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Forest
The Day Before The Reunion Ball
I sat alone in my favorite tree fiddling with my knife. It was a gift from my father and used to belong to my birth mother. I never really knew her because she died shortly after giving birth to me. All I had to remember her by was vague memories of a warm smile, soft voice, and the stories my father would tell me as we sat by the burning fire while staring up at the starry night sky. Sometimes I would see my dad sitting alone with a picture of her late at night after everyone else was asleep. I never asked him about that photograph because I figured there was a reason he only pulled it out at night. Besides, if he wanted to talk about it he would have long ago.
I would say it was hard growing up without a mother, but it’s not like I ever saw an example of the alternative because my father was the only person in his band of Merry Men to have a kid, and we mostly stuck to ourselves. Besides I always had John and everyone else to look after me when my father was busy. We spent most of our time hunting with our bows and arrows and aiding the poor through our thieving skills - although with the villains all locked up on their own planet there wasn’t much need for that. Still, even with all our adventures it was kinda lonely not having anyone my age to hang out with. But that would change tomorrow when we went to the reunion ball.
Even though my father and our ancestors had played little or no part in the Great Exile and the battle on Exillia, we had been invited to their reunion ball this year and I really didn’t know how I felt about that. Part of me was excited to get the chance to be with kids my age, but another part of me was dreading going because I would probably be one of the only people who didn’t know anyone. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow.
As I sat lost in thought, I saw a ball of blue light off in the distance. The light was bobbing up and down and heading this way. As it came closer I was able to make out a figure in the ball of light, a fairy (Ava). The fairy was holding a pink bag that was nearly half her size and looked like it was pretty heavy for her by the way she was struggling. Her face was set in a determined look and she appeared to be muttering to herself. Suddenly she dipped low enough to catch her leg on a tree branch and was sent tumbling through the air. Grabbing one of my arrows, I quickly tied a rope to the end and shot my arrow into a nearby tree. Holding the end of the rope, I launched myself off my tree branch and caught the fairy before she could hit the ground, rolling out of my landing. I opened my hand, revealing a fairy with brown hair, blue eyes, and wings.
“Are you ok?” I asked, and noted that nothing appeared to be broken or anything - just a small scrape on her leg. She stood and brushed herself off.
“I think so,” she replied after giving herself a once over. “Wait!” she cried, looking frantically around before taking off and circling the area. Well I guess her wings were fine. Having found what she was looking for, she swooped down. I saw it was the pink bag she had been carrying before she fell.
“Thank goodness, it’s all still here!” she muttered to herself. She flew back over to me with her bag. “Sorry about that, it’s just that my mom would kill me if I lost the pixie dust in this bag, considering it’s important to all of fairy kind and all. I’m Ava by the way, thanks for catching me - sorry I’m talking too fast aren’t I? I’ll just be quiet now.” She looked down clearly embarrassed by her long outburst.
“That’s ok, I’m Forest of the Merry Men,” I respond with a smile. Ava’s face lit up with excitement.
“You’re the descendant of Robin Hood, aren't you! I heard you are supposed to be at the reunion ball tomorrow.” News sure does travel fast on Estoriana...
“Yeah, that’s right. I still don’t know how I feel about going though, it’s not like I really know any of the other descendants going,” I let out a small sigh.
“Well, you know one now! I’ll be there with my mom as the descendants of the Blue Fairy,” Ava clapped her hands together and lifted a few inches off the ground. The sky slowly begins to dim and Ava looks up. She turns back to me, “I have to go or I won’t be able to make it home before dark. It was nice meeting you!”
“It was nice meeting you too. See you tomorrow I guess.” I reply with a wave.
“Bye!” she waved back and took off into the air with her bag of pixie dust. Turning back towards camp, I began weaving my way through the trees.
When I made my way back I found the others around the campfire. I already felt so much better after hearing that Ava would be at the ball with me. At least I will have one friend to hang out with if no one else talks to me. With that, I pushed away my thoughts about tomorrow and sat next to my father, listening to John as he regaled everyone with his stories.
Ava
The Day Before The Reunion Ball
One would think that pixie dust, even a ridiculously large amount, would be light and easy to carry, but nooo, that would make things too easy right? And of course in all the years the fairies have lived in Avalon, both before the villains took over and after the Great Banishment, the fairies and dwarves have never come up with a faster or easier way to get the dust from the Mines to Avalon, so a fairy still has to fly it down. That was how I found myself toting a heavy bag half my size of pixie dust to Avalon, with the pressure that came from knowing that if I lost the dust all of the fairies would be without magic until the dwarves were able to make more - which would most likely be a year.
I was so distracted by my thoughts that I nearly ran into a tree and had to swerve quickly to the right, barely missing it. That was too close! I better pay more attention to my flying. I flew this way and that to avoid trees and their branches.
The bag was heavy, making my flight clumsier than normal, so of course it was only a matter of time before I ran into something. I saw a branch in front of me and flew higher to avoid it, but the bag slipped in my hands making me drop low enough for my foot to hit the branch and sending me tumbling through the air. I flapped my wings desperately, trying to regain control and right myself, but it was useless.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I waited for the inevitable contact with either a tree or the ground - hopefully I wouldn’t injure myself too badly in the process. However, instead of the ground I felt hands close around me, stopping my fall. When they opened, I was able to see the boy who rescued me from another one of my many clumsy falls. He had dark brown hair, green eyes, and appeared to be one or two years older than me.
“Are you ok?” the boy asked looking concerned. I looked down at myself mentaly checking myself for any injuries.
“I think so.” I replied. This was probably the first accident I had that didn’t require me to fix a broken wing or anything else. “Wait!” I cried, after looking down at my hands and noticing that I didn’t have the bag of pixie dust. I frantically looked all around for the bag. How could I have lost it already? I have to find it or Mom will never trust me with this sort of thing ever again! Finally I saw the pixie dust bag nestled between two flowers on the ground.
“Thank goodness, it’s all still here!” I muttered to myself after examining the bag. That was too close!
Oops! In my search I had forgotten all about the boy. I looked up at him, “Sorry about that, it’s just that my mom would kill me if I lost the pixie dust in this bag, considering it’s important to all of fairy kind and all. I’m Ava by the way, thanks for catching me - sorry I’m talking too fast aren’t I? I’ll just be quiet now.” I looked down, embarrassed. Why am I always such a mess?
“That’s ok, I’m Forest of the Merry Men,” he responds with a smile.
My face lit up with excitement, “You’re the descendant of Robin Hood, aren't you! I heard you are supposed to be at the reunion ball tomorrow!”
“Yeah, that’s right. I still don’t know how I feel about going though, it’s not like I really know any of the other descendants going.” Forest let out a small sigh.
“Well, you know one now! I’ll be there with my mom as the descendants of the Blue Fairy,” I clap my hands together with excitement and lift off the ground. The sky slowly begins to dim and I look up to see the sun is setting. Oh no, I need to get going or I will be late for curfew and Mom will worry.
I turn back to Forest, “I have to go or I won’t be able to make it home before dark. It was nice meeting you!”
“It was nice meeting you too. See you tomorrow I guess.” He replies with a wave.
“Bye!” I wave back and take off into the air, racing back home with the bag of pixie dust.
I land at the pixie dust flower pod to find my mom waiting for me with Quin, one of the fairy godmothers who frequently helps mom run things at Avalon.
“There you are! I was just about to send Quin out looking for you!” Mom exclaims with worry all over her face.
“Sorry, I had a hard time carrying the pixie dust,” my face flushed with embarrassment. I probably would have had to do the whole thing over again if Mom had sent Quin to help me.
Mom let out a sigh, “Well come on, it’s time to put the dust away and then off to bed with you.” I followed her to the center of the flower where our pixie dust supply is kept and emptied the bag into it.
When it was empty, we all left the pixie dust pod. Mom took out her wand and closed the flower pod behind us, and we all flew to the main flower pod where all of the fairies sleep. Stemming from the main flower there are smaller flower pods that each house a fairy. I flew to mine and closed it behind me with my wand. Then, laying my head on my pillow I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
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