The Great Fairy Queen

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Summervale, the valley of eternal summer. This kingdom was ruled by queen Lyria, a woman of great wisdom and even greater magical power. From the tenderest age, the queen had learned to harness the mystical energies of nature, and with time said magic had transformed her body in a way that she was not really a fairy, but she was much more than a human. Her hairs were green as budding leaves, her ears were long and pointy and two magnificent butterfly wings were hanging in her back, their color changing with the sun. She was living in her palace at Glitterdale, the Shining City, capital of the kingdom, but though she had neither husband nor child, she wasn't alone.

Lyria took the steps leading to the basement of the castle. It was where the kingdom's greatest labs were located, for the people of Summervale weren't simply magicians. Science also had its place and was actually as vital as magic in protecting the kingdom and increasing its citizen's comfort. She took a corridor that led her straight to a certain lab where the top scientist of Summervale was working. Althiel turned and smiled when he saw his twin sister entering.

"Hello here, Ly! What do I owe?"

"Just make sure you eat and sleep decently, Big Brother."

The golden-haired man pecked his sister's cheek.

"So, how are your researches going?"

"Awesomely! I just finished the device I was working on for months!"

Said device was a cubic box covered with cables and pipes that emitted a strange humming.

"The biggest problem with electricity is that we know how to produce it magically and mechanically, but we have no way of storing it. Well, problem solved! This is just a prototype, but I'm happy to tell my queen that my brand new battery is ready! I finished testing it, and it really works! Now, all we have to do is trying it in a real life situation …."

"This can easily be arranged, Al. We really need a device like your battery if we want to keep on using electricity. I'll try to find a day where we can have said real-life test, and if it works, the production will begin."

"Good to hear!"

Needless to say the experiment was a success. When it came to machines, Althiel was the go-to guy, just like his sister was peerless when it came to magic. And so, Summervale was growing prosperous and happy, ruled by the siblings in perfect harmony. But of course, said happiness made many a kingdom jealous. And the time soon came where the beautiful symphonies and choruses turned into drumbeats and the blowing of war horns. Neither Lyria nor Althiel were happy about it.

"War is counterproductive and drives people in a bad mood. It awakens that more feral side of them that makes them closer to animals and many a family is torn apart by the fires of battle. Brother, this war has to be as short as possible! One single, decisive battle against these barbarians should make them think twice about invading us."

"I agree. Their army is actually crossing the Dust Canyon that ties our kingdom to Marakel. If we set our mages on each side of the cliffs and harass them with spells, we are sure to eradicate most of their army in a single move."

"Agreed! We always have a division of battlemages in Illyrian in case of such a situation. Time for them to do their job!"

Summervale had long discovered the wonders of long-range communication. A telegram later, the 9th division of battlemages was heading toward the Dust Canyon. Althiel's strategy worked amazingly. Less than a tenth of the invading army survived the slaughter. It did help that the canyon was basically the only path to enter Summervale, the small kingdom being basically a giant crater born from the fall of a meteor. The edges were small, but extremely stark cliffs that spiked outward, thus preventing any invasion from there. Only the Dust Canyon provided an entrance … and was basically a giant deathtrap against anyone crazy enough to step inside. Peace returned for a few years after that … Then another army stepped inside the canyon. This time, it wasn't some fur-wearing, axe-wielding barbarians. It was an organized army of men covered with steel armors, all armed with thick broadswords and heavy maces. They marched through the pass and not even the strongest spells could stop them. They headed straight for Glitterdale, dead-set on capturing Lyria and her brother and conquer the kingdom in one swift move. Althiel would have none of it.

"Their armors are metallic. Metal and electricity mix badly. If we use lightning spells and weapons that canalize electricity, these guys are done for!"

"Lightning spells, we have. Lightning weapons, on the other hand …"

Althiel grinned.

"Don't worry, Sis. I just discovered something very interesting about electricity that allowed me to develop this new weapon. Look, I've always been wondering why electricity was always moving from a point to another. Turns out it is due to a kind of chemicals called 'ions' that are divided in two classes: anions that are charged negatively and cations that are charged positively. I haven't figured the hows or whys, but anions and cations are lured to each other and create electricity when put near one another. Based on that, I managed to isolate each kind of ion in a small cooper ball I connected by a non-conductive spring. I used the same material to give the construct some stability, which makes it look like an arrow head …"

Lyria had to admit she barely understood what her brother was saying. Technology wasn't really her field. This said, she was slowly starting to get the picture.

"If the two balls come into contact, it will emit an electric discharge that will zap the target, right?"

"You got it! I tried it earlier and the discharge was powerful enough to electrify an armor. Now, what if we replaced regular arrow heads by that little device and used it against those tin cans that are invading us?"

Lyria's eyes lit up.

"I already feel sorry for them."

And indeed, it worked amazingly. The moment they stepped in front of Glitterdale's walls, they were greeted by a hail of electric arrows that was soon followed by hundreds of lightning bolts. The victory was flawless. Lyria proudly stood atop the front gate.

"Listen, warrior! I am queen Lyria of Summervale, the magical queen! This kingdom you want is mine, and I will never let you have it! We are peaceful people that love magic and technology, and I think I speak for every of my citizen when I say we all hate war. But you made the mistake of threatening us. This is our answer. We may be peaceful, but we are neither stupid nor harmless. Go back home, and remember that defeat."

One man, a huge colossus glad in darkened iron armor, stepped toward the gate and drew his mace.

"At last, the legendary queen of Summervale appears! I was wondering if you were a coward, Your Highness."

"I was merely planning my counterattack, thank you."

The colossus crossed his arms.

"Your people offered surprisingly little resistance. For a country known for its mages, I thought you would fight harder than that."

"As I said, we're not stupid. Our infantry has little chances against your legions of turtles and you proved at the Dust Canyon that our magic was nearly worthless. I chose to spare my people's lives with useless fights and let you come at us."

The colossus removed his helmet and raised a brow, amused.

"A wise choice indeed. But what told you'd come with a counter-strategy in time?"

Lyria answered with a grin.

"Let's say I know my brother."

Althiel appeared, a bow in hand. The man nodded.

"The rulers of Summervale are known for their intelligence. I always wondered about their strength. Your Highness, what about a fight?"

"What are the stakes?"

The colossus grinned dangerously.

"I am Morgath, king of Lorwen. Fight me, great Fairy Queen. If I win, I will claim this kingdom as mine. If you do, then I gladly surrender my kingdom to your rule."

Althiel nearly chocked.

"If he kidding!?"

"He isn't." Lyria frowned. "I don't want his kingdom, but I won't let him have Summervale either. Challenge accepted, king Morgath. Come and get it!"

On this, she flew before the gate and opened her wings wide. She had no weapons. She didn't need them. The king immediately swung his mace at her, only for Lyria to jump aside and cast a lightning bolt that coursed through the armor for a moment. Morgath merely shook his head.

"It barely tickled!"

Lyria growled. Her brother was certain: lightning and fire were the best weapons against heavy armor. So she switched between casting fire and lightning spells, all the while jumping and dodging to avoid a blow she knew was fatal. After all, she only had her robes on her. Morgath quickly realized his mace was too slow to catch the magical woman. Casting it aside, he instead revealed a kind of double-crossbow he had mounted on his wrists. Lyria dodged the first strike and growled when she noticed the quarrel was in fact an iron stake. Morgath smiled smugly. The queen retorted with a glare and took flight.

"Don't try to wear me off, Your Highness! I once held on three entire days against an army and won. You will be out of magic before I'm out of breath."

"Thanks for the clue! Meteor Rain!"

The sky darkened as dozens of stellar stones bombarded the area. Morgath growled and winced as the rocks struck him. Lyria rose, her hairs flying in her back. Roots suddenly wrapped themselves around the king's legs and slowly crushed the iron armor. But the damage was small. Closing her eyes, the queen took her breath. Dark clouds covered the sky, lightning thundering above. Morgath's eyes widened. So this was Lyria's real power! The queen was such a powerful magician she could bend the very forces of nature to her will! And she was creating a thunderstorm. Not losing time, he threw his mace at her the moment lightning struck him. Both moves hit.

Lyria gasped as she landed on the ground. Somehow, she had the greatest trouble breathing. Raising a hand to her chest quickly told her why. The mace had crushed it! Her bones were broken and some were piercing her lungs in several places! No matter how good Summervale's doctors were, there was no surviving these injuries. Tears fell from her eyes, not from sorrow but from pain. She couldn't afford to be sad. The fight wasn't lost yet. Before her, Morgath slowly rose. The thunderbolt hadn't been enough, but Lyria wasn't done yet. Focusing her magic, she cast a spell in the air.

'Great Crimson Dragon, ruler of all heavens, please, listen to my prayer! I give you my life, willingly, here and now! But I beg you in return: grant me the strength to protect my kingdom! I'd rather face oblivion than see it fall to the darkness!'

The Crimson Dragon felt the burst of magic. He heard Lyria's prayer and appeared in the sky above Glitterdale. And he smiled.

'Your life against the power to protect your kingdom? Sounds like a fair trade. We have a deal, Your Highness!'

In a flash of light, Lyria's soul escaped her body and appeared before the creature. The god nodded and placed his front claw on her arm, leaving a mark here. Then he turned to her body and changed it. The wings remained, as did the queen's beautiful hairs, but her form was now that of a blue, serpentine dragon with two long arms and human hands, and her top was covered by a golden armor.

'Rise and stand, my servant, Ancient Fairy Dragon. Protect your kingdom with your draconic might, but never forget your life is now mine. When I will require your help, you will answer.'

The dragon turned to him and nodded.

"This, I will, my Lord. Now, back to business …"

Grinning dangerously, the draconic queen turned to her enemy. King Morgath looked at the creature in fear. Before he could say anything, Lyria's breath had incinerated him, leaving nothing but a charred husk in a smoking armor. Managing to maintain some discipline, the Lorwenian army swiftly turned tails and fled. Althiel looked at the dragon, worried.

"Lyria … is that still you?"

"It is, Althiel. The Crimson Dragon took my soul away, but I still have my mind and my memories, and this body may look different, but it is definitely mine."

The scientist sighed.

"Good to know. I didn't think you'd call for the Crimson Dragon himself to help you!"

"I was dying. The blow had crushed my chest. This was my only way out."

Althiel shrugged.

"At least, you can keep ruling us."

"Indeed."

And so, Ancient Fairy Dragon is born. Actually, after her soul is reincarnated, she and her Signer become the rulers of Summervale, Ancient Fairy remaining as each new Front Claw takes the throne. Don't worry, the Crimson Dragon is kind enough to make sure the Front Claw Signer is reborn as a Citizen of Summervale ... Then the Earthbound Immortals will rise, capture her and screw up the entire reincarnation process, forcing the Summervale monarchy to become hereditary. Great ... And yeah, Luna's past self was quite tough in a fight despite her surreal appearance.

Thanks for those who reviewed! Next chapter is nearly finished, and you're gonna love it since it's about Jack's past self.