Wow. I wrote a Farthing Wood fiction. It features one of my favourite characters. I was immensely annoyed at how little focus was put in her character development so I tried to do her justice in this. Well this fic is based on the cartoon not the books. It just had more of an impact on me despite the fact that it got a lot of stuff wrong. Like completely alternating Friendly's character. Tch.
Anyway I put quite a bit of thought into this. (sob) Poor Dreamer…
Mute: (rolls eyes) Wussy. Guess I'll have to do the disclaimer. Right, Youkomon does not own The Animals of Farthing Wood. If she did the third season would either have been scrapped or vastly improved. She also does not own the song "Beautiful Dreamer". I have no idea who owns it, sings it etc. so please don't sue. Fanfiction authors don't earn…at least youko here doesn't…
Me: (wild sobbing is heard)
Mute: Jeez…
Me: Okay I've recovered. I'm hoping to add some more chapters with different characters reflecting on various aspects and their treatment of Dreamer. I'll just see how well this goes down first…
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Don't you think it's pretty when the dew-drops sparkle in the sun? They glimmer and glitter amongst the lush, green grass, hidden treasures lingering among nature. It's such a beautiful sight, that it seems a shame to ruin it…and it's just so easy to destroy. You merely have to walk over those little bubbles of water in order for them to pop. Just the slightest pressure and they are crushed. It always saddens me. In fact I can still remember the tears trekking down my face when I was younger as I watched my brothers and my sister dance and weave their way over the ground, killing the unimaginable beauty that thrived beneath their feet…and they reckon I'm stupid…why? It's simple really. I don't pay attention to something called reality, something they hold in high regard. No, I prefer to take time to observe the beauty that is ever present, beauty that everyone else has no time for as they tear ahead at break-neck speed, trying to keep up at the pace of survival. And what of the butterflies and the dewdrops? What of the little things that nobody notices? Don't they have a right to live? But no, everybody bypasses these delicate objects while I tend to them with my eyes, trying to atone for their nelectment. That's all they want…someone to gaze at them, letting them live in my amazement, allowing them to survive in my love for them rolling off my heart in immense waves. They need love. Everybody wants to be loved.
Can you keep a secret? I don't think father loves me. He loves Friendly because he is obedient, good and clever, always answering the right questions. Charmer because she is his little girl, beautiful, kind, charming…unlike me. Bold…yes they get on each others nerves with Bold's cheek and father's iron will clashing against each other. Yet, there is pride in the famous Farthing Wood Fox's eye when he looks down on his plucky son. Because Bold is brave and would fight to the death to defend something he believes in. Father loves the other three because they are all what I am not. They don't follow butterflies or get engrossed in the little things beneath his attention. I think his characteristics skipped me because when he looks at me he sees a stranger. There's nothing of him inside me, I'm separate, detached from all he feels is important. That's why he can't love me. Because I'm not like him.
Mother…her love is unconditional. That I know. She loves all of us and her patience with my dreaming ways is unlimited. She always chuckles affectionately when she sees me with my head in a flower, tasting the delicate petals or when I'm performing a similar feat. I love the ways she envelops me with her tail in the night, her gentle, wondrous scent binding her to my heart strings tightly. And I use to cry sometimes when the sensation of loneliness caught up to me and I thought of father's remarks about my lapses of attention that occurred so frequently. Then her tongue would be on my face, cradling my tears and flicking them away, caressing my fears and soothing my fears. Yes…she loves me, no doubt about that. I'm thankful for that.
Oh! Isn't it strange how dew-drops change something deadly like a spider's web into something so beautiful? You can clearly see how the silken threads are weaved together in such a complicated manner, illuminated by the beads of water. Water…it's only water…the same substance that makes up our tears….
Friendly has no time for tears. I've never seen him cry. But he does pass me a scornful look from time to time. It must be because he can't understand why I prefer to seek refuge in my dream world, away from the pain of reality. That's okay. I can forgive him for not understanding. That means he doesn't mean to dislike me.
Charmer is more understanding though. Being her usual kind-hearted self she keeps me company and talks to me as though I'm an equal. She doesn't comprehend my strange ways but she accepts them and that's earned her my respect. Of course she is nice to everyone so I can't be to sure if she feels a sisterly bond between us or not. It would be nice to think so at any rate.
But out of all my siblings, I love Bold the most. Is that wrong? Oh well, I'm not going to deny the truth. I look up to Bold. He is so brave and I often have to suppress a gasp at the way he is so forward with everyone. How does he get away with it? He's always looking out for my safety, I remember when we were presented to the other animals for the first time and I wandered off. Father brought me back the first time but I wasn't content to stay by mother's side like a good girl. Not when there was a whole new world to admire and be praised! So I ran off only to be confronted by the yapping muzzle of Bold who had ran in front of me, commanding me to go back. At first I was angry. Then as I matured over the passing weeks I learned of Scarface and the danger that surrounded the idealistic paradise we called home. I realised that Bold had been looking out for my safety. I was astounded that someone cared about me enough to want to protect me. He has always been that way. The overprotective brother. More so than he is with the other two. Probably because I'm not always alert and therefore vulnerable to the rule of 'only the strongest survive'. It's a nice feeling, knowing someone doesn't want you to get hurt. Makes me feel wanted. But that's not why I love Bold so much. It's because he treats everybody the same and I'm no exception to this rule.
He sees me as another living creature like he is and treats me accordingly. He was, is and always will be protective of me but I can live with that as long as he doesn't change…
What's that noise? Hang on a minute, where's the den? My siblings? I've done it again haven't I? I've wandered off again. I haven't gone too far this time though. I can hear my brothers and sister laughing to my right. I should go back but I have the weirdest feeling of being watched…
Pain. Dull, blinding pain that ruthlessly burrows into my chest. I'm on my back and there's teeth lining my throat. Stop it…it hurts. Ow! Stop, stop, stop! Let go!…Can't breathe…
My body weakens and my struggling movements start to cease. How I hate my weak form and how I hate whoever doing this. I can catch glimpses of grey fur above me but my vision is tinged black and I can't view the world around me as clearly as I want to.
No! I don't want to go! Badger told me about the autumn and how the trees shed their leaves…I want to watch them fall to the ground and see their vibrant colours…who is going to respect and look after nature if I leave? I need to stay…Bold will be devastated if I die and he'll blame himself for not being by my side in order to prevent this! I don't want that to happen! He and Mother will miss me…I'll cause them such sorrow. No! I couldn't stand it if I made Mother cry…maybe Friendly and Charmer will miss me. Father won't. He will be glad that the stranger has gone. And it hurts even more than the pain that is now currently enveloping my senses not to mention my chest. I just wanted him to care about me in the same way he did for the others. I wanted to fit in with my family but that would mean giving up the very thing that makes me who I am. My dreams.
The pain is fading. The thief who took my life has run off. I'm alone.
Pad-pad.
Footsteps? Sounds familiar…like Father. A gasp? Now the footsteps have broken into a trot and someone halts at my side, clumsily, as though they're not sure what to do or what to feel. Ha. They're too late. Soon the dreams will stop altogether. And Dreamer the Farthing Fox's daughter cannot exist without her dreams to sustain her.
"Dreamer? Dreamer! Wake up! Open your eyes! Tell me who did this to you! Get up!"
It is Father. How ironic. He's ordering me to conquer death. He may be the leader of the Farthing Wood animals but unfortunately he cannot command life or death.
"Wake up!…Please?"
What's this? He is begging? Pleading? No way.
"Please!"
His voice sounds tearful, desperate even. I struggle to open my heavy eyelids. I mange it although it takes all my mental strength to do so. What I see shocks me. Father has a haunted expression on his face and he is…crying?
The sun catches his tears as they descend down his face transforming them into beautiful dew-drops. Dew-drops for me.
We both know that it is fruitless to be in denial. I'm dying and there's nothing anyone can do about it. I don't want to die and try to communicate this in breathless gasps, mentally cursing the fact that I am denied the power of speech. Father hears me and leans closer.
"Shhhhh…"
He licks my face and I am honoured. I can't remember him ever displaying such acts of affection to anyone except my mother.
"Beautiful Dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dew-drops are waiting for thee;"
He is singing…a song for me. A song that has my name in it. Funny, it even has the word dew-drops in it. How many times have I thought about those little droplets today?
"…Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song…"
His voice begins to break. It doesn't matter. He sang because he cares. He makes me feel loved. He loves me. I want to scream it out to who ever will listen.
My eyes close. The dreams fade. So this is death. Strange, it feels like I'm waking up for the first time in my life.
Before I leave I hear my Father whispers two words that shimmer in my mind and dance in the air.
"Beautiful Dreamer."
Love you too Daddy.
