Monday morning came with good news - Anne had received Sebastian's crest, and had sent a letter informing us that Solomon would be out of town for the entire weekend. With this knowledge, Sebastian and I, along with Ominis, made plans to meet with her Saturday around noon... we both reassured him there would be no secret trips beforehand to go breaking into a catacomb this time.
Also, the night before we'd made a minor breakthrough in our research, though I was hesitant to call it a positive notion. From what we could tell, it would seem that every book we read about Dark relics heavily suggested that it would only work as intended in the area it was created... which happened to be the catacomb near Feldcroft. Experiments could still be performed on it, but the results they produced would be only a fraction of what Slytherin's spellbook promised. In a way I was relieved that we couldn't accidentally cause too much trouble when we began our tests.
But it was time to set that aside - it was time for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Hecat had hinted last week that today we'd be covering some high-level magic. While I patiently waited for the lecture to begin, I couldn't help but notice the sudden chattiness of my female classmates, the spontaneous abundance of flowers on desks and perfume in the air...
...Ah, that's right. This week on Wednesday is Valentine's Day, this world's version of Hearts and Hooves Day. Strange how this world had so many holidays that were coincidentally the exact same as those back in Equestria.
"Settle down, now," Professor Hecat rapped her wand on the edge of a chalkboard. "Today, in preparation for your OWLs we will be going over one of the most difficult charms for any witch or wizard to cast... the Patronus Charm."
"Ooh," I chirped to myself, already scribbling down some notes. The Patronus Charm was an ancient spell that represented the most core components of the personality of its caster. It took the form of an animal that best represented the caster, even if they didn't feel a particular affinity for it, or even knew what it was to begin with. Everyone's was different - even identical twins could have wildly varying Patronuses. It was said that if a Dark wizard tried to cast the spell, a swarm of maggots would burst out of their wand and eat them alive... but no one had ever actually seen it happen. It was likely just a myth.
For as much skill and focus was required to cast it, the Patronus Charm was only effective against exactly two Dark creatures: Dementors and Lethifolds, a sort of tropical variant of Dementor that resembled an evil blanket with a mind of its own. Coming face to face with either of these things was extremely dangerous - while a Dementor literally sucked out all of its victim's positive emotions so it could feed on its soul, a Lethifold just plain ate its victim whole, leaving nothing behind. After speaking for about half the class, Professor Hecat had us all stand up so she could levitate the desks and chairs to the sides of the room, giving us ample room to practice.
"Do not be discouraged if you cannot form a Patronus, or even form an incorporeal one," she emboldened, stepping into the center of the room. "This is an extremely difficult spell to master... it even took myself years to cast properly. Expecto Patronum," she spoke as she swirled her wand - a wispy strand of silver light streamed out of its tip and coalesced onto the floor, where it pooled and rose into the form of a bear. There was the faintest trace of brown in its fur, denoting it specifically as a brown bear. It roared and shook itself as if wet, drawing out oohs and ahs from my classmates until it dissipated back into mist moments later.
I hoped my Patronus was something big and powerful like that. Although it didn't really matter whether it took the form of a kitten or a whale, they all functioned the exact same way.
"Now, the most important thing to remember is that the charm will not work unless you focus on your happiest memory," Hecat emphasized. "Anything less than that simply won't do... the Patronus siphons its power from your strongest positive emotions, and will fail to appear if there is even a shred of a doubt in your happiest memories. If you cannot think of such a memory, you may find it easier to come up with a scenario in your mind, within which you find nothing but sheer happiness and joy."
Positive emotions, huh...? While everyone around me began chanting the incantation and waving their wands, I looked back into my mind for memories that made me happy.
Hmm... being adopted by Princess Celestia herself when she heard about the filly whose magic surge turned the entire orphanage into a giant gingerbread house?
...
...Learning and mastering my first Archmage-level spell, and the praise she lavished upon me?
...
...The day I got my Cutie Mark, and how proud and moved she was that it was a sun?
...
No... all of those memories with Celestia felt less happy than they used to be, tainted by our falling out. I would need to use a different one... a new one.
And I had plenty to draw upon. In fact, just thinking about the day I discovered I could sense and use ancient magic made me pretty happy. I closed my eyes to focus as hard as I could on how I felt in the moment, and swished my wand.
"Expecto Patronum!"
...
...
...
...I opened my eyes. No silver wisps of mist were spiraling around my horn, nor was there any sign of an animal created from those mists. Guess that memory wasn't strong enough.
Alright, how about... becoming the most powerful witch in the world? Sure, it hadn't happened yet so it wasn't a memory, but it was a scenario bound to happen eventually. Just the thought of having mastered ancient magic, having all that power, and the prestige and wealth and adoration of thousands upon thousands that came with it...
...Yes, the thought was nearly intoxicating, it made me feel like a goddess! I closed my eyes again in focus and swished. "Expecto Patronum!"
...
...
...
...A small silver light appeared at the tip of my wand. The beginnings of an incorporeal Patronus! But I wasn't satisfied. I was someone who wanted to master their newest spell as quickly as possible, and just a teensy little blip of light wasn't even close to what I'd call mastering this charm.
But what could possibly make me even happier than achieving my goals?
"Expecto Patronum!" I heard Sebastian shout particularly loudly. Glancing over to him, I could see he was making the same amount of progress I was - just a tiny spark of light. Deep in thought, he stared at it long after it faded away, surely wondering what his happiest memory was as he bit his lip.
...
...
...
...And suddenly it hit me. Nothing had filled me with more warm, happy emotions quite like the night of the Hogsmeade Christmas Eve Gala, especially... when he and I kissed under the mistletoe. Just thinking about it brought them all back to me in a flood, making my entire body shiver with warmth and excitement. My heart felt like it was glowing like the sun itself.
I didn't even need to close my eyes to focus this time. "Expecto Patronum!"
And finally, my wand glowed like a star. A stream of silver poured out onto the ground, and from the puddle rose a medium-sized bulky creature. It was covered in shaggy, scraggly fur, had a porcine nose and two large tusks coming out of its mouth. While my classmates immediately stopped what they were doing to stare in awe, I let out a contemplative hum - my Patronus had taken the form of a wild boar.
Hey... could it possibly be a tebo? ...No, it's not... just a plain wild boar.
"Ten points to Slytherin," Hecat nodded in approval, clearly impressed. "Well done, Miss Shimmer!"
"Heh... thanks," I grinned, watching the boar trot around for a while before vanishing. The other classmates redoubled their efforts while Sebastian shuffled over to me.
"How in Merlin's name did you pull that off?!" he gaped.
"Oh, Sebby... you actually doubted my abilities?" I replied smugly. Once I'd had a chuckle at his expense, I leaned in closer, dropping my voice and trying to ignore the blush stinging my cheeks. "...I thought about the Christmas Eve Gala, if that helps you any."
His eyes widened after a few moments of thinking it over. "Oh... of course," he smacked himself in the forehead. "That would work, wouldn't it?" I took a few steps back as he focused intently, swishing his wand with purpose. "Expecto Patronum!"
And I watched with both proud satisfaction and... self-conscious realization as silver poured from his wand onto the ground, then quickly sprang up into the air. His Patronus took the form of an octopus, eight gangly arms flailing about and bunching together as it propelled itself around the room. While our other classmates gasped and stared again, Hecat was stunned into near-silence.
"...Make that twenty points to Slytherin," she finally uttered. Sebastian and I watched the octopus until it eventually faded away, and our eyes met as we shared a bashful glance.
Maybe that one kiss had meant more than I thought.
~
Most of our professors seemed to have a theme this week. Professor Ronen spent our Charms class teaching us Orchideous, the spell to conjure a flower bouquet; the next day, while Professor Garlick went over the history and uses of the rare herb Silphium, Professor Sharp had prepared a lecture on one of the most powerful love potions in the world. There was one large cauldron set up in the center of his classroom, a beautiful liquid simmering away within it. Its surface shone with an iridescence reminiscent of mother-of-pearl, and the steam that rose from it swirled in tight spirals.
"Ah, Amortentia," Professor Sharp sighed as we quieted down, an uncharacteristically-wistful smirk on his face. "A deviously dangerous potion, it induces a powerful infatuation in he or she who imbibes it, bordering on obsession with the one who administered it. It has a multifaceted aroma, different for every person that breathes in its vapors - reminding each person of the things that they find most attractive, even if they are unaware of their fondness for the object of their affection themselves."
I stared into the shimmering liquid, regarding it with caution - potions just like it existed in Equestria, but they were strictly-controlled substances; the "love potions" generally available to the common pony were really little more than... aids of a certain lustful nature. You needed a particularly skilled alchemist to get you the good stuff, so to speak... one that either didn't know or care about the laws around them.
"Of course, it is only natural to wonder what such a potion may smell like to you. One group at a time, you may each have a turn to smell the potion. Do note that if I catch any of you trying to make off with even a single drop, you will have detention for the rest of the school year," Sharp warned as he stared particularly pointedly at Garreth. The Gryffindor boy gestured towards himself in mock confusion, wildly shaking his head. It was about ten or so minutes until Ominis, Sebastian and I got to approach the cauldron and inhale the fumes.
"Hmm..." Ominis closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath. "...I smell... marshmallow candy. And... cedar wood. There is something sharp and earthy, as well... minerals, if I had to guess?"
"What an odd combination," said Sebastian. Ominis simply shrugged in agreement while I took my turn.
"Let's see, I smell..." I inhaled deeply, picking out the individual scents. Each note stood out strongly on its own, yet blended with the others seamlessly. "...Old books... hm? Ooh, that smells like a timothy hayburger-"
"A what?" asked Ominis. Behind me I could hear Sebastian snicker to himself.
"Er, nevermind that. And, um..."
It was a strangely familiar scent. A heady, yet subtle blend of coconut, ylang ylang, jasmine, bergamot and sweet thyme. I blinked as I recognized where I'd smelled it before, a deep blush quickly spreading across my face.
"Well?" Sebastian goaded. I had to force my eyes to look in his direction.
"...A mix of coconut, flowers and herbs." He blinked a couple times, prompting me to be more specific. "Ylang ylang, jasmine, bergamot-"
"Sweet thyme?" he finished my description for me. I barely nodded, and a blush spread across his face as well. "I... do believe that's my Macassar oil you're smelling."
"...Oh." So that's why he smells so nice... Beside us, I saw a cheeky grin spread across Ominis' face.
"Go on, Sebastian... what about you?" he egged on. I did my best to will away the blush as he lowered his face near the potion and inhaled.
"Huh... you know that scent rain has when it hits the ground? Whatever that's called... hmm, I think I also smell worn leather. And..." He took a couple more shorter sniffs, saying nothing.
"And...?" I tilted my head. Suddenly he gently but quickly grabbed a fistful of my hair and gave it a good, long sniff. My eyes felt like they were going to fall out of their sockets. "Uhhhh...?!" Yo, personal space, buddy!
"I was going to say peaches, but... what shampoo do you use?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could manage... which wasn't saying much.
"Er... it's supposed to smell like nectarines," my lips thinned, the blush returning in full force as I realized what he'd smelled in the potion. "And nectarines are just... fuzz-less peaches."
"Ah... right." We glanced away in opposite directions, our faces absolutely burning. Ominis simply closed his eyes and smiled as he shook his head at us. We could barely look at each other for the rest of the class without blushing again.
"That will be all for today... I suspect that a few of you may now need to plan some last-minute outings for the upcoming holiday."
~
And then Wednesday finally arrived. I could almost see a thick pink miasma of perfume as I walked to the Great Hall. The breakfast foods were all shaped like hearts, served beside bouquets of roses and lilies and bowls of heart-shaped cut fruit and chocolates. It even extended into our classes, we fed heart-shaped treats to the beasts in Beasts class.
Everyone seemed to be in a great mood today... which clearly meant this was the perfect time to ruin the holiday dinner by testing my new and improved curse. After Sebastian and I quickly ate and warned Ominis that he may want to take his food to go, we camped out beside the doorway to the Great Hall and waited for as many students to fill the room as possible.
Finally, at around 6pm, I figured the tables were as full as they were going to get. The lavish dessert course materialized into the room, providing the perfect distraction. "Alright... ready to see the full fury of my homeland's curse?" I smirked.
"I can't wait to see this," giggled Sebastian. I closed my eyes and channeled some of my ancient magic to increase the spell's area of effect, then with my eyes aglow I picked out two particular targets to be the main victims.
"Cantis Equus." First the tricolored light struck Garreth in the back, then Imelda in her left flank. Music began to blare from the corners of the Great Hall, causing many of the unsuspecting students to jump in their seats. Notes from a saxophone drowned out the multiple gasps and cries of confusion, and then after a few measures, Garreth and his friends blinked uncomfortably.
"Garreth, how'd you get a girl as cool as Imelda?" Leander asked loudly, standing up from his seat while staring down at his own mouth in bewilderment. A smug chuckle escaped from Garreth's mouth right in the middle of him exclaiming what in the hell was Prewett talking about; I could see his pupils shrink into terrified pinpricks from all the way over here.
"Looooove is easy, man, gotta keep it breezy, man," he sang as his eyes wildly searched the Great Hall for whoever was bewitching him. "Tell her that she's pretty and she's witty, and then tell her she's the only girl in the whole-ole world, is she! And then I'll leave her with a picture of me!" He waved his wand and conjured a complex, old-timey-looking camera by Equestrian standards, and blinked uncomfortably as the bulb flashed. The other students stared wordlessly as he continued singing and dancing, his friends dragged into the motions along with him like marionettes.
"Oh, this is bloody brilliant," Sebastian cackled.
"This is even better than what I expected," I snorted, nodding in agreement,
"Is that really all it takes for a guy to get a date?" Leander, Hector Jenkins and a third Gryffindor boy I didn't recognize sang and bobbed their heads, while Garreth replied that yep, it was a piece of cake. Their verse was over, and they each breathed a sigh of relief as they no longer felt the compulsion of the curse, ignoring the stares and laughter of those around them as best they could.
And then it was the girls' turn. Imelda and three of the other Slytherin girls blinked as the curse affected each of them.
"Ugh, Imelda, Garreth is so hot," moaned Nerida, who looked horrified that she'd just said such a thing.
"He's scorching," added Priscilla, whose face screwed up into a grimace.
"He's boiling... like water," said Grace rather matter-of-factly; her expression barely changed as the other girls looked at her. Then Imelda's mouth opened wide, and judging by her expressions she absolutely hated what came out of it.
"Yeaaaaa, he's cute and all, looks good in a suit and all, but he doesn't focus, didn't notice when I changed the way I style my hair-"
"Wait, what?!" the girls chimed in unison, complete with mock surprise.
"I know!" Imelda glowered.
"It's totally different, you cut off two inches!" they sang in a harmonious acapella. All four of them were trying desperately to stop their bodies from moving and their mouths from singing, so their reactions of pure, unadulterated horror when the entirety of the student body began to unwillingly join them was just plain marvelous.
"CAKE! It's a piece of cake, a piece of cake! CAKE! It's a piece of cake, a piece of cake!"
The expressions on the faces of a good 90% of the other students were a delightful mixture of fear, disgust, confusion and humiliation. By this point, Sebastian and I were curled up in the fetal position at the Great Hall's threshold, tears streaming from our eyes in laughter. A part of me felt so good, so vindicated that all these unsuspecting mooks had to suffer the same curse I had suffered so many times before. The professors at the front of the room exchanged dumbfounded glances with each other, then at the impromptu musical unfolding before their eyes - while Ronen and Garlick seemed to actually enjoy the show and tilted their heads in time with the music, Sharp, Howin and Shah got up and rushed towards their respective House tables... only to fall victim to the curse as well. Watching them sing and dance renewed our hysterics, but to their credit they seemed to not let the embarrassment of singing and dancing affect them too much.
"Here's a piece for youuuuuuuuu!" Garreth crooned as he handed Imelda a Cauldron Cake, his body visibly trembling in anticipation of the wrath he'd surely find himself subjected to when the curse ended. Imelda accepted the cake brusquely, her body refusing to let her fling it to the ground. "Youuuuu look beautiful!"
"Tell me something I don't know," Imelda sang, her eyes alone promising untold death and destruction.
"You're the most incredible of any babe I've ever known!" If he could've squeaked the lyrics out like a mouse, he would've.
"Now, isn't that sweeeeet?" she snarled like a lion.
"I'm as sweet as can be!" I think I saw Garreth actually crying tears of pure terror as Imelda stared him down, while the rest of the school chimed that they were the most beautiful couple in the world. Something about that depraved juxtaposition just sent Sebastian, and he howled with laughter, rolling onto his side.
Alas... the song was beginning to wind down and reach its end. As much as we wanted to see everyone's reactions once they were freed from the curse, causing this much of a stir would definitely land us in hot water if we were caught. Still laughing and trying to wipe tears from my eyes, I grabbed Sebastian's hand and yanked him up from the floor, pulling him with me as we hobbled shakily towards the closest exit.
~
"See? See how completely unnatural it is for everyone to just start randomly singing and dancing?" We were still giggling to ourselves long after escaping the castle, wandering all the way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. I hadn't expected we'd need to retreat this far, but Sebastian had gently tugged me along whenever I'd suggested we'd gone far enough.
It wasn't like I minded, though. We'd passed the only other people I'd seen outside long ago. And considering what day it was, perhaps he had something planned.
"But it's certainly amusing," he chuckled. "It's almost as though everyone's suddenly in the middle of a grand party, thoroughly wankered!" I blew a raspberry over my lips and burst into laughter again... I had to admit, humans had some pretty great words that Equestria simply didn't.
"Poor Garreth, though... I almost feel sorry for him," I smirked. "Imelda looked like she was going to rip him in half once the spell ended!"
"Heh... almost," he snickered. "Serves him right after he somehow turned his Strengthening Solution into Garroting Gas last week."
"Honestly, how has he not killed anyone yet?" I wondered out loud. Suddenly from the corner of my eye I saw a faint glow. It revealed itself to be a floating candle as I turned towards it, quickly joined by six others that materialized out of nothing. I glanced back at Sebastian, who simply shrugged his ignorance, then back at the candles. They began slowly floating into the forest, the light soft and ethereal.
"Is this why you've been nudging me in this direction?" I asked him with a blunt grin. He shook his head, though the smirk on his face belied the motion.
"Following floating candles into the Forbidden Forest?" he teased knowingly. "Well, then... after you."
I rolled my eyes with a smile and walked after the lights. They moved at a slow pace along the faint paths worn into the vegetation, ensuring that they never left my sight. As the shadows of the forest grew darker, the enchanted lights grew brighter to keep the darkness away. We walked for what felt like maybe twenty minutes until the darkness suddenly receded.
My mouth dropped open at the sight. It was a clearing in the middle of the forest, similar to the area with the small lake beside the entrance to the Map Chamber, but the pond here was smaller in width and deeper. Alongside the candles, with the moon shining down on the mirrorlike surface of the water, the undisturbed snow on its frozen banks glimmered beautifully like a quartz geode.
"Alright, this is really pretty," I sighed happily. "When'd you find this place?" Sebastian let out a hum as he waved his wand, conjuring up an assortment of items.
"Last year while looking for some Potions reagents," he answered simply as a large cushion not unlike a beanbag chair in shape appeared, a thick blanket resting on top. Next appeared two stacks of firewood and stone bricks a few feet away from the cushion. Some of the wood levitated itself into a neat little pile, then the bricks surrounded it to form a fire pit, and an Incendio easily set it ablaze.
Then he sat on the cushion and conjured up two small, glittering port wine glasses cut from fine crystal. My eyes sparkled as he pulled out a small, dark bottle from his pocket dimension, using a weak Accio to pull out the cork.
"'Bungbarrel Spiced Mead'," I joined him, reading the label with a sly grin. "Do I even want to know how you got your hands on this?"
"I wouldn't dream of stealing from dear Sirona, if that's what you're implying," he shook his head as he poured. "But the Hog's Head? The proprietor there isn't nearly as charming... nor as meticulous about his wares."
"Heh. You naughty boy," I purred as I accepted the glass. "Cheers."
"Cheers." We toasted to ourselves and sipped, the mead far too rich to drink quickly enough for anything more than a buzz. For a couple hours we sat there in the dark - talking and enjoying each other's company with only the crackling fire making any other sounds.
The more we cuddled together under the blanket, I had to admit to myself that I really liked it. Something about the way I felt when we were close like this was just so exhilarating, so empowering... something that felt almost as good as absorbing all the ancient magic I had, if not better. If I could have my way, I'd want to stay like this forever - feeling him supporting my back as I leaned against his shoulder, breathing in the gentle scent of his hair oil, hearing his soft breaths and heartbeat.
Eventually our conversation died down. After a few minutes of silent gazing at our surroundings, I felt Sebastian's body shift. "I was... wondering... er, and feel free to say 'no' at any point, I'd rather not make you uncomfortable-"
"Just say it," I tilted my head, smiling softly as I looked up to him with half-lidded eyes.
"Well... I-I was thinking-"
"I can tell, I can see your head smoking from here," I snarked. He shot me an unimpressed glare, and I chuckled to myself as I nodded for him to continue.
"...After all this is over, when we've finally worked out a cure for Anne, and you've claimed your ancient magic... I mean, it would probably be a bit too much to handle for either of us at the moment, but... Would you, erm... be interested in... proper courtship? With me?" His voice became a low, rumbling muttering; it took me a few seconds before I realized what he'd said. I spent a few moments processing it while he babbled on about how he knew he had more of his own problems to tend to first, though the rest of whatever he said became too gravelly and inaudible to discern.
A snort painfully ripped itself out of my nose as my entire body became so hot I could melt a glacier by just sitting on it. Both of us just sat there for a moment, blinking uncomfortably.
"...Er... was that a 'yes' or a 'no'...?" he asked slowly. Mentally I kicked my brain to try to get it to work again.
He... wants to date me? I mean, I already knew he liked me, and... I guess I like him too... but...
My mind ached as it went over everything I'd ever learned and observed about this sort of thing throughout my life. Generally it tended to go well for those who had become friends first, though sometimes couples just seemed to spontaneously appear in public without any rhyme or reason. But it didn't necessarily mean everything would be all hunky-dory afterwards, either... the relationship could sour as you got more intimate, learned more about your significant other's deeper, more personal likes and dislikes. And if they happened to break up, it was rare that they wanted to remain friends after they'd ended things... and even rarer still that they actually went through with it.
...He was already my friend, though. The... very first one I'd ever had. What if it turned out that we were better that way?
I... really liked having him around. He was smart, and strong, and bold, and driven... undaunted by the cowardice or threats of others and willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. Devoting over a year of his life and time to finding a cure for his sister's curse was nothing to sneeze at, especially when he had to do so on his own - practically all of the ponies I'd ever known would've given up on a similar endeavor no more than a week in. And with such intelligence came an outstanding knowledge of magic; he was the only one who could ever come close to being my equal in... well, anything. With him by my side, the two of us would certainly become the most powerful witch and wizard in the world. Hell, the two of us could probably even take on Celestia herself, and win!
He was also loyal, and thoughtful, and generous, and kind... his wit never failed to make me laugh, and even now I found myself taken aback by his sense of selflessness. Even though I'd never ask it of him, if I needed him to drop what he was doing to aid me, I had no doubt in my mind that he would. And even after all these months I still found myself being frequently impressed with him, whether it was from a keen display of his skill and power, or him just sharing a basic anecdote about a simple topic.
Not to mention that for a human, he was so attractive it nearly hurt. His looks had definitely grown on me over the months; his hair, his eyes, that smile... Though I could tell he was physically strong, he was always so soft and gentle whenever we hugged. Just thinking about how warm and peaceful it made me feel made my cheeks heat up. And the way he seemed to just melt whenever we shared a bit of an intimate moment, it made me feel like a Siren seductress.
So the thought of him wanting to make things a little more serious between us... it should have been an easy answer. I should have wanted to grab him and proclaim him as mine that very moment.
But for the first time in as long as I could remember... I wasn't sure of what I wanted.
"I feel like I should tell you," I frowned. "Honestly? You're... actually the first friend I've ever had."
"Really?" he drew back, blinking incredulously. "But you're so... extraordinary!"
"I- ...well, yea, I know that." I couldn't help myself from grinning, though it quickly slid from my face. "But because of that... well, I don't know if I want to..."
...risk losing you.
...
...
...
...Wait, I should probably finish that sentence. "...Er, I mean, I... need to think about it." I cringed slightly as Sebastian's expression fell, he was probably hoping for a "yes".
...
...
...
Well... it wasn't like I was opposed to the idea. When we'd first met and I had... less than honest intentions with him, I rather enjoyed the thought of us being the most intimidating, most intelligent, most powerful couple in the school. I still liked the thought even now, but now that I'd gotten to know and care for him, there were plenty of other qualities in our relationship that I held in much higher regard. And if the past couple of days had been any indication: the Patronus charms, the Amortentia potion? Well, those were some pretty clear signs from Fate itself, or the universe or whatever. Maybe it would all work out after all.
But I just wanted... needed to be sure. Love and its many tropes and facets were everywhere in Equestrian culture, but this was the first time I'd ever experienced this sort of thing for myself, and I wanted... needed to be certain of how it might play out. For reassurance's sake I leaned over and gently took his hand in mine, my heart skipping a beat as he looked over to me.
"It's not a 'no'... and really, it'll probably be a 'yes' once I'm done... but I'd just like to think about it a bit first, okay?" I smiled lightly. He barely nodded, the same expression spreading over his face again.
"I see... Well, then I look forward to when you're done thinking about it." A faint chuckle left my nose, and my free arm wrapped around his front so I could hug him. A pang of pure happiness and warmth radiated from the depths of his soul, joining with my own emotions and amplifying them - when I next opened my eyes, I was slightly startled to find ancient magic surrounding me in a faint aura, vanishing in the blink of an eye as though blown away by the wind.
I wondered if it was possible he could feel what I felt in that moment.
"I must say... I so enjoy embracing you," he sighed as he pulled me closer into his chest. 'You're so warm." I laughed at how cheesy the statement sounded, though feeling how genuine his emotions were I couldn't help but squeeze tighter.
"Yea? It is nice, huh?" I smirked. "...You've very cuddly."
"Cuddly?!" he scoffed jokingly as he let go, puffing out his chest. "Don't you mean strapping, or muscular, or perhaps even - as your music puts it - cut?"
"Well, I wouldn't know, since I've never seen you with less than three layers of clothes on," I leered, tugging on his cloak. He blushed as he laughed, covering my hand with his. After our giggling died down, one of the pieces of wood in the fire burst with a loud crack.
"We should probably be going... Don't want to be caught out after curfew, after all," he hummed.
"Aw, but don't you like being out here in this secret, secluded spot, all alone with me?" I grinned deviously, chuckling as his pink cheeks flushed even redder. "...You're right, though. Let's go." I stood up and Vanished the conjured objects while he doused the fire with Aguamenti, and we set off back through the forest to Hogwarts.
~
No one was around when we passed through the doors. The plan was to pass the time in the Slytherin common room until it was time for Astronomy class, as well as glean from the other students what might've happened after my curse had worn off. We couldn't help but titter in excitement as we walked, quietly suggesting in ever grandiose fantasies how violent things might've become.
"And just where do the two of you think you're going?" The sharp tone of Professor Weasley's voice made both of us jump in surprise, though we both quickly adopted as inconspicuous a mask as we could.
"Er... hello, Professor Weasley," Sebastian answered first, flashing his most charming grin.
"We were... just going to the common room... to study!" I smiled, feigning innocence as best I could. But unfortunately, Weasley saw right through it. She tutted as she tapped a finger against her crossed arms.
"...Fifty points from Slytherin, and detention. Both of you."
"What? What for?" I blinked, acting surprised while Sebastian flipped his pocketwatch open.
"But it's only... 8:30! We haven't broken curfew, or any other rules I can think of," he lied smoothly.
"You both know exactly the reason why," her eyes narrowed. "While I and the other professors are quite impressed by your spellcasting prowess, Miss Shimmer, your modified Cantis jinx caused multiple fights involving both food and magic to break out after it ended. The House elves will be up for hours cleaning the mess in the Great Hall! And poor Garreth... Miss Reyes is lucky I am only giving her detention for two weeks as punishment for what she did to him."
"...But why am I getting detention?" Sebastian frowned while I glanced away in slight annoyance. Damn it... who saw us? Who ratted us out?!
"Professor Hecat saw both of you standing by the entrance, laughing at everyone's impromptu performance. She has also seen the two of you test that spell before in her class."
...Oh.
"Friday afternoon, after classes are finished for the day. I daresay Mr. Sallow can show you the way, Miss Shimmer," she glared at down me over her nose. Doing a quick mental check, I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that neither Sebastian nor I had a Crossed Wands duel scheduled then. This wouldn't be too bad. "Now, off to the common room with you... and please try not to cause such a ruckus the next time you're experimenting with a spell."
Even as she walked briskly away... Sebastian and I shared a glance, and we couldn't help but snicker together. My spell had caused that much chaos?
"Worth it."
"Oh, absolutely."
Maybe we should've stuck around to watch after all.
~
Thursday and Friday came and went, Professor Weasley glaring at me pointedly as I left her Transfiguration class. With almost an air of pride, Sebastian led me to the Detention Chamber down a corridor in the dungeons. Once we'd finally reached the room he took a moment to peek inside through the cracked-open door.
"Oh, good," he sighed in relief. "Moon's watching over us."
"Is he lenient?" I asked.
"Very. He won't even take our wands, he'll just have us set them out in front of us on our desks." He kindly opened the door with a grin and beckoned me inside. Other than Imelda (who shot me a death glare) and a pair of 1st-year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw boys I didn't know the names of, the room was practically empty. There were nine desks arranged in the center of the room, with Mr. Moon sitting at a tenth desk at the front.
"Ah, Mr. Sallow," Moon greeted casually in his nasally, faux-posh voice, clearly used to seeing him in detention. "Oh, and, uh... Miss Shimmer, wasn't it?"
"Yep." I'm honestly surprised you remember, given how drunk you were when we first met.
"Right... well, sit down, place your wands out in front of you, and we'll all get this over with," he mumbled. Sebastian and I sat down at the centermost desk and placed our wands just out of our reach on its surface. For a few awkward minutes we stared at Mr. Moon, who sighed as he kicked up his feet on his desk, pulled out a flask from his pocket and took a swig.
...
...
...
He sighed again, much louder this time. It was like he had something on his mind, yet some shred of sobriety within his brain was managing to keep him from saddling us with the burden of his barely-coherent yammering.
...
...
...
And then, the strained shred gave out and snapped. "Have I ever told you fine students about my dear relative James?" Sebastian groaned as the rest of us shook our heads.
"Not this again," he muttered, slamming his face on the desk.
"Mm, yes... James A. Moon, fine inventor of the Karikari. It was a most peculiar machine, being composed of a broad axe, some iron bars, a box half-stuffed with raw cotton, a string and a candle. One fine day, James rented a room at the Lahr house where he lived and brought with him all these things. He set them up so that the axe was weighted down with the iron bars, and the string was tied to the axe to hold it up until the candle burned through, then he prepared the box and strapped himself to the floor, resting his head inside with his neck lying on the very edge. His calculations were so precise that when the string finally burned through and the axe dropped onto his neck, there wasn't a single ligament left to join it in the box. Ah, if only someone would patent that wondrous machine, so that dear old James could be remembered as the visionary he truly was. The appliances which had been used to produce death were most wonderful, and will stand in the history of suicides without a parallel."
...
Sebastian groaned again while the rest of us stared at Moon in stunned shock. Suddenly I found myself feeling quite concerned for the loony lush.
"What... what was even the point of that story?!" Imelda threw up her hands in disgust.
"Why, I simply wish I could come up with an invention even half as brilliant," Mr. Moon replied as he took another swig from his flask. While his attention was focused on Imelda, I slowly, carefully edged my hand towards my wand. This was already a boring waste of my time, and I wasn't sitting through another disturbing story like that if I could help it.
"Brilliant?! He simply wanted to commit suicide in the flashiest manner possible!" she argued. "He sounded even barmier than... than Barnabas the Barmy!"
"Ah, Miss Reyes, it is often said that the brightest of minds are also the most eclectic!" he argued genially. My fingertips grazed against my wand; it was enough of a connection to cast a spell. I smirked as I silently Transfigured a decorative globe that was behind Mr. Moon. "The distinction of the Karikari has been unmatched since then!"
"Yes, because nobody else has been mental enough to kill themselves in such a fashion-" Imelda's argument petered out once she realized what was behind him, and she pressed her lips together.
"It is unfortunate that he had to test it upon himself in order to prove to the world that his machine deserved a patent, just imagine the refinements he could have created had he lived! The Karikari would be a household name- ...er, why are you all looking at me like that?"
It wasn't so much that the five of us were staring at Mr. Moon, but rather at the Demiguise that was sitting on the desk just out of his line of sight. He finally turned his head towards the creature, which made a confused squeak as it tilted its own head in response.
And Mr. Moon couldn't stop screaming. He froze in his chair screaming at the poor creature until his lungs were empty and the scream had devolved into a shrill wheeze. It was only then that he finally summoned the courage to get up and bolt out of the room. Once we could no longer hear his footsteps, the Demiguise calmly groomed its arm before disappearing from sight.
...
...
...
"...Hmph. Suppose I should be glad you're so good at pranking your peers," Imelda snorted, crossing her arms as she eyed me with a blend of gratitude and contempt. "You're nearly worse of a menace than Peeves."
"I have my uses," I replied smugly, reclaiming my wand and twirling it in my fingers as I leaned back in my chair.
"...Does this mean we can leave?" the little Gryffindor boy asked.
"Well, depending on how long you've been made to sit here... better make sure none of the professors catch you out," shrugged Sebastian. At his suggestion, the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw boys exchanged a look, then ran out of the room to their freedom.
"How long do we have to sit here?" I grumbled. "Weasley never did mention a time limit."
"Oh, usually about three hours for me," replied Sebastian with a bored expression.
"Well, you two can waste your time here... I'm leaving," huffed Imelda. "Once I'm outside on my broom, they'll never even know I'm gone." We watched as she quickly left the room, and I let out a sigh.
"...So. You wanna get out of here, too?"
"Let's. I can think of plenty more places I'd rather spend my time alone with you," he grinned. I coughed out a laugh as a blush flared across my cheeks... he could be so demure at times, yet so suggestive at others. It had to be on purpose.
~
Late Saturday morning, Sebastian, Ominis and I teleported to Feldcroft to meet with Anne. Since two out of the three of us were technically banished from the hamlet, we were gathering by a shallow cave at the base of the small hill the town was situated on, long ago dug out and reinforced with boulders and wooden palisades as a result of constant goblin raids. When asked about it, Sebastian had told me that the raids had once been rather uncommon, happening perhaps once every year or two in the past, but shortly before Anne had been cursed they'd steadily increased until they became a monthly occurrence. The last one where we'd helped in fighting them off had been the last one since - apparently they were too terrified of the giant snake I'd Transfigured to come back.
The three of us waited nervously. Finally I saw Anne approaching from the distance, slowly stumbling over the uneven, frosty ground. Even from far away, I could feel the agony and despair creeping around her heart, but also a faint spark of hope. But that spark was beginning to fade away, and fast.
"Anne!" Sebastian gasped, dashing forward to greet her, taking in her condition. "Oh, Anne..."
"It's good to see you," I sighed, looking her over with a frown. If anything, she looked even worse than she did when I first met her. Her skin was sickly, tinged with a faint yellow-green, and the dark circles beneath her eyes could've been mistaken for bruises. Her cheeks were sunken inward, and she appeared gaunt and frail. Placing the back of my hand against her forehead revealed that she was burning hot with fever. "Oh, Celestia," I bit my lip nervously, "...I need to cast a diagnostic charm on you to find out what's going on, is that okay?"
"Er... yes, go ahead," she nodded weakly. At once I pulled out a few pieces of quartz enchantment stones from my pocket dimension, then conjured up five large chalkboards that hovered around me, each with their own stick of chalk. A quick wave of my wand attached the quartz pieces to both the bottoms of the chalk and my wand, and then I cast the diagnostic charm, its light sweeping up and down her body. After a few moments, the pieces of chalk began to scratch and scribble the gleaned medical information frantically on their corresponding boards.
And what they all were writing down chilled me to my core. My face fell, and I felt a dark, cold pit engulf my stomach.
Oh, no... if that's what's happening... then I can't fix that.
"No." The denial bled from my mouth as I checked and rechecked each calculation, my eyes flashing over every bit of data being recorded. "That can't be right... no. No, no, no, damn it, no!"
"W-What's wrong?" Sebastian stammered nervously, while Anne's expression grew more alarmed by the moment.
"...She's gaining an immunity to the potion," my shoulders slumped as I went over the calculations in my head once more, finding that, unfortunately... I was correct.
"What does that mean?" asked Ominis warily.
"It means the potion has been becoming slowly less effective as time goes on, until it's practically as useless as just plain water. It seems..." My eyes flicked towards the fourth chalkboard, where there was a list of antibody percentages beside their corresponding ingredients. The data indicated that her body really did not like the Umbrum Crystal, even though that one ingredient was what kept the vast majority of the curse in check, in a paradoxical twist of fate.
Anne's eyes traveled over the list of ingredients. "Grindylow fingers... Dementor's cloak... Rougarou hair... Sebastian, is this a Dark potion you and Sunset have been giving me?!" she groaned as her eyes flew towards her brother.
"Er... well, yes," he answered hesitantly. "Didn't I tell you that?" She stared at him in silence for a moment.
"...No! You only said this potion would help treat my condition! You didn't say anything about it being brewed with Dark magic!" Ominis gently put a hand to his forehead and grunted, slightly shaking his head in disappointment.
"Well, to be fair, it's not all Dark magic," I shrugged. "Just maybe... I dunno, 51% Dark." Anne blinked a few times, her skin somehow paling to an even whiter shade as she gaped in horror.
"No... I don't want this," she shook her head, trembling. "I don't want to be cured if it means I must resort to using Dark magic!" While Ominis glanced away uncomfortably, Sebastian's face fell as he shook his head in disbelief, while I slapped my palm over my face to hide my own annoyance.
Oh for- ...thinks just like Ominis, huh? So that means you're a coward, too. Sigh.
"But Anne... I don't understand," mouthed Sebastian. "Don't you wish to be cured?"
"Yes, but not like this," she warbled. "Please... this isn't right! O-Our family does not resort t-to using-"
"Oh, forget about what your uncle says and think for yourself for once!" I couldn't help but snap. "When the potion was working, you were back to your old self, right? Do you really want to live like this for the rest of your life? Unable to do anything or go anywhere because of this pain?"
"Of course not," she weakly shook her head. "But my uncle... we've already been to St. Mungo's, used all of his old contacts in the Ministry, seen a Cursebreaker, asked Professor Sharp if he had any experience with Dark magic of this nature, and none of them have been able to help. And Merlin knows how many ideas Sebastian's come up with to try to cure me..." she sighed bitterly. "What my uncle says is true. It cannot be undone."
"Yea? And I'm only counting four things he's actually tried, out of an infinite potential of options," I groused. "If Solomon actually cared about you, then he wouldn't have given up on finding a cure for you before it'd even been a full year since you got cursed. He'd still be out searching for anything that could help!"
Anne blinked, stunned as if she'd been struck. "But... Solomon... my uncle does care about me-"
"Then he should be doing everything in his power to cure you, not telling you to just accept your fate and die screaming," I argued, pinching the bridge of my nose. Clearly, Sebastian got the lion's share of the brains between the two of them. "If the magic that will cure you exists out there, then who gives a damn if it's considered Dark?"
"B-But..." I cut her off by huffing in frustration, wondering why she was so insistent on not helping herself. It had to be Solomon's doing, and the mere thought of that foolish, pigheaded creature infuriated me.
"I just don't understand it... why would you listen to a single word that wretched man says? Especially after everything he's ever done to your brother, he doesn't even deserve to be your guardian. Surely you've noticed how much of an abusive git he always was to him!"
"I-"
"Hell, did it ever even occur to you that it might've been weird that he treated you so nicely, yet treated your own twin brother like he was less than dirt? Doesn't that bother you at all?!" Anne fell silent as she gaped at me, frozen by her heavily conflicted thoughts. After a few moments I mentally smacked myself in the forehead and sighed. I was getting off track.
...Even though I was right. It disgusted me just how much that prick had managed to poison Anne against her own will to survive... and against her own brother. Even before she was cursed, she had simply let all the abuse happen to Sebastian; sure, she did what she could to patch him back up, but she did nothing to stop it from happening in the first place.
And now, the denial, the ignorance, the kowtowing... in the moment I found myself feeling nearly as much revulsion towards her as I did for that man. How weak was she to let herself be so influenced, while her brother remained proud and unbroken?
And yet, despite all of this, this betrayal by abetment... he still loved her, I could feel it. He still wanted to see her cured, despite her inaction. That bond between them must've been unbelievably strong, she must've been one hell of a girl before she was cursed.
...Part of me wondered what a bond like that must've felt like. I heard Anne sigh painfully, and slid my eyes back over towards her.
"But... the reagents are... troubling," she finally stammered out. "How do you know the potion was really helping me? What if it was only making it worse?"
"Because it worked before, didn't it? At least for a while," I sucked my lips inside my mouth in guilt. "Look, I made absolutely sure it wouldn't affect you negatively before giving it to you, I never would've suggested it if there were any side effects. I just... didn't see this happening. My calculations-"
Anger. Heartbreak. Disappointment. Demoralization.
"Were apparently wrong!" Ominis suddenly hissed; Clotho and Atropos hissed in unison with him on his shoulders, while Lachesis gormlessly burped up an immature egg. "How dare you give her false hope, Sunset... you should have known what the effects of that potion would have been! You should have known it would no longer be effective for her!"
"I did know what the effects were, I brewed the damn thing from scratch myself!" I barely shook my head as I turned towards Ominis. "I even accounted for a possible immunization factor, my formulas included multiple ways to compensate! That's why I don't know why this is happening!"
"But it did, and now Anne is all the worse for it!" he snarled, edging closer, pointing his wand actually in my direction for once. "You think you're so smart, think you can play with Dark magic without any ill effect. You think that you know everything... well, it's quite clear to all of us that you don't! Anne could quite possibly die because of your negligence, and it'll be all your fault!"
"I... I-I..."
...Well, crap. Uncalled for, but... kinda true. The guilt I felt from letting him down, letting Anne down, letting Sebastian down... it was rapidly multiplying like a cancer within me, and with it grew a cold, paralyzing fear that dripped down my spine.
I was wrong... I was wrong.
My potion was a failure.
I was wrong.
I could feel something breaking inside of me, sharp like glass.
"I swear... if you don't somehow fix this, if you don't return her to the way she was just two months ago... then Merlin as my witness, I will make you pay for this! I will bring the entirety of the House of Gaunt to bear against you!" he shouted, trying to hold back a sob. The three of us recoiled in shock.
"...But, you hate your family," I deadpanned, momentarily pushing past my emotions.
"I will make an exception!" he roared, instantly crushing the moment of bravery and making me flinch again.
"Ominis, that's enough," Sebastian cut in, a dark scowl forming on his face. "She was only trying to help!"
"And look where that help has led us!" he argued, huffing out a mirthless chuckle. "It's exactly like I said before... neither of you know when to stop, do you?!"
"AT LEAST SHE TRIED!" Ominis flinched as Sebastian shrieked at him, unable to hold back any longer. "What have you done to help?! You're in love with her, for Merlin's sake!" Before Ominis could come up with a retort, they were both interrupted by someone else's agonized groan that quickly built up into a blood-curdling scream. Beside me, Anne doubled over in pain and collapsed, desperately clutching her abdomen.
My eyes widened as I stood there, powerless to help her. The way she writhed on the ground... reminded me of when I had suffered Sebastian's Crucio.
"Stop... please... s-stop..." she barely whimpered through heavy breaths, tears and her body heat melting the rime on the ground, the mud smearing onto the side of her face. Ominis and Sebastian immediately ceased their fighting and rushed over to help her into a sitting position. I began to reach into my pocket dimension for the Umbrum potion I'd prepared beforehand, hoping that the new formula would help to ease her pain...
...But the guilt prevented me from pulling it out. I let go of it and withdrew my arm, holding it limply at my side. "I'm... sorry, Anne... O-Ominis... Seb," I grimaced, staring at the ground. "I-I don't know why you gained an immunity, and I don't know if I-I can substitute that reagent for anything else as effective..."
"Well, can't you just readjust the formulas or something?" begged Sebastian. "We just need a little more time... we're so close to figuring out how the relic works, and once we do, we can cure Anne of this curse once and for all!"
"R-Relic?" Anne breathed. Ominis let out an unhappy grunt as Sebastian explained.
"Yes... it's a long story, but we found a spellbook owned by Salazar Slytherin himself that mentioned a relic in the nearby catacombs with the power to reverse Dark magic curses. We've learned more about it since... we cross-referenced Slytherin's spellbook with everything in the library on relics and dark sacrifices."
"It turns out the thing's only gonna work inside the catacomb," I nodded, jutting my thumb in its direction. "But that's alright, the only things that would bother us in there are some spiders. Now we just need to figure out what the dark sacrifice is to activate it, and after that, you can consider this curse as good as gone." Despite her new knowledge of this backup plan, Anne simply stared at the two of us, her mouth quivering like a fish's before finally turning towards her brother.
"Sebastian," she gasped, her eyes filled with dread. "...A lost relic from a catacomb that requires a dark sacrifice?"
"I know how it sounds," he nodded, "but if this can help you, it's worth the risk." She blinked a few times before turning towards Ominis.
"And you...?"
"He helped find the scriptorium where we discovered Slytherin's spellbook," Sebastian rationalized quickly, cutting off whatever Ominis might've been opening his mouth to say. Instead he chose to close it, his lips forming a thin line as he nodded. Seemingly satisfied with this supplied answer, Anne turned back towards Sebastian.
"...Very well, if Ominis agrees with you... but we don't have much time. Solomon... wants to leave Feldcroft."
"What?!" the three of us uttered in unison.
"L-Leave Feldcroft...?!" Sebastian stammered in disbelief.
"And he wasn't going to tell his own nephew about it?" I groused incredulously as I realized the implications of that statement - not only did Solomon banish Sebastian from his own home, but now he was also going to hide himself and his sister from him? And her own consent to this action was dubious at best... with any poor luck, Sebastian might've never been able to find her again. "Wooooow... now that's just wrong on so many levels," I growled.
"But... but..." Ominis couldn't bring himself to continue his train of thought.
"Never mind that... you need to stall him," Sebastian pleaded anxiously. "Buy us time, Anne... please." Anne's eyes locked with her brother's, then to Ominis', and then finally to mine. We were all silently begging her to stay.
"...I'll do my best," she nodded, as resolutely as she could manage in her state. She groaned in pain as she clutched her abdomen again... she was likely done with talking to us for the day.
Sebastian seemed to sense this, too. "Ominis... can you help Anne back to the house for me?"
"Of course," he sighed, already reaching down to help her up. "Come, let's get you inside before you catch a cold."
"T-Thank you," Anne shivered as she pressed herself against Ominis for warmth. They slowly began walking around the palisades and back into the hamlet, but not before she glanced back at her brother. "I... h-hope to see you again soon, Sebastian... I love you."
His breath hitched in his throat; her farewell had sounded especially morbid, as though she wasn't actually sure she'd ever see him again. I swallowed uncomfortably while he weakly lifted a hand to wave.
"...I love you too, Anne. I'll see you soon."
Cherishment. Isolation. Incompetence. Fear. He watched as they disappeared around a corner, only allowing his composure to break once they were gone. I laid a hand on his back and rubbed gently, my heart aching as I felt him tremble.
"No... Solomon can't take Anne from Feldcroft," Sebastian barely whispered as he shook his head. "Where would they go? ...When would I see her? I... I-I can't believe he wants to leave."
"He'd better not," I lowered my head. "If we're going to cure her with the relic, then we need more time. And the way he's going about this is seriously messed up, too. I can't imagine Anne's really okay with this."
He sighed bitterly. "...Solomon's never cared for what I've thought. Nor what she thinks, but... she just doesn't see that." Disgust dripped down into a puddle within my soul, rippling outwards and smoothing out until the feeling transformed into a vengeful pity.
If we could cure her, if we could save Anne and prove Solomon wrong... perhaps she'd be less willing to go along with his abuse. Maybe she would see how much more worthy her own twin brother was of her love and protection than her uncle.
Maybe the two of them... could then finally begin to heal.
~
I hadn't felt much like eating or studying when we returned to Hogwarts. I sat despondently in a chair in a corner of my Room, staring vacantly at all the blackboards crammed full of diagrams and equations, all the work I'd done on the Umbrum potion.
All those calculations, all those formulae, all those careful measurements and substitutions...
But despite all my work, despite my best intentions, I had failed. Somehow Anne had gained an immunity to the main component of the treatment... was it because Equestrian Dark magic wasn't as compatible with human biology as I thought? Even though the crystal had been imbued with the pure essence of two different flavors of Imperio, which should have halted the curse's effect in its entirety?
Maybe that was why it had failed... the two Imperio spells were counteracting each other.
...
I shook my head as I mulled it over, simulating the effects in my mind. The two spells should have been working in perfect harmony - the fluxweed and borage encouraged their symbiosis, and the added powdered half-teaspoon of Niffler's Fancy further focused their magic-nullifying effects solely on the curse. Not only that, but I'd also added an eighth of a teaspoon of Sopophorus Bean juice and two dragonfly thoraxes toasted for five minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the latter of which had the additional effect of strengthening the body against any ill effects the residual Dark magic might've caused.
I went over the list of ingredients again, and again, shaking my head once more when I reconfirmed that none of the reagents were known contraindicatives of each other... at least, none except for the one purely Equestrian reagent. I cursed at myself, slapping a hand to my forehead - I had been so sure that an Umbrum Crystal was the answer to Sebastian's prayers, the solution he'd sought for so long. In theory it should've worked perfectly, but... I guess there was something about it that wasn't quite compatible with humans.
I could likely find a workaround eventually, find the right reagent that would counter that ill effect, but... how long would it take? How many reagents would I need to experiment with before finding the right one? Anne's condition was far worse than it was when I'd first met her, and with Solomon threatening to take her away and disappear into obscurity, time was something Sebastian and I didn't have much of.
...
...
...
I hated the thought of failure. With an uncertain time limit lingering in the back of my mind, the thought became an obsession. My heart felt like something had frozen it solid and then thrown it into an ice crusher.
Before, in Equestria, when I had failed my current task I would ruminate on it until I understood exactly where I'd gone wrong, then redouble my efforts until I got it right, doing it again and again until I had it down perfectly. I had no one relying upon me back then... only Celestia, who simply watched my progress and offered me encouragement.
But here, now... someone's life was on the line. Someone's loved one was depending on me... two people's loved one, to be precise. The added pressure of not only meeting, but exceeding their expectations closed in around me, squeezing me like a vise slowly tightening around my chest. Though it was all in my own mind, the pressure was claustrophobic, nearly suffocating.
And suddenly I felt a tangible pressure on my shoulder. I hadn't even noticed Sebastian entering the room.
"Sunset... are you alright?" he asked, frowning with worry. I could only groan out an immediate reply; my fingers threaded through my hair and pulled, the pain only dulling the agony of my failure by a fraction. It took me a few moments to force out the words.
"I'm sorry... I-I don't know why my potion failed... I've n-never made such a huge mistake before-"
"Hey." He knelt down onto his knees, gently wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. "You said so yourself that your calculations accounted for the possibility of an immunity, and your formulas compensated for that possibility. You did all you could to make that potion work. It's not fair for you to blame yourself for something neither of us could have foreseen."
I blinked in surprise. He was depending on me to help cure his sister, but my potion had failed to keep away her pain. And yet... "You're... y-you're not... mad?"
"No... of course I'm not angry with you," he soothed, shaking his head, sighing sadly before speaking again. "...How could I be angry with the only one who will help me?"
I mean... I would be. I'd be furious if I were you, I frowned to myself as I relaxed into his hold, allowing him to comfort me. He sighed again as I let my forehead drop against his shoulder.
"I meant it when I said that I truly appreciate you standing by me through this. Even if your potion has ceased to work, you still gave Anne a reprieve from her curse, and brought back the dear sister I once knew. I could never be angry or disappointed with you for giving her... me... us that hope."
Even though his words felt like a patronizing white lie, his emotions spoke the truth: pure warmth, compassion, optimism and affection bled from his soul into mine. Feeling what he felt eased my mind, the melancholy and disappointment fading away and being replaced with encouragement and determination. I exhaled as I finally allowed myself to forgive myself.
"We will figure out how to use the relic, and we will cure Anne. I believe that with every fiber of my being," he reaffirmed. "There's nothing the two of us together can't achieve."
I allowed myself to believe him as I returned the hug, my resolve returning to me in full force.
"...We'll start our experiments tomorrow."