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starryserenade · 1 year

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Myth and Magic Ch. 3: Warmth

Fic Description: When Tir Na nÓg--the fabled land of the fae--falls to a dark power, the destinies of two young mice are set in motion. As each struggle to make their way in an ever-darkening world, they must learn to trust one another, or risk forever losing that which they hold most dear.

Chapter Description: Magic begins to stir, and icy walls start to crumble.

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AO3

Prologue

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~~~~

It’s coming…

A withered leaf fluttered past Oswald’s nose and he frowned, looking out over the kingdom below. As usual, light beamed in a thousand dazzling colors and fairies pranced about their glow in a dreamlike revelry that never seemed to end. They were blissfully unconcerned with the crystalline flowers that had begun to web with tiny cracks, nor the amber trees whose leaves now curled into a dull brown.

The rabbit narrowed his eyes and mindlessly squeezed the small doll in his hands–a child’s toy, really, with golden thread that had started to unravel and clothing dulled by time and wear. It flopped lazily in his grip, a small tail slipping through his fingers until, startled by a sound behind him, he shoved it in the pocket of his cloak and whirled around.

“What?” he queried gruffly, clearing his throat as he came to face a masked guard. Though the armored fae were tasked with obeying his every command, he did not much care for their presence. Their cold demeanor and piercing stare had a tendency to send chills through his spine, and gave him the inkling they knew more than they were letting on.

The guard lifted his hand and summoned a cloud of magic, then held it steady for the fairy king to see. Oswald snarled, taking the blatant use of enchantments as a direct mockery of his own lack of the skill, but was quickly taken by the images that appeared in the swirling mist. His heart, cold as it was, skipped a beat. Rushing water, flaring nostrils, and pounding hooves, came together in a violent whirl, and Oswald took a faltering step away from the scene, clutching his chest. “What is this?”

This was not news, this was a nightmare. One he saw every time he closed his eyes. “Listen here,” he growled, rushing at the guard. “If she thinks this is funny, then I-”

But the guard narrowed his lightless eyes, and with an unwavering grip, pushed Oswald’s fist away, nodding briskly at the magic which had only continued to shift. The kelpies parted and two figures came into view, fighting desperately to escape the enchanted equines.

There is a shock so great it drives every ounce of breath and warmth from a person. Fairies are not immune to such effects and for a moment, Oswald found he could not breathe. The faint blush of anger from seconds prior drained from him in an instant, and he felt as if his blood had been turned to ice.

“They’re alive…” he breathed, failing to keep from reaching into the mist. It scattered at his touch and he reeled back with a start, acutely aware of the guard’s suspicious glare. “I…” Oswald began, trembling with a multitude of emotion not absent of fear. Then he shook his head, ears bouncing lightly as he regained just enough composure to speak. “Bring them to me,” he ordered, eyes flooding with steely composition once again. “Alive.”

~~~

Water erupted from the lake’s surface as the patch of ice shattered, and Mickey emerged with a frantic gulp of air, sputtering and coughing as he scrambled to escape the frigid pool. Of course, with waterlogged fur and a body sapped of strength, this was not the easiest endeavor. He nearly fell back in, but then there was another splash beside him as the girl leapt from the ice. Had he not been so intently focused on mere survival, he might have marveled at the transformation as her scales melted away, pearlescent tail dissolving into shimmering droplets that came together in a dress of seaweed green.

But he did not see this, which was probably a good thing because he likely would have lost his grip immediately. As it was, he held on just long enough for her to snag his wrist and yank him out, quickly pulling him to the shore which, thankfully, was only steps away from where they’d managed to break free.

She let him down on the rocky shoreline and he collapsed, still gasping for air as his teeth chattered in the cold. But the girl didn’t seem to notice. She stood straight, her cheeks a furious crimson.

“Eejit!” she hissed, her hands balled into fists at her side. “I was trying to save you, and you pull a trick like that?! Or did you want us to become kelpie food!”

Mickey was first so taken by the sound of her voice, entranced by the bell-like ring in every word she spoke, that he nearly forgot to be offended. But then she whipped around to glare at him and his astonishment quickly dissolved. He shook his head, droplets splashing on the stones around him, and glared back. “Well, you’re a siren!” he countered, his face somehow managing to get twice as red as hers. “I thought you were tryin’ to drown me!”

At this, she snorted and lifted her nose to the air. “Do I look like a fairy to you?”

He stared at her blankly then blinked, realizing now that her scaled fin was gone, replaced by legs and a threadlike tail. He glanced at her feet, then back at her face. “Well, not now,” was all he could think of to say, at which she scoffed and plopped herself down on a small boulder.

“Well, I’m not,” she huffed. “I was cursed by one, thank you. So I’m likely to dislike them just as much as you do.”

Mickey was about to argue that he didn’t particularly dislike fairies, but judging by her sudden shift in demeanor, head lowered to her hands in crestfallen frustration, he figured it best not to push the subject any further. But as his wet fur dripped steadily onto the earth and he stared at the girl, he became acutely aware of his own lack of manners. Fairy or not, she had saved his life, and he had not done much more than insult her thus far.

Clearing his throat, he slipped his coat off his shoulders and pretended to turn his attention to wringing out the water from its threads. “I’m, uh…’m sorry,” he mumbled nervously. “Thank you for savin’ me.”

Slowly, she lifted her head and looked at him, then sighed and cracked a small smile. “You’re the first person I’ve seen in ages,” she murmured softly, voice breaking. Then her eyes brightened with the slightest bit of humor. “It’d have been a shame to let you drown. I’m Minnie, by the way.”

“Minnie…” Mickey tested the word on his tongue, and grinned. “I’m Mickey! Pleased t’meet’cha.”

Minnie giggled and met his gaze, and Mickey felt his fur rising under her stare. The way her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, not in suspicion but in confusion, made him feel like she was searching for something but wasn’t sure what. Then a cold breeze interrupted the moment, and they both shuddered. He was surprised to see her wince and wrap her arms about herself, having figured the cold was of no consequence to her. But she stood and sniffed, the light in her face dimming once again. “I…I should go.” She flicked her tail and cast a melancholy glance towards the lake, where the hole in the ice was already beginning to freeze over again. “I can’t spend much time out of the water in this cold.”

But Mickey had stood at the first sight of her chill, and tapped her lightly as she took a step to walk away. When she turned, he grinned shyly and held up the now-damp coat he’d managed to wring out just enough. “Would this help?”

It was a pitiful attempt at helpfulness–a damp coat in such cold was likely to do more harm than good–but Minnie grinned nonetheless, seemingly flattered by the effort. Mickey could not help his own shivering, however, and he spotted Minnie’s hesitation as she cast a concerned look his way. “Will you be okay?” she asked, fingers brushing past his gift.

“Awe, don’t worry about me,” Mickey shrugged, doing his best to keep his teeth from chattering. “I’ve been through worse, honest.”

Minnie stared at him, and he could tell she was unconvinced. She pursed her lips and opened her mouth to speak, but then a flash of light flickered at the corner of their vision, and they both turned to look.

The island was aglow, and several dark silhouettes emerged from its depths. Mickey squinted his eyes, unable to make out their shapes. “Friends of yours?” he asked, but Minnie seemed frozen beside him. “Minnie?”

Minnie cast a panicked glance at the nearly-frozen gap in the ice, then back at Mickey, and seemed to make up her mind. “We have to go!” she gasped, grabbing him by his cloak as she clambered up the sloping banks. He stumbled after her, dropping the coat and looking behind him as the shapes grew darker then took to the air, enormous wings carrying them into the sky.

“Oh boy…” he muttered under his breath, suddenly a bit more petrified. Those were fairies, no doubt. And if Minnie’s reaction was any indication, they certainly weren’t friendly.

The two climbed over the bank and into the forest itself, stumbling through the knee-deep snow as fast as they could manage. The sound of wings was heavy behind them, and it was not long before several dark shadows passed over the canopy under which they ran. Mickey, who felt his own strength was fading fast, eyed Minnie carefully. She was moving stiffly, wincing with every step. He was about to call out to her, asking if she was all right, when an enormous figure slammed into the snow in front of them.

Minnie screamed and Mickey instinctively jumped in front of her, reaching for his bow. But his hand came up empty, and he realized he must have dropped it during his watery ordeal. So he found himself facing down the creature with as much courage as he could muster and raised his cloak against its dark, inky claws. It made a motion to bring them down upon him and Mickey winced, preparing himself for the blow. But then came the sound of a strange howl and a hellish screech, and when Mickey looked, he found the fairy pinned to the ground by a strange creature. There was no time to make out its features, so Mickey simply thought a prayer of thanks that both monsters were preoccupied and helped Minnie to her feet, knowing full well the other fae would be catching up with them soon.

“How do we stop them?” He shouted to Minnie over the sound of their pounding steps and ragged breaths.

She looked at him, fatigue and pain written across her face. “They…they’re weak to iron,” she gasped, barely able to finish the words. “But I don’t know where we-”

Then it hit Mickey, and he narrowed his eyes, something akin to a plan forming in his head. “I do!” he shouted, spotting a familiar patch of stone and hearing the river coursing to their left. “But we’ve gotta get to the other side of the river! Do you trust me?”

The girl stumbled over herself, and Mickey caught her by her wrist, utter determination shining in his eyes. It must have won her over because, trembling, she murmured a quiet “yes”, and grasped his hand.

The heat that rushed through them gave them a sudden boost of strength as Mickey raced full force towards the edge of the gorge then leapt with all he had for the other side, holding Minnie’s hand tight as she leapt alongside him. With a spark of panic, he drew in a breath, thinking for a moment that they were going to miss their target. But a breeze kicked up beneath them, not unlike the one that had urged Mickey into the forest to begin with, and it granted him just enough height to be able to send Minnie to the upper bank with a decisive push. Mickey himself came up just short, and found himself clinging to the edge of the bank whose surface of snow quickly dissolved beneath his hand.

He gasped, kicking his legs in the hope of reaching a ledge to push himself up, but found nothing. Just as his grip gave way, Minnie darted over the edge and grabbed him by the arm, hoisting him up onto the other side. They both collapsed and panted for air, knowing all the time they could not afford this brief moment of recovery.

Sure enough, just as they stood another fairy landed ahead of them, scarlet eyes glowing in the dappled shadows of the forest. But Mickey spotted what he’d been looking for just behind them, and began to think up just how to reach it.

“Minnie…” he whispered, eyeing the fairy and taking cautious steps along the cliff’s edge as the being began to inch forward. “Do you see that lump of snow just behind them?”

Minnie squinted, then nodded briskly.

“There’s somethin’ over there. I need ya to get it ready while I distract our friend here. Then when I tell ya, throw it his way and run. Got it?”

She looked at him, obviously concerned but faced with little to no other alternative. “Got it…” she murmured, releasing his grip and shuddering. Mickey flashed her a less-than-confident smile, then scooped up a handful of snow and ran at the beast. She gave him a petrified look that he didn’t see but, shaking her head, she quickly recalled his instructions and darted in the opposite direction.

To be honest, Mickey was terrified. The fairy before him was twice his size and if either he or Minnie failed in their tasks, he was sure they’d be done for. But at the very least, he had something to fight for, and that simple fact gave him courage he was not used to possessing.

At first, the fairy seemed divided between the two targets. But Mickey flung a handful of snow its way, and that quickly made up its mind. With a growl, it spread its wings and ran at him with a shadowy spear that formed in its hands. Mickey yelped, just barely leaping out of the way as it stabbed the earth with its weapon. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Minnie with the net in hand, giving him a pointed look to declare she was ready for her part of the plan.

Mickey nodded her way and, taking a nervous breath, slid between the creature’s legs then found his grip on the earth and hollered loudly. “Over here, pal!”

The fairy whipped around, fury in its eyes, and blindly rushed towards the mouse. But Mickey jumped to the side at the last possible moment, leaving Minnie to throw the net at the beast. It let out a screech and for a brief moment, the two mice were certain they’d succeeded. And they would have, only Mickey had not moved far enough. As he leapt out of the way, he found his cloak briefly snagged on the fairy’s clawed hand. His cloak tore, freeing him from the creature’s grasp but putting him in the way of the net’s trajectory.

He shouted in pain as it caught around his leg, and collapsed in the snow, gasping as he tried to free himself. It burned, sending what felt like a shockwave through his entire body. But Minnie rushed over, untangling him from the netting as fast as he could, and helping him to his feet as his mind slowly recovered from the shock. “I’m so sorry!” she breathed, even as they began to stumble away from the writhing fairy who snarled furiously as they made their escape. Mickey did not respond, instead focusing on finding his breath. He did, however, send her a weak smile. This only seemed to worry her more.

A distant screech sounded from behind them and the two looked worriedly over their shoulders. “Just a little more…” Mickey muttered, limping forward. The threshold was in sight–he could see the moors just ahead, the grass still flooded with rain.

Minnie nodded but let out a shaky breath that made Mickey turn. Just as he did, she took a step and collapsed, body shivering violently.

“Minnie!” Mickey shouted, immediately falling to his knees and gathering her to himself. She was ice cold, a blue-ish hue upon her cheeks. “Hold on!” he urged her, using every ounce of his strength to lift her then racing for the edge of the forest, gritting his teeth against the pain in his wounded leg. Wings pounded behind him but he ignored them. There was no time to face the creature now. He only hoped it could not cross over the border to chase after them.

A cold breath blew against Mickey’s neck as a screech sounded in his ears. The fairy was just behind him. But it was too late. One more step, and Mickey had crossed the threshold. The forest vanished behind him, dissolving in a shimmer, and the sound of the fairy’s cries was taken up in the wind.

He collapsed, adrenaline dissipating into a flurry of trembling as he turned his attention to the girl in his arms, whom he gingerly placed on the grass.

“No, no…” he pleaded as her breaths grew faint. Terrified to touch her any more for fear of worsening her pain, he pulled the cloak from around his body and set it over her, hoping it would do something, anything to keep her warm.

A frostlike film had begun to coat her fur as if turning her to ice, and he recalled her words from before. Guilt struck his heart when he realized that she had abandoned the safety of the lake to help save him. He thought to turn back around, facing wicked fairies and all just to return her, but the forest refused to appear again, no matter how he begged for it to do so.

Then a thought flickered in his mind. How their touch had held such a warmth that it seemed almost like magic, and he wondered if that might be enough.

It was unlikely, to be sure, but he didn’t know what else to do. So he simply gathered her in his arms, tore the glove from his fingers, and held her hands in his.

Nothing. He shuddered at the cold as her icy fingers brushed his palm, but brought them to his cheek in the hopes of sharing as much warmth as he could, listening with a trembling spirit as her breathing slowed, then stopped.

He bit his lip as her chest stopped moving, waiting and hoping for a miracle. But after several seconds went by, he lowered his head and sat unmoving, staring blankly at the place where the forest had been. Until the silence set in, he had not realized how much joy the sound of her voice had brought him in the brief time he'd been privileged to hear it. The utter quiet that flooded back into his world was deafening, and seemed a terrible reminder of his failure. “I’m so sorry,” he whimpered at last, bringing her hand to his heart.

Then he felt it. A brief tremor of warmth amidst the stark chill that had overtaken her body. It began in her palm, a subtle glow that spread as Mickey continued to hold her. Hope fluttered in his chest as color began to return to her cheeks, and then spread to the rest of her.

But it didn’t stop there. The world itself seemed intent on celebrating. In that moment, the clouds parted to allow streams of sunlight through, and the air warmed until this small patch of moors was itself a beacon of spring.

Mickey paid none of this any mind, instead struggling to contain his joy as the girl in his arms drew a breath and opened her eyes. She seemed confused at first, and he felt at once quite embarrassed at the closeness to which he held her. But this did not seem to matter to Minnie who, blinking in the newfound rays of sun shining only for them, was overcome with wonder.

“Mickey…”She breathed and looked up at him with eyes full of gratitude and curiosity. Then she laughed softly and squeezed his palm back, a single question gracing her lips as they both felt the heat of their touch flood their veins. “What are we?”

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