Last time, Mildred and Ethel resumed their raged-fueled battle, each hell-bent on destroying the other. Only this time, when their magic was exhausted, they continued their battle with martial arts. One thing led to another, resulting in Mildred and Ethel finally hurting each other enough for them to come to their senses, then pass out. 'Nuff said, On with the show!
Chapter 7: Reconciliation
A few hours later Mildred woke up in the college infirmary. Her midsection felt sore from where Ethel kicked her. She gently felt her side to find that her ribs were bandaged and the skin underneath was tingling. She correctly guessed that a healing spell was currently mending her broken ribs and punctured lung. But the most surprising thing was that she still had her memories, all of them.
She looked around to find someone occupying the bed next to her. "Ethel, is that you?"
"No, it's Bernadette Peters," Ethel replied sarcastically, "Who do you think it is, Hubble-Bubble?"
"I just wanted to know how you are," said Mildred.
"You hit me five times," said Ethel, "While I only kicked you once, so I'm guessing that you're not in as much pain as I am."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Mildred. She winced as the pain in her side got worse for an instant. "We were really trying to kill each other just now."
"Wouldn't be the first time," said Ethel, "Back at Cackles, you tried to murder me that day in April."
"So you do remember," said Mildred, "Well I was rather angry at the time, which is kind of a scary thing. You know I don't get angry easily."
"I guess you had good cause to be angry with me back then" said Ethel, "Honestly, I didn't mean for Enid and Maud to get hurt."
"It's bad enough that you did," said Mildred, "Maud survived with only a few scratches, but Enid's gonna have those scars on her back for the rest of her life. But that's only half the problem. The project H.B. and I were working on would have eased the sufferings of cancer patients around the world, and you stole that from them."
"And I am truly sorry about that," said Ethel as she tried to sit up, then decided not to since moving made her injuries hurt that much more.
"How can I believe that?" Mildred asked as she tried to turn her body so at least she would be facing Ethel, but even that nearly made her cry out in pain, "You really haven't proven yourself trustworthy."
"Well what else can I do?" Ethel asked, "Believe me, if I could move without screaming my lungs out, I'd be on my knees, begging your forgiveness."
"Really?" Mildred asked in a non-believing tone.
"You were willing to give Hobbs another chance," said Ethel, "After what happened."
"Hobbs wasn't really himself at the time," said Mildred, "He was under the thrall of The Whisperer. Since then he hasn't done anything to make himself untrustworthy."
"And when was the last time I did something rotten?" Ethel asked, "When was the last time I tried to get you into trouble or make you look bad?"
Mildred had to think about that. True, it had been a while since Ethel was up to her usual tricks. In fact, she had been acting very civil in recent weeks. But still, what Ethel did to Maud and Enid was unforgivable.
No, she admitted it was an accident, and now that Mildred was thinking clearly again, she accepted that it was an accident.
Mildred was about to change the subject, but Ethel asked the question she was going to ask first.
"What happened to us? What made us want to kill each other so badly?"
"I don't know," Mildred answered truthfully, "Back at Cackles, when Drusilla said that it was you who sabotaged the project, all I could think of was how wicked you were and that you had to be destroyed, before you destroyed the world."
"And when I realized that you were serious about killing me," said Ethel, "All I could think of was how wicked you were and that I had to destroy you before you destroyed me. I felt like I had to do it, that I was the only one who could do it, and that the world, and I of course, would never be safe until you were dead."
"I felt the same way," said Mildred, "That it was up to me to destroy you. Only, I cared more about keeping the world safe than about myself," she sighed, then winced, then sighed more carefully, "I still can't believe we were so hell-bent on destroying each other. Whatever came over us, that, that hate fugue or whatever it was, it was like I had lost all sense of reason."
"Me too," said Ethel, "But how did we get out of it? Last time around, Ms. Cackle and Ms. Hardbroom had to stun us, but what happened now?"
"I guess the sight of ones own blood can really put things into perspective," said Mildred.
Elsewhere in the school, Maud and Drusilla were having a frustrating argument with Ms. Cackle. Gathered in Professor Thunderblast's office was said professor, Ms. Cackle, Ms. Hardbroom, Maud, Enid and Drusilla, while Cas, Hobbs, Tim and Amzat were watching from the sidelines.
"You can't possibly think that wiping their memories again will solve this, Ms. Cackle!" said Maud.
"All that did before was delay the inevitable," said Drusilla, "And if we erase Mildred and Ethel's memories again, it'll only be a matter of time before they figure out what happened, then we'll all be right back to where we started."
"First of all," said Ms. Cackle, "We won't be erasing Mildred and Ethel's memories. The spell will suppress the memories until they've matured enough that they'll be able to solve their problems in a civilized manner."
"Trying to kill each other isn't civilized enough for you?" Enid said sarcastically.
"Still the little jester, aren't we, Enid Nightshade," said Ms. Hardbroom.
"At least I have a sense of humor," said Enid, "And I completely agree with Drusilla and Maud; making Mildred and Ethel forget isn't the answer."
"And what pray tell do you think the answer is?" Ms. Hardbroom asked, "Ethel and Mildred are still deep in the grips of the Con Dar. Their rage will not dissipate until they've destroyed that which has triggered said rage; each other. I'm sorry, Enid Nightshade, but your friends are locked in a vicious cycle that will only result in their deaths unless they are made to forget."
"Well from what I saw," said Maud, "Making them forget only added fuel to their rage. You said that Mildred and Ethel are locked in a vicious cycle, well making them forget again will only allow that cycle to continue, and I won't allow that to happen."
"You won't allow that to happen," Ms. Hardbroom said in one of her more frightening tones as she crossed her arms and glared at Maud, "You won't allow that to happen, Maud Moonshine?"
Maud flinched as her former teacher glared at her like she was drilling into her head. But then Maud braced herself and glared back, "I am not a little girl anymore, Ms. Hardbroom, you can't terrorize me or my friends either. And yes, if you and Ms. Cackle are going to mess with Mildred and Ethel's minds again, you'll have to go through me first!"
"And me!" said Enid as she stood beside Maud.
"And me," said Drusilla as she stood at Maud's other side.
Now normally this act of defiance would have brought down Ms. Hardbroom's full wrath on the three young witches, but something Maud said had dumbfounded her.
"Terrorized?" Ms. Hardbroom asked, "Since when have I ever terrorized you, Maud, or anyone else in that manner?"
"Oh, let's see," said Enid, "How about, just about ever day at Cackles!"
"She does have a point, Constance," said Ms. Cackle as she and Professor Thunderblast sipped their tea, "You do have a tendency to be a bit frightening."
"Indeed," said Professor Thunderblast.
"Can I say something?" Cas asked, "Maybe it would be for the best if Mildred and Enid kept their memories. I mean, they're going to have to deal with this sooner or later, so how about now?"
"I agree that they need to come to terms with their actions," said Professor Thunderblast, "But not at the expense of this school, and more importantly, innocent lives. I'm sorry, Cas Crowfeather, but if Mildred and Ethel are to resolve their conflict, it will have to be elsewhere and at a later time."
"Now if you'll excuse us," said Ms. Hardbroom, "I do believe Ms. Cackle and I are needed in the infirmary."
"I don't think so," said Hobbs.
"I beg your pardon, young man!" said Ms. Hardbroom.
"I don't think Mildred and Ethel need their minds fiddled with any more," said Amzat, while Tim nodded in agreement. The boys were currently watching a large crystal ball, one of many magical objects in Professor Thunderblast's office. The crystal was displaying an image of Mildred and Ethel in the infirmary; they had no idea they were being watched and had been for the last hour.
"They're awake," said Tim.
"Oh bloody hell!!" exclaimed Drusilla, "Ms. Cackle, if you and Ms. Hardbroom are going to suppress their memories, do it now before Mildred and Ethel start World War III."
"I'm trying to tell you," said Hobbs, "That won't be necessary."
"Oh?" Ms. Cackle asked.
"They're just sitting there," said Cas, "They're talking."
By now Ethel and Mildred's injuries had healed to the point where they could sit up without too much discomfort.
"I guess the reason why I took an instant dislike to you," said Ethel, "Back at that first day at Cackles, for some reason, I was jealous of you."
"Jealous?" Mildred asked, "Of me? That doesn't make any sense. Ethel, you family is rich beyond rich, nothing you desire is beyond your grasp."
"You'd be surprised how I learned that money isn't everything," said Ethel.
"Well that still doesn't explain why you've always been jealous of me," said Mildred, "I mean, you remember how I was back then; I could barely do any magic. I must have crashed dozens of times when learning how to ride a broomstick, where as you are a natural ace."
"Oh I know the number of broomstick crashes you suffered through," said Ethel, "and you walked away from each one with barely a scratch. Me on the other hand, I broke my leg the first time I rode a broomstick."
"I didn't know that," said Mildred, "I would never have thought of it."
"Well I was only four at the time," said Ethel, "But that's a different story. Part of what made me jealous was that every time you wound up in trouble for whatever reason, you always bounced back, ready to try again. And with one or two exceptions, you never gave up hope that you could do better. No matter what life threw at you, you always came through in the end, it's like you're indestructible."
"I don't feel indestructible," Mildred remarked as a sharp but noticeably smaller jolt of pain shot through her ribs. "So, it was jealousy that made you do everything in your power to make my life miserable. That's sounds just plain stupid and irresponsible if you ask me."
"I know," said Ethel, "And now that I think about it, I was acting stupid and irresponsible. I guess being beaten half to death can also put things into perspective."
"I didn't beat you half to death," said Mildred, "I only managed to land, what, four or five punches?"
"And I only kicked you once," said Ethel, "That was the first time we fought each other like that, and yet it was like we could anticipate each other's moves."
"No," said Mildred, "you're just really good at dodging, while I'm really good at blocking. But you had some great attacks."
"You're not so bad a fighter either," said Ethel. There was a short pause before Ethel spoke again, "I just had this idea. What if we were able to combine magic with martial arts?"
"You mean use our powers to supercharge fighting techniques?" Mildred asked, her curiosity perked..
"Something like that," said Ethel, "no, that's not really a good idea. I mean, we nearly killed ourselves today, for the second time, and who knows what might happen if it were to happen again?"
"Still," said Mildred, "It is an interesting idea. I learned Karate so I would be able to defend myself in a situation where I couldn't use magic. The Whisperer is still out there; he can counter our magic as easily as swatting a fly, so maybe combining magic with martial arts is what's needed to defeat him once and for all."
"You may be on to something," said Ethel, her curiosity also stirring.
"And who knows when Agatha may be up to her old tricks again?" Mildred asked, "You know how nasty an evil twin can be."
"A solid point," said Ethel. There was a moments pause as the two rival witches looked each other in the eye, "I'm sorry I ruined your project and hurt your friends."
"And I'm sorry I tried to murder you," said Mildred, "Friends?"
"Friends," said Ethel, "And if I could stand up without screaming in agony, I'd be shaking your hand about now."
"Same here," said Mildred. They both laughed, but then regretted it as their ribs weren't finished healing.
"Well," said Ms. Hardbroom as she and the others watched Ethel and Mildred through the crystal ball, "I for one did not see this coming."
"Neither did I," said an astonished Drusilla.
"I thought those two would go on hating each other forever," said Maud.
"It just goes to show you, Maud Moonshine," said Ms. Cackle, "That some people can change for the better."
The next day Mildred and Ethel were pronounced fully healed and fit to leave the infirmary. The first thing they did was have a formal document prepared to officially end their feud. The document stated that Mildred and Ethel pledged to never allow anger or any negative emotions to come between their newfound friendship. They signed it, with Ms. Cackle and Professor Thunderblast witnessing it.
Professor Thunderblast then declared that the 4-day weekend would be extended to celebrate the new peace. A huge party was thrown with the entire school attending.
It was during this party that Mildred learned that a few students from different schools would be transferring to Weirdsister at the start of the month. As it turned out, one of those transfer students was there at the party.
She hadn't seen him in years, but Mildred recognized Charlie Blossom at first sight. Sure he was taller and had a more mature look, but he was still 'Good Old Charlie.'
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," Charlie responded, "I like what you did with your hair."
"Really?" Mildred asked as she blushed.
"Would you look at that," said Enid to Maud as they watched Mildred and Charlie get reacquainted.
"So, you'll be attending Weirdsister soon," said Mildred in a slightly embarrassed tone.
"Yeah," said Charlie, "I worked really hard at my old school so I could transfer here."
"You must really want to be here," said Mildred.
"Well it's not just the chance to attend the best magic college in the world," said Charlie, "I transferred so I could see you, Mildred. To be honest, I missed you."
"And I missed you to," said Mildred, "things tend to be a little brighter when the two of us are around."
"Those two would make such a cute couple," said Maud.
"That they would," said Enid slyly, "That they would."
"Oh no!," said Maud, realizing that her friend was plotting something, "No, we're not gonna put a love spell on them, no way! You remember what happened the last time we interfered with people's emotions. Besides, we've meddled here enough for one weekend."
"I know," said Enid in a 'I've already heard this speech' tone, "I know what happens when you use magic to influence the heart. Relax, Maud, I won't be casting any love spells, or spiking their drinks with love potions."
"That's right you won't," said Maud sternly, then went over to talk to Mildred and Charlie.
"No," Enid said to herself, "I'll use a different kind of magic, the magic of 'tweaking the circumstances.' As God as my witness, I won't rest until Mildred Hubble and Charlie Blossom have fallen in love, and I mean it!"
"Mean what, Enid?" Mildred asked.
"Uh, nothing, Mildred," Enid said hastily, "You and Charlie shouldn't worry about little old me. Carry on!" with that she hurried to the other side of the room.
"Enid sure is a strange person," said Charlie.
"You're realizing this just now?" Mildred asked.
There was a pause before they both burst into laughter, then rejoined the celebration.
Mildred and Charlie would eventually fall in love, with no small help from Enid, and a few others. Together, Mildred and all her friends would have many more adventures, some of which would take them beyond their wildest dreams, but those are other stories…
The End.
Awesome! My first Worst Witch fic and it's done! I hope you liked reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Hopefully I'll have another one worked out and ready for your reading and reviewing pleasure before too long. Until then!
