by Robert Teague
This story was written solely for the enjoyment of W.i.t.c.h. fans, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: I prefer the comics to the cartoon, but the one original character I did like was Miranda. So in this story I'm putting her in the W.i.t.c.h. comic universe.
Chapter 1
Deep down in the Castle of Meridian lies the prison. Since Elyon had become queen there had been changes made. The cells had been mostly filled with the enemies of Phobos, but it now held those who remained loyal to him, even though it had been made clear to them he wouldn't be coming back.
It was still, dark, damp, and gloomy, with only the far-set lanterns giving any light. The stone walls were very solid, and the floor was smooth.
Into this place walked Elyon. She was unafraid; her magical power was more than enough to protect her against anything that might happen. Walking silently a few steps behind was Nagadir, Elyon's handmaid. She was tall, with green skin, large pointed ears, and thick, dark red hair done up nicely. But even by human standards she was beautiful. She served her queen with love, gratitude, and loyalty.
Elyon walked unerringly to the cell where the person she wanted to talk to was, even though she had not been there before.
She stopped before it and gave the entrance a brief look. The cell was an arch with heavy iron bars in front. Straw covered some of the rock floor. A pot for personal needs sat against one corner of the bars. The middle of the arch was only about seven feet high and wide, and the cell was ten feet deep. The smell of someone who had not bathed in a long time assailed their noses.
She knew who was in there, even though there was no visible sign of them.
"Miranda?" said Elyon softly.
There was no reply.
"Miranda, come to the bars," said Elyon with some force in her voice.
This time she got a reaction. Near the back two glowing eyes, large and wide, regarded her. Then they disappeared. A few seconds later a young woman stepped into the lighter gloom cast by the lamps. She had black hair and a spray of freckles across her face. She stood a bit over five feet tall, and appeared to be about sixteen years old. Her hair was a tangled, matted, dirty mess, her face smeared with dirt or worse. Her dress was filthy and torn in places. But she stood and regarded her captor with quiet dignity.
"What do you want of me, Light of Meridian?" asked Miranda softly. Elyon was unsure if the question was sarcastic or not.
"Miranda, you've been here for three years now," said Elyon.
The other girl cocked her head slightly. "That long? Thank you for telling me the time."
Patience, Elyon thought to herself. Miranda's feelings were very strong, and Elyon had no trouble reading them. The shape shifter was weary, very weary. She had not seen the sun, not had a bath, not been beyond the bars, nor had more than basic food and water for so long she was beginning to seriously consider killing herself. Other emotions mixed in were anger and regret.
"Listen to me, Miranda..." said Elyon, only to be interrupted.
"Listen to you what, torment me with memories of what I've done, and what I've lost because of it? I think of it every day. Or I should say every time I'm awake. I know what I did, and..." said Miranda. Tears had begun to appear in the corners of her eyes. "...I'm sorry for it."
"I know," said Elyon. "Even though I haven't come to visit you in all this time, I know what's gone on. I know you have apologized to every guard you hurt that has come by. I know you've sent word to the families of the soldiers you killed that you are sorry."
Miranda's eyes widened in surprise. What else did Elyon know?
"And most of all, I know you are sincere," finished the young queen. She smiled, and the gloom seemed to lift a bit. "That's why I've come to see you. To offer you a parole."
Miranda was startled into a long silence that neither she, Elyon, nor Nagadir was eager to break. She sat down on the dirty straw and looked through the bars at the queen.
"I never thought you could be so cruel," said Miranda.
"What?" said Elyon. This was very definitely not a reaction she expected. "But I--"
"Came down here to dangle in front of me what I will never have. Is it because I was your friend and companion before your brother's scheme was revealed? Do you hate me that much?"
This time it was Elyon's turn to be shocked.
"I never hated you, Elyon," said Miranda, "I did what Phobos ordered me to do. But while we were together I found out I liked you. I really was your friend. But I couldn't go against... him." She stood up and turned her back on the queen.
"Are we finished now? The rest of my life is waiting." And she melted into the shadows of her cell and was gone.
Elyon finally found her voice. "No, we are NOT finished! I'm serious, Miranda, I am offering you parole."
"Why?" came a hollow voice.
"Because you sincerely regret what you did, and because..." Elyon paused for a long moment. "I've missed you. You were my friend. We played together, girl-talked together, and you sometimes gave me good advice. I want you back in my life. And as much as I love Nagadir here..." She reached back and put her hand on the maid's.
The young servant was immediately embarrassed. "Majesty..."
"...there is no one in the castle my age I can do things with. Will you accept?"
"You know what I really am," replied the shape-shifter.
"Yes," said Elyon.
"And it makes no difference," said Miranda. It wasn't a question.
"None," replied Elyon.
Once again silence reigned in the gloom.
"What conditions will you impose on me, O Light?" said the still-hollow voice at last.
Elyon held up her hands, and between them an object came into existence with a flash, the light from it going into places that before had always been dark. It was a circle of silver that glowed softly with an inner light.
Nagadir had been expecting the flash, and had caught a glimpse of Miranda standing near the back of the cell. Her back was still to them.
She suddenly stepped into the light, casting her gaze at the object.
Elyon tilted her hands forward a bit, and the circle slipped from between them and toward the bars. When it reached them it passed through as though they didn't exist. Just inside the bars it stopped, hovering. Miranda stepped back from it.
"You will wear this," said Elyon, "It does two things-- it will prevent you from shape-shifting, and I will always know where you are. Once you put it on, only I can remove it.
You will live in the castle, in your old room, and if you want to, you can be my friend and companion again. If not, I will assign you a job and leave you alone. When you've proven to others you have changed and can be trusted, I will take off the ring. That's it."
Miranda looked down, thinking.
"There's nothing hidden in those conditions, Miranda," said Elyon, "And I didn't leave anything out. The ring will not control your actions or thoughts, or reveal them to me."
The girl on the other side of the bars raised her head, and for the first time there was the slightest hint of smile on her face. "I understand. If the word of the Light of Meridian can't be trusted, what can be?"
Elyon smiled in her turn, almost hoping against hope that Miranda would accept.
Miranda drew herself up to her full height, her bearing straight and dignified. "If it means release from here, I will wear your collar."
This time Elyon's smile did light up the prison. She gestured, and the circle of silver drifted over to the girl, passing
through her neck and settling on her shoulders. Then it vanished. Miranda never felt a thing.
"Just don't expect me to bark on command," Miranda added.
And in this place of darkness and misery, the very unusual sound of laughter rang against the walls.
"GUARD! Open this cell!" she called.
"Immediately, Majesty!" was the answer, along with a faint echo.
Within a few seconds the bars lifted with creaks and groans. When they stopped moving, Miranda walked out, her steps unsure. She looked at Elyon and Nagadir, waiting for orders.
"Let's go up," said Elyon, and turned to the path.
"No shackles?" asked Miranda, genuinely surprised.
"Do you want them?" answered Elyon. At a shake of Miranda's head she took the lead and never looked back as Nagadir gestured for Miranda to precede her. The trip to the light was silent, except for the drip of water and footsteps.
W.i.t.c.h.
Back in the castle proper, Elyon paused at a junction and turned to the other two girls.
"Nagadir, take Miranda to her room, help her clean up and get her something to eat. When she's ready, bring her to me. I'll be in my room."
Nagadir bowed briefly. "Yes, Majesty."
"And if anyone hassles you about it, tell them it's by my orders," she added.
"Excuse me, Majesty, what does 'hassles' mean?" asked Nagadir.
"Oh, if anyone gives you trouble," Elyon clarified.
The maid smiled. "I see. Thank you, Majesty." She turned to Miranda. "This way..." and went down another corridor.
W.i.t.c.h.
Miranda sat in a tub of hot, soapy water, enjoying the feel after so long without. Behind her Nagadir was washing her back with a soapy cloth.
The shape-shifter reached up and felt her neck and bare shoulders. "Where's the collar? I can't feel it."
"As soon as it settled on you it disappeared," replied Nagadir, "It's still there, though."
"I know, I'm trying, but I can't shape shift," replied Miranda.
She felt Nagadir's hands that were washing her back falter for a few seconds, then resume. Silence fell.
"Are you afraid of me?" Miranda asked suddenly.
Nagadir stopped her motions. "A little bit. But I trust Queen Elyon." The motion resumed. "And I have reason to be grateful to you."
"I don't understand," said Miranda.
"We have met before, very briefly, during the reign of Prince Phobos. I was a servant in the lower levels, and was delivering drink to a meeting of the generals when you came around the corner in your other form. We collided and I fell over. But you grabbed the pitcher in mid-air before it could spill and put it down. Then you helped me gather up the goblets and tray, nodded to me, and went on about your business before I could say 'thank you'. You saved me from a beating," was the reply.
"I don't remember that," replied Miranda, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," said Nagadir with a smile, "It's enough that I do, and why I'm willing to give you a chance. Friends?"
Miranda looked over her shoulder to see if Nagadir was mocking her. But the green-skinned girl was smiling gently, and sincerely.
"If you're serious, yes, I will be your friend," said Miranda, "After all, we will probably see a lot of each other."
"Good. Now let me wash your hair..." said Nagadir, and grabbed a brush.
W.i.t.c.h.
Once clean, Miranda sat on the edge of the tub wrapped in a large soft towel while Nagadir combed and trimmed her hair.
"Okay, I'm finished," said Nagadir, standing up, "I'll go get you something to eat while you get dressed."
"Thank you for all your help... friend," said Miranda.
"You're welcome, friend," said Nagadir with a smile, "I'll be back in a few fasas." And she was out the door and gone.
Miranda sat for a few moments, then went over to the door, half-expecting it to be locked. To her surprise it opened easily. She looked out, but no guards were there. She closed it, and went over to the bed she hadn't slept in for three years. A nice new dress lay on it, waiting for her.
Once dressed, she sat on the bed, thinking. "This is real," she thought, "Elyon is really giving me a chance. And her conditions are more than fair."
She looked around the room, which appeared undisturbed. "A second chance..." And the tears finally began to spill.
W.i.t.c.h.
When Nagadir returned with a tray of food and drink, she found Miranda had cried herself into a doze, curled up on the bed. She put the tray on a table and woke the girl.
As Miranda ate, Nagadir sat across from her at the table. "Tell me about yourself," she asked, "As far as I know, there are no others of your kind here."
Miranda shook her head. "There aren't. I would know if there were. My people live very far away, and we thought we were safe from Phobos and the troubles here."
"You've seen my real form," she asked rhetorically, which got a nod from Nagadir, "Well, my people can choose one second form. And once chosen, cannot change it. Both forms change naturally as we age, though. That's why I'm taller than I was three years ago."
She took a drink of juice, and sat back. "Phobos heard about our people, and sent soldiers to bring one of us back to the castle. He wanted a second shape shifter as a spy.
The soldiers demanded a volunteer, and when they didn't get one, started killing our people. I finally stepped forward because I didn't want anyone else to die, and I hadn't chosen a second form.
Back in the castle, Phobos put the image of what he wanted me to be into my head, which I accepted, and he gave me the name Miranda."
"What's your real name?" asked Nagadir.
After some hesitation, Miranda said, "It can't be pronounced by an Escanor voice. I'd have to be in my other form to say it."
"Never mind, then. Are you finished? Queen Elyon is waiting," said Nagadir.
With a nod Miranda stood up and followed Nagadir into the corridor.
They had gone up two levels when a guard's voice stopped them. "Miranda? Is that you?"
The two new friends turned to see a short, burly, green-skinned guard approaching with a smile.
"It IS you!" he said when he got a good look at the black-haired girl, "So it's true! Queen Elyon has released you! I'm very happy for you!" He reached a hand toward her.
She took it with her own. "Thank you, Modir! I'm very happy to be out!"
"I bet!" he responded, "What are you going to do?"
"The queen wants me to be her companion again," Miranda answered.
"That's great! I'll visit when I get a chance," he replied.
"I'd like that," said Miranda, "The more friends I have in the castle, the more comfortable I'll be."
"How do you know each other?" asked Nagadir.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Modir, this is Nagadir, Queen Elyon's handmaid," said Miranda.
"M'lady," said Modir, bowing slightly.
"We met during the fighting when Queen Elyon beat Prince Phobos," Miranda explained to Nagadir.
"I attacked her, and she bit me," said Modir, "And I almost lost an arm from her venom."
"Much later he came to see me in my cell, and I apologized to him," said Miranda.
"One thing I have learned from Queen Elyon is that holding a grudge is wrong. I forgave her when I saw she was being honest with her apology," said Modir.
Miranda looked embarrassed. "Since then he's sometimes brought me a treat to eat when he visited, and we've become friends."
Nagadir smiled. "I'm glad to know it was not all misery for you."
Modir turned serious. "But not everybody feels like I do," he warned, "You still have some enemies in the castle."
"I'm not surprised," said Miranda, "But don't worry. I can't shape shift, but that doesn't mean I'm helpless. I'll just have to try extra hard for their forgiveness."
"That makes me feel better," said Modir, "But I've held you up long enough. Go on, we'll talk later."
"Good bye, Modir! Thanks for the support!" said Miranda, as she turned back they way they had been going.
W.i.t.c.h.
Queen Elyon was nervous. Miranda would be here soon, she could tell. What would she decide; to live elsewhere in the castle, or resume her place? Elyon was really hoping for the latter, but would respect whatever choice Miranda made.
There was a knock, then the door opened to admit Nagadir and Miranda.
Elyon smiled. "You look much better!"
Miranda nodded. "I feel much better. Nagadir has taken very good care of me."
The shape shifter took a minute to look around the room. Very little had changed, even though three years had passed since she had last been in it.
"Come with me," said Elyon, and Miranda followed her to the balcony.
Outside the birds were singing, and it was a warm, clear day with a refreshing breeze blowing. Miranda put her hands on the rail, closed her eyes, and tilted her face in the direction of the sun. She smiled widely, enjoying the moment.
Elyon watched her, feeling the joy the other girl was sending. It brought a smile to her own face.
"Mmmm... that feels so good, after so long..." murmured Miranda. Then louder she asked, "Is it always like this now? Under Phobos it was always cloudy and chill."
"The Light of Meridian shines as it should," replied Elyon.
After another minute, Miranda turned toward the door to see Elyon just inside. The queen gestured to her to come back in.
"I want you to be sure you understand, Miranda," said Elyon, "If you choose to become my friend and companion again, you will have no authority in the castle like you did under Phobos. But you will have the privilege of access to me at any time, like Nagadir.
"I'll want you to accompany me down into the city, and sometimes on trips, and we'll do the things we haven't outgrown again. You will obey Nagadir's orders as though they were mine, and report to her if you want or need anything."
Miranda looked at the green-skinned girl and smiled. "I don't mind. We have decided to become friends anyway."
Nagadir smiled and nodded.
"If you would rather stay elsewhere in the castle, I have a job in the kitchen for you, and you will obey orders from the chief cook, and report to him," continued the blond queen.
"I understand," Miranda nodded.
"Those are your choices," said Elyon, "Going back to your cell is not an option, unless you do something evil."
Miranda shook her head. "Never again. I've learned my lesson very well."
"Good. You think about it, and tell me what you want to do. I need to do some of this (sigh) paperwork," said Elyon, and went over to a desk and sat.
Miranda sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Elyon signed several documents, then started reading another. Once she asked Nagadir to clarify what was meant in a particular passage. Elyon could read and write in the Meridian language, but not everything was always clear to her. Cultural differences still cropped up from time to time.
Finally Elyon stood up and stretched. She had spent a good amount of time on the documents. Nagadir rang a bell, and a clerk came in and gathered the documents. He gave Miranda a cold eye as he left.
When the door closed, Miranda turned to the queen. "I've decided what I want to do," she announced.
She got up, went over to Elyon, and fell to her knees. She bowed her head, almost touching Elyon's shoes. "If you will accept me, I will be your friend and companion again. I will be obedient, and honest, and work very hard to earn your trust again."
To the side, Nagadir beamed at Miranda. She already liked her, and knew they would be great friends.
Elyon put her hands on Miranda's shoulders, and raised her to her feet. They were just about the same height. "Accepted. Welcome back!" And Elyon gave her a strong hug.
Miranda returned the hug, and emotions overwhelmed her. Tears ran down her cheeks and onto Elyon's dress. Things hadn't suddenly become perfect; she had a lot of work to do. But she was now sure she had made the right choice.