edge of her bed, holding an ice pack to her face. Tetia pushes Coco inside the room and shuts the door while shouting ‘Only one visitor at a time! You two have fun!’

Coco barely registers Tetia's words. Instead, her feet move on her own and she rushes to hug Agott. Agott stands up and returns the hug, refusing to loosen her grip on Coco.

‘You're okay!’ Coco says.

‘I… I'm really not.’

Coco pulls away to look at Agott. She slowly, and very carefully, reaches out her hand to Agott's face. Her fingers go over the hardened blood of the cuts, slowly making their way over to the bandaged side of Agott's face. It's cold. Likely from the ice pack.

‘Is it that bad…?’ Coco asks. Agott bites her lip.

‘The doctor said it might leave permanent scarring.’

‘Might? So they don't know for sure?’ Coco gives her a sad smile while gently going over the bandages. ‘It's okay. What matters most is that you're alive.’

‘You must think I'm ridiculous. Running away just because you liked someone else… That was very immature of me. I'm sorry.’

‘Wait…huh!?’

Agott seems to hesitate a lot. Her eyes look everywhere except into Coco's.

‘You and Tartah. I didn't like that. No, I don't like that. Not one bit.’

Tartah? Why would Agott have anything against Tartah? He's a good person. There is little to dislike about him… unless…

‘Agott…’

‘No. It's fine. Go on dates with him. I won't try to stop you. I just wanted to … let that out.’ Agott's eyes finally meet Coco's. There appears to be a lot of pain in them, and Coco doubts that it has anything to do with her wounds.

‘You really think that me and Tartah are going out!?’

Agott lifts an eyebrow.

‘Are you not?’

Coco starts speaking. Stops. Starts again. Agott stares at her as if she's been possessed. Her and Tartah?

‘ME AND TARTAH?’ She yells in disbelief, taking a few steps back. Then a few steps to the side. And then she starts pacing around the room.

Agott is saying something but Coco isn't listening.

‘So you're telling me…’ Coco starts, walking back over to Agott and grabbing her by the shoulders. ‘that you ran away, buried yourself deep underground, and nearly died just because you thought Tartah and I were dating?’

‘I know. Make fun of me all you want. I deserve it.’

Coco's hands make their way up to Agott's cheeks again, cupping them gently.

‘I'm not going to make fun of you!’

‘Why!? Well, you should!’

‘Because I don't like Tartah! I like you!’

‘I- what!?’

‘I…’ Now Coco is the one looking away, her confidence slowly fading away. Maybe Agott really was disgusted by her. Oh no. Why would she assume that Agott did like her after all?

She takes a deep breath.

‘I like you.’

Agott pushes her away.

‘No you don't.’

She's not disgusted. No. She isn't. She can't be. Someone who's disgusted wouldn't be blushing as much as Agott is right now.

Coco grabs her hand.

‘I do. I mean it.’

‘Then why- Why did you start avoiding me and start hanging out with Tartah more!?’

‘Because you make me nervous!’

~

Agott forgot how to breathe. Time stopped. The world stopped. Everything ceased to exist. There was only Coco. Telling her things she had only ever dreamed of. Things she assumed were pointless fantasies. Things she tried to forget about.

She had to admit, she was nervous. Very nervous. Her hands were shaking, and she tried her best to hide them from Coco. She can't make a fool of herself. Especially not now.

Could it be that she died and is imagining this whole exchange? Agott takes a few steps back, sitting on the bed. She looks at a random corner in the room to avoid eye contact, hand still interlaced with Coco's, trying to gather her thoughts and failing miserably.

This is impossible.

Coco sits next to her.

‘And…’ She starts, but stops.

It is only then that Agott notices how Coco might be far more embarrassed than she is.

‘And?’

‘And… Tartah only came over because he wanted to help me. I told him about how I don't know how to act around you without making a fool out of myself. I thought you ran away because you overheard us talking about you!’

Agott feels like she's been shot numerous times in the best way possible. She's at a loss of words.

‘I- What! No! You were so far away! Why would that be the conclusion you come up with!?’

Coco looks at her. Smiles awkwardly.

‘You make it hard to think.’

An awkward moment of silence occurs. Agott might be dying on the inside. She wants to run away.

‘I'm not sure what to say to that…or to anything of what you've just revealed.’

‘That's alright. Take your time. Let's start with an easy question, okay?’

A question. Okay. Agott can deal with that. Answering questions is so much easier than talking. Though she supposed that answering IS a form of talking. Get yourself together, Agott.

‘Okay.’ She says with a voice crack.

Coco looks away, her grip on Agott's hand tightening.

‘Do you like me back?’

That is not an easy question.

As the silence stretches on, Agott tries to focus on answering. This is not easy at all. Her feelings can't be summed up to a single word. She doesn't like Coco. To her, Coco is the equivalent of air. Were it not for her, Agott would have lost herself. She would have drowned in her perfectionism. Her insecurities would have swallowed her whole.

No, like is not the right word for this.

‘I don't.’ She answers.

Coco lets go of Agott's hand and collapses onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

‘I can't say that I like you.’ She quickly corrects herself, voice shaky.

Why does this have to be so hard? Why can't she just say what she means? Why can't her feelings be put into words? How will Coco ever understand her if she refuses to explain herself?

Over and over again, Coco has found ways to figure her out. But what happens when Coco runs into a wall? A wall Agott can and probably should take down.

There shouldn't be a wall. Not for Coco. Never for Coco.

‘Like is an understatement.’ She says while lying down next to Coco and looking her right in the eyes. They're such a beautiful colour. Green with a little brown in them. Except the green isn't the basic green you'd see outside. No, it's something else entirely. Agott thought that her eyes were yellow when she first met Coco, but the more they hung out, she slowly began seeing green. And now, she sees brown.

‘Huh!?’ Coco exclaims, a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

‘You did something to me. Something I'm very grateful for, Coco. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you, but I'd sure like to try.’

‘Agott… You don't have to repay me for anything, we're friends.’

Agott turns to lie on her side.

‘You refuse to give up on me. You're unlike anyone I've ever known. Even Master Qifrey sometimes doesn't know what to do with me. But you… you are special. I don't know what my life would've looked like without you.’

Coco mirrors her position, but chooses to stay silent for some reason.

‘I guess I'm just angry with you.’

‘YOU'RE angry with ME!?’ Coco playfully shoves her with barely any strength. ‘I'm not the one who hid herself in a cave of shame.’

‘You're the one who got me out of that cave. I'm angry because I wasn't expecting it.’ Agott can't help herself but smile as her eyes fill with water. ‘How did you know where to look for me?’

~

Coco was a bit upset. Mainly at the fact that Agott expected her to give up. She should know better by now. Agott is so…

She reaches out to take Agott's hand again.

‘I thought of how you must've felt when you heard me and Tartah talking about you…’

It was now Coco's turn to feel embarrassed. Agott never heard them. She even thought they were dating. Dating! She never for a second looked at Tartah from that perspective.

‘So… I landed on embarrassed. I noticed how often you looked away from couples on the streets. My main assumption was disgusted but-’ Coco continues, but a playful scoff from Agott quickly interrupts her.

‘Disgusted? By you? Stop it.’

‘You were at first!’

‘Yeah, at first! Things…changed.’

Coco smiles. Yeah. They did.

‘They did change, and that is precisely why I came to my conclusion. Since we couldn't find you in the forest or on a tree, I figured that maybe you were underground. That's when it hit me.’

Agott blinks a few times, probably confused because Coco's logic doesn't make much sense.

‘An embarrassed Agott would likely want to bury herself alive.’

‘That…’ Agott pauses her words and blinks some more.

‘After realising that you weren't in any of the trees, I tried thinking outside the box. The phrase randomly came to me out of nowhere and… you know the rest of the story.’

Coco expects her to laugh or call her a fool. Or both. She doesn't. Instead, she smiles. A smile! From Agott!

‘You were the only one who could've found me…you and your…mind.’

‘My mind?’ Coco chuckles.

‘You know what I mean.’

‘Master Qifrey thought of it too. Or at least his mind went in that direction as well. Don't for a second believe that the rest of them weren't worried sick when you left. We all care a lot about you, Agott.’

‘He…did?’

Coco was shocked to learn that her master used forbidden magic to locate Agott. He drew multiple teleportation spells and sneakily stuck them to everyone's clothes. On top of that, he coincidentally used the same spell Coco did to dig through the ground. The two bonded over different ways to dig using magic on their way to the hospital.

She barely remembers any of it, since she wasn't in the right head space, but she wouldn't ever dare forget the effort master Qifrey put into finding Agott. As questionable as his choices may seem sometimes, he does care about them all.

What is he thinking about now? Are more leaves sticking out of his hair? Has a whole branch popped out of his eye? If she were a silverwood host, Coco would have turned into a tree the moment she saw Agott in that cave. How can he control his thoughts in situations like these?

~

Qifrey was barely keeping himself together.

The parasite is as manageable as ever, but only a few hours ago… He didn't even want to think about it. If something like this happens again, he might be doomed.

Olruggio unfortunately noticed that something was wrong, so he suggested that he and Qifrey take a quick walk. Both Coco and Agott were doing fine. Tetia has befriended some visiting witches, and Richeh is still getting food. Qifrey had no valid reason to say no. At least not from Olruggio's point of view.

What a nightmare.

The two fly out of Kalhn, and as soon as their feet touch the ground of a nearby empty opening, Olruggio gives Qifrey a very worried look. A look he knows too well.

‘You know that I won't tell the Knights Moralis anything about the teleportation spell.’ Olruggio states. Qifrey nods.

‘Well aware, dear friend.’

‘And you also know that we are all fine.’

‘Indeed. That's good.’

‘So, what's the problem, then?’

Why must he be so sharp? Out of all the people in the Great Hall, the sharpest one just had to save his life that one time.

‘I suppose I'm just stressed.’ Qifrey responds, looking at Kalhn. It's as much truth as he can give him.

Olruggio stands next to him.

‘I talked to Agott. I doubt that she'll run away again. We had a real bonding moment back there.’ The smile on his face only proves it. Qifrey really wants to take a moment to feel happy for the two for getting closer, but he can't.

He can't because he can already feel light movement inside of his skull.

~

Olruggio is surprised that Qifrey isn't saying anything at all. Usually he loves to hear about his bonding with the girls. And that pained expression… this can't be good. Something dark is brewing inside of Qifrey's head.

It certainly doesn't feel like the right time, but he remembers what Agott told him back in the hospital. Lead by example. Or whatever.

He knows when to avoid pushing when it comes to Qifrey. In fact, Olruggio chooses to never push at all. Not unless completely necessary.

He watches as Qifrey fidgets with his hands, despite having a calm expression on his face.

How does he do that?

~

‘Maybe you should rest when we get back home. I'll take care of the girls and you sho-’ but before Olruggio can finish his sentence, Qifrey interrupts him.

He grabs Olruggio's face and kisses him. It's a deep kiss. One that makes you feel like you and the person in front of you are one being.

Qifrey regrets it immediately, and yet he doesn't pull away, he keeps his lips on his friend's for a long while, intending to do so until he runs out of air.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Olruggio pulls away.

Qifrey can't waste any more time now.

He takes off his cap and pulls out the golden pin keeping it together, revealing a spell he has grown sick of seeing. The spell that keeps him up at night, unable to rest, which shouldn't be too bad considering everything. But still. He can't help but feel like a monster.

The look on Olruggio's face each time he does this might one day be enough to kill the parasite. Whenever Qifrey sees his confused, flushed face, he feels a short moment of complete silence. Only then does he feel human. Only then does the tree cease to exist.

Qifrey felt disgusted with himself.

He takes a few steps closer to Olruggio.

‘W-why would you do that out of nowhere!?’ His friend asks him.

‘I'm sorry.’

‘It's- It's not that I mind, but, seriously, Qifrey-’

Qifrey puts the cap on him.

‘I'm so, so sorry.’

~

Agott was freaking out a little. She and Coco were holding hands on their way back to the atelier. At first, Agott was strongly against the idea, because what would the others say?

In reality, the others didn't say anything. Master Qifrey gave them a soft, knowing smile, while Richeh and Tetia kept smirking the first few minutes before getting used to it.

Master Olruggio, however, didn't reach at all. He claimed he had a horrible headache, and has been keeping his head down the entire time. Luckily for him, master Qifrey doesn't mind checking up on him to make sure that he hasn't fainted in the middle of the road. Seems like something happened between them, too.

Even the Brushbuddy noticed. It keeps jumping from one's head to the other's. Their hairs have gotten so messy.

‘What's on your mind?’ Coco asks her.

‘Nothing.’

‘You're smiling!’

That, she was. How could she not? She gives Coco's hand a tight squeeze, and she returns it. Squeezing is slowly turning into their own little love language, it seems. A way of saying ‘I love you’ without using words.

‘Hey lovebirds!’ Tetia stops in front of them, a big smile on her face as she smirks. ‘Slumber party tonight?’

‘Sure! I think we earned one!’ Coco responds, her face lightning up as she turns around to face Qifrey.

He raises an eyebrow, despite probably having overheard them.

‘Surely the lessons will be canceled for a day or two?’ Richeh wonders out loud to Agott's left.

‘He has to cancel them. He's severely sleep deprived. How do you expect him to teach?’ Agott points out. Everyone becomes silent for a second.

‘Oh my, Agott asking for lessons to be canceled? Perhaps we should've spent another day in Kalhn.’

All four of them turn to look at Qifrey. Even Brushbuddy seems shocked as it jumps back on Master Olruggio's head.

‘I-I just wanted to make sure you don't overdo it!’ Agott argues.

At that, her master smiles at her.

‘No need to worry. I think we might need to take a break for a few days. Olly and I must take care of the mess we've made back in the forest. It wouldn't be nice to just leave that be.’

Tetia's face lights up.

‘MULTIPLE SLUMBER PARTIES!!!’ She shouts.

‘Hey- I don't know about multiple!’ Master Qifrey suddenly looks a little worried.

‘Don't worry, master, we won't eat too many sweets!’

‘And you won't stay up too late.’

‘And we won't stay up too late.’

‘What's the point of a slumber party, then?’ Richeh joins in.

‘The point is to have fun! We can still manage that with rules!’ Coco answers.

Agott observes as the four try to find a compromise. She doesn't try to join in, but she listens nonetheless. The entire time Coco is holding her hand.

Agott loves this.

These people around her, Coco, everything. Just being a part of a group that values her like this means the world to her.

She wishes she had seen it sooner.

~

Tartah hasn't seen Coco in weeks. He tried sending letters, and he did get some quick responses. Coco told him what happened the day they last spoke. Apparently, Agott ran away. And then everyone had to search for her. And during that time, Coco and Agott got a lot closer.

A part of him was genuinely happy for Coco. He spent a long time helping her find ways to feel more comfortable with Agott. One of those ways included him pretending to be Agott and having Coco explain her feelings to him. He felt embarrassed thinking about it.

But it helped.

As awkward as it was, it seemed to help.

His heart shattered every time he saw Coco back then, knowing that most of their hangouts would focus on her talking about Agott over and over again. At some point he felt like he was best friends with Agott, and not Coco.

Would he have done things differently if given the chance? He wasn't sure.

Coco is happy. That's what matters most.

‘Hey? You alright? You've been spacing out a lot lately.’ One of Tartah's friends points out, playfully tripping him as they walk through the streets of Kalhn.

‘What? Oh, yeah.’

‘Careful, I think he's still upset about his breakup with his girlfriend.’ Another friend jokes.

‘Ohh, so it's official? You aren't going out anymore?’

‘She wasn't my girlfriend. We were just friends. Still are friends.’ Tartah often wonders why he even bothers with these guys.

‘Ooooo friendzoned!’

‘Poor Tartah!

Yeah, that's it. After today he doubts he'll hang out with them again. Not like he doesn't have other friends. Sure, one of them might not have as much time for him because now she's busy wi-

‘Agott?’

The two guys look at Tartah as if he had grown another head. They start firing questions at him. Questions that he can't really comprehend.

Because at the end of the street, he sees a very familiar somebody. Somebody he really did not expect to see here. Alone.

He runs towards Agott, ditching his friends. When she notices him, she waves him over.

Was Agott looking for him?

Tartah looks around. She really is alone. No Coco. No Mr. Qifrey. Or anyone.

There is a fading scar on the left side of her face. It isn't that noticeable but Tartah remembered Coco mentioning something about her helping change Agott's bandages every few hours in her letters. He was curious as to how bad it was. Seems like it wasn't that bad at all. Good for her.

‘Are you even allowed to come here alone?’ He asks her after coming close enough to be heard.

“It's only forbidden if somebody notices that I'm gone. We have to do this quickly. Come.’

Before he can think, she grabs his wrist and drags him to an empty alleyway. Is… is she about to murder him!? It's hard to question Agott, or even resist her tight grasp. Tartah finally begins to understand why she scared Coco so much. She really is something else.

Coco has strange taste.

‘Speaking of forbidden things, you haven't come here to use forbidden magic on me, have you?’ He asks her with an awkward chuckle after she lets his wrist go. He's mostly joking. Or at least he likes to think that he is.

Her head tilts to the side, similarly to how Coco's often does. Yeah. They definitely have been spending more time together.

‘Why would I do that?’ She carefully challenges.

‘You know why.’ He answers, biting back.

Agott reaches her hand into her pocket and throws a small object at Tartah. He barely catches it.

‘What's this?’ he asks, turning it around in his hand.

‘A gift.’

It's a bracelet. A very basic one. Looks like something you'd find on the ground and forget about seconds later. Tartah turns it around, and then brings it up towards the sun.

Seals.

There are seals on the inside.

‘It's a contraption. Press it against anything that's been turned to powder and you'll be able to tell what it was before. The drawings are small enough so no one should notice unless they're looking too hard or you're using it directly in front of them.’

Tartah isn't sure what to say. Or how to react. The little circles look like a pattern rather than a spell.

‘Why are you giving me this?’

Agott crosses her arms.

‘Do you not like it…?’

‘No! I do. It's just, well, random.’

‘I made it because I felt bad.’

Tartah slowly slips the bracelet onto his wrist. Despite being made of only steel, it's quite comfortable to put on. It's a bit big and will probably bother Tartah a lot, but…

‘You don't have to feel bad. Coco had chosen you long before she met me. I've accepted it and moved on. There is no need for a gift.’ He tells Agott, unable to keep his eyes off the bracelet.

‘Have you really?’

Agott leans against the wall next to Tartah.

‘What?’

‘Moved on.’

He looks at her. She isn't teasing him, for some reason. The look on her face makes Tartah believe that she is genuinely curious.

‘I… don't know. Can a person truly ever move on?’

‘I don't think so.’

The difference between him and Agott is that he can live watching Coco be happy with somebody else. Agott can't.

And Coco… Agott is just the right person for Coco. One loves with all she has to offer, while the other barely understands the concept of love. They're perfect for each other. He knew he never had a chance.

‘You could've told her you liked her. Why didn't you?’ Agott's voice brings him back to reality. He only then realises that he hasn't been fully listening.

‘It didn't feel right.’

Agott pushes herself off the wall and takes a few steps closer to the main street.

‘I wonder if you're a coward or just too selfless for your own good.’

‘I-’

‘Forget it. Don't answer that. It doesn't matter anymore.’

Tartah supposed it doesn't.

‘I'm surprised.’ He admits, while playing around with the bracelet. Spinning it around his wrist. ‘I thought you hated me. What made you switch up all of a sudden? Is this some sick way of showing off?’

Agott looks down to the ground.

‘I never hated you.’

‘Sure you didn't.’

She rolls her eyes and begins walking away.

Agott is a very odd person. The strangest out of all of them. She might be even worse than Mr. Qifrey. And that says a lot. What is he supposed to make of this encounter? Or of this bracelet?

‘Wait!’ He calls out, unsure of himself.

She turns to look at him. The annoyed look on her face makes Tartah hesitate. What is he even doing?

‘The colour. What colour is the bracelet?’

‘Yellow. It resembles gold.’

‘Right. Thank you.’

Tartah expects Agott to immediately leave. Her master must be furious with her. Who knows what Mr. Qifrey looks like when he gets mad? Maybe he'll force her to draw forbidden magic. Or something. Tartah couldn't help but find the guy very suspicious. He often worried about his apprentices.

‘Do you… want to come with me? If you're free, of course.’ She asks.

What!?

‘Come with you…? To Mr. Qifrey's atelier!?’

She raises an eyebrow at his reaction.

‘Yeah. I don't think my masters would mind.’

Seriously? Maybe Tartah misread the situation. Also, masters? Plural? What?

‘And Coco-’

‘She'll be delighted to have you.’

Tartah smiles, and Agott returns it with a light grin of her own.