Being a Collection of Short Tamora Pierce Fanfics (Mostly One Shots)

In Which the Four Young Mages are No Longer Young

AN: set far, far after the ending of Circle Reforged. Possible minor spoilers for Shatterglass.

Two years after Lady Sandrilene and her friends had returned from Namorn, Emelan and the surrounding lands experienced a drastic change. Kethlun Warder, growing in his power with lightning and glass, created ways to utilize lightning in smaller ways, to power lights, and faster communications, and ways to entertain children. The many applications for his "electricity" expanded, and continued expanding, until they nearly canceled magic out. It was still there, but there was less need for mages when electricity did so easier, faster, and cheaper. Cities like Summersea and Ninver became unrecognizable as they adopted this new technology.

50 years after the dawn of this new age, an elderly woman walked through what remained of a city in Olart. Something had happened to it, she noted, leaning on her brass capped staff. She stood in front of a newer technological entertainment device for children, called a merry go round. It seemed abandoned, what looked to be several hundred years worth of plant growth covered it. To her left, a new communication device called a telephone booth was in the same condition. She sniffed.
"I don't like it either, but this is going a bit far." There was no response. She didn't think there would be. Lowering her hood to reveal black-streaked gray hair bound in a multitude of braids, she followed the niggling in the back of her mind towards a new transportation method-what they called a train station. It was just as overgrown as the rest of the city. He'd stopped one of the trains on its track. She whistled, continuing on.
She found him inside a monument to the past, a museum, meditating on top of a model of a whale. The building around him was covered in vines. Her living metal hand tapped the brass cap of her staff, making him look down.
"How did you even get the power to do all this? And so quickly? I don't even think Rosethorn could've done it." Briar Moss hopped down from his perch, facing Daja Kisubo for the first time in decades.
"My shakkans helped. They didn't like what's going on any more than I did. D'you like it?" Daja shook her head.
"What did you do to all the people that were living here? Did your vines kill them?" Her brother looked affronted.
"'Course not, Daj'! You know me better'n that. I just scared em off, told them to tell the world magic wasn't dead yet and they couldn't be ignoring it like they were." The Trader sighed.
"Well it worked. Everyone's saying this city has been taken over by a great mage gone mad. You're lucky the Winding Circle Council has been dissolved, or they'd send someone after you. They tried to send me." She grinned at him, letting him guess how well that went. Briar laughed.
"You're welcome to stay here, you know. If Tris and Sandry ever get close enough, they're invited too. 'S like the mental cottage. It's for all of us." Daja nodded.
"Well I'm actually glad to stay, but I don't know about Sandry. They're doing new things with weaving and clothes, and she's all excited. Tris, on the other hand...they're trying to get her to do war magic again." Briar shuddered.
"Good luck to them. But if Coppercurls ever wants a break, let's hope she knows where to find us." A voice filled both their magical senses, making them grin.
Trust me. I knew. And if you've got a tower in this mess, thief boy, I'm glad to stay. I wouldn't be surprised if Sandry shows up too, they're- she was cut off.
Doing horrible things with these new cloths. It's dreadful! And we could use all of us if they intend to take back this city. Honestly, Daja, you were too easy to follow! As the other two women came in to join them, Briar and Daja smiled at each other. Even in this strange new land, they had their family.

AN part 2: rights for all these characters go to Tammy.