Ailish sat on a couch, reading a book that she hoped would help her better understand magic. Much to her disappointment, it wasn’t as helpful as she hoped it would be. Ailish has practiced using her powers daily for years and still, at the age of eighteen, she has not mastered them.

“Elemental magic is tough,” Ailish muttered to herself.

A familiar voice called out from across the room “You just don’t have the right teacher.”

Ailish jerked her head up with a start.

“God, you scared me, Andrew!” Ailish exclaimed.

Andrew tossed his auburn hair in annoyance. “I-I didn’t mean to,” he stammered.

“Well you did scare me,” Ailish repeated.

“My apologies,” Andrew replied, half genuine, half sarcastic. “Besides,” he continued, laughing, “I wouldn’t have disturbed you if it wasn’t important.”

Ailish crossed one leg over the other while closing her book and putting it on the table beside the couch. “This had better be good.”

Silence filled the room for a bit. Ailish watched Andrew’s face. She could see that he was carefully selecting the words he would use to share his thoughts.

“I think I found the cat you’ve been looking for for the past eight years,” Andrew said at last.

Ailish gave him a quelling look.“For real?” she queried. “Because you’ve shown me every black cat you saw for the last eight years and told me they might be the one I’m looking for.”

Andrew nodded with absolute certainty adorning his features. “For real. I’m more certain than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Ailish’s face filled with interest.“Any special things that caught your eye this time, anything different from the other times?”

“Emerald green eyes,” Andrew said, his face becoming more animated. “Slick black fur that looks gentle and soft. The cat has a longbow and quiver on its back as well as a sheathed sword or rapier clipped to its body.”

Ailish pondered this for a few moments.

A lot has changed since you last saw El. This cat sounds like it looks more feminine. The last time you saw El, they were masculine presenting. El’s parents never were the friendliest of people but they could fool the least observant of people. If I were El, I would have left them as soon as I had the chance.

Ailish processed her thoughts before coming to a final decision: It’s got to be El. This has got to be a sign from the universe that she’s going to reunite with her childhood best friend.

Eight years!

Andrew tapped Ailish on the shoulder. “Lisheria, what’s on your mind?” 

Ailish got up from her position on the couch and opened the front door of the house.“I think we should get going.” She looked at Andrew, looked outside then back at Andrew again.

Catching her drift, Andrew joined Ailish at the threshold of the door.“Let’s get going then.”

With that, the two of them went out the door and onto Ailish’s front lawn, shutting the door behind them. Once they reached a good distance from the house, Ailish picked up the conversation where it left off.

“So where did you see this cat you say you saw?” 

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “So now you care.”

Ailish shrugged.“I’ve always cared. There’s just stuff I can’t tell you yet.”

“Alright,” Andrew replied.

Andrew and Ailish crossed the road that passes through the forest. They continued on the field near the part of the forest where Andrew had spotted Ella earlier.

Andrew glanced sideways at Ailish.“What can you tell me?”

Ailish turned her head towards Andrew, her dark, frizzy hair sliding off the fair, dark skin of her neck as she did so. “About?” 

Andrew squinted at Ailish as if trying to read her mind. “Your connection to this cat that you’ve had me on the lookout for, for the past eight years that you’ve not so secretly been looking for yourself as well.” 

“Oh,” Ailish blurted out, a little taken aback. “Here’s what I can tell you: There’s a mystery that’s personal to me that I’ve been trying to solve for the past eight years. I can’t tell you more than that in order to protect the individual in question.”

“Fine by me,” Andrew declared as a laugh burst from his mouth, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.

Ailish laughed as well, cracking a smile in return.

Andrew's face softened and his tone became more serious, more gentle; more genuine as he turned his head to face Ailish as the two of them continued walking.

“Just know that you can talk to me,” Andrew phrased, coating each word with pure kindness. “I know that there’s stuff that you can’t tell me about right now but you’ll know when the time is right. You can tell me when both of you are ready. You and the mysterious cat person.”

Ailish gave Andrew’s shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks for being so understanding.” 

Andrew returned the squeeze.“I aim to be more understanding than my parents,” he said.

“You are,” Ailish affirmed. “You’re a good person, Andrew Brushenbush.”

Andrew grinned with a playful look on his face.“The same applies to you, Ailish Rivershore.” 

Ailish poked him in the ribs. Andrew tickled her behind the ear. Ailish recoiled, giggling hard.

Ailish frowned, glaring at her companion. “How did you know that was a ticklish spot?” she interrogated.

“Let’s just say I have my ways,” Andrew uttered with a smirk that implied that he took great pride in this knowledge.

The penny dropped as to where this information came from. She knew it was something only a younger sibling would know.

Soren. How dare my sister reveal my ticklish spots!

“That little rascal,” Ailish sputtered.

“Not so little anymore,” Andrew commented. “How did you figure it out so fast?”

Ailish gave her friend a knowing smile. “Adult intuition.”

“Come on, you’re only eighteen!” Andrew retorted. “You’re only on the cusp of adulthood! You’re still a teenager like the rest of our friend group!”

“Says the fourteen year old,” Ailish deadpanned.

Ailish and Andrew came to a halt at the edge of the forest.

Andrew reached out, offering his hand to Ailish.“Truce?” 

“Truce,” Ailish returned, taking Andrew’s hand and giving it a firm shake.

With that settled, the two of them entered the forest. As they got further from the edge of the town, the trees grew taller and closer together. Mist enveloped the treetops, cascading into the air around them, emitting the essence of something truly magical: the beauty of nature itself.

You never know what you might find in a forest like this one. You don’t always see them but magical beasts do inhabit this forest.

Ailish drew in a long breath, astonished.“Gosh, I haven’t been here in so long. I’d forgotten how gorgeous it is out here.”

Andrew exhibited the same look of wonder that Ailish did upon entering the forest. He lowered his voice so as not to disturb the inhabitants of the forest.“You should come here more often.” 

“Maybe I will,” Ailish breathed, lowering her voice as well.

Ailish and Andrew walked on for another minute until they reached the clearing where Andrew saw the cat. Sure enough, a slender, green-eyed black cat crouched near the bushes.

Ailish looked at the cat and gave her a thorough once over. She looked back at Andrew then back at the cat in astonishment.

“You can go home now, Andrew,” Ailish murmured, looking at the cat in awe.

Andrew nodded, taking one last mystified glance at the cat and jogged away, his red curls trailing behind him. Ailish waited until she was sure Andrew was gone before doing anything.

“Strange place to find a cat,” Ailish muttered. “Welcome home, El.”

El leapt into Ailish’s arms and opened their telepathic connection.

El’s voice rang out in her mind. So happy to see you, A.

Likewise, was Ailish’s silent response.

Let me make this quick. El insinuated. Talking telepathically is exhausting. 

Ailish nodded. Anything I can do? 

El brushed her furry head on Ailish’s neck and looked up at her with pools of soft emerald. Get me somewhere safe? 

Ailish patted El’s soft, velvety black fur. Sure thing. How does my backyard sound?

Excellent, El said and broke the telepathic connection.

Ailish held El even closer, cradling her against her shoulder so that the bulges of El’s weapons wouldn’t dig into her. She headed back towards her house, keeping to the shadows until she reached the gate to her backyard. 

She opened the gate  and closed it behind her without making a sound and set El on the ground with great care. She  scanned her backyard for signs of unwanted attention in a furtive yet inconspicuous manner. She checked the backyard three extra times to be sure that they weren't being watched.

Once she was satisfied, Ailish returned to El’s side. “Cloverleaf,” she whispered, loud enough that El could hear her.

El nodded her furry head in understanding. This was their password from their childhood. This was a code they made up to let each other know that they were not being listened to or being spied on.

Ailish watched El’s gradual transformation from cat form to human form in utter amazement. El’s longbow, quiver and rapier with its sheath and belt all grew to their regular sizes as El grew to her full size and height.

In no time at all, Ailish closed the distance between them and hugged El tight. El returned the hug with so much warmth and love that Ailish felt the eight years that they were apart, fall away.

“You look amazing,” Ailish remarked when they left each other's arms.

“So do you,” El replied in kind.

Ailish got down to business. “I don’t want to call you by the wrong name or pronouns but I don’t want to assume them either. What would you like me to use for you?”

Warmth filled El’s voice. “Thanks for asking. Not many people do.”

“Those people are either uneducated or stubborn idiots who need to learn respect and empathy,” Ailish asserted.

El shed a single tear. “I needed to hear that.” 

Ailish’s reply was simple; the easiest thing she’d ever said.  “Someone needed to say it.” 

“You can call me Ella,” El exhaled. “You’re welcome to keep calling me El but you’re the only person I will allow to use that nickname. I don’t like hearing it out of anyone else’s mouth. Besides, you coined it! And I use she/her pronouns.”

Ailish reached out and shook Ella’s hand.

“Well, Ella Rockfall, it’s nice to finally know you as the person you’ve always been inside,” Ailish acknowledged. “It means so much to me to see you living as your authentic self.”

Ella returns the handshake.

“It means the world to me to hear you say that.” Ella smiled in a way that filled Ailish’s heart with joy. “I always felt I could be myself around you. It’s nice to know that you’ve always seen me for who I am.”

Ailish let Ella’s radiance envelope her. “I see you, El, Ella. I always have and I always will.”

All fell silent as unanswered questions filled Ailish’s mind.

I want to know where Ella has been all these years but I’ll let her tell me when she’s ready. Now, we need to go inside before we attract unwanted attention. I  only hope we’re not too late.

“We should get inside if that’s alright with you,” Ella voiced, matching Ailish’s thoughts with verbalization.

“Absolutely!” Ailish exclaimed. “My parents will be overjoyed to see you.”

“Yeah, your Dads are great,” Ella agreed with a grin.

Ailish took Ella’s hand and led her inside. The two of them went into the living room to find Ailish’s parents and sister sitting there. They looked up at the sound of Ailish and Ella entering the room.

“Ailish is home!” Soren chirped, running over to hug Ailish. “And she’s got somebody with her!”

“Hello, Victor, Jasper and Soren,” Ella breathed. “It’s nice to be back in town.”

“Where you belong,” Soren muttered, recognizing Ella after all she had been through in the past eight years - the changes that showcased her true self.

“Soren! I haven’t seen you since you were five!” Ella cried. “How do you still remember me?”

“I think five-year-olds have a pretty good memory at that point,” Soren replied. “At least they do in my experience.”

Everyone laughed.

Ailish broke the silence and voiced what they were all wondering. “I don’t mean to prod but what brings you back to Everden?” 

“I won’t go into the details of it just yet but here’s the gist of it: My parents are dangerous people who want to control me and my powers,” Ella responded.

Jasper sat up in his seat. “So you need a safe place to stay.”

Ella nodded, her voice grave. “Yes. But I don’t want to impose.”

“One extra person is no trouble,” Victor quipped. “You could share rooms with Soren.”

Soren jumped up and proceeded to bounce around in excitement. “I’m game! More than happy to share with you… what should we call you?”

“Ella is fine,” was Ella’s automatic reply.  “And I use she/her pronouns.”

“We’ll work on that,” Jasper uttered and the others nodded in agreement.

“Don’t be afraid to tell us if we get it wrong,” Victor piped up.

“I won’t,” Ella promised.

“Welcome home, Ella,” Ailish intoned and there were murmurs of agreement all around.

The entire Rivershore family came together and enveloped Ella in a hug. When the hug ended, Ailish was relieved. Not relieved about the hug being over but relieved that she had found Ella at last after all these years.

I am going to sleep well tonight, now that my case is solved. I need to read at least 300 pages of my book on magic first. This way I’ll hopefully be closer to mastering my powers.

Things grew quiet as everyone settled in for dinner. Ella was home at last. She wasn’t forgotten by this family and she never will be.