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    KAELYN WOULD NEVER KNOW where she came from. This was something she had come to accept. From the minute she had been dumped on the Carroways' farm, any trace of where she had come from disappeared. She'd just been a baby at the time, of course, and far too young to remember when Mr and Mrs Carroway had opened their front door the morning after an awful storm to find a blanket-wrapped bundle on their doormat.

    There was no note, and no name, nothing to identify the abandoned baby. She'd had a shock of dark hair, and eyes that burned indigo in the right light, with an air of mystery the Carroways couldn't shake. But they were hardly the people to pass on the apparent-orphan, and took in the child with open arms. They named her Kaelyn and that appeared to be it.

    The Carroways lived on a large farm that supplied the local village and passers-by with produce and supplies. They were a respected family, in a way, and Kaelyn was not their first child. Cielle was four years older than Kaelyn, with light hair and eyes that made it clear she was related to the Carroways, and that Kaelyn was not – a fact she reminded her of viciously at any opportunity.

    By the time she was five years old, Kaelyn became eager to help around the farm, play with the animals, and feel like she'd earned even a sliver of the affection she got. She had secretly hoped, too, it would help Cielle warm to her. It never did.

    Kaelyn saw many different types of people pass through over the years, some buying jam, some buying produce, others buying eggs or meat. One man even came in asking for a bag of feathers – which he got – and gave Kaelyn a wink as he left.

    Kaelyn liked people. She liked looking at how they took in the world and comparing it to others, their unique mannerisms and the way they talked. Everyone was someone interesting to get to know, she decided in her young mind. Not that she knew anyone really except for those that passed through. Mrs Carroway taught her and Cielle all she could about words and numbers instead of alongside other kids their age. Kaelyn didn't mind, she just didn't know there were people her age not like Cielle.

    When the time came for Kaelyn to accompany Mr Carroway into town with a stall and cart to extend their profit to the streets, she eagerly accompanied him, innocently handing customers their purchases as they paid her father. Kaelyn saw many more people now cycle through, but none struck her more than a man in starry robes who looked both young and old at the same time.

    "Just eggs and blackberry jam," he requested, Kaelyn staring at him wide-eyed. She knew Mrs Carroway would've scolded her for staring so much, but she couldn't help it. His eyes looked like they had lived a thousand lives, yet sat in a young-looking face framed by long dark hair, and Kaelyn could've sworn she saw a gold glint in his eyes as they caught the light.

    "Of course. Odd weather been having, eh?" Mr Carroway said as small talk while he took the man's money and Kaelyn scrambled around the stall to get the eggs and jam.

    "Yes, odd. Indeed," the man drawled. "Almost like magic." He was right, of course. Kaelyn had never seen weather as up and down as the last two months. It had greatly disrupted the patterns of the farm, and Mrs Carroway had said multiple times it was almost as bad as the weather the night Kaelyn appeared at their doorstep.

    "Ha, magic!" Mr Carroway chortled. "What a concept."

    The man didn't seem nearly as amused as he looked down at Kaelyn who was holding his eggs and blackberry jam. "Magic always has a price," he told her as he accepted the offered goods. Kaelyn watched him with burning curiosity as he bowed his head to Mr Carroway and left.

    "What did that man mean?" Kaelyn asked, finally taking her eyes away and looking to her father.

    "Rubbish," he snorted with a dismissive hand-wave. "Magic is hardly here nor there, and shouldn't be used under any circumstances."

    Kaelyn's face fell. "But, why? Is it– dangerous?"

    "Extremely!" he exclaimed, startling Kaelyn. "I wouldn't trust anyone like that. They pay well, but that's it." Mr Carroway seemed to notice Kaelyn's wide, frightened eyes, and softened his tone. "But you don't need to worry about that, of course," he told her, ruffling her hair.

    "Yeah, no worries," Kaelyn murmured to herself as the power simmered under her skin.

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    KAELYN HAD KEPT HER SECRET well hidden, limiting it to nights alone, time spent purely with the animals, when she knew no one was on the farm, to the point sneaking around and hiding half of herself felt natural. Surely, she had to hide it, for Kaelyn was magic, in all the fascinating and devastating ways her foster family detested. She still wasn't used to it, but it was apart of her, however much she wished it wasn't or others would hate her for it if they knew.

    So, she kept it hidden under lock and key, tightly, shut away for no one to know.

    She had aimed for it to stay that way – forever. But, as she would come to discover about her path in life, it had other plans. As she sat in the barn, having climbed up bales of hay to sit in the loft with her legs dangling carelessly and the moonlight shining through cracks onto her face and turning her eyes indigo, her hands curled through the air alongside pieces of hay as if wind was concentrated to a single place.

    But it was her, it had always been her capable of impossible things.

    And then the door creaked on its hinge slightly, and Kaelyn startled as she heard footsteps fading away. She felt her heart sink to her stomach, the hay she had been playing with drifting lifelessly to the floor. Someone usually knocked to retrieve her for dinner at this time, they always knocked.

    Heart pounding, Kaelyn leapt from the hayloft and burst out of the barn to see Cielle sprinting up the dirt path towards the house, light filtering out the windows. Of course, it was Cielle, it never was, and she didn't knock. Of course.

    Kaelyn gave chase, but she was already behind and was far smaller than her sister. She wondered why she even bothered. She had clearly already been found out. She had no idea what the consequences would be, just that there would be. Years of the slander the Carroways had for magic flashed through her mind, as she reached the door moments after Cielle, struggling to breathe from exertion and anxiety.

    "Kaelyn can do magic," Cielle burst out, standing in the kitchen-dining area. She whipped around and pointed a finger directly at the brunette, who had frozen.

    "What?" Mr Carroway said, stunned.

    "Yes! I saw her doing it, just now!" Cielle insisted, sounding so triumphant it snapped Kaelyn back to her senses.

    "Stop it, Cielle!" she cried, voice weaker than she would've liked. "You're crazy," she said, softly, but judging by Cielle's twisted expression, she heard. "I'm not– I can't– magic," Kaelyn stuttered.

    "Cielle, leave your sister alone," Mrs Carroway spoke, surprising both girls as they stared at her.

    "She's not my sister!" Cielle yelled, desperately, Kaelyn trying not to feel too hopeful at her parents believing her word over Cielle's. "And she's dangerous, I'm telling you!"

    But the Carroways clearly found the accusation far too ridiculous to believe. "Cielle, that's enough!" Mr Carroway shouted, startling Cielle enough to lower her volume.

    "Fine," she breathed out. "Fine. You'll see one day."

    After only being able to breathe through her fading panic, Kaelyn watched her parents return to dinner, Cielle retreating to her room. She had always been harsh to Kaelyn, and her refusing to call her her sister wasn't anything new. She also hated magic, of course she'd do that to Kaelyn. Everything was fine.

    Kaelyn hesitantly approached her room, which they shared, even if the brunette slept on a mattress on the floor. Kaelyn slightly moved the door, which squealed on its hinges. "Cielle–"

    "You can't hide it forever," Cielle snapped before she could even start a sentence. Kaelyn's eyes must've been guilty enough. "I know what I saw, and you know what happens when they find out," Cielle hissed, quietly, as the Carroways laughed loudly from the kitchen.

    The two just stared at each other in understanding; of what they'd seen, of what Kaelyn was, and what would happen if it got out. They knew things wouldn't be the same anymore, and before Kaelyn could say anything more or even propose a peace offering, Cielle slammed the door in her face.

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    THE FOLLOWING MONTHS felt like a dark cloud was hanging over Kaelyn. Cielle always seemed to be watching and waiting for a moment to expose her, for her to slip up. The Carroways, though disbelieving of the rumour, did keep a closer watch on Kaelyn now, too. It had become too dangerous for her to steal moments alone for her tricks, for she knew she couldn't trust who would now be watching. Everyday she woke up and felt distrusted and trapped in her house, as the power under her skin only grew more angry at being held back.

    Cielle had never been the friendliest to Kaelyn, but it only got worse. And now she wasn't trusted enough to even leave the house or farm alone. Kaelyn got the feeling the verbal abuse was trying to get her to snap, to slip up, and as time built up and up, she feared Cielle was probably right.

    Everyday that passed without a spark of indigo, Kaelyn felt the power in her veins become more unruly, angrier at being unused, like a neglected muscle. It scared her to the point she didn't leave her room except for food. She had stopped going out, even if one of her parents accompanied her, and even her love of new people wouldn't get her to leave.

    Kaelyn knew something had to give, especially when she began to struggle to stomach meals, as if her body refused to take nutrients until she released the power inside her. Cielle had noticed too, and began to take more precise jabs.

    "Look what the cat dragged in," Cielle drawled as Kaelyn got up one morning. Kaelyn ignored her, Mrs Carroway uttering some kind of scolding to her daughter which she didn't hear. "I don't know why you're scolding me, mum. I'm your actual daughter."

    Kaelyn's grip on her plate tightened as she placed it down at the head of the table.

    "Cielle," Mrs Carroway muttered in a tone that said this was a repeat offence.

   "It's rich," Cielle continued. "You trust her more than me."

    "Stop it," Kaelyn said, quietly. "They don't trust me."

    "And they shouldn't. Not after everything. You don't belong here."

    "Stop. Please."

    "Is the reason you hardly leave your room anymore because you're that ashamed?"

    "STOP IT," Kaelyn finally screamed, at the same time the windows in the house shattered outwards all at once, and the candles blew out, leaving the only light source as the morning light filtering in through the broken windows. The Carroways pulled away from Kaelyn, immediately, the table being thrown to the floor with breakfast spilling and cutlery crashing.

    Kaelyn was breathing heavily, feeling more relaxed than she had in months, but now that the rush had passed, she was exhausted. She felt something cool above her lip, and gently placed a finger there. It came away with blood, which soon began to rush in her ears as the brunette realised what she'd done. Kaelyn took one more look at her family, before grabbing her coat off the hook and sprinting outside.

    Kaelyn wasn't sure if she could go back, but she didn't want to stay. She couldn't. Cielle had been right, now they saw that. And untouched, she had been dangerous. Kaelyn hastily wiped away the blood around her nose on the sleeve of her coat as she walked the streets completely alone, having arrived quickly in town.

    The sun was still rising, so they weren't crowded yet. Kaelyn wished she was stable enough to appreciate it. She hadn't been in town or around people since Cielle had found her out, and she had missed it deeply. But she couldn't focus on that now.

    People in town looked at her oddly, and as she aimlessly wandered the streets, she collapsed on a street corner, head in hands. Her head was racing, her chest and throat tight with anxiety. She'd slipped up.

    A pair of dusted shoes entered Kaelyn's view, and she raised her head from her knees. "Cielle," she said, confused to see the blonde standing above her. She hastily rose her feet.

    "Mum and dad are furious," Cielle said, sharply. It was hardly the news Kaelyn wanted.

    "I didn't... I didn't mean to," Kaelyn said, softly. Cielle's face hardly changed at her distress. "You pushed me," the brunette chose to say instead.

    "So, it's my fault?" Cielle retorted, clearly not wanting to play the blame game. "You can't control it, admit it." She couldn't, and she wouldn't. Cielle no longer deserved that satisfaction.

    "And so what if I can't?" Kaelyn had never heard her voice stronger, but had also never felt the power rippling under her skin any stronger.

    "We don't want you back home." Kaelyn felt her resolve shake. "Mum and dad have been talking. They're terrified of you," Cielle said, smugly, knowing the words had been a blow to Kaelyn.

    "No," the brunette refused.

    "Yes," Cielle sneered. "Disgusted, even. Can't believe they took you in. Heard them saying if they knew what you were when they found you, they would've given you away to some orphanage."

    Kaelyn ground her teeth against the pooling in her eyes. "You're lying."

    "Am I?" Cielle arched an eyebrow. "You've heard them talking about magic before."

    "Yes, but–"

    "But because you're their daughter, it's different?" Cielle said, putting on a whimpering voice to mock her. "Well, you're not their daughter remember–"

    "Stop."

    "– you're just a little girl whose own parents didn't even want her." The rippling was growing stronger, twitching under Kaelyn's skin, getting angrier. "Twice."

    Kaelyn felt anger flush her system, and with a clench of her jaw, her sister let out a scream. Kaelyn's eyes darted to where Cielle's wrist was stuck out at an unnatural angle as the blonde let out a horrified gasp.

    Kaelyn took a step back as Cielle turned her gaze to her, lacking any of the fire they had previously held. Now there was just fear, fear at what the seven-year-old brunette girl could do.

    "Cielle..." Kaelyn tried. The blonde lurched back, and Kaelyn felt her eyes burn at the look on her face. A look of such horror one would think she had seen a monster, and yet it was directed at Kaelyn. She tried to tell herself Cielle deserved it, had asked for it. But she didn't, she was young just like Kaelyn, they were sisters, she had never wanted to hurt her or anyone.

    "Go away," Cielle hissed. Kaelyn winced. "I said go away!" she screamed, angling her body away from Kaelyn. The brunette let out a choked sob before turning on her heel and sprinting, the action appearing to give Cielle more confidence. "Yes! Run away! Run and hide just like you always do!"

    Soon, Cielle's yells faded and Kaelyn found herself not stopping until she reached the edge of town, where people were already flourishing despite the early hour. The wagons set to leave town were lined up as Kaelyn finally came to a stop, panting. She eyed them. They disappeared everyday and returned at some other date. They left town.

    Kaelyn had never left town before, never strayed far from home. But looking back, she had no home right now, and soon everyone would know about her magic and she'd never be allowed back. Swallowing against the lump in her throat, Kaelyn leapt into the back of the nearest wagon, the cloth concealing her as she snuggled against a bag of what felt like wheat.

    The smell was familiar, reminded her of home, as the wagon started to move, the horses' hooves becoming rhythmic as Kaelyn knew she was leaving the only place she'd ever known, the power of hurt present at her fingertips.

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    KAELYN WASN'T SURE at what point she'd fallen asleep, but she had. She was jarred awake by the wagon lurching to a stop. She shifted in her position as she heard the wagon-owner begging for his life, before the slice of a blade and a sickening thump. Kaelyn slapped a hand against her mouth to stop herself from making a noise, as footsteps rounded the wagon.

    The sunlight cast a shadow of multiple people at the curtain entrance to the wagon, Kaelyn's eyes widening in terror as it whipped open. "No!" she screamed immediately, and a second later the first man pulled away with a broken wrist. Kaelyn just stared as the group of rugged-looking men all stared at her, hands clenched to the point she was leaving bloody crescents on her palms.

    Bandits, she immediately knew.

    "What happened?" a lanky man asked the injured one.

    "She broke my wrist!" he wailed, pointing his good hand accusingly at Kaelyn, who was stunned into silence in fear.

    "At her size?" the lanky man laughed.

    "No, without touching me," the injured hissed.

    "Really?" another asked. The others silenced as he spoke, all looking to him. He looked more put together than the others, like he lived better, and was probably mid-thirties. "Is that so?"

    And then he looked at Kaelyn, not in fear, but almost in delight, like she was a prize to be won. He slowly offered her his hand and Kaelyn shuffled away, hugging her knees to her chest and letting out a pathetic whimper. "Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt you," he said softly, but Kaelyn could only hear the thump of the wagon merchant's head. "My name's Ajax. What's yours?"

    "...Kaelyn," she finally spoke, voice cracking, as her fate was thrown to the wind.

    "Well, Kaelyn, welcome to your new family."

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okay so yeah expect the unexpected but here's a flashback chapter, the first of many. in case anyone's forgotten from the intro chapter, i am heavily changing the back story of rumpel and peter to the point i basically rewrote a part of the canon show. oops?? but i promise it will make sense and it will have an end result that's the same as the actual show, just a different way of getting there, i got you

also yes i'm aware everyone wanted/was expecting peter this chapter. i promise he comes in next chapter.

which is prewritten cause i disappeared from this site for like a year so hi :)))