"You wanted to meet me here?" Noctura glanced around her surroundings, taking in Lumia's treehouse and the elemental guardian statues in front of it. Out front, Liska was helping the tree grow, though at the sight of Noctura she scowled and stalked off.

     "Noctura, my friend." Lumia's voice was calm, though Noctura could detect a lecture coming from a mile away. Her friend was never this placid unless she was about to impart 'wisdom'. "Walk with me."

     Noctura stuck her tongue out at the glaring fire guardian, Rowan, and trailed her friend over to a large oak tree.

     Lumia was quiet for the first few moments; she was probably trying to get Noctura to confess first. Noctura crossed her arms and glared at the back of Lumia's large white and gold ponytail. Lumia had always played the role of an older sibling, always the one to act more mature. She lacked ambition, which was probably the reason she was chosen to be a guardian in the first place.

     "Lumia, my friend, why have you brought me here today?" Noctura shrilled, waving her scepter around at the falling blossoms from the trees. "Are the poor guardians missing my company?"

     "You know exactly why you are here." Lumia's voice was kind but stern. "What you did today was treason, Noctura."

     "There is no rule against removing magic." Noctura said carefully, pacing around her companion. "I attacked no elf in my escapades today."

     "You asked Cory to remove a water elf's magic." Lumia stated. "As a guardian, it is your role to protect magic in Elvendale."

     "I was protecting magic." Noctura said coolly. "That water elf would be better off without powers. She tried to attack me!"

      "You forget you yourself were a water elf once."

     Noctura tried not to think about those times. Once upon a time her and Lumia had been as normal as everyone else. That was until they were selected to become guardians. Noctura much preferred her dark magic to the simplicity of the water. Being the Guardian of Shadow brought her great power as well as eternity, two gifts Noctura would do anything to keep. The previous guardians had been foolish enough to train successors and let themselves go. Noctura would not make the same mistake. She and Lumia could live forever, watching over the realm they both adored.

     "As you were once a fire elf. We have always been polar opposites, you and I, but somehow we always find a way to stick together."

     "Noctura," Lumia sighed, raising her staff, "come with me."

      The crystal on the end glowed brightly, and suddenly wisps of light started to etch themselves into the oak tree. Green mixed with the blue, swirling around and around until Noctura realized she was staring at a portal.

      Lumia stepped through it, so Noctura followed her friend.

     Inside was the most beautiful world Noctura had ever seen. It was in an ever-constant night, with darker-hued trees and magnificent cliffsides. It was like almost exactly like Elvendale, it was just nighttime. And it was quiet.

     So very quiet.

     "I was thinking this would be an excellent place for you." Lumia said, her fingers trailing some of the shelf mushrooms on a nearby tree. "You can practice your magic here without endangering anyone. I know creation spells can get rather messy."

     "That's the whole reason that stupid water elf got mad." Noctura huffed. "I was attempting to design a star-shaped creature to add to the rivers, and they thought I was poisoning the water. The nerve!"

      Lumia had a special power of creation. She brought life to trees, earth, fire, water, wind... well she was basically tasked with taking care of the elements. Noctura ruled the night. She created the creatures to inhabit the places Lumia designed, and watched over them as they grew. Noctura had heard it was the first Guardian of Shadow that had created humans. It was the magic from the first Guardian of Light that had turned them into elves.

     "This can be a... a safe place for you. I made this realm so you could take a break from Elvendale. Whenever someone's making you upset you can come here to... to gain a fresh perspective."

     Noctura grinned at her friend. Lumia had created another whole world for her. Lumia had always been complacent, never changing for the sake of others. She didn't like to inspire differences in her people; she liked to watch over the elemental guardians and tend to her treehouse. Yet, she had also gone out of her way to create a paradise for Noctura.

     Noctura was so caught up in Lumia's generous deed that she didn't notice Lumia slowly backing through the portal.

     "I hope you like it here, my friend." Lumia said, raising her staff once again.

     Noctura spun to see her on the other side of the portal. The flickering light started to become solid under Lumia's touch. Noctura ran into the portal—and slammed against it.

     "You!" Noctura pounded her fists against the light. "What have you done?!"

     "I'm sorry," Lumia said sadly. "I can't let you come back to Elvendale. You committed a dangerous treason today and are a danger to this world's magic."

     "LUMIA!" Noctura cried, blasting spell after spell at the shrinking portal. "LUMIA, YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

     Lumia was the only friend Noctura had left. If she was trapped here, she'd be forever alone. That was the whole reason Noctura was excited to become a guardian in the first place—she wanted an eternity to spend with her best friend. The same friend who was now trapping her forever in a realm of eternal night.

     "Goodbye, Noctura."

     "LUMIA!"

     The portal disappeared with a loud pop. Noctura fell to her knees, weeping bitter tears upon the cold, blue grass. Slowly, her tears turned to shaking. And shaking led to clenched fists.

     Noctura got to her feet, summoning her magic. Out of her grief monsters grew, taking shape into haphazard creatures made solely of a blurry darkness. Their eyes turned to slits behind their creator as they grew; their mouths opened wide to feast—

     "Stop!"

     Noctura held out her staff at the creatures, sending a magical shockwave through them. They whimpered and stepped back as the sorceress floated into the air.

     "Creatures of shadow, creatures of night, you don't dare to feast upon me. I am your mother, your creator, and you will listen to my every command." Noctura's eyes blazed with rage. "This realm is yours to conquer in my name. While you feast upon the wonders my dearest Lumia has provided, I will figure out a way to escape this wretched place." 

     The creatures terrified looks quickly shaped back into a insatiable hunger.

     "Feed, my children of shadow, feed! When the time comes, we will break back into Elvendale, strip it of its magic, and show Lumia what it feels like to be betrayed!" Noctura's hiss morphed into a dangerous tone. The creatures cackled, then took off into the forests and cliffsides.

     She didn't know when; she didn't know how, but Noctura would escape this place.

     And when she did, not just Lumia, but all of Elvendale would pay. 

>(<>)<

A/N

Okay, so I'm starting to add in lore that the show never explored. There are so many unanswered questions about the world of Elvendale that were never answered, so it leaves a lot of holes open for audience interpretation. For example, some people have linked Lumia and Noctura's existence to there being two other kinds of elves: light and dark. However, since these elves are never shown in the series, I could just as easily put forward that light and dark are the mantles the guardians of Elvendale hold. (I know Estari, Elandra, and Emily's grandmother technically have some element, but who says it has to be light?)

I am also very curious as to what Noctura actually did to get banished to the Shadow Realm, and why Lumia thought it necessary to take such extreme measures. From what was said in the show, I'm going to guess it was something really bad. 

Eh, this is just a frugal interpretation of what actually happened that went wayyyy over the wordcount. :D

Make sure to check out therearenooptions to see her entry!

See you all next week!

~squidneyxd