Zaria

Her flowers are blooming.

Zaria places a gentle claw on one of the quivering petals, and smiles.

“Look, Zaria! Aren’t these flowers pretty?”

Yes, they are. In the light of dawn, they glow a soft magenta, just like the small Fae who introduced her to them.

“Shh! Not so loud!” The Fae hissed, clapping her tail over Zaria’s mouth. “Are you trying to expose us?” Zaria flattened her ears apologetically, trying not to make another sound.

“Must be quiet, now,” Zaria murmured to herself. “Wouldn’t want to startle the birds or anything, right?” She quietly wound her tail around a watering can and retrieved it from the shelf nearby.

“They told us our clanmates were leaving for apprenticeships,” Tosha murmured, brow furrowed. Zaria coiled and uncoiled anxiously behind her, not knowing what to do with the unwelcome information. “We have to go warn the others, they-”

The Fae stopped abruptly, wide eyes locked on something behind her. Her heart sinking, Zaria turned around. Oh no. She yanked Tosha away and raced off as fast as she could, but she could hear the thundering wingbeats of the clan guard behind her. “It’s too late, Zaria-” Tosha struggled to break free, but the purple Spiral would have none of that. Gritting her teeth, she flew faster, weaving through rows of dens and crisscrossing branches. I won’t let you go, not like this…

”Zaria!” Tosha hissed. Mind still whirling with adrenaline, she skidded to a halt and nearly crashed into a heap of unused scrap. “Listen, there isn’t any more time - take my hat.” Eyes glinting with determination, the Fae pushed the large hat into Zaria’s claws, and glanced in the direction they had come from.

“Run.”

She was shoved into the shadows, dark purple scales blending in with the near-black pools. Despairingly, she watched Tosha flutter out of hiding, leading their pursuers away from the alley - and then the snap of chains, and a despondent clang.

The last thing echoing in her ears is Tosha’s final request.

“Build a garden for us, won’t you? Just like we’ve always dreamed of.” A soft smile, and the image of the galaxy-clad Fae fades just like the setting sun.

The clatter of the trowel as it slides from her claws brings her back to the present. Zaria blinks once, twice, bending to water the last of the delicate flowers, and then turns to stare at the horizon, and the pale sun that has climbed its way up the sky.

Tosha… I’ve done it. I’ve made the garden we always wanted to have.


epilogue: she watches tosha’s exaltation. the fae is pushed into an endless marching line of dragons, streaming toward a grand structure in the distance. the lack of ceremonial respect is glaring and almost pitiful, but zaria can only grit her teeth and say nothing. tosha’s scales of dusk are marred with dust, blocking the light that used to glimmer from her constellations.

quietly, zaria watches her friend in the moving line. tosha is about to enter the structure. zaria cannot do anything but watch her resign herself to a fate she did not want, however glorious and noble it is. she misses her friend.

then tosha turns.

their eyes meet, and tosha smiles.

“we’ll meet again, zaria. maybe a year later, maybe two… but i’ll see you in the garden with the flowers of a new dawn.”