Hara and the Witch

Chapter 24: An End

'Marigold!' Hara flew into the witch, wrapping her arms around her and feeling Plim land atop her head. Leaves fell to the ground, as if knowing their quester no longer needed their protection. 'Marigold, are you alri- your...' Hara gasped as she drew away and caught sight of what was clutched in her hand.

'I'm alright- Hara, really, it's alright.' She dropped her shattered broom to the ground and took Hara's hand. 'I can make a new one. I-' She smiled until she saw the tears running down Hara's face. 'What's wrong? Hara- Hara's it's alright... Plim?' For now Hara's sobs were uncontrollable and she could no longer speak; Plim swayed back and forth on her shaking head and looked pensive.

'She thought she'd hurt you,' the bird said solemnly, jerking her head back at the battling figures of Trif and Charvay, Mere almost out of sight on her horse.

'But I'm fine- Hara, I'm fine, I promise you!'

'Doesn't matter. She was extra worried,' Plim continued in the calmest of tones, 'because she loves you.'

Hara was clasping Marigold's hand so tightly that when the witch tried to pull away she was completely unable to disentangle herself. In the end she bent low and brushed Hara's nose with her own, finally meeting her teary gaze and smiling.

'Hara,' she whispered, unblinking and feeling her chest swell with warmth. 'It seems we're in a wonderful fix.'

'A- a fix?' Hara asked, snuffling and sounding entirely waterlogged. 'How do you mean?'

'Well... Plim says you love me.' Plim tweeted happily and Hara looked at her sideways, then said in a whisper, 'She wasn't supposed to tell you that.'

'Is... is it true, then?'

Hara sniffed loudly and swallowed, ignoring a large bang that erupted behind them.

'Yes. Of course. You're... you're everything to me, Marigold. I...' Fresh tears streamed down Hara's face, but she paid them no heed, staring into the witch's glistening eyes. 'I love you.'

'Well then.'

'...What?'

'That makes two of us.'

Marigold kissed Hara. The two drew close and held each other and didn't let go, kissing and kissing and feeling like it was a moment that would never end. A moment that never could. The air sparked all around, Plim swooped through the air above them, leaves danced at their feet, and Hara and Marigold both smiled.

'You took your time,' Trif said, ignoring her daughter as she ran towards the distant witch. She had eyes only for Charvay, who stood before her with a gaze she couldn't quite work out.

'Why have you done this?' Charvay breathed, trying to control her pounding heart. Staring at Trif, it was amazing how she was just the same and yet unrecognisable.

'I didn't do a thing,' Trif laughed, eyeing her sister with a wry smile. 'I just-' she raised her hands '-waited. And you, predictable as Hara, arrived.'

'I told you I never wanted this,' Charvay said. 'You left two decades ago. Trif, you made your choice. You didn't make mine.' She pulled a familiar sword from her belt and held it out. 'I don't want it. I never did.'

Trif tittered. 'You,' she said, twirling her fingers, 'are a terrible liar. And a fool, sis. You think I still want us to be a team?' With a flick of one hand she set the ground alight, giving Charvay only a few feet to stand in. The fire crackled and the heat bit into her skin.

'I don't want it,' Charvay repeated, standing firm even as the flames licked the edges of her boots. 'I don't want any of this.'

'I gave you a choice. You could have joined me, we'd have been a triumph! You know we would. But gave the girl the sword - OUR sword!' She looked furious, firelight sparkling in her eyes. Her anger come to life. 'How could I ever align myself with someone so feeble?'

'I. Never. Wanted. It,' Charvay repeated, ice and horror entering her voice at the mention of Hara. 'It was rightfully hers.'

'No!' Trif screamed, a blast following her yell; treetops shivered and behind them one or two cracked and fell, but Charvay didn't even move. 'IT WAS MINE! And if we aren't a team then we will be rivals. It was always going to be us, one way or ano-'

'No.' Charvay dropped the sword, the fire at her feet vanishing in an instant. 'I'm sorry you spent all this time... all this time waiting, but I won't be a part of this.' She pointed at the blade and looked deeply into her sisters eyes. 'Take it. Keep it. Mother would want you to have it.'

'Oh,' Trif laughed, sounding overjoyed, although her gaze was nothing of the sort. 'That's sweet. You always were, though, weren't you? Only, I really don't think it's quite that simple. You can't just expect me to let you go.'

Charvay smiled and stepped close. 'You can, Trif. I know how strong you are.' She sighed, breathing in deeply, smoke hitting the back of her throat. Maybe that was why her eyes began to well. 'I can forgive you for bringing me into this. But Hara... you don't even realise how much you hurt her, maybe you don't care.' Trif quirked an eyebrow with a smirk, but a question was visible in her eyes. 'So this isn't for me. It's for her.' And she sunk her fist into her sister's stomach, knocking The Quest Killer flat and walking away, leaving Trif and a past she had never wanted to find a new purpose.