Chapter Text
It was hard to remember as time continued to pass, the kind of witch she used to be. She had been young and powerful. And there were no consequences to her actions. At least none that she was aware of. Until it was brought to her attention.
It was a day that she never wanted to forget. Even if the rest of it was faded, not that she wanted to truly remember those long and shameful years. It was a special moment, though she wouldn't consider it such for some time.
She had felt the presence of another so she did the most reasonable thing she could think of. Attempt to destroy it. She could feel the magic. Feel it following her. She didn't care for stalkers or those that thought they could get a jump on her.
She let dark purple waves of her spell casting fly forward. But she could also feel her powers easily rebounded. Easily deflected and negated. Like she was nothing compared to the person on the other side. But she loved it. It was like electricity in the air. An amazing battle of spell casting and weaving magic. She grinned at all the strain and trouble this was. She'd never been challenged like this. A battle of all battles. If she could just somehow gain the upper hand she could-
And then she felt something sealing her. Locking her in place. Everything about her completely stopped. She was frozen in time. Impossible.
A man stepped forward young looking, with a staff in one hand and a card in another. He was well dressed and kind looking... a powerful magician. But she was powerful too, and yet he stopped her as if she was nothing. It was infuriating.
"How wild you are..." he began. "Untamed. It's not a bad thing. But there needs to be some level of control..."
He put the card away, the words The Time catching her eye but she had no interest or desire to put too much thought into his tricks. She was a master of time and space, and yet she was trapped within time! That's all she knew. That was all that mattered. A spider caught in her own web.
This magician offered her a smile as he approached. His now free hand gently touched her. Just a brush of contact and the time that held her faded. She could move.
She swatted his hand away the moment she was free and put space between them. "Who are you?"
"Someone who is worried."
"About me?" she laughed, who was this fool?
"Perhaps. But more importantly, the things around you." He walked past her towards the brush of the forest and gently picked up something from the trees. She could only watch curiously, this man... "Everything we do has consequences. The stronger you are the more you affect things around you. If you do not keep the balance... everything will suffer." He turned and held out a butterfly, its wings completely crumpled and destroyed. It was dying.
"I did this...?" He brow furrowed as she attempted to grasp what he was saying.
"Your magic is very powerful. But because you use it without restriction it lashes out and harms those around you. Everything around you."
She hadn't known it worked like that. She'd been going around as she pleased. There were people she'd hurt and killed on purpose. But this meant there was a trail behind her of things she'd hurt because of the backlash of her magic. Things she'd destroyed and torn apart. Innocent things that had slaughtered in her fun. This butterfly...
This magician continued to smile, tucking his staff under his arm so both hands could be free he enclosed the dying insect, trapping it in a cage of his fingers. There is a flash of light and when he opens his hand the butterfly flutters out. Fine and brand new.
Magic that heals. Magic that saves.
She held out her hand to catch the bug on her finger, it landed without question. As if forgiving her for what she'd done to it.
"My lady." Clow took his staff in hand once more. The other hand on his chest as he bowed deeply to her. Too grand a gesture for someone like her. Too much kindness. For he radiated goodness and purity. His staff was a sun. His magic circles when she caught a glimpse of them during their fight had suns on them as well.
What was her magic circle? They were so distorted and dark...
"My name is Clow Reed," he continued. Still smiling at him.
"I'm... Yuuko Ichihara."
"Let's have tea~"
She simply stared at him. What a fool. Did he think that he could just come into her life like this? Did he think he could fix her or change her? "I'd prefer sake."
"Tea is just as good."
She scowled at him, what an idiot. No it was not.
A soft chuckle leaves the magician and he simply takes her hand and places a soft kiss upon it. Like she's some kind of fine lady. It makes her blush like crazy and she feels compelled to just deck him. Fool! Who does he think he is? But she doesn't do any thing like that. She simply looks away because it's just too much. "Fine. Tea it is." She mumbles, the butterfly that he'd saved catching her eye as it flies off her free hand. To live it's life now that it had been saved.
"The butterfly can dream once more." Clow stated, his hand still holding hers. His kind gaze on the beautiful insect.
"Do butterflies even dream?" she asked dryly, her attention slowly returning to the magician.
"They do. Everything dreams. Even butterflies." The smile he gives her now is even warmer. It's bright and she finds she can't even think. If she didn't know any better she'd say that she'd been bewitched. He's too much for her in every way. "I don't have dreams."
"Then let us find you one, Tricky Witch."
"You can try, Foolish Magician." and she offers him a faint smile. She would not let this man change her life. There was no way. She'd attempt to be more careful so not to harm those around her. But she would continue on her path. It was the only one she knew.