Finally, the day they've been looking forward to have arrived. That night at the square, as stage has been set up. People from town get ready for the amazing performance of the stars. There are six rows of ten chairs in front of the stage with backdrops of black drapes and shimmering small stars. Mo's group sat on the first row since they're with the prince of the land. Everyone is quiet when a woman appeared at the stage after the smoke effects. The audience clapped.
The woman is a small and stout one with a red frizzy long hair and a big mole on her left face. She is wearing a black dress to make her look curvy---it doesn't help at all.
"Good ev'ning and welcome to the Stars!" the woman shouted, "My name is Bellatrix and I'll be introducing toy you the greatest of all! She had dazzled everyone, from kings to peasants, with her marvelous magic. Please welcome, Elara!"
After she said that, white butterflies appeared on the stage and turned into a human.
Unlike bellatrix, elara is a lot more beautiful. She has a shiny long black hair tied in a ponytail, emerald green eyes, tall curvy body, and an angel's face. Her white satin flowy dress smoothly swayed as she curtsy.
Everyone cheered and adeon whispered to Agi, "She's the one"
Agi looked at the woman eagerly as elara juggled fire balls that turned to doves.
"Elara" she whispered.
For whatever reason, Agi feels like she has heard the name before, she just couldn't remember when. But, she didn't worry about it anymore and just enjoyed. Bellatrix went up the stage, unfolding a table, and placed a pitcher of water and four glasses. Elara walked gracefully towards the table and poured water on the glasses.
"Now, would you like to see a rainbow without the raining?" elara asked.
The audience, anyone would think, were like all children as they said yes.
Elara placed a single bead in each glass of water with four different colors. The beads dissolved and its color scattered in the water. It turned blue, green, yellow, and red. Elara raised her hands as if she is conducting an orchestra and slowly, water rised from the glasses and turned to bubbles. Everyone watched in amazement as the four water bubbles merged into with a rainbow color.
"It's the same trick you did" adeon pointed out.
Clearly, Agi isn't the only who can make water bubbles anymore. The rainbow burst into colorful butterflie and flew everywhere as elara also burst like water. Now that's something Agi got curious about. It was how the woman in her dream disappeared.
After the show, the villagers walked home talking about the great performance elara had shown. Prince adeon accompanied mo and the others to The Stars bandwagon since he has access to almost everything. They looked around and saw the props they used. Bellatrix joined them and smiled, "Elara will be out in a minute, you highness"
"Thank you" adeon said.
While waiting, they sat for awhile. Dustfinger was about to sit beside Farid when he saw Agi sitting just across, looking troubled. He simply approached her and sat beside her.
"Now, what's the matter?" he whispered.
Dustfinger has been too close to Agi that it's just a piece of cake for him to see if something is wrong with her. Agi took a deep breath and looked straight ahead on the blue wall, "I don't know why, but I'm afraid of leaving"
"Is it because of adeon?"
"It's not only because of him or you, I'm afraid of going back to my old life. I'm a nothing in my place"
Dustfinger didn't get the chance to answer back when elara came out. She was still wearing the white dress she wore during the show. Mo approached her excitedly along with Meggie.
"Ah, you're the ones to be said to come from where I am from" elara said while shaking hands with mo.
Mo smiled, "I'm Mortimer Folchart and this is my daughter, Meggie"
The others introduced their selves also and shakes hands with the amazing elara.
"I am Farid"
"Prince Adeon"
"Dustfinger"
Elara stood in front of Agi and observed her from head to toe.
"What's your name, young lady?" elara asked.
"A-Agi" she uttered.
At that point, elara thought that she would faint. For so many years, she never thought expected something like this to occur.
"Inez?" elara finally said.
The others watched them and couldn't understand why elara called Agi 'Inez', except for Adeon.
Agi looked bewildered as she finally remembers the name. When she was three years old, Agi remembered being in the living room of their house with six years old Sacha and her grandfather. At the other room, Agi could hear an argument. A woman came running out of the house and roone ran after her shouting, "Elara!"
The others got surprised when tears trickled down Agi's face. She ran out and dustfinger ran after her and so did adeon.
"What just happened?" mo asked, clueless.
Meggie looked at elara and could see how hurt she is.
They sat again and elara pulled herself together as she face her guests. She is smiling and crying at the same time.
"Never have I thought of seeing her here, inside a book" elara shared.
"Agi?" Farid asked.
"Yes, you see, my name whole name is Elara Izzenhoward"
Izzenhoward, mo remembered the last name and looked at her, slowly understanding some things, "So you're---"
"I'm Agi's mother"
Meggie is shocked to know that she's actually Agi's mother. But there's really no doubt since they have a great resemblance not only with physical looks, but also the water bubble trick. Elara smiled and took the book bellatrix handed.
"Inkheart" Meggie muttered when she saw the book.
Elara nodded and looked at the paperback book, "This was my favorite book years ago. If I'm right, Inez or Agi as you know her, mentioned to you all what I really am--- a witch. After my husband knew that, I left---hurt. I had nowhere to go since my family wouldn't want to see me anymore for marrying a man who isn't---like us. I looked back at my only companion, inkheart. I decided to teleport myself and here I am. Everyone treated me nicely and loved me for what I am. This is like the home I dreamt about"
"How could you be so selfish?"
Elara looked at Meggie, bewildered, "Pardon me?"
Meggie couldn't control her emotions already and let her anger out through words. Mo tried to calm his daughter, but Meggie wouldn't stop talking.
"How could you have thought of- of the pain you're feeling and not your children? Have you forgotten that you even have kids? Have you ever thought that they could be hurt too, especially Agi? She neither felt love from you nor her father! Agi even though of never loving someone because she though it'll just end up the way you and her dad ended up"
Meggie started to cry on her father's arms. She just couldn't control it anymore. Meggie is longing to see her mother, who never abandoned her but just got by bandits, and now she meets a woman who literally abandoned her children for her happiness.
Elara covered her face and cried. She knows that everything that Meggie said was right and she truly regrets leaving her children at such a young age.
"I know" elara sobbed. "I was just scared that they might hate me too for what I am"
Meggie shook her head, "Of course they'll accept you. You're still their mother"
"Agi!"
"Agi!"
Dustfinger and adeon searched the whole town for Agi, but they couldn't find her. Little did they know that Agi isn't in town anymore. After leaving The Stars bandwagon, Agi ran towards the field and to the wayless woods where she sat under a big willow tree beside the lake and cried. The water nymphs rose from the water and saw Agi crying. They wanted to help her out, but they suddenly went under the water when they heard someone approaching; dustfinger.
Dustfinger ran towards her and hugged her tight which made Agi cry more.
"It's alright, Agi, it's alright" dustfinger whispered.
He started to cradle Agi like a little girl until her loud crying turned to sobs. Agi couldn't really understand what she's feeling. When she recognized her mother, she felt happy, angry, sad and hurt. Everything got mixed up and she just cried. Soon, Agi is fully calm and is resting on dustfinger's arms.
"Why does she have to show up?" Agi said softly.
Dustfinger wiped away the tears on Agi's cheeks with his thumb and smiled at her"
"Maybe God thought it's time for the both of you to settle things. Besides, she can bring you back home" he explained.
"No, I can't pretend that we're okay. I've been hurt for too long"
Agi is about to cry again, but dustfinger shushed her and kissed her on the forehead, "Agi, listen to me. Don't you think your mom's been hurt for a long time too?"
"Huh, what?"
"I'm sure it was hard for your mother to leave you and Sacha behind, but she did it because she thought that was right"
Dustfinger tilted her face and looked sincere, "Please, forgive her already. Your mother loves you very much"
"I-I'm not yet sure I could do that"
"But, you'll try" he said and hugged her.
Adeon is walking back and forth in front of dustfinger's house, worried, when dustfinger finally arrived carrying Agi on his back, sleeping. Adeon ran towards them worriedly and caressed Agi's gentle face.
"How is she?" adeon asked.
"She's okay" dustfinger answered.
Mo, Meggie, and Farid are in the living, with elara, when adeon opened the door and dustfinger came in. Elara got to her feet, like the others, worried as dustfinger puts Agi down on the sofa.
"Is she alright?" elara asked worriedly.
Dustfinger nodded, "She's just a bit tired from her crying"
Elara kneeled beside her and touched Agi's soft face. She cried in joy that her daughter grew up so beautiful. She never thought that seeing her could still be possible, and here she is now. Just looking at her makes her regret everything that had happened. The others gave elara a moment to be alone with her daughter and went to the kitchen.
Dustfinger sat across mo and Meggie and looked at his original silver tongue seriously, "So, did she agree to help you out?"
Mo smiled as he nods, "Yeah, she said she wanted to see what our place looks like after many years. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning"
Prince adeon is standing beside the sink and exchanged quick glances with dustfinger when mo said that. They both felt so devastated.