Betwixt
and
Between

A compilation of short stories
by
PHOEBE BELLATRIX LUNA

    There was once a time when time itself wasn't measured and was only recognized as the passing of an event. It was a time when magic roamed freely in the expanse of Existence. Among these mystical powers was the consciousness of Argentum and his twin brother, Aurum. Akin to other magic, the twins bore not a trace of tangibility. They existed, yet no human perception could describe them, for that was how magic existed in its purest form- unconstrained, indestructible and limitless.

    The brothers loved their liberty. They were free to visit different worlds. They would fly circles around the mighty Saturn until all the specks they dragged form wide rings around the yellow planet. Other times, they would hop from star to star from the giant Spica to the bright Regulus and then finally, to the majestic Sun.

    Most of the essence of magic preferred to stay in the Sun, including the twins. Aurum was quite fond of the regal star. He would stay at the Sun just to watch the heavenly bodies dance gracefully in wide elliptical motions as they paid homage to the brilliant star. He was satisfied gazing at the wonders before him.

    Argentum didn't like the Sun as much as his twin did. He was more fascinated with the little things that made up the vast Existence - the cold terrain of Europa, the crimson hues of Mars and the dark material of Charon. However, being a good brother, he patiently stayed with Aurum.

    After several cycles, Argentum was amazed to see that the Sun and the Moon were perfectly aligned with a planet he had known as Earth. The planet was an emerald wonderland splashed with deep blues, but what caught his attention was the tiny flickering specks which dotted its surface, accompanied by a beautiful sound resonating from its depth. Out of curiosity, he went to the Moon to ask where the light and the sound came from.

    "Those lights are made by humans," the Moon said. "It is called fire and the thing you heard is called music."

    "Fire and music? I'd like to see that!" exclaimed Argentum. However, when he saw the Moon's fading glow, his enthusiasm faltered.

    "Humans are fragile beings, young one. Unfortunately, the mere presence of pure magic will send them beyond the reach of Existence," the Moon replied.

    Argentum couldn't understand. The Moon shared its magical light to Earth. His beams were softly reaching out to the humans, yet they remain unharmed.

    "But you are a consciousness of magic, like us. How can your magic touch them?" he asked.

    The Moon gave a waning glow and said, "It's because like the Sun and the Earth, we are no longer as pure as the essence that we used to be. We gave up part of our magic to obtain something that only the living beings have - life. The moment we came to life, our magic lost it liberty. We became confined to the fate of the vessel we chose."

    Argentum couldn't understand why the Moon, the Sun and the Earth chose to forsake their immortality. Frustrated, he went back to the Sun where his twin brother was still watching the dance of the heavenly bodies.

    Aurum wasn't happy when he learned of his brothers fascination over the humans. He warned Argentum not to meddle with the affairs of the mortals. He said it wasnt their business. Unwillingly, Argentum heeded Aurum's wish.

    Regardless of the promise he made, Argentum frequently visited the Moon. From there, he could see how the humans interacted with each other. He saw how they kindled fire and how they produced those beautiful sound using instruments.

    What amazed him more was that the Earth's magic nurtured and sustained each living soul. The humans couldn't see it, but a consciousness of magic like him could see each tendril of mystical power crawling from the core of the Earth to all the living things dwelling on the surface.

    Several cycles passed and the Earth drastically changed as the humans progressed. Cave dwellings turned into small wooden tents. From mere gatherers, the humans taught themselves how to hunt. Unfortunately, the humans also learned how to slash and burn trees in exchange for more farmland. The humans took pride in this new practice. It helped them feed more mouths. Unbeknownst to them, each parcel of lot that burned damaged the Earth's vessel and with its deterioration was the loss of a great portion of her magic.

    Argentum saw how the Earth tried to warn the humans against this practice. She shook the ground and opened its crust to let her molten wrath flow. The Moon aided the Earth by pulling on massive amount of waters and sent it beyond riverbeds and seashores. The Sun joined as well and struck his deadliest rays which dried the soil and turned the lively green savannahs into a lifeless plain of sand and dunes.

    However, the humans took no notice of their calls and still continued with their destructive ways. In a last act of self-preservation, the Earth withheld all its powers and pulled back all the magic on the surface and hid it inside the core.

    The trees began to wither and vegetation became very scarce. The ground lost its warmth and the glacial peaks of the mountain extended its arms and everything that it touched froze in an instant.

    Many perished in the Earth's cold vengeance. Earth was awash with a deadly silence. Argentum felt that an eternity has passed since he last heard the wail of a newborn babe, the soft whispers of a couple, or the elderly's ode to the stars. He'd even gladly hear the lament of a weeping soul. Yet the humans withdrew themselves in a state of silent hopelessness. One by one, they drew their last breath as their kind fell to the verge of extinction.

    It pained Argentum to witness the end of me4ns existence. He had seen the errors in their ways but he has also witnessed the wonders of their music, art and language. He admired their craftsmanship and their ability to adapt and change.

    "Change," Argentum muttered to himself. "Humans are still capable of changing."

    With that thought in mind, Argentum decided to plead with the Earth for another chance. He even asked the Moon and the Sun to help him save the human race.

    "I have given them the gift of fire," said the Sun to Argentum. "Now, look what use they turned my magic into. Let them suffer from their mistakes."

    Even his brother didn't believe that the humans are worth saving and so, he also refused to help him.

    All alone, he knew that only magic could save the human beings. If only his magic could touch them, maybe he could save them. Realization dawned on him and he knew what he had to do.

    With one last glance at his twin brother, he started his descent from the state of high consciousness. He felt himself being compressed and torn apart at the same time. Magic was concentrating within him, yet some of it fought its way out of him. There was a blinding flash and then he was no longer imperceptible. He was given the gift of life.

    He ascended from the heavens in a ray of a pure white light and he shone upon the remaining life on Earth. With his magic, he rekindled the flames of hope within their hearts. The Sun and the Moon watched in surprise as Argentum blessed them with his magic and helped sustain their lives.

    He felt the gentle breeze of the Earth calling out to him, asking him why he sacrificed his immortality for the ungrateful, errant beings.

    "I'm doing this for them and for you," he replied. "I can guide them to the righteous path. Humans are capable of changing. They will learn from their mistakes. I will help them see what is right."

    The Earth kept quiet. After a half cycle of the Moon, Argentum felt the warmth of magic seeping its way back to the surface.

    "Prove they're worthy," the Earth whispered through the wind.

    Happiness couldn't even define the overwhelming feeling that Argentum felt. He has saved humankind from oblivion.

    He kept his promise and guided the humans on how to properly treat Earth. He would come to them in the form of a fair young man with hair as white as fresh snow. He taught them how to nurture the Earth. Argentum also used his magic to heal their disease and ailments. As a result, the humans loved him. They sang praises venerating his name which spread all around the world and even up to the skies.

    Eventually, the music reached Aurum. He was still gravely disappointed that his brother chose to fell from grace for the sake of human beings. He was his twin and yet he left him.

    Argentum's popularity grew. Even the celestial beings praised him when they saw how the Earth grew rich and abundant with his guidance. Aurum couldn't see why Argentum's magic deserved more admiration. They were twins with similar magic. How could Argentum's magic be better than his? The resentment that Aurum felt towards his brother intensified. He grew jealous of him.

    Out of spite, Aurum decided to follow his brother's descent. Like his brother, he fell to the Earth in a ray of light. However, his light wasnt white. Tainted by his jealousy, his magic turned yellow. He looked at his reflection on the lake and saw his brother looking back at him - only that he bore long yellow locks.

    He went to the patron city of Argentum. Many temples were built in his twin's name which made Aurum grew more jealous. He turned away vowing that he'll be greater than his twin. As he walked away, he noticed that the rocks strewn across the city was melded with a lustrous white metal. Those were traces of his brother's magic. That's when Aurum realized how foolish his brother was.

    Several cycles passed and Argentum has changed along with the seasons. He had forgotten that he was no longer limitless. He had given his magic to anyone who asked for it. Sooner than he expected, the depletion of his magic took its toll on him and his young façade aged with the passing of time.

    On the contrary, Aurum remained as beautiful as the day he came to Earth. Unlike his brother, he gave his magic sparingly. He only chose those of royal blood to wield his magic.

    Magic became a commodity amongst humans. They used it to heal illnesses or to enhance their craft. Argentum's white magic which he gave generously, became an affordable commodity. Aurum's frugally shared yellow magic became a luxury. Aurum thrived in the thought that the people prized his magic more than his brother's. He was finally better than Argentum at something.

    Beyond the one-sided rivalry on magic's Earthly value, dark and dangerous deeds unfold. Greed took over the men's heart. Using their magic, weapons were built. War broke out and people killed each other for power, territory and riches. Once again, the humans have brought destruction upon themselves.

    The Earth became more damaged than the last time. The rivers turned as dark as tar and the streets stench of human waste. Mountains were dug as they searched for the tangible remains of magic considered as riches. The Earth was wounded beyond magical healing.

    From a distance, Aurum watched his twin wallow in despair. He had always kept an eye on his brother, though he never mingled with his affair. He never understood his brothers fascination with humans. He had interacted with royalties several times but he had never really understood the beauty behind these creatures. They always seem to forget the sins they did and uncannily destroy themselves with it.

    Strong gusts of wind blew Argentum's thinning hair yet he remained kneeling at the edge of the crystalline lake. Once again, he asked to give the humans another chance.

    "They have to pay," the Earth hissed furiously at Argentum. From where he hid, Aurum silently agreed.

    The Earth decided to give the humans a taste of their own medicine. She gathered all man-made substances that damaged her and combined it into a poison as fatal as death. She placed a fleck of it in one of the little creatures who are always lurking around humans.

    The rats were everywhere, even though the humans dont see them. They never noticed them until they saw a small nibble on a loaf of bread or a hole on an expensive shoe. What the humans discerned was the unusual changes in their body. For some, it started with heavy sneezing. Though in most cases, it was a swollen armpit that always caught their attention. Then, their body would burn so hot that it would render them completely bed-ridden. The swollen areas would turn as black as coal, the insignia of their impending demise. Blood and foul-smelling pus oozed from the crusted wounds. Then their bodies would fail and their lives slipped away, oblivious that the tiny creatures they ignored brought this to them. Many lives were lost as the Earth's reapers, the harbingers of the Black Death, purged the errant race of men.

    Aurum watched the bewildered humans scrambling to find the source of the strange ailment affecting them. They burned hundreds of their kind whom they accused of witchcraft. They never realized that they brought the curse upon themselves. The Earth only gave back the poisons they used to destroy her.

    Contrary to Aurum's apathy, Argentum unconditionally loved the humans. With the remaining magic on his frail vessel, he went from town with a mission to preserve the lives of human beings. People hardly recognized him as the fair man with brilliant white magic. He was no longer young. His hair was as filthy as ash and his skin was lackluster and tainted with dark patches - not the kind brought by the plague, but a tarnish smeared by men's evil use of his magic.

When Argentum tried to reach out to them, they turned away in disgust. They eluded him but that didn't stop him. Whenever he had a chance, he would sneak into their homes and protect them from the grasps of the deadly little reapers. He managed to protect several towns from the recurring wave of the lethal plague, until the day came when he arrived on a huge city reeking with decay.

    He couldn't fathom how many corpses lay on the streets. If it weren't for the tall structures, he would have thought that the place was a pit for cadavers. He went around the city to offer his help but he was quickly shunned before he could even say a word. He went on doing this for days. It wasn't long before the people started to notice how a weak, old man like him seemed unaffected by the plague that struck their city.

    Argentum was resting beneath a dead apple tree when a stone hit his left cheek. He turned around and a shower of rocks fell on him.

    "Warlock!" the people shouted.

    They swung their staves against his body. They threatened him with torches and pitchforks. Argentum tried to reason out with them but they didn't listen to his pleas. Before he knew it, his hands were bound and he found himself tied on a stake.

    Despite the jealousy and resentment that Aurum felt towards his twin brother, he always looked out for him. Even though he denied it, he still cared for him. So when the humans tied Argentum for his execution, Aurum was filled with rage.

    He came down upon them, his eyes burning like the Sun. He gave neither warning nor admonishment. He wouldn't reason with people who didnt want to listen and so he walked in the great city in a fiery rage, scorching all that came in his path. That day, the people built a pit to burn Argentum, but Aurum turned the entire city into a furnace.

    The petty humans ran in panic as they tried to save whatever valuables they have. They left Argentum to burn at the stake. No one noticed a fair man resembling the accused warlock, proceeding to the stake unscathed. He freed the feeble old man from the stake and caught him just before he fell to the ground. There was a flash of light and they were gone.

    When Argentum opened his eyes, he was no longer in the city. The wind blew and several leaves caressed his body enticingly.

    "Join me," it said. He looked around and saw Aurum with a small smile on his face.

    "The Earth is calling out to us. Shall we join her?" his brother asked. Argentum only smiled in response.

    Many lives perished in the Great Fire. Nobody really found out where the fire came from. They didn't even realize that fire purged the city of the infected people, along with the pestilent rats. Soon, the plague stopped spreading. No one tried to find out what happened to the old man whom they tried to execute. He was merely dismissed as one of the fire's victims.

    Since then, no one saw Argentum or Aurum. The twin's magic, which was then a commodity, became a myth of children's tale.

    Traces of the twin's magic still lingered on the surface of the Earth, some hidden beneath. Some said that the twins retreated to Earth's core, beyond the reach of the abusive humans. Some said that their magic transformed. Aurum's shiny yellow magic, which was scantily given, turned into a rare precious metal known as Gold. Argentum's lustrous white magic, which he gave generously, took the form of the lesser valued metal known as Silver. Nowadays, whenever miners find gold, silver was always present - proof that the brothers were together once again.

Beyond the sea and further across the shores, tales were told and songs were sung of the many wonders of the seven seas. There were stories of cursed pirates and coveted treasures, of mighty sailors and great horned whales, and more too often, of whispered tales of beautiful creatures with the body of a human and a fish's tail.

All of these you knew by heart. The stories held more truth than what the humans thought; some were facts known by many, others were tales passed on from tongue to tongue. Men believed them, yet they still thought of merfolks as myth of the waters. They were wrong, merfolks were as real and true and as certain as the sky is blue. The proof of their existence was you.

They, however, were right when they said your beauty was beyond compare. You were indeed a fair creature; skin as pale as the moon, eyes as blue as the deepest sea. Your silver tail glistened like moonlight, adorned by eight oysters – a symbol of royalty. Only your enchanting voice rivaled your beauty, a fact common to all merfolks.

Of the many things you treasured the most, it was your voice. Merfolks were creatures of magic and your magic was in your voice. Songs of merfolks were compelling, driving anyone who heard the music to do its bidding.

That was how merfolks used their magic. They sing their songs and men would be lured from ships and into the depths of the ocean, their bodies lying there forever.

You never understood why your father, the king, wanted to take the lives of the men. He said it was payment for something precious that mankind took from him. Your grandmother said it was useless. Once a man dies, their immortal soul rises up to the clouds and resides in the Castle in the Air, the kingdom of the Great One.

You've always wanted to live in the clouds. Unfortunately, merforlks do not have a soul, only humans possess it. Because of that, you grew more fascinated of humans and the land beyond.

"The surface and the lands beyond are a dangerous place for a mermaid to be. There is nothing but pain up there, my little seaflower. Nothing but pain," your father often told you.

However, his words only made you more curious of the world above. Restricted by your age and your father's warning, you could only gaze beneath the ocean, wondering if the rippling image of the stars in the sky were indeed as brilliant as the pearls in the ocean floor like your sisters told you.

So on the day of your coming of age, it brought you joy to finally break the glassy surface and see the world beyond the sea for the first time.

The first thing you sighted was a huge wooden vessel with large white drapes - a ship, as you perfectly recalled its name. You were excited to see humans closely, so you swam towards it. Suddenly, two booming noises resounded in the air, frightening you, but the sky burst into thousands of pretty, little lights, replacing your fear with wonder and delight.

You wanted to see more and decided to look through a dimly lit, open window so you could see what's inside. But alas, the water was calm. You opened your mouth and the music flowed, cajoling the waves to rise high and low. The water did as you bid, lifting you to the cabin window.

It was a dreadful sight inside. People were huddled together, whispering, their faces obscured by the hood of their cloaks. Your nose wrinkled at the stench that hung inside.

"We have fired the signal. My friends will come to aid him," a man spoke in the common-tongue.

"They must. He is last of their line. We must find him refuge," whispered another.

Naturally curious, you eavesdropped on their conversation. You learned that the people on the ship were running away from a nation who wanted them persecuted. You felt sorry for them. They were driven away from their homes by their own kin, left to drift in the ocean. It only proved the truthfulness of your father's words. If men hurt their kin, then the land is indeed a terrible place to be.

Softly, you whispered a song to the wind, guiding it inside the cabin, cleansing its stench with the briny wind of the western seas, providing comfort for the weary passengers of the ship. However, the wind blew too hard and knocked a passenger's hood away from his face, revealing the most handsome creature that you had ever laid your eyes on.

Entranced by the striking young man, you failed to notice that one of them had seen you. So when you saw him coming towards you, you immediately hid in the waters, cloaked in the shadow of the ship.

You watched from underwater, waiting for the man to go away so you could sneak back and watch the lad that caught your heart. However, the man stuck out his cloaked head from the window and looked below, catching sight of your tail. You saw him smile at you, his gray eyes glinting. He held out his hand for you to take but you didn't move, afraid of what he might do to you. He gestured his empty hand, and out of thin air he procured a beautiful blue flower. You gasped at his display. He was a man of magic – a witch!

Your father had warned you of witches so you remained concealed. When the witch left, he dropped the flower to where you were hiding. You didn't take the flower and waited before you could catch one last glimpse of the beautiful lad.

The witch wasn't at the cabin when you peeked again, but the lad was still there. He was solemnly sitting with his back against the crates. You wished he would smile so you could see how his face would light up in glee, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts.

With one last glance, you swam away, back to the depths of the sea. You didn't want to look back, too afraid that if you did, you'd never want to return to your home. But fate was too cruel. You heard the booming sounds once again and instinctively, you looked up to the sky. A frown marred your face when you didn't see the falling lights. Then, you heard their voices. The cries and pleas almost drowned by the unceasing blasts made you look back and to your horror, the ship was attacked.

A ship decorated with black sails, had fired huge iron balls to the other. The damage was irreparable. The ship capsized. Only a few managed to grab a boat to save themselves from drowning.

Still, many of the people fell like stones thrown in the sea, pulled by the currents towards the dark abyss of the world below. You watched how the light left their eyes, never to see the world beyond the sea once more.

"Save my people."

The cry startled you. You saw a lad clinging on a wooden plank, unnoticed by the other boats swiftly leaving the wreckage. It was the handsome lad you saw earlier. Nobody heard him but you. You saw how his grip slacked and he sank into the sea.

For a moment, you were too happy gazing at his face for he smiled at you and called you an 'angel'. You didn't know what it was but it must've been good because his face was at peace.

You opened your mouth to sing, to bring him along with all the other men further into the pelagic kingdom where you reside. It was your duty to do so.

But then your heart ached when you realized that you will never see him smile again. So you took the lad in your arms and carried him all the way to the surface. You swam further till you reached the shores. There, you laid him down.

There was towering structure nearby and you assumed that humans dwell in that place. You needed them to see the lad so that they can restore him to health.

You touched his dark brows and traced his tanned face with your fingertips. His shallow breathing worried you, fearing he might not survive the day. You sang him a song that you've never sang before. It was a song of hope, the music of life.

"Live," you whispered to him.

The sound of sand crunching prompted you to hide behind a rock and watch as several women emerged from the structure. They approached the lad and saw that he was alive.

You were ready to say goodbye, knowing he was already safe but then an older woman came and you were petrified on the spot.

She had long blonde hair and eyes of Pacific blue. She was a spitting image of yourself, only older and that she had two feet instead of a tail.

"You really looked like her."

It was your father. He was looking at the woman with a longing you had seen so many times. "Your mother once had a silver tail like you. But they took it away. They took her away."

Your father told you never to return to the shore again but you didn't listen. Ever since you found your mother, you spent almost every other day waiting for her. You never told your sisters about her because your father made you swear not to.

All those years, you thought she had vanished as seafoam, like all merfolks do. But she was well and there were so many things you wanted to ask her. Most of all, you wanted to know how she got her feet, your thoughts straying to a certain lad with dark eyes and tanned skin.

One night, she went to the shore. She sat by the rocks and started singing. You knew that song. It was the song your father sings to you before you sleep. Before you knew it, you joined her song.

"Hush, little seaflowerHush and hear my pleaYou are one with the water, a maiden of the sea"

There were tears in your eyes and you saw it in the eyes looking back at you.

"Mother," you whispered.

"My little seaflower."

She wrapped you in her arms and you did the same. All night, you told each other of stories about your lives. She told you how she was captured by men to be sold as an object of curiosity. She tried using her magic to escape but it has no power beyond the sea.

"But how did you get legs instead of tail?" you asked.

"Love and magic," a man replied. You didn't notice him coming to the shore. The moon shone on his face, revealing piercing gray eyes and in his hand, he held a blue flower.

"You?"

"It is I." He offered you the flower which you ignored.

"You knew each other?" your mother asked.

"Yes. He's the witch in the sea!" you exclaimed.

"Some call us that. But I prefer to be called a Man of Letters," he said. He saw how confused you looked so he explained, "Your magic is in your voice, whereas mine is in my writings."

You had never understood what letters and writings were, but there was only one thing in your mind that you wanted to know.

"Can you give me legs in place of my tail?"

"Yes."

"Can you give me a soul?"

"Only when the person you loved, gave you his heart will you only earn a soul."

That was the answer you needed. Your mother tried to dissuade you, telling you that once you're human, you can never return to your father and be a maiden of the sea. She told you how painful it was to walk on legs but your mind was set. You wanted to be with your mother, to have an immortal soul and lastly, you wanted be with the lad you fell in love with.

The witch watched you with sorrow in his eyes. Trying to break your resolve, he said the lad was a Prince and was already betrothed to someone else. You paid no heed to his words believing that you can win the Prince's heart. Your heart knew what it wants and it wasn't something that the sea could give.

"Be warned, fair seaflower. When the sun fades on the third day and the Prince doesn't give you his heart, your life will be taken and nothing will be left of you but sea foam and bubbles."

And so the witch, or Man of Letters, as he liked to be called, used his scribbling and writing to write his spell. Beneath the starry skies, he chanted the spell and your mother witnessed how you forsook your magic in exchange for a pair of legs.

Your mother persuaded the witch, as he was her friend, to bring you to the Prince. She didn't want you to perish. She wanted you to live and earn the love that you deserved, like how she earned hers.

The witch did as your mother bid. He brought you immediately to the palace where the Prince was kept safe by a kingdom who offered him refuge.

It only took one look and the Prince became so enamored with your beauty. Though you have lost your music, your grace remained. You moved like the water, fluid and graceful. You danced for your Prince even if it felt like walking on sea urchins. If only you could talk and sing, you knew you'd have his heart. But you tried your best and by the second the day he didn't want to leave your side.

The last day came but by call of duty, the Prince was reminded that he has to wed the Princess of the kingdom who offered him safety. Moments before the Princess came, he spoke to you.

"Listen my quiet coryphée, if I was given a choice you knew whom I'll choose my bride to be. But alas, my people had suffered, my kingdom taken from me. I needed this alliance to set my people free. If following my heart meant abandoning my claim, then you must understand, my duties come first for lives are at stake in this game."

You wanted to tell him that there might be another way but you found yourself at lost for words. Even if you can speak, how can you take him away from people who needed him as much as you do?

The Prince vowed his heart for the Princess and never once he looked at you. You went to the shores to run away from the pain, your heart bleeding more than your bare toes.

The witch found you there, sitting alone as you silently wept.

"You knew you cannot have his heart, but I can give you mine," he said. "If you'll have me, I will love no other for the rest of my life."

You smiled sadly at him and shook your head. Looking in your eyes, he understood what you meant. You cannot truly love him and taking his heart would be cruel. He would only end up hurt and you would only be miserable.

He smiled at you and kissed your forehead. "You have a kind heart and the Great One will always remember it."

The witch didn't want you to go with your last memories wallowing in despair, so he whispered a promise in your ear, a vow you hold dear. Then, he called to the sea and from its waves you saw your sisters and your father. They sang their songs to you and you danced on your feet. It hurt you too much but you didn't mind. You waltzed with the waves and glided in the breeze.

They stayed with you and watched the sun descending from the skies. When the last light of day fainted, only the foam and bubbles remained of your demise.

You didn't get the person you love but you were happy nonetheless.

You became foam and bubbles when you died, but then you rose to the air and was welcomed by hundreds of beautiful winged creatures.

"We are often called angels, but we are Daughters of the Air. You are one with us now, so don't despair."

You found you had your voice back and so you asked, "How could I become one of you when I was Maiden of the Sea? Surely, we can only dwell in the waters. The sky was beyond our reach."

"Don't be silly, fair one. When water is heavy, in the sea it remains. But when you are light enough as foam and bubbles, you will rise with wind and skies is yours to claim," they replied. "One day, when we had done enough good to the world, we will rise to the Castle in the Air where kind souls live eternally.

You smiled at them. Your heart was filled with glee. The waters had given you comfort, the land fed your wonder, but the air gave you freedom and it was more than you could ever ask for.

In the skies, you watched the witch below. He laid down a blue flower for the sea to take. A smile played in your lips when he kept the promise he made.

"I cannot give you an eternal soul but I promise you this, the world will remember your beauty and your heart. As a Man of Letter, my words will speak of your tale and though it might not be as eternal as the soul you desired, every child will know you, immortalized in my craft and art."

You sent the wind making the blue petals fly to the skies.

"Thank you, Hans," you whispered, grateful of the witch who remained by your side.