The Adepts of Kolima Forest
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AU. Snow had always felt so alone since her mother passed away. Her father had gone to fight in the war, and her stepmother had never seemed to love her. Now, she wanted to kill her. So she escaped to a cottage hidden deep in the forest of Kolima, not knowing that among the seven Adepts, she would find true friendship and forge bonds strong enough to save the world.
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Written for Raitei, this is a second tale from the collection of Golden Sun Fairytales we are going to make. Heaven help us finish writing our long fics that are always being left alone because we procastinate. ^^;
I don't own Golden Sun, nor do I own Snow White.
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That
night, up on the roof, Mia smiled in her sleep for the first time in
many years. Isaac covered her with a brown woollen blanket and left
her dreaming under the
stars.
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Chapter III: Sash
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Mia lifted the large bedsheet and hung it over the washing line. Stepping back, she nodded with satisfaction at the now spotlessly clean laundry that stood in rows outside the cottage.
Two palm-sized creatures came flying through the air towards her.
"We've put the utensils away!" they called in light, tinkling voices.
"Thank you," Mia said, smiling at them.
The djinn had suddenly appeared at the cottage three nights ago. The seven adepts had welcomed them warmly, and introduced Mia to them.
"Djinn are elemental creatures, beings of psynergy. These little guys are the last members of our little family," Kraden had explained.
According to Ivan, they had been away on their annual activity, where the djinn would fly to the center of Weyard and call out for each other. Originally, only Salt and Flint had lived in the Kolima Forest, but over the years, the others came to join them.
The djinn had very little memories of their past. No one could tell how they came to exist, or why they were separated. But each of them knew, somehow, that they were supposed to gather everyone together.
It seemed like an unbelievable fairytale at first, and Mia had been struck speechless at the sight of the magical beings, flitting around excitedly. It didn't take long for her to get used to them; for the djinn were amusing, friendly creatures that flitted around her, either aiding her, or attempting to aid her. Needless to say, they were excellent at getting into little bits of trouble.
She took them indoors, where they were joined by Gust, who had been arranging the chairs neatly around the table. The three djinn soon began to demand cheese, and Mia laughingly put down a plate for them.
Though the djinn didn't seem to need to eat, they had an obssession with cheese.
"I wonder what is supposed to happen when all the djinn gather?" she asked aloud.
"Wuh've no ord'eea," Salt said, his mouth full.
"There's no point in worrying about it, really," Gust added.
"Much better to think about awesome cheese like this," Crystal agreed. They continued digging in, and Mia shook her head, her eyes full of laughter.
They were such happy creatures. Never a worry, never a care.
She wished she could be like them.
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The days passed peacefully with a simple routine. Every morning, Mia would get up and cook breakfast for everyone. With several djinn at her elbows, she would also pack lunch for the seven adepts. When they awoke, everyone would sit together at the table to have breakfast, while the djinn attacked whatever cheese Ivan would consent to give them.
After breakfast, Ivan would feed Fluffy and take the goats out to graze before joining the others. Isaac and Felix would visit the garden to weed and water, while Garet, Jenna and Aaron headed to the mines first. Kraden would leave some work for Mia to do, before he too headed off. Salt, Crystal and Gust stayed at home to help Mia with her work, while Cannon, Forge, Torch, Flint, Iron and Echo went to the mines to aid the others.
Mia washed the breakfast things, then started on the laundry. Curtains and bedsheets didn't need to be cleaned everyday, so the clothes alone were easy enough to manage. After that, she would settle down to a quick lunch (cheese for the djinn), before she swept and dusted the cottage. Then she cleaned the stable and goat-pen, putting clean straw in it and clearing manure away.
After that, Mia would sit in the house and read the books that Kraden had left for her. The Queen had stopped her education when she was eight, so there was quite a lot that Kraden could teach her, especially about alchemy and its history. With the djinn perched on her head and shoulders, she would read for an hour or two, before preparing dinner for everyone.
When the adepts came home, they would all eat. Ivan always came back slightly earlier, having fetched Marli and Wendy to milk them. He would also prepare Fluffy's hay, so that when the others returned, they could leave Fluffy happily munching as they went in to dinner.
After dinner, Mia and Aaron would wash up. Ivan would go to groom Fluffy, Isaac and Felix fixed anything that needed fixing, Garet would grab fruits for dessert, and Jenna would build a fire in the bedroom to warm it for the night. They took turns to bathe in the stream outside.
Just before they slept, Kraden would bring books to Aaron and Mia, and give a short lecture on different topics. The other adepts joined them whenever they felt like it, and were very helpful in reminding Kraden that he had 'talked enough'.
It should have been boring to lead such a routine life, but Mia loved it. Every day, there was something new for her to learn. She listened to Felix talk about wood, as Isaac spoke of the plants and the earth. Jenna taught her the beauty and strength of fire. Garet and Aaron brightened up the days with their antics and jokes, while Ivan brought them closer to the animal kingdom. Mia even learnt a bit about the coal, metals and gems which they brought back from the rather-miraculous-mine.
The days was pleasant and peaceful, and the story should have ended here. But there were times when Mia's thoughts flew to one man, leading an army in the north, struggling to keep his people safe.
War was still going on.
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"It's marketday tomorrow. What are you going to do, Mia?" Jenna asked, sitting down on her bed with a thump.
"Marketday?" Mia echoed, climbing onto a similar bed beside Jenna's.
"Every fortnight, Bilibin has a small open market for anyone who wants to sell their wares," Isaac explained. "At the same time, we could purchase anything that we need and can't grow."
"Like bigger clothes for Aaron. He seems to be expanding every year," Garet said.
"I don't want to hear that from a giant like you!" Aaron said crossly. "Why, you're much bigger than two of me put together, and…"
Garet grabbed his brother and wrapped him tightly in a blanket. Aaron kicked out and hit Ivan by accident, and soon pillows were flying across the room.
Then one stray pillow hit Felix in the face, who had just climbed up the stairs to their bedroom, and he glared at the other adepts, who were grinning guiltily.
"If anyone's pillow goes missing, it's your own fault," he said. Jenna laughed and threw another pillow at her brother. Felix stretched out a hand and caught it in midair, before stuffing it under his own blanket.
"Hey, that's mine!" Aaron protested, sticking his head out from the roll of blanket he was caught in.
"Too bad."
Mia chuckled. At first, it had seemed like Felix was nothing but a piece of wood. Always serious, always straightfaced, never a smile or a laugh. But after she had healed Jenna's sprained ankle (Jenna had fallen from a tree while picking acorns), Felix had become a lot friendlier, even if his smiles were still very rare. He even made a bed for her without being prodded by Kraden. Jenna had opened up to Mia, too, so that the original feelings of awkwardness no longer existed.
"Feeeeeeeelix!! Gimme back my pillow!"
"No."
"Felix!!"
"No."
"Hahaha! Say the magic word, Aaron!"
"…Please?"
"…All right."
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Early next morning, Mia prepared breakfast as usual. After eating, Jenna insisted that the cottage wouldn't collapse if no one dusted it for a day, and that the laundry could wait, so by the time the sun was comfortably in the middle of the sky, the two girls were perched on top of a cart with sacks of their goods behind them, on the road towards Bilibin.
The farms lying around looked the same as they did two weeks ago, when Mia had first rode past them. The people around waved to them as they passed, and Jenna waved cheerily back. Both girls were wrapped in travelling cloaks and hoods, but the people were used to seeing Fluffy as well as the cart.
The quietness of the forest seemed far away as they entered the noisy little town, filled with sounds of people and other animals. It had been such a long time since Mia had seen a town, and part of her felt like running away. But she pulled her cloak more closely around her, observing everything with bright eyes, and soon excitement overrode the bit of fear in her.
"Here we are," Jenna said at last, stopping by an empty space next to a fruit vendor. She leapt down and began to unload the cart. Mia unhitched Fluffy and tied his reins to a hook in the wall behind them. Jenna then took a small, brown moneybag from the bottom of the cart and handed it to Mia with a small piece of parchment.
"You take this and walk around. Get to know where the stalls are," Jenna said.
"But what about…"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Cannon will stay with me." The Mars djinn nodded enthusiastically. "Have fun exploring! And get yourself another set of clothes!"
"Oh, I couldn't possibly! I…"
"Master Kraden's orders!!" Jenna grinned. "You've earned it, cooking and cleaning for us all this time. Go, enjoy yourself!"
She pushed Mia forward. The Mercury adept took a deep breath and clutched the moneybag tightly under her cloak.
Then she went shopping.
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The Queen twirled around happily, the ruby red skirts of her new dress flowing around her like ripples of water. She sat down gracefully on her new bed, stroking the soft velvet ribbon at her bosom. Then she looked up at her reflection in the mirror, turning her face this way and that.
Smiling, she spoke the way she did every day.
"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"
Sheba's face appeared, and she prepared to give the same answer she did everyday. But her eyes widened suddenly, and she looked up in surprise. Her odd reaction caught the Queen's eye, and she stood.
"What is the matter?" she demanded. "Answer me! Who is the fairest of us all?"
Sheba covered her lips with her hands. It wasn't possible. Her powers had not sensed her since that terrible day.
"Answer me, Mirror!"
"You, my Queen, are fair;
it is true.
But sweet young Snow is fairer than you," Sheba
replied miserably.
The Queen's face grew pale. Her eyes were wide, her lips were white, and she stumbled onto the bed.
"It… it cannot be…" she murmured. "Is it her spirit, back to haunt me?"
"No," Sheba said, hating herself. "It is her in the blood and flesh. She is alive and well, in the market of Bilibin."
The surface of the mirror shone with a violet light, then revealed Mia in front of a soap vendor. As the wind blew her hood back, it was obvious to those who knew her that this was the face of Princess Snow.
"Alive…?" The Queen murmured. Then her eyes contorted with rage. "You lied to me, Mirror! You said she was dead!"
She raised a heavy silver candlestick in one hand.
"I-I said I could no longer sense her!" Sheba cried out, anxious to appease the Queen. She could not let the mirror be destroyed. Not yet. "She… she must have been hidden by other powers!"
The Queen stopped. The candlestick was lowered. "Other powers?"
"Yes."
"Explain."
"My… my powers are of the Jupiter nature. It is possible that she has been hiding under Venus powers, which directly oppose Jupiter," Sheba said. "It is the only explanation. I have no control over those with Venus energy."
"I do not understand this nonsense," the Queen said, scowling. "Whatever Venus may be, that little chit is still alive, is she not?"
Sheba nodded miserably.
"This time, I shall make sure she dies!"
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"She seemed a little scared at first, but it didn't look like she wasn't used to the market," said Jenna thoughtfully. "I mean, if she were one of 'em ladies, she wouldn't ever have bought anything on her own, would she? Yet she handled those vendors nicely, with a smile and a firm nod. Didn't get cheated at all."
"But that jewelled bracelet she wears clearly does not belong to a peasant," Ivan said, rubbing his nose with a finger.
"That makes it even more suspicious," Felix said.
The three of them were sitting in front of the kitchen fire, sipping warm milk. Garet, who had just entered the cottage with Kraden, frowned.
"Aren't you through being wary of her?" he asked. They looked up, slightly startled.
"Yes, of course not," Jenna assured him. "It's just that, well… Don't you ever get curious about her? And her background?"
"Her speech is refined, like a noble's. She wears a jewelled bracelet, like a noble's. Yet she wore plain clothes when she arrived, and she cleans and cooks, which I'm sure a noble doesn't do," Ivan said.
"She is very unusual," Felix agreed. "It is obvious that she is hiding something."
Kraden sighed. "Which one of you has told her your life story?"
There was silence.
"Exactly. Everybody has secrets in their past that they would rather not reveal. Kindly refrain from judging someone based on information you do not have," he said sternly. "Now, if there is nothing else important, I'm going to sleep. It's been a looooong day."
Yawning, he trotted up the stairs.
"He's right. She's one of us now," Garet agreed. "It doesn't matter where she comes from. So no more silly chatter-around-the-fire behind her back! Got that?"
Jenna chuckled. Ivan grinned. Even Felix managed a small smile.
Rising, they went up to bed.
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"Nobody knows what exactly they are. This is the only book I have that records the existance of the djinn. What we do know is that they thrive on psynergy, and only people with psynergy can see them," Kraden said. He placed the book in Mia's lap and flipped the page, pointing to the four sketches beautifully drawn in it.
"You mean, they feed off psynergy from adepts?" Mia asked, surprised. She had never felt any of the djinn draining her energy, or anything of the sort.
"No, not exactly. They take in energy from the forces of nature: earth, fire, water and wind. But they can utilize special powers when backed with psynergy from an adept. Alone, it is far more difficult for them to activate their power," explained Kraden.
"I see…" Mia stared at the drawings for a moment. Then she looked up. "People without psynergy cannot see djinn? Why not?"
"They do not have the affinity for it. It is why only adepts can see psynergy," Kraden clarified.
"But… Some time ago, I saw a Mars adept using his powers to eat fire. If only adepts can see the flames, what is the point of…"
"No no, you misunderstand. Humans can see what psynergy creates. The rings of psynergy that appear around that Mars adept would be invisible to them, but the flames that he casts are real enough," Kraden said. "That is why…"
He trailed off suddenly.
"Why…?" Mia repeated.
"It is nothing." Kraden smiled faintly. Then he stood up. "It is getting late. We should go to bed."
Not entirely satisfied, Mia closed the book obediently and handed it to Kraden. As she lay in her soft, warm bed that night, her thoughts flew to Kraden's words.
"That
is why…"
Why…
what…?
No suggestions came to mind, but the words kept on replaying themselves in her ears. Feeling rather annoyed, Mia pushed back her brown cotton blanket and climbed out of bed. Stepping quietly past the sleeping adepts, she reached for the window in the roof and climbed out as noiselessly as she could, careful not to step on Isaac as she did so.
The sky was cloudy that night, so most of the stars seemed to be hidden. Mia sat and gazed at the masses of grey, wondering if it would rain.
"What am I going to do about the laundry if it rains… Why what… Stop that! …Should I prepare boiled eggs instead of bread, so they can have something warm to eat tomorrow morning? Why… Oh, stop thinking about that already!!"
"Mia?"
She jumped in fright, then turned. Isaac was leaning out of the window, staring at her strangely.
"Um… did I wake you with my silly talk?" she asked sheepishly. Isaac gave a soft chuckle.
"I only heard some of it," he said, climbing nimbly out and sitting down beside her. "Is something bothering you?"
"It's… just something Master Kraden said. I can't seem to get it out of my mind," Mia confessed. In a few sentences, she explained what Kraden had said before they went to bed. Isaac stared at his bare feet.
"It's true that normal humans cannot see our psynergy being used," he said at last. "Imagine how it would feel, staring at someone who looks normal… who suddenly starts throwing fireballs around. It frightens them."
"…Because they cannot understand it?" Mia said quietly. Isaac nodded.
"They don't see how it happens. At first sight, they can't tell the difference between a human and an adept. Or, as some of them imagine, the difference between a friend and a foe."
They sat in silence for a while, both deep in their thoughts.
"Don't worry too much about it," Isaac said at last. "It does no one any good to fret about something you cannot change. Maybe one day, the humans will learn to accept us for who we are. But for now, it is better to hide our true identity as adepts."
He gave Mia a pat on the back.
"Go to sleep. You need rest."
She nodded. With a melancholy smile, she climbed back into the cottage after him.
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"I'm okay! *cough* It's just a *cough cough* little…"
"No, it is not," Felix said sternly. "You lie down now."
Mia took Jenna's hand in hers. "I don't know much about healing illnesses, but… I'll try my best," she said.
"I don't… *cough* need…"
"Shut up. You're making your throat worse by talking," Felix said. Mia closed her eyes and concentrated. Rings of psynergy appeared around her, and a small blue ball of light appeared from her hand.
It flitted to and fro above Jenna, dropping little sparkles of white light that floated gently downwards, disappearing as they touched the coughing Mars adept. When the blue ball dissipated, Jenna gave a huge sigh and closed her eyes.
"Better?" Mia asked anxiously.
"Yes, thanks. It doesn't feel so painful now," Jenna replied.
"I wish I could cure you completely, but I suppose my powers aren't strong enough yet," Mia said regretfully.
"Don't blame yourself for this," Ivan said at once. "It's not your fault that Jenna is sick."
"You've already helped a lot. Thank you," Felix added.
Mia smiled faintly at them, but part of her still felt guilty about not being able to do more. She hated to see Jenna lying in bed, her face pale and her lips white, coughing distressingly.
Just then, Garet came running up the stairs, a bowl in his hands.
"Master Kraden brewed the herbs that Isaac picked into this. You have to finish drinking it, Jenna," he said.
Jenna groaned, then wished she hadn't.
"Be good," Felix warned. Scowling faintly at her brother, she sat up, and Garet lifted the medicine to her lips.
"I think she should stay at home and rest today," Mia said, watching her.
"What? No!" Jenna protested.
"You're not going anywhere. Stay here and sleep," Felix ordered.
"But…!"
"S'okay, let her be," Garet said brightly. "After all, if her sore throat gets worse from her running about, I get to eat her share of strawberry cake!"
Jenna glared at him. "Oh, you think so?"
She grabbed the bowl from Garet and drank the medicine in several huge gulps, then thrust the empty bowl back at him. Then she lay down and pulled her blanket around her.
"I'm not going to let you eat MY cake," she said smugly, before rolling over and closing her eyes.
Felix raised his eyebrows. Garet sighed in mock defeat, then took the bowl downstairs, grumbling loudly. Mia and Ivan exchanged glances, then giggled, before they too left to allow Jenna her quiet rest.
The other adepts were sitting in the kitchen.
"Well, who's going to go to market?" Kraden asked. "We're running out of soap, flour, eggs…"
"Me! Me! Let me go!" Aaron said, jumping up.
"You're too young," Garet said immediately. "You'd only get the prices wrong, or get cheated by the millman, or…"
"I'm not too young! And it's not fair that I'm the only one who's never been to Bilibin," Aaron protested, pouting.
"Aaron, be good," Kraden said patiently. "You can go when you're older."
"But why?"
"You set some of Fluffy's straw on fire yesterday, didn't you?" Felix said bluntly. "You can't control your psynergy properly yet. It's not safe for you to go to Bilibin right now."
Mia clasped her hands tightly. There it was again. Restricting a young boy's movements, not allowing him to see the rest of the world, because he might be a danger to them. And because he might bring danger to his own people.
It wasn't fair.
"Mia, will you be all right alone?" Kraden asked.
"Yes."
"Then go. Try to be quick so that you can come back early and stay with Jenna."
"All right."
As she opened the door, she could see Aaron's dejected face. It followed her all the way to Bilibin.
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"Thanks very much, miss!" said the beaming woman, handing over the enormous sack of flour. Mia smiled back at her and took the flour. It was tremendously heavy, and she staggered over to the cart with it and the other goods she had bought. Dumping everything in, she checked her list again.
"Well, that's everything! So let's go home, Fluffy!"
She rehitched the pony to the cart, and took the reins. Then Fluffy trotted off briskly towards the Kolima Forest.
They passed many others on their way to the market. But as the number of people on the road dwindled as they drew near the forest, and as they stepped onto the forest path, all was quiet save the sound of Fluffy's hoofbeats, the call of the insects and the cries of birds.
The silence left Mia to her thoughts. Aaron, and the other humans… She recalled her life in the castle.
There were very few adepts there. Minnie and Uzume could use a little psynergy; and when they did, none of the others ever reacted strongly to it. Sometimes, they even requested it. Like when the senior footman's son broke his leg, he had begged Minnie to heal it. Minnie could only speed up the healing process a bit, but the footman had been very grateful for her help.
Why did other humans behave so badly towards adepts? Why could they not be as understanding and open hearted as the Imilians?
Absorbed in her thoughts, Mia did not notice someone in front of her until Fluffy whinnied and stopped. Surprised, she looked up.
A little woman was standing in front of them, wrapped in ragged brown robes and holding a large basket. She held out a hand imploringly to Mia.
"Please, won't you look at some of my wares?" she asked in a quavering voice. Mia hesitated. What was a single woman doing in the forest, all alone?
"Here, have a look!" the woman set down her basket and drew off the grey cloth covering it. Then she lifted a beautiful sash of white that glimmered softly in the sunlight.
Mia gasped. It was absolutely breathtaking. But…
"If you have something to sell, you should go to the Bilibin market. It's not far from here," she said.
"Oh, I tried. I tried, dear child," the woman shook her head sadly. The brown veil covering the bottom half of her face fluttered lightly. "But they didn't like me. They wouldn't believe that a poor, old woman like me could weave such wonders. They thought I had stolen it from some noble, and no one wants to buy stolen cloth."
She bowed her head. "They didn't trust me. No one trusts me."
Mia's heart went out to her. Just like the adepts, this woman was mistrusted by others. Just like the adepts, she was turned away because they didn't understand her talents. Just like the adepts, this woman was lonely…
She climbed down and went over.
"Won't you buy it, my dear? It will look so beautiful on you," the woman said. Bending her head lower so that her hood hid her eyes, she held out the white sash as if she were offering it to a goddess.
Mia took the sash in her hands. It was skillfully woven, smooth and silky. If a merchant had brought this to the castle, the Queen would have…
"I have no use for beautiful sashes, so… How about this, I'll sell it in Bilibin for you?" she suggested. Something flashed in the woman's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you! You're a lovely, kind child," she said gratefully. "I made this sash, hoping someone with a beautiful soul would be able to wear it. Won't you please try it on?"
"But, I…" Mia trailed off doubtfully.
"Please. This is the best sash I've made in my whole life, and I'd like to see it adorn someone who deserves it. Won't you please try it on, just for a little while?" the woman pleaded.
Mia smiled. "Very well."
Holding the sash in both hands, she pulled it across her waist and tied it in a ribbon behind. The woman smiled.
When her hands left the sash, the ends of the ribbon fluttered in the breeze. The white cloth glimmered prettily.
Then it turned black. The fluttering ends seemed to take on a life of their own, flapping wildly, before they wrapped around the rest of her body and arms. The ring of cloth around her waist seemed to grow smaller, tightening, constricting…
Mia gasped. She reached for the knots at once, trying to loosen the sash, but her arms were immediately enveloped by more of the black cloth. She opened her mouth, but cloth flew to cover her lips.
She could not breathe. She could not move. It was like a cage, a cage from which she could not escape.
Fluffy reared upwards in fright at the disturbance, and ran off into the forest, dragging the cart noisily behind her. But the woman's eyes were on Mia, and she ignored the pony.
"This is the end that comes to all who put themselves against me!!" she declared in a loud, clear voice entirely different from the quavering croak she had been using a few seconds before. Mia's eyes widened as she recognised it.
"You may have escaped me the first time, but now, I shall have the pleasure of watching you die, Princess Snow!"
Darkness seemed to devour Mia in a heartbeat, and she collapsed to the ground in a heap. The Queen smiled triumphantly at the limp, unmoving body, then turned and stalked off.
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July 20, 2009
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Sorry it took so long to update. Liked it? Hated it? Suggestions?
Daidairo