Chapter 55

Renewal

Cassandra felt the wind on her face, through her hair and everywhere on her body. She didn't fully believe it yet, but she was flying again, she made it thanks to Andrea. Andrea would have wanted her to say that she, Cassandra, made it, but she couldn't think that: without the fairy's support she wouldn't have succeeded.

Someone might have argued that Andrea didn't do anything, but the thing is that sometimes all it takes is the presence of another person next to you to push you further and help you reach goals that seemed impossible. And sometimes that person isn't who you would expect, maybe it's a stranger that you met by chance, but meeting her changes so many things for the better that you wonder if it was really a chance or if it was fate, and then you shrug and decide that chance and fate are the same thing.

Flying without wings was still a strange feeling; she had to focus to keep floating instead that to flap her wings, which was an automatic action after four years as a fairy. She was going to adapt to it, like she adapted to the wings and her powers.

Sometimes she missed her life before Magix, she was sorry she didn't finish high school, but deep down she wouldn't have changed anything of her past: she felt a somehow better person, even just more mature, and she didn't have big regrets. Maybe she transformed again by understanding that.

§§

- So? - Lzzy asked.

Lzzy and Icy were at the earthling's house, always empty and filled of dim-light, with blades of light seeping through the closed shutters. They just left the H.Q., where Walter had arrived to pick up Darcy, and they had left Stormy, Cassandra, Andrea and Donnie to a walk in the city center. The program was to go together to Arejay and later to Jessie's to drag her into their secret as well, but Icy asked for a deviation.

- I... I need a change. - Icy finally said after a long silence.

- Haven't you had enough of those lately? - joked Lzzy.

- Apparently, no. Any ideas? -

Lzzy shrugged.

- What makes you think you need to change something? -

Icy looked down, thoughtful. What was it that made her want to be blown away from an impetuous wind which would give her the feeling of flying nosedive towards the ground?

- Me, I mean, my appearance. The Icy refined and schemer, the one for lace and silk blouses, is still there and I like her, but now there's also the more easygoing and daring Icy and I can't… express her, that's it. -

Lzzy believed that the "refined and schemer" witch's wardrobe contained much more than lace and silk blouses and other good girl clothes (because that's what Icy meant), but she understood what the witch meant. She herself had found her own style, something that spoke about her, after a long time.

- You want others to see that you're more confident. -

Icy nodded.

- Exactly. I have changed a lot on the inside ever since I've known you, and only a few notice this change. You aren't a secret anymore, so why would I keep pretending everything is still the same? I'll let them see who I am, I don't care what they think! -

Icy saw a proud smile form on Lzzy's lips, only to be replaced by the smile of who had an idea that nobody knows if it is actually a good one.

- Can I try something? - she asked, a worrisome spark in her eyes.

- Yes, but dare to touch my hair with magic or with some dye and you're dead. -

- Okay. - said Lzzy, before dragging Icy to her walk-in closet.

She opened each and every door and drawer, then she opened her arms and said:

- Choose. -

- Is this a joke? -

- Not in the slightest. Take what calls you and see if you can find what you're looking for. -

Icy couldn't hold back an amused smile. Her gaze run on the far too many leather jackets, the few skirts, few dresses, the series of shirts tidily folded in a drawer. She felt her cheeks burning when she saw the lingerie area, which brought back recent memories, and she hurried to look away. An entire wall was dedicated to any kind of shoes and boots, from décolleté with extremely high heels to up-the-knee boots, stilettoes with studded heels and simple, destroyed sneakers. In a few smaller drawers rested the tons of metal that were Lzzy's necklaces, bracelets and rings.

After a little indecision, Icy began looking through the trousers under the alert look of her mindmate. She completely ignored the jeans, they were too average and, in most cases, not skinny enough for her taste. A pair of black, shiny leather pants caught her eye. They were simple, like her, but she was sure that they would look great once worn.

- These. - she said turning to Lzzy, - I think they're a size too big for me, but I can fix it with magic. -

- Oh, why did you tell me? Now I have one less reason to avoid junk food! -

Icy looked at the few shirts hung up, but she didn't like any in particular so she kneeled to have a better look at the drawer. She noticed a colored shirt in that ocean of black and white clothes. From the bottom of the drawer a teal t-shirt emerged, open on the back.

- I didn't even remember owning that. - said Lzzy.

- I guess it has a color too bright for you. - replied Icy, - I like it though. -

Lzzy put the t-shirt on a chair together with the pants while Icy already looked for a pair of shoes. She opted for a pair of black décolleté with an ankle band. They were six-inch heels, but the plateau was so tall she would barely notice, given how used she was to heels just as high but less comfortable.

- Done. - Icy said satisfied.

She was already taking off her shoes when Lzzy cleared her throat to get her attention. The witch of ice saw her pointing right at the one drawer that had her blush earlier and glared at her.

- I don't see why I should take that too, and I'm not getting naked in front of you. -

Lzzy laughed.

- You don't wanna get naked in front of me? We had sex but that doesn't mean my mind is always there! Although, to be fair I was thinking we could do it again these days, if you want to. -

- But we've been together for so little time... -

- So what? We're together because we had sex. What, are you a puritan like the others? You seemed entirely different that time. - Lzzy maliciously replied.

- I'm not a puritan and neither are the others. Well, maybe Flora and Tecna kinda are, but the princesses have their good reasons. -

Icy's cheeks picked up a lovely bordeaux tint that amused Lzzy even more, but she passed to the serious part of the talk.

- I don't wanna know it, not now. What I want to know right now is if you want to sleep with me again or not. -

- ...What if it's not like the first time? -

- Are you afraid you won't like it without the drugs? -

- I'm afraid of getting hurt. Again. -

- It won't happen, as long as you feel ready. I can wait, Icy, but if you need to, just talk to me. -

Icy sighed.

- It's just that... I think if I was conscious, I'd freeze and ruin everything. -

- We can't know it if we don't try. But I am sure that when we will, it won't happen. Going back to the previous topic, even if others don't see what's under your clothes you know it's there and what it is. Wearing a bra or another makes you feel more comfortable or seductive or whatever, and that reflects in how you behave. There's a few off-limits items in there, but I'd like if you would at least take a look. Step into my closet and maybe you'll find something that will scare you, something that you like. -

- It's the "scare" I'm worried about. - mumbled Icy, not totally convinced.

She had never been that embarrassed and the first thing she found didn't help.

- Holy Dragon, what is this? -

- The something that scares you, I guess. - replied Lzzy without any particular emotion in her voice.

- Do you mean you use it? - Icy asked, stunned.

The fit she was holding wasn't exactly for everyday activities.

- Joe loves it. - said the earthling, this time in a flirty voice.

Icy continued looking and Lzzy let her do, lost in her thoughts. Despite the Bonding she didn't understand how Icy felt and that annoyed her. She was supposed to be the one who knew and understood her better than anyone else, and yet there were moments when it seemed to her that she didn't understand Icy at all because she surprised her with statements that she would never see coming. It was so strange to hear Icy say such things when she hadn't felt any of it, even though it was normal after all since, come to think of it, the things she understood thanks to magic weren't nearly as much as those her instinct or Icy herself had told her. She pushed those thoughts away, the witch had chosen a black bandeau bra and matching underpants. She turned to Lzzy once more.

- Still, close your eyes until I tell you. - Icy said, making Lzzy laugh.

She was so adorable sometimes, but she was never going to tell her. The result would probably be a vacation with polar bears. She obeyed and closed her eyes.

Icy hurried to get undressed, letting her clothes fall on the floor to fold them with a little movement of her wrist while she dressed up.

- You can look now. - she said, while she put on the t-shirt.

Lzzy watched the fabric fall down Icy's back while she fixed her ponytail. The leather pants fit her perfectly, she already fixed the size. Icy put on the shoes and walked around a little, the asked her:

- How is it? -

- We aren't there yet, it still misses something. But you've got to trust me and let me do my thing. - answered Lzzy covering the mirror with a spell.

Then she picked two necklaces, one with metallic rings and one a simple thread, and placed them around Icy's neck. She observed the result, clearly not satisfied.

- Can I experiment with your necklace? - she asked, knowing well what value that diamond had for Icy.

- It depends on what you want to do. -

Lzzy took a black silk choker, studying the skull in the middle of it.

- I wanna put your diamond where the skull is. -

- Like this? - asked Icy switching the objects with a spell.

Lzzy put the choker on her and stepped back.

- Much better. Wait a second... here they are. -

She gave Icy six bracelets, one black, one bronze and four silver. Icy put three of them on her right wrist, making a silver-black-silver scheme, and three on her left wrist, but she changed one of the silver ones to a teal matching the shirt.

- Can I look now? -

- No, you need makeup and you have no say in it. -

While speaking, Lzzy walked her to the toilet in her room, messy even though she wasn't home, and told her to remove her makeup.

- I know I have no say in this, but please don't use blush. - said Icy while she sat, back to the triple mirror and waited while Lzzy turned on a lamp and chose her instruments from a small purse.

- I wouldn't have used it. Your complexion is one of the things I like of you. Close your eyes. - said Lzzy with a black eyeliner in her hand.

She followed the witch's eyelid, a simple black line, then she took a silver eyeshadow, pretty much never used. She laid out the powder on the whole eyelid at first, then she darkened the inner part and faded the outer part. When she was satisfied with the result, she took the dark red lipstick she prepared and sang softly:

- I'll paint the color of my lips blood red. Open your mouth. -

Once she was done, she put everything away and took a hairbrush, placing behind Icy. Feeling all that movement, the witch got suspicious.

- Lz, what... oh, I get it. - she said, feeling her hair fall down on her shoulders.

She should have seen it coming, Lzzy loved her hair loose.

- No dyes, don't worry, it's just a brush. You can open your eyes now though. - said Lzzy starting to brush her hair.

- Why are you putting yourself through this? - giggled Icy, knowing very well that Lzzy took upon herself a rather demanding task.

- The fact that you would never do this on your own without knowing the result. - answered Lzzy.

- Good point. -

It took more than five minutes before Lzzy allowed Icy to get up and go look at the mirror. When the opaque spell Lzzy used vanished, Icy was surprised. Was that girl really her? It seemed so, she had her eyes, her nose… it was her. But it wasn't her, her hair was loose and puffy, her red lips stood out on her pale face, the style was more determined in every detail.

- So? Do you like who you see? - asked Lzzy.

- I... - Icy turned to the girl, her hair swirling around, - Yes, Lz. -

Her eyes sparkled, Lzzy had rarely seen Icy's eyes smile with her lips.

- You're beautiful, especially because you smile like that. There's still work to do for the outfit, that shirt just doesn't make you shine, but for now you're beautiful. - she said, hugging her.