Disclaimer: "Strange Magic" belongs to Mr. Lucas. So sue me.

Bright Colours

Chapter 1— A New Hue

Autumn was supposed to be here more than two weeks ago, Marianne realized as she began to grow tired. She had been flying for barely half an hour, and already her skin was damp with perspiration.

Where was this blazing heat coming from? As much as she wanted to wear her full armour to train, it was just unreasonable under this weather, and it was the third day in a row over 30°C.

Dawn had, once again, disappeared somewhere with Sunny, and Marianne had been told by their father to fetch her. Before leaving, Dawn had said she was going to dye her wings for the Pumpkin Festival, but last time Marianne checked the salon, her appointment had ended. Now, Marianne had no idea (she should have asked the stylist…) what colour her sister's wings were, so she wouldn't be able to recognize her from afar. She sighed impatiently and let out a growl of frustration, wiping her forehead roughly.

Dawn wasn't at the border, fortunately. There had been quite a few reports of large reptiles sunbathing out of the shadows of the Dark Forest, so the king had issued a warning to avoid as much as possible the few metres before the trees. Indeed, when Marianne had flown by before, she hadn't seen anyone. This time, she took a chance and landed under a fern to rest.

Now, while she loved the summer heat, she regretted leaving the cool walls of the castle that day. Her eyeliner would leak if she kept this speed up. Was there not a trail of water nearby, to maybe splash her arms and soak her feet before continuing her search?

Disappointed by how little the plant protected her from the heat, she pushed the fern's leaves aside, only to hear the loud "thump" of a frog landing close and the rustling of grass. Sure enough, the green amphibian hopped past her and into the Dark Forest, probably looking for the same comfort she had last hope ever finding again.

(Insects and amphibians seemed to be leaving the Fairy Kingdom these past few days. They were known to flee the worst of the heat in July, but to keep doing so in September was rare. Nobody had ever seen anything like it.)

Marianne went the opposite direction. Since the frogs were most often hanging around water, there was a chance she could find more the way this one came from. Over her head, dragonflies zoomed by, immediately followed by a fairy.

She peeked up and although the bright orange, black and yellow wings were unfamiliar, Marianne recognized her sister's golden head, white dress and the wide patterns she drew as she was flying. Really, when would that girl learn to fly straight?

"Dawn!" Marianne called after her before taking flight. "Wait!"

Dawn slowed down and searched around until she saw her sister's silhouette coming after her. She greeted her with a wide smile.

"Oh, Marianne! I was looking for you!"

"What? I was looking for you. Where were you? Where's Sunny?"

"Sunny went home. He said he was feeling dizzy, probably because it's too hot."

Dawn spun gracefully so Marianne could see her wings. "I wanted to show you my brand-new wings! So? How do you like the orange?"

"Err… It looks… Well, yeah, not bad."

"I love that new wingstylist they hired, she did a really good job with the lines!"

"Yeah, you're right, it's pretty. But I came to bring you back to the castle."

"What? Is it already suppertime?"

"No, no. Dad sent me to get you."

At that, Dawn took a serious face and touched her lower lip with the tip of a finger, like she was asking herself a question. Marianne feigned impatience.

"So… you're coming with me or not?"

"Well, there's something I also have to look for, so how about you go on ahead and I join you right after!" She pressed her hands together in a prayer and her wings flapped a bit faster, making her go up slightly.

"No, I have to get you home now. What are you looking for?" Marianne followed her higher. "Can't you wait until tonight to get it?"

"No, I need a sunflower petal. The wingstylist said to paste some on my wings as much as possible for the first few hours, to make sure the colour doesn't change while it settles. Only, they didn't have any left, so I have to find some myself."

"We'll get you some after we're done talking with Dad, okay?"

"Oh, but every time you say that, you forget!"

"I promise I'll help you find one."

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise. Let's go now, shall we?"

They headed home. Marianne focused on the road (to make sure to avoid anything or anyone suddenly taking off) while Dawn hummed a song loudly and zigzagged in the air.

"You're right, it's a really pretty colour," said Marianne after taking a quick look. "A bit flashy, but pretty. What did they use?"

"I don't know, they said it was a new technology. It's supposed to last longer. Oh, I can't wait for the festival to show it to everyone!"

"Yeah, let's just hope you don't get your wings wet before that. It'd be a pain if the colour, you know…" She made a flowing gesture with her arms. "Washed away."

"They said the colour would last even if I get them wet!"

"What? What are the sunflower petals for, then?"

"It's to keep the powder stuck. They said the 'kemics' worked best together, whatever that means."

"Wait. Powder?"

Marianne came to a halt, flapping her wings vigorously to stay in place. Dawn slowed down too but didn't stop completely.

"What kind of powder?"

"I don't know! It was glistening. I wish you'd seen it. They said it's made from huge, giant rocks."

"I have never, ever heard of wing powder."

"Yeah, me neither. But it does a really good job, don't you think? Just add a bit of talent!" She turned around and kept flying, humming the same song as earlier, as if to let Marianne appreciate the art for herself.

"Yeah… if only it didn't make your wings look like glass," she mumbled, knowing she wouldn't be heard.

Marianne followed her in silence. Powder, like the powder they used on their skin as makeup? For some reason, applying makeup on your wings didn't sound like a great idea.

"You know," Dawn started as she flew a bit closer, "if it were something liquid, like a paste, I wouldn't be able to fly until it dried. At least, with a powder, I'm not stuck on the ground for the whole day."

"But we've only started dying our wings a generation ago or so. For all we know, it could be bad in the long term."

"Oh, Marianne, you always take things too seriously."

Marianne wiped the sweat off her neck with a hand. She could feel her upper back getting moist. Nothing could make her feel dirtier and so irritable.

"Well, it's not a bad thing to care for your wings. You know they don't heal if they're damaged."

"So… you don't want to try?"

Dawn flipped on her side to look at her sister more fully, a wide smile on her face. How was she not bothered by the heat?

"Pink would be perfect on you!"

"No, thank you." She avoided Dawn's gaze, hoping it would end the conversation.

It didn't.

"Why not? You wear such faded colours sometimes! Brown, beige, black… Why not try something… I don't know, merrier?"

"Because I don't care about my look as much as you."

"Well, you should! How are you going to attract anybody if you always look like you're about to go to war?"

"At least they know what to expect!" Marianne raised a fist and laughed at her own reply while Dawn rolled her eyes.

They found their father in his library, in the upper towers. His face stretched into a beaming smile when he saw Dawn.

"My dear! I'm so glad Marianne found you. Oh, your wings!"

Dawn giggled happily. "You like it?"

"I love it! Orange looks great on you. Speaking of which, there's something I'm going to need your help with. I know you're going to love me!" Grinning, he placed an arm on her shoulders to lead her to his desk.

"So… I take it you don't need me anymore?" Marianne asked, hoping she could go wash herself.

"No, I don't. Thank you, Marianne, I'll see you at supper."

"Okie dokie!"

As she opened the door to exit the room, she heard her father explain to Dawn: "I need you to help me pick out colours for the soldiers' wings." It stopped her right in her tracks.

"Really? Cool! That sounds fun!" Dawn replied enthusiastically, clapping her hands and jumping slightly. "You mean they're all going to get them dyed?"

"Yes, and I thought about making it an exclusive colour, with a distinct style. Only the royal soldiers could wear them, it would be like… a part of their uniform! What do you think?"

"That's a great idea!"

"Dad, you can't be serious?" Marianne turned around facing them with her fists on her waist. "Wouldn't that be horribly expensive? You know these things don't last forever."

The king seemed taken aback by his daughter's opposition. "No, there's a new technology that's been developed in the South. Haven't you heard?"

"Oh, me, Dad, I've heard!" Dawn chipped in, a hand over her head. "It's the Miracle Powder, isn't it? That's what I'm wearing!"

"Exactly!" The man turned excitedly to his younger daughter. "And isn't it beautiful? Besides, it can only be erased with the Miracle Eraser, so even water can't alter the colour."

"Well…" Marianne hesitated, not sure why she didn't approve of his idea. "I don't know… I don't think the elves would approve of the spending."

"They'll be able to recognize a soldier even when they're not in armour," her father replied immediately. "If they're in trouble, they'll know which fairies can help them."

"That's…" Marianne pinched the space between her eyes, annoyed. "Seriously, no. If the soldiers can be recognized even when they're not working, it means they never really stop working. Who wants that kind of job?"

"Being a soldier is a dedication to your kingdom. I'm sure they'd be proud to wear its colours. Who knows, maybe it'll even attract more fairies in the army, just so they can have the same!"

"And I assume the current soldiers wouldn't have a choice?"

"No, of course not. Unity, my dear! There would be no irregularity. They'll be one, beautiful mass of strong soldiers wearing the colours of their kingdom. It'd show our enemies that we are one, that we are organized, and so, that we are powerful!"

Dawn clapped her hands, laughing excitedly again. Marianne sighed.

"I don't know, Dad. If I were them and I was told I had to dye my wings or resign, I wouldn't be thrilled."

"But you're different, my dear. You're not one to want to blend in with the group. It's okay, everybody has the right to their opinion…"

"Dad, drop it. It's simply not a good idea. Besides, what enemies do we have?"

The king raised his hand in defence, slightly frightened. Marianne couldn't tell if he was serious or not.

"Oh, the King of the Dark Forest is a sinister creature, my dear."

"Are you kidding? They never visit, we never visit. They're just neighbours. What kind of threat do you think they pose?"

"We can't take peace for granted, that's for sure! Not since he ascended to the throne all those years ago, when you were just a little girl, before even Dawn was born."

"Marianne," Dawn whispered, "don't you remember what happened to the Sugar Plum Fairy?"

It was Marianne's turn to be surprised into a short silence. "Of course I remember. And I still don't understand why we can't help her."

"My dear…" The king slowly approached his eldest daughter, not a hint of amusement in his expression. "The people of the Dark Forest are creatures we know nothing about. We have no idea of their number. In the grass, here, we are visible and very little protected. If they decide to invade, we may not stand a chance even with all the men and women of this kingdom."

He went back to his youngest daughter, his feet high in the air as he walked, like a teacher trying to look important. "Thus, if the king of the Dark Forest is happy that we don't bother them, it's best we keep it this way."

A friendly smile on his face, he returned his attention to Dawn.

"And with that, let's start sketching, my dear. I want to know your ideas!"

"Yes, let's get to it!"

Both went to sit at his desk, face to face. Marianne decided to drop the subject for now and hope they'd realize by themselves, later, that they couldn't impose such an invasive treatment to all those fairies just because they think it'd be "beautiful" or "look strong."

Then again, when did fairies not obsess over aesthetics?

Marianne stepped, naked, on the stone of her bath and the thin layer of fresh water at its bottom. When she started splashing her limbs, she shivered half from the temperature shock, half out of pure annoyance. Her sprites floated by, staring absently.

In the Dark Forest, right on the other side of the Fairy Kingdom's border, lived goblins, kappas, fairy-like insects and other creatures with no name. Their king supposedly lived in a castle in the middle of the realm. Some said he was an exiled, cursed fairy. Others swore he was anything but a fairy. In all cases, he was a strange myth of cruel, but peaceful reign.

Apparently, they found their resources mostly in the wild land. Rumour was their army only spontaneously formed, meaning citizens could join fights they agreed with and stayed away from those they didn't. It was even written, in one recent book, that their territory had no delimitations or frontiers within it, and that their king only dealt with his people when there was significant trouble… or when he suspected someone from the Fairy Kingdom was among them. Otherwise, they said he was a lone ruler, with no court and no wife by his side.

It was also said, however, that the king himself prohibited love in the Dark Forest, and that his fury, when his rule was not respected, was terribly vicious.

Marianne wondered how an entire kingdom could accept a ban on love... but at the same time, she couldn't decide if she found it sad or if she was envious that they did.

The fairies' idea of "fun" was courtship, and ever since Roland had made a fool out of her, it made her want to gag. Through singing, dancing, poetry, gifts, random crafts, and careful, strategic decoration of their bodies, fairies constantly flirted with each other. It was a good thing they had offspring with such difficulty, or the kingdom would have been overpopulated.

Nobody else seemed to value the aesthetics of independence, of the strength of a single soldier. All they ever thought about was what others thought about. There was so much vulnerability in letting other people's opinions matter, in depending on their good will to be happy. To trust anyone past the point of suspicion.

She believed herself to be pretty enough to be desirable even without the flowers and the lace and the flowy-showy of a long dress. One day, anyway, she would be queen, and just to earn themselves the title of king or co-queen, nobody would care what she looked like. She was the only one to appreciate the work she put in her appearance.

And in her opinion, she was most beautiful with a silver sword in her hands, sporting a fierce look, cutting through with grace and confidence.

Love was important, but it was fleeting, ephemeral, like smoke. And just like fire, when it broke, it could cause so much destruction. Never again would Marianne expose herself to such a risk. She had a promising life and no one would take it away from her.

She blinked and cursed under her breath. Some water had splashed over her right eye. She'd have to check on her makeup... again.

Marianne was tired of trying to fit in. Marianne wondered if anyone felt the same, sometimes.

～Hello, reader! You may find the choice of words is not 100% natural, or the grammar occasionally incorrect. I'm not an English speaker so if you notice any mistakes or have suggestions to improve it, I hope you will share your thoughts with me in a PM. Thanks for reading!