Outside Room 1007

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes isn't even winded by the time she gets all the way to Molly's room. Her other body would be huffing and puffing after that walk, assuming she didn't have to stop completely for a rest.

So she has a bright smile on her face when she knocks on the door.

Comments

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

Molly looks up from her knitting at the knock, mildly surprised for a moment, and gets to her feet. When Cain also gets up and follows her to the door, she grins, but doesn't say anything.

She's pleasantly surprised to see Agnes in the corridor.

"Hey, Agnes!"

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes sees Cain over Molly's shoulder and her smile fades a little.

"I thought we might get your friend's door unlocked now. If I'm not interrupting anything, that is," she hastens to add.

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

She glances at Cain, who waves uncertainly at Agnes, and smiles.

"No, not at all. We were just having a bit of quiet time is, all. So many new things at once is a bit... tiring."

She steps out into the hall and is unsurprised when Cain follows.

"His room is right next door, which is convenient."

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes steps over to the other door and unselfconsciously crouches down to examine the lock. At least now she knows this doesn't make her look like a huge globby rock with clothes anymore.

It's definitely not iron, so that's a plus. Squinting her eyes, she can just about make out the little shifts she'll have to do in order to align the tumblers.

She puts a hand on the door beside the lock and mentally reaches back for her power base.

And finds... nothing.

Nothing at all.

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

Molly and Cain wait patiently to one side, watching curiously.

Since Agnes's magic is of a different sort, and she doesn't use a wand, Molly doesn't know what to expect or how long it should take.

[agnes_nitt]

She's distracted. That must be it. The novelty of her new body is distracting her.

It has to be there. She keeps reaching, searching for that thread, that current that Granny Weatherwax first saw in her.

But it's not there. Not even the suggestion that it ever was.

There's always a price...

"It's gone. My magic's gone."

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

"What?"

Molly is sure she must have heard that wrong, but the concerned look on Cain's face tells her that she didn't.

"Gone? How could that happen?"

[agnes_nitt]

"I don't know," she says, shaking her head. "I don't know."

But you do.

Her head keeps shaking back and forth, and she's close to tears.

"No. It has to be there. It has to!"

Maybe it feels different, maybe it looks different. She rummages frantically through her mind, looking for something -- anything -- that she can latch onto.

"No, no, NO!" She slams her fist on the door in anger and frustration.

And no longer able to keep from sobbing.

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

Molly gives Cain a look that tells him to just wait where he is, and then goes and kneels beside Agnes, putting her arms around the other girl.

"I'm... sorry."

Oh, but that sounds so stupid and empty in light of what's apparently happened.

"Do you think it was the wish?"

[agnes_nitt]

What else could it have been? And, fool that she is, Agnes actually tries to think of another reason.

What about Jack? she thinks. And it's true; she hasn't tried any magic since that first night, has she? No, wait. She has. It was a small demonstration, but it was there.

She leans into Molly and finally resigns herself to nodding slowly. "Had to be. You were right. Everyone was right."

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you could find this Wish person again? If losing your magic wasn't supposed to be part of the deal..."

[agnes_nitt]

"I was supposed to still be me. Everything still me, except that I'd finally be pretty."

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

Molly smooths the other girls hair back from her face.

"You were pretty before. Just bigger than you wanted to be. You have to decide now if the trade was worth it. If everything was supposed to stay the same, just a different body... then you were cheated and this Wish person should have to fix it."

[agnes_nitt]

"No, I wasn't. It's easy to say, but I know what I looked like."

She sniffles and stiffens.

"I never wanted to be a witch, anyway."

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

That does shock Molly.

"Then... you should be happy."

Though Molly doesn't believe for a moment that she is.

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes wipes at her eyes and nose.

Bury it, bury it, move on, new life, new chance, new choice.

"Yes. I am. I'm finally free to do whatever I want. I can go back to Ankh-Morpork and rejoin the Opera. Anything I want. It just... startled me, that's all."

She stands up, bracing herself on the door.

Cool, calm, collected, safe and sound, all's well.

"Sorry, Molly. Didn't mean to lose it there."

[mollyprewett.livejournal.com]

"That's all right. Like you said... it's a shock."

Molly feels deperately sorry for Agnes, but knows there isn't anything she can do, and that her pity would not be appreciated.

Cain looks a bit confused beside them, but keeps his council for now. She can explain it to him later.

"Maybe you should go and rest for a while. Maybe find Jack?"

Yes, Jack had told her about the vow the other night. His comment about the 'splitting' thing made more sense now.

[agnes_nitt]

Another sniffle.

"Yes, that's probably a good idea. Sorry about the door. Sorry, Cain. Molly should be able to get it open tomorrow when her wand's fixed."

Agnes gives Molly a hug and heads back down the hallway without looking back.