Disclaimer: DreamWorks owns RotG, not me.

Abigail Overland remembered what it had been like before the War.

There had still been hateful stories of magic and magical creatures, but for the most part, they had been just that: stories. They had been only loosely based on real events, events that weren't as common as the stories made them appear. Friendship between species hadn't been unusual; sometimes the species even fell in love with one from another.

One of her best friends had been fey, and it was accepted. Her friend hadn't been thought of as a soulless monster that needed to be killed for the safety of the town. The female fey had been able to visit openly, without using a glamour and without fear that someone would try to harm her.

Abigail remembered meeting her friend, remembered stitching symbols on cloth to send instead of writing on paper, remembered learning how to understand simple fey words (but never able to speak it, her mouth hadn't been able to produce the sounds of the fey language), remembered learning some of the fey's strange customs, such as the importance of Names.

Her friend had never introduced herself, not until much later, not until the fey woman had stood dripping in the doorway, clutching a small bundle, certain that both she and her child would be killed. Instead, Abigail had learned that fey had two names, one they were given by their parents, a fey name that wasn't to be shared with a non-fey, and a human name that the fey could pick, or, if they trusted someone enough, let someone else pick it. Abigail had picked the name Caroline. She wasn't sure when the name had stuck, just that after a few months of playing with the young fey, she had begun using the name whenever she spoke to her friend, and 'Caroline' had responded.

Despite their friendship and the friendship between other humans and magical beings, a rift appeared. It seemed to happen very suddenly, one week it was perfectly fine to go anywhere with Caroline, and the next Abigail was warned away from her best friend by people who were paranoid that Caroline would attack Abigail.

The War had officially begun just after Abigail had married into the Overland family. Abigail had, of course, still visited Caroline even as the rift grew, but immediately after the war started, she, like most women, were told to not to stray from their towns, preferably not to stray from their homes either. Men were told to leave only if they meant to join the Amadkian soldiers in fighting all manner of magic. Burgess was not one of the towns that still saw women as 'inferior' (they prided themselves on being a progressive town with good morals, thanks you very much), but even there the rule was that women would stay in the houses, and keep their children with them. Fear of magic had cloaked everyone, to the point of unhealthy paranoia.

Abigail wasn't sure how the War started (nobody was, the monarchs of Amadkio had never clearly stated why, they simply danced around the topic); only that it was suspiciously short, with a large amount of casualties. Two years of battle erupting all over the kingdom would have been normal, except it was the whole magical community humans were fighting against. It should've lasted longer. Humans shouldn't have been able to win that easily. Reports came in; it hadn't just been in Amadkio that centaurs, giants, pookas, leprechauns, and all manner of fey had viciously attacked the humans, it had been all over the world, in several kingdoms, empires, and the few 'democracies' ("Yeah right," people laughed, "there's no way democracy will last") that existed.

But very few people had thought it suspicious. The War seemed to have given most a sense of superiority, and the rest were simply relieved it was over. They never bothered to wonder why. Why had the War of Magic been so short? Why had it started in the first place? Why did fear suddenly sweep the nations?

A few months after the War had started, there had been a knock on the Overland's small house's door. The new Mrs. Overland had answered; it had been late and her husband was asleep. She had been unable to sleep; the downpour outside keeping her awake. Before she had reached the door, the knock had sounded again, more timid than the first knock but just as frantic.

The sight Abigail Overland had been met with when she opened the door was a surprise, and she hurried the wet and shivering figure inside quickly before they could be spotted. She sat her old friend down and offered a blanket, but Caroline, though she had changed, her eyes afraid and her glamour flickering, declined the warmth.

The glamour collapsed completely as her friend began speaking, revealing a young, almost-human looking woman with black hair much longer than Abigail's and a chubby face, coppery skin pale with fright. She spoke with a note of urgency in her voice, and her soft brown eyes had often darted to the pile of blankets she held.

The beginning of the War had been much harder on those who possessed magic, or those who weren't human, than on those who were, by human standards, 'normal'. The attacks had been quick, Caroline had said, and no one had been prepared. Most of the magic creatures were going into hiding, except those who were preparing a force to fight back with, just as afraid of humans as humans were of them. Caroline had been lucky to escape with both her and her small son's life, though her spouse had not been so lucky.

Abigail had looked at the bundle of blankets in realization then, and Caroline had asked a question of her, pleading with her childhood friend to care for her son and protect him, regardless of his species. Abigail, slightly stunned, had scoffed; what sort of person did Caroline think she was? Obviously she would raise her best friend's child if Caroline thought he had a better chance with Abigail than with her.

Caroline had broken then, clutching at Abigail with one arm, the other still wrapped around her child. She'd whispered her fey name to Abigail, the one that wasn't supposed to be revealed to a non-fey. Abigail had held her until Caroline- Tawni- had fallen asleep in the chair, and then she carefully escaped her friend's grasp to make some tea.

When Caroline had woken up an hour or so before the sun was to rise, Abigail was once again by her side offering her two things, the first was a cup of tea, and the second offer was one of protection for both her and her son. Caroline had almost broken down again (in any other circumstance this would not have been a big deal, in fact Caroline had frequently stayed at Abigail's house when they were younger and vice-versa, but this was during a vicious war that really boiled down to humans versus everyone else), but declined the second offer the way she had declined the blanket a few hours previous. Caroline was almost certain she was being tracked, and didn't want to bring that to Abigail's home. Her son was safe from trackers, for though he was fey, he hadn't developed magic yet.

The next hour was spent quietly drinking tea, the two sitting women in a companionable silence. Caroline had peeled back some of the blankets surrounding her son, revealing a face just as chubby as Caroline's, but his skin was extraordinarily pale instead of the warm copper of his mother's, and the small amount of hair he had was stark white. He'd been bundled up again quickly, but Abigail had seen the melancholic expression on her friend's face.

Before Caroline had departed from Burgess, she'd given two instructions to Abigail, and made a request. She'd said to find a certain potion that would aid in guarding the young fey child (she gave Abigail both the name of the potion and a few magic items to trade for the potion). It would hide his unusual appearance until he could learn how to glamour himself, and it would contain his magic when it developed. Caroline had also said to Name her son the way Abigail had Named her. As long as he accepted it (and he would, he was too small to reject anything) it would ensure a familial bond between the little fey and Abigail. Caroline gave a small book to Abigail, whispering that she and her spouse had written things that they thought their son ought to know, fey culture, cultures of non-humans in general, and the basics of magic. Caroline asked if Abigail would give it to her son. Abigail had shushed her; there was no reason for her not to.

The two women had embraced, both struggling to stay strong for the other. It was almost certain Caroline would be found, so, for likely the last time, Caroline kissed her child gently and grasped the hand of her best friend firmly. She left Burgess with a renewed glamour and a bagful of food.

Caroline Tawni was captured halfway across the kingdom, tortured, and then killed four months later.

Yes, Abigail Overland remembered what it was like before the War of Magic, during it, and its result. She desperately hoped her son- Caroline's son- would come to a kinder fate, even if he was almost terrified of himself and his kind.

A/N: Alternatively titled "Sweet Fluffy Friendship, Wait, Now There's War". It's that time of year again, you know, where everyone's just trying to hang on until Christmas break. As much as I love this time of year temperature-wise, it's also a pain, so many projects due very quickly.

The purple hippocampus: If that isn't true than I don't know what is.

IReviewThings: Nope, he'll probably be more like 'get away, let's not talk'.

Melancholy's Sunshine: Perhaps you'll have to wait more ;)

WinterCrystal1009: Sandy is the Master Stalker. If he were stalking you, you wouldn't know until someone else ruined it. Emma is always amazing (and also one of my top three favorite characters, I love her so much!)

toshirolovehim: While I've never actually said, Pitch will definitely show up. Like a lot.

mason32: Oh my goodness, thank you! I'll get right to working on my time management and procrastination problems... tomorrow. :P

KorrieChan: That remains to be seen... hopefully within the next few chapters.

Fun Filled Frost: Hey, nice name change! Would you believe I tried to name all the chapters for the sole purpose of using that alliteration?

Once again, thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed! There probably won't be an update for a while, but as soon as break comes up I'll have the time and (hopefully) inspiration to write faster.

Until next time!