Athene
"Pa, why do you have to wear that old pocket watch around your neck?"
Pa only smiled at me as I took it from his neck. The breeze was warm on my face as I ran towards a field of sunflowers and raised the pocket watch. It was just like the old times where Pa and I used to visit a nearby sunflower field long before it was burned along with the old house on the hill. The tiny white gems around it twinkled in the bright afternoon sun. I held on to my straw hat real tight when the wind howled all of the sudden.
"You know that you're dreaming, right?"
Pa's face slowly melted away along with the landscape around me. The cloaked man was sitting in the same dilapidated stairs that I once saw in a dream. He wasn't hiding his face this time and when he stood up I only frowned because he's taller than I thought. The white tattoo on his arm made my stomach churn like I've seen it before.
"Fairy, any news you wanted to share with me?"
The breeze gently lifted his hair from his face which revealed a boyish grin.
"Why would I even report to you?"
He tilted his head gently and sighed. He slowly walked on the heap of rocks and broken tiles.
"Are you insane?!" I shouted as I ran towards him.
The jerk he has the nerve to walk in barefoot, exposing his vulnerable feet on those pointed rocks and broken glass. He stopped until I reached him and punched him in the stomach. He laughed as he slowly rubbed the spot where I punched him.
"That tickles please don't do that again,"
I only rolled my eyes but then I realize the awkward thing I did. I moved away from him and pointed in an area where there weren't any cracked tiles or shards of broken glass. He seemed to understand what I was trying to tell him and went ahead of me.
"You're still skeptical if you can trust me, I understand,"
"Why are you here again?"
I asked him when we finally arrived at the area. He sat down on the floor in which I unconsciously imitated.
"I'm always with you. You just don't realize it,"
I raised my brow and began to analyze what he said.
"So, you mean, you are a stalker?"
He raised his brow and pouted. For someone who almost looked like Tarzan, he looked like a ten-year-old on his expression.
"No, that's not what I meant, fairy,"
I raised my hand and slowly pointed at my chest.
"Why are you calling me fairy?"
He smiled that lazy grin and cocked his head.
"What do you want me to call you then? Love,"
I quickly raised my hands and waved rapidly and shook my head.
"No, don't call me that!"
He smiled and picked up something on his side and tossed it in the air.
"I know, calling you that endearment doesn't suit you,"
He quickly caught the shiny thing and disappeared from where he was sitting.
"You know, it's odd don't you think?"
I quickly shove his face away from my ear and moved my face away.
"Please, not on my ear,"
He held my hand and raised it. A smile formed on his face and he let his fingers slipped into mine. That's odd, something stirred within me. I couldn't understand what it is but it's so comfortable.
I stared into his opal eyes and watched it twinkled in the odd red light around us.
"What's the wrong fairy?"
I shook my head and diverted my gaze on the pile of rubble on my side. I didn't pull my hand away from his but I can already feel my cheeks heating up, not from embarrassment because it felt right to hold his hand.
"Who am I?" I asked.
He wrapped his free hand around me and rested his head on top of mine.
"You're confused already. You'll get your answers soon,"
The warmth of his touch comforted me that it made me cry.
"Hmmm, you're crying aren't you?"
I quickly wiped my tears from my eyes and tried my best not to sniff loudly.
"No. I'm not,"
He slowly patted my head and pulled me even closer to his warm body.
"You're not alone, fairy,"
Athene…
"Thig dhachaigh, I'll be waiting,"
His warm touch left its ghostly touch on my skin and when I opened my eyes, Myrtle's ice-blue eyes were staring at me.
"Are you alright, Tinny?"
I slowly shifted my gaze upward and smiled. Looks like I finally untangled the mess I made.
I saw Myrtle smiled at me as she slowly patted my hand gently.
"She's okay darling, you did a great job in saving her from getting stuck in time,"
I raised my brow and slowly heaved myself up from the couch and stared at her ethereal beauty.
"Slowly, you're still experiencing the side effects of your first attempt in magic,"
I waved my hand slowly and slowly cupped her face. Myrtle was surprised by my actions and giggled.
"Oh dear, still spell-drunk aren't you?"
She took my hand and gently patted them and smiled like she already sensed my confusion from the start.
"Okay, you're confused about how you saved Lulu from getting stuck in time, right?"
I nodded my head slowly and smiled.
"You really know what I'm thinking,"
Myrtle smiled and gently patted my head.
"Listen well, darling. Lulu wasn't frozen in time because she was within your magic sphere, but this is only applicable on some spells,"
I tried to raise my hand but Myrtle continued to talk about the spell I created.
"The spell you created was one example, what type of spell was it? Only you can find it out,"
Then it hit, did I said something strange back then when I froze time?
"But, there's a possibility that the spell you performed was incomplete,"
I squeezed her hand and tried to talk but nothing came out, I don't know why but my throat was dry, and it kind of hurt.
"I think you need water, wait I'll get some, stay here okay?"
I tried to stand up but then I had to give it up because my body doesn't felt right, I feel like any moment I might fall and break my pinky or my leg.
"Here, oh did you tried to stand up? Don't do it, you're going to strain your body and you'll end up staying in bed forever,"
I was taken aback by what she said which made her giggle. I guess my expression was really funny when I'm scared.
"Drink this,"
She slowly lifted the glass to my lips and made me drink. Relief washed my dry throat and when Myrtle tried to move the glass away from me I accidentally muttered 'Wait'.
"Oh dear, I'm sorry, can you move your hands now?"
I slowly moved my hands and tried flexing my fingers one by one before Myrtle handed me the glass which was already half empty.
"What do you mean? Like what I did to untangle the spell?"
Myrtle nodded and slowly cupped my face.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"No, I'm not,"
She squeezed my hand slowly and her warm smiled assured me that everything will be alright.
"Everything will be alright,"
I squeezed her hand once more and hugged her real tight.
"I want to protect them,"
I felt Myrtle's hand gently stroking my hair and whispered the words that I wanted to hear.
"We'll protect them,"
She lifted my chin slowly and smiled.
"You're not alone in this fight,"
"Yeah,"
I raised my head and stared at Lulu who was leaning on the doorway.
"We're in this together!" she chirped in cheerfully and gave me thumbs up.
"But, it's too risky,"
Neo suddenly came out from nowhere and sat on the nearest chair he could find.
"I already warned her about the dangers, but Lulu is determined to help you in whatever she can offer," He said and proceeded to pour himself a glass of water.
"Well, Tinny? I'm helping whether you like it or not and besides, we'll train together, you in magic while Mr. Bealdor will be teaching me some really nice fight moves,"
I can only smile and worry at the same time, but I know once Lulu makes up her mind, she's not changing it. My friend is so stubborn and determined at the same time.
"I'm sorry if I kept it from you,"
Lulu smiled and began to ruffle my hair gently.
"It's okay Tinny, I understand. If I was in your situation I might do the same thing, maybe? But, it doesn't matter; we got bigger problems to face, Tinny,"
I raised my brow and suddenly remembered what happened at the cliff.
"Oh bummer, I forgot about my car and our groceries,"
Lulu smiled and hurriedly went into the kitchen and immediately went out while carrying a blueberry cheesecake.
"Mr. Neo and I fixed the groceries, and as for your car, it was miraculously fixed after you did a counterspell,"
I'm still confused but I'm somehow happy about how things went smoothly while I was asleep. I guess I need to start taking notes on the spells I'll be casting.