The woman swallowed. “I…” Her voice trailed off again. “Just… mind allowing me some time to collect my thoughts? This is all a bit much. Besides, I’m… not good with heights.” She glanced down and shuddered. A fair request, I suppose. “Fine, we will continue this conversation once we reach my home. Soot, you better land on the broom, as I’m going to speed us up.” I cast the usual wind-warding enchantment as Soot landed on the broom’s tail.


    Once the enchantment was in place, I sped up to the fastest speed I could achieve and while remaining in control. Our new acquaintance turned pale as we sped up. “How fast are we going?” I glanced over at her. “Not sure, but at this speed, we will be back home in only a fraction of the time it usually takes.”


    I wasn’t kidding either, as a short while later we passed into the swamp, and it wasn’t long after that we could see the clearing with my home come into view among the trees. “Ah, home, sweet home.” I took us down and after a bit of circling got the broom into an angle that would not give my guest whiplash upon landing.


    Once we landed, she got off the room and immediately collapsed onto the landing, shivering like a leaf. “I don’t know how I kept myself on that damn thing. But never again!” I decided not to point out that not flying back out of the swamp would mean hours, if not days, of trekking through the swamplands and then the surrounding forests or heath.


    I stowed the broom and offered her a hand, which she took after a brief hesitation. Though, when I pulled her to her feet, she gave a surprised yelp. Not surprising considering I lifted her up with the same difficulty a normal person would lift an empty soda can.


    “Now then, welcome to my humble abode.” With the invitation done, the barrier would not stop her entry. As we entered, we found the living room empty, which meant Miva and the others weren’t back yet. Good, it would give me time to deal with our guest without having to explain the whole thing to Miva and Ivy.


    Sure, I trusted the two of them, but neither knew the entire story, after all. “Why don’t you take a seat while I get us both a cup of tea?” I gestured towards the couch as I moved towards the kitchen. When I returned, I found her sitting there looking a bit lost. It allowed me to get a good look at her, though.


    She looked to be in her mid-thirties, long curly black hair, though it was colored, if the brighter roots were anything to go by. A light spattering of freckles, and an old scar underneath her right eye. Her eyes were green and ever so slightly distant, clearly lost in thought. Her build was fit, and her arms lightly muscled, so someone who enjoyed keeping active.


    “Here’s your tea.” She flinched. “Wha? Oh! Thanks. Sorry, just lost in thought for a moment.” I broke into a mild smile. “I could see that. Now, then, why don’t you tell me how you wound up here?” She seemed to shrink into the couch a bit, before she took a sip of the tea and looked at it with a surprised expression.


    “Is something wrong?” She shook her head. “No, I just didn’t expect a tea blend like this.” Her voice sounded almost… wistful. She took another sip. “To answer your question. A long story short is that my last family member passed away about a week ago. We both knew it was coming, of course. But even so.”


    Ah. That wasn’t a fun thing to go through, that’s for sure. “I see. My condolences on your loss. Such a thing is never easy.” She offered a weak smile, then took another sip of her tea. "I was in a real rut after that. I didn’t really know what to do with myself. My social life has always been awkward, so I didn’t have any friends to support me either. Then one morning, as I sat there in the park, I get a text message."


    She chuckled. “Even now, the content seems silly, despite everything.” I eyed her over the top of my cup. “Oh, how so?” She put her own down and leaned back. “The message said. ''I made a mistake that cost your sister dearly many years ago. And while some would say my debt is paid off, I feel otherwise. Tell me your wish and I will make it so.'' Of course, that sounded like a bad hoax, and yet I couldn’t help but to say out loud, just as a whisper, ‘I wish I could see my sister again.’ She was always there for me when we were young, you know.” Her voice trailed off, but I was barely paying attention at this point.


    It… couldn’t be… could it? No, that was impossible… unless… If dimensional barriers didn’t matter… did… time, or did time just flow differently on Earth? There really was only one way to find out. “I see…” I took a deep breath and got to my feet. “Just a moment. I need to fetch a little something.” I went into the potion room and grabbed the memory crystal. When I returned, I held it out towards her. “Here, look at this, Meleri.”


    She looked up at me, confused for a second, then took the crystal. “Sure thing, hang on, when did I tell you my na-” Her voice died off as she looked at the memory in the crystal. First with shock and confusion, then she slowly lowered the crystal. “How… did you get this?” She sounded terrified, hopeful and desperate all at once. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she looked at me.


    “Allow me to formally introduce myself. Morgana Byrne, locally known as Morgana the Witch. Birthplace Dublin, Earth. Hello again… my dear sister…” My voice was at this point breaking up, with tears welling up in my eyes as well. The crystal clattered to the ground and rolled under the couch.


    “Mor… Morgana? But you look…” She shook her head, tears now streaming down from her eyes as well. “Prove it.” I paused for a moment. “When we were five, you said you wanted to be a vet like mom when we grew up, but in reality you wanted to be an astronaut. You never worked up the courage to tell her, or dad, before he passed.”


    The silence was so total we could hear Soot preen his feathers across the room. Then Meleri got up and pulled me into a crushing hug. Both of us broke down completely at this point. As we stood there hugging one another for several minutes, we were interrupted by a sudden flash from the table.


    I looked over and saw two things, a small red vial and a note with a very familiar script on it. This could be bad. “I should read that. It would likely be…. Unwise to do otherwise.” I went over and picked up the note with a sense of dread in my stomach. Surely, we weren’t in trouble, right? I took a deep breath and started reading aloud.


    “The breach in space-time near your home has been noticed and its origin, and what travelled through it, identified. After interrogating the culprit for their reasoning, it has been decided to not punish you or your sister, since you were not informed and your sister didn’t know better. However, your sister cannot remain in her current form.


    The reason is on a need to know basis, but know that the result would be cataclysmic if not handled promptly. As such, your sister will have to drink the contents of the vial that was delivered along with this letter. This is not optional. Failure to do so will force my hand in the matter, and your sister will be removed by force. The transformation will be rather painful, as it will be rewriting not just your sister’s body, but also her spiritual essence, attuning it to this world.


    You went through the same process, but lacked a physical body, so felt nothing. Fear not for her safety, however, as the content will give her a form similar to your own. I even threw in similar benefits like the ones afforded to you as an apology for usurping your siblings’ life like that. I assure you it is not standard practice at all. Consider the pain a mild cost for her continued existence. She has one hour to drink it as of finishing this message. That is all.”


    The message was signed with a stylized S and a signet seal of a flower of some kind held aloft by a bony hand. This was the third time total since my arrival that ‘S’ sent one of these notes. And just like last time, it was leaving me with just about as many questions as answers.


    I glanced over at Meleri, then at the bottle, which she was eyeing with more than a bit of reluctance. “I hate to say this, sis, but you will have to drink that. Not only can I assure you that the writer of this message is dead serious, but I can’t stop her should she decide to do anything. I’d be about as effective as a speck of dust in that regard. Oh, and since she says it’s painful, I’d recommend sitting down when you take it, just in case.”Stolen story; please report.


    She looked at the bottle once again and picked it up. “So green skinned and taloned, huh?” I shook my head. “Naah, that’s from the witchcraft. Before I started practicing in earnest, I looked almost human like, minus the cow tail.” She blinked a bit. “Oh, so you’re a Hulder, and have the green skin and stuff from being a witch.”


    That name rang a bell. And it all came rushing back to me. Scandinavian folklore from our repeated vacations there. I was really keen on that stuff as a kid, often playing at being a Hulder even. This ‘S’ must have read my memories and transformed me into one. “Huh… can you believe I have gone two centuries without knowing ‘what’ I am?” She was about to quaff the contents of the vial, but stopped to stare at me as I spoke.


    Then she burst out laughing so hard she almost dropped the vial. “If there was any doubt you were my sister, it’s now dispelled. Only you could be that forgetful.” I gave her head a soft bonk. “Yeah, yeah, now drink the damn elixir, and brace yourself. I doubt it will be pleasant.”


    She looked at the potion, then opened it, and with a displeased demeanor downed the content. The effect was immediate as she collapsed onto the couch with a pained groan. Even as I watched, her hair lengthened, and red streaks appeared through it similar to my own, while the discolored roots turned jet black. She also shrunk in size, while her appearance became more youthful. There was a ripping sound as a cow tail burst from her backside straight through her clothes. That must’ve been unpleasant.


    As all this happened, an emerald smoke-like energy was steadily rising from her body, before it slowly turned crimson, then poured back into her body through her mouth and nose. Not that she would notice, as by now she was passed out from the pain. Her eyes were closed and if I couldn’t see her twitch now, and then I’d fear she was dead.


    Finally, as the last of the energy returned to her body, she stirred and sat up. Soot, flew over, and looked at her with interest. “Wow, Mistress, she’s your spitting image, if you ignore the green skin, talons, and pointy ears.” Meleri glanced over at him. “Yeah? Well, I better be after that. Ugh, my head.” I glanced over at Soot. “It would seem ''S'' kept their word.” Meleri looked up at me with a confused expression. “Really, what makes you say… hang on, what language am I speaking right now?”


    Both Soot and I chuckled. “Yeah takes a bit to realize you’re speaking another language. I didn’t realize I was speaking in chirps and caws when I first met Soot, since the language part is so natural.” As I spoke, Meleri slowly got to her feet and nearly fell over because of the change in center of gravity.


    This also gave me a good look at her. She resembled me a great deal. The only actual difference was that I was ever so slightly taller. Oh, and the changes from my practice with witchcraft, of course. She’d look about a year my junior, essentially.


    As she staggered, she reached out towards the table, and with a simple grip tore a chunk of wood from it. “Careful now, sis. You''re way stronger than you’d think, given your appearance.” She looked at the chunk of wood in her hand and nodded. “Sorry about that…” she put the wooden piece down with great care. Once she let go of it, I mended the table with a simple gesture. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll get used to it fast. Give it an hour, and you shouldn’t have any problems with it.”


    Eyeing the newly mended table, she shrugged. “I’ll… take your word for it.” her voice broke into a coughing fit. “Want something to drink?” She gave me a silent nod, and I went into the kitchen and grabbed some berry juice. “Here you go, a refreshing glass of my finest juice.” She gulped down a mouthful, then paused for a moment to look at the glass, before she drained the content.


    “That was great. You made this?” I nodded. “With a bit of help from Soot, he has an excellent taste for berries that mesh well together. I can’t really rely on anyone else for that, since both Winter and Midnight, my other two familiars are carnivorous, and Ivy would just eat the berries.”


    As I spoke, the mirror suddenly lit up, and I could see Miva, Ivy, Tobin, Midnight and Winter appear on the other side. “Hey, Morgana… wait, am I seeing double?” I glanced over at Meleri, then walked over to the mirror. “Hey, never mind that, Kiddo, why are you still in Nettledale?” Miva glanced around for a bit. “Well… Sunflower invited all of us over for dinner tonight, but if we accepted we’d not be able to return before tomorrow, so…” Her voice trailed off.


    That actually suited me just fine. “Fair enough. You can stay over at Tobins tonight, as I doubt you’d be using his mirror to contact me otherwise. And Tobin, thank you for looking after the lil’ troublemakers.” The Brownie chuckled. “Not a problem, kid. She’s like a granddaughter to me, same as you. Though I will agree that she causes mischief.” He shot Miva a glare.


    I took a deep breath, even as Meleri walked over and watched our conversation with interest. "What did she do now?" Tobin glanced at all three. “I am fussy on the details, if I’m being honest. The Matriarch was not amused by whatever it was, however.” I closed my eyes and slowly counted to five before opening them again. "Ivy… What. Were. You. Thinking? You let Miva near the Matriarch and her brood? She could have gotten eaten, for crying out loud. The pact your village has with those spiders might provide protection to you and the other Fae, but Miva does not meet that requirement."


    Tobin stepped up and grew enough to cover the entire mirror. “Wow, wow, wow, calm yourself, Morgana. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. The Matriarch ventured down from the top of the tree and encountered Miva at the base, where we all were relaxing in the afternoon sun. I am not sure why, but her reaction to seeing the kid was… downright hostile. Since I can’t understand a peep of what the Matriarch says, I do not know what set her off. Might have a history with doppelgangers from before they moved into the tree, I don’t know. Either way, Ivy says the kid was given an ultimatum to stay out of the upper reaches on pain of death. If I’m being honest, I thought she was going to throttle the kid.”


    I took a deep breath to calm myself. “I… see. Sorry, Ivy.” Ivy popped into view. “It’s fine. I can understand your reaction. The Matriarch isn’t someone to mess with, after all. Can you believe she was once so small she made her web between mine and Sunflowers’ houses? She was much less grumpy in those days, too.” She then looked over at Meleri. “So who''s that? I thought I was seeing double at first, but now I see a bunch of tiny differences.” I lifted a hand to stop her before she began rambling.


    “I’ll properly introduce you to one another when you return tomorrow. Why don’t you join them too, Tobin? I have some mead brewing that I’d like your opinion on, courtesy of Winter.” Tobin’s bearded face broke into an eager grin. “I’ll take you up on that. See ya tomorrow, kiddo.” The mirror returned to normal. “Pixies, brownies, and I take it the cat and the owl are your familiars, given you said they were carnivores. Not sure what the kid was, though. This really is a fantasy world. Also, what was that about mead?”


    I blinked. “Oh, the mead? I brew it. It’s a hobby of mine. Some of it is pretty popular, too, since I trade some of it with Nettledale and sell a barrel or two over in Nekkal now and then. I would offer you a taste, but considering you just consumed an elixir, that would be a bad idea. If you’ve taken potions or elixirs, you should not touch alcohol for a few hours, as the result can be… unpredictable.”


    Meleri tilted her head. “Elixir, not potion?” I shook my head. “There is a clear distinction between potions, witch’s brews, and elixirs. Potions have a finite duration and lasts between a few hours and days tops. Elixirs are far more powerful, and almost always confer some kind of permanent effect on the drinker. There are exceptions, like healing elixirs, since the healing happens instantly. But an Elixir of Healing could save someone on the brink of death, while a Major Healing Potion would require multiple to achieve the same. Elixirs also don’t cause potion sickness. Brews are essentially elixirs, but only witches can make them, and the ingredients are… weird and/or unpleasant. And before you ask, think of potion sickness like a hangover.”


    Meleri just shook her head. “Ugh, this is so much to take in right now.” I pulled her in for another hug. “Oh, I understand that, trust me. I know. If you’d like, I can enchant your dreams tonight to give you a rundown on how things work, so you don’t seem completely lost when you meet the locals.” Meleri broke the embrace and just looked at me. “You can… do that?” I gave her a slight shrug. “It’s not that hard. I have two centuries of practice, after all.”


    We spent the rest of the night reminiscing about the past and catching up. I also informed Meleri about what happened to me that fateful day, leaving nothing out. “Two centuries, huh? I can understand why you didn’t recognize me then, aside from the age difference and dyed hair, I mean. That long must make it difficult to remember our faces clearly.”


    I sighed as I picked up the memory crystal from the floor. “I have a few memory crystals with memories of you, mom and even dad. So I can remember you all clearly. The reminder is in my bedroom, however….” My voice trailed off. Hmm, speaking of bedrooms, that could be an annoying issue. I only had one guest bedroom. Which meant… “Meleri, you can use the guest bedroom tonight, and share mine for a few days starting tomorrow, since that’s technically Miva’s room for the week since I’m babysitting her. I hope you don’t mind.”


    She waved me off. “Not at all. If I’m being honest, I wouldn’t mind sharing tonight, just so I won’t think it was all a dream when I wake up tomorrow.” Just then, the clock rang… eleven times. “Well, it’s late. We should probably get some sleep. We have lots of time to continue catching up tomorrow.” I showed Meleri the way to the bathroom and lent her one of my spare nightgowns, then led her to the guest room.


    “Goodnight, sis.” I pulled her in for yet another hug, while silently casting the spell as I did so. “See you tomorrow.” She reciprocated the hug before she entered the room and closed the door. Shortly after, I too went to bed, though it took me a while to calm down enough to finally fall asleep.