Part 32: Chapter 25A: True Love- just like my *~fanfictions~*!

Chapter 25A: True Love- just like my *~fanfictions~*!



Oh no One of the things I don't like about Mary's default personality is that she's kind of passive sometimes. True, things always turn out right in the end (because, well, she's a Mary Sue ), but it still grates a little. Time for *~fixfictions~*

I shake my head- what am I thinking?! True, Damien did promise not to harm me- but only for that day. And today is not that day. No, today is another day which-

All right, all right, cool down Mary Jojo. This should be relatively simple to disenchant, a little Dispel Magic spell could work- but then it occurs to me: why would I want to? If Damien thinks he's got a little trick up his sleeve with this ring, then it's just time for me to pull out an ace from my own.

That said, sealing in a Communication or Farspeak spell might be a little too obvious, and if Damien has something planned, I don't want him reading my mind into the bargain. Instead, I decide to cast Tap the Flow instead; it's usually used to help top off one's mana reserves in a pinch. Problem is, a pinch of magic is all it gives.

Which is, for me, the entire point. An altered Tap the Flow spell, made to draw power from the ring and dissipate it, should be slight enough to convince Damien that things are working as intended (at least at first glance) while draining it enough that any enchantments on it would cease to affect me by the dance. Assuming he's coming anyway, and not trying to trap me with this ring or something.

But as I cast the spells I need, I can't help but wonder if this what our relationship is going to be like. Eternal mistrust, endless jockeying for position, always having to sleep with one eye open- bad enough that this might be the case, but what's more worrying is that... I'm actually looking forward to it. Don't get me wrong, it'd be nice if we could live together in a nice picket-fenced house with our 2.5 kids (the last one is part-demon), but I can't really bring myself to mind a little extra suspense.

Bah, that can wait. Time to finish my Tap the Flow spell, Seal and Enchant it in.



Virginia and Ellen come in a few hours later, and with some very nice dresses- including one for me.

“Because looking like a hipster is nowhere near appropriate for a school dance,” Virginia says, hands on her hips. “Seriously, a hoodie jacket and jeans? That's what you're wearing?”

“It's comfortable!” I protest, seeing the... thing they got me.

Ellen shakes her head. “Virginia's got a point, Mary- honestly, I think you'd look good in the dress!”

I wasn't going to give up without a fight, though. “Well, uh,” I say. “How do you know it's even my size?”

“Well, you're about Virginia's size-” Ellen begins.

“Ouch,” I interrupt, my hand on my waist. “Ouch!” I wince, my hand on my ribs.

“-and so I thought I'd get you something while we were there. I mean, I had to spend the money Virginia's been paying me for something.”

“That's right, Mary,” Virginia grins. “It's a gift from both of us- you won't want us going to the dance all sad, do you?” she pouts with puppy dog eyes. That would have been bad enough, but when freaking Ellen does it too?

“Oh, all right,” I say, putting the dress on and looking in the mirror. It's hideous!



Hideous! But... it makes my friends happy, and I suppose I could bear with it, just for one night.

You automatically get the dress here, actually. Indeed, you can't progress the plot unless you put it on, which is a bit of a bummer if you spent all your cash on accessories.

The next day is spent preparing for the dance. Tomorrow morning, our parents will all come by to pick us up and bring us home. I wonder how my parents will react? What would I tell them? Would they even ask? And how am I going to explain my new dress?

I catch myself in thought, and sigh ruefully- this has perhaps been the most momentous year of my life (it certainly has been the most exciting), and I still can't help but be concerned with such immediate things. I wonder- was Merlin ever concerned with washing his robes? Did Circe ever want to sleep in?

Oh well, questions for another time, I guess. In any case, I finish up my preparations, and wait for the evening, when we all head to the gym in our finery- though by the looks of it, I'm part of the partnerless minority.



The Queen of May stands on stage- I think her name's Corrinna, a senior from Snake Hall- in a long, white dress, with a wreath of flowers and silver stars. All of us, whether singly or in couples (or even threes and fours), proceed across the floor and bow before her as she welcomes us to her court, before standing to the side and waiting for everyone else to do so. It's a nice way for everyone to be seen in their finery, and I idly wonder whether all of this stuff's store-bought like mine, or whether some are enchanted.

The very last girl to walk up the aisle is a junior I don't recognize, whose hair is both blond and pink at the same time (seriously, it's playing havoc with my eyes, the way it seems to shift). Instead of simply curtseying, she kneels in front of Corrinna, who places the crown on her head. That is when everyone applauds, and the music strikes up!



Seriously, there aren't a lot of people more deserving of a little happiness than Ellen. Heck, even more than me- all my mistakes were self-inflicted. I wonder if they're seriously into each other, or if they're just there for each others' company. It's a lovely dance- everything is sparkling, even the refreshments, there is love and magic in the air (and sometimes, I'm hard pressed to tell which is which)... it's all so wonderful.

And truth be told, I wish I had someone to share it with. Even if that someone's a demon who tried to steal my soul. Say what you like about Damien, but he's nice to look at.



I take a seat and look up at the stars, and I wonder if all my preparations were all for nothing. Maybe Damien didn't come- maybe he just left me the ring as a gift. I look at it again; it does look quite pretty, something you'd expect as a parting-

“Mary?”

I turn... and find someone I somewhat-completely expected there.



“You've certainly got me,” I grin. “What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but there are supposed to be wards, you know,” I say.

“Well, for the hand of a beautiful lady, I would brave any danger,” he says, as he bows deeply, and I giggle.

“Flatterer,” I laugh, and pull him up. “And honestly, I think I can live if my gentleman needs to have his secrets.”

“Two things, Mary,” Damien smiles as he stands. “First off, I do not flatter you- 'flattery' would imply a degree of untruth,” he says, and I laugh again, but I'm cut a little short when I see how serious he becomes. “And secondly... I promised that there will be a point where I will not hold secrets from you. How I got here- well, that would be one of those secrets.”



I raise an eyebrow. “Seriously? That's it? Tch, that's anticlimactic,” I sigh theatrically. “There go my fantasies of you snaking through magical lasers like some superspy.”

“Wall damn,” Damien laughs. “If I'd known you were into catsuits, I'd have brought one anyway. I do hope you find my current getup to your tastes, though.”

“Oh, I do,” I smile, and pull him against my body, placing my arm around his back as he places his around mine. The scent of smoke and spice fills the air, making my head spin. All of a sudden, he lowers his face to my neck placing his lips to my skin- and bites down, hard.

“You promised not to hurt me if I came to you,” I say to him.

“I promised not to hurt you that day,” he whispers into my ear.

“Hm, so you did,” I say, and he pulls away.

“You're not afraid, my little wildseed,” he says, evidently impressed.

I shake my head. “Not at all,” I tell him. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“Looks and brains,” he laughs. “You're right to not be afraid, though.”



“The latter more than the former,” he adds. “And that too, I do promise.”

“Y-you promised something else,” I say, trying to fight the heat spreading through my cheeks. And failing. Badly. Hoo boy, am I ever failing.

“But of course!” Damien says grandly. “I beg your pardon, my lady- please, may I have this dance?”

I nod, and we dance slowly in the school park, our eyes closed. We seemed to dance forever and a day, just the two of us in our own little world, under the stars, the grass rustling underneath our feet, with nothing but the sounds of our breaths mingling with faraway music to accompany us.

All good things must come to an end however, and eventually, I felt Damien pull away from me. “I'm sorry, Mary,” he said with genuine regret. “But I must go, before anyone sees me.”

“When will I see you again?” I ask, the words escaping my mouth before my brain had time to catch up.

“I don't know,” Damien shrugged. “I do vow that I will write you over the summer; I have a lot to work out back home.”

“I understand,” I say. “Goodbye, Damien- and thanks for coming.”

“And farewell to you too, Mary,” Damien says, before adding “For now,” with a wink and a grin. I feel Blue magic around us, and a small pop of imploding air accompanies Damien's disappearance. Once again, I am left alone.

But not for long. Only moments after Damien's left, someone else emerges from the shadows.



“And by the looks of it, all he was hiding, at least for now,” I say bemusedly. “Do you think he knew you were there?”

“Mary, dear,” Potsdam replies. “I'm sure you've noticed by now that your boyfriend has a tendency to think he's too clever by half. Power leads to corruption and confidence- both of which can be easily exploited.”

“I'll keep that in mind, Professor,” I say, as we both walk back to the dance. “I do wonder why you didn't attack him when he bit me though- I could have been in danger.”

Potsdam laughs. “Oh, Mary,” she says. “I may not look like it now, but I was quite the heartbreaker in my youth- and Damien looked like he was well and truly into you.”

“Not if I can help it,” I quip, and Potsdam erupt into uproarious laughter.

“Oh, I can see why he likes you,” she grins. “Besides, had I attacked him, I doubt I would have learned as much about him as I did.”

“About him- and me?” I ask quietly. As I expected, Potsdam gives me a look of approval.

“Perhaps,” she smiles airily. “Wheels within wheels, Mary, such is true of both wizardly and mortal life, though I do admit the latter has fewer fireballs. And you... I believe you've got enough grit to ensure that make those wheels squeak, where they'll be greased- or replaced.”

“I'll take that as a compliment, if you don't mind,” I respond, and Potsdam laughs again.

“Oh, you'll do fine in your new life, Mary,” she says. “Just fine indeed. Though, you may want to do something about that mark on your neck before your parents see it.”

My hand flies to my neck. “Green magic?”

“Green magic,” she nods. “Have a good night, dear,” she says, and walks off into the night. I have to admit, I doubt I'd ever understand her- and I also admit that I don't really mind that. And as I walk off into the night, I find myself grinning smugly. I got the guy, got the dance- what more could a girl ask for?

I look up into the sky, and my mind wanders again, now that the school year has come to an end. Me, Virginia, Ellen, and the rest- we were freshmen no longer.



There's a lot of magic out there, and I can't wait to discover it all.