It was a cold winter afternoon in New Alfheim. Aria sat just outside the portal hall, waiting for the elven travel authority to call her in. Her leg bounced up and down impatiently as she eagerly awaited her turn to use the portal room to go to Earth. She checked her watch again, despite already knowing she was running behind schedule. She just wanted to get to her human clients on Earth quickly. Not just out of a sense of professionalism or punctuality. But because she really had to pee. Aria could have, at any time, used one of the restrooms near the world tree’s portal hall, but she was purposefully refusing to because inside her was liquid magic. Or rather, the closest thing she could make that would avoid detection by the average magician. It was against elven law to bring magic to Earth. Every month though, she makes this trip to earth to sell magic to her human clients. She found, by drinking a special concoction of magical herbs and potions, her body would produce a weak sort of mana in her urine. Her clients could use the magic she produced for them for their goals, and in return, Aria got rare Earth ingredients few magicians had access to for high level potions. “Miss, it's your turn” a magician called to her. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” “Oh, it's quite alright” Aria replied. She stood up, stretching for a moment before following the guard towards the portal hall, a long, brightly decorated room with large stone rings lining each side. Each of these stone rings led to another world, and was adorned with gems representing the constellations visible in the sky from that world. The magician stopped in front of one stone ring that showed the constellations visible in Earth's night sky. “Alright, you know the procedure by now. I'm just going to scan you for any restricted items such as magic, tech, weapons, or drugs that are forbidden in the region you are visiting.” Aria gave a nod, holding her arms up at her side, as the magician waved his wand along her body, up one side and down the other. As usual, the magician's wand detected nothing out of the ordinary, aside from an elf with a full bladder. “Alright, you are free to go. Be sure to hide your pointed ears, obey Earth laws, and do not use magic in front of humans.” “I understand. You tell me the same thing every time I come here, I've been going to Earth for years without incident. Can you please let me go now? I'm running late.” The magician nodded, and cast a fire spell, producing a small flame at the tip of his wand, bringing it to the base of the portal. The fire swirled inside the frame, turning from orange to purple, losing all its heat and becoming a vortex of energy. Aria stepped towards the swirling energy, walking through the portal as she had done many times before. Passing through, to her it felt like she was simply stepping through a doorway, but in an instant she was in an entirely different world. Emerging in the snowy woods, the portal closed behind her, leaving her alone on Earth. “Alright”, she thought to herself. “I really need to get to them before they lose patience with me.” She shuddered a moment, as a wave of urgency shot up her spine. “And so I can unload my product.” She pulled up the hood of her jacket, hiding her pointed ears from the chilly wind. Walking along, she reflected on her first visit to earth, before she took to smuggling magic. She had met some human witches, attempting rituals in these very woods. Humans had long since lost their attunement to nature and magic with the arrival of the modern age, but seeing humans desperately trying to regain that connection, Aria couldn't help but feel for them. She revealed herself as an elven magician, and promised to help them by smuggling magic from her world to theirs. On her next visit, she had revealed to them that she had magic inside her. When they found out what form it took, they were understandably hesitant. But once she had refined her brew into crystals of magic, the small coven rejoiced, having access to real magical energy for spells, rituals, and brews of their own. They repaid Aria in ritual salts and herbs only available on Earth. From then on, the witches would meet Aria in the woods, she would deliver her magic, trade it for rare Earth ingredients, and would learn more about the coven. There were three witches in their small coven: Natasha, Sage, and Luna. The three of them were transgender women, seeking to use magic to transition faster than modern human medicine would allow. On Earth, changing one's gender was a costly endeavor involving years of medication and expensive surgeries, which left one infertile at the end. With pure elven magic, the process was as simple as a few rituals and potions. After fulfilling this mission, they vowed to use their newly acquired magic for community aid and anti fascist agendas. Aria wasn't quite sure what they meant by this second point, but they sounded passionate when vowing it, so she thought it must be a worthy cause. As Aria made her way to the coven’s ritual spot, she couldn't help but be reminded of her full bladder every few steps. Every time she slipped on a small patch of ice buried under the snow, or tripped over a root encroaching on the path, she felt a small pang of desperation. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold it for too much longer, but luckily she wouldn't have to, as she would get to relieve herself once she made it to the witches. However, once she made it to their usual clearing, she saw her witch clients being roughly handled by uniformed police officers. Aria knew they must have done something to offend local police, and didn't want to risk being arrested, so she turned to make a run for it, but one of the officers saw her before she had taken a step. “HEY! FREEZE!” The officer had his hand on his piece, and a stern look. Aria froze, slowly turning back to the clearing. She put both arms above her head. “I-is, is there something wrong, officer?” “Don't play dumb with me.” He approached her, walking quickly and grabbing one arm roughly. “We know you're here to meet with these girls for some sort of illegal trade.” “W-what? N-no, I'd never do such a thing” she lied. She wasn't sure if the witches had said anything to the officers about their deal, but she was sure they wouldn't believe her if she said she was just dealing in magic. “Bullshit. We know you've been involved in supplying these girls with something to help in their terroristic plots. Now you better tell me exactly what you're giving these girls, and where you're hiding it.” “Terrorism?!” She hadn't known her magic was being used for nefarious purposes. The witches had promised they'd use her magic for good. “I-I, I swear I didn't know, I-” “Save it, you're coming with us.” The officer yanked Aria’s arm, jolting her bladder uncomfortably. She followed along, trying to make sense of what just happened and what was about to happen. She knew she could probably overpower the officers easily with magic, but that would endanger the human witches who had no such magic without her delivery. But now, she wasn’t so sure they deserved her magic any more. The four of them were escorted to two police cars at the edge of the woods, Aria being placed with Natasha in the back of one car. The human witch refused to meet Aria’s eyes as she looked at her with a mix of confusion and anger at her current predicament. The drive was short, but it felt quite long for Aria, who was still holding on to her magical brew, as every bump from the pothole filled streets caused her bladder discomfort. In only a few minutes, they were at the small town’s police station, and were pulled out of the cars, being led inside by the officers. They were brought into a holding cell, the three witches not making eye contact with Aria as she glared at them. She also looked in the corner, noticing a prison toilet wrapped with yellow caution tape. A shiver went up her spine as she was reminded of her urgent need, but she shook her head before turning her attention back to the human witches. “Well?” Aria questioned the coven. “Are any of you going to tell me what in Freya’s name is going on?” The three girls looked at each other for a moment, then Natasha spoke up. “I know this looks and sounds bad. But I promise we didn’t do anything messed up.” “Then just WHY are we in jail? What did you three do to piss off the cops? What have you been doing with my magic?” Luna spoke up now. “We’ve been true to our word, only using this to help the community and fight fascism. We started small, using our magic to stretch the supplies of food banks, give charisma charms to those seeking jobs and housing, help heal and treat uninsured people, we even used it to heat and light people’s homes during the winter. But, we wanted to go bigger.” “That’s when we maybe started getting carried away” commented Sage. “We started sabotaging big businesses that are anti-union, we intimidated landlords that were trying to evict disabled tenants, and have been destroying anti-homeless architecture.” “Most recently,” interjected Natasha, “We put a hex on the chief of police when he ordered that the homeless camp near the highway be destroyed. They must have traced all these actions back to us. But, I don’t think they know about us using magic to do all of this. Speaking of which, how are you holding up? You’re looking like you really have to go.” It was true, Aria could hardly keep still as the witches explained their actions, shifting her weight from one foot to the other every few seconds. She would have liked to pee a while ago, but now she didn’t know when she’d next get the chance. On top of that, she was still holding magic inside her. Despite her urgency, she digested what was being said to her. These witches were using her magic, and while they were legally dubious at best, they were far from being evil. “Okay, that explains things. It sounds like you’ve been using magic for causes you deemed noble. But, that doesn’t excuse the fact we’re still in jail. What exactly happened before I showed up?” Natasha spoke again. “The cops were waiting for us when we arrived at our meeting spot and confiscated the potion ingredients we had for you. They think we were in the woods to trade illegal substances for something.” “So, they don’t know I’m not a human, or that you were buying magic. That’s good at least. But how are we supposed to get out of here?” “Don’t worry. They can’t hold us for more than 24 hours without solid evidence, and they have nothing to go off of.” 24 hours?! Aria was not at all comforted by the fact she might have to hold on to her aching bladder for an entire day. “Well, that’s just great. You do realize I’m still -” The jail cell opened up, and an officer pointed to Aria. “You, come with me.” The officer took her, and led her down the hall towards an interrogation room. The officer brought her inside, sitting her down on one side of a large table, before walking around to the other side. “Take off your hood, now.” Aria was about to protest, but knew it was in her best interest to obey. She pulled down her hood, and the officer noticed her pointed ears. He just rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Millennials and their cosmetic surgeries… Now, what’s your name, and why were you out in the woods?” “My name is Aria Evermoon. I was in the woods, to meet with those girls.” “To do what, exactly?” “I was there to meet them for, for a trade. They were giving me a bag of various herbs, incense, and ingredients. And, in return, I would give them…” “Give them what? Come on, spit it out.” “I would give them a special potion I make.” She couldn’t tell the officer the entire truth, as embarrassing as it was. He blinked a couple times. “You expect me to believe that? I bet if we searched you right now, we’d find something on you. And those “herbs”, we had them sent to the lab, we know there’s some sort of controlled substance among them.” “I swear, it’s all perfectly legal. And, you can search me all you want, I’ll consent to it. Y-you won’t find anything.” Her body language betrayed her discomfort, which the officer took as a sign of guilt. “Good, this’ll be easier if you just cooperate.” The officer walked back around the table, grabbing Aria’s arm, once again leading her to another room, where another officer, a woman, was waiting. “She’s going to pat you down and search you for anything illegal.” He then left Aria alone with her, closing the door. “Alright, arms out, feet apart, and hold still” the officer said, putting gloves on her hands. Aria, legs slightly crossed, was already fighting the urge to bring both hands to her crotch, but uncomfortably separated her legs, holding her arms up at each side. The officer then began to pat her down, feeling along her body. As Aria had trouble holding still due to her desperation, the officer kept reminding her to stay still and cooperate. A moment later, the officer firmly patted the elf’s swollen bladder, which caused Aria to whimper in need for a second and squirm in place. The officer slightly lifted Aria’s sweater, exposing her taut lower belly. The officer’s expression changed from serious to slightly confused. The officer looked up at Aria, and asked “care to explain?” Aria did not want to have to answer that. She avoided eye contact with the officer. “I, I really have to… I have to pee.” After a moment, the officer felt something in the back pocket of Aria’s pants. She pulled it out, removing Aria’s Elven passport. The writing inside was in Elven script, which the officer raised an eyebrow at. “Where did you say you were from again?” “I'm from Sweden” she lied. She hoped the officer would not examine the documents too closely and see she’s from another world. “I recognize the Elven script. You don’t have to lie to me. I’m half elf on my mother’s side. Let me guess, you’re smuggling potions or something, aren’t you? You know exposing the general human population to magic is both dangerous and very illegal, right?” Aria tensed up a bit, realizing this officer could likely get her in trouble back home. “Look, I just need rare ingredients from earth, and those girls were witches who deserved a chance to experience true femininity. I didn’t know they’d use my magic like they have.” “Doesn’t change the fact they've been antifa terrorists in the eyes of the law. Damn it, I can’t write any of this in my report. Ain’t no way in Hel I’m going to expose myself to the police department as part elf.” She sighs, clearly annoyed. “It's your lucky day. As far as human laws go, you've done nothing wrong.” She handed her back her passport, which Aria put in her back pocket again. “Oh, thank you so much.” “But” the officer said. “You're still breaking elven law. I better not see you around here dealing with those witches again. Understand?” Aria nodded, desperate for this interaction to be over, and overall desperate in general. The officer escorted Aria back to her cell where the three witches were anxiously waiting for her return. Once she was inside, the officer left to talk with the other officers. She sat down on the bench next to Natasha, squirming in place. “What happened out there?” Natasha asked, worried about Aria. “I just got interrogated and searched. One of the officers is half elven, and she isn't happy about me exposing humans to magic.” “Wait, really?” Natasha asked. “If she knows about you, does that mean we're screwed?” “I don't think so. She's not going to tell anyone else about magic. We’ll be fine, I hope.” Just then, a strong wave of desperation washed over her, causing Aria to drive both hands into her crotch, cross her legs slightly, and bend over in her seat. “Oh, shit, you okay, Aria?” Natasha asked. “No, I'm not okay, I feel like I'm about to explode!” She let out a soft whimper, trying desperately to hold back, but feeling herself near her absolute limit. She knew if she didn't go soon, the choice would be out of her hands. Nobody said anything. They were too embarrassed by this situation to speak, the only noises in the cell coming from Aria's squirming and occasional whine. Time passed slowly for the elf, as seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours. She regretted every drop of liquid she drank, as the ocean of liquid magic fought to escape her. After what felt like ages to Aria, the first officer came to get them, opening the cell door. He was holding the bag of herbs the witches had meant to trade with Aria. “Alright, you're free to go. The lab came back negative for controlled substances, all of this is perfectly legal.” He tossed the bag to Natasha, who caught it. “So we are free to leave? Good, let's get out of here.” Natasha stood up, grabbing Aria’s arm and helping her to her feet, which was a struggle for her in her current predicament. The officer noticed Aria struggling to stand up straight, along with the crotch grabbing and squirming from a moment. “There’s a public restroom in the gas station across the street. Now, get out of here.” He sounded annoyed with this situation, likely not wanting to have a mess to clean up. The officer led the girls out of the police station, leaving them alone outside. Once they were a few steps away from the station, Aria spoke up again. “Guys, I… I don't know how much longer I can…” “Aria, it'll be okay,” Natasha said. “We’re just across the street from a gas station. There's a public bathroom there you can use. Just, hold it for another minute.” Easier said than done. Aria was at a point where every step she made was a fight against the tidal forces inside her. She clenched her muscles as tight as she could, but could only make short, awkward steps across the street. Luckily there were no cars at the moment, so she could take her time crossing. It took only a moment, which felt like an eternity for Aria’s aching bladder, but they were soon at the side of the gas station. Aria opened the door to the small bathroom. Though it was only a gas station bathroom, to Aria, it was a gods send. Aria took one step inside, when she felt herself start to lose control. The dam had burst all at once, and she began to wet her pants, soaking herself. “N-no, no, not now! Not like this!” She felt her warm brew soaking down her pants legs, as she stood there, paralyzed by embarrassment and relief a few steps away from the toilet. She just accepted her fate, letting the relief wash over her, as a large puddle formed around her. After a full minute, she was finally empty of her brew, all over the bathroom floor. She let out a soft sigh of relief, finally glad to be rid of the overwhelming pressure. She turned around, seeing three blushing witches, who had just watched this majestic, mystical elf piss herself in a gas station bathroom. After a moment, Natasha spoke up. “... You alright, Aria?” Aria nodded. “Much better. Now…” she knelt down on her knees in the puddle of her own making, and started to recite a magic spell. The puddle glowed as she spoke, and so did the wet spot on her pants. The magic caused the puddle to dry up, small crystals growing out of the floor, and between Aria's legs where she had wet herself. She collected the faintly glowing crystals from the floor, brushing them off of her, and held out the handful of crystals to the witches. “I believe this is yours.” Natasha put down the bag of herbs next to Aria, collecting the crystals, still a bit flustered over the situation. “A-are you sure? You're going to give us more magic, even after, well…” “Yes. I think you had noble intentions. Just, promise me you'll find ways to do good without pissing off the police.” “Deal! Thank you so much!” Natasha handed some of the crystals to Sage and Luna, who thanked Aria in turn. Aria picked up the bag of herbs. “Well, I really need to get going. I have to get back to the portal soon. See you girls next month.” She then started off for the woods, reflecting on the day's events, and hoping she could get home soon to change her pants.