A Written Destiny ||A Music Freaks Fantasy AU

Chapter Five: The Speckled Wood

Star felt like she had been thrown into the ocean as darkness surrounded her. Though she couldn't see, she could hear a howling wind whirling around her, but it sounded muffled as if she was underwater.

All of the sudden, she was hurled out of the portal and her back hit the earth. Small twigs flew around her. Or was it dirt? She couldn't tell. Everything was spinning around her in dizzy circles. She could feel sharp sticks and pebbles grazing her back and hands.

Something about her felt different, and she sat up, head still spinning. She suddenly realized she was wearing a dull, eggplant coloured traveller's cloak. The notebook was inside one of its pockets, pressing against her left thigh.

But as she blinked slowly, she became more aware of her surroundings. Soon, everything came into focus, and she gave a small gasp of awe. Despite her aching head and sore back, she couldn't help marvel at the sight.

Tall, looming birch trees were everywhere; the black spots looking like speckles of black paint. Hence the name of the forest, the Speckled Wood. Crisp, vivid blue formed a dome over her head, creating a perfect sky. It was clear of clouds and painted a shade of light sapphire that made Star's heart sigh. Shadows threw over the forest floor, and the whole woods smelled of a mixture between pine and fresh springwater.

All of it was exactly how she had described it. So Esme's words were true. The story would come to life and become your destiny...

Become your destiny...

Her heart missed a beat as she remembered what she had written next after she described the woods. She turned to see Laura lying down several feet away. She stirred.

Oh no.

Star scrambled to her feet and tried to run for it, but it was too late. The wind was knocked out of her as someone hit her to the ground. She flipped to face her attacker just as she fell. Laura's hands pinned her shoulders to the earth so she couldn't move.

"Give. Me. The book," she bared her teeth. Like Star, she too was wearing a traveller's cloak, only it was black.

"Never," Star snarled.

"Just give it to me and all of this can be over," said Laura.

"You really just expect me to hand it over without a fight? Amelie only wants it out of her greed and the darkness in her heart -"

"How many times do I have to tell you?"  Laura shouted. "Amelie is not evil! She knows how to fix this damn world and she could at last make a world where all is good and well!"

"I don't believe you," said Star defiantly. Without warning, a sudden yellow light shot out of Laura's hand and Star shrieked. She just managed to roll away in time, and the yellow light missed her by inches.

Without thinking, Star sat up and put out her hand. A bright purple ball of plasma hit Laura square in the chest, and she was thrown back. She just managed to see Laura's shocked face before she stood up quickly. Panic grasped her and she turned on the spot and began to run. However, Laura wasn't giving up without a proper fight.

She struggled to stand, and Star yelped as yet another yellow burst of light flew past her. She turned and aimed a streak of purple at her, and missed terribly. Adrenaline raced through her body, and her legs pumped to move faster. Behind her, Laura sprinted after her. She was surprisingly fast.

"Intervos!"  a shout came from behind Star. She ducked just as another yellow light slashed through the air. The tree behind her burst into millions of pieces.

"JUST GIVE ME THE BOOK!" Laura yelled. 

Star didn't listen to her as she half stumbled, half ran between the birch trees. She almost tripped over a tree root as she flattened her back behind a tall, thick tree. Her breath was coming out in short, ragged gasps. A flash of yellow shot past her right ear.

"Domeur!"  cried Star, looking around the tree and then taking cover again. A small shriek told her she found her mark. She took off again, hoping that her attack would slow Laura down.

How am I supposed to win this stupid fight? I can only hold on to the magic that was given to me based on the context of what I wrote...

A sudden realization dawned on her.

She hadn't finished the story.

That would mean her destiny wouldn't be complete. She'd have nothing to guide her anymore.

What was she going to do? Would the story stop? Would she be taken back to the ordinary world? Was she going to have to figure out everything on her own?

Her mind wandered to what Esme had said earlier.

"Remember, it is YOUR destiny to pick, not the -"

Not the what? What was Esme about to say?

"Occicor!"

Star screamed and covered her head as a white flash slashed through the air. She felt a cut lash across her wrist. A searing pain erupted from that area, but she kept running. Specks of blood whirled around her, trickling down her forearm.

Laura raced after her, and raised her arm to perform another spell, but this time Star was ready.

Bang!

A purple dome surrounded Star for a split moment, which was enough to block Laura's spell. The light bounded back onto her, and she stumbled.

I can't keep doing this forever,  Star thought, panicked. And then it came to her.

She whipped out her pen from her pocket and uncapped the lid. The notebook came out of her cloak and she flipped the pages frantically. Laura staggered to her feet. 

Come on, come on. Write faster, Star! She grit her teeth as she wrote the first line. The blood from her cut wrist seeped through the pages. Every time she wrote a letter was another stab of pain.

"Morius!" Laura shouted.

Star gave a cry of pain as something skimmed the top of her ear, and blood splattered everywhere. Her eyes were watering from the pain, and she could barely see, but she was almost there.

"She... Teleported... away from the fight... to.... Somewhere safe..."  she muttered as she wrote. If she could just write something of her escaping this mess.... She could get away.

Star lifted her pen from the page, and at once, bright, cyan particles whirled around her. They lifted her into the air, and she shrieked and dropped the notebook in surprise.

"NO!" she screamed, trying to retrieve it. Laura reached the foot of the tree and stared up at her as the dust whirled around her faster and faster. Without a word, she bent down, grabbed the book and hurried away.

All at once, everything whipped away, as Star was transported somewhere else.