"Mary. You didn't have to," I whispered.
I didn't want to cry; my eyes were tired of the stinging sensation that irritated me. My heart ached at her kindness, shocked that a stranger I'd met hours ago had taken me on her back, flown me back to help my family, helped me conduct the farewell ceremony, and was now offering me something even more precious than my original button. I was left speechless.
"Arielle. You are a brave little girl, and though you are hurting, you haven't given up. You deserve something that will remind you of all the effort it took to help your family. It may not have turned out the way you expected but watching your family's souls rise to the sky means they've successfully moved on to the other side. That was all thanks to you. This will not only be a symbol of the family you loved, but also the lengths you took and the bravery you displayed. Let this always remind you to keep your head up high and fight to protect those you love." Mary declared.
"Thank you, Mary," I replied, staring at the decorative button once more. There was an empty spot in the middle which made my brain begin to ponder how to fill the void in the masterpiece.
"Mary," I whispered.
"Yes, Arielle?" she asked.
I looked up to meet her purple eyes and gave her a small smile. "Can I have two of your feathers? To remind me of you?"
Once we fled here, I knew it wouldn't be long till we parted ways and I'd be alone once more. Mary most likely had family and friends. She wasn't going to abandon them for me. At least her feathers strapped to the button would always remind me of the love she showed my family and me.
"Yes, you can, Arielle. You can even choose which ones," Mary encouraged. I was quick in the choosing, and Mary didn't even flinch as I plucked the two long purple feathers. I helped place them right in the middle and Mary worked swiftly to tie them down with spare vine she had lying nearby.
Once the feathers were secured, she helped me put it on my back and, within a minute, I was on her back and we were up in the sky. I tried to ignore the frigid droplets that fell from the sky and focused on the journey ahead.
Even though I didn't see the point of going to the hybrid place, Mary said she'd take me there and stay with me until I was settled in. It was a comforting gesture that I couldn't help but accept, my heart already growing a soft spot for Mary.
We continued to fly in the rain, my eyes heavy as I lowered my head against Mary's back. I must have dozed off but was jolted awake by a loud screech.
"Arielle! Hold on!" Mary called out. I sat up and tightened my talons on Mary as she quickly dived down into the forest that had been below us.
I looked back, and my eyes grew wide at three Dark birds on our tail. "Mary, Dark birds!"
"I know Arielle! Hang on. We'll try to lose them!" Mary shouted as she maneuvered through the thick forest, avoiding branches and towering trees. Her tactics weren't helping; the Dark birds were still on our trail.
The middle bird who was closest to us slowed down and opened its mouth, a red ball forming inside.
"MARY! It's going to shoot something!" I shouted. Mary mumbled something under her breath, and I watched the ball shoot out towards us. Mary moved out of the way, but the ball of red followed, getting closer and closer.
"Mary! It's following us!" I exclaimed.
"Arielle!" Mary flipped her body so that she faced the ball of red. It caught up to us and crashed right into Mary's stomach. She screamed in pain, and we both fell into a set of branches. As I was thrown from Mary's body, my own scream was ripped from me. Branches smacked and scratched my body as I dropped until I crashed into something hard. The world went black.
"Arielle."
Mommy? I lifted my head to see I was in my bed in our nest. The door to our home was open, a bright rainbow light shining from it. I hopped my way towards it, curious as to what was on the other side.
Peering through, I saw a wide field filled with phoenix familiars. All of them were playing happily, and the older familiars were laughing and chatting.
"Arielle?"
I turned my head to see Mommy and Aaron, both of them with broad smiles. "Mommy! Aaron!" I exclaimed, flying over to hug them. They opened their wings out, accepting my hug with their own.
"Mommy! Aaron! I thought you were gone. Did you come back?" I asked, fighting back tears. Mother and Aaron looked at each other before they shook their heads.
"No, Arielle sweetheart. You aren't supposed to be here. Not anytime soon," Mother disclosed.
"Why? Where are we?" I asked in confusion.
Aaron smiled, raising his wing to pet my head. "A place you shouldn't be until you’re much older, Sis. You have to go back. You have lots to do."
"But...what about Father and Alec?" I asked.
"Arielle."
"ARI!" Alec exclaimed. I looked over my shoulder to see Alec flying over to me. He landed right before me and his wings hugged me tightly.
"Alec!" I cried, hugging him just as firmly. I opened my eyes to see Father's proud smile, and Alec released me so I could fly over to give Father a big hug.
"Daddy," I mumbled.
"Hey, my sweet daughter. I wish I could have said goodbye. I'm sorry I never got to say I love you. I love my sweet, brave Ari who helped us come home," Father praised.
"Ya! Thank you, Arielle," Alec cheered. "But you have to go now. You can't be here."
"I want to be here with you all. I'm lonely," I admitted as Father lowered me to the soft green grass.
"I know Arielle, but you have something you need to accomplish back there. It's scary and lonely, but there's someone who's just as alone and needs you," Mother revealed.
"Someone who's lonely like me? Someone needs me?" I asked.
I looked to Father who nodded in approval. "Yes. Someone who needs a familiar like you."
"But how will they find me?" I asked. Aaron chirped happily, and Alec hopped over to rub his head against my cheek.
"When you least expect it, they will come," Alec reassured me.
"And they'll love you just like we do," Aaron added.
Alec moved back to stand between Mother and Aaron. Father was on Mother's other side, and Aaron stood in between him and Alec. They were positioned in a circle that surrounded me which reminded me of something. It was like their positions triggered a moment of Deja Vu, but I couldn't put my finger on why I felt that way. Why was I leaving my family again?
"Arielle, you need to go now. You need to return before your soul leaves," Father stressed.
"My soul? You won't be coming with me?" I asked, looking at each of them. They gave me sad smiles and shook their heads. Mother left the circle to wrap her wings around me, the warmth of her body so real it made me not want to leave her safe embrace.
"No, Arielle. We have to stay here and watch over you from afar. But a piece of our power is within you. We'll always be with you, no matter what. When it's your time to join us, we'll make sure to bring you back here," Mother vowed.
"Okay, Mommy," I whispered, lowering my head.
Mother pressed her forehead against my head. "Trust me, Arielle. It will all be worth it." She pulled back to return to her spot in the circle, and I looked around at my family who all wore bright smiles.
"Live, Arielle. We'll be watching and protecting you," Father encouraged.
"Always be watching," Alec beamed.
"No boyfriends, Arielle," Aaron sang happily.
"We love you, Arielle. Farewell," Mother whispered.
A rainbow light engulfed me, and I blacked out once again.
I opened my eyes, my ears picking up high pitch screeches and an eerie cry of pain. I fought to move but noticed a sizeable heavy branch trapping my left wing. I tried to pull my wing out, flinching from the pain.
My eyes caught a glimpse of movement below me, and I stayed still, not wanting the Dark birds to see me. Thankfully, I was covered by leaves due to my fall, which helped shelter me from whatever was below.
I continued to wait for the weird sounds to stop and closed my eyes, wishing
my brothers were there to protect me. Minutes passed and the sounds slowly diminished, making me wonder if it was all over.
"Bru," I whimpered, opening my eyes again. Where did Mary go?
I returned my attention to my left wing, deciding I had to pull myself out or I'd be stuck in the tree forever. The rain was still falling from the sky, and with how dark the clouds were, it looked like it wouldn't end for a while.
My eyes closed as I took a deep breath and used all my strength to yank my wing out. I whimpered at the shot of pain that ran through me, my ears picking up a 'crack' noise.
I opened my eyes to look at my wing, but it was in an odd position, and dark red liquid began to drip from the middle of it. My eyes watered as I stared at it, and I wished Mommy and Daddy were with me to place a leaf band-aid on it to make it feel better.
Mary can give me a band-aid. Yes, Mary can heal. Let me find Mary.
I carefully made my way down to the ground, hopping from branch to branch and keeping my wing that I assumed was broken very still.
"Mary Bru?" I called out, my voice not as loud as I thought it could be. I began hopping forward, my eyes looking for my harpy friend. "Mary?"
A familiar feather caught my attention, and I hopped over to the single feather lying in a puddle. Did she go away?
"Mary?" I called out again. Maybe she left. I didn't get to say goodbye.
As I hopped forward, another feather caught my attention. Did she make a trail for me to follow where she's hiding?
My eyes trailed along the ground to see another feather, and yet another. I hopped at a quicker pace, hoping to find where Mary was hiding. At least if she was okay, she could help heal me and we'd find shelter from the storm.
Feather after feather, I followed the trail left for me, excited to reach the finish line and hug Mary. Even though we were hit by the Dark birds, at least we survived. It would slow our journey, but we'd eventually get to the hybrid nest.
I tilted my head in confusion at seeing three feathers instead of one. Hmm?
My hops continued, and I noticed the increase of feathers. Four, five, six...this is too many feathers. Why would Mary leave so many? Her feathers are pretty.
My curious thoughts were answered when I reached a bunch of feathers all together, more than ten in a pile, but what frightened me was the blood that coated their purple and white texture.
"MARY!" I called out louder. Fear laced the single word, and I hopped as fast as I could, following the new trail of blood and too many feathers to count.
My ears picked up a low whimper to my right, and I stopped in my tracks when I saw Mary in a pool of blood. Her body barely had any feathers left, a huge chunk lying on the ground where she bled.
"Mary...no!" I moved to her head, nudging her with mine. My ears picked up her heart sound, so I knew she wasn't gone yet. There's still hope.
"Mary. Don't leave me. Can you heal? Can I do something to heal you?!" I exclaimed.
She opened her eyes, those purple orbs already seeming dull as if they were losing color. She looked at me for a few seconds before a pleased expression morphed on her face.
"Arielle. My dear, it’s okay."
"Mary. You're not okay. What can I do? I can heal you, right? Please tell me how," I begged, but I watched helplessly as she shook her head.
"Can't heal," she replied.
"Why?!" I asked, hopping around her. I wanted to ask her again, but I noticed the large cut in her torso; her bottom half was almost entirely cut off. I gawked at the sight, seeing her insides, and then realized why there was so much blood.
I slowly turned my gaze back to her face, and she gave me a sympathetic look.
"Arielle," she hummed, and I started to tremble.
"Don't leave me too. You can't go, Mary. You said we'd go to the hybrid nest together. You helped me and my family! You made my button pretty and gave me your feathers. You can't die. Don't die. Please? I'll be good. I'll grow strong like Mommy said. I'll do anything," I cried, hopping over to snuggle right against her head, not caring about the blood.
I felt something warm leave her body and enter mine, the shock only registering after the deed was done. I moved back to see her knowing expression.
"I grant you, Arielle, the power to love and the ability to switch forms. Whether phoenix, harpy, or human, may my power blossom inside you and allow you to spread goodness throughout this cruel world. Bring peace...and light," she proclaimed.
"Mary, but your family? Friends. Don't...go," I whimpered.
"Dear Arielle. I have nothing to return to. My children...were killed by darkness. My nest was destroyed like yours. The point of me going to the hybrid nest was for a safe haven. I guess my calling was to help a kind phoenix harpy who needed me," she revealed.
"You have me. I won't leave you, Mary. Just fight. I'll figure something out," I cried.
"Arielle. Can you sing for me?" Mary asked.
"Yes, but I need to heal you," I replied.
"Just sing, Arielle. That's all I need," Mary whispered.
"Will that heal you? Would it make you feel better?!" I asked anxiously.
She slowly nodded. "That would make the journey easier, Arielle."
"What can I sing?" I asked.
"Just sing the song from the Farewell Ceremony. You remember it, yes?"
"Yes, I remember. Okay. I'll sing for you Mary, and then that will make you feel better, and we'll head to the hybrid nest, together."
"I love you, Arielle," Mary whispered.
"I love you too, Mary. I'll sing and heal you now," I reassured her.
She nodded her head slightly, closing her eyes and waiting for me to begin. I stared at her for a long time, my heart aching for my friend who I knew could be my new family. Mary was kind and loving, helping me when no one else was there. Just focus to sing and heal her!
I took a deep breath, remembering the tune in my head, and sang. I fought to be louder than the rain that beat down on us, singing as loud as my little lungs would let me, remembering the ceremony and the burning of my family's ashes.
The tune carried on the cold winds that passed by, and I repeated the melody three times, the same amount Mary had sung for my family's farewell ceremony.
When I finished, I caught my breath and felt proud to have done what Mary asked. "Mary! I did it. Do you feel better?" I asked, lowering my head to Mary.
She remained still, her eyes closed and her beak slightly open. "Mary? Did you fall asleep?" I questioned, moving closer to brush my head against her cheek.
I stayed in that position, waiting for the heart sound I had heard before. Seconds turned to minutes, but I continued to wait. It's just a delayed response. The healing process is just slow.
"Mary? I sang the song. Why is your heart sound not coming back?" I asked, my mind putting the pieces together, yet my heart didn't want to accept it.
"Mary..." I moved back to look at her lifeless body as the rain beat hard on us, thunder booming and lightning flashing through the grey cloudy sky.
"Was the journey easier, Mary?" I whimpered, lowering my head to the ground beneath me. I stared at my talons that were covered in blood; Mary's blood.
"Why? Why does everyone I care about...end up leaving me? It hurts. My heart hurts. My wing hurts. Everything hurts," I bawled, looking back up at Mary's body.
"Mary. It's my fault you’re gone, right? I'm sorry...so sorry, Mary. Do you hate me? Do you wish you never helped me?"
My cries could barely be heard from the ongoing thunderstorm happening above. I mourned for the beautiful stranger who was like an angel, appearing when all hope was lost and coming to my aid.
I took a final long glance at Mary before I lowered my head to press against hers. "Thank you, Mary, for everything. I love you. Now, be free," I whispered.
I moved back far enough and closed my eyes, my tears running down my cheeks as I built up the fire inside me.
The stream of fire blew out of my mouth, setting Mary's body on fire. I
let the flow of fire blow as long as I could, wanting to ensure the rain wouldn't be able to put off the flames until the deed was finally done.
With no air left I stopped, and as I caught my breath, my eyes lingered on the raging flames that slowly began to burn through Mary's flesh and bones.
I didn't think, my mouth opening up as I sang the song from the farewell ceremony, singing it with all the energy I had as I stood proudly. I prayed my family would greet her and keep her entertained until we met one day.
An amber magic circle formed beneath the ground where the lingering ashes remained, the fire going out due to the pickup of heavy rainfall. I smiled when a small purple ball of light that reminded me of Mary's eyes lifted from the ashes. Something burst out, shooting into the air, and I knew the four-winged silhouette was Mary.
"Bye Mary. Thank you."
The silhouette looked down at me and words flowed into my head like a hymn.
Keep going Arielle and thank you for freeing me.
With that, she soared up into the sky and was gone with a blink. My angel in the rain was now with my family somewhere high in the sky. Somewhere I couldn't see or visit.
Once again, I stood in the rain, alone.
I'm cold and hungry.
My eyes felt super heavy, my talons hurt, my wing was numb, and I could barely move it. Walking aimlessly wasn’t made any easier by the steady rainfall.
I was doing my best to find shelter, but the trees weren't thick enough to stop the heavy rainfall. It was beginning to pool on the muddy soil that was doing everything in its power to cling to my talons.
Just need to keep moving. That's right, Mother would want me to keep going.
I kept checking the vine strap on my left wing, noticing the cut in the middle and the remaining bit of vine looking like it would snap. Once I reached the hybrid nest, I'd hopefully find someone who could fix it.
"Grrrrr."
I froze, my right talon halfway up to take the next step. I slowly turned my head to the sound that came from my left, my eyes growing wide and fear pumping through me at the large creature that I remember Aaron had called a wolf.
Arielle Rainbow (Familiar Blessed Chronicles Book 1) Page 5