Chapter Text
Kendra had been downstairs for a midnight snack when it happened.
She’d felt safe at home, it was home after all. The brownies were protected by the yard barrier, their home was too. Everyone should’ve been safe.
But they’d forgotten that the brownies could leave. And they could come back. Fairies too could linger in the yard, the barrier didn’t force them out only keep them out.
So Kendra was downstairs in the kitchen, grabbing some strawberries and cheese for a midnight snack, when she felt a sharp prick on her ankle.
Then another, on her other ankle, and another on her leg, she looked down, swiping at her leg and felt a bite on her hand.
She stumbled, falling and scrambling to knock off the tiny creatures- the brownies that were crawling all over her body.
Shadows joined them in creeping over her form, starting at her feet where the first bites were and slowly creeping, slow and steady from the new bites. She cried as a brownie bit her cheek and slapped at it.
Were the shadows supposed to be visible? Was it because it was transforming her? She hadn’t seen the other shadows!
What was happening?
They seeped into her skin, seeped into her blood and breath and bone. She opened her mouth to scream but she breathed out light and shadows and a galaxy of glittering darkness.
She could see glowing lines on her skin, in her skin. Lines of something else, fuzzy and vague-
She slowly sat up, dazed and confused as the brownies left her and scrambled to work. Taking things apart as quickly as they’d always built them.
Had anyone else been caught?
She rubbed her head, eyes lingering at the string of shadow that slipped through the air, tied to her wrist.
It wasn’t the only string of shadow, she realized. There was one attached to every single brownie. But only one.
Just like her, with just one string.
She shivered, skin burning but insides frozen.
She pushed up, stumbling to her feet as shadows swayed in the corners of her eyes, in the depths of the room, in her chest. The brownies ignored her and continued to work even as she ran her fingers over the strings.
It was like touching mist, if the mist was made of nothing but emotion and darkness.
She looked at her own wrist, eyes narrowing. She tugged on it.
The string was nebulous, shadowy and indistinct. It wasn’t even solid enough to stop her hand from going through it and yet… and yet she could see it move in response to her tug.
She pursed her lips. She didn’t like this string, not at all. What was it?
She looked further over her arm and realized that the glowing light on her skin wasn’t in her skin, it was over it, half sunken into her limbs and body at various points. She shone with crisscrossing winding threads of light, that thickened and became-
Became chains.
Curling over her hands, over her arms and twining across her legs- crisscrossing over her torso and winding around her neck twice before connecting at the top of her head. She’d never seen the before but they covered her.
What were they?
How long had they been there?
Why could she see them now?
She knew, instinctively, in her chest and in her back, that these were not the same thing as the shadowy string. In fact, she suspected the string had opened her eyes.
It allowed her to see, it made her shadows. When she was all light such chains would blend in but now that she was shadows they had a backdrop, they stood out .
She tugged on the glowing chain, unable to hold it yet able to pull it much like the shadowy string. They were alike, in theory, but the chains were far brighter than the string was dark.
She glanced at the string, then the chains.
She got an idea.
OO OO OO OO
The brownies were happy to help her now that she was dark like them. They crawled under the chains on her skin easily, though it was uncomfortable having so many little figures crawling over her skin.
It proved her idea that the shadowy strings could interact with the glowing chains. They even seemed to… cancel out?
Everywhere the strings crossed with the chains they both seemed to weaken, the light dimming and the shadows fading.
The first brownie was freed, still dark and yet no longer tied to… whatever the string tied them too.
She shook her head, like coming out of a daze, and gasped upon seeing Kendra.
She was quick to start directing more brownies to Kendra, directing them to break the chains in a much more effective fashion and started winding around the sections sinking into her skin.
Slowly, freed brownie by freed brownie, the chains began to fade.
A link vanished and cracks seemed to stretch through the chains.
Piece by piece the brownies pulled away the chains, freeing themselves and Kendra side by side. They worked together to wind Kendra’s shadowy string around the chains as well, freeing her from that influence but leaving the darkness within her.
Something beyond them tried to stop them, something tried to manipulate her, she felt something further, dark and angry and bitter-
But it was too late.
The string snapped.
The chains shattered.
Kendra breathed .
The air hummed, her skin shone, her hair swayed in the blaze of light and shadows- she didn’t know what just happened but as she opened her eyes, uncertain when she closed them, she realized she could see like never before.
She’d woken once with new sight, able to see fairies and centaurs and monsters and all manner of creature.
And now? Now she saw magic.
Magic wove through the walls of the house in intricate spirals.
Magic spun through the air in glitz and glimmers.
Magic hummed within and around the brownies.
Magic thumped within the dark threads that still bound countless brownies.
So many were still tied, she didn’t want that. It wasn’t fair that they were tied up and she wasn’t. That other brownies weren’t. They should be free.
Something sparked, bloomed, sang in her chest. Some instinct she’d never had before had her raising her hand, holding it out.
Power bloomed in an aura of beautiful light and dark, weaving around her in a beautiful spell.
Strings snapped, in a surge all at once. It wasn’t audible but it was felt. Shadows released and brownies freed all together.
None were bound by the shadowy ties within the walls of their home.
She breathed, grinning, this was good. This was right . She was free.
She didn’t know who had chained her, she doubt it was the same as who had tied her with thread. But she was chained no longer and none of them, not a single one in her home, were tied to the unfamiliar darkness.
Still dark but free.
And if she could be light and dark at once, surely those who wanted it could be light once more. She’d learn how to fix that too.
None in the yard should be bound either, though.
And so, as she basked in her new freedom, a weight she’d never known of gone, she headed outside. Barefoot and in her pajamas she grinned at the fairies who surged forward and raised her hand once more.
Instinct flared with a thought and she knew what to do, how to guide the aurora around her, within her. Wings fluttered awkwardly in the air and fairies seemed to stumble in flight.
“Hi,” Kendra said. “We’re free now.”
OO OO OO OO
Several days passed for Kendra as she went around freeing as many as she could. She wished her family was with her, but they’d fled once they realized she’d been turned dark.
She tried to explain to them she wasn’t just dark, that she was fine and still herself.
They didn’t believe her and she could understand that, to a degree. She wasn’t sure she would’ve believed herself either.
She still wandered slowly through the forest, freeing anything which came near from the shadow threads.
Fairies flit around her, light and dark alike. They were excited, thriving even. She was glad for it. They’d led her to Warren’s shadow and she’d quickly freed him as well.
Though his thread had been much like her own, weak and faint. It wasn’t like the magical creatures, whose threads were solid shadows.
None of them could stand up to her power though, so she didn’t mind the different too much.
Warren couldn’t talk yet, Kendra wasn’t sure how to free him from the shadows, but she would soon. He seemed happy enough to linger near her.
The pond was just ahead, and she was pleased to find it. She wasn’t sure if she could enter or not, but she hoped so. She wanted to see her family again.
The crowd of shadowed creatures in front of the entrance were all tied with the threads and she raised her hand and freed them all at once. They blinked, stumbling or jerking in surprise and confusion.
The fairies made sure none tried to get to Kendra as she greeted them.
She peered at the entrance, able to see the veil of light that surrounded the pond and pavilion, and then stepped forward.
The veil shifted and bloomed around her, like a thousand dark flowers had infused themselves into the veil. The light didn’t leave, but now shadowy flowers crept through the light and wound through in an insidious crawl.
It was beautiful, and very different from the strings that connected the magical creatures to whoever controlled them.
She watched the shadows weave through the veil of light, slowly creeping like flowering vines. They grew, beautiful and blooming.
She walked forwards, watching the blooming shadows growing into the light that filled the pond and pavilion.
“Hello,” she said, smiling at Seth.
Seth’s eyes widened, “Kendra!?”
“What?” asked a man, chained like she had been. Poor thing.
She didn’t know how to free him, but she raised her hand all the same and faltered.
Gold glimmered and gleamed, catching the light around him. It was a gold that spun and glinted and threaded through the air in fractals that shouldn’t have existed. And they warned her not to, not to break this.
They spread through the air, undeniably connecting the man to-
She walked over, fascinated by the fractals of gold as she picked up the golden sphere. What was this?
“Put that down,” Seth said. “I don’t know how she even got in here she was hit by the shadow plague-”
“I got rid of the chains,” Kendra said distantly, Warren’s shadow by her side and poking at the sphere.
“What?” the man said. “What chains?”
“Kendra?” murmured a very familiar. “Are you okay?”
Kendra blinked, looking up from the sphere and shifting her grip, feeling the knobs and switches and buttons shifting with her hands, “Lena?”
The gold bloomed, fractals spreading and collapsing. Calling to her with glee. Unfolding light filled her chest and with a chiming of bells, a glimmer of light and future hope, and then she was looking into glowing eyes, a bit higher up than her own.
Kendra’s eyes widened.
“Hello,” the other her said. “Nice to finally see my baby self.”
“What the-”
Kendra ignored the others, as excited as she was that Lena was present. “How?”
“That’s the chronometer,” Kendra- er, the other Kendra said. “It allows all sorts of time travel shenanigans. Including, well, summoning your future self.”
“Oh,” Kendra whispered, looking at the golden device.
“Then-” her gaze went to the man that glittered with golden fractals.
“Patton,” other-Kendra said. “He’s from the past.”
“You claim to be Kendra of the future?” the man said carefully, eyeing her warily.
“Yes, don’t worry. Things turned out good.”
“I imagine you’d say so, wearing the fairy crown as you are.”
Kendra looked at her future self, actually taking her in now. She wore a crown, one that was woven with glowing beautiful flowers with leaves spiking up, wrought of shadows. Her skin shone, literally glowing, and her eyes as well. Her dress was crafted of flowers and shadows alike, swirling around her like Kendra’s dream dress. Her hair dripped shadows, soft and wispy fading out at the tips.
She was a perfect cross of light and dark. She was beautiful. She was Kendra .
“What?” Seth said. “Holy shit, that’s the fairy crown?”
“And the undercrown,” Future-Kendra said. “I rule both, life and death, dark and light- balance. There is no need for sides. We are all individuals, all dark and light and everything in-between. You can’t see it yet, you’re still chained.”
“Flowery language-”
“No,” Kendra said herself. “No, she’s being literal. I can see them, they were on me too. Chains wind over you.”
“The Fairy Queen is no Fairy,” Future-Kendra said. “She took control by force, trickery, and lies. She holds command by removing all those who realize the truth, even her own nephew. She chains all those she gave the blessing of the Source to. The shadows allowed us to see it, gave us the chance to break free.”
Patton looked confused, wary, he clearly wasn’t going to just take their word for it.
“Baby me,” Future-Kendra said, turning to Kendra, “I can show you how to remove the shadows from those who don’t want them. Follow my lead.”
She reached out to Warren, showing Kendra how she did it as she pulled the shadows from him. Bit by bit his skin became visible, the shadows unwinding from him and folding into Future-Kendra’s hand. It was incredible to watch.
The shadows wove over her hand for a moment before fading away, burned out by the light of her hands.
Kendra understood, easily and instinctively, how to do that. She knew she’d be able to repeat it.
“Okay,” Patton said slowly. “That helps… a little.”
“We can destroy the one responsible,” Future-Kendra says easily enough. “I know who it is, and where they are. Kendra has the power to fix this.”
Kendra perked up, she liked that idea.
“Don’t be afraid,” Future-Kendra said to the others. “We’ll save everyone.”
Lena peered at them worriedly but when Kendra looked to her she smiled, “I know you will.”
OO OO OO OO
It was easy to reach the one responsible. Kendra could wave her hand and free those under the dryad’s control. The aurora’s that bloomed across the air made Patton’s breath catch, and Kendra couldn’t blame him. It was beautiful.
The freed creatures were more than happy to aid Kendra in their mission, especially as she promised all those who desired the light once more would be freed of the dark.
T he dark beings bowed beneath the weight of Future-Kendra’s power and crown. Her rule uncontested as she walked forward.
They probably could’ve succeeded regardless but… it was so much easier with Future-Kendra present. The raw power the two of them brought to bear was… incredible. And Future-Kendra also displayed other abilities, such as wings .
Beautiful brilliant swirling purple and pink with the light of stars swirling in them.
She assured Kendra she’d help her summon them once they were done. Kendra was glad.
The battle wasn’t a long one, in fact it wasn’t even much of a battle. She grieved for the dryad who’d lost everything for someone ungrateful, Ephira. And yet, she was lashing out at everyone for the actions of one man.
Kendra couldn’t abide by that.
She held out a hand, feeling the dryad’s suffering, and wove the tree anew. Not the false twisted sapling but something new and fresh and free. Something unbound by the demon within.
Ephira fell, the shadows unwinding from her as Future-Kendra plucked free the nail in the tree. And then she rose anew, free from the demon, with eyes wide and shock clear on her face as she beheld her new mixed state.
Dark and light alike, wound together through her form.
No longer clearly dark, but touched by it all the same.
The demon, wicked and cruel and longing to take over all the world, was dissolved into nothingness.
Between the two things, the threads were destroyed and every being was ‘free’. No longer forced dark, but not forced back into light.
With her Future self by her side Kendra copied what she’d seen. The darkness faded away from those who did not wish for it while it lingered for all who did.
More might want the ability to be dark, Kendra could help with that.. probably.
“I think that’s all the clean up here,” Future-Kendra said, examining the area.
The darkened creatures, and dark creatures, were all hovering around with the light creatures. Ephira was recovering slowly, staring still at her tree and herself.
They’d done it, they’d saved the day.
OO OO OO OO
Kendra sat with hot chocolate, magic hot chocolate apparently. Her future self had made it, it was filled with comfort and peace she said. And lots of chocolate.
Kendra thought it was delicious and wanted to learn how to make it immediately.
But first, future-Kendra had a story to tell.
“I was you once, I remember hearing this story. I will tell you, just as I was told. What led to us becoming who I am now.”
OO OO OO OO
Kendra had heard the story she spoke now once, when she sat where her past-self sat now. Like her past-self, Kendra had heard this story. She had learned from this story. And she, like her past-self no doubt would, had hoped for the best.
Had hoped this story was wrong, that the horrors she heard weren’t true.
Surely, surely the world was better than this.
Surely the Queen who had helped her save her family would never have done such a thing.
So, once she had heard the story, she had gone to the lake with the shrine on the island in the middle. She’d gone there and kneeled at the shrine and spoken to the Fairy Queen.
No doubt her past-self would too. She had done it, after being told she would.
The Fairy Queen had come when she called, but not with love and kindness in her heart. No, she had not responded well to her corrupted handmaiden who’d broken free of her chains.
The Fairy Queen came… and brought with her warriors.
They’d sprung forth from the shrine, facing Kendra for but a moment before charging forward with blades raised.
But Kendra had power now.
Kendra was no longer trained.
She’d been taught, in the last days before the future-self she’d met had left, how to use that poewr.
She would teach her past-self too.
And so she’d faced the warriors and she’d twisted sunlight and nature together, twisted life itself and brought the unicorn warriors to their knees.
Because the Fairy Queen had sent unicorns, just as she’d been told.
Because the Fairy Queen knew that the Fairies would never harm Kendra.
Kendra was woven with life itself, woven through with the Source.
No Fairy would dare kill Kendra.
Not the only one with a direct connection to the Source left.
And so Kendra learned, from the fairies and just as she’d been told she would, how to fight. How to use the power her future-self hadn’t had the time to teach her. Her future-self had limited time, Kendra had learned what was vital.
This story.
How to call forth her wings.
How to free the light and dark.
Kendra learned quickly and the fairies taught her well. They taught her history, taught her magic, taught her how to fly properly.
She was taught anything and everything from the fairies who thrived at getting to educate her on her magic and their history.
And when it was time for the next mission, when she was kidnapped—just as she’d been told—and given to the oculus—just as she’d been waiting for—Kendra was ready.
She got free, she escaped, and she returned home.
And her stingbulb came forth as well and told her of their new goal.
To the Dragon preserve.
To Wyrmsroost.
Here she would meet two very important players. They were key individuals who would decide the fate of the Fairy Realm.
She’d known to look for them, like her past-self would, for she had been told by her future self, as she now did herself.
Raxtus, the Fairy Dragon.
Risenmay, the True Fairy.
Raxtus had seen Kendra and been dazzled, unable to resist following her. When he’d learned of her plight he’d been determined to help her, to help all the fairies trapped beneath the Fairy Queen. Even now the Fairy Queen sent warriors after Kendra, determined to kill her before she could overthrow the Queen.
Raxtus fought off those that came through the shrine nearby, killing them easily. He was shocked at it, for he’d always viewed himself as weak, but Kendra was awed by his strength.
She told him of Risenmay, as she’d been informed to and as she now informed her past self to do. She’d told him, and Raxtus had helped her reach Risenmay.
And Risenmay was very happy to see her, a handmaiden freed of the Fairy Queen’s chains.
With these three beings, three unique beings in the world, the rebellion began.
A Fairy Dragon, Prince of the Dragons and beloved by Fairies.
A True Fairy, one of the last of her kind and the only one known of to the world.
A Handmaiden, with a direct connection to the Source.
They were three unique individuals, but with their authority and power they could do great things.
Raxtus acted first, going to his father to inform him of the rebellion against the Fairy Queen. To incite his interest, and encourage assisting Kendra, whom Risenmay was pleased with.
Risenmay left her home, guarded with magics long lost, and headed towards the other True Fairies she knew of. She would incite them against the Fairy Queen whom they’d fled, and bring them together under Kendra’s reign.
And Kendra? Kendra finished her mission. With her magic she defied the dragons and brought them to their knees. With her power she suspected Navarog, and spoke to him apart from the rest. The temptation of proving himself greater than Celebrant in battle, of seeing him fight first hand and learning his methods, and of being favored by the future Fairy Queen, proven by her Future Self coming back in time? Well, that was worth more than the Sphinx’s offers.
Raxtus finished first, and Kendra offered to the Dragon King recompense for them breaking into his most guarded hoard.
She explained her Future-Self had come to her, had guided her actions as the Fairy Queen, and promised, through Kendra now and then, that she would offer up Ten Sunlit Pearls, Five Moonlit Opals, and One Eclipsed Diamond from the Fairy Queen’s own hoard. Additionally, she informed him of the fact that the item they took for themselves was placed there by Patton, the egg thief.
Celebrant’s distaste for Patton was clear, and the offer of much greater treasures in place of the stolen ones was satisfying enough for him, and so he agreed to the offer.
And to the chance to aid the Future Fairy Queen.
Navarog self assigned himself as Kendra’s bodyguard, considering that the Fairy Queen was still after her. And with the key to the next artifact and one artifact in their ownership, they had no need to worry about the Sphinx.
Not yet at least.
First, they had a Fairy Queen to overthrow.
At Fablehaven she spoke with the Fairies, dark and light alike. She spoke with the nymphs, with brownies, and many more creatures. She spoke about the Fairy Queen, she learned more about what became of the previous one, and learned how the Fairy Queen had limited many magical creatures.
They whispered, fearful of the Fairy Queen’s wrath, that the Fairy Queen was why they had to hide now. She was the one who crafted the magic to bury magic from the world.
Kendra knew the Society wanted to destroy the boarders, and she didn’t agree with it fully, but magical creatures shouldn’t need to be forgotten. They didn’t need to be locked away.
They deserved to thrive.
Navarog idly mentioned, as well, that she had seen the most free of the dragon preserves. That the others had far more difficulty in allowing the dragons to thrive.
One enslaved dragons even.
Kendra frowned, she paced, she studied. She knew, abstractly of the enslavement, her future self had told her this as Kendra told her past-self now. But she hadn’t understood then, she hadn’t learned the details as she did from Navarog now.
A plan was hatched.
This Fairy Queen’s Shrine was not the place to invade the Fairy Kingdom.
They would go back to Wyrmsroost, this time with their forces. And they would unite with the dragons and with the demons there who hated the Fairy Queen and with the shades her brother was now able to command.
Her brother, while not entirely certain what was going on, was delighted to be included in her plan. Kendra had been told he would be, as she told her past-self now, but she was relieved.
He did not think her different, for the darkness that lingered in her. They were the same, touched by the dark. They were family.
And the two of them set to work.
It was weeks of hard work and preparation. She was not given all of the details by her future self and so she did not give her past self them either. But she had faith in her younger self, for Kendra had done it once too. And in the end, they would go to Wyrmsroost. They would use Raxtus’ unique ability to mount an invasion.
And they would battle.
And Kendra, wings spread and standing tall, would rip the Fairy Queen’s crown from her head and place it on her own.
The Realm Shone.
Life returned.
Life thrived.
Kendra saw the threads and chains around the world that had been hidden from her even with the light and dark in her hands and she knew, she wasn’t the only one chained. All of the world faced them.
She would free the world too, just as she’d freed herself.
But not all the chains were of the Fairy Queen.
Some were dark, so dark and misty and of the depths.
Just as she’d been told, Kendra had another battle to fight.
Against the Underrealm and the dilapidated King.
And so she would prepare.
For the world needed stability, it needed balance.
It needed to be united once more.
Celebrant, with the knowledge of just how great Kendra would become, was more than happy to lend his forces to her own, so long as she agreed to lend her forces to his when they freed the dragon preserves.
Of course she would, had, did, why would she stand by and allow such an injustice such as the enslavement of the dragons? Maybe if they had the entire space for themselves it wouldn’t be so bad, especially considering the chains the Previous Fairy Queen had laid across the world. But enslaving them? In the place they called a “sanctuary”?
Disgusting.
And so they got back to work.
Invading the Underrealm was both terribly easy and incredibly hard. There were creatures there capable of overpowering the dragons, in one manner or another.
But the dragons were powerful and more importantly they had Kendra at the helm.
And Kendra was the Fairy Queen.
The army faced the rest of the Underrealm, holding them back and allowing Kendra her march to the King.
The pile of bones and dust.
The whispering voice in the night and deepest shadows who was a shame to everything the Underrealm was.
The Underrealm- it was death, it defied death.
Kendra was the Queen of the Fairies, beings of life and growth and light.
This… this was supposed to be the King of the Underrealm? Of death and rot and darkness?
How was this supposed to hold that role? What did it do to ensure it?
Did it just… sit there.
Sit there and do nothing?
It couldn’t even rot anymore.
Dust and bones.
She stepped forward, ignoring its whispers and increasing panic as she remained unaffected by it. Which was silly, to her. There was no reason for dust to harm her. It couldn’t even move . It wasn’t death and rot and darkness.
It was stagnant.
Everything was stagnant with what these bones and the Previous Fairy Queen had done.
Kendra knew this wasn’t everything, there was more still to come. She had a lot of work to do.
She put the crown on her head, light and dark, life and death, growth and rot combining and forming something new. Something beautiful and dangerous and whole . The origin, the end.
Everything.
She walked out Queen of Life and Death, of Fairies and Underbeings, and ordered the battle to end.
The Dragons, Fairies, and Underbeings stopped.
And even the dragons bowed as she walked through the battlefield to her inner circle.
All that was left were the power sources. The Source. The End.
They ought to be combined too.
OO OO OO OO
And so when Future-Kendra finished her story to Kendra, her past self, her current self’s past, her beginning, she smiled.
“Everything will work out,” she murmured. “Because you’re me, and I’m you, and we’ve done it before. The world will be better. You will make it better.”
“What about my friends and family?” Kendra asked.
“Our grandparents struggle, at first. But not forever. They come to see what we do, what we make better. Seth is always by our side, he torments our advisors in the castle. There’s so many hidden rooms. We go back to school, fix our supposed death. It took some work but well, we managed.”
At that her Future self blushes faintly, smile turning shy, “Alyssa… Alyssa is very dear to us. You can confide in her. I made sure she would live as long as we do.”
Kendra realized what her future self meant and blushed. She’d had a crush on Alyssa but hadn’t thought- well… that was good to hear.
“Even Lena is with us still, she’s an excellent advisor and I was able to give her her immortality back, tied to a sealed charm filled with her pond water. As long as she carries it she will live on like any other naiad, but on land.”
Kendra teared up, “it’s going to be okay?”
“It’s going to be okay. Everything will work out and everyone will be better for it.”
“Thank you,” Kendra whispered.
“Always. If we had no one else in the world, know you have yourself. You can do this. You have done this. And you will do it again.”
Kendra hugged her future self, herself wholly and completely. And she smiled.
Everything would be okay.