The Last Fairy Tale

by Lowell, E. S.

  Olivia turned and hurried over to him, Locke following close behind. The Great Fairy was sitting under an apple tree on an upturned wooden bucket with an apple in his hands, his cane across his lap.

  “Would you like an apple?” he asked them.

  “Yes, please,” said Olivia, remembering the apple that Locke had given her the day before. Her stomach rumbled, and she realized that she hadn’t eaten anything since.

  “Pick one,” the Great Fairy said. “Any one you like.” He took a bite out of his own apple as he watched Locke and Olivia choose theirs. After they had each picked one, they sat on the ground beside the Great Fairy and ate, Olivia being the noisiest of them all as she enjoyed her apple.

  “Would you like another, Olivia?” the Great Fairy asked, noticing she had finished hers quickly.

  “Yes,” Olivia said, feeling embarrassed. “I mean, if it’s okay.”

  “Of course. You didn’t have any supper, after all,” said the Great Fairy. She stood up to pick another apple, but he stopped her. “Olivia, would you like to try getting the apple down another way?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  The Great Fairy held his cane up to her, and Olivia took it, confused. She turned it over in her hands. It was a sturdy wooden stick that was knobbed on one end so as to make a handle. She wondered if he wanted her to try to knock an apple down with the cane.

  “Are you human or not?” the Great Fairy asked.

  “I…am?” said Olivia, still confused.

  “Then prove it, my child,” said the Great Fairy. “Choose an apple, one you can’t reach on your own. Then point to it with the cane.”

  Olivia looked up at the apples on the tree. She chose one on a branch above her. “I’d like that one,” she said and pointed the cane at it.

  “Good,” the Great Fairy said. “Now, get a good look at the apple. Study it very closely.”

  Olivia looked up at the apple. It was beautiful, bright, and had a red-orange color. It hung slightly to the right from its stem. She looked closer and noticed a spotted ring of yellow near the top of the apple.

  “Do you think you have a good image of it in your mind?” the Great Fairy asked.

  “Yes,” said Olivia, still staring at the apple.

  “Good. Now, close your eyes,” the Great Fairy said, closing his own eyes. “Focus on the image of the apple in your mind, Olivia. This will take some practice if you do not already have a strong imagination. The image must be very clear in your mind. Don’t let any other thoughts in.”

  Olivia focused on the apple in her mind. She didn’t have as much difficulty doing it as the Great Fairy seemed to think she would. However, focusing on only the apple wasn’t easy for her. Other thoughts continuously floated about. She strained to clear out the other thoughts.

  “Now, imagine with all your strength, or will I should say, that you are reaching out and picking the apple.”

  The Great Fairy’s voice disturbed Olivia’s concentration, so she focused again on the apple. After a moment, she imagined her hand moving up to it and touching it. Suddenly, she felt the cane twitch in her hand, and she heard the leaves rustling on the limb above her. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw the apple swinging back and forth from the branch as if she had touched it. She looked over at the Great Fairy, who was laughing.

  “Oh, very, very good, Olivia!” he exclaimed. “Your imagination is quite strong!”

  “W-what?” she stammered. She looked from the Great Fairy to Locke. “What just happened?”

  “You’ve performed magic!” shouted the Great Fairy and then continued to laugh.

  “Olivia!” Locke said in awe. “You can do…magic?” He looked up at her, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. “You can do magic!” He jumped up and danced around her, pulling his violin from his back and playing a cheerful melody as he leapt about.

  Olivia giggled as Locke danced around her. She wondered if he was performing music magic, but she decided that he was just playing a happy song. He stopped and stood beside her, smiling.

  “Yes, Olivia, you have performed magic, but there is still much for you to learn,” the Great Fairy said. “You must learn to focus on an image and will it into being by channeling energy.”

  “It sounds very complex,” said Olivia. “But it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Actually, I still can’t believe I even did it.”

  “That is because you have already learned one of the most difficult parts of magic,” he said. “One of the most basic yet fundamental concepts of magic is focusing on an image using your imagination. This concept you have learned all on your own. The next part you must master is willing the force into being. Channeling is simple; you just need to have something you are comfortable with that is able to channel the power. But, Olivia, there is an important lesson to be learned in all of this.” He stood up from the bucket and held his hand out for Olivia to return his cane. “You can pick an apple with your hand. Doing so does not take a lot of effort, but still, it does take some. You must not rely on magic to replace effort, Olivia. Magic is intended to aid you. Indeed, it is one of the things that has been missing from your life. But it is not the only thing. You have heard what the lure of powerful magic can do to a human who has no fairy. Be smart in how you choose to use it. As you’ve noticed, performing it is not difficult. Let that be a lesson of its own.”

  Olivia nodded. Magic had indeed felt like one of the easiest things she had ever had to learn, but perhaps that was what made it so powerful and dangerous. She was now beginning to clearly understand the consequences of science having no boundaries. She pondered this thought for a while as they made their way back to the bridge that led up to the Great Fairy’s hollow.

  “You two can do as you wish,” the Great Fairy said as he walked up the bridge. “I need to have a word with Ink. I have a few messages I need delivered.” With that, he disappeared into the cavern.

  Excited about the prospect of spending the afternoon relaxing in the glen, Olivia wandered over to a particularly sunny patch of grass and sprawled out on it. Locke chuckled and did the same. They laid there for what felt like hours, staring up at the clouds and the odd bird-like creatures that flew around the boughs of the Great Fairy Tree.

  “What are those?” Olivia asked, pointing at the creatures.

  “Those are griffins,” Locke said. “They live in the higher parts of the Great Fairy Tree. They’ve always seemed pretty majestic to me.”

  Olivia agreed dreamily. She stared at the griffins and watched as they soared around the tree limbs. After a while, she found herself starting to doze off. She thought about magic and how easy it was to perform. Then her thoughts shifted and she saw a tribe of humans running with torches toward the Great Fairy Tree. They used their magic to spread the fire from the torches to the tree, engulfing it in flames. She jumped and gasped.

  “Are you okay?” Locke asked, sitting up and looking at her.

  “Yeah,” Olivia said, and sighed. “I just dozed off. Locke…” she began, but paused for a moment. “What do they expect me to be able to do about the human? I mean, I’m not particularly strong, and I can’t fight.”

  “I don’t know, Olivia,” Locke said quietly. “But, whatever you have to do, I’ll be there to help you.” He stood up, put his hands on his hips, and puffed out his chest.

  Olivia smiled at him. “Thank you, Locke,” she said, feeling a little reassured. She stood and looked at the garden of herbs. “Do you want to go walk through the garden?”

  “Yeah, that would be fun. I bet it smells great over there with all those herbs and whatnot.”

  They walked over the bridges to the other side of the river. When they reached the garden, they started at the bottom tier and slowly made their way up, stopping to smell each type of plant. Some were strong and fragrant, while others didn’t have a scent at all until they touched them.

  By the time they had reached the top tier, Olivia was tired. Many new questions had entered h
er mind as she slowly soaked in the meaning of her decision. She no longer felt like joyously wandering through the beautiful glen anymore. She wanted answers.

  “I think I’m going to go talk to the Great Fairy,” Olivia said as they reached the bottom tier of the garden again.

  “I’ll come too, if you want, or stay out here. Whatever you prefer.”

  “It doesn’t matter to me.” Olivia smiled weakly.

  Locke decided he would go with her, so they entered the cavern and walked down the stone path to the mound. Atop the mound, they could see the Great Fairy sitting in the grass, meditating. Olivia and Locke stood silent for a moment. Then, suddenly, the Great Fairy spoke.

  “Ah, so you’ve come for more answers, I assume,” he said, opening his eyes. He looked at Olivia and then patted the grass next to him. “Have a seat, my child. I will try to answer a few. But, in the end, they will be up to you to determine, for even I do not have all of the answers.”

  Olivia sat next to him, Locke following. She placed her hands lightly on the grass around her and waved them back and forth. The grass was soft and tickled her palms. Then she stopped, lifted her hands, and placed them in her lap.

  “I realize that I have to stop the evil in the northeast,” she said. “But…how?”

  “Not even I can answer this, Olivia,” said the Great Fairy, shaking his head. “I can tell you this: No matter how great of a threat the evil may seem, you can always overcome it. Your purity will be its downfall.”

  “I see,” Olivia said, unsure of what he meant. “But will I use magic?”

  “Yes, I’m most certain that you will find uses for it along the way, my child. In time, it will become natural to you. It will not seem so foreign, because it is only natural that you, a human, wield such power.”

  “But how will I know what I’m able to do? Without your help–”

  “Ah, child, I have shown you the basics of what you need to know. The rest is a personal matter. Your will and resolve will determine whether you succeed at the different magics or not.”

  “I can do more than one type?” she asked, thinking of Locke and his ability to do music magic.

  “Oh, yes, Olivia,” the Great Fairy said, nodding. “You see, humans have always been intended to be the caretakers of the land and other creatures. To serve this purpose, humans have the ability to use the Stream in more ways than any other creature.”

  “So the Stream provides the magic?” asked Olivia.

  “In a way, yes. It is a source of power that resonates through the planets. Everyone can use it, but only for magics that they have studied. The Stream provides the energy, but the imagination is a conduit for the user to will the magic into being.”

  “I think I understand,” said Olivia. She felt a little better about the subject. Things started to make sense.

  “An imp, like your brave friend Locke…” the Great Fairy said, looking over at Locke, who was relaxing in the grass. He quickly sat up, and looked at the Great Fairy. “Is naturally talented at carpentry. This is not always true, for every imp is not the same. However, most of the time, imps are born with an innate understanding of the properties of wood, making them excellent carpenters. Is this correct, Locke?”

  Locke nodded.

  “And being able to craft high quality instruments allows them to easily take up the art of…symphology?” The Great Fairy put a finger to his chin. “I think that is what they are calling it these days. Anyway, that is not to say that only Locke and the other imps can perform this type of magic. What I mean to say is, any creature can perform any type of magic, but certain magics come more easily to certain creatures. And the human is a creature that can perform almost all types more easily than any other creature. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, I think so,” Olivia said. She still had other questions, but she asked the one that had been pressing on her the hardest first. “How will I get there?”

  “That is what I was discussing with Ink,” the Great Fairy said. “He is on his way, as we speak, to inform the people of Aeldyn of our task. In two days, you will travel northeast of here to Handel’s Sanctuary, Aeldyn’s largest town and trading post. There you will meet anyone who has heard Ink and has volunteered to go with you on this journey. But do not fear, Olivia,” he said as her eyes widened at the mention of leaving the hollow, “You will be in very good company, and you will learn many things about Aeldyn and magic from those who accompany you.”

  Olivia nodded. She was worried, but excited. She didn’t feel ready to set out on a journey to defeat evil, but perhaps the journey would teach her what she needed to know in order to feel ready. She looked down at the grass, thinking.

  “Great Fairy…” she said, pressing her hands into the grass. “What will happen to my world?”

  The Great Fairy sighed and shook his head. “It will end, my child. As you heard the kami say, they have tried for centuries to correct the humans’ destructive behavior and undo the damage that has been done, but stopping it is impossible. I’m sure the humans tried to save their land using their own methods, but how can you hope to save what was already doomed?” He hung his head and closed his eyes.

  “Is there nothing I can do to help the other children?” Olivia asked, thinking of Nachton.

  “This has also been a question of my own, Olivia,” the Great Fairy said. “I cannot give you an answer yet, although I do think there may be a solution. We may be able to open the Door to allow them to come through. However, the Door has never been opened to any but you, so we do not know if this will be successful.”

  Olivia looked at him in surprise. Despite the uncertainty, this was some of the best news she had heard yet. She felt relieved, even with all of the worrisome things she had just been told. Suddenly, her stomach made a loud gurgling noise.

  The Great Fairy chuckled. “Are you hungry, Olivia?”

  “Yes, I suppose I am,” she said, blushing.

  “Come. We shall have supper.” The Great Fairy slowly rose. “Do you have any preference as to what we eat, my child?”

  “Some of Locke’s stew would be good,” she said, smiling at Locke. He stood up and scratched his head bashfully.

  “Ah, I have not had imp stew in many a year,” the Great Fairy said. “Let us go gather the ingredients.”

  They left the mound and headed for the glen, where they followed Locke around as he gathered different ingredients from the orchard, garden, and forest. Soon after, they were sitting beside the river around a pot the Great Fairy had provided and were laughing as Locke cooked the stew over a fire and told jokes. Olivia turned her gaze to the now dark and starry sky and thought about whether she would be successful in the coming days. She hoped she would be, for that night had shown her what it was like to live.

  Interlude

  The white crow desperately flew with increasing speed toward the fortress. His mind had been split, and the other half was quickly taking over. It took all the power he could muster to keep his thoughts together to make it back to the man. Maybe he would be able to do something about it.

  As he reached the fortress, Dust flew through the bars of a window with no time to waste. The fog coming from his body was beginning to take a strange form. It was no longer the smooth cloudy fog that dissipated into the air behind him. Now it was becoming angular, floating off in set paths. Dust continued toward the throne room.

  As soon as he was there, he glided down toward the man. The glide wasn’t as graceful as it once was. He jerked forward and backward at irregular intervals like a shorted electric current. He made it to the throne and collapsed onto the floor in front of it.

  The man laughed quietly from under his hood. “What’s up with you?”

  “That…thing,” Dust said, straining, “its mind… inside me!”

  “Cool,” said the man. He sat back in the throne and crossed his arms.

  “What?!” Dust said furiously. “You did not say it would…do this!”

  “You didn’t ask, you
fool,” the man said. “Besides, how was I supposed to know what it would do? I knew that it was powerful, but to take over a somnivate? Man...” The man stroked his pointed goatee as he thought. After a moment a wide smile spread across his face.

  Dust’s wings began to move at odd angles. He screamed, trying to stay focused and not let the other mind in. He looked up at the man.

  “Why…are you smiling?” he asked. “Get this… ththththing out of myyyyyyyy head!”

  “No, I think I like you better like this,” said the man. He suddenly stood up, grasping a talisman that hung on a chain from his neck. He took a few steps toward the edge of the platform his throne was on and stared down at Dust, his bare feet resting close to the somnivate’s face. “Get up. You’re fine.”

  Dust struggled to understand why the man had suddenly become so intrigued by the thought of this thing being trapped inside Dust’s mind. It was pressing harder and harder into his consciousness with each second. He could feel it learning from him, examining his thoughts and memories. With each wall Dust put up to block the thing, it became quicker at breaking through them. Soon Dust couldn’t defend anymore. His body went limp for a moment. Then suddenly it burst into a cloud of angular white particles. Only his hollow black eyes remained. The cloud jerked into the air and hovered in front of the man.

  “Much has been stored into the databanks these last few hours,” the cloud said in a monotone voice. “The information will be processed and stored in the proper databases momentarily.”