The Purple Pebble
In the closed-off city of Cerise, magic-users are looked down upon for having no actual skills other than the ones they were given at birth; This, naturally, was not always accurate.
The citizens of Cerise called the magic-users many things; witches, wizards, crafters, diviners, sages, you name it. Eventually the citizens of Cerise came to a consensus: the magic-users must be marked. No witch or wizard shall ever pretend to be a normal human again. And so, all of the known magic-users in Cerise were branded-- a rune representing how high of an ability they possessed. It burned deeply, a shiny violet, on their shoulders.
One particular girl-- a nameless child who was forsaken because of her abilities, managed to survive alone on the streets, with the aid of magic. Though the people who walked by her either glared or ignored her altogether, she still smiled back at them. Who was she to judge them for not having an ability, just because they judged her for having one? She realized early on that the circle of hate and misunderstandings had to stop somewhere, and so she decided that she would be the one to do so. A childish fantasy.
On a frosty morning when the cobblestone roads were glazed with frost, a chance encounter took her by surprise. A young prince, his golden hair like a beacon in the mist, walked past her. She was in love at first sight. Before she could stop herself, her dirt-encased hands gripped his red satin coat. He whipped around quickly to shoot her a menacing gaze before striking her across the cheek. Her face throbbed painfully as the prince warned her: "Do not ever touch me with those filthy hands of yours again, peasant. You are nothing more than a pebble in my path, and you shall be treated as such. Learn your place in life and be thankful that I did not order your immediate execution on the spot. Now begone from my sight!"
The girl felt hot tears sting her eyes. They overflowed, and left streaks on her sooty face. Nothing more than a pebble? She slumped against the wall of a nearby building and let herself fall to the ground. If it's a pebble he thinks I am, then a pebble I shall be. And thus, the girl had found her name: Pebble.
The years passed and the girl known as Pebble grew to be quite beautiful; she was lucky enough to be found by a fellow magic-user who had escaped and started up their own traveling circus of sorts, where their magical powers were showcased in the most extravagant and breath-taking ways. Without hesitating, Pebble joined the crew, and trained extensively for years to follow. It was here that Pebble laughed for the first time.
More years rolled by, and Pebble was now healthy as well as show-stoppingly beautiful. Nicknamed the Purple Prodigy for her act, she became the main event for many of their shows. Her act was not only amazingly executed, but it was done in a rebellious fashion as well; the costumes of the other performers were pretty, but modest. But not Pebble's. She wanted to broadcast her pride for being a magic-user by wearing a costume decked out in many shades of purple, and by not covering up her rune scar.
While preparing for a show, Pebble overheard some of the audience members discussing some terrible event that occurred recently in the city of Cerise-- her hometown! Perhaps it was not much of a home, but it was still hers. Apparently there was an uprising from a guild of magic-users, and they turned the entire city of Cerise into stone.
Pebble's heart skipped a beat; though he had been unkind, she still felt love towards the prince. She had never seen anything so beautiful before in her ugly, ugly world. It had become her life's ambition to change his mind about her-- and the rest of the magic-users as well. Her mind was made before she had even thought it through. She had to go back to Cerise.
Without a second thought, she ran away from the traveling magic circus and paid a carriage driver to take her to Cerise. The news must have traveled fast, for the old man insisted that the farthest he would take her would be the town gates. Pebble reluctantly agreed, eager to see her prince again.
The town was cold and gray; moreso than it had been in her memory, for now everything was sheathed in icy marble. Pebble reached the palace, slipped through an open window, and raced down the labyrinth of hallways, searching for her prince. She found him in the audience chamber, his porcelain face frozen in time. Pebble caressed his cheek, and then remembered how much he disliked it before, and retracted her hand.
Her magic skill had developed over the years, and as she tried to revive the city with her own magical power, she soon realized that it was no use. Dozens of magic-users had cast this spell; she could not break it. Tears sprang to her eyes in dismay. There was one other option.
Pebble stood in the center of the room, concentrating. She was not broadcasting her power this time, but rather, trying to withdraw the magical essence that had consumed the town. She felt the warmth begin to leave her body as the stone spell was released from the citizens of Cerise, and replaced upon her. The last thing she was able to see, was the face of her prince, flush with life.
The prince looked into the eyes of the stoney maiden before him, and saw the error of his ways. His kingdom would not have been attacked if it were not for the prejudice they had displayed. And despite said prejudice, this unknown girl took it upon herself to release everyone from their fate.
Though many magic-users tried, they were unable to remove the spell from the girl. And so, she was displayed in a garden in the center of the kingdom, and a new name was bestowed upon her: "The Violet Angel: Princess of the People, Savior of Cerise".
~* The End *~
