Eighth and Ninth

11:49 PM - The Eighth

As soon as the loop starts, I know exactly where to go—the only road she can wheel her cart through leading from that park to the square. The moment I spot her, classy lady that I am, I make sure to greet her with a boulder straight to the face.

She goes tumbling to the ground, and I follow up with another boulder. However she manages to propel herself out of the way with a burst of water just in time.

“Who are you?!” she growls.

“Doesn’t matter! If you think I’m letting you get to that ceremony, you’ve got another thing coming!”

“Oh yeah? And you’re gonna stop me?”

“Or die trying.”

“That’s a lot of bluster—let’s see you back it up!”

We spend the next few minutes slinging spells back and forth, keeping each other at bay. Thankfully, all I have to do is run out the clock—and she knows it.

Growing impatient, she goes all in, forging a blade of water from her wand and charging at me.

Seizing my opportunity, I fire a ball of dirt at her head. She quickly slashes it—

“ARGH!”

But is blinded by the ensuing puff of dirt. I send another boulder straight into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her wand flying.

Before she can recover, I jump on top of her and point my wand directly at her head.

“Move one inch, and I’m sending a pillar of stone straight through your skull! Now tell me who you are!”

After a minute of struggling to catch her breath, she finally sputters: “Katerina Angledangle! I… I just moved here a few weeks ago! Please! Don’t hurt me!”

Angledangle? That’s the least threatening villain name I’ve ever heard.

“Tell me—why were you trying to sabotage the ceremony?!”

“Sabotage it?! I was trying to help!”

“Liar! If I hear one more fib come out of your mouth, so help me, I’ll—”

“It’s the truth! I swear! Mister Alistair asked me to release all these bottles right before midnight! Said it’d create a beautiful shimmer to surprise everyone with during the ceremony!”

“But you attacked Jinx—”

“I would never attack him! He’s my precious little angel!”

“Your—ARE YOU THE DUMBASS WHO’S BEEN FEEDING HIM TREATS ALL THIS TIME?!”

“It’s making him happy!”

“It’s making him obese! Ugh! So I assume you’re the one who’s been messing with his collar, too?”

“You gonna yell at me for that too?! They’re just crystal-streaked stones I find sometimes—they’re sparkly! I’m making him pretty!”

“You’re unbelievable, you know that, right?! Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to mess with other people’s pets?!”

“Hasn’t anyone ever taught you to share?”

“You’re such a—wait, you never told me. What’s the spell you attacked him with?”

“I don’t attack him! I mean, there’s this little hex I like to spray him with for good luck whenever we say hello, but he likes it! He always leaps right toward it! Besides, what’s the big deal? It’s just a little enhancement spell. He’s a cat—it’s not like it does anything. Mister Alistair taught it to me on a whim.”

Suddenly, it hits me. All the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, and I immediately feel sick to my stomach. This entire time, it was him! It’s always been him! I can’t believe I didn’t notice it sooner! I have to—

GONG-KABOOM!

11:56 PM - The Ninth

“AAAAHHHH!”

I scream as I leap off Katerina and bolt toward the town square, running faster than I’ve ever run in my life. With just four minutes left, even if I can make it to the square, it’s going to come down to the wire.

What’s worse—

“Hey! Come back here!”

Katerina chases after me, forcing me to dodge spells as I sprint. I duck around corners, leap over obstacles, and take every last shortcut I can think of.

As the town square comes into view, Katerina shouts, “Stop her!”

Before the guards can tackle me, I fire a pillar of earth from the ground with all the force I can muster, sending me catapulting through the sky.

Everybody in town gawks, dumbstruck, as they witness a witch fly.

A completely ordinary sight under any other circumstance, but without a broom?

Definitely not ordinary.

Using every last drop of mana I’ve got left, I conjure a cushion of dirt to break my fall as I tackle Master to the ground.

“What—”

Without hesitation, I shoot my arm out toward him—

—and grab Jinx.

I tear off his collar and toss it up into the sky as high as I—

GONG-KABOOM!

Everybody looks up at the explosion, then turns to me, utterly speechless…

Including Master.

I flop onto the ground and take a moment to catch my breath, before choking out an explanation.

Jinx’s collar… some moron stuck a crystal-streaked jasper on it… normally harmless… but with all the mana in the air… it got supercharged… was bound to blow… and when it did… it set off a chain reaction with all that mana in the air… total powder keg… would’ve destroyed the artifact… and the whole town with it… so yeah… close one.

The crowd erupts into chatter.

Master stares. “You really were telling the truth… yet I—wait, what loop were you on? How many minutes did you have left—-”

“Four.”

“...Your fourth loop?”

“Four minutes.”

Master immediately vomits into a nearby cauldron.

He staggers toward me and helps me to my feet.

“Uh, well, everybody… considering we were literal seconds away from all dying, and Felicity just saved us, I think she’s earned herself a little thank-you. What do you say?

The townsfolk break into thunderous celebration.

Master leans over. “Any idea how you even ended up in that time loop?”

I let out a tired chuckle. “I think that was thanks to you, Master.”

“...What.”

“The enhancement hex you taught Katerina… it was amplified by The Witching Hour, and I was holding Jinx when it hit us.”

“So? There’s nothing to enhance.”

“That’s the thing—I think Jinx might be…”

I lean close and whisper.

“...a monster.”

Master stares blankly.

“This girl, Nora—she mentioned spotting a Nekomata in town. Apparently, it’s a feline monster with abilities revolving around life—and it’s got two tails. The enhancement spell might’ve kicked Jinx’s abilities into overdrive, letting him share them with me.”

Jinx strolls up to us. “Mreow?”

Master briefly gazes at Jinx before bending down and giving him scratches. As Jinx purrs, Master glances back my way with an uneasy smile.

“Let’s just, uh, keep this our little secret, alright?”

I giggle. “Okay.”

***

After the festival ends, we gather the unused supplies and bring them back to our shop.

“I’m… sorry I didn’t get you your supplies, Master.”

“Well, there’s always next year. Besides, I think you were doing something just a little more important.”

“Maybe.”

We both laugh…

…until suddenly, sadness fills Master’s eyes. “I… I’m so sorry for doubting you, Felicity… for leaving you to face all of that alone. I can’t even begin to—”

I shake my head and smile. “It’s okay, Master. We’re safe and together, and that’s all that matters.”

He smiles back. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Actually…” I start to fidget. “I was hoping, if it’d be alright with you, Master… maybe we could spend the day together in town tomorrow.”

“Of course. After the night you’ve had, I think you’ve earned—”

“As a date.”

“Felicity…”

“I… I’m in love with you, Master… I think I always have been… Looking back, what kept me going through all that hardship tonight… it was the fear of you getting hurt.”

I start tearing up.

“It’s just… if anything were to happen to you, I don’t know what I’d—”

Master pulls me in and kisses me, and it feels like the whole world is spinning around me.

His lips are so soft, his face so warm… I did imagine my first kiss tasting a little less like vomit… but honestly?

Still magical.

He pulls back. “I… I’ve never said anything because I was worried about ruining our relationship, but… I’ve actually felt the same way for quite some time now. Your chipper attitude… your inspiring work ethic… your cute little smile… I just love it all so, so much.”

“R-really?! So it’s a yes to the date?!”

“On one condition."

“…Yeah?”

“I want you to stop with all this ‘Master’ nonsense. It pains me to see you always put yourself down. All I did tonight was put on a little magic show. You? You saved the entire town. You’re amazing, and I want you to start treating yourself that way. I want for you to be Felicity, and for me to be Alistair—just two partners in alchemy… and perhaps a little more… if… if that’s alright with—”

I interrupt him with a kiss… and pull back with a big smile.

“Nothing would make me happier, Alistair.”

— THE END —