The years were going by, 2002 was a very monotonous year for the girls that were just going on with their lives, then soon 2003 started and it was another very routine year, with Laura finally clinching a quadruple crown, the highest achievement of the broomstick competitions existing worldwide, with this she definitely became one of the greatest racers in history, with only 5 WBRC titles, which was far less than the greatest female racers in history, with this she was just a single step away from achieving the double quadruple crown by winning the Cairo-London Broom Rally once again, all that was needed was to just wait for the day to come, which would initially be February 1, 2004, and could stretch quite a bit as the stages went by. Chariot, Croix and Madeleine were at the peak of their careers, and the Australian was proving to be the most skillful of the three, winning another World Broom Racing Championship title, which made Chariot even more passionate about trying to win that title, After all she wanted to become champion by all means, so she started to train hard, with the help of her girlfriend, the two were training intensively to try to take the title from Madeleine and who knows, maybe in 2004 one of the two would become champion, since the brooms were well balanced. In 2003 all three finished in the top 3 positions of the championship, which showed a huge advance, especially by Croix who noticed a huge improvement in Lavoiette's broom. That season the victories among the three was much more distributed, being 4 for Madeleine, 5 for Chariot and 3 for Croix, and the Du Nord was the best runner in Salem, this was soon making Lucy Watson grow the eyes on the French, already thinking that she could be a stone in the way for her younger sister.

At the Cavendish family mansion things were going from bad to worse, with Diana starting to understand things better, she was already five years old, she was always listening to her 11 years old cousins bullying her, always sending the most offensive comments possible, mainly because the little one was getting interested in broomstick races and mainly another project that Chariot worked on together that was her favorite show, the "Shiny Chariot and the believing hearts", a cartoon made by the runner that showed the wonderful world of magic to children in a fun and cheerful way, it was quite a success among children who loved the messages that the cartoon brought, especially "Your magic is believing in yourself," the two girls kept ridiculing little Diana who ran into her mother's arms and the worst part was that the twins' mother was making fun of them, she was even laughing along with her niece's face. In the meantime Bernadette was also taking a turn for the worse, her health was getting worse as the antidote had shown it would, since it would follow the same line as the disease. But she couldn't be detected in any way, with this came also another offense, on Daryl's part, she started to put in her niece's head that her mother was crazy and pretending to be sick, so much that by the end of 2003, she was starting to get bedridden, she was very weakened, but she passed undetectable and her younger sister insisted that it was just something psychological, just not to traumatize the children and create even more the impression that she was crazy. Only one thing happened, something that was not supposed to happen. Bernadette was supposed to die in the end of 2003, she shouldn't have survived the curse that Daryl cast on her, which shocked even more the Cavendish that wanted so much to take the place of the leader, different from what was expected, she had survived thanks to the antidote that Laura got and so all the approach that Daryl had planned in case Bernadette died came crashing down, she still had a plan in case Bernadette survived, but she didn't imagine that she would really survive, her sister's death was just a matter of time, but nothing like that happened, Daryl Cavendish's plans were frustrated and so the leader of the family could come back to her senses, but she would still have to deal with her sister calling her crazy, but that was still the least of it.

Friday, February 6, 2004, London, England, Harriet and Freya's Residence

The year 2004 was the most promising of all, this time there was nothing that would stop Laura from finding the cure and continuing on her way to see her daughter again, this time things had much more meaning, she didn't lose her wife, she managed to save her life. And right away this was the necessary motivation to take a broom and fly fast in the Cairo-London Rally and thus break a time record, being the fastest to cover the huge distance of 5540 km of courses, showing that the love she felt for her wife was the strongest thing in the world. With this victory she rejoiced and celebrated more than anyone. Days later Laura decided to take the broom and go towards Harriet and Freya's residence to see if they would get the cure from the two witches and was quickly flying towards their house.

POV Laura:

Double quadruple crown, I want to see who gets that one, it's practically the same thing as winning eight titles, I've never raced so much in my life, I only intended to win titles in the WBRC and then try for the triple crown, but that would only be after my retirement in the same, it would probably be this year, But I don't care about that, fuck it, fuck all these trophies and titles, all this egg slobbering over me, I don't want any of that, because I only wanted one thing, the thing that no money can pay for in this world and that is to have the opportunity to return to the arms of my wife! To be able to see my little Diana who will be 6 years old! She can still accept me very well at this age, I am sure that a child her age will never find it bad... I did it! I finally proved to those witches how worthy I am of their help! Everything is wonderful! Everything is perfect, my wife survived, I won everything I had to win, now all I really want is the cure for the curse of the metal spheres... I'll be back soon Bernadette Cavendish! I was flying so excitedly towards London that I was traveling most of the way just imagining the incredible surprise I'm going to get when I arrive.

Minutes later...

I arrived, I soon ring the bell and am transported into the house of the two who were playing video games and so I look at the two and jump for joy, I knew I would make it this time, I knew that with everything I achieved it was clear that I will receive my divine award, everything I wanted most, as soon as they stood I immediately tried to hug them and they also hugged me . They kept caressing me, this was my moment.

- My congratulations Laura McLaren, you really deserve it all, you've won the quadruple crown not only once but twice, soon we'll fulfill your promise - Harriet said to me, which made me feel all fulfilled after I broke away from that hug.

- That's right Laura McLaren, sorry for the time it took, but we really need an ordeal of this level to be able to do something with you, so, we are going to talk to the great witch Lilith, wait for us, because only people like us can have access to her sanctuary... You understand - Freya said as I sat down on the couch all relaxed and then Harriet aimed her wand and made a bunch of food and soda appear in front of me, it was all kinds of stuff, wow... So that's it for me? I feel like the biggest kid getting a present.

- Enjoy, we are coming, wait here, we made sure to present you with food of divine taste, they came from the sanctuary of Lilith, I made this order especially for you Laura McLaren - said Harriet and I quickly tried to eat a hamburger and for the nine lesbian witches, she was more right than ever, this is very good, fucking good, I haven't eaten something this good in a long time! Now we just have to wait and I will soon get the cure to go see my wonderful wife again.

I can only imagine... Me returning to the Cavendish family residence after sending the cure to Bern and being totally cured, I arrive there, I give my wonderful wife the biggest hug, Diana is looking at that scene all impressed and awestruck, me finally feeling the taste of kissing someone... I will finally be able to be in my wife's arms and nothing else will separate us from this world. I will love the look of frustration on Daryl's face, she will be extremely furious to see that her little plan is going to collapse again, I will go back to where I deserved to be, I will go back to my family, I will go back to hugging my little Diana, giving love and affection to my little girl... I am sure that this will be the best moment of my life... I will no longer be separated from my Bernadette Cavendish and not even from my daughter... And who knows, maybe I will also provide another one for Diana to play with, with my presence I am also sure that the Daryl twins will stop doing bad things to my daughter... After all I am sure that they respected me, I am sure that I was not ignored by them, so everything is just fine and will stay? Now yes, I am the happiest woman in the world... Celebrating here while I eat these hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, pizza, calzone, tacos, croissants, there is only good food here, the best of the best, I swear that I will gain a few kilos after this... But it is well deserved, this will be the day that I will eat like nobody's business because I know that my healing is coming.

POV Harriet:

Laura is very happy and jumpy today, I have never seen her like that. This is love for someone, she is really doing all this just for the love of her wife and daughter, I think I learned a little in these 1400 years how love is something important, a feeling that breaks barriers... I could learn with this woman that we have to value what we have, after all I couldn't imagine going through the same thing she went through with Freya... I never imagined that I would feel so taught like this. Soon Freya and I arrived at the sanctuary of Lilith, we had already been here today to get food, now let's see if she can give us the cure for the curse of the metal spheres, we walked through the corridors and soon we arrived in a room, facing the scene of Lilith and Luna having sex... One would imagine, this is the goddess who controls magic, all she cares about is sex, the two soon look at us and Lilith disentangles herself from her wife, just as they snap their fingers to get dressed in a tunic... As if I hadn't seen her body more than once, after all she is always walking around naked, but that's not the point, I have to tell her what I want so badly.

- What happened? You rarely come to talk to me, did you run out of divine food? That's strange, you took so much I didn't imagine you would eat it all at once just like that, you're pretty hungry for immortal witches - she said until I took a deep breath.

- It's not that Lilith, we need your help, we need you to find a cure for this - I tell her holding the vial that contained the curse liquid, she quickly takes the vial and starts to use an analyze spell, then hands it back to me.

- And why do you want that? You are immortal witches, you are immune to this kind of curse - she said until Freya said at once, since she is better at asking for things.

- A mortal... She really needs this cure, the poor thing has been affected by this curse for six years, she wants at all costs to find the cure and see her wife again, I know how much you understand about love, after all you and Luna have been together for thousands of years, why don't you do this for us Lilith? Please? She proved to be a worthy of the antidote of this curse - said Freya to her who just takes a deep breath looks at Luna and then gives us the answer.

- No... I say why not, first of all I would like to, but I can't, my position as a witch in charge of controlling the rules of magic and all magic on earth does not allow me to do that, if I break a single rule helping a mortal, it will create an imbalance, I could only do that if this mortal wanted to become an immortal and then she would be a witch like you, which with all the certainty in the world I know she does not want, because this is a position of high responsibility and would make her be alone for the rest of her life like my daughter... So you know my rule that a witch in my position should not interfere in anything in the mortal world, this is the function of the two of you, even if I want, it could cause a collapse in magic, I must remain neutral in all situations, I do not help those who deserve and also do not help those who do not deserve, simple as that, the witches on earth just live their lives without expecting any reward ... What do you think I was? The god that people on earth believe that when they go through a trial and show their faith they will get a little present? I am not a god, I am just a human who has controlled the magic of the whole world for thousands of years... I am sorry Harriet and Freya... But I can't, you who have this role of helping witches after going through an ordeal... Look and just to finish, don't worry, it's not like she is going to be without a cure, after all, you know that here there is an infinite library, I know all the laws and rules of magic, you know that I have all the knowledge of magic here, including this spell that was used by witches of the Luna era, it is nothing new, there are even books containing the cure for this spell, as long as the mortal knows the Luna language, she will be able to find the cure for the curse and make it over the years. Just ask her to go to my daughter's house and there she can manufacture this cure with my girl's help... I also won't be a bad person and just leave her empty handed, but know that this is the most I can do, I don't want to make mortals dependent on us, they need to know things on their own and need to walk on their own legs, it's not enough that they invented landing here on the moon a few years ago? We are heading towards a new era of magic - Lilith said being very clear with me until Luna also arrives at the two of us.

- Don't get frustrated, this mortal of yours is going to make it, I know it's going to be hard for her to accept, but it's going to serve her well in her maturing, and I'm sure it's also going to make her even more of an amazing witch that she can be, so this is what we can do for now, I hope you're not going to be hurt by us, I swear I felt a little bit like I wanted to help, I swear I felt a little like helping her, because I watched a little bit of the mortal's story you're talking about, and I was watching her ask for some favors, and I also saw that she is going through a very distressing period, but believe it or not, a little knowledge to her to find a cure, will mature her as a person - said Luna trying to comfort us, since she is much better with words than Lilith.

After that conversation I was a little frustrated, gee, we promised Laura that we would appeal to Lilith to get her cured, but things didn't go well at all, Lilith doesn't want to because of her witch code that I don't know where she came up with since she is such a powerful witch that she can even change the course of the rules of magic around here, so I don't see the need for her to be all righteous, but okay, soon we were taken through the corridors by Luna who arrived at the library, from there she used a spell to get some books and when we saw it was a very big pile, with all this she will take years to finish reading.

- These are all the ones I could find that say anything about the curse of the metal spheres, and they were written in my era, so they are in my writing and in my language, so the girl will need to learn if she wants to read each of the books, which I think she might possibly know - Luna says to us until she snaps her fingers, causing the books to be transported to another place, I think it was to Farnese's house, so Laura will become a regular visitor of hers, if she doesn't end up becoming the witch's apprentice.

POV Laura:

I was more excited than ever, this was the best day of my life after my wedding, the beginning of my relationship with Bern and the day Diana was born... I can't believe that I am holding all this happiness in my hands, by the way the snacks are very good, I am still in shock at how they kept this gold from me, now I understand that they don't eat normal food all the time... Does this also have an effect on the body, I don't know if it does because I feel like eating more, I'm not stuffing myself or anything, which is great, the effect apparently is to stuff myself less in order to eat more, this way I will become a big fat ass if I keep eating like this, hmmmmm... I can't wait to see my wife again, I just hope she doesn't mind the extra weight I am gaining here... Wait a minute, I still have a normal belly, this thing doesn't even make me fat! Ahhhh so that's why it's so good, now I understand why they make so much, so I quickly get an Italian roll and put several slices of cheese, chicken, turkey breast, ham, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a little sauce on top after a layer of meat, I bite into that sandwich with such gusto that it was like my pupils got heart shaped... Hmmmm... I am falling in love with all this food, if I could stay like this all day long, this is true food heaven, I devoured it with so much gusto and there was even a soda that was really good... I just felt better and better eating it, now I understand why the goddesses eat like this only when I'm not here, a bunch of regulated people.

A little while later...

I can't believe I had already eaten a good part of all that and the worst thing is that I couldn't stop eating, if it was normal food I would already be full with two of that sandwich I had made, but it seems I have room for more, soon the two of them appeared and I had a mouth full of hamburger, they looked very frustrated... Damn... Is it bad? Could it be a bluff? They are probably just testing me, I am sure, so I quickly swallow that food and then open my mouth to ask them if it worked? I hope it did, because I'm going to love it.

- And so will it take long for the cure to be made? Have you succeeded? Will I finally get to see my wife? Am I finally cured? How many years can it take for this to happen? Or has it already happened? - I filled them with questions like a child, but it was because I was so anxious, I want to know if it went well, I want to know if I will see my wife and daughter again, until Harriet and Freya took a deep breath and gave me a hug, they looked frustrated? Was it bad? Fuck... I hope not, until after the hug Harriet puts her hand on my shoulder and Freya is the one who opens her mouth.

- Laura McLaren... Forgive us, we really tried to ask Lilith to come and give you a cure, since she told us she can't intercede for an immortal who is someone's rule by her position... She said that you have to find the cure yourself... Look we are really sorry... We really begged to have this cure, but she is very correct and follows the rules to the letter, you know how these witches in this position are... Mostly because Lilith is the mother of all our magic, but don't be any more frustrated than you are, there is still hope, you can find the cure with the help of a witch who has some books we got from there for you that speak of the curse... I'm really sorry - said Freya who was crying just like Harriet... I ... I ... I... You mean... Oh no...

I have broken, I am broken, I am in shreds, I am in shards, I can't believe all that for nothing, I ran for years and years thinking that this would bring me healing... All that for what? To lose years of possible research that could make the cure for the curse closer... Ahhhhhhhh... No... No... No... No... No... I don't believe it... I'll be more years away from my Diana and my Bernadette... All this for nothing... All this to be at it again... I can't believe I wasted 6 years of pure research to come up with this result... Ahhhhhh... No, no, no... I have to mature. They didn't make it. It's not their fault. I'm just frustrated because I didn't make it. Because I wasted years of my life that I could have been researching the cure on my own, for nothing... They just wanted to help me and did their best... Ahhhh... I don't believe this... I missed my chances to go see Bernadette... I kneel on the floor and start to cry... Their carpet started to get wet from my crying, I couldn't take it, this was the biggest frustration I could have in my life... Apparently nothing is the wonderful world I tried to make it out to be... Now that I have gone back to the bottom again I can't climb back up... I even got to the ground myself, as I was deeply frustrated, I saw no other option but to cry... Ignoring everything around me... My world is over... I will end up just being alone... That's what fate wanted for me... I knew that all of this was just a momentary pleasure that was a difficult roller coaster to climb, if it ever gets there at all... Ahhhhhh... I'm really fucked up... No... No... No... I'm broken emotionally.

Laura soon becomes so emotionally broken that she falls into a deep sleep, and Harriet and Freya take her to their room where McLaren was having a nightmare.

My daughter... I see her leaving, I see Bernadette walking with her hand in hand, they are both leaving in a void... As if I will never see them again, as if Diana is growing up and she even looks at me, but doesn't recognize me and doesn't even seem to think I am there, I am calling out to her... I soon see Bernadette. She walks out with Diana and again they both come out disappearing into petals and those same petals are disappearing, until one falls into my hand and I hold it, but again that petal ends up changing into something else... It was Daryl... She appears all huge with her arms crossed and stares at me as if she was laughing at my face, but she was another one who wouldn't listen to anything I said, soon I started hearing the same words in my head "It's all your fault", "You self-centered piece of shit, You think you know everything", "You've ruined my whole life", "I knew I should have chosen someone else, you're just an egomaniac who thinks she's the greatest and is the symbol of perfection"... Those were Bernadette's voices...

She was appearing all around me saying that, it was walls and walls circling me with her appearing over and over again... Was it all the snacks... I don't know... But they were different colors and all saying horrible things... "Where did the protagonist and immaculate goddess go?", "It seems she is not all that", "This is what you pay for thinking the world revolves around you Laura McLaren, look what you have done to me", "Was it really worth the whole journey"... They traumatized me more and more, I was having a huge mental breakdown, I kept hearing those voices in my head, I even tried to ignore them by lying down on the floor, but the voices kept going... And on and on... I felt more and more anguished... It just kept happening to me... "Laura McLaren the great immaculate goddess has been defeated, but how disgusted I am with you, I thought you would be a perfect woman", It was all so strong in my head... Ahhhhhh... No... No... No... Get out! Get out! Get out!

Out of nowhere it all goes away... I'm relieved, that nightmare has stopped... I think... Oh no... No... No... No... Now it was Daryl who appeared... She was walking towards me laughing at my face and the petals were falling, but as she got closer, those things turned into snakes... Until she wrapped me up with those snakes and I couldn't escape... I was still not able to move that much and she soon was looking deep into those eyes, it was a blue one, which by the end was turning reddish, "You have failed Laura McLaren", "You are a failure" another one appeared on my side, "Your whole family is in my hands and there is nothing you can do about it", "It's not going to be your races that are going to get us back together" Bernadette appeared from behind me saying that... I was feeling like crap about this and it all changed out of nowhere, I was in the middle of a circuit, only the brooms kept going by, they didn't run me over, it was like I was transparent, I walked to where it was safe and sat down on the ground, I was crying... Those brooms kept going round and round, the track always seemed to move and I kept getting the asphalt underneath me, as if I really had to be run over.

Until I see a broom passing by, it was a Cavendish, and when I look at it I see the deep blue eyes... They were not Daryl's, but my daughter's... She looked at me deeply, it was as if she was the only one who could see me but suddenly I am hit by her broom and fly away after being run over, with that I fall in the middle of nowhere and feel as if I had fallen into the water and slowly I drowned... All around me I was seeing my life... All that life I had planned to spend next to my Diana was going away... So this is what Madeleine and Kara said in the ritual of my family's succession... I understood the enormous pain I was going to go through... I looked at those things... They kept falling apart as if they were on fire... I would never again be able to experience my daughter's childhood... It hurt me so much... I felt pangs in my heart... I felt so imposing as if I wouldn't be able to do anything... As if I was incapable... Until I hit the floor of that ocean Like there was something drowning me and with that I notice that it was a weight that was on my ankle and when I looked at that metal ball I noticed that it had something written "Abandonment"... I am holding the weight of abandonment and more and more I was sinking... My daughter will never know who I was... I am drowning more and more in this ocean of abandonment and I am not getting rid of it... I can't get out... I want to swim back up... I want to go to the surface, I tried my best to get that weight off my ankle, but it wouldn't come off for anything...

Until something appeared... It was Madeleine and Kara, I was still in that ocean of abandonment, seeing fish passing by, these fish were moments I wanted to live next to Diana and my Bernadette... They were passing by showing that I could be teaching her how to ride a bike, walk, birthday parties... All the good moments that I would live with my family, but soon the two give me their hands and I hold them lifting me up, and then I hear a sentence that would make me change the way I think "If you want to take these weights of abandonment then don't give up Laura McLaren, the more you try, the lighter these weights will become and soon you will be able to surface again," Madeleine said that to me and then disappeared, as did Kara, with that the hands helping me to stand up let go and I soon fall to the ground again, my face all sunk in, but I end up somewhere else out of nowhere.

I was just outside the Cavendish family mansion, this time Bernadette and Diana were there, they held out their hands to me and smiled, as if they were trying to say something "Don't give up, soon you will make it, give it your all and believe in yourself", they both said that to me and with that I think I ended up feeling a little relieved, I think this time I am a little better? I will not give up for anything in this world, I promise that I will try to find the cure even if it takes many years to do so, all so that I can see my dear Diana and my beloved Bernadette.

You're going to carry that weight...