Chapter 19 Sorrow
In the far distance the very roots of Mt. Skydancer, whereon dwelt the Crystal Castle, hidden atop its cloud covered peaks, trembled and quaked, the earth at the base of the mountain shifted and opened, swallowing whole towns as its guardian roared in sorrow and grief.
Miles away, in the heart of the Whispering woods Madame Razz gasped in terror and despair. She could feel the waning life force of Etheria's champion and as She-Ra's spirit faded into the ether, she took with her the last remaining ember of hope in the old witch's heart. When Madame moved into the glade where she cast most of her spells the twiggets seemed to sense her need. They melted out of the tree tops, and from behind the trunks of the great pink titans. Broom awaited her as well. Their eyes met. It was no longer Broom and Madame who stood facing each other in the face of such disaster. It was the benevolent and powerful enchantress Ayella Adami and her noble love, the most powerful transfigurer in Etheria's history, Lysander Steel.
"All hope is lost." Her voice was wavery, paper thin and cut the silence with the force of thunder. Her small, plump form was stooped and defeated. Broom moved towards her, taking her in his arms, offering her the only comfort he could.
"She-Ra?" He questioned without needing confirmation. He could feel it too. Madame embraced him briefly, before drawing back.
"We will complete the task we started all those years ago." Her voice was resolute. Broom swallowed. She continued, her eyes sad. "We've lived a long time my love. Longer than we ever had a right to expect. We've seen over ten generations of men come and pass. We were here to nurture the rebellion in her infancy, to mentor the young, and lend aid as needed. Our time is done. There is one more thing we can do for our people. We can assure them the sanctuary we promised each other we would make for them."
"Our power is not great enough to keep them supplied with food and warmth all winter." Broom whispered. Madame looked at him, smiling, and in that instant she was transformed. She was again the woman he had loved and now, shining back at him from the depths of her lavender eyes, was the love he had once looked for and been unable to find.
"I am so sorry Lysander. I am so sorry I couldn't love you like you deserved all those years ago." Broom felt a lump well up in his throat. He put an arm around her waist and another around her neck, drawing her close to him.
"My love was enough. You loved me, in your way. There is no need for apologies."
"I loved you. But not the way a woman loves a mate. Not then. Maybe I was too immature, maybe I was too intent on saving the world to really give enough of myself to any man. Regardless, I know you suffered endless agonies because my affection lacked the depth necessary to complete the spell we cast that night."
"It was my fault. I blinded myself to the possibility that you may not love me like I loved you." Broom growled fervently.
"The point is," Madame said, unwilling to argue, "I know that even though my love wavered, yours never did. You stayed with me through many ages, protecting me, loving me, content to be no more than a companion. In my more lucid moments I knew I would never be loved like that by another person ever again. You loved me more than I deserved. More than any person deserves. That kind of devotion does things to a woman over the centuries." Her voice shook with emotion. "It's so late, too late, but I love you Lysander Steel. I love you with all my ancient and withered heart!" Madame laughed through her tears. Lysander laughed as well, love shining through his eyes brighter than any sun.
"Ayella, dearest Ayella, I have loved you for years beyond reckoning and you don't look a bit different than you did that first time I saw you enter my castle. I'll never forget the passion in your eyes and the fires in your heart, as you made your cause my own."
"Can you ever forgive the folly of an old woman?" Madame asked.
"There is aught to forgive, beloved." Broom pulled her close to him and Madame nestled her head against his spindly frame. A gentle wind seemed to rise from the forest floor. Silver stardust began to fall over their enfolded forms, like a light, glittering rain. The twiggets formed a circle around the lovers, who clung so desperately one to the other.
"It is time to finish it my love."
"Yes." Broom agreed. "We have a power now that is strong enough to last an eternity."
"And Beyond." Madame whispered her voice at once full of sorrow and joy.
"My love will last when even stars fail." Broom whispered into her hair.
"Mine as well." Madame replied. The stardust fell faster. The clinging figures in the center of the silvery mist slowly morphed into two, tall, noble forms. One, an elegant beauty with a flowing silver waterfall of hair, skin as glowing and vibrant as a sunrise imprisoned on an ivory canvas. The most arresting feature was the amethyst eyes gazing from a heart shaped face, dusted with a rose petal red blush over her cheeks, toward the tall, regal man holding her in his strong, lean arms. She wore a flowing purple and silver gown, he wore a silver doublet and silver pantaloons with dark violet tights encasing his long muscled limbs. A royal purple cape trailed behind him. He had a strong chin and steel gray eyes. Long black hair fell to his shoulders and the love in his eyes would steal breath from the living and return life to the dead.
"Beloved." He whispered. Then the twiggets faded into nothing and roots began to blossom over the floor of the woods from the legs of the two lovers. They never lost eye contact as the silvery bark of the tree grew upward, covering both their forms. In minutes Madame and Broom were gone. In their place stood a tall elegant tree with the faint outline of two people embracing. It was as if two trees had grown from the ground and intertwined. You could almost make out the faces in the bark. Brilliant pink leaves burst into bloom from the towering limbs of the mighty tree and silver flowers blossomed like large silver stars set to rest in the womb of natures greatest treasure.
Throughout the forest a feeling of assurance fell over the rebels within its borders. Fruit bloomed anew from every bush and branch In the streams flowing through the forests children swore they heard the tinkling laughter of a beautiful fairy followed by the gentle echo of her mates unfettered joy. Fish swam up the streams leaping into fishermen's nets. The chill of winter seemed to stop at the forest's border and a warm almost spring-like atmosphere pervaded the woods. Ayella, and her love, truly had created a miracle with their love. A miracle that could ensure the survival of rebels for centuries to come should it be necessary.
And in that moment of noble sacrifice two heroic figures stepped off the pages of history, leaving the future to be written by new hero's on the pages to come.
In the far distance the very roots of Mt. Skydancer, whereon dwelt the Crystal Castle, hidden atop its cloud covered peaks, trembled and quaked, the earth at the base of the mountain shifted and opened, swallowing whole towns as its guardian roared in sorrow and grief.
Miles away, in the heart of the Whispering woods Madame Razz gasped in terror and despair. She could feel the waning life force of Etheria's champion and as She-Ra's spirit faded into the ether, she took with her the last remaining ember of hope in the old witch's heart. When Madame moved into the glade where she cast most of her spells the twiggets seemed to sense her need. They melted out of the tree tops, and from behind the trunks of the great pink titans. Broom awaited her as well. Their eyes met. It was no longer Broom and Madame who stood facing each other in the face of such disaster. It was the benevolent and powerful enchantress Ayella Adami and her noble love, the most powerful transfigurer in Etheria's history, Lysander Steel.
"All hope is lost." Her voice was wavery, paper thin and cut the silence with the force of thunder. Her small, plump form was stooped and defeated. Broom moved towards her, taking her in his arms, offering her the only comfort he could.
"She-Ra?" He questioned without needing confirmation. He could feel it too. Madame embraced him briefly, before drawing back.
"We will complete the task we started all those years ago." Her voice was resolute. Broom swallowed. She continued, her eyes sad. "We've lived a long time my love. Longer than we ever had a right to expect. We've seen over ten generations of men come and pass. We were here to nurture the rebellion in her infancy, to mentor the young, and lend aid as needed. Our time is done. There is one more thing we can do for our people. We can assure them the sanctuary we promised each other we would make for them."
"Our power is not great enough to keep them supplied with food and warmth all winter." Broom whispered. Madame looked at him, smiling, and in that instant she was transformed. She was again the woman he had loved and now, shining back at him from the depths of her lavender eyes, was the love he had once looked for and been unable to find.
"I am so sorry Lysander. I am so sorry I couldn't love you like you deserved all those years ago." Broom felt a lump well up in his throat. He put an arm around her waist and another around her neck, drawing her close to him.
"My love was enough. You loved me, in your way. There is no need for apologies."
"I loved you. But not the way a woman loves a mate. Not then. Maybe I was too immature, maybe I was too intent on saving the world to really give enough of myself to any man. Regardless, I know you suffered endless agonies because my affection lacked the depth necessary to complete the spell we cast that night."
"It was my fault. I blinded myself to the possibility that you may not love me like I loved you." Broom growled fervently.
"The point is," Madame said, unwilling to argue, "I know that even though my love wavered, yours never did. You stayed with me through many ages, protecting me, loving me, content to be no more than a companion. In my more lucid moments I knew I would never be loved like that by another person ever again. You loved me more than I deserved. More than any person deserves. That kind of devotion does things to a woman over the centuries." Her voice shook with emotion. "It's so late, too late, but I love you Lysander Steel. I love you with all my ancient and withered heart!" Madame laughed through her tears. Lysander laughed as well, love shining through his eyes brighter than any sun.
"Ayella, dearest Ayella, I have loved you for years beyond reckoning and you don't look a bit different than you did that first time I saw you enter my castle. I'll never forget the passion in your eyes and the fires in your heart, as you made your cause my own."
"Can you ever forgive the folly of an old woman?" Madame asked.
"There is aught to forgive, beloved." Broom pulled her close to him and Madame nestled her head against his spindly frame. A gentle wind seemed to rise from the forest floor. Silver stardust began to fall over their enfolded forms, like a light, glittering rain. The twiggets formed a circle around the lovers, who clung so desperately one to the other.
"It is time to finish it my love."
"Yes." Broom agreed. "We have a power now that is strong enough to last an eternity."
"And Beyond." Madame whispered her voice at once full of sorrow and joy.
"My love will last when even stars fail." Broom whispered into her hair.
"Mine as well." Madame replied. The stardust fell faster. The clinging figures in the center of the silvery mist slowly morphed into two, tall, noble forms. One, an elegant beauty with a flowing silver waterfall of hair, skin as glowing and vibrant as a sunrise imprisoned on an ivory canvas. The most arresting feature was the amethyst eyes gazing from a heart shaped face, dusted with a rose petal red blush over her cheeks, toward the tall, regal man holding her in his strong, lean arms. She wore a flowing purple and silver gown, he wore a silver doublet and silver pantaloons with dark violet tights encasing his long muscled limbs. A royal purple cape trailed behind him. He had a strong chin and steel gray eyes. Long black hair fell to his shoulders and the love in his eyes would steal breath from the living and return life to the dead.
"Beloved." He whispered. Then the twiggets faded into nothing and roots began to blossom over the floor of the woods from the legs of the two lovers. They never lost eye contact as the silvery bark of the tree grew upward, covering both their forms. In minutes Madame and Broom were gone. In their place stood a tall elegant tree with the faint outline of two people embracing. It was as if two trees had grown from the ground and intertwined. You could almost make out the faces in the bark. Brilliant pink leaves burst into bloom from the towering limbs of the mighty tree and silver flowers blossomed like large silver stars set to rest in the womb of natures greatest treasure.
Throughout the forest a feeling of assurance fell over the rebels within its borders. Fruit bloomed anew from every bush and branch In the streams flowing through the forests children swore they heard the tinkling laughter of a beautiful fairy followed by the gentle echo of her mates unfettered joy. Fish swam up the streams leaping into fishermen's nets. The chill of winter seemed to stop at the forest's border and a warm almost spring-like atmosphere pervaded the woods. Ayella, and her love, truly had created a miracle with their love. A miracle that could ensure the survival of rebels for centuries to come should it be necessary.
And in that moment of noble sacrifice two heroic figures stepped off the pages of history, leaving the future to be written by new hero's on the pages to come.