That was a long time ago.
Vivian strolled through the flower field, every flower bowing to her as she passed. She'd respond with loving caresses, her fingers gentle against each petal.
Through countless cycles of sun and moon, Vivian repeated this action. Even she'd forgotten the meaning of doing so, but she knew she needed to do it. This was the "trajectory" Avalon had given her.
Yes, no need to think. Just do it.
Those fairy eyes went from clear to cloudy again and again, then were lit up once more.
After caressing the last flower, Vivian knelt on a sunflower's disc, silently counting time in her heart. She remembered there were still thirteen minutes before she'd receive notification to go to the next scene.
"So peaceful."
"After completing this time, maybe I should be like Fortuna." Vivian calculated. Though this would somewhat disappoint Maleficent, it was unavoidable.
Weren't people like them becoming fewer and fewer in Avalon now?
Even Arthur couldn't endure it anymore, despite Merlin giving him so many blessings... Yes, the Knight King would always occupy a place in Avalon, but Arthur... what?
She heard the sound of glass shattering.
Then she raised her head and saw an "anomaly" abruptly inserted into the unchanging scene.
The entire flower field's sky was covered with cracked patterns, and a "cocoon" wrapped in countless golden threads fell from the sky, landing straight before her.
Vivian glimpsed past glory from those golden threads, making her momentarily want to cry. Those brilliant years when the great wizard walked the earth, leaving countless mythical legends for mortals.
As if to embrace that era, she hugged the gradually cracking "cocoon".
Then came a baby's cry.
From that day on, Vivian briefly broke free from the "locks" placed upon her.
The "Fairy Sage" reclaimed her former name, the "Fairy Godmother", which no one had called her since eight hundred years ago.
"Looking back, it's really been such a long time..."
Vivian set down her teacup, watching the "meteor" falling from the distant sky.
"That child grew up so big without me noticing... Maleficent, how far is he from becoming a great wizard? I estimate it won't be many years."
Maleficent didn't turn back to look, stirring the sugar in her coffee with deliberate precision.
"Perhaps he'll cross that threshold even faster than Merlin."
Waiting for no answer from Maleficent, Vivian answered herself, adjusting the petals beneath her for comfort.
"His talent's unquestionable. He just lacks tempering."
"I still don't want to quarrel with you, Maleficent. Don't let our friendship develop cracks."
"I don't understand, Vivian." Maleficent showed a vulnerable expression Sterling had never seen, her usual composure cracking.
"How many days and nights have we supported each other? Vivian, Sterling's only in his teens. Your days with him are merely a fraction of ours..."
"But he calls me Godmother." Vivian's voice softened. "No, I know he stopped being willing to call me that after age nine, but I know in his heart, I'm still his godmother."
Vivian's eyes followed the falling Sterling, watching him fly straight toward the snowfield, still adjusting angles to fly deeper... A smile floated on her face.
Already beginning to master the ability to traverse Avalon, Sterling.
"Vivian!" Maleficent slammed the table hard, black wings extending from behind her, blocking the distant Sterling from view.
"You know who your true godson was long ago, eight hundred years ago..."
"That's exactly the problem!" Vivian's small hand produced sound no less than Maleficent's.
"Where's your princess? Your princess still sleeps in your tower, waking again and again, sleeping again and again. How I wish I could trade with you, even if that meant bearing the same burden as you!"
"Why did the void appear in my domain? Why was it..."
Vivian vanished the spilt tea with a Vanishing Charm and turned away.
"Sorry, Maleficent, I lost composure."
"I never thought you... no, nothing."
Maleficent silently retracted her wings, but Vivian still couldn't see Sterling. He'd already landed on the ground, disappearing into endless white connecting heaven and earth.
A long silence stretched between them.
"Death's place. Still haven't found it?" Vivian actively broke the silence, but Maleficent felt no happiness.
"The present world isn't our jurisdiction. Who knows where that Death Magic fragment drifted?"
"Don't know?" Vivian laughed once, the sound bitter. "Then if I tell you who carries the Death Magic fragment now, can you solve this matter?"
Maleficent didn't speak, only drinking coffee.
"I knew you wouldn't. Whether the Death Magic fragment fell out by itself or was deliberately placed in the present world, you know better than I."
Vivian expressionlessly cancelled the table's transformation.
"Just for acceleration."
"You're not even willing to wait a few more years, though those years are but fleeting moments to you."
Vivian flew away, leaving only Maleficent holding coffee in place.
Out of final respect, Vivian didn't cancel the coffee's transformation. After Maleficent drank the last sip, the teacup shattered into fragments at her pale fingertips.
She remembered long, long ago when Vivian had come to wake her from the tower, happiness radiating from every gesture.
"What are you doing? You know I'm about to prepare for the next..."
"That won't happen again, at least not recently." Vivian had smiled, gently cradling the tiny child in her palm. His eyes were beautiful pink, like the last sunset glow.
"Andersen, say teacher... teach... er. No, say it like godmother... teach... er..."
"Wait, why have I never seen him in Avalon?"
"Of course you haven't seen him. Let me tell you, Andersen came from the present world."
What a beautiful afternoon that had been. That moment when the sweet, tingly feeling arose in her heart, she still remembered it perfectly.
But both she and Vivian had made an error.
Vivian might've forgotten, but she wasn't in as poor a state as Vivian, so she couldn't let go.
"Vivian... actually, he also calls me 'teacher'." The words tasted bitter on her tongue.
Green flames rose slowly, as if even her magic hesitated, and Maleficent vanished, leaving only a broken mirror reflecting nothing but emptiness.