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Magnifico didn’t know how long he had been locked in that mirror, but he felt it had been a long time. Not nearly long enough to be forgotten, though, as Amaya and Asha came to visit him often. He watched the lines of age on their faces and mourned the passage of time and his own life. The madness the book had thrust upon him had faded during his time in the mirror, leaving him lonely and sad, begging anyone who came by to let him free.

The door creaked open, and Magnifico rushed to the glass to see who it was. A servant boy stepped through the door, fiery red hair framing his face. He looked around the basement before spotting Magnifico’s mirror, making a beeline towards it. 

“Hello,” He whispered, tugging at the strap of his brown messenger bag.

“Hello,” Magnifico said. "Who are you?” The boy stared at him, and Magnifico tried not to fidget.

“I’m the one who can get you out of that mirror.” 

Magnifico’s mouth went dry. “You can?” He croaked out. The boy nodded,

“For a price.” 

“Anything.” 

The boy smirked. “I want you to grant my wish.” 

Magnifico gulped. He so badly wanted to be out of the mirror, but the boy’s wish could be anything. While the magic from the book had corrupted him, Magnifico wasn’t evil enough to want to cause harm to the people.

“What is your wish?” He asked, voice shaking.

“I want everyone to forget what I was.” The answer came, quick and sure as lightning. Magnifico looked over the boy, understanding.

“Deal.” As soon as the word was uttered a wand hit the mirror with an awful force, shattering it to pieces.

“Seven years bad luck, huh?” The boy jokes, smirking at Magnifico who was trying to regain his senses outside of the mirror. He stretched his arms above his head, relishing in the delicious pop. 

“Now, let’s grant that wish of yours.” Magnifico said, not acknowledging the boy’s bad joke. Suddenly, footsteps were heard and the boy pulled them behind the only chair in the room.

“Someone must have heard us,” He whispered. “Let’s get you out of the palace, and then you can grant my wish.”

Magnifico looked at the boy, grey eyes glittering in the low light of the torches.

“Before you sneak a dangerous criminal out of the palace, can I know your name?” The boy stared at him for a moment, disbelief on his face.

“Taranis.” He murmured, just as the sound of the door creaking open reached their ears.

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Magnifico and Taranis crouched behind the chair, hoping to hope that whoever was entering the room wouldn’t notice them or the shattered mirror. Magnifico quickly cast an illusion spell over the mirror and the glass to make it look whole, but his magic hadn’t been used in long enough that even that simple of a spell was a struggle. Taranis opened his bag, rummaging until he found a small satchel. He mimed holding his nose, and Magnifico understood and covered his nose and mouth. Taranis threw the satchel, a light purple powder flying out of it and the person falling to the ground, asleep. 

Magnifico looked to see Amaya, his wonderful wife, sleeping peacefully on a bed of broken glass. The sight broke his heart, and he turned to look at the boy who had saved him. 

“How did you get sleeping powder?” He asked. Magic had been outlawed in Rosas for the majority of people since his rule, a law Amaya hadn’t changed. Though, it was Asha allowed to do magic now instead of Magnifico. 

“I made it. You got a problem with that?” The boy looked defensive, and Magnifico shook his head. 

“No problem at all.” The boy’s eyes roved over Magnifico, the man feeling strangely small despite being easily two heads taller than Taranis. “Good. Let’s go.” 

The palace was relatively easy to sneak through, Magnifico had built it after all. They snuck through the servant tunnels, which had been mostly abandoned since Amaya took over. There was dust and cobwebs, and Magnifico tried hard not to sneeze. Taranis suddenly stumbled back, Magnifico barely catching him before they both tumbled to the ground.

“Spiderweb.” Taranis mumbled, quickly righting himself and starting off again, faster this time.

The tunnels didn’t lead out of the palace, instead the closest was the kitchens. Taranis shuffled Magnifico into the shadows and looked out to make sure no one was coming.

“Hello?” Dalia said, “Did you need something?” Magnifico’s breath caught, and he tried so hard not to make sound.

“Um, Godmother Asha wants to see you! She’s outside in the main courtyard.” Taranis lied. Magnifico crossed his fingers, hoping that she would take the bait.

“Oh, um. Okay.” Dalia sounded confused, but Magnifico could hear the sound of her clicking away. 

There were a few moments of harsh breaths before Taranis reached for Magnifico. 

“Come on!” He whispered, grabbing his arm and pulling him through the door. The pair rushed out into the light of the stars and the warmth of early evening air. 

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The kitchen door let out to the woods, and the pair made a mad dash for it, still holding tightly to each other. When they were a little ways into the woods they slowed to a walk.

“Where are we going?” Magnifico huffed out, not being used to moving this much anymore. 

“Well, I’m a traitor to the kingdom now, and I have everything I need in this bag, so…hide in the woods?” Taranis said, sending Magnifico a cheeky smile. 

“You don’t have a plan?” Magnifico nearly shouted, shocked.

“Shhhh, not so loud! And I did have a plan, I got you out of the palace, didn’t I?” Taranis looked sheepish.

“Okay, okay.” Magnifico ran his hands through his hair, breathing in deeply. “I know somewhere we can go.” Taranis tilted his head, waiting for the other to elaborate.

Magnifico began to walk, letting the boy scurry to catch up.

“Nobody knows about this place, not even Amaya. I made it when I first came to this island, it’s my own little hamlet.” Magnifico explained, taking them through several twists and turns in the forest.

“And you’ll grant my wish once we get there.” Taranis said, certainty in his voice. 

“Of course, you freed me after all.” Magnifico shot a glance at the boy, only to find him looking back with a smile on his face.

“You’re not as evil as everyone’s made you out to be.” Taranis said. Magnifico’s heart stopped. Logically he knew that the people wouldn’t be saying good things about him, but the reminder of his reality was like cold water being poured over his elation.

“What do people say? And how long have I been in the mirror?” There was a shake in his voice. Taranis looked at him sadly.

“Seven years. I was a small child when everything went down, but my family didn’t live here yet. They say you were an awful and cruel ruler, who only ever cared about yourself and sacrificed his people. They say you stole wishes to eat them and gain their power. They say that you kept Amaya locked in a tall tower and never let her out.” 

“They say I kept Amaya locked in a tower?” The accusation was like a knife to his heart. He would never, never have hurt his wife. Even while under the influence of an evil magic his heart had sung for her. The years in the mirror were only bearable when she was there, even if it was to mock and belittle him. She is the better half of his soul, and he had thought they would be together forever. 

“Yes,” Taranis interrupted his train of thought. “But, you didn’t, did you?” Magnifico clenched his hands into fists, fingernails digging into the skin of his palms.

“No,” Magnifico mumbled, before again, louder, “No. I never would have. Amaya is, was, my wife, and I love her more than anything. Hurting her spelled death for the both of us.” A small, soft hand slipped into his, gently squeezing to make him stop digging into his own flesh. 

They walked in silence like that until the moon was high in the sky, and then Magnifico stopped. 

“Here we are,” He whispered, pulling back a curtain of vines to reveal a clearing full of flowers, framed on three sides by mountains. A brook ran through the land, coming down from a mountain in a small waterfall. There was a straw-roofed cottage, complete with a water wheel, that sat next to a tree in the middle of the clearing. Taranis’s breath caught as he took in the sight.

“I spelled it myself.” Magnifico boosted. “The house will never decay, no matter how long it stands empty. And, look here,” Magnifico pulled Taranis to cross the footbridge to the side of the brook with the house. “The garden,” Magnifico swung his arm out, referencing the rich patch of soil running along the side of the cottage. “Will always give a good yield, no matter what you plant and when.” 

“Teach me magic.” Taranis blurted out, turning to face Magnifico and bringing their clasped hands to his chest.  “Make me your apprentice, teach me magic, please.” Magnifico stared into the boy’s grey eyes, finding hope and longing there. A flash of heat lightning lit up the otherwise clear sky and thunder boomed around them.

“Okay,” Magnifico whispered, “I’ll teach you magic.”

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Magnifico and Taranis went inside, the cottage was small and cozy. There was a stack of firewood near the hearth, and they soon had a roaring fire going. 

“So,” Taranis said, a spark of hope in his voice. “My wish?” 

“Of course,” Magnifico said, gesturing to the boy to put his bag down on the table. Taranis obliged, walking to stand in front of the disgraced king. 

Magnifico took a deep breath in, holding his hands out and focusing on the strings of magic that made up Taranis. His were bright yellow, green, and blue, and Magnifico focused on finding the purple he knew would be in the middle. There. Magnifico pulled out the wish, the purple orb glowing brightly. Inside was an image of Taranis, walking down the street with people acknowledging him. Magnifico held it for a moment, basking in the lovely feeling, before he granted it with a simple wave of his hand. 

Taranis gasped, and he knew his wish had been granted.

“There,” Magnifico said. “My debt has been repaid.” 

Taranis stared at him, before rushing forward to pull him into a hug. Magnifico felt the soft cotton of the boy’s tunic under his fingers, and held him tightly. 

Magnifico felt something shift, then. He knew the course of his life would never be the same.

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Sleep did not come easily to Magnifico that night, instead he was plagued with nightmares of Amaya. 

She was locked in a tower covered in thick brambles, fast asleep on a bed of broken glass. Magnifico stood over her, looking at the magic that made her up. It was all purple, with sparks of blue and red. He closed his eyes and pulled, and her wish was in his hands. He held it up to his face, he laid there with a dagger in his throat. Amaya pulled it out and presented it to Asha, who took it with a smile. Magnifico looked back down to his wife, asleep on the floor, and crushed the wish between his hands. He immediately felt the pain of a wish destroyed, falling limply to the floor.

Magnifico woke with a gasp, the face of his dear wife flashing through his mind. He looked around the cozy bedroom, anchoring himself to the soft sheets under him. The bed was a small one, nothing like what he had at the palace, and the room held the bed, a dresser, and not much else. 

Magnifico gingerly got out of the bed, walking to the door in the low light and opening it. He quickly moved down the stairs and into the kitchen. He glanced at the fireplace to see Taranis sleeping soundly on a pile of blankets by the hearth. 

He’ll get cinders in his hair Magnifico thought idly, before moving to the bucket of water he had brought in earlier. He grabbed the ladle, spooning some of the cool refreshing water to his lips. He sighed as he finished, thinking about his wife. She has always been by his side, until he truly needed her. 

He sighed, dipping the ladle back into the bucket, and went back to his cold, empty bed.

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Taranis bounced up and down on his toes, hands clasping at the hem of his shirt. Somewhere in the distance, thunder rolled. Magnifico looked over the excited boy, remembering his similar reaction on his first day of magical training.

“So, what are we doing first boss? More sleeping powder?” Taranis started flapping his hands with excitement. Magnifico chuckled.

“Today, we learn how to see.” Magnifico watched as Taranis’s excitement shifted into confusion. 

“How to see? I already know how to see.” 

“You know how to see with your eyes, but you don’t know how to see with your magic. You need to learn to see the magic all around you, until you do that you can’t truly control any of it.” Magnifico smiled kindly at the boy, and Taranis gave a tentative smile back.

“Okay then,” Taranis said uncertainly, “How do I see?” 

Magnifico gestures for him to sit down, so they were facing each other on the ground. “Close your eyes,” He instructed, “And breathe. Feel the world around you, feel yourself. Everything is connected, in a circle. A hoop that never ends. Find yourself in that hoop and see your brother beside you. Find the strings of magic in him. Have you found it?” 

Taranis hummed, nodding a bit. His body swayed with the breeze, the grass moving with him.

“Open your eyes.” Magnifico whispered.

Taranis gasped. The wind whipped up, and Taranis could see colors in it. Pink and purple and orange. The grass too, green and red yellow. Storm clouds rolled in, and the colors of the magic were breathtaking. Finally Taranis looked at Magnifico, he was a royal purple mixed with yellow, though some of his magic seemed to be stained a sickly green.

“I can see.” Taranis whispered reverently.

“You can see!” Magnifico laughed, pulling the boy up and into a swinging hug. “Good job, Taranis! You can see!” Taranis tucked himself into Magnifico’s embrace, letting himself relax in the older’s arms.

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Magnifico and Taranis soon fell into a routine. They woke and did chores, Magnifico tending the garden and Taranis making breakfast. They would eat together and then train until dinner. After dinner they were both free to do what they liked until supper, which the men took turns making.

Magnifico took to wandering the hamlet after dinner, not daring to go any farther for fear of being seen. Once a week Taranis would go out to get supplies from the town, always wearing a disguise and coming back as soon as possible.

“Magnifico! I’m back!” Taranis called, and heat lightning split the sky. Magnifico rushed to help take things from Taranis, holding the door open for him.

“How do you do that?” Magnifico wondered.

“Do what?” Taranis laid the bag of groceries on the table turning towards the door.

“The lightning thing.” Magnifico clarified.

“Look what I got while I was in town.” Taranis said quickly, holding up a cage with a trio of chickens in it. “Two hens and a rooster. I’m naming them Flo, Fawn, and Gus Gus.”

“Chickens?” Magnifico said skeptically.

“We can build them a house! And they’ll give us fresh eggs, so I’ll have to go to town less often!” Taranis enthused.

“And that’s less chance of us being caught.” Magnifico mused.

“Exactly! So we can keep them?” Taranis bounced up and down, still holding the wooden chicken cage up.

“Fine, fine.” Magnifico acquiesced. “But they’ll be your responsibility.” Taranis gently laid the chicken cage on the floor before throwing himself into Magnifico’s arms.

“Thanks, Da..” He cut himself off, but Magnifico squeezed him tighter before he could pull away.

“You’re an amazing boy, Taranis. I hope you know that.” Magnifico kissed the top of his head gently before letting him go. “Now, let’s go build a chicken house.”