Eponine went to the stables and got Bishop out, and rode far away from the castle, crying as she went. There was no way anything could be the same with her friend, and everything was ruined.
Finally, Bishop stopped, nearly throwing Eponine off. She looked up, wiping her eyes. There was a glowing blue path in front of them. "The Wisps. They're back," she whispered breathlessly, hopping off of Bishop and following them.
She followed them all the way to a tiny cottage in the middle of the woods. She knocked on the door, and it opened. Inside, there was an older woman with crazy dark hair carving away at some wood.
The woman looked up. "Oh, look around, holler if you see anything you--ah, Eponine!"
Eponine's eyes widened. It was her mother, Madame Thenardier! "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at the castle, raising me and Azelma and Gavroche? They don't even know who you are!"
"I had to go my own path, dear. Trust me, the kingdom would be in ruin if I ever did anything about it."
"Why did the Wisps bring me here?" Eponine wondered, then she noticed the broom was on the other side of the room from Madame, and it was sweeping on its own. "Your broom!"
Madame snapped, and the broom fell to the floor, lifeless. "I am now a whittler of wood, as you can see. Don't touch that stuffed bird, Javert means very much to me," she added as Eponine reached out to touch a crow sitting on the counter.
The crow sprang to life, and started singing quietly, looking out the window dramatically, "Stars, in their multitudes... " Eponine screamed, then the bird jumped, squawking loudly. Madame snapped her fingers again, and the broom on the floor came back to life and knocked Javert out, sweeping him into a corner.
"You're a witch now?" Eponine said in amazement. "That's why the Wisps brought me here? You can change my fate, right?"
"Wrong, too many unsatisfied customers," Madame snapped. "Now, if you're not going to buy anything, get out!"
"I'm your daughter!" Eponine shouted, "Look, I'll buy everything, if you give me one spell."
"Wait, really?" Madame said, suddenly interested. "Are you sure you know what you're getting into here?"
"I want a spell to change my friend," Eponine explained, "That will change my fate."
"Alright, fine," Madame said, dragging Eponine outside, snapping, then returning inside to find that the whole room had changed into an evil lair, complete with cross-stitched pillows that read, "Lair, Sweet Lair."
She mixed a few things together, and after an explosion, she reached into the cauldron and pulled out a tart.
"What is this supposed to do?" Eponine asked, looking wary of the pastry.
"It'll do the trick, don't you worry," Madame said, "I did this for a prince once. Tight pants, easy on the eye, fantastic. He wanted the strength of ten men, and he gave me this for payment." She showed Eponine a medallion with crossed axes on it. "He got what he was after, and made off with an especially attractive cheese board."
"Thank you... mother," Eponine said, slowly, looking at the little tart that was being wrapped up.
"Expect the rest of your delivery in a fortnight," Madame said, then frowned. "What was it about that spell...?"
"Huh?" Eponine turned around, but the cottage had disappeared. "Well, time to try this out."
YOU ARE READING
Brave: A Les Mis AU
FanfictionAfter being abandoned by her mother at a very young age, Eponine Thenardier and her siblings were taken in by Jean Valjean, who ruled her kingdom until she became of age. Her friendship with Valjean's daughter, Cosette, is put to the test when her f...
