The Team
It was too late, Maya had already invoked the charm and whatever happened would happen. The charm did not glow and no light enveloped Maya but instead, the charm seemed to absorb nearby light and the marks on Maya’s body seemed to get darker. Her shadow under her grew and stretched around her on the ground until it was a perfect square with her in the middle. At that point, the square started to grow off of the ground into a shadow cube around Maya. Maya was worried at this point because Arafina had seemed scared. The girls had rushed the cube but they could not reach in and get her as the shadows actively pushed them away.
Inside the cube, Maya watched as Arafina and the girls faded into darkness. It was so dark inside the cube and soundless but she felt that darkness moving around her, changing her. For so long the darkness had been a tool and an ally but she had worried about the toll it might be taking on her soul. She felt her dirty clothes change and she was eager to see what was happening now that she realized she was not getting ripped apart. As the cube faded away, she stood in a mix between a long black dress and leather armor. The dress part had a slit in it to allow her movement. She looked down and noticed that the runes on her body that she could see had changed.
Kelsie put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”
Maya looked up from studying her arms, a bewildered look in her eyes. “What happened to me?”
“It looks like you’re one of us, after all,” Lennon said. The other girls vocalized their agreement at once.
“What?” Maya asked. “I thought I corrupted the charm when I took it from your friend.”
“It seems the opposite has happened,” Arafina said. “The charm has become the source of your power and has scrubbed away the darkness in your soul. It seems that somebody who has walked through the darkness and could still think of other people is worthy to be on this team. I was wrong for judging you.”
Maya shook her head and smiled. “I have no grudge,” She said. “I have a clean slate and for the first time in a long time my heart feels lighter.”
Kelsie was the closest so she was the first one to hug Maya. “You couldn’t have saved Daffney,” she added which made Maya tear up. The other girls moved to hug her too at that, Natia being especially enthusiastic about it. Maya was caught off guard but soon found herself hugging back. She had needed this. She had almost forgotten what a hug felt like and she savored such positive human contact. There was a long silence as a breeze blew across the courtyard and Arafina watched her team bond.
As they broke away, Kelsie walked over to Arafina and stroked her head. Arafina forgot herself for a moment and purred and then looked confused. Kelsie quickly withdrew her hand and ran it through her own blue-streaked hair awkwardly.
“Sorry,” Kelsie said. “I just wanted you to be included but I forgot that you’re not really a pet.”
“It’s alright,” Arafina said. “Thank you for the sentiment. It has been an adjustment.” She sighed.
“I can’t imagine it’s been easy,” Lennon said. After all, she knew all about living with limitations and that was not forgotten in five minutes of walking around again.
“It has not,” Arafina said adding a tiny nod. This was obviously a sore subject and everyone could sense that. Arafina spoke up to try to defuse the tension. “At least I still have my spells and I can still open books with my paws. It does take time. It is hard to write with a pen in my teeth…”
“I could help with that,” Lennon said. “I would love to learn this stuff.”
“So would I, actually,” Maya said. “I need to learn about your system of magic and how this charm changed me.”
“We can study together,” Lennon said with a smile. Few of her friends had ever been interested in that.
“We all need to do some studying,” Margaret said. “We’re far too ignorant to tackle the challenge ahead.”
“I hate studying,” Natia said, plucking gently at the strings of her guitar.
“Suck it up, buttercup!” Kelsie said with a smile and Natia sighed but could not help but smile. “
“So, back to our magical powers,” Margaret said. “How do they work?”
“Well, obviously we have some control over a classic element or basic physical force that we can use offensively,” Lennon said.
“Obviously,” Margaret said.
“Yes,” Arafina said. “Lennon has fire, Margaret has light, Kelsie has water, Natia has sound and Maya has Darkness. The use of these powers was meant to be left up to the charm wielder. Use your experiences and visualize your attacks as something you know how to manage. Form the attack with your mind and words and then let loose.”
“Something we can manage like my guitar?” Natia asked.
“Yes,” Arafina said. “I suppose you subconsciously adapted to that mechanic ahead of instruction.”
“Here that?” Natia said with a grin. “I’m advanced! I’ve never been advanced.”
“You still have to study,” Kelsie said.
“Crap!” Natia said and folded her arms. Everybody laughed and after a moment Natia joined in too.
“We should go back down there and test these new powers out on those things that killed your friend, Daffney,” Maya said.
“Wait,” Margaret said. “Should we be going down to confront these things without practicing?”
“Actually, those beings are the weakest of what you might be facing,” Arafina said. “It would be a good test of your powers but it is not without danger.”
“Sometimes you just have to get your hands dirty,” Lennon said.
“Let’s watch each others’ backs, Defenders,” Kelsie said. “Right?”
“Right!” They all answered. They were a new to being a team but Daffney had been somebody half the team knew and it was the right thing to do to eliminate the danger if it was still there.
Tags: Arafina, Fiction, Kelsie, Lennon, Magical Earth Defenders, Magical Girl, Margaret, Maya, Natia
Wolf of Words 
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