Night Wind
By: Wilona Riva
Disclaimer: Butch Hartman does; I don't.
Lethe Pear
The Night Queen frowned. "And how fare Dreama and Nightwind? They were nearly killed by the hunter."
"They will live," Whitewind answered, stepping forth out of the shadows.
Illona almost recoiled from the reddish looking pear the queen offered. "Forgetfulness fruit," she murmured. "It will make him lose all sense of identity."
"Yes," the Night Queen said, as Illona took the fruit from her hand. "When he as eaten it, he will forget."
Danny looked up as the door to the darkened chamber he had been thrown into opened up. "Who is there?" he demanded. "And where is Danielle?"
"Just I, Night Lord," came the voice of Illona, one of his rescuers. "The Night Queen sent me to check up on you and to offer you a gift. She says you will see the girl on the morrow."
"A red bartlett?" he asked. "Isn't that supposed to be a peach?"
"She is our mother," came Illona's reply. "She asks that you eat of it this very moment. Peaches are day fruit; pears belong to the night."
"Oh," Danny groaned. "It isn't poisonous, is it?"
"No, Night Lord," said the Light Bearer. "It is not. After you eat it, I'll leave. You have my word."
"Alright," Danny said, taking the pear from her. "If it will get you to go away, I'll eat the darn thing." He took the fruit from her and bit into it. "Hey, this is sweet and very juicy."
He frowned as he licked the juice from his fingers. "Who are you?"
The question was directed at the two ghosts who emerged from the shadows. They didn't respond, just stood there waiting for...there.
Dusk and Bell picked up their fallen leader from the ground and faded away.
Illona followed.
He moaned softly. "What happened?" he asked, trying to sit up.
"You partook of the forgetfulness fruit, my little phantom. It was Illona and your brother and sister who found you in the human world. Why ever did you go there, my little phantom?" the familiar voice of his mother spoke, her gentle chastisement caused him to blush.
He opened his eyes and stared into her starlit ones. "Mom?"
A faint giggling could be heard from one of the lightened corners of the room. He turned and saw a smaller feminine version of himself trying to sit up in the other bed. "She's not your mom, silly."
"Sunset?" he asked, causing her head to turn. She studied him for a moment, then bobbed her head when an older female stepped out of the shadows and whispered to her.
She listened for a moment, then nodded to the older female. She looked toward the woman who cradled what appeared to be her older brother. "Is that my name?" she asked, then frowned. "Permission to speak, Night Queen?"
"Granted, my little phantom," the woman said, her lilting voice full of joy. "But from this moment forward, you must remember not to speak unless given permission. And yes, since Phantom has chosen to name you Sunset, that is what we will call you henceforth."
Sunset nodded her head in understanding. Moon returned, and helped her to stand. Bowing to the Queen of the Night Wind people, she led Sunset away, presumably to dress her in the proper uniform.
"You found her then, my little phantom," the Night Queen said. "She was lost and alone, wandering the human plane. I see why you entered the portal. What found you on the other side?"
"Horrible," Phantom said, shuddering at the fading memory. "Too much light. The portal is guarded by those who hunt our kind. Please, don't make me go back there."
"And so you shall not," the Queen of the Night Stars declared. "I want you to remain at my side, my little phantom. Twilight and Bell will teach you what you have forgotten."
He bowed to her, remembering her words to Sunset, then furrowed his brow. He looked at her in fear.
"Yes, my little phantom," she answered his unspoken question. "Surely, you were seen by the hunters. They will come and try to take you back to their world. They will say you are their son, their friend, and that you are half-human. You still possess a human form, my little phantom. You are Night Wind. Come Twilight, come, Dusk, come Bell; teach my little phantom the ways of our people."
Phantom swung his feet out of the bed, as a younger female helped him to his feet. "My name is Dusk," she whispered. "You are Phantom, our leader. You have been gone for so long, we despaired ever finding you again. You rescued Sunset from the dreadful humans, Night Lord. You should be proud."
Indeed he was. He bowed to his queen, then followed Dusk, Twilight, and Bell into the bathing chamber.