I Am Totally a Real-Life Wizard (Not Clickbait, I Swear!)

Valeri looked at them in disbelief. "Vendetta, I really want to punch you right now, because the only stupid thing about you is how you think you're stupid. The quest was my fault too-- I had a hundred chances to be stubborn and say, 'let's quit.' But I didn't, so that's on me."

Vendetta opened their mouth, but Valeri shushed them and continued, "And you know how you said you loved me for who I was? Well, guess what? Your trustingness is part of you too, and I love you for it. So don't ever say you're stupid, because then I might actually punch you. Got it?"

Vendetta nodded. “Okay.” They let out a sob and covered their face. “I won’t.”

Dawn sighed. “They grow up so fast.”

“Dusk, we’ve known them for a week.”

“The best week of my remembered life.”

“C’mere.” Valeri pulled Vendetta into another hug, and Dawn sniffled and glowed bright gold.

“This is so sweet. I feel like my blade’s going to melt.”

Dusk hummed in amusement. “Are you this sappy every time we’re awakened?”

“I can’t remember, but probably.” Dawn glowed an array of yellows and pinks.

Khalil chuckled, leaning his head on Cody’s shoulder. “How do you two feel now?”

Vendetta sniffled. “Better. Lighter, almost.”

Cody smiled. “I’m proud of you two.”

“Thanks.” Valeri smiled. “That was actually pretty freeing… I don’t think I’ve been so emotional in a long while. I think I’m all cried out for the next year, though… Anyways, should we try that light spell again?”

Vendetta nodded. “Yeah. I believe in us.” They stood up, shaking their head in a hard-reset kind of way.

Cody smiled and kissed Khalil on the cheek before turning the lights off again. “Alright. The floor is yours.”

Vendetta held out their hand.

Valeri held out her hand, right next to Vendetta’s.

“We got this,” they whispered.

Valeri once again imagined beams of light shooting from her fingers, and one by one, streams of light started faintly flickering to life.

Vendetta imagined their light waterfall again and soon enough, light began to pool in the palm of their hand. It was dim at first, and the surface of the light was agitated. They gasped. “Valeri! We’re doing it.”

“Coool.” Valeri’s wide eyes reflected the light. They flourished their fingers, and Vendetta’s light waterfall danced down Valeri’s moving beams. “It’s like a whole light show!” She watched in silence for a moment as the light splashed and twirled through the air like water. “You think we can change its color?”

Vendetta shrugged. "Let's try it."

Vendetta looked back at their hand and imagined it turning navy blue, the light dimming under the weight of its hue.

And sure enough, it did. The light flickered for an instant before switching hues dramatically, casting the room in thick shadows.

Valeri grinned and imagined her light becoming a deep violet. The room quickly became awash in shades of twilight, and Valeri visualized pinpricks of light shooting out from the fingertips of their other hand. “Look, it’s like the night sky!” Valeri wiggled her fingers and made the light flicker through the colors of the rainbow. “Vendetta, you were right. Magic is pretty neat.”

Vendetta laughed. "Yeah! It is."

Cody flicked the lights back on. "See? I knew you could do it."

Khalil clapped politely, a massive grin on xer face. "Amazing job, you two."

Dawn and Dusk hummed in agreement.

“Alright then. How about we try a healing spell now? This should be able to take care of most physical wounds Josephinzo might inflict.” Cody held up a piece of paper. “There’s both a potion version and a spoken/gestured version. Both have their benefits, but which one would you like to learn first?”

Vendetta cocked their head to the side. "What are the benefits?"

"Incantations are more practical, but potions are more extensive." Cody carefully folded the paper. "So, the incantation's good for a nasty cut or a bruise. But you would need a potion for a broken leg."

“Hm. Can we learn the incantation version first? I don’t feel like going ingredient hunting so soon after our last errands.” Valeri grimaced.

“No problem. For the incantation, the words are, ‘Heal what has been hurt, save what has been lost, make the clock reverse to return the health that once was mine.’”

“Wait, isn’t that like the song from Rapunzel…?”

Cody shrugged. “A lot of movies and popular media take inspiration from magic.”