Arcraea woke to see Marie sitting next to her, a worried look on her face. Arcraea groaned. She'd never felt this sore! Every part of her screamed. Marie started and excitedly almost-yelled, "Arcraea! You're alive!" Arcraea grimaced and propped herself up on her elbow. "So what happened?" Arcraea was not one for small talk. "After you blacked out, Amy and I defeated Branan, and now Ariana's here," Marie filled Arcraea in. "After that, we've pretty much just been waiting for you to come around."
At that moment, a tall messenger ran through the trees, carrying a bundle in his arms. "Eolande... while you were gone... she teleported to a different realm, it cost her several years... time goes faster there... she got married... had a child... died in a fight bravely... here," he gasped. He shoved the bundle into Marie's arms. Inside was a tiny baby with bright red hair. No, now it was orange. No, no, white. Marie noticed, fascinated, that the little girl's eyes changed with her hair. The white hair and icy blue eyes stayed for a while, until everyone started crowding around Marie. "What the..." "Wha..." "WHAT IN THE WORLD..." Her eyes turned green, and her hair turned orange. Then, in a split second, they turned black and purple (hair to eyes) and everyone but Marie was blasted back. "Powerful..." Marie whispered. "Are you kidding? I'll have a headache for a week!" Arcraea complained. Marie smiled a little. "Ciaran," she whispered. "It's a boys' name, but Marie can be one too in Scotland. Why not?" Ciaran's eyes and hair turned darker. "It fits," Marie continued, still with that slight smile. "After all, you are the daughter of an elf. Always, names have power." She touched Ciaran's forehead. "Ciaran, dark, shadowy. It's the perfect name." She didn't need to check the book for meanings. She just knew.
"Ciaran." Marie's voice sounded older, for a second. "Guaire wasn't my fight. I understand now. It's yours."
THE END
At that moment, a tall messenger ran through the trees, carrying a bundle in his arms. "Eolande... while you were gone... she teleported to a different realm, it cost her several years... time goes faster there... she got married... had a child... died in a fight bravely... here," he gasped. He shoved the bundle into Marie's arms. Inside was a tiny baby with bright red hair. No, now it was orange. No, no, white. Marie noticed, fascinated, that the little girl's eyes changed with her hair. The white hair and icy blue eyes stayed for a while, until everyone started crowding around Marie. "What the..." "Wha..." "WHAT IN THE WORLD..." Her eyes turned green, and her hair turned orange. Then, in a split second, they turned black and purple (hair to eyes) and everyone but Marie was blasted back. "Powerful..." Marie whispered. "Are you kidding? I'll have a headache for a week!" Arcraea complained. Marie smiled a little. "Ciaran," she whispered. "It's a boys' name, but Marie can be one too in Scotland. Why not?" Ciaran's eyes and hair turned darker. "It fits," Marie continued, still with that slight smile. "After all, you are the daughter of an elf. Always, names have power." She touched Ciaran's forehead. "Ciaran, dark, shadowy. It's the perfect name." She didn't need to check the book for meanings. She just knew.
"Ciaran." Marie's voice sounded older, for a second. "Guaire wasn't my fight. I understand now. It's yours."
THE END