The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter 3
Closing up her door to her nicely trimmed bird nest cottage, Nora waved down to a dozy Cocoa as his head rested down on his little paws inside his little cozy mouse house. Since those two were almost inseparable, Torum had, together with their sister Bluebell, surprised Nora one day by unveiling a tiny little den home made especially for Cocoa.
Smiling at the memory, Nora hovered to open her locket around her neck her sister had made for her out of periwinkle petals and ferns. Inside rested a fairy portrait of both her sister and brother painted by Bess, who was one of Pixie Hollow's most special artists.
Sighing to herself, Nora held her locket close as she took off with her calla lily horn strapped down at her side as she zoomed off to the Pixie Dust Tree.
Pausing between Havendish Stream and the Tearoom, she waved to Teal as she saw her rushing into the Tearoom, late for her shift. "Hi, Teal!"
"Sorry I can't talk, Nora," Teal called out the door. "I've got a huge order to clear this morning. One of the cooks came down with the Fairy Rash, so I'm needed in the kitchen. Maybe I'll see you later, ok?"
"Alright then, fly with you later," Nora called, laughing to herself as she heard her friend call back, "Be careful!"
As Nora reached the edge of the Tree, an eager call reached her ears as she looked down to see a sudden white head surf across and down the Stream, leaving a trail of frost in his wake. Knowing well who it was, all Nora did was smile as she flew up to go into the Tree.
Down below, the sparrow man continued to skate as the water froze to immediate ice at his touch. Skidding to a halt, he dusted off his blue frosty top and looked fondly down to the water that continued to flow even under his ice. Bending down, he gazed into a hole his frost left behind as a little fish popped up to blow bubbles in his face. Laughing, he skidded back as a sudden gleam caught his eye.
Picking up a broken-off piece of jewelry, he smiled secretly to himself as he looked over both of his shoulders as he hid it in his pocket for later. As he did so, a splash of water and a sweet voice caught his ear as he jumped off his frosty wake and ran off into the ferns.
"What makes a river flow? Open the leaves of trees as they grow
It's the wings of the world that's just out of you …
Parting the reeds, Winter smiled as his icy blue eyes caught sight of a vision of blue as River, with her shiny black hair pulled back in a silky ponytail, threw up some sprays around her into the air.
"Wonder is all around, Raising each seed in the ground
If you only believe the magic is true, Just like the magic in you …"
Winter rested his head against the reeds as River gathered all of the sprays into one big sphere that hovered just close to her hands. Inspired, River just closed her eyes as she clicked her fingers. The shimmering sphere just rippled in reply as a splash made a pod of fish surface just under her.
"But your might may feel small now, And dreams can seem so far
You never know, your simple glow, Can light a brand new star
'Cuz every heart is a perfect part of nature's great design
And who you are can shine!"
As little fish appeared below the lake, their bubbles immediately began to blow as River flew down in between them, summoning them up to follow her as she flew back up, leaving the bubbles behind to hover as she let a sharp whistle.
"Now you are on your way … Waking to see what treasures awake,
And you're finding the joy in everything.
Trusting in how you feel, Hopes become dreams and dreams become real
With the help that you give, and the beauty you bring ..."
From his spot, Winter watched as a tiny green spotted firefly moved a tiny spotlight into the shimmering spray as the whole drop transformed as River waved her hands about it. Watching the form take shape, Winter parted the reeds to walk closer as he felt a few of River's river sparrows rush past his shoulders as a small birchpad sketchbook knocked against his foot. Opening it, his eyes grew big at the sight in front of him as water started to string down from River's fountain she was constructing in her wake.
"Winter is turning to spring," he heard her sing as he held her notebook aloft as he watched her sprinkle capped snowflakes atop her grand fountain as they quickly turned into spinning droplets in the morning's warm wake.
"Your might may feel small, and dreams can seem so far
You never know, your simple glow,Can light a brand new star
'Cuz every heart is a perfect part of nature's great design …"
As River slid down one of the sprays, she turned to listen to her creation as its song filled her ears.
"… No matter who you are … You … can … Shine!"
Winter's applause was so sudden that River lost her concentration on holding her fountain intact as it suddenly collapsed about her. Hearing the rush above her, River was prepared to dive out of the way before she felt a tight grip grab hold of her wrist. Pulling her out of the way of the falling swell, Winter sheltered River as all the water fell on top of him and made him splash over into the shallows.
Catching herself, River just grimaced as she pulled whoever had ahold of her hand back to shore as felt the familiar sheen of Winter's ice powers across her palm.
Helping him stand, she told him, "You need to learn to let someone know you're there before you sneak up on somebody like that. Are you alright?"
"I wasn't sneaking up on you," Winter told her as he rung out his jacket over the shallow lake.
"Then, what were you doing?" She asked him, quite seriously.
"Ok, I was watching you and your craft," he said, flapping out her book over the lake, "lay off the third decree, alright?"
Arcing her eyebrows, River frowned when she heard the pages of her sketchbook ruffle. "What's that you've got?"
Knowing that he was busted, Winter handed her the sketchbook as he said, "Here. I couldn't resist."
"You should've asked," she said, surprisingly not even agitated at the mess that happened.
Puzzled on why she wasn't upset at him, he asked her, "Why do you never show people your sketches? They're quite impressive, you know?"
"You're just being nice, but thank you," she said softly, handing him the book. "Here, you can keep it if you want it."
"Riv …" he started to say before she sat it in his hands and took off flying, away from him and the lake.
Running after her, he tucked the book under his arm as he followed her past the clearing that led to her house. Hearing Torch by her ear, River followed her little firefly all the way past the meadow as she landed in the clearing near her house as she heard Winter speak up behind her.
"Riv, hold on," he started to say as he caught his breath.
"Don't you have to be somewhere?" she asked him, anxious to go inside.
"River, are you alright?" he asked her kindly. "What were you working on back there, if you don't mind me asking?"
Silent for a moment, River thought for a few seconds before she said, "A little bit of it was me practicing my fountain making skills for when I go Fairy Camp with the next squadron of water fairies next week, but most of it … well, I …"
"You were shaping water to what you felt and saw in your sketches, weren't you?" he asked her with a smile.
"A little, I guess," she said, shyly hiding a smile of her own.
"A blind artist, I've never heard of such a thing …" Winter started to say before he felt a sudden wash of water hit him in the face and sent him soaked down to his knees. "Hey, what was that for?"
Seething, River relinguished the spray that still laid ready at her hand as it fell back into the water. "Look, just because I can't …"
"Riv, easy," Winter said to cut her off. "You didn't think I knew? That wasn't making fun, it was a compliment. Really …"
River just lowered her head as Winter put his hand in his pocket to pull out a shimmering bejeweled clip he had been working on. Placing it in her hand, he said, "Thanks for the book, Riv. Keep up the great work, and I'll see you later, ok?"
Hearing him flutter away, River stayed silent as she felt Torch teasingly pull at her ponytail. Saying nothing, she felt the present he laid in her hand with a smile. Turning to her door, she walked over to her door and pinning the pin in her hair, she smiled as she shut the door back behind her.
Meanwhile, as Posy and Mari were waiting in Queen Clarion's chamber wing, Nora waited by the door as Queen Clarion escorted them into an air-cooled special room in the Pixie Dust Tree.
Mari shivered as frost coated the walls, but looking back she felt it subside as she watched the brown hued edges of her glass tipped scaled wings shrink to fit her fairy size. A sudden screech made her turn her head as a fairy seated at a desk and a sparrow man lending on a staff flew over to meet them at the door.
"Ah, Queen Clarion, lovely to see you, my Queen," the sparrow man said as he bowed slightly. Behind him, the tall fairy dressed in a silver clad leaf dress stood to her feet as she flicked back her silver ponytail to the side as she held a book in her hands.
"Have you found anything that might us help us learn about about my sister's condition?" Posy asked them as she placed a hand on Mari's shoulder.
"Nothing so far, I'm afraid, but seeing the contrast of Mari's unique wing shape, I did find something that resembled the glass scales you told me about," Lia said as she flicked open the book she had to a page on different types of butterfly species. Turning the book to face them, she recited, "Based on your sister's description, your wings match those of the Greta oto, more commonly known as the Glasswinged Butterfly. I'm not saying that you are one of these, but that your wing pattern is the same when they grow."
"So, what are you saying?" Mari wanted to know, wanting to get out of the cold.
"I'm saying that it is quite possibly that you have may have inherited their wing type, but I have no idea why. I'm just going by what you said," Lia said, placing down the book as she felt her falcon nudge her shoulder.
"There should be a scientific explanation, but it is apparent that whatever you experienced happened back when you were still a laugh," Dewey said, coming over to inspect Mari's wings. "Although the evidence is not present now, there is a way we can look back to see what happened during your journey."
"How?" Mari asked, following Queen Clarion's gesture over to the wall where a small Pixie Dust trail flowed into the Tree. Right above it, a small prism of light was being switched on as Dewey took her hand to guide her over to the small door that laid against the Wall of the Tree.
Once again, all credit to Disney Fairies with the Song "Shine." :)
Due to the length of this chapter, I wanted to introduce Winter into the story somehow, and I hope this touching scene shows why. And the smaller part of the story will be continued into the forwarding scenes to where why Mari is experiencing butterfly wings. The secret or gift, well ... I'll see what comes.
Any suggestions or guesses as to how or why you think Mari is part-butterfly, I would love to hear your thoughts or opinions in the reviews.
Fly with you all later.