¤ Beginning of Before

Aurora frowned in concentration, trying to keep her mind clear of all thoughts as she stared at the Fire Sentinel that was before her on the platform. The monster was already opening its round body of animated stone, powering up its laser. Aurora knew, if she didn’t move soon, she would get shocked by a nasty red laser beam.

Hurriedly, she made the spell gesture. A blue glow surrounded the Fire Sentinel, then dissipated, leaving the stone creature stunned. The lower part of its stone body spun around with a whirling sound, as the confused Sentinel retracted its laser, forgetting what it was about to do.

‘That’s nice.’ Her concentration was broken by Wing’s comment. The fairy smiled encouragingly down at the short girl from where he sat. All around the two were other pairs of mage students, practising the memory spells that Spiruna had recently assigned to them on more Sentinels that were placed on even more platforms.

Aurora grinned back at Wing, happy at the success of the amnesia spell she had cast. ‘Yes. And just in time too, don’t you think? It was about to zap me.’ As if to make her point, there was a commotion from a pair nearby as their Sentinel shocked one of them with its laser.

‘And now, I get to cast the reverse spell.’ Wing stood up with a flourish. ‘Make way for the Great Wing!’

‘Please.’ Aurora rolled her eyes. ‘Sounds like dinner, if you ask me. The Great Turkey Wing!’ She micmicked holding up fork and knife.

Wing made a face. ‘Excuse me for being me then. What do you suggest that I name myself then? Would Chicken be better?’

‘Doesn’t matter. A Viola by any other name smells just as sweet.’ Aurora stuck out her tongue at him. ‘Or just as stinky, in your case.’

‘Oh yeah, but I don’t hear you complain when we kiss.’ Wing grinned roguishly at her, then quickly caught the fist that she threw at him. ‘Ah, ah, don’t hurt me, Aurora, else who will accompany you on our stroll tonight?’

‘Cast your darn spell, you… you Turkey!’ Aurora huffed, reclaiming her fist and stalking off to the other side of the platform the Sentinel was on.

Wing shrugged, then stepped up to the space before the platform that Aurora just vacated. ‘Ready?’

‘Yes.’ Aurora readied a shielding spell to guard against the attack that the Fire Sentinel would continue, once Wing cast the spell to reverse its memory loss.

Wing raised his hands now, concentrating with his eyes closed. Then, taking a deep breath, he cast the spell.

No one knew how it happened. In one moment, Wing was making the spell-gesture, and in the next, there was a soft scream from Aurora as she suddenly glowed green. She stood there, stunned even as the glow dissipated, then collapsed on to the floor, disappearing behind the elevated platform.

‘Good heavens!’ Wing rushed around the platform, and looked down in horror at the unconscious Aurora. He bent down quickly to bring Aurora into a sitting position, holding her in his arms. ‘Aurora, are you alright? Answer me, please!’ The girl’s head only lolled loosely on Wing’s arm, her long blue hair falling over her face as he shook her gently.

‘What is going on?’ Spiruna made her way through the crowd of students that gathered around Wing and Aurora now. After one look at the situation, she started to give commands, her calm voice getting the attention of everyone at the chaotic scene. ‘Wing, bring Aurora to the medic’s hall. Everyone else not seriously injured or not wishing to be the test subject of my newest spell can return to their places. Now.’

The crowd cleared quickly, as all the students scrambled to return to their assigned platforms. The teacher’s new spells were notorious for having drastic, if not humiliating, results on its test subjects; the story about the boy that got turned into a Green Snail was still being whispered through the corridors and common areas of the Academy.

Wing scooped the petite girl up in his arms, anxiety making his heart pound hard. I didn’t think my aim was so horrible, he thought, furious with himself, as he walked as quickly as he could out of the room, ignoring the curious looks and whispers that the other mage students threw his way.

‘Whoa, watch it there!’ As he hurried to turn a corner of the corridor, Wing almost collided into the tall form of Salmer, making the other boy juggle the small statue in his hands. Once Salmer managed to regain his balance, his shocked brown eyes registered the sight of the unconscious Aurora. ‘What is wrong with her?’

‘A rogue spell hit her during lessons. She just fainted after that. I’m bringing her to the medic’s hall.’ Wing said tightly, pushing past Salmer to hurry onwards.

‘My goodness. Wait, hold on, let me come with you!’ Salmer blinked as he absorbed the news, then hurried to follow after Wing.

Before they reached the staircase that led to the medic’s hall however, Aurora stirred, a slight frown on her forehead and her lips turning pale. Looking at Aurora worriedly, Salmer felt a peculiar sense of déjà vu. She looks just like when I found her outside El Nath, all those months ago…

Aurora stirred again, then her eyes fluttered open. ‘Oh, she’s waking up.’ Wing said, trying to stop his voice from shaking in relief. ‘Aurora. Are you feeling alright?’

She did not respond, though. Her dark blue eyes darted around, as if unfamiliar with what she saw. ‘Who… are you?’ Aurora said faintly, her voice somehow older, more tired. A frightened expression crept into her eyes, as she stared strangely up at Wing. ‘Why are you carrying me? Where… where is Verchiel?’

‘Verchiel?’ Salmer raised an eyebrow. ‘Do you need the Headmaster, Aurora?’

‘Who’s Aurora? Verchiel’s Headmaster? When did that happen?’ Aurora asked again in that new fatigued voice of hers. She started to struggle against Wing’s arms around her, her eyes wild now. ‘Let me go. I need to see the King!’

‘What was the spell that hit her?’ Salmer asked Wing hurriedly.

‘A spell to reverse memory loss.’ Wing answered, worriedly, holding Aurora tighter now as she squirmed in his grasp. He walked faster now, to try and get the girl to the medic’s hall as soon as possible.

‘When my family adopted her, she couldn’t remember anything from her past.’ Salmer said, keeping up with Wing’s speed easily on his long legs. ‘Don’t tell me…’ He exchanged an uneasy look with Wing as they entered the floor that made up the medic’s hall.

‘Unhand me now! How dare you treat an Advisor thus!’ Aurora was now hammering Wing on the chest, trying to make him let her go. The medic student on duty at the entrance saw them, and alerted someone in the hall without further delay. The fairy novice named Edel came out, and was surprised to see Wing. ‘You again?’

‘No, not me. It’s Aurora this time.’ Wing indicated with his chin, ducking backwards as Aurora flailed at him. He quickly explained the situation. ‘Help her, will you not?’

‘I do not need help! Let me go!’

Edel made Wing put Aurora down on a bed, then expertly checked Aurora’s pulse and other vital signs, Salmer and Wing helping to restrain the fiercely struggling girl. ‘Hmm. She’s just agitated, nothing else is wrong.’ Edel rummaged in her medical supplies for a while, then quickly administered a sleeping potion to Aurora, forcing it down the girl’s resisting throat. Almost immediately, Aurora’s efforts to break free grew feebler, then stopped entirely, as her eyelids drooped, heavy with the weariness induced by the potion.

The girl’s breathing evened out, as she relaxed visibly. Wing relaxed too, watching Aurora sleep, finally at peace. ‘It is entirely my fault. I should have made her get out of the way before I cast the spell.’ He covered Aurora’s hand with his, feeling her cold fingers in his palm. ‘I’m so sorry, Aurora.’

Salmer patted Wing reassuringly on his shoulder, looking down at Aurora with serious brown eyes. ‘It might not entirely be a bad thing, Wing. Aurora has always wanted to learn about her past. Maybe you just helped her?’

‘Whether I’m helping her or not, I’ll be glad if she just wakes up alright.’ Wing said miserably, slumping down onto a chair next to Aurora’s bed.

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Heh. I know I said that I’d stop posting for a while at forty, but since I’m in a ‘whee!’ mood after the end of my last maths paper, I’ll just update once. ^^ Couldn’t resist.

I just read somewhere that ‘writers do things (like cleaning up the house, doing the laundry) in between the gaps and crevices of their real life, which is what happens in their stories.’ Too true. *mumbles* My writing is distracting me from studying, and that’s BAD. :/

Lemon Cream crackers~ Don’t take too much, though, these taste weird after the third helping. Trust me, I have experience.