Redeemed - Apologies

Redeemed - Apologies

The spiral of green magic soared over the tall mountains and lit upon a high grassy meadow beside a weatherbeaten road. The magic burst into sparkles as the group dressed in traveling clothes set down. Celestina grounded her staff with a soft thud on the grass. Chedrick held her hand and Diablo flapped his wings to steady himself as the wind caught his feathers.

“So, this was your home.” Chedrick said.

“Yes.” Celestina’s quiet word was lost in the wind but they knew.

Aurora, Phillip, Rapunzel and Eugene looked down into the green valley.

“It’s beautiful.” Aurora said.

Aurora tightened her hairband as she turned to her friend, “Are you ready?”

Celestina shrugged.

Rapunzel touched her arm. “You’ve been so brave searching out of those you hurt. The apology you made where Riverton had been was heart-wrenching. if you need time that is fine.”

Celestina shook her head.

Celestina started them carefully down the rotted road and down into the valley that had once contained her home. Rapunzel settled her braid-pack on her shoulders and with Eugene’s hand in hers they started down with the others.

There were a number of boulders that had obviously once been building stones peeking out from the moss and grass.

There was the stand of fruit trees that had grown wild.

There were mounds of earth covered by soft grass and small white flowers.

It had been years since the great renewal.

Yet everything dead was still dead.

Celestina led them to the large white stone under a strong tree. The old tree looked young still.

They stood quietly for a long moment, they knew what happened her.

Celestina knelt. She ran her staff over the ground and two crowns and a coronet rose from the dust. She put the coronet on.

“Mummy. Da. I'm sorry that all this happened to you and our people. I never meant for this to happen. I avenged you, but that didn't help me. I was a bad girl for a long time. But my friends, my sisters came to my rescue and I am better now. I am trying to make things right. I love you with all my heart. I miss you and Henri and everyone. I wish things could have happened differently, but they didn’t. I hurt so much and hurt others to try and deal with it. Then people started loving me and I remembered. I even found true love in the midst of hell.”

She smiled at Chedrick, but the smile faded.

“I am so sorry for all the evil I have done. I didn’t deserve all this but I have made every effort to make things right again, even though my puny efforts can never be enough. I don’t know where I will end up but I have good people to be with. They help me fight her every day and stay good. I finally have reasons and that is about all I can hope for. Good-bye.” She placed a gentle hand on the white rock. Tears filled her eyes, then she embraced the rock and wept over what had happened.

The others were next to her to hearten her, eventually she rose with the crowns and gave them to Chedrick, who put them in his pack to carry.

Rapunzel took Celestina’s hands in her own. “You made peace with the kingdoms Maleficent controlled. You searched out, apologized and made restitution to all the victims of Maleficent that could be found. We’ve been to Riverton and Passhold. Will you allow yourself happiness?”

Celestina shook her head, “One last place.”

“Just one?”

“Just one. I promise.” They squeezed hands. Rapunzel smiled as she knew Celestina meant it.

“Okay.”

Celestina took up her staff and gathered everyone in a swirl of bright green magic.

The magic faded and they were in an overgrown clearing. Nearby the rocks of a partially fallen chimney jutted above the shattered roof of a cottage. They walked through the bracken toward a partially sheltered bed.

A loud snap came from under Phillip’s boot. “Wait. That’s a human bone.”

“Yes, one of mine.” Celestina said.

“One of yours? These are all yours?” Phillip asked as they looked around and saw many scattered bones.

“Don’t you remember? The reason it took so long for Maleficent to return was because this bed was broken and predators came and ate me when the spell failed. I put up what fight I could but I was still easy prey. Then after I died the spell began regenerating me again.”

“I’m so sorry.” Phillip said.

“I deserved that and worse.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“I was the Mistress of All Evil.” Celestina shrugged before turning to the reminds of the cottage.

“Magen… Magen I am so sorry that I killed you. You were such a good person. You said you would keep me safe. You meant it. You tried to keep me safe from myself. I just wanted the pain to stop. I found I was a monster, horribly disfigured on top of been pregnant with the seed of my rapists and the destruction of my kingdom.

You never even knew who I was. I was hurt and lost and you just took me in and healed me and even threw yourself into my spell to try and save me. You are the best person I have ever known. You didn’t deserve this end. I tried to live up to your example, to give my life to save my new friends from the consequences of my decisions. They didn’t let me die either. Thank you for believing in me after all hope was lost.

My babies. I am sorry I hated you. You were innocent of everything that had happened to me. You did not ask for any of this. I should not have destroyed you. I am sorry I wasn’t strong enough to try to raise you. I’m so sorry.” Celestina finished in tears.

Aurora and Rapunzel hugged her tightly until she was done mourning everything she had done there.

Chedrick finally held out a handkerchief. As she cleaned herself up he asked gently, “Is there anything left to do?”

Celestina blew her nose and looked around. She handed the handkerchief back. “No, this was the last place. There is nothing left to do.”

“Are you willing to give happiness a chance?”

Celestina looked down and shrugged. Aurora and Rapunzel shared a look, part concerned and part exasperated. They had been working with her for a long time.

Chedrick knelt before her so she could see him.

“Celestina?” She looked at him.

“Will you marry me?”

“I can still hardly believe any could love me after everything I did. I’m dangerous, are you sure?”

“I am.”

“I will.”

Aurora and Rapunzel took the hands of their husbands and smiled at the sweetness of the love the were seeing.