Song: "Glass Princess" by Adrian Von Ziegler

I think sometimes that half-lies are excusable in place of full lies. Perhaps you would disagree, Mother. But sometimes half-lies are things you wish to be true, so that if you are surprised and they turn out to be fulfilled, you can say it was a wish and that you never did anything wrong. That is the only way I can live with myself now.

❂❂❂

The next day, Light Spinner took Micah to the historium. If there was anywhere that had the missing pieces, it was here - George's archives were the most extensive collection of historical writing on Etheria, and even contained some journals from the First Ones themselves.

They entered the large library. A man with dark skin and long dreadlocks - a human Delvalian - greeted them at the doorway. He adjusted his spectacles and studied Light Spinner as Micah paced the room. "Do my eyes deceive me? Or is that...Alura? Ántonin's daughter?"

She clenched her fists at the memory of those days when she'd had a silly child's crush on him. "Not so loud, George. I have my apprentice from Mystacor here."

He took her hands. "I missed you. It's been such a long time since you've come home."

She wormed out of the touch. Her eyes were burning, and she wanted to flee into a corner where she could be alone. "I'm going by Light Spinner now."

For a moment, the man studied her, then nodded. "Light Spinner, huh? Nice nickname. Didn't Lydia use to call you that?"

It wasn't easy hearing people drop her mother's name casually in conversation. Light Spinner growled. "I need access to your research!"

George was taken aback, but then smiled easily. "Right, right. We can catch up later. What's going on?"

She took out her scroll and placed it on the table, unraveling it. "The other half was torn off. I was wondering if you have it here, since you collect historical artifacts. I was thinking it might have gotten lost since it's over five hundred years old."

"I'll see if I can find it. What's it about?"

Light Spinner bit her lip and put her mouth near his ear. "The Spell of Obtainment," she whispered.

"Ah, the Spell of - "

"George, se taire!"

"Oh, is the little man over there not supposed to know?" he said, nodding in Micah's direction. "Got it. I'll have all our materials on that coming up."

Light Spinner gave a long sigh and sank into an armchair. After a long while, George brought her a small scroll. "Here's the other piece. We received it about six months ago from Master Norwyn. It was a few days after the attack on Illuras - he seemed worried when he'd brought it to me." He passed a look at her badge. "You must know him, huh?"

Light Spinner knit her brows together and took it, nodding. That was the day of my punishment. Was that what he came to Bright Moon for?

I'm a fool. He was afraid I would come looking for the Spell scroll, so of course he hid part of it - the part that has the mandala to cast it.

I don't care, she tried telling herself. I don't care. But more pain and heaviness weighed her down, to where she almost would rather sleep instead of read. Why in the moons is Norwyn so bent on keeping me with him, yet continuously attempts to make me miserable?

After a moment, Micah's hand was on her shoulders. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. "I know you're not okay. We can go outside and talk if you want."

Tears welled in her eyes. Shame burrowed through her; she couldn't tell Micah what happened. How much pain could a person take before passing out just from exhausted sadness? How long would it be before sorrow overtook her and she lost her mind?

"Just leave me alone," she almost snapped. The hard tone would get him to listen to her - and she was right, for Micah sighed and turned away, leaving her alone.

With bitterness lacing her heart, Light Spinner took a deep breath and opened the scroll.

✧✧✧

The rest of the scroll was intact, so Light Spinner squinted and kept reading, the old Meyan characters nearly illegible. The final part of the scroll seemed to be a later addition to the piece.

I am Willoa. I am the last. Someone told me to write down everything I have felt while under a failed Spell of Obtainment, so I shall.

Blood runs down my chin from cracked lips, even though I have been given food and water every day. My mouth and throat taste like blood. There is a dull ringing in my ears.

They didn't even try to chain the beast. It just rose up and devoured me. I haven't slept in days - I'm too sick for power but unable to have it. Now I'm dying as I write this, coughing shadows on the ground. I do not know if it was from the Spell itself, or if Auctor fed me something to put me out of my misery, but I am glad for it.

The hand is so heavy. It is my master, but I keep rejecting its command. Auctor never told me the price I would have to pay. My choice is impossible. Either I seek power and lose my sense of love and empathy, or I remain powerless and let my life force slowly bleed out. There is no third option.

The scroll ended, and Light Spinner wet her lips, staring into the crackle of the fire for a long time. This was the consequence if she failed to chain the corruption. This was what she risked happening to her: insanity as she struggled against a monster inside her for the rest of her life.

She took deep breaths, overwhelmed by the hurt from the fact that Norwyn hid the price of power from her. But his efforts were futile; he had told her two lies, and the one before made her immune to what he had tried to hide. She didn't care a single moon if she lived or died now. She was too tired to.

✧✧✧

As they left the historium, Micah trotted to keep up with her. "We leave today," Light Spinner said briskly. "I have to stop and..." she trailed off, putting her hand to her bag as she looked ahead.

Micah followed her gaze - a grove of pine trees gated the outskirts of Bel Delvala, and Light Spinner lowered her eyes. He frowned. "What're we looking at?"

She was still spaced out, her eyes staring past the pines with a jaded look. "Come with me." Micah followed her into the woods, and as the snow crunched beneath their feet, his eyes passed a single frozen rose twined around a tree, blood-red against the white that caressed its petals.

Light Spinner kept walking until they reached a pair of headstones in the middle of the forest. Micah sat on his knees beside her as she reached out to melt the snow on the rocks.

Lydia daughter of León of Bel Delvala

From 1442 - 1476

"To my dearest Alura,

We had done great things together,

And you will continue to do great things forever."

Micah blushed, looking back at Light Spinner, whose face was entranced as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Your real name is Alura," he said, looking down at his hands. "I heard it from George in the historium, and then from Norwyn - "

"Norwyn?" Light Spinner's voice was laced with quiet poison. "When, exactly, did Norwyn tell you this?"

Micah feared she would freeze him again, but he answered anyway. "When you were unconscious, he was worried about you. Like...really worried. He mentioned the name, but I didn't exactly realize it until George used it again."

She scowled and backed down, crushing her eyes shut. Micah swallowed. "Light Spinner, you know you can talk to me about what happened last night, right?" He took her cheek in a hand, and she gazed at him, tears on her face. His voice was a whisper. "What did you learn?"

Light Spinner sniffed, then pointed at the graves. The other headstone stood out like blood on the snow.

Ántonin son of Eloan of Bel Delvala

From 1437 - 1480

"To my child, whom I lost:

Love laid dormant in my heart,

But I will feel for you even when we are apart."

Light Spinner gazed at the other gravestone; a breathy laugh whispered from her, laced with sorrow. Micah's body froze, and with a gasp, he touched her arm. Oh, Light Spinner. That's what the marks were. "Your dad. He wanted you back, and you never knew it." A pause. "Norwyn lied to you about it, didn't he?"

She crushed her eyes shut and nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. "I didn't want to worry you. I - "

"You worried me more by not talking to me about it," he said. "Light Spinner, tell me next time. Please. You'll always have me as your friend."

He threw his arms around her; Light Spinner held him back, her arms strong and warm around his body. He breathed in the deep scent of roses as the wind blew her raven hair around their heads. In the snow, they sat locked in each other's arms, a moment of quiet in the midst of the struggle against the Horde. Micah loved her. He loved Light Spinner. And he would never let her go.

❂❂❂

Did you know...

● I have two headcanons regarding Bow's family: 1.) They're absolutely Delvalians who forsook the veil after the First Rebellion failed and they went to live in the woods, and 2.) That Light Spinner had a child's crush on George. Because I can allow myself a funny headcanon every once in a while.

● Willoa's design in my illustration is based on one design of Light Spinner in the 1980's She-Ra comics. (There are several, one of which became her design in the show.)

Tell me what you think...

● What does the name Alura symbolize for Light Spinner?

● Why you think she changed her name upon coming to Mystacor?