"If you believe in ever afters, in magic, in dreams come true, your life will be full of miracles. It will be anything but ordinary. All you need, is to have faith and open your eyes wider."
Often life isn't what it seems to be ....
Hazel Smith is...
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There was silence, the only sound made by the spinning wheel , working in its ceaseless rhythm.
The old lady sat at the wheel, weaving threads of unseen power. Her face was half hidden under her dark veil, while her wings were made of the purest light.
" Give us the Mirror and we'll leave you in peace." Cindy said.
The fairy ignored her.
" Is she ..." Hazel whispered to Amber.
" Yeah , I am pretty sure she is Sleeping Beauty's wicked fairy godmother. Generally those fairy godmother breed are all goodie goodie, guardian angels to their godchildren, but this one was a rotten apple in a casket of golden ones. More like us, the faeries."
"Give us the Mirror or kiss your life goodbye." said Ced , advancing and aiming his sword at the fairy.
The fairy smirked. Silver threads reached out for him, like tentacles of death.Hazel knotted them into a bundle.
The fairy glared at her through her veil, making her heart beat rapidly. The needles came at her, like a hundred bullets all at once.
Ced struck at the threads with his sword, but the might of the blade failed against the glory of the threads, as they wove together, into invincibility and adamantine power.
" They wont break that way. Keep away from the needles; for all you know they might turn you into those zombies." Amber warned.
Hazel put her hand forward, and felt a strong force course through her. She repelled the arrays of needles that flew towards her. There was a battle of forces . Her mental might against the fairy's magic.
Good against evil.
Magic against mundane.
Power against faith.
A point came, when she felt nothing. It just radiated out of her, leaving a warm tingling sensation on her skin. She was only a channel, a passage for immense power; her body, a void to fill.
Perhaps there were gasps , but she did not hear them.
Perhaps, this was the end, but this was also the beginning.
Perhaps, this was ephemeral, yet momentarily eternal.
****
The room was filled with sudden light. And she was where it came from.
Hazel Smith was glowing like fire. Except not exactly like fire. Her glow was peaceful and warm, like sunlight on a winter afternoon.
There was so much power, that Cindy feared that Hazel might burst any moment. So much light, that it hurt to look.
The needles shattered and fell onto the floor. The threads struggled not to bend to her will. They changed their course and wriggled towards the old fairy. They bound her in her very own magic.
The fairy wailed as the strings spun around her, taking her in their serpentine embrace.
"Give us the mirror, if you value your life." Ced said.
The fairy sneered at him.
" I'm going to die because you will never believe what I have to say." she said.
" Try us." he said.
" I don't have what you seek." she said.
"Nonsense!"
" You don't have the Mirror?" Cindy asked.
"Pay no heed to her. She is lying." Ced said.
" But she can't." Cindy replied.
" Now don't tell me that these evil people have morals too? Do you think they care for honesty ?" he protested.
" Fairies or faeries don't lie." Amber said.
Ced laughed.
" Doesn't mean we say the truth." Amber added.
" What use would the Mirror be to me ? It is known to weaken the powers of hosts of evil." the fairy said.
" Then Snowflake was wrong and all of this was pointless ?" Ced asked.
Cindy bit her lip, trying to contain her tears. The whole journey, the dangers they had faced, the enemies they had combated and the pain that they had endured... all seemed pointless.
Ced struck at the wicked fairy's heart.
*****
Her hands trembled as she unveiled it . Tendrils of gold and white enveloped her.
As the light of reality shone upon her, Snowflake was compelled to bow down in front of it.
Hazel opened her eyes.
" It is Snowflake." said Hazel, feeling her stomach turn into a hollow pit.
Cindy looked astonished.
" Wait. Isn't she the friend who sent you on this mission ?" Amber asked.
" She is. " said Hazel.
"Gibberish." Ced scoffed.
" Whatever makes you think it's her ?" Cindy snapped.
" I saw her... with the Mirror." Hazel said, "Cindy , I know you trust Snow with your life ..."
"You bet, I do."
Cindy's face was red with anger and tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"It can't be true." Ced said.
"I am not lying, Cedron. I assure you." Hazel said ," I might not love Princess Snowflake as dearly as you do, Cindy, but I wouldn't say anything without cause. I have learnt to trust my intuition. It has helped me, guided me and saved my life ; saved our lives."
Cindy fell down to the floor.
" Why would she?" Ced asked.
" I reckon we'll have to ask her." Cindy said.
" But we wont be able to get to her quick. The journey back will take as much time, if not more. Moreover, there is the risk of us getting caught in Dukeville, now that ..." Hazel paused.
