Amadora knelt beside the body of her great grandmother, the matriarch covered in a blanket to keep her physical body warm while her astral self was gone. As the dark-haired beauty once more held the mirror in her compact up to Gemma's nose to make sure she was breathing, she turned to her younger cousin Gianna, "Is the heat in the apartments up all the way?" she demanded. Gianna nodded, the younger girl was barely thirteen yet looked much older. "Yes, the heat is up, and they're all covered in blankets. Would you like me to ask the others to grab the portable heaters?" Amadora looked thoughtfully at her younger cousin. While the younger girl had yet to be trained in any of the ways of the Strega, Amadora was already very near the end of her apprenticeship, thus Gianna and the others were looking to her to tell them what to do in the absence of the adults of the clan. "Not yet," she finally answered, "Give them another half an hour, then we'll bring the heaters in." As Gianna left, Amadora looked once again down at her great-grandmother, "Be careful," she whispered as she tenderly ran her fingers through the elder's thinning white hair. ------ She felt the air rushing by her, blowing her long yellow locks behind her. She could hear the cries of the druid Nicholas MacAulay behind her, and a feeling much like being in a descending elevator came over her, causing her to gasp sharply. "M... Momma De Luca," she asked nervously, "What's happening?" "Shhh," the matriarch said soothingly as she held the young woman closer, "Everything's okay, we're just descending," she explained. As the bound Yamanba behind them let out a series of loud curses in Japanese, she leaned a bit closer to the reporter's ear, "How are you feeling?" "The nausea's gone," Arine answered, "And I no longer feel quite so weak, but I still can't see anything. Oh, and my head is killing me." "I don't doubt it," the Strega said sympathetically, "You took quite a hit or two to the face it seems. Hold on." Suddenly Arine felt herself falling at a much faster and steeper rate than she had been a few moments earlier. The effect was something akin to riding a roller coaster blindfolded. There was a quick downward movement, followed by a sharp left, then another downward movement before she could feel some sort of leveling off. As the druid continued his groans of pain behind her Arine heard what sounded like a door being flung open, followed strangely by angry growling. Afraid, she was about to ask Momma De Luca what was going on, when she realized they'd stopped. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her neck in a fierce hug. ------ The Shea elf, surrounded by several of the wolves of the pack, waited anxiously for word on the condition of the owl Althor and the fairy 'Athas. In a corner of the room, O'Brian crouched in fear as three of the wolves continued to bark out their threats at him. As she continued to rub her sore side where Donovan had hit her with his shillelagh, the door to her house opened on its own. Two ghostly Strega flying nude upon their broomsticks swept into the room, followed closely by Momma De Luca and her beloved. As the rest of the Strega and their cargo enter the cottage, the door closed and locked itself. Mia stood and rushed over to her, noting the swollen left eye as she did so. She began to weep as she hugged her partner close, closing her eyes as she buried her face in her shoulder. She felt Arine reach up tentatively, touching the side of her face. "M... Mia," the blonde asked, "Mia, is it you?" The elf pulled back a bit to look at her love, "Arine, what's wrong? Can't you see me?" Arine began to shake her head, "No," she answered softly, "I..." "Wait," Gemma said, her voice authoritative as she strode forward. As the elf continued to hold her tenderly Arine felt Momma De Luca's cold astral hand come to rest upon her forehead, "Diana, bella Diana!" she called out, "Che tanto bella e, buona siei, tu mi voglia..." As the Strega continued chanting out Italian, Arine's hair felt like it was standing on end and spots of white and red dots began to dance before her eyes. Soon, the dots and the darkness disappeared, and she saw the familiar pointed ears and earthy beauty of the woman holding her. "Mia," she whispered as she leaned forward, their foreheads touching as the blonde returned the elf's embrace. As the two lovers were reunited, one of the Strega walked over to the hearth carrying Maire gingerly in her hands. A wolf quickly strode towards the pair, his ears picking up as he noticed the injured pooka's leg. "What happened?" he asked. "That one there," she explained, pointing at the bound Yamanba with her elbow, "She's responsible for hurting the fata." The wolf allowed an angry snarl to escape him as he looked over to the Japanese witch. He then looked back to the Strega and the injured pooka. "Take her into the library," the wolf ordered, "Armano is already in there tending to two others." "Two others?" Maire asked, forgetting for the moment about her own pain as she focused on who else may have been hurt. "Althor and Athas," the wolf answered, "The Irishman over there did it," he said, pointing with his nose to Donovan O'Brian. "Athas and Althor, no!" the pooka cried out. "Come," the Strega carrying the small shape shifter said as she carried her quickly into the library. Momma De Luca meanwhile had her attention focused on the two weeping women holding onto one another on the floor. She smiled happily at seeing the two lovers reunited. Her smile quickly faded however when she turned to face the three captives. "Well," she began as she placed her hands on her hips and faced O'Brian, the druid and the Yamanba, "What do you three scoundrels have to say for yourself?" Focusing her attention on the Irishman she narrowed her eyes angrily as she came nearer, "Speak," she ordered, "Before I give you the evil eye!" Donovan, already scared out of his wits by talking wolves, was dumbstruck at the ghostly form of the naked woman angrily facing him. "Mary, mother of God..." he whispered as he sank to his knees. Turning away from the now pathetic O'Brian, she now turned her furious gaze upon the young man lying on the ground in a fetal position, teeth clenched in pain as he held his groin. "And you," she scolded, "A druid, one of the priesthood of the old ways, betraying an elf! And for what? How much money did it cost the Irishman to get you to turn traitor to the fey folk whom the druids always walked with and protected? You are below contempt," she spat out venomously. Nicholas MacAulay was in too much pain to answer; he could only groan as he lay before Mamma De Luca's angry stare. Finally, she turned her attention to Yumiko the Yamanba, still bound by the cursed lemon peels. "And you," she began, only to be interrupted by the Japanese witch herself. "Please, don't bother," she said sadly "I already know what you are going to say. Unbind me." "What?" Gemma asked incredulously, "Do you take us for fools?" The Yamanba shook her head dejectedly as she met the matriarch's gaze, "You've won," she answered, "I've been defeated. Release me, I'm no longer a threat to you or them," she said, motioning with her head towards the elf and the reporter still holding one another on the floor. Gemma raised her eyebrow at that. Her ghostly form walked up to the Japanese witch and she looked deep and intently into her bloodshot eyes. Finally, after close to a minute and a half, she broke the silence. "I sense no deception," she said in a low tone. "Very well, but try anything and you'll never leave the elf's cottage." The Yamanba nodded, and the peels fell loose from her. She slowly went over to the two women on the floor. As Arine and Mia looked on, the witch hung her head low and frowned. "It was the two of you who were the targets and intended victims of all this," she began reluctantly, "And it was the two of you, along with your friends and allies, who have put me to shame. I have lost face, and have but one option. Each of you may make one wish, within reason," she quickly added, emphasizing the last two words, "And I must grant them." Mia quickly looked from the witch to her love and back, "Really?" she asked suspiciously, "This isn't some sort of a trick?" The Yamanba shook her head, "No, I swear," she answered, adding "I have no choice. It is a matter of honor." The elf pulled back from Arine and stood up. Walking over to O'Brian, she eyed the cruel man as she made sure to keep the wolves between her and him. "If I call off the wolves," she began, "And allowed you free passage out of here, would you be willing to let me and my beloved live in peace?" Donovan looked from the elf down to the wolves showing their teeth around him, "O... Of course," he answered nervously as he attempted to smile, "I... I've learned me lesson, an' I..." "Bugiardo!" one of the wolves snarled out, "Your lying, you reek of falsehood." "Old woman," Mia said as she turned to face the Yamanba, "I don't know who you are, or how you became involved with this Irish bastard, but if you truly have the power to grant me a wish, erase his memories so that he remembers nothing of Shea elves or stupid blood feuds." "What?" Donovan asked in shock. "That I can do," the Japanese witch answered. Turning away from the elf, she now faced the frightened Irishman. "No!" O'Brian cried out. Turning angrily to Mia, he forgot himself in his anger. "Slut!" he yelled, "Elfin whore! I'll get you for this, I'll..." "No, you won't," the Yamanba said as she raised a bony hand, "Wasueru!" Donovan O'Brian opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly his face took on a vacant expression. His eyes rolled backwards and he collapsed to the floor. The witch turned from the Irishman to Mia. "His memory loss is complete," she said. "When he comes to he won't even remember his name." she then turned to the young blonde with the black eye who had observed all in stunned silence, "And you?" she asked, "What is your wish? Arine thought for a moment. She thought of how much her beloved elf had come to mean to her in a relatively short period of time, of how tender her lover was, how her face lit up when she stroked her behind her cute pointy ears. She then thought of Katie. Of the photo album. Of Mia trying to hide the sadness as she smiled bravely for the camera with her arm around her elderly love. "Any wish?" she finally asked. "within reason, yes." Arine turned to face Mia, "I... I wish to be with Mia always," she answered, her eyes meeting those of her beloved elf, "I wish for the lifespan of an elf." Mia's eyes widened; she didn't know what to say. "Arine..." "Mia, I... I know about Katie," the blonde began hesitantly, "And I know the pain you felt at losing her. And... And I love you and never want you to feel that pain again." As Mia's eyes began to water up once more, Arine turned back to the witch, "Well?" she asked, "Can you do it?" The Yamanba surprised her and everyone else present when her wrinkled and withered old face broke out into a smile. "Very well," the Yamanba said, snapping her fingers as she did so, "Your wish is granted." Arine closed her eyes, waiting for some sort of power or something to run through her. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. "That's it?" she asked almost disappointedly. "It's that easy? No gusts of wind or magic potions or loud thunder?" "Yes, yes, that's it," the Yamanba confirmed. "You'll both be reaching menopause in about four hundred years. Furthermore," she added with a twinkle in her eyes, "When the time does come, you both shall die of natural causes, in each other's arms." The blonde turned to Mia, smiling in spite of her black eye as she once more took her elf in her arms. Gemma walked over to the Yamanba, crossing her arms as she allowed a smirk. "That was rather generous of you," Momma DeLuca said, "All things considered." "Well," the Japanese Witch said with a shrug, "You know, just between us, I never really wanted to be an evil mountain witch in the first place. But you know how it is; you fall in with the wrong crowd and..." "Sure, sure... Say, you ever get up to Little Italy?" "Well I..." before the Yamanba could answer, a loud knocking could be heard at the front door. Arine felt Mia jump and pull away, a look of fear once more showing in her beautiful elf's face. "Mia," she asked quickly, "What's wrong?" The elf didn't answer as the knocking at the door began to grow louder. Mamma De Luca held up her right hand, and soon the Strega and wolves of the De Luca clan were gathered together in a defensive line between the two women and whatever was outside the door. Mia turned and glared angrily at the unconscious form of Donovan. "Fool!" she screamed as the knocking continued to increase in intensity and the hinges of the door rattled, "You bloody fool! You kicked over the salt, didn't you?" With a sinking feeling, Arine remembered the first time she and the elf had met, and how she had watched Mia pour salt onto the front porch. She also remembered why the elf said she did it. "To keep away the banshee..." Arine whispered as a blood curdling scream was heard coming from outside the front door. ------ For Melvina Legault. End Notes: I apologize that this story has taken so long to update. A lot of stuff has been going on in my private life, and it's kind of hard to write a romantic fantasy when your own life's down the shitter. "Diana, bella Diana! Che tanto bella e, buona siei, tu mi voglia..."- "Diana, beautiful Diana! Who art indeed as good as beautiful, I do implore thee aid me... Bugiardo- Liar Wasueru- Forget
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