The Butterfly Fairy – Chapter 14
Hang on, Mari … Just hang on … Please.
Chirp-chirp-chirp, the medley of birdsong resounded through the glass as Mari weakly lifted up her head from off of the blanket she was napping on. Her eyes connecting with the sun, she looked up to yearn the warm arcs of the sun's rays as they phased on through the glass to stop just across the cot as Mari pushed herself up and crawled over to where she could warm up her wings against the light, but it wasn't enough to warm her up completely.
Laying still, she lowered to see where her hands used to be as two small legs reached up to stroke against her cheek. The rest of her was strange, too, a form she never saw except as a laugh on her short journey with Thasly. A Glass-wing, Mari thought to herself as she turned her head to see the fore and hind parts of her dark wings framing the tiny mirror-like scales like a pool, the tiny see-through glasses glimmering with a bluest tint.
In her new form, Mari was no longer a fairy, but a tiny pinprick of her fairy conscience still remained as she still knew who she was and what she did to save her sister. She didn't know if the transformation was permanent or not, but something told her that Posy was better than ok. But right now, all Mari could feel was her full butterfly instincts telling her that she needed energy and soon.
"Good morning," she heard Tommy say as he emerged from the hall, donning a quick switch to a somber gray sweater he had stocked away, wearing black slacks and a sturdy pair of binoculars around his neck. "You hardly sad a word the rest of the night. Hey, you ok?"
"The sun. My wings," Mari all but almost whispered, not sure how she was still able to speak with all but depleted energy. Her magnificent wings laid almost listless behind her as she felt Tommy's warm hands gently pick her up with a smile.
"Hey, no problem. Here," he said, bringing her over to the window, but stopped when he saw the shelves of wings that were still casing the walls. He had another idea!
"Hang on," he whispered, sheltering her as he rushed out of the house and siding past Lizzy as she and Niabi all but starred past him as he shouted, "Sorry, emergency!"
With the girls following him, they both stopped to see him holding Mari up high to the sky, palms straight out as Mari unfurled her scaled wings and felt the sun's healing rays speed up her blood and allowed her to flutter out of his hesitant hands, a steady stream of dust starting to radiate to life on her wings as she pirouetted a tiny spin of gratitude.
"There, better?" he asked her as Mari made herself at home on top of his head as he just chuckled, remembering all too well the events of last night as Mari just giggled in reply. "Good, but you know what? Did you need to keep doing that dream thing of yours, really? You kept me up half the night …"
"Who are you talking to?" Lizzy wanted to know, surprising him as he jumped, catapulting Mari off of his head and her landing on a nearby sunflower as she clung on to its petals to catch her balance, and turned to see Lizzy shooting him a curious yet steady stare at Mari as she remained silent, not out of shyness but observation.
"You'd think I was crazy, but," Tommy said, glancing back to see that Mari was watching him with her silent eyes, her sparkle dust having an effect on the bloom as its leaves started to animate a bit as its petals started to shimmer in her presence. "You know that fairy we were talking about yesterday?"
"Yeah," Lizzy said, starting to see the connection as a small yet cautious smile take form as they both saw Niabi rush off to play, waving at the flowers nearby as she giggled and leapt into the daisies. Then, Lizzy paused as she said, "I thought you said you didn't believe in fairies …"
"I … don't," he said, watching Mari's small sigh as she nodded in encouragement. "But … that's her."
Walking over, Lizzy got down across her knees and starred eye to eye with the tiny little butterfly as Mari fluttered her wings in anticipation as Lizzy squinted her eyes and studied her. "You sure?"
"Positive. Liz, I'm not making this up," he said, explaining a short part of his dream to her as Mari corrected her position on the bloom, her wings fluttering gently as she saw him start to open up to someone else for a change. "I'm sorry if what I'm telling you seems a bit strange, but honestly I've never come across anything like her before. I mean, Marisol has told me a number of things lately that could only make sense if you really …"
"Marisol?" Lizzy asked, in shock that he knew her name. "That's her name? It definitely suits her, I mean just look at her wings. They're beautiful!"
Thanks, Mari tried to say as she flew up to hover in front of Lizzy as she just tilted her antennae down in a nod. Confused, Lizzy turned to see Thomas hold out a hand for her to rest on as he told her, "She said thank you. Didn't you hear her?"
"Did you?" Lizzy repeated, completely befuddled. Shaking her head a bit, she placed a hand on her other as she looked down a bit in thought.
"Yes," he said, sensing her quiet hesitation. "What's wrong? Don't you believe me?"
"I want to, Thomas," Lizzy found herself saying as Thomas just looked away. "But I … honestly, I've only heard a fairy being able to talk by the sound of a tinkling little bell. But, you're talking like you can actually understand her …"
"I can't explain that, either," he said, sitting Mari down to rest up on his shoulder as she listened, too. "And, I don't expect you to believe what I say is true. It just happened. Look, I've got some things I have to figure out right now. I'll tell you everything I can later if you're willing to listen then."
"Thomas," was all Lizzy could say as she watched him run off, sighing at what she said. Pulling out her fairy journal she held to her chest, she turned to the pages of where she had sketched Tinker Bell's reflection and smiled as she tapped a finger over one of the pom-poms Tink had added to the page in memory. Gazing up, she was sensing something, too, from the air as she turned to the page that told of a fairy's first trek in the beginning, how a fairy is born it read.
Meanwhile, Thomas was carefully pulling aside branch after hanging branch of loose tree limbs as he found a secluded part of woods that framed out the nearby stream as he found a nearby fat root to sit down on to think.
Her wings pulsing in a slight flare, Mari followed suit as her eyes found a small splat of fruit on the ground as she flew down and investigated it, her antennae sniffing at it as she found a soft hole and bent down to extend her tongue down into it and began to suck.
I know, it's a bit weird, Mari found herself thinking to herself. I guess this was 'me' from the very beginning.
"At least you knew who you were," Tommy spoke up in turn, finding himself able to hear her thoughts as well. "I mean, I'm still trying to figure out where I am, you know … with my Mother passing away. I mean, I know she's gone, but it still doesn't seem like it's true. I didn't want it to be true, but that's just it, isn't it? It's what it is, and I can't do anything about it."
She didn't tell you anything was wrong, Mari found herself seeing that familiar scene as the faint image of his Mom kissing him on the cheek melted into sense that Mari felt that same inkling before Thasly broke her steady flight and left Mari on her own, completely confused as at that same moment she remembered she was a fairy and felt the echo of the wind guide her back home.
Finding him as silent as the jaded willow tree next to them, Mari found herself wishing to be back home. It wasn't just Pixie Hollow, or her sister, that she was picturing though. That still small voice of Thasly filled up the small sliver in her heart as she allowed a few small butterfly tears fall next to Thomas' as he just wrapped his arms against his and allowed his eyes to shut in quiet thought and hurt.
This is why I'm here, Mari said seeing their connection.
Feeling the slight tremors in her wings, again, Mari decided against it to ignore her own troubles as she allowed herself to fly, sprinkling the last few specs of dust that radiated off of her insect wings against Tommy's brow as she started to stagger, her wings growing weary in her effort to comfort him one last time.
Wind come swiftly, bearing my tears
Going on is hard without you I fear
Thinking on our happy memories allows me to fly
Away, but here I say I wait for you
Dreams may linger, but they never lie, Mari sung as she got Tommy's attention by bouncing slightly on his head as he playfully blew her away, her wings catching the breath of his effort as she felt herself gliding around his head as she went on, this time him catching on, All you have to do is listen and heed.
"True it's never hurts to try," he added, adding a verse to her effort, "with the words I hear from you."
Time, it's a funny thing I can go through, she winked, seeing him start to chuckle.
Heart be stilly, take in my need
I'm not afraid to reach out and take part
Tears, they may sway but it's temporary
It will get better, just wait "an-and" see …
Kissing him on the cheek in comfort, Mari felt herself fall as he realized what was happening. Catching her in his hands, Thomas all but choked as he saw the slight tremors grow more trepid along the edges of her wings. As she all but fainted in his hands, tiny sprinkles of her delicate butterfly wings started to flake off as she felt her breathing start to get ragged.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" he whispered, seeing her become unresponsive. "What's happening to you?"
"Posy!" Thomas heard another small voice speak up as he turned to see a familiar fairy with glowing fairy wings rush over to hover just above where her sister's form laid quivering. "Here you are … Oh!"
Posy, her sister's voice cracked as she turned to see Posy's tears just falling. "I didn't want you seeing me like this."
"You knew this was going to happen?" Posy demanded of her to answer, but softened as she sat a hand against her sister's head in comfort. "And, you still did this?"
"I had to," Mari said between slight breaths. "It was the only way to save you."
"Well now … I plan to return the favor," she said, yielding her sister to hang on. "Just please …"
"Will she be alright?" Thomas wanted to know, gaining the sisters' shared attention as Posy just sighed watching her sister close her eyes in weak.
Looking at her friends who were hovering nearby, Annora came over to check on Mari's status as she said, "Stay with her, and I'll alert the scouts. They'll send for Zarina, Tink, and Queen Clarion, too. I promise, Posy. We'll do everything we can."
"Mari, you have to hang on," Posy whispered in her sister's ear as Tommy joined in, too.
"Please, if I can do anything to help," he told her as Posy connected her eyes to his in a knowing peace. "She's my friend, too. Are you Posy? She spoke a lot about you. I'm sorry this happened."
"It's not your fault, Tommy," Posy said, her voice coming out just like a chiming bell as she flashed him a gentle sad yet kind smile that could be deciphered without words. I'm glad you're here for her, too.
River came over to sit with Mari as she felt the quivers grow more timid as she felt the remnants of the dust. "This dust that's on her wings, it's what was left of her glow after the transfer, wasn't it?"
"I think so," Posy answered, wondering what she and Winter were fixing to do. "Why?"
Turning to her beau, River said, "Winter, if we do this, you'll have to be very careful. I don't know if it will work, but it might preserve the dust she has left until …"
"Say no more," Winter said, dubbed again in his winter traits as he worked with River to keep her wings steady. "Let's just hope this works."
What does Winter and River do to help Mari? Wait until next chapter, because the story not over yet. ;)