The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter Four

Ushering Mari into the center of the dimmed lighted room, Mari fluttered over to the pedestal curiously as Dewey adjusted the firefly lights. With just a tap of his staff, the fireflies awoke to invoke a glitter-like glow around the room, illuminating a golden flower that sat in the middle of the room.

Gasping, Mari felt herself tingle as the flower's glow reflected across her eyes. Almost tempted to touch it, she looked towards Dewey as he just nodded his head in consent.

Brushing a finger over it, Mari fluttered back as the golden flower unfurled its petals in a spinning aurora display, illuminating the whole room with a rainbow display.

"Wow," Mari heard her sister say as Posibelle stunningly stepped into the room. Sighing, Posi just leaned against the wall in awe as she watched the colors dance and play in front of her eyes. "Beautiful …"

"Yes, it is," Queen Clarion said, fluttering in through the door. "What you see before you is the Aurora Dust Bloom. It was found deep in the Pixie Dust Well one season long ago, and we have recently found that it serves a magical purpose."

Watching Mari curiously wrapping her hands around the bloom, Queen Clarion said, "Go ahead, both you and Posi hold it up into the light and see what happens."

Smiling up at her sister, Mari smiled as Posibelle joined her at her side. With both of the siblings' hands around the bloom, the flower then glowed as a shimmering light shot up to the top of the room and dissolved into a shower of golden pixie dust.

Hoo hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo hoo-hoo ...

The whole room seemed to sing as both of the siblings' wings glowed behind them. The golden dust dancing off their wings, the dust swirled to the tune as the scene changed to show a quaint little woodland home with an open canopy window letting in the sunshine. A laugh was heard as it came rippling out into the breeze that carried it, but closing in, it revealed to be two as they each took a different path.

Hear the wind, carry thee
Come along, Feel thy wings
A journey that waits, don't tarry too long
Wait not for the wind, the path sure is strong…

Mari heard the familiar tug of the message that radiated deep in her core as she heard the message that made her journey take longer. Following the whispers, she watched as her journey landed on the petals of a marigold bloom in the deep evergreen woods that separated her from the breeze that was seeking her out. A promise of home was felt as she in her heart saw Never Land waiting for her, but a promise of wonder followed her as she paused down on a flower bud, where she landed right next to a butterfly.

"So, that's what happened," Mari said to herself as she saw the moment come alive, watching as the curious butterfly lifted the shimmering light on his back for a ride.

Hear the breeze at thy back, time is flying on
Our time short is here, we must fly
Greet the day with sun all aglow,
Trust your heart, it knows the way to go …

In a blink, Mari saw the week she passed away on the mainland, slightly merging with the butterfly as they flew. Remembering the grand time she had, Mari felt her wings shimmer in memory as she felt the next tug on her heart. As the butterfly faded away into the golden dust, Mari heard a crack echo past her ears as the butterfly disappeared and there the laugh continued to fly as it settled down near the stream, waiting out the day. Finally, the wind tracked her down as it swept her back on course. Crossing the Second Star and over the Never Sea, Mari remembered the last words the butterfly had sung to her …

You're met for great things, remember the path
Ye shall find thy way, wait for that one day
Break away and find, a treasure, a friend,
I leave behind, I give you my wings …

"That wasn't long before I came across Papillion's cocoon," Mari said, looking up at Queen Clarion as the images faded. "Thasly, she showed me so many things on the Mainland, and I didn't want to forget them. She looked after me, but she knew I couldn't stay. And, neither did she tell me …"

Looking back at her wings, Mari shed a tear for her friend as her brown hued scales glittered in the light.

"That's probably what happened right there, she passed on her wings to you," Nora said, coming forward. "But, gaining the wings, you also displayed some of the habits you picked up on with your time with her."

"Just like flying into that flower just to taste the nectar, and making me worried about you …" Posy reminded her sister with a chuckle.

"It was her gift, and a very noble one at that," Queen Clarion said she opened the door for them as they fluttered back out into sunshine.

Lifting her wings, Mari smiled as the sun warmed them up. Thinking about Papillion, she turned her head towards the direction to summer, where she knew he was back at her house.

Posy coming over to sit a hand down on her sister's shoulder, she said, "What is it, Mari?"

"I guess I'm just wondering how Papillion's doing, I can sense he's about to …" Mari started to say as both of them turned to see Queen Clarion holding out a small leaf wrapped package to give to her.

"Well, in that case, I want you to have something Marisol," Clarion said, taking her young butterfly fairy's hand. Folding the gift over in Mari's fingers, the Queen cupped her hand to say, "Take this flute, and may its song help you remember your friend. Also, I have a feeling you will need it."

Unwrapping it, Mari pulled a slender small reed flute attached to a firm but strong necklace. With a smile, she tied around her neck as she held the flute aloft in her hand, turning it around to study it further. I wonder how it sounds, she thought to herself. Should I play it now and see what happens, or should I wait …?

"Why don't you see how it sounds?" Nora told her with a smile, heeding what was on her mind. Encouraging her, Nora said, "You never know what might happen …"

Hovering there for a minute in the hanging sun, Mari brought the flute to her lips as a swirl of pixie dust surrounded her. With her eyes closed, Mari felt a reassuring glow pass through her as her wings transformed. Fluttering there in front of them all, Mari opened her eyes to see her sister's eyes shimmer in tears as she looked back to see her wings. They were fairy sized, the same as her sister's, but the design had changed to include her glassy sheen and brown hues upon their edges. And, holding the flute in her hands, she saw that it had changed, too.

Letting her silver flute fall to her neck, Mari felt her fairy glow begin as traces of pixie dust fell from her fingertips. "I am a Never Fairy, aren't I?" she asked, relieved tears streaming down her cheeks.

"When were you not, Mari?" her sister asked her. "I'm just glad you're here."

With a smile, Marisol hugged her sister as the two cried happy tears. "So am I."

"How did you know, Queen Clarion?" Nora asked her mentor. "How did you know Marisol was a butterfly herder?"

"I didn't," Queen Clarion said wisely, "at least not at first. When talents find the right moment to reveal themselves, it comes out as quite a treasure just as you have learned with your experience. But, there are cases such as Mari's, that when the truth is hidden from view that it takes the right tool, or thing that's special to the bearer, to allow their talent to come to light."

"Huh?" Mari said, catching ahold of some of Queen Clarion's words. Looking up, she heard her sister exclaim as she tugged on her sister's sleeve.

"Mari, look!"

Turning around, Marisol just squealed as she saw a butterfly come flying up to meet her. Flapping his flashing blue majestic wings, the young blue Morpho landed on the Tree as Mari leaned forward to hum the melody she learned in his ears. "You're all grown up now," she whispered, giving his antennas a fond rub. "But I promise you, I will never let anything happen to you."

Two chapters in one night, wow. Here's chapter 4 on the verge of inspiration and a little bit of research. :)

The little song, I called it Thasly's Song. Thasly (I pronounce it, Thas-lee). My original idea revolved around the possible idea of mimicry, falling on Mari's part, but I think this chapter described a lot better. I hope you like it, I know I do. :)

Next up comes the events that bring them to the Mainland, so sit tight and fly safely.
Oh, and I've added the cover image for this fic, but I apologize for not getting the full scene in there. I'll have to keep trying on that, if the site will let me.