Fall of the Light Ones

5

Mara stopped at her usual spot. She was sure that not a lot of people knew about it, this tree was special to her and Athena. When they were struggling to find shelter, this tree pointed them into the direction of the little place they call home now. It was right in the middle of the little house and her old ruin house.

Mara usually stops here when she feels too tired to make the trip in one go or if she just wants to take in the scenery. This part of the woods is Mara's favorite, she loved the thick moss that grows on the ground, it was like the ground had a green blanket. Even during the harsher weather the moss never loses its color, it stayed exactly the same.

In the distance Mara could see a figure making it's way towards her. She was always very prepared for confrontation then she saw who it was. Shabina Venus.

"Do my eyes deceive me? You just can't seem to get enough of me," she said. Her royal blue gown danced around her legs as if it was made specifically for moving with the morning wind. 

"You're following me?" Mara said in a dull voice.

"Maybe we were just meant to be Mara, maybe we are just drawn to one another," Shabina said. All she wanted to do was pull Mara into the sun, she craved to see her green eyes in the sunlight.

"Don't make this anything that it's not," Mara said and Shabina placed her hand over her heart pretending that Mara's words wounded her," Why are you here?"

"Look, I wasn't following you nor was I looking for you. This, right here, this meeting was a lovely accident. I just happened to decide to take a walk and you just happened to be here." 

Mara slowly nodded her head. Without another word she walked pass her and continued her journey to her old house. 
"Keep up!" she called to Shabina and she heard the fairy run after her almost tripping over the uneven ground.

"So, what kind of magic do you have?" Shabina asked. Mara gave her a funny look and she just ignored it and continued talking.

"Oh come on, you know everything about me and I don't know much about you accept your father being an alchemist, so tell me," Shabina went on, but Mara refused to say a word.

"Let me guess-"

"I have no magic," Mara said. Maybe by being honest Shabina would keep quiet she thought to herself. 

"That's impossible, you must have a little magic somewhere, how else would you have put this spell on me?" Shabina said and she almost groaned at the unbothered look on Mara's face. She was starting to feel touched at the fact that she was having zero effect on this woman. Shabina was not used to people being this uninterested in her.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Shabina asked after a couple minutes of them walking in silence. 

"I have to open your chest and measure the hole in your heart," Mara said and Shabina froze in her step.

"Wait, what?"

"I have to open-"

"Yes, I heard you the first time, is that really necessary?" Shabina said. Her hands started sweating and she started to feel uneasy. She did not think this through, she definitely wanted a new heart, but she was not entirely prepared for someone cutting her open.

"Don't be weary, I've dissected many, many animals," Mara said and walked further without saying another word.

When they finally got to the house Mara could feel a strange energy. The walls felt ice cold and the usual calming feeling she got wasn't there. She walked through the empty hallway with Shabina following close behind her then she suddenly felt light headed. 

"Are you okay?" Shabina asked placing a hand on Mara's lower back to her steady her. They walked like that until they reached the room where they had met initially. Mara turned to Shabina and told her to sit down and lower the front of her dress so that she can inspect where to make the cut.

Shabina could feel her body freeze. She did not realize how afraid she was of knives. She closed her eyes and turned her head away.
"You're okay," Mara said and Shabina calmed down a little.

The process was painless. Whatever numbing ointment Mara used worked wonders. While Mara was closing Shabina's wound Shabina decided to ask her more useless questions.
"Why did you guys decide on calling it 13th moon when there's only ten?"

"Because this is the 13th moon alignment since we started counting it 130 years ago. Every night there's 10 moons in the sky, but only once a year do they align and make one moon and we've only started counting th- wait, why am I telling you all of this? You're a princess, you surely know all of this already..."

Mara finished closing wound and looked at Shabina. This silly counsel member, with her silly questions and her silly pretty face. This silly woman with no heart who Mara promised to help for reasons no one knows.

"I like hearing you talk," Shabina said. Mara felt something in her chest, it made her feel uncomfortable and naked. She just cut open this woman's chest and now this woman is making her feel some sense of fondness. 

"I like your eyes," Shabina said again. She reached forward to brush some hair out of Mara's face.

"You're dead."

"And you really know how to ruin a moment," Shabina said. She suddenly felt a tingle on her wrist , the branding they gave her glowed red, that meant they were summoning her back to the Light Castle. "I have to go."

"See you tomorrow?" Mara said before she could stop the words from coming out of her mouth. Shabina nodded yes and disappeared.