New Chapter!
And a Happy Holidays to all!
Out of the corner of her eye, Millie caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a glowing pink orb sailing towards her at high speeds. She didn't even have time to duck when it slammed into her, knocking her down.
Looking back, she realized that she should have kept her guard up more. Luckily, it wasn't a problem in this case.
"Ouch!" the orb exclaimed after it bounced off of Millie. It was now suspended in the air next to a very confused Edwinn. The orb transformed into something that Millie had only read about: a fairy. She was tiny, about half the height of Millie. She had dark skin and blonde hair with a huge pink flower in it. The flower matched the small, rounded wings that protruded from her back. Millie couldn't help but wonder how they kept her aloft. They seemed so tiny and fragile, just like the fairy.
"Hey! Watch where you're flappin standing!" the fairy exclaimed. It took a second for Millie to register that she was yelling at her. "I may be as skinny as a rake, but I still need some room for my maneuvers!" Hadn't she been the one to run into Millie?
"Uh, sorry?" Millie managed to say before the fiery girl cut her off.
"Psh, it's fine. I forgive you." The fairy then spun towards Edwinn, nearly hitting Millie's face in the process. "You! Old ghost man! What was the rubbish that you were just spouting?"
"Excuse me?" Edwinn asked, bewildered and still not over the fact that a fairy was talking to him.
Said fairy just rolled her eyes. "Come on, old man! You were going on about Celestrians, right?" Edwinn nodded and the fairy smiled and shook her head. "I had my suspicions about this one," she pointed over her shoulder at Millie," but this messy little minstrel hardly fits the bill, am I right?"
"I'm not sure-"
"I mean, just look at her," the fairy said, flying around Millie. "No wings, no halo. Bit odd for a Celestrian, wouldn't you say?"
"While we're on the topic of odd..." Edwinn butted in, giving Millie a rest from the scrutiny, "what exactly are you?"
"I bet you'd like to know," the fairy said with a laugh. When she was met with blank expressions, she stopped. "Yeah, I guess you would like to know." She spun back and struck a pose. "I'm the supreme, stupendous Stella, stunning skipper of the sky-flying Starflight Express! Ta daa!" she sang the last part, her voice sounding like tiny bells ringing.
Edwinn and Millie glanced at each other, still having no idea who she was.
"Erm, alright then," Edwinn said awkwardly.
"You're turn now," Stella said, turning to Millie. "Time to fly those true colors of yours. Who are you really? How come you can see the Starflight Express and this old fart? You look like a regular mortal to me."
"I'm Millie, apprentice of Aquila, and Guardian of Angel Falls. I have been his apprentice for three hundred years," Millie introduced. "I fell when light struck the Observatory, causing the massive earthquake in the Protectorate. I woke up without my wings or halo."
Stella squinted at her suspiciously. "I don't know. Sounds like a bit of tall yarn to me, if you know what I'm saying. I mean, how come you can still see the Starflight Express and ghosts?"
" I have no idea," Millie said truthfully. Stella looked a little more convinced, but not quite sold on her story.
"How about you prove you're a Celestrian?" she asked before pointing at Edwinn. "Send this guy's soul to the heavens."
Millie hesitated. She had no idea if she could even do that.
"Come on! You've got nothing to lose," Stella said encouragingly, giving her a nudge on the shoulder. "This old bloke just needs a shove in the righteous direction."
"Are you talking about me?" Edwinn asked, taken aback. "I mean, I'm not exactly happy where I am, but..."
"Let me guess," Stella said. "You're only a ghost because you have some unfinished business, right?" Edwinn nodded, causing Stella to roll her eyes. "Typical." She turned to face Millie. "Alright, maybe-Celestrian! Help this ghost tie up his loose ends and send him on his way. After that, I might just believe your story and give you a ride back to the Observatory on my good ole fashion Starflight Express."
At that notion, Millie's hopes shot up. With luck, she'd be home a lot sooner than she thought she'd be.
"Can't be any faerier than that," Stella said, pausing and waiting for a laugh. When she didn't get one, she continued. "I'll just tag along with you until you finish the job."
"Alright," Millie said, watching as Stella transformed back into the glowing pink orb and darted over her shoulder, settling on the hilt of her sword.
She turned expectantly to Edwinn.
"This is all very strange," he said. "I am thankful for your willingness to help, though."
"Not a problem. It's my job," Millie said. "So, what unfinished business do you have?"
Edwinn squinted his eyes, thinking deeply. "I wonder... I wonder if it has something to do with that thing I buried behind the inn." That seemed like hint enough for Millie. She nodded to Edwinn and dashed off, running across the bridge, taking a left on the path so she ended up in front of the inn. It was starting to get dark, and she was getting the creeping feeling that people would think she was stealing if they caught her out here this late. She hurried behind the inn and up the earthen steps to the cliff face.
She looked around, trying to think of where Edwinn would hide... whatever it was he was hiding. It didn't take her long. Protruding from the ground under a bush was something metal. It looked a bit like a ball with wings on it.
After a few minutes of digging, she finally pulled out what had been buried: a trophy. Millie had never seen one like it before. It was at least three feet tall and very heavy, painted gold and red. Inscribed on its plaque read, "Awarded to Edwinn by His Royal Highness King Schott for Inncredible achievements in Inntertainment". The top of it had, in loopy cursive, the word "Inny".
"Well, I guess this is what that old coot was hiding," Stella's voice sounded. Millie nodded. She took the trophy down to the river where she cleaned the rest of the dirt off the best she could. Afterwards, she carried it back over the bridge, presenting it to Edwinn with a smile.
"Oh, dear me! My Inny! This sure does take me back," he grinned, his dark eyes flashing with happiness. "I hid it away when I came to Angel Falls. I didn't want Erinn to know about it, and I didn't want to be thinking about my life in Stornway when I had a new one here." Millie nodded in understanding. Edwinn let out a sigh. "I know Erinn is torn right now, but I also know that she would be a great innkeeper in Stornway. Show her the Inny and see if that convinces her. I want her to be happy and explore her horizons." Millie nodded again, carrying the trophy and walking up to Erinn's house, knocking before entering. Edwinn waited outside, still watching through the window.
When she stepped in, she was greeted by Erinn's grandfather, who took one look at the trophy before directing Millie upstairs. She went carefully up the stairs, not wanting to slip and damage the trophy. Erinn's door was open, so Millie walked in. Erinn watched her enter, looking confused.
"What is that?" Erinn asked as Millie handed her the trophy. She held it back to get a better look at it. "Awarded to Edwinn...by King Schott of Stornway?! For being the Inncredibly Inntertainer?" Her eyes went wide as she gaped at the trophy. "I don't believe this! Patty's story was true!"
"Yeah, it sure was," Millie said, momentarily distracted as Edwinn suddenly appeared in the corner of the room.
"I don't understand this! Why would my dad give up such a prestigious title to come to a tiny, sleepy town like Angel Falls?" Erinn asked.
"I may be able to shed some light on that," a voice came from the doorway. It was Erinn's grandfather. He gestured for them to follow him downstairs. Once they were situated around the dining room table, he began to speak.
"Edwinn asked me not to say anything years ago, and I kept his secret well. It doesn't seem to matter now, though," he began. "Erinn, my dear, you must remember how sick you were as a child, just like your mother. If nothing was done, you would have gotten sicker and sicker as you got older. Eventually, you would have died at a young age, just like your mother."
"Of course I remember that," Erinn said. "It was such a long time ago, though. I'm perfectly healthy now."
Her grandfather nodded. "That is because you were raised on the waters of the falls in this village. Angel Falls is famous for the healing properties of its waters."
Erinn looked shocked. "You're telling me that Dad gave it all up and moved out here for my sake?"
"Of course," Millie said. "The life of his daughter was more valuable to him than any of his life's goals." Erinn's grandfather shot her a curious look, but Erinn was too caught up by the news to pick up on it.
"So I stood in the way of his dreams," Erinn said, sounding very sad.
"He knew you'd feel that way, so he didn't want you to know. You are mature enough now for me to tell you, though," her grandfather said, laying a gnarled hand on her shoulder.
"He did it all for me..." Erinn muttered, staring at the trophy in her hands. She turned abruptly to Millie. "It looks like I'll be leaving for Stornway soon."
"That's great, Erinn," Millie said with a smile. She returned it with a nervous one of her own.
"I'm not sure how much help I'll be to Patty, but I'll do my best," she said with determination. There was a spark in her eyes that Millie had never seen before. In the corner, Edwinn nodded before vanishing.
"You'll do fantastic, Erinn. I know it. And I'm sure Edwinn will be proud of you, no matter what," Millie said. Erinn's smile looked much more confident now. She set the Inny down on the table again, giving it an admiring look. "I'm going to start supper. Millie, you should probably go upstairs and wash up. You're covered in dirt." Millie looked down at her hands and, sure enough, Erinn was right.
"I'll be back," Millie promised as she dashed up the stairs.
"Of course you'll be back! We have food!" Erinn joked back. Millie rolled her eyes.
She came to a stop at the landing as Edwinn materialized in front of her. Stella also appeared, changing back into her fairy form.
"Hey there, old man," Stella said with a smile.
"I can't believe she's following in my footsteps," Edwinn said with a ridiculously happy smile on his face. "I have no regrets now. I know Erinn will do amazing things and I know she doesn't need me looking over her shoulder. She's got a great grandfather to take care of her and a truly special friend to protect her if she ever needs it." It took Millie a second to realize her was talking about her.
Edwinn began to glow a brilliant sapphire with streaks of green wrapping around him. "It looks like it's my time to go. Thank you for your help, my honored guardian." He bowed to Millie as he glowed brighter. She returned the bow and, when she looked up, he was gone.
And there was no benevolessence. Millie felt her chest freeze, but Stella didn't seem to notice anything wrong.
"He's gone!" Stella exclaimed. "Well done! You did, you little Celestrian you!" She gave Millie a high-five.
"Uh, Stella?" Millie started, but Stella was too distracted to listen.
"A promise is a promise," she said with a smile and an extra flap of her wings. "I'll give you a ride back to the Observatory exactly like we agreed."
"Great," Millie managed to get out though her internal panic.
"Um, shouldn't you be picking up the benevolessence?" Stella asked, looking from Millie to the spot where Millie assumed the benevolessence was floating. Millie's wide eyes shifted to Stella, who now looked shocked. "You can flapping see it. Don't tell me you can't see benevolessence anymore!"
"I don't know why I can't," Millie exclaimed. She was starting to wonder how much of her was still Celestrian. If she couldn't fly or see benevolessence anymore, doesn't that take away the main parts that made her a Celestrian?
Stella was staring at her again, scrutinizing her with careful brown eyes. "Now I'm starting to wonder again. Are you really a Celestrian who fell, or are you just some weirdo pulling my chain?"
Chapter done!
Feel free to review, correct me, or tell me anything that came off as weird!
Thanks