• True Memorial

    Aishling stared out at the desert, a sense of uncertainty and curiosity fogging her brain as she failed to take her math notes. 'Is there really a sea of sand leading to the end of the world out there?' she asked herself, her teacher blabbing about variables.
    "Aishling, when you add 10 to each side, you have 2X = 20. What should you do to solve the problem?"
    'Hmm...Ms. Knoll's a history teacher, maybe she can help me...'
    THWACK!!
    A piece of chalk fell upon Aishling's desk as a small spike of pain erupted on her forehead. She rubbed it, mumbling to herself as her classmates roared with laughter.
    "Maybe you'll pay attention next time! Now, anyone else know the answer?"
    Aishling sighed, returning to her thoughts. 'At least History's next...'

    "Ms. Knoll! What do you know about the village barrier?" she asked as soon as she walked into the small, brightly-lit room.
    "We're actually having a lesson about it today, Aishling. Ask all the questions you want, dear."
    With a satisfied smile, she took her seat front and center, anxiously awaiting the day's lesson.
    "Good morning, class. Today I am going to lecture you on the magical barrier around our village, the greatest historical landmark we have." She motioned to a piece of chalk, which rose into the air and positioned itself against the chalkboards in a ready writing pose. "Now, this is our village. Around it is this giant dome that protects us. That's the barrier," The chalk drew as she spoke. "That's the barrier. Beyond that barrier is the Aether Desert, which leads to the end of the world. Sneaky, invisible demons lurk in that desert. They're not visible to our eyes, and they're resistant to our magic."
    "Ms. Knoll! How do we know there are demons even out there when they're invisible?" asked Aishling, raising her hand and almost jumping in her seat. Ms. Knoll smiled.
    "Our ancestors fled from them long ago. They were looking to create their own village, but were hunted by these demons. Only a handful of people survived. Stranded, they made camp in the middle of this desert, bringing forth water from deep in the earth, and making our land fertile with the Natural magic of one of the survivors. You're most closely related to her, aren't you, Aishling?"
    Young Aishling smiled, pulling her verdant green bangs away from her peridot eyes and pulling a wilting dandelion from behind her ear. She held it in her hand and closed her eyes. A faint green glow highlighted the weed. Suddenly, it grew! More buds sprouted from the stem, blooming beautifully. The wilting weed awoke and stretched it's petals gloriously. Pleased, Aishling put the rejuvenated flower back behind her ear.
    Sitting in the corner, watching the scene with growing bitterness was a girl with short, fiery hair and brilliant orange eyes. She couldn't stand Aishling and her academically inclined goody-two-shoes attitude. Though she missed the sleepovers they used to have the previous year, when they were friends, she wanted nothing more than to beat her out this year on the school's Top Ten students list. Last year she had missed it by one point. One point!! Aishling had beat her and placed 10th on the list, making her 11th. This year she had decided to shun her away, for she was the enemy.
    “Now, class,” continued the teacher, “This barrier is made from the most powerful magic in our universe. It can not be broken unless the town council decides to bring it down. Only they are powerful enough to break it. It has been around for 400 years, and will remain for generations to come. I hope you took good notes, because I am going to quiz you in this information tomorrow."
    The class whined, Aishling giggling with glee. She put her materials away and readied for lunch.
    "Tara, do you believe in the demons outside the village?" she asked as she sat at a small table in the cafeteria. Tara nodded her head, pigtails bouncing perkily.
    "Of course! I remember my parents always told me that if I didn't clean my room, the demons would snatch me away!" she giggled. Aishling frowned, contemplating.
    "No...no, I don't believe in the demons. I mean, we've never seen them before. And wouldn't they try breaking through the barrier or something? And if they're resistant to our magic, how could the barrier repel them? There's too many controversies..."
    Tara took a bite of her roll, chewing slowly. "You know what I think?" she asked.
    "What do you think?"
    "I think...you're kinda crazy."
    They giggled together, unaware another classmate had been listening in. It was the same girl who scowled at Aishling in class earlier that morning.
    'This is my chance! Maybe I can finally show her up!' she thought.
    "I agree. You are crazy." accused the fiery haired girl. Aishling looked up, disdain spreading across her face. "What do you want, Endellion?" she asked cautiously. Endellion closed her eyes, holding out her hand. Before Tara or Aishling could react, Endellion threw a small flame upon Aishling's dandelion, watching gleefully as she jumped started smacking herself in the head to snuff the flame. The lunch monitors quickly approached, pulling Aishling back before she could lunge upon the cackling girl.
    "Weeds like you should be burned!" she howled as the lunchroom began to fill with laughter and snide jeers. They were pulled out, and the bantering children were quieted after a few threats of detention.

    After her horrifying day at school, and rather quiet dinner with her parents, Aishling sat upon her windowsill stroking the petals of a white lily. The full moon cast a beam of luminescence upon her, her body glowing eerily in the night. She asked the flower, "Am I really so crazy?" Placing it gently beside her she muttered, "I must be if I'm talking to a flower." Movement out of the corner of her eye made her start. Turning, adrenaline suddenly pulsing, she nearly placed her face upon the pane whilst trying to find the object of her vision. Within seconds she found it, "it" being a boy standing outside the barrier! Aishling threw on her clothes, grabbing her backpack on instinct and running out her back door, careful not to make a sound.
    She raced down the village street, a blur in the alleys, and made her way to the edge of the barrier. Sure enough, he was there, and he was quite surprised to see her. Awe dawned upon his features as she neared, almost perfectly still in the night.
    "Who are you? What are you doing here?! Are you a demon?" she asked him with an edge of authority. He turned his head to the side, then motioned to her that he couldn't hear her. She looked around for something, anything, that she could communicate with.
    "Ah-ha! I know!" With a triumphant smile, she pulled a pen and paper out of her backpack. She wrote her questions down on the paper. Pressing it to the barrier's cold surface, she watched as he examined it, seemingly entertained. He pressed his hand upon his chest, then made funny-looking horns with his fingers, then shook his head.
    Writing as she spoke aloud, she asked, "So you're not a demon...if not, then what are you?"
    He motioned for her to wait, then turned and faded from her sight. Aishling waited anxiously for his return, sneezing as a chilly night breeze upturned the frills of her dress. He returned quite promptly with a notebook and pen. He scribbled upon the paper, which he placed against the barrier for her.
    "'I'm not a demon, I'm just Darach, a farmer boy.' Aww, what a cute little picture!"
    She squealed with delight at the cute, miniature version of him plowing the fields. She tried to draw a picture of her going to school, but scribbled it when she failed and asked him, "I'm Aishling! I'm in fourth grade, and I like History class! What's your favorite subject at school?"
    He narrowed his dark eyes, then scribbled upon his book, "Aren't you a little old for school?" Raising an eyebrow, she wrote, "Too old? After you're 18, you usually go on to an even higher school," and pressed it upon the pane. He yelled, as far as she could tell, and began muttering as he scribbled, "WHAT?! We're only schooled from ages five to eight!! I'm nine and a half! I'll be an adult soon!"
    Aishling rubbed her temples as she read, then moved closer to the wall and sat down.
    "How do you learn all your magic, then? You're parents?"
    "Magic?! What?! I don't know any magic!"
    "No magic...? How...what?"
    "I've had dreams about magic, but I never new it was real. Could you show me?"
    She picked a wildflower from the ground nearby, showing it to the boy. He watched with wonder as it was enveloped with a green light, then began growing rapidly, multiple buds and leaves twisting and blooming around it. He clapped and punched his fist in the air, seemingly overjoyed. For the next two hours they wrote notes together, asking about magic and farming, until they had to go their separate ways and traipse off to bed.

    Aishling was bursting with excitement as she sat down for lunch the next day.
    "Tara, Tara! Guess what I did last night?!" she asked. When Tara said that she didn't know, Aishling delved into her story.
    "And his name's Darach, and he's a farmer, and he doesn't know magic! Can you believe it?! And, and...!" she continued for a full 5 minutes, seemingly without breathing. Tara held her hands up to stop Aishling's yammering.
    "Wait, wait, wait! You expect me to believe that he farms without being born with the Nature element, that he uses 'tools,' and that he's never used magic before?!" she excalimed.
    Aishling nodded her head, taking the chance to breathe. Tara sighed, shaking her head.
    "I don't know if I believe you...I'm sorry."
    “Tara, you know I don't lie! It's the truth.”
    Tara shook her head, telling her it was one wild dream.
    “But it wasn't a dream. It really wasn't!” she exclaimed. Trying to quiet her down, Tara pulled he close and whispered, “Ssh. It's okay. Maybe you're sick. Maybe Endellion's right, and you really are crazy. I think you should talk to a doctor.”
    Aishling jumped to her feet, her fists curled in orbs of fury. Endellion, who had began watching intently, was now walking up behind Aishling, determined to shut her up.
    "You have to believe me! I'm not sick, and I'm not crazy! It's all true! I saw him! I saw the boy outside that barrier!!!" she screamed. Tara's eyes widened with disbelief. Before the lunch monitors could make it over, Endellion kicked Aishling's legs out from under her, then dumped the remnants of her lunch upon her head. As they were dragged out of the lunchroom two days in a row, Endellion made a rude gesture at Aishling, calling over the lunchroom uproar, "You're crazy! Absolutely out of your mind! Just get the hell away from here and never come back, you stupid little b***h!"
    Aishling pulled a half-eaten apple core out of her hair and threw it at her, grinning as it bounced off her forehead. After being dragged through the halls the girls found themselves in the principal's office, where they were seated before the stern man. He leaned over his desk, examining the children.
    "Fighting in the lunchroom again, eh? Tell me...why shouldn't I send you home for a week on suspension?"
    As a smile spread across Endellion's lips, Aishling gasped in fright.
    "If Miss Aishling would stop daydreaming and talking about silly nonsense like it's real, I wouldn't have to defend our school's honor and the charity that even allowed such an ill mind into this lovely establishment." Endellion articulated with ease. The principal ate it up.
    "You know you can not take matters into your own hands, Miss Endellion, but I do appreciate the gesture. Miss Aishling? What say you?"
    Aishling glared at Endellion momentarily before answering, "I was not spouting nonsense, and I am perfectly healthy! I do not know ehat Miss Endellion's problem is. I simply know there is one." Aishling noticed that the smile didn't fade.
    "Why, I have no problem with you! Do you think I would randomly tease my fellow classmates, Uncle?" she asked the principal. Aishling refrained from groaning. 'I forgot, little Princess Endellion never gets in trouble because her uncle is the principal...and I think her father's on the committee or something...I'm doomed...' she thought with agony.
    "Miss Endellion, you are not allowed to speak with me so familiarly whilst at school, but no, you would never do something like that. Aishling, for lying and starting a fight in the lunchroom two days in a row, you will be serving lunch detention for a month."
    Aishling sighed and hung her head in defeat. "Yes sir." The girls were ushered back to class.

    That night Aishling pulled her notebook out of her bag, laying it on her bed in front of her as she opened it, reading the contents inside. 'I'm not crazy. It's all right here. I really did see that boy. And speak to him. I wish someone believed me...' Feeling alone without him, she began to draw him over and over again. For the next month, after finishing her lunches in the detention hall, she'd draw. Soon she stopped paying attention in class, focusing all her energy on her works. Soon, she began drawing everything. Trees, birds, flowers, even the classroom full of students. Her grades faltered, ruining her relationship with her parents. Tara stopped speaking to her, afraid to be picked on by the other school children. She felt like she really was going insane, talking to her inanimate plants, throwing pillows and stuffed animals in wild bouts of fury when a picture didn't look quite right...she was indeed a mess, as was her bedroom, plants crawling beautifully up the walls, yet shadowed by the mounds of clothes and papers flooding the floors beneath. She finished her final lunch detention, which actually came to her as a shock.
    "Wait...I have to go back to the lunchroom?" she asked the detention monitor.
    "Yes, dear. You've did your time. Now go have fun, I have papers to grade."
    Aishling was surprised when she realized how much she had begun to enjoy her solitude in detention. She dragged her feet to the cafeteria with her lunch pail, heart sinking when she saw Tara sitting with Endellion. She sat at her old empty table, annoyed with the bantering children around her. For some strange reason, they left her alone. Nobody spoke to her, nor she them.

    The day blew by quickly, Aishling's nose close to her paper as she tried a new sketching technique in every class. Without realizing how she even got there, she was in her bedroom tending to her plants. 'Weird...the days just keep getting shorter and shorter...' she thought as she perched upon her windowsill. The chilly night air radiated through the pane. Exhaling upon the glass, she watched as another canvas for her artwork spread across the window. She drew a cat with her finger in the condensation, wishing she could bring it to life. Little by little, the clouds in the sky began to break away and disappear. Tiny beams of light began to filter through, until a pool of radiance spread across the sleepy village. In awe of the beauty, she almost didn't see the rough looking little boy on the other side of the barrier.
    "Darach!"
    Within minutes she was dressed and rushing towards the barrier. His face lit up when he saw her.
    "Aishling! It's you!" he scrawled messily. She pulled out her supplies and replied, "Umm, yeah, write a little neater, please. I can barely read that!"
    She gave him a smile as he peered up at her.
    "I can't believe it's you! Oh, I missed you so much!!" he scribbled.
    "And I you. How are you?"
    He smiled, his gaze falling searchingly upon her face. "I'm not bad. Still working the fields and preparing for winter. You?"
    Aishling sighed. "You're my only friend now. I tried to tell my best friend at school about you, but she didn't believe me. And now everyone thinks I'm crazy..."
    As Darach placed his notebook against the barrier, he also placed his hand against it, reaching out to her. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone...I wish I could have been there..." Aishling walked forward and lowered herself to her knees, pressing both of her hands against his. She stops to write briefly, "Me, too."
    After an awkward silence, Darach asked, "When you met me, you thought I was a demon. Why?"
    "400 years ago, our ancestors were travelers looking to settle down. When they were attacked by demons they stayed here, put up a barrier, and settled in. And then our village was born."
    Darach gave her a strange look, a cross between amusement and pity.
    "No...you're wrong. That's not why this barrier is here. And there's certainly no demons here. Well, I guess there IS one..."
    Aishling turned her head to the side. "Why's the barrier here, then, if you're such a Smarty-MCSmart Pants?" The boy stopped and thought for a moment, then wrote for a long time, flipping page after page. When he was done, he pressed the first page against the barrier.
    "405 years ago, our king died. His son took to the throne. He was a wonderful ruler. He built schools, academies, colleges, all for the sake of magic, blacksmithing, even some small farming schools. I hear he was wonderful. He fell in love with a woman at one of the larger magic academies. She was strikingly beautiful, and had an open heart. A mere 2 months later, they were wed. For a time, they were very happy. 5 years later it was announced that she was pregnant. The kingdom rejoiced. Then, tragedy struck. Five months after the Queen was announced pregnant, she fell very ill. Radiant witches were at her side at all times. Within a week she was bedridden, wasting away. Not even white magic could keep her intact. In days, she was gone. He begged and begged the Radiant witches to bring her back to life. In tears they told him that they just could not do it, that the laws of their magic didn't allow it. Unsatisfied, he went to the Shadow witches. They told him that, for a small fee, they could indeed bring her back to life. When he asked why in the world they needed money, they said that the metals would be burned in order to draw her spirit back to our realm. Their fee was anything but small. He gave them more than half of the kingdom's treasury. Of course, they had lied, and did not need the money to cast the spell. Though they did bring her back to life, as they had promised...unfortunately, you can not bring back someone's soul. Yes, her body was in tact. Even the baby was growing inside her. But she was soulless, a zombie. In fear, he struck her down himself. He was enraged with the Witches, and began a mass genocide. Your ancestors were the only survivors. He could not bring himself to completely destroy the race, seeing as how he, his wife and child were Witches. He banished them to the outskirts of town and cast a powerful barrier upon them. No one may get in. No one may get out. It is a warning to all of his power. And any who dares go near the barrier will be arrested and executed."
    When he told her he wasn't allowed near the barrier, she pounded on the impenetrable wall and shouted, though he couldn't hear her, "Then flee! Go now, while you can! Get out of here!"
    He stared at her, startled. He wrote a single word across his notebook, "What?" Aishling sighed, scrawling quickly, "GO HOME!!!"
    "I'll be fine. I'm getting sleepy, anyways. I hope I'll see you again next month." he wrote. She glared at him disbelievingly, shaking her head. She wrote, "You better not get in trouble...but I will wait for you. See you next month."
    Darach waved goodbye before turning and fading away.

    The next morning, Aishling told her parents about everything she had learned that night whilst they ate their breakfast. Naturally, her parents believed her to be dreaming. She quickly gave up, refusing to be grounded over something that stupid, and returned to school.

    Over the next few months Darach and Aishling continued to meet on those fated full moons. Inevitably, their friendship grew. They celebrated the holidays. Darach discovered a new flower and named it after her. Aishling wrote poems and drew pictures about him. They were becoming closer and closer, until one day, their little world was shattered.

    “Your hand...I want to touch it...”
    As Darach showed Aishling his words, he placed his palm against the wall. She followed suit, gazing into his eyes for a time.
    “Have you any friends?” she finally asked. Taken aback, he nodded.
    “Sure. The family across the field has a son about my age. I see him every so- DID YOU HEAR THAT?!”
    Darach searched behind himself frantically. Before Aishling could finish writing “I hear no noise.” a large forearm emerged seemingly from space itself, wrapped around Darach's neck and spirited him away. Stunned, she stared into the desert, her mind simply not computing the night's events. Then thoughts began trickle through her head as she recited them aloud.
    “Maybe his friend from across the field is joking with him. Or he has an older brother who caught him out after curfew.”
    The dam of thoughts broke.
    “Exiled...no, they were...and no one is allowed near the barrier...lest they...NO! No, no!!”
    Aishling turned and ran home, pounding upon her parents' bedroom door within minutes.
    “Now, now, you had a nightmare, Aish. Go back to bed, darling.” soothed her mother, but she wasn't having it.
    “I don't have time for this nonsense! We have to go, now! I need your help! I need you!” she pleaded, turning from her mother to her father. He shook his head.
    “If you won't help me, then I'll just have to go to the town council!”
    She marched out the door despite the pleas of her parents, and took off into town.
    “Good heavens! Miss Aishling, what brings you to our doorstep at 3 in the morning?” asked the Head Councilman.
    “My friend Darach has been kidnapped, and the King is going to execute him!”
    The councilman blinked. “Excuse me?”
    She took a deep breath, then explained everything she could in as little time as possible. Before she'd finished, the councilman was shaking in laughter.
    “Sweets, you have an overactive imagination. Tell your dear mum to warm you up some milk and tuck you in, okay?”
    She glared at him, totally dumbfounded by his ignorance. She nodded, then added as she walked away, “I will just have to break that barrier myself...”

    THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.
    “Honey, please, let's go to bed. I'll sing a lullaby, I'll stay with you, I promise! Please, just please! Stop this delusional nonsense!” cried her mother.
    “It's not nonsense.” she muttered. Her father stepped forward.
    “How long are you going to keep this up?”
    She ignored him, continuing to punch at the resilient glass.
    “Aishling! Answer me!” he demanded. She turned on him, and in a louder tone yelled “Until this barrier breaks!”

    Before long, the sun began to rise, and with it came Aishling's curious and concerned neighbors. They asked the usual questions.
    “What is she doing? Why is she punching the barrier? Has she gone insane? Why aren't you making my breakfast, woman?!”
    Over the course of two hours, the whole village had finally gathered to watch.
    “That barrier is never going to break, you little urchin, so just call it a day and go home.” scoffed a woman with long, raging scarlet hair. A youngster peered from around her leg.
    “Let's go home, Endellion,” she said to the child, turning to walk away. Aishling stopped her busywork, her bruised, bleeding knuckles feeling the burn of defeat. Endellion sauntered up to her, pulled a lock of green hair away from Aishling's ear and whispered, “I'll book a room for you in the funny farm.”
    “ENOUGH!!”
    CRASH!! With one last punch, Aishling shattered the barrier. The desert disappeared as the barrier was reduced to a fine glitter that rained upon the villagers.

    They found themselves on the outskirts of a worn, beaten town. The houses were graying and falling apart. Aishling tore into the town at high speed, leaving the townspeople to gawk at the broken windows and missing roof tiles. The streets were far too quiet, and were entirely empty. A castle loomed over the other side of the buildings. As she neared she could hear voices.
    “Kill him! Hang him! He's cursed us all!”
    “No! I beg you, spare my child!”
    Silence drenched the voices as a powerful presence loomed over them.
    “The law states that no one shall go near the Cage of the Exiled. If you are found guilty of such a crime, execution is your fate.”
    Aishling turned a corner and found herself in the castle's courtyard. A crowd filled the courtyard to the brim, and a raised platform towards the fountains held everyone's attention. A dark haired boy in tattered rags was led onto a stool as a noose was fit around his neck. The man that led him was clad in black armor.
    “Please, my dearest King, please! Spare Darach! Spare my baby!” screamed the woman again. Blood raced through Aishling's veins as the crowd cheered.
    “DARACH!!” she screamed, her body and the ground around her lighting like a fire. Vines as wide around as an oak began emerging from the ground, pushing a path through the screaming crowd.
    As she ran towards them, she demanded, “Let him go, King!” As she began to climb onto the platform, the King raised his open palm. Wrought iron chains were magicked from thin air and bound Aishling.
    “Do you see? Do you see what sins you have brought upon us? A Witch!”
    The crowd chimed with “Oooh!” and “Ahh!”
    “More are coming. I can sense it. You have started a war, ignorant boy! A war! For your sins, your punishment is death!”
    Darach turned to Aishling and whispered, “I'm sorry.” as the King kicked the stool out from under him. She screamed and cried as his body went limp. The chains around her slithered like snakes and pulled her to face the King.
    “Now, darling, I will release you if you pledge your allegiance to me. You could be my adoptive daughter, and rule alongside me. Fame, fortune, power...think of all the possibilities...you just have to do one thing. Chase away the other Witches. Tell them you are okay and will be staying here, so that I may seal them all away again in their silly little bubble. Okay?”
    Aishling's reddened eyes peered upward, her anger rising.
    “You are scared...you are afraid of the others. You were powerful enough to seal them away when you were younger, but age has weakened you.” she growled. She could not see the expression on his face through the thick armor, but she imagined a grizzly scowl upon a scarred face. The chains restraining her threw her into the ground and began to tighten, twitching in excitement.
    “I'll tear you limb from limb!” the King exclaimed. When the chains began to tug in opposite directions, Aishling winced and cried as she felt her arms separating from her body.

    “Stop!!”
    A burst of flames crashed into the King, knocking him from the platform and releasing Aishling.
    “Endellion?” she asked, seeing nothing but fiery red hair through her blinding pain. The Blaze witch patted Aishling's head softly and whispering a frightened apology under her breath.
    “Hold on. Tara's here, too.” she told her as she wrapped her arm around Aishling's body. The ground beneath them rumbled and broke, flying away from the rising King. Tara hopped on when they landed.
    “We have to hurry. Our parents and the rest of the villagers are on their way, and their not pleased. I'm sorry we didn't believe you, Aishling...” she told them as they hurtled over the angry crowd of Witches. They followed the rest of the witch children back to the village where they stayed with several Radiant witches.

    Like the King predicted, there was a war shortly after the invasion. The King was overtaken after three days. The village shared their knowledge with the kingdom, creating a new school for neo witches of all ages. The once bland, broken buildings were restored, making the kingdom as beautiful as ever. Aishling, Tara, and Endellion forgave each other, and the girls helped Aishling build a memorial monument and garden for Darach in the castle's courtyard, which became the new town hall...