Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and don't wish to make any profit for this story.
Author's Note: This hasn't been fully beta read so sorry for any grammar and spelling errors that may appear.
Chapter 1
Once upon a time, there were two fairy courts; the Winter and the Summer. The fairies of the Summer court were ruled by a kind queen while the Winter court were ruled by a dark king. The courts were as different as night and day but both of them enjoyed coming into the realm of man.
The fairies of the Summer court enjoyed playing tricks on humans but would often help a human when offered a gift. They found humans to be amusing and while they would seek retribution for an insult would never harm a human unless threatened.
The fairies of the Winter court however were much more malicious. They enjoyed tormenting humans, paralyzing them with fairy darts and stealing them to their realm for their own pleasure. To them, humans were nothing more than toys to play at their leisure.
Both the Summer and Winter courts could arrive day and night until one day, the queen of the Summer court changed that. She knew the Winter court fairies court would turn to stone during the day if not for the stones given to them by their dark king.
No longer able to stand the humans suffering, the queen sought the help of a brave human warrior. Together the warrior and the queen stole the stones and sealed them away in the dark king's own chamber.
The dark king roared in rage for days and days until he died and another dark fairy took his place as king. With the fairies of the Winter court only limited to come out at night the number of them entering the human world dwindled. The torment of the humans lessened but there was still fear of the Winter court would one day seek revenge.
The queen appointed the human warrior and all his descendants to be guardians of the border between the two realms. Soon after, the queen stepped down as ruler and assigned another to take her place to mark the beginning of a new era.
No one knows what happened to the old fairy queen but some say she hide herself away for she was the only living key to open the dark king's chamber. If the Winter court ever obtained her blood and unsealed the door, the dark fairies would conquer the human realm with a cold vengeance and not even the Summer court would be safe.
Bomba adjusted his glasses as he shut the book of fairytales and stumbled over tree roots. "According to that letter, it should be around here." He pulled out his map and ran his fingers over where he had marked it. "Oak tree, it had mention an oak tree." He grinned as he nearly bumped into an a large oak tree. "Eureka! I found it!"
"Morning, Bomba."
Bomba jumped and his hands fumbled but he managed to catch his book before it fell to the floor. He adjusted his glasses and finally spotted the person waving at him from a few trees over. "Oh, morning, Finn. What are you doing out here, so early?"
Finn marched over, holding up his binoculars. "Just getting in some early bird watching. What about you?"
Bomba grinned excitedly. "I've made a breakthrough!" He reached into his jacket. "One of my old university friends stumbled upon this while researching folklore a few towns down from here!" Bomba held it up promptly. "The letter is written by J.M. Lore, the author of this book of fairytales!"
"Um…" Finn said as he tapped his fingers against his binoculars. "That's…nice."
"No, no, you don't understand, he's from this town!" Bomba held up the book. "He wrote a letter to his sister who had married and moved away and in it he clearly states he was told the Fairy Queen story by an actual fairy right here!" Bomba said excitedly.
Finn stared uncomfortably at him as he cleared his throat. "You sure that's a real letter? It could be a fake, like that other one you found-"
"Oh, no! It's real, I doubled checked this time!" Bomba stated proudly. "You can't fool me twice," he then lowered himself to look around the roots, "and I'm certain I'll find real proof fairies exist! This area has to be near the border to the fairy realm. I just need to find a fairy ring to prove it."
Finn frowned as he looked up into oak tree's branches. "Bomba, does that letter have a date?"
"September 25, 1876," Bomba declared as he looked around the tree. "Mushrooms! No, wait not fairy ring mushrooms, just normal ones."
Finn leaned against the tree. "Sorry, to tell you this Bomba but you're probably at the wrong oak."
Bomba peeked around the trunk back at Finn. "What do you mean?"
Finn patted the oak tree. "This tree was planted here only 70 years ago, I know because my grandpa planted it here after a small forest fire. It can't possibly be the tree from the letter. Too young."
Bomba blinked baffled as he looked up the map again. "B-but I could have sworn-"
"However," Finn continued. "I'll bet the oak tree you're looking for is the one near the pond. That one's hundreds of years old."
Bomba grasped his chin in thought. "But that pond is so close to town, I can't imagine fairies going there if they didn't want to be seen by humans."
"The pond isn't that close to town," Finn replied. "And it was a lot smaller over a hundred years ago."
"Hmm….that is true I suppose," Bomba said as he climbed to his feet. "Perhaps, I will go there." He glanced to his watch. "And I better hurry up, my daughter arrives today."
"Oh, right," Finn replied and looked hesitant. "Does she know about your…research?"
"Into fairies?" Bomba said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I have told her but it's been so long since I've seen her. However, I'm sure she'll be just as fascinated once I've shown her the evidence I've gathered."
Finn didn't look as convinced but he offered a smile. "Well, best of luck to you. You'll have to make sure to give her a proper tour of the town."
Bomba gave a laugh. "Right, it's been a few good months since I've been to town myself" He gave a wave. "See you, Finn. Thanks, for the tip!"
"Anytime!" Finn replied as he watched Bomba leave.
If Bomba had glanced back he would have seen Finn pretending not to be watching him until the man was out of sight. Finn then tucked the binoculars back into his pack and headed to the main road.
Directly outside of the woods, sat a black car along with his old friend Ronin, who was leaning against it. "Did he buy it?" Ronin asked dryly as opened the car door.
"Yeah," Finn said as climbed into the passenger's side. "But feel a bit bad for sending him on a wild goose chase. He had a real lead this time."
"It's for his own protection," Ronin said as he turned the engine on. "He's been getting way too close to the border lately." He started to steer the car back to town. "What was the lead?"
"A letter," Finn remarked. "By J.M. Lore, who I know you love so much."
Ronin cursed. Finn knew Ronin detested the man for not only writing down the old town legends but getting it published for the world to read. Since he wrote the book, over a hundred years ago, it cause a lot of unwanted tourists to come hoping to find fairies. The saving grace was that at least the book was out of print now and the number of fairy hunters has greatly dwindle over the last decade.
All except Bomba though, who Ronin would argue was as bad as ten fairy hunters. "I'll have to talk to Tara," Ronin said as he turned to the left in the fork in the road. "She might be able to get a sprite to steal it when he's not looking."
"His daughter comes today," Finn replied. "Think you should be watching her too?"
Ronin frowned. "No, I can't see her being that much extra trouble unless she's exactly like Bomba."
"Bomba is unique," Finn remarked. "Who else who spend 1o years trying to find proof fairies exist?"
Ronin simply shook his head as he made the last turn that led to town.
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M.K. couldn't help but feel like she was the odd one out in the shop. There were a couple of people there but they seemed to blend in more naturally than M.K. Two of them were a couple of elderly ladies chatting as they looked over framed photos of black and white photos of what the plague claimed were "real fairies' and a young married couple in a corner that were chuckling over a map that gave hints where to find fairy rings.
The place was clearly a tourist trap except M.K. was no tourist and this bizarre town was suppose to be her new home. She sighed and tried to ignore the curious stare the shop owner was giving her.
Honestly, she knew her dad was obsessed with fairy lore but why did he tell M.K. to meet him at the Moonhaven gift shop? It was a couple of stores down from the bus station but wouldn't the ice cream shop across the street made more sense?
That place at least had tables outside where she could set her bag without worrying of knocking anything over and she didn't have to be surround by a dozen very creepy and poorly painted statues of fairies. She swore the eyes seem to follow her as she moved within the shop.
M.K. sighed as she glanced to her watch for the fifth time. Her father was suppose to pick her up twenty minutes ago, did he forget? She had already tried calling him but either his cellphone was dead or he didn't have reception where he was since he didn't answer.
"Maybe I should just walk there," M.K. mumbled as she tucked her hands into her pockets.
"Did you need some help?"
M.K. jumped as she spun around to the shop owner that was leaning over his counter.
"No," she mumbled. "I'm just waiting for my dad to come pick me up but I guess he's running late."
"Oh," he said, sounding surprised. He had probably figured she had been a tourist like the others that had climbed off the bus. "Is your dad a local?"
"Um…yeah, he lives just outside of town," M.K. replied and feeling a bit more relaxed.
The man chuckled. "You should have said so," he offered a friendly grin. "I know everyone in this town. I can probably get my son to give you a lift. Who's your dad?"
"Professor Radcliffe Bomba," M.K. stated and she wasn't the least bit shocked by the stunned looked the man gave her.
"Bomba?" the man asked as he stared wide eyed. "Your dad is Bomba?"
M.K. gave a shaky nod. "Yeah…is that a problem?"
"What..um, no?" the man said hastily as he scratched his bald head. "Sorry, you just took me off guard. I didn't even know he had a kid."
M.K. shrugged. "It's okay…truth be told I haven't seen him since I was five."
The man raised an eyebrow. "So, what brings you to visit him now? If you don't mind me asking?"
M.K. chewed her bottom lip. "My mom died a month ago."
The man's eyes softened. "I'm sorry to hear that." He looked her over sadly. "You're awfully young to lose your mom."
M.K. scoffed. "Tell me about."
"So," the man said as he rubbed his chin, "you must be moving here, are you?"
"Considering my dad is my only known family that's alive, yeah."
"Well," the man said as he offered a hand to her. "Let me be the first to welcome to you to Moonhaven."
M.K. gave a half smile as she shook the hand. "Thanks, I actually did come here with my mom and dad when I was five but I don't remember much of it."
"It's a nice place," the man replied. "Granted, takes a while getting use to a small town after living in a big city but it's a good town."
M.K. nodded but gave a careful look around to be sure she wasn't overheard by the tourists as she leaned in closer. "I got to ask but is this whole town fairy crazy?" Since she had gotten off the bus she had seen at least three posters advertising fairy tours and two street vendors selling bells and iron horse shoes as protection against fairies.
The man shook his head and whispered back. "Won't lie to you, there are a lot of folks in this town that takes the local fairy legends seriously but a lot of them play it up for the tourists." He pointed to the couple that gleefully smiled as they marveled over tiny replica of a fairy house. "I don't personally believe in the fairies myself but it does help bring in some income."
M.K. gave a slow nod. "I know it's the stories that attracted my dad," she muttered. "He claims-"
"That he actually saw a fairy during a full moon while out on an evening stroll," the man replied with a knowing nod. "Believe me, we all know the story with him." He paused and looked regretful on how he said it. "I mean, not that it's a bad thing-"
"It's okay," M.K. said with a sigh. "I know he doesn't have both oars in the water."
The man looked ready to say something when the shop's bell jingled and Bomba stumbled in. "M.K.?" he panted as he searched and spotted her. "M.K.!" he pulled her into a hug. "Sorry I'm late but I was on a lead."
She felt a bit awkward hugging but she slowly wrapped her arms around Bomba. "Hey, dad and it's okay. I've just been learning a few things about this place."
"Oh, good and that's why I picked this shop for the meeting," Bomba said as he picked up M.K.'s bag. "Earl knows everything about Moonhaven, don't you Earl?"
"That's one way of putting it," Earl muttered dryly but Bomba didn't seem to catch his tone as he headed towards the door.
"Come on, M.K. my truck's outside," Bomba said as he pointed it.
"Truck?" M.K. said as she looked out the window. "I thought you said you had a car."
Bomba chuckled nervously. "Well, I did but I ended up trading that in for a truck, easier to fit equipment in the back." He continued to ramble as he left the shop and M.K. could only sigh.
"Guess, I'll see you later, Earl," she said with a wave.
"Kid, here's a word of advice," Earl said as he glanced around and then whispered. "Like I said, I don't believe but make sure to stay away from fairy rings, can't be too careful you know?" He glanced around and said in an even quieter tone "Weird stuff has happened in this town."
M.K. narrowed her eyes, she wanted to ask further what he meant but Bomba beeped the horn outside. "Sorry!" he called out sheepishly. "Still getting use to this thing!"
M.K. sighed and thanks Earl before she rushed out to the truck.
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The first night in the house was a bit of a challenge. First, M.K. had to adjust actually talking to her dad, for the first time in ten years face to face. In all fairness, he did at least ask how M.K. had been handling her mom's death since the accident and offered to talk.
However, even if M.K. was in the mood to talk about it, she wasn't sure her dad would be the first pick for it. She could barely find common topics to talk about that didn't include the weather, why would she talk about how she was grieving over her mom's death? Maybe in a few months time she would, but not right now.
Bomba then started to ramble on his fairy research and the progress he had made recently with it. "According to the data I've collected, and this book of fairytales" Bomba said as he flipped opened a book. "The only way to enter the fairy realm is to be taken by a fairy or find a fairy ring to enter it."
"What's a fairy ring exactly?" M.K. asked and recalled that what Earl had warned her about.
"A circle of darken grass," Bomba said as his eyes sparkled with glee, "but they usually have a circle of mushroom or fungi with it."
"Mushrooms?" M.K. asked with an arch eyebrow. Was that seriously what everyone was so concerned with?
"However, a fairy ring only last for one night," Bomba replied as he slammed his book shut. "So, the trick is to find one that is still open before it shuts again."
"And that's what you've spent 10 years looking for?" M.K. asked as she resist the urge to rub her eyes.
"Well, that," Bomba said as he held up a blurred photo, "and solid proof that fairies exist." He handed the photo to M.K. "You probably don't remember but I took this photo when we came here."
M.K. stared at the photo of a few trees with a grey blur that seem to pass by the trees. She had a feeling she knew what this photo was. "Mom told me, this was the night you, her and I went out for a walk?"
"That's right," Bomba replied as he waved his arms like he was re-acting the scene. "It was after supper, and we were on our way back to the cottage when we saw it."
"A fairy," M.K. said, knowing for sure this was the story.
"That's right! He was small and wore skull for a hat but he ran off before I could get a proper picture."
M.K. sighed. "Dad, no offense but that doesn't sound like a fairy to me," she gave a shrug. "Couldn't it have just been a man in a costume."
"That's what we thought at first," Bomba said. "But I chased after it and suddenly there was a bright flash of light and poof!" He waved his hands. "He was gone!" He jabbed his finger at the photo. "I asked the locals and realized it wasn't the first sighting of that particular fairy either." Bomba smirked as he folded his arms over his chest. "There's no doubt that whatever that thing was, it was a fairy."
M.K. sighed. She had debated if she should confront her dad about the issue or not. She was only 15 and would have to be living with him for the next few years but M.K. figured she had to at least try to talk sense into him. "But Dad, it's been 10 years, don't you think it's time to…" she chewed her bottom lip. "Give up?"
Bomba blinked and looked like M.K. had asked to chop his arm off but then he gave a grin with a laugh. "Why would I give up," he said as he moved to reached into his pocket and brought out a letter. "When I got a solid lead!" He handed it to M.K. to read. "There's evidence here of where I could find a possible fairy ring! Read it!"
M.K. read over the letter which she realize was about some guy telling his sister about a fairy he saw. She wondered if it was a prank until she saw the date. "How old is this letter?" she asked in disbelief.
"It's from the late 19th century!" Bomba said with a grin. "And where a fairy ring has appeared once there's a good chance it will appear there again. I just have to find the spot and watch it like a hawk until it appears."
M.K. rubbed the back of her neck. "But don't you think it's time to stop," she brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I mean, yes you saw a fairy but Mom didn't see it and you were both there on that night, so did it ever cross your mind you didn't see anything."
An expression of confusion passed over her father's face. "Didn't see? What are you talking about, Honey? You're mom saw it and fully believed it was a fairy like I did."
"No, she didn't," M.K. replied. "She told me-"
"No, no, she did," Bomba said as he searched through a pile of papers and brought out a notebook. "Here, your mom even took her own notes on it." He handed it to her. "We researched it together for the first couple of months."
M.K. remained doubtful until she saw the pages. They were written in her mom's handwriting and there were even sketches of what fairies possibly looked like. She flipped through the pages and saw there were even more detail notes and drawings. "That doesn't make sense," M.K. said softly. "She always told me she didn't believe in fairies."
Bomba's eyes softened. "Yes, well, I can believe that considering how she suddenly became-" He then trailed off and look hesitant.
"Became what?" M.K. asked concerned.
"Well…um..uneasy might be the right word?" Bomba asked. "She thought we were dealing with things we shouldn't be."
"You mean she was scared?" M.K. asked as she fingered the notebook's pages.
"A bit maybe," Bomba replied but then quickly added. "Not that there's anything to be scared off," he pointed to the door. "I make sure we have an iron horseshoe at each door, fairies are weak against iron you know."
M.K. was only half listening. Why didn't her mom tell her she did believed in fairies? Was she afraid M.K. might start believing in them too? And why would she be scared? Her mom had been one of the most logical people she knew. What was there to be scared of?
It was then M.K. lost her train of thought as the sound of claws running on the hardwood floor echoed throughout the house and a small dog came racing in.
"Ozzy! There you are!" Bomba replied as he scooped him up. "I was wondering where you were hiding."
"Ozzy?" M.K. said in disbelief. "He's still alive?"
"Um, well most of him," Bomba said as he passed the old pug to her and M.K. was greeted by a lick to her face. "He's down to three legs but he keeps going."
M.K. laughed as she scratched Ozzy's ears. "Hey, boy, I missed you."
Bomba smiled as he clapped his hands. "How about I make dinner, while you and Ozzy can get re-acquainted." He headed towards the kitchen. "I got to check my cameras and see if I got lucky today."
M.K. sighed but decided to hold off any more attempted persuasion of getting her dad to give up his fairy search, at least for the time being. However, the revelation about her mother was still puzzling. If her mom had believed in fairies, what could have spooked her to the point of leaving her dad?
