I've always loved fancy gowns and clothing. When I was a young woman, having just come of age, I hurried eagerly to the boutique in Arxia to purchase a gown for my first and only courting with a boy. The scent of roses in the shop was so deeply calming, the dresses' silky fabric rustling against my skin. Likewise, I remember the lips of my Nell, so soft and sweet against mine, before he too discovered my curse.

"""

"She didn't listen to me!" Light Spinner snapped, pacing the town square. "Bien sûr! Parce que qui?"

Micah's mouth dropped open - one knew she was angry when she ranted in Delvalian. "What did she not listen to you about?"

She gripped his shoulders, her hands almost unbearably hot. Her voice was a harsh whisper. "The terrorists - they're here."

Images of the battle, of smoke choking his nostrils and the sand wet and sticky with blood, flashed through his mind. "We've gotta get out of here. The Guild will understand if you miss the ceremony."

Light Spinner's eyes glittered as she gazed toward the moat around Bright Moon Palace, stuttering incoherently. He sighed. "Please, Light Spinner." Pink splashed across her cheeks, conflict swimming in her eyes.

Micah's ears popped with a loud CRACK that pierced the air, sending roaring pain through his head. His muscles screamed at him to run. Light Spinner grabbed his hand, her ears folding back, and they rushed into the nearest empty building. Both of them panted. "What was that?" Micah gasped.

Upending chairs and couches, Light Spinner's chest heaved as she moved to block Micah from the door. "Stay here," she commanded. "I'm going to help the people escape."

Micah gasped, covering his mouth. "Light Spinner, no." I can't lose her. Not my friend, not my teacher. Not her too. "You could die!"

"Don't try to stop me, because you will fail," she warned, standing. "If I'm not back by the next day..."

Micah's heart pounded. This is why I want to be a sorcerer. I want to fight for the people of Etheria, so their parents won't be like mine. I want to study so I can defend others.

And if Light Spinner goes out there, she'll just get herself killed.

Micah leaped to his feet, crossing his arms. "I'm coming with you to help."

She swallowed. "Micah, you're only thirteen - "

" - and I'm more powerful than you are. You said so yourself. Please." She won't like that, but offending her might get her to listen.

Another CRACK pierced their ears. She sighed, her veil blowing as she nodded. "Bright Moon has safe shelters. They can be opened with sorcery. I think I saw one outside this door." He nodded, and they rushed out to the plaza. And what they saw chilled Micah to the core.

Light Spinner drew a mandala in the traced space around the safe shelter, opening the door. Deep tunnels wormed beneath the province of Meya, and if they could get the people into the secret places, they might stand a chance against the terrorists, rather than simply getting slaughtered. "Keep the spell going," she said to Micah, and he nodded.

There were other words she wanted to say to him, but they would have to wait for another time. She stood, and for the first time, Light Spinner ignited her magic with the intent to use it for its true purpose: against another living creature. And when the armored soldiers came toward her with crackling electric rods, she struck.

Magic flew from her fingertips, plasma crashing into the soldier's helmet. It shattered the man's glass visor; every soldier's attention turned to her. She mouthed orders to herself. Keep them busy. Protect Micah at all costs.

She flung another light bolt at the same soldier's exposed and bleeding face, and he fell. Her fist slammed the other in the face with a kinesis spell. His mask shattered, glass flying into his eyes. And all the while, Micah was standing there as villagers poured into the safe shelter, ready to be brought to safety at the hand of a Tropicil pauper.

The plan was insane, but Light Spinner decided there was no one she would rather fight with than Micah. A wicked smile rose behind her veil as she slammed a pair of soldiers together with kinesis magic.

Metal jabbed into her back, and a scream burst from her throat, sharp pain spiking along her body. At first she thought she'd been stabbed, but she dropped to her knees, her back dry.

She had to draw their focus; Micah could not be touched. "Fancy weapons," she croaked, spinning a weak flash of light into the soldier's chestplate that did nothing but dent the metal.

That won't work; I'll need to be more shrewd, more stealthy. I'm not the one in control here, so I have to gain it.

Perhaps she could play dead, pretend she was a weak and powerless victim. That acting would be easy for her to pull off. So when the soldier smacked her hard on the back of the head with the electric rod, she allowed her chin to hit the cobblestones, though she could have avoided it.

Through the roaring pain in her head, Micah screamed Light Spinner's name. She wished telepathy existed in the realm of sorcery so she could reassure him; every inch of her wanted to tell him it was all an act, but she couldn't blow her cover.

"She's dead," the soldier said, surprising Light Spinner with the speech of Etherian Standard. "The lady gave us a good fight. Witches - you can always count on them to arrive at the wrong time. Now we just have one more meddler who's trying to take out the citizens."

The other soldier kicked him in the side. "Leave them. We're done here."

"At least let me knock him out."

Strength renewed, Light Spinner stood and grabbed both of their electric sticks using kinesis magic. Both soldiers were caught off-guard. But as Light Spinner soared toward them to jam them into their visors the proper way, another CRACK sounded, and Micah let out a loud cry of pain.

The soldier kicked her in the chest in that moment of distraction, and she gasped, colliding with the concrete. All that mattered was seeing if he was okay. Ignoring the pain and nausea, she cast a protection spell around the safe-shelter, teleporting next to him and permitting only the villagers to pass.

Sweat poured down Micah's face. When he drew his trembling hand away, red glistened on his fingers. Light Spinner had read about such weapons as guns used by the First Ones, but never in her life did she expect to actually see one fired, and on a moons-forsaken child.

Heart pounding, she ripped off her petticoats, pressing the white cloth to the wound. "Keep it there. I'll be back soon."

Micah nodded silently, and she exited the spell with her weapons ablaze. A new wave of concentration rushed over her despite her dizziness. Her entire existence till now had been pushing past pain and loneliness and stigma to get what she wanted; it was time to put those skills into practice.

The safe-shelter was still open; somehow the soldiers hadn't figured out that was the key to the villagers escaping. But Micah had disappeared, and for that she was glad. When the soldiers came for her, she cast a protection spell, and they bounced backward. That disorientation moved her to rush and jump onto the smaller one, jamming the electric rod into her helm and beyond.

The other soldier jerked her chin back, and her head clocked against the pavement, a groan escaping her lips. The churning threatened to spill into vomiting, but she refused to disgrace herself. Light Spinner would go down fighting if it was her day to die, if it meant that the Guild had been wrong. She was not evil. She was a helper, a liberator, a savior.

The soldier ripped her veil off, lifting her up by the thick collar of her dress. "You're not what I expected to fight back," he said coyly, flicking a felinetta tail. "A Delvalian, rather than the Bright Moon guard."

"And you're not the cocky idiot I expected to meet on a battlefield," she replied with a grin. "A Felali slave."

His rough, gloved hand touched her black lips. "I'm no one's slave. The Tropicil were the ones who bound me. And you're...Delvalian, huh? Never met your folk. Was too busy slaving away for Sketála and his kids." His fist rammed into her nose, and her eyes watered. She gasped from the pain. "Get down. We're taking you back - you're too powerful not to serve Lord Hordak."

"I will never serve that son of a pig!" Light Spinner growled through her teeth.

The officer's long tail flicked again, and he removed his mask. With a sly smile, the yellow-eyed creature paced around her, retrieving the electric rods from the ground. "Our reinforcements will arrive soon. Might I get your name?"

Light Spinner huffed. "You'll get it when the coroners tell it to you."

"Fine, have it your way. I'm Jibril. And you're much too hot to be wearing that veil."

Wait till this teenager finds out I'm nearing thirty. She let her hair cover her eye. Please, someone help. I'm in over my head.

"CHARGE!" A slew of Bright Moon soldiers raced toward the threat, ushering villagers to safe-shelters. Jibril's fist flew out at Light Spinner's face again, but it was only after her head hit the cobblestones a third time that the world turned to blackness around her.

"""

I don't know why I brought up Nell, Mother. It was eight years ago that he left me. Maybe it was because I was wondering what it'd have been like if I were normal. I'd have married him; I loved him then, and I still occasionally daydream about that kiss by the creek, beneath the eclipse. His smile and cheerful sarcasm are something I dearly miss. However, I have accepted that because of who I am, our love was not meant to be. Nell went on to be a doctor, helping people, and I cannot be helped.

"""

Micah held Light Spinner's unconscious form in his hands, grabbing a vial of moondust from his pocket. I have barely enough power. Let's hope this is enough to get home. He downed the vial, which tasted like sour grapes. Then he drew the mandala for a transportation spell, holding Light Spinner tight against him as the air whisked around him.

His cheek touched the pavement, and he groaned, clutching his injured arm. It was bound tightly with Light Spinner's petticoats, but it still hurt like mad, and he was disoriented from the trip back to Mystacor. It took all his strength to bring them back. That's it, Micah. No more magic today.

Light Spinner needs help. He gathered the energy to shout. "Hey! We're back!" Micah collapsed again as Norwyn rushed over to them, his long gray hair blowing in the warm breeze of Mystacor's summer air.

Norwyn picked Light Spinner up like a child. "Help me carry them to the steam grotto, Arvina."

The woman nodded. "Lean on me, Micah." He did as she asked, and they walked toward the hot springs, which seemed a million miles away.

Micah's brain slogged - she'd said something about expelling his teacher from the Guild. "Light Spinner saved me," he said weakly. "She saved everyone."

Arvina sighed. "Did she fight the terrorists?"

Micah nodded numbly. Arvina turned to the Head Sorcerer. "We must expel her, Norwyn. I know you're fond of her, but she has caused too great a commotion. She could have gotten Mystacor involved in the war."

Micah's eyes widened. "No - please, she worked so hard to join you guys -"

"It isn't for you to decide, young one," Arvina said, undressing him and laying him down in the pool. "Deep breaths - I'm going to remove the bullet."

Micah braced himself, then screamed as sharp pain wracked his arm. The hunk of metal was encased in the satyr's hands, but he didn't want to look at it. "I'll get a medic to bind up your wound more properly," she said. "In the meantime, stay here." Soon Arvina was gone, leaving Micah with Norwyn and Light Spinner.

The old satyr laid her on a medical bed beside the pool. Micah squinted to see what he was doing. He had her stripped down to her linens and was feeding her a glass of moondust. Her thin, chiseled features were solemn as she rested unconscious.

Norwyn sat down beside her and tucked a lock of her ebony hair behind her pointed ears on each side, his wrinkles prominent. "Oh, Alura...you have strayed over the line, my child. But there is one thing I must do for you. To protect you." He took her tall, slender form in his arms and let her slip into the water next to Micah.

The satyr knelt. "Micah, I love her greatly. You know this?"

Micah hugged his knees, listening to the soft rhythm of Light Spinner's breathing. He stared at the water. "She feels like you don't listen to her. She's cried about it before."

Norwyn's eyes grew cloudier, but Micah didn't feel bad for him. He wasn't a good parent, and he needed to own up to it. Micah sighed. "What are you going to do?"

Norwyn didn't take his eyes off of Micah. "I'm going to Bright Moon. Because Light Spinner got involved in the struggle against the Horde, I must make it clear that her actions do not represent Mystacor's position in the war." He inhaled. "She could have led the Horde to our kingdom, and then more lives would have been lost than those in Illuras that day. Take care of her - I will not be around to implement her punishment, but the Guild has been commanded not to expel her."

"Will I be attending the sentencing?" Micah asked.

He nodded. "You must. Without me there, you must protect her."

Micah's eyes widened. "Protect her from what?"

"From the other Guild members," Norwyn said. "You must."

"This isn't right," Micah said. "I'm thirteen - I shouldn't have to do this. You need to have better council members if they're willing to sentence her that harshly - "

He held up a hand. "You're thirteen. And yet you fought a dangerous battle in which you could have easily lost your life. Light Spinner put you in a situation you were not ready for."

"So you're going to do the same to me?" he cried. "What are they going to do to her if I don't protect her? Will she..." Micah swallowed. "Will she die?"

"No. But there are other humiliating things that might come about without me there to protect her." Norwyn sighed. "If she had just listened and hadn't thrown herself into a situation she wasn't prepared for, if she had just trusted in my love for her - "

As the satyr trailed off, overcome with grief for his daughter, Micah placed his good hand over his. "I'll take care of her, Master," he said. "I promise."

Norwyn squeezed it back. "Pass on my affection." He rose and left the room with a heavy gait. As he did, Emeth Arvina entered the room again, her hooves clopping as she bent down and bound up his arm.

"How is she?" she asked, looking over at Light Spinner.

"She's fine," Micah said. "I'll stay with her." He winced as she tied off his bandage.

Arvina sighed. "Her sentencing is tomorrow. Norwyn has commanded you to come, but he won't be there. You don't have to show up if you don't want to."

"I'm going to," Micah said firmly. He had to be brave, just like his teacher. There was no more room for running away. "I have to."

Light Spinner woke up some time later, her head swimming. She rubbed her eyes, then flopped her hands down on top of her wet hair. I'm in bed. In the dark. And it's freezing cold.

Micah's arm was bound up, but he looked more chipper than she felt as he lay beside her. She closed her eyes and sniffled, more from the cold than anything else. "I really did that, didn't I? It wasn't just a dream?"

Micah held her hand gently, and that was the answer she needed. He was holding something back, and she considered demanding the information from him, but she was so relieved he was okay that she couldn't say anything without tears threatening to break loose. All she could do was hold out her arms, show him that she wanted him to hold her more than anything else in the world.

They embraced one another, and Micah shuddered. "Your sentencing is tomorrow. Norwyn...won't be there. But he told me that I have to join you there. I need to protect you."

She cupped his cheek in a hand, her eyes wide. Through the slur in her head, she bit down a growl. Norwyn's running away. Of course he is. Because he would actually have to defend me for once, and one can't have that. "You don't need to come, Micah. I can handle them myself."

"No, you can't," he said. "Norwyn said he won't put you in a situation he knows you're not ready for."

"I'm ready for them," she almost snarled; one had to be a fool to not know what was possible for her tomorrow. "They have nothing I can't handle."

Micah lowered his eyes. "I can't disobey him. His word overrules yours...as the Head Sorcerer. But he asked me to pass his affection to you."

Light Spinner couldn't smile. She shut her eyes, dreading the day she was sentenced. Whatever Norwyn had wanted to protect her from was far worse than expulsion. And she could not face it alone.