Disclaimer: I do not own the Avalon: Web of Magic/Quest for Magic series, nor do I own the song "Fairyland". They belong to Rachel Roberts and Angelzoom respectively.
Colder than ice
The world falls apart
Cold like a stone
The spell on the souls
Colder than ice
Your hand on my heart
A world made of stone
Let tenderness freeze
Emily pulled on a coil of her long red hair as she sat in class, bored. Her mind was definitely elsewhere. She was thinking about what would happen today after school, when she and the two other mages would be at Ravenswood. She could not take the terrifying visions any longer. The nightmares claimed her sleep, if she could get to sleep at all, and the lack of rest was beginning to show in her everyday life. She knew her mother was starting to worry. Sometimes, the visions were about her, and other times they were about her friends, and still other times they were about strangers or animals on Aldenmor, even one premonition showed her the Dark Sorceress. The common theme throughout these visions, though, was the pain, fear, hate, and a myriad of other negative emotions. The Healer now knew that her visions were caused by a fairy named Ruin, who had once been called Rolan Solas (Ozzie's cousin possessed an impeccable memory, he had told them proudly). The girls and their bondeds, plus Ozzie, were planning on going o Aldenmor-- not to fight none of the mages thought they were ready for that yet-- but just to scout the grounds around the palace and talk with the Fairimentals.
Save the fairyland we live in
Where all failings are forgiven
Feel like hunted by a griffin
I fall down, straight down
Save the fairyland we live in
Where my failings are forgiven
Feel like hunted by a griffin
I'm falling straight down
"Rolan Solas was a very well-adjusted child," Gwigg informed them, a bit taken aback that the mages thought he was behind the visions. "Are you sure these visions aren't just your magic evolving?"
Emily was sure. "My magic is gentle and...watery. This magic was aggressive and had no elemental touch to it."
Ambia spoke up next. "Gwigg, we can trust Emily's judgement. Marina taught you to read elements, did she not?"
Emily nodded. Marina had thought that she, as the Healer, would be the most sensitive to elements and the emotions that so often came with that kind of magic. The Water Fairimental taught her how to deal with those emotions and channel it to use for herself. Ambia smiled, her iridescent form just barely visible against the clouds and light blue sky.
Catch my daydream
Catch my fall
Colder than ice
Night all around
Cold like a stone
Te heart of success
Wasteland of ice
We fall to the ground
A world made of stone
Let tenderness freeze
"If you didn't sense any elemental magic, then there probably wasn't any." The Air Fairimental then turned to Adriane, Kara, Lyra, Ozzie, and Dreamer. "You wanted to go to the palace and scout the grounds?"
They nodded.
Gwigg and Ambia exchanged glances.
"We don't think that's the best idea," Gwigg said carefully. "Rolan is the nephew of a deceased, but still highly respected member of the fairy nobility. Queen Selinda would not want Fairimental-appointed mages meddling in her business."
Kara opened her mouth to protest, but Ambia spoke sooner. "We know that you girls have a good relationship with all the courts, but this is beyond magic. It's silly royal conduct."
Emily looked unsure. "But--"
"We have our own ways of stopping Rolan. Don't worry, you won't have to suffer these horrid visions for much longer. Let us do the work," Ambia attempted to reassure her.
The Healer glanced back at her friends, but didn't say anything else.
Save the fairyland we live in
Where all failings are forgiven
Feel like hunted by a griffin
I fall down, straight down
Save the fairyland we live in
Where my failings are forgiven
Feel like hunted by a griffin
I'm falling straight down
Emily felt betrayal and anger bubble up inside her at the abrupt dismissal and apparent uncaring of the Fairimentals. They had no idea what these visions were like! The unbearable pain and horrifying images that kept her up some nights. As the girls and their bondeds left the Fairy Glade, she still didn't feel right about leaving before at least seeing the mansion. When she was sure there weren't any Fairimentals around to hear her, she told the others that they should go anyway. Adriane and Kara, for once, were in agreement.
"Oh, no, no, no," Ozzie narrowed his eyes. "That's a very bad idea. That's--"
Emily snatched up the ferret and began to walk in the direction of Farthingdale.
"There's a portal right outside the Glade," Dreamer reminded them.
The group soon saw the silver-framed mirror, intended to distract curious travellers from finding the Glade. Emily walked up to the controls and figured out how to sen them all to their destination. The normally calm mage smiled in satisfaction, determined to free herself from Ruin's influence.
Falling down, falling down
Catch me
When I'm falling down
Please come to me...
Ruin rested in an antique, overstuffed chair, eyes closed. Setia, ever-present, perched lazily on a wooden bar intended for her. The tiny gargoyle's eyes shifted everywhere--alertness was in her nature. Something did not seem right to her. Something was coming, and it would not be good. Ruin, sensing his bonded's distress, opened his eyes and walked over to her. As he came closer and closer, the gargoyle became more and more uneasy. When he lifted a hand to stroke her head, Setia let out a strangled sort of cry, before giving her bonded a distrustful glance and batting away his hands with her strong wings as she took flight.
No, something was definitely wrong. Something was definitely wrong with him.
Save the fairyland we live in
Where all failings are forgiven
Feel like hunted by a griffin
I fall down, straight down
Save the fairyland we live in
Where my failings are forgiven
Feel like hunted by a griffin
I'm falling straight down