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"Pips…" No answer. "Pippa." Still no answer. "Pippa!" Pippa finally turned around, looking at her deputy in distress, "Pippa, stop. Please. You'll hurt yourself," Pete said, sounding desparate.
"I can't! I need to save her." There were tears in her eyes.
"You won't be much help if you lose yourself in the process."
"What can I do, Pete? She's everything to me. I can't live without her."
"Pips, we're going to find a solution. But you need to stop, you need to rest."
"He's right, Pippa. Your magic is getting weaker, you need a break. I'll watch over her," suggested Dimity.
"No, please, let me stay with her at least."
"You swear you won't attempt any magic and you will rest?" Dimity asked.
Pippa stayed silent for a bit.
"Swear it, Pips. We couldn't bear to see you hurt too," insisted Pete.
"All right," she said, and Pete gave her a pointed look. "I swear," conceded Pippa.
Maybe they were right, but it was so hard, she felt so powerless. Pete and Dimity looked her warily, but she just gave them a weak smile. They both left with one last look at her and repeatedly made her promise to rest. She sighed and, as soon as they closed the door, she let a few tears escape her.
It was supposed to be a great day. She and Hecate were supposed to meet after classes, to take tea and play chess. Then Pippa would have offered her her Christmas gift. It was a bit early for this, but she just couldn't wait. Because she had to get her feelings off her chest. She wanted to go with Hecate at her arm to Pentangle's Christmas celebration.
But sometimes in school full of magic, especially when you teach potions, things go wrong. And it had gone wrong, terribly wrong — a simple mistake that could have cost the life of a student if Hecate hadn't interceded.
All the students were fine — Hecate, not so much. She hadn't woken up since, her magic and body severely impaired and weak.
Pippa had rushed to Cackle's as soon as she had heard the news. She had discovered Hecate unconscious, and the mediwitch unable to wake her up or heal her. So she had decided to try modern magic. To try to heal her herself with her modern chanting. It didn't do much. She had tried the more classic way, likewise to no avail. Then she poured all of her magic out trying to replenish Hecate's, trying to make Hecate's magic heal her. Again, a lost cause.
Dimity witnessed firsthand Pippa exhausting herself as she tried everything. Worried, she had called Pentangle's deputy and Pippa's best friend, Pete, hoping he could make her see reason. It had been almost an impossible task. But they managed in the end.
So now Pippa was simply sitting at Hecate's bedside, watching over her, trying to quell her own anxiety. She took Hecate's hand in hers, noticing how cold it was. Hecate's whole body seemed very cold. It scared Pippa out of her mind. So she climbed into the bed and decided to hold onto Hecate, to share her warmth. She was helping but not using her magic, so it was okay, right?
She didn't really know when she fell asleep, but she did. She was utterly exhausted so it was no surprise that Morpheus took her so easily.
Everything was dark. Pippa was lost. But soon there was a silhouette ahead of her. One she would recognise among thousands.
"Hecate!" she called into the nothingness.
The silhouette didn't move. Pippa slowly got closer, calling after her again, without any response. Then she managed to reach her, putting a hand on her shoulder. The silhouette turned around, and Pippa saw with no surprise that it was Hecate. Hecate with tears running down her cheeks, almost looking like a terrified child.
"I can't feel it," she said, between sobs.
"What are you talking about?"
"My magic. It's gone. Just like the big freeze."
The big freeze. Pippa had heard about it, but Hecate never talked about it. But now it was clear to Pippa that it had left a deep hurting mark on Hecate, as she saw the distress Hecate was in right now.
Pippa decided to take Hecate's hand and to try to feel Hecate's magic.
"I can feel it. It's just… far. It's okay, Hiccup. It's okay," she tried to reassure her friend.
"Is it though? You're stuck with me now."
"I…"
Pippa wanted to protest, but how could she? She had no idea where they were or how to get out. It was just a dream, she reminded herself, so she would just wake up at some point. Besides, she didn't care so much about being stuck here — not while Hecate was in front of her, alive and awake.
"We're together, so it'll be okay," she said finally. "And I know you'll find a way."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because you're the witchiest witch."
"Again with that silly idea."
"I just trust you, Hiccup."
"How can you trust me so much? After everything?"
"Because I love you, Hecate Hardbroom, simple as that."
It was just a dream, so she might as well say it, and it felt good to say the words to this construction of her mind. Hecate's eyebrows were at her hairline and it was so funny to see. Pippa was still holding her hand, and she tried to use her magic to convey how much she loved Hecate. They did that as teenagers, sharing magic so the other knew she wasn't alone.
There was a jolt then between them, a familiar magic coursing through Pippa. Hecate's magic, warming her and telling her that her love was shared.
They were together and well, magic powerful, and love around.
Too bad it was just a dream.
"Should we wake her up?" she suddenly heard Pete say, but she didn't want to wake.
"No, let her rest."
This voice. This voice actually made her want to wake up. She stirred, realised suddenly that she was still holding Hecate. She distangled herself as fast as she could. Or at least she tried. She felt a push on her back, apparently Hecate didn't for her to leave her arms, so Pippa obliged.
Until she felt the need to see. To see those eyes looking at her, well and alive. And what she saw was more than that. Hecate looked tired, as was to be expected, but her eyes were shining with something that gave Pippa a tenuous hope.
"Hecate?"
"Pippa."
"How do you feel?"
"Sore and tired, but I'm fine, Pippa," Hecate answered with a smile. Pippa knew it was the truth.
"Oh Hiccup, I was so scared." And she hugged Hecate harder.
"So I heard."
Pippa felt herself blush. Then she sat up a little more, and looked around. Pete and Dimity were there, and they weren't alone.
"Julie? What brings you here?"
"Glad to see you too, Pippa," answered Julie Hubble playfully. "Dimity thought that some ordinary medicine could help."
"And I was right," said Dimity proudly.
Julie started to explain what they did to help Hecate heal, but Pippa barely listened, looking at Hecate, just so glad she was well.
"But there's still something we can't explain," Julie said, seeming deep in thought.
"What is it?" asked Pippa, curious.
"My magic came back all at once," explained Hecate, "and I think you have everything to do with it."
"What do you mean?"
"I dreamt of you, and I felt your magic going deep inside me, and I think it woke up mine."
And Pippa blushed even more. What if they had shared the same dream? She had heard it could happen. The idea of sharing that dream, where Pippa confessed something she was not really ready to tell, kind of terrified her. She had only said what she did because she was so scared to lose Hecate, and seeing her in this dream felt like her only chance.
They looked at each other like the rest of the world was lost. And Pippa knew. They had indeed shared the same dream.
"Okay, I'll go make hot chocolate," declared Dimity.
"I'll go with you," said Julie and Pete in unison.
In another situation, it would have amused her, but right now there were more urgent matters.She got up to sit in the chair at Hecate's bedside. They needed to talk and it would be easier this way.
"So, hum…"
"I love you too, Pipsqueak," said Hecate simply.
Pippa was taken aback, not ready to hear this so easily. Happy tears gathered in her eyes.
"I wish I could have told you more properly," she said with a teary laugh.
"And I wish I had told you sooner," Hecate said solemnly.
"How long?" Pippa heard herself ask.
"Since we were teenagers," admitted Hecate, suddenly less solemn and more shy.
"Then why…?"
"I… got scared."
"You don't have to be scared anymore."
They both knew it wouldn't suffice to erase the past and the pain that came with it, but it was a step in the right direction.
"Oh!" It came back to Pippa suddenly. "I got you a Christmas gift."
"It's not Christmas yet."
"Actually it is — you were out for a week," explained Pippa, feeling a remnant of her fear.
"Oh. So that's why you look so dreadful."
"Thank you for the compliment, Hiccup," said Pippa, feigning hurt.
"You're beautiful still, Pipsqueak."
Pippa smiled, her cheeks heating up a bit. Then she conjured her gift and gave it to Hecate.
The witchiest witch opened it very carefully. Pippa was impatient; it was almost frustrating to see her take so much time. She saw Hecate's tiny smile and understood that she was doing it on purpose, so Pippa huffed.
"Always so impatient."
"Well, you don't change what works."
"I'm not sure it always works," said Hecate with a raised eyebrow.
Pippa laughed.
"Come on, open it already."
Hecate finally obliged, and discovered a book carefully tucked in a box. The book was worn out, like it had been used often, carried around and well loved. She recognised it immediatley and her eyes filled with tears. An astronomy book they shared when they were younger. A keepsake of their past relationship.
Pippa was pretty confident about offering the book; it was what was inside that made her a bit stressed. Her whole heart was hidden in it, after all.
Hecate finally opened the book, and there, between the pages, she found them. Letters, old and recent, all covered in Pippa's handwriting. She looked at Pippa, confused.
"It was my way to tell you how I felt. It's all the letters I wrote during our time apart." Pippa took a deep breath, "I love you, Hecate Hardbroom, and I never stopped loving you."
Hecate looked at her, full of emotions. There was love in her eyes, and Pippa answered with a teary smile.
"Can I…" started Hecate, hesitant.
Pippa gave her a reassuring smile, hoping that what would come next would be what she had wished for since she was 15 years old.
"Can I kiss you?"
"Of course." Pippa answered, beaming.
Then she leant in, meeting Hecate halfway, but letting her close the distance. The kiss was a bit wobbly, as it was their first, and they couldn't stop smiling. But it was also wonderful, better than what Pippa had hoped for.
"Merry Christmas, Hiccup."
"Merry Christmas, Pipsqueak. I'm afraid I couldn't finish your gift."
"Oh, but you offered me your gift already. The best I could ever dream of."
And they smiled at each other with all the love they had.
So that was it. Christmas magic.