Autumn Flower

The Choice

T.W.: violence, the topic of self-harm.

 Auic ran after Arcandor, but before she can catch up with him, she hears magical words and he flashes forward. He used the speed spell. Auic is stubborn and just keeps running. Part of her says that she is doing it out of principle, but another part wants him to get there first. Maybe he will hear Venus.

Arcandor uses the spell two more times and reaches the house. He enters and Peter is the first one to greet him.

-Hey, you're back! - at first, Peter is relieved to see he is alive. Then he is disappointed - Where is my cheese?

-Venus, is that really you? - Arcandor asks entering the kitchen, completely ignoring Peter.

Venus is taken aback.

-How did you...? - she asked weekly

-Wait, this Venus... Peter began to connect the dots.

-Yes. This Venus is my friend. What did they do to you?! You don't have to be afraid anymore, I will take you with me before Auic reaches us. She is the one responsible for this? - Arcandor asked while getting close to his friend, tears in his eyes. He had looked for so long. She was not dead and he was grateful for that but now... she was a plant.

-Well yes... - Venus started. And Arcandor decided that was a good enough answer and took her pot, he could only think of getting away, the theory of kidnapping becoming more and more plausible to him, but with an awful twist.

-STOP! NO! - Peter and Venus started screaming.

-What? I am saving you!

-I DON'T NEED SAVING! - Venus Screamed. - PUT ME ON THE DAMN TABLE.

Not even Peter had seen Venus scream like that. Arcandor was confused but obeyed.

-I don't get it. These people turned you into a plant! And now they are keeping you hostage don't you want to get away?

-wow wow wow, hostage?? are you mad? we are friends, always were! - Said Peter offended.

-Oh my, you were a human too?? - Arcandor asked Peter.

-Yes.

-And Auic did that to you? - Arcandor's stomach dropped. He couldn't believe he was attracted to the kidnapper of his friend, a truly evil witch...

-Look, I know that you may be confused. You may have heard stories, but let us tell you the truth. - Said, Venus. She could see Arcandor's mind working furiously and getting to all the wrong conclusions.

-After you left to study, I went to a new magic school. - Venus started. - I was so lonely with you across the ocean. I was never that good at magic, but Auic and Peter didn't care. They immediately absorbed me into their group. Peter is a brilliant wizard...

-and Auic was even better. Beyond talent, she is a scholar. - Interrupted Peter.

-Yes, and they were fun and would help me with homework. But they would also experiment and try new stuff.

-We were ambitious. Auic and I wanted to create new spells and leave our mark. Be remembered.

-The old factory was their experimenting spot, and after a few months of friendship, they showed it to me. - continued Venus. - we could only go there at night. Of course, my parents didn't like that, and I had to sneak out. We argued one day, they didn't want me to continue to see my friends, but I went out anyway.

-That day, everyone wanted to be someone else, something else. And we started playing around with transmutation spells. First with small things, then with the bigger things in the factory, and finally with ourselves. We don't really know who transmuted who. We just know that I asked to be something else with my name. And Peter asked to be hot. - Peter and Venus shared sad silly smiles, - and Auic asked to be able to fly. Only two of us got what we wished for. And since Auic left unscathed, she blames herself. She promised to find a way to turn us back into humans, and we had no reason to believe she wouldn't be able to.