The Changeling Prince

by Cortni Fernandez

  *

  When Reiya awoke, she found herself lying awkwardly on her side, tied up by scratchy ropes. She couldn't even move her wrists, which were bound together behind her. The sky was dark above, and she knew she was still in the grass outside the Wanderwood.

  “Hey, they're waking up!” said an annoyingly familiar voice.

  Beside her, Taji shifted and blinked in the evening gloom. “What the...” he said, struggling to sit up and look around. No one had tied him up, but his eyes widened when he saw that Reiya was awake. He had just reached for her ropes when he was yanked back by his collar. Muka, Yogani, and Jinba all stood around them, looking very pleased with themselves. Muka still had some rope, and Yogani an empty bucket.

  “What are you going to do now, bodyguard?” said Jinba, a flaming torch in one hand, and a wicked grin on his broad face.

  Taji spotted the crown of creeping poppies on the ground a few feet away, soggy and trampled. “Oh, you three are going to be so sorry,” he promised, frowning up from where he still sat in the grass.

  “Shut up fairy boy. We're the ones in charge now.”

  “Yeah. And you're going to give us your fairy gold,” said Muka, wrapping the rope around his fists.

  “I thought you said we'd get a wish?”

  “It doesn't matter,” Jinba cut in. “Because we have to find the fairy realm first. And you're going to lead us right to it.”

  “I most certainly will not,” Taji said, looking scandalized.

  “You've got to be kidding me,” Reiya muttered, straining against the ropes to sit up.

  “Only a fairy can find the right way through the Wanderwood, and he said he's a fairy,” Yogani explained to her.

  “And now he gets to prove it.”

  Reiya followed Muka's gaze towards the Wanderwood, which was now aglow with the light of a hundred lanterns. The shadows reached around the lighted path like clawing hands, and it wasn't hard for her to guess what all three boys were thinking. “This is ridiculous,” Reiya snapped, now thoroughly annoyed. “Jinba, untie us right now and I won't give you a black eye.”

  Jinba sneered at her for a moment with his arms folded. “Do you think I'm stupid?”

  “Well, you kidnapped me and my brother because you think he's going to give you fairy gold.”

  Taji laughed. “Humans,” he said, shaking his head.

  Jinba ignored Taji and came to squat in front of Reiya with a deep frown. “Listen, you. I don't know if he's crazy or just simple,” he said, jabbing his thumb at her brother. “But there's something weird about him and we all know it.”

  Reiya squirmed as Jinba turned to advance on Taji, but the itchy rope wouldn't budge.

  “It's true,” Yogani said, nodding. “All the birds really like him, and they don't like us.”

  “And everyone knows your farm never has a bad season, even when the weather is bad. It's unnatural.”

  “And look at that,” Jinba said, picking up Taji's shell from where it had fallen, alongside a tin button and a stone with a leaf imprint. “What is this, fairy treasure?”

  “That's mine!” said Taji, indignant. “They leave them for me on every equinox when they pass through the forest into the human world.” He tried to take it from Jinba's hand, but Jinba tossed it far over his shoulder.

  “This is garbage. But you're going to lead us to the real treasure now,” he told him, pointing.

  Taji gasped as he looked into the forest, but whether from delight or fear, Reiya couldn't tell. Yogani pulled Taji upright, and Muka came to pick Reiya up by her ropes.

  “You can't,” Reiya said, trying to shake off Muka and stand on her own. “We'll be lost in there.”

  “Not if we've got a fairy with us,” said Jinba, taking up Reiya's bamboo staff in his free hand. Reiya gaped at him for a moment as she realized how determined they all were. She had heard the legend that only a fairy could reveal the true path through the Wanderwood; they merely had to touch the fire in the gatekeeper lantern at its centre. If an ordinary human tried such a feat, they would be consumed by the flames – that is, if they even made it there alive.

  “We'll go mad and never come out again,” she insisted.

  “Then he'd better not be lying,” Jinba snapped. “Fairies can catch the fire in the gatekeeper. Let's see if he's the real fairy prince, or just a freak of nature.”

  The beginnings of real fear began to prick at Reiya's neck. “You can't really believe that,” she said, searching for doubt in their expressions. It was there in the nervous shifting of their eyes, but none of them were listening to her now.

  “Don't worry, Reiya,” said Taji, as Muka and Yogani pushed them together to face the forest entrance. “These peasants will get what's coming to them. The moment my people find out what you're doing-”

  “Oh yeah?” Jinba said, waving his torch at the looming stalks of bamboo that arched up before them all. “Hey fairies!” he shouted, his flame making the shadows dance. “Come out and show us your ugly faces.”

  Yogani and Muka giggled at their own nerve, and Taji's shocked expression.

  “That is so rude!” he said over his shoulder. “They'll never want to be your friends now.”

  “Taji, please stop talking,” Reiya said quietly.

  “I can't just let them talk like that. They should show some respect.”

  “Just drop it, okay?” she whispered at him. They had never been so close to the entrance before. The path was littered with fallen leaves, and the stone lanterns flickered in the darkness. It would have been very mysterious and inviting indeed, if Reiya hadn't known that it would probably end in flames. “We do not want to go in there,” she muttered to Taji beside her.

  Taji gave her a reassuring look. “I'm not afraid,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Reiya shook her head in dismay, wishing he would understand just how much trouble they were about to get into.

  “Then go ahead, fairy boy,” said Jinba from behind him. “Prove it.”

  Reiya felt a sharp jab at her back, and tried to ignore the accompanying stab of panic. With her arms tied and her staff stolen, she couldn't protect Taji from Jinba and the others, let alone a magical fairy flame.

  “You think I'm scared?” Taji said, turning around now. Reiya nearly groaned with frustration at his defiance. “The grace of the faires-”

  “He's not a fairy, you idiots!” Reiya burst out, unable to contain herself.

  Jinba, Muka and Yogani stared at her. So did Taji. He gave a nervous chuckle. “Of course I am,” he said, speaking to the other boys. “She's just trying to-”

  “No you're not, Taji,” Reiya said, standing her ground. Taji looked back at her, his grin a little confused. “Tell them. If we go in there, we won't come back out. If they try to make you catch the fire, you're not going to show them the way to the fairy realm. The fire will consume you. You're a human. You're not a fairy. You have to tell them the truth.”

  Reiya caught her breath, and watched the smile fade from Taji's face like the light from a dying candle. The sounds of the forest nearby hummed in the silence, and Muka shuffled his feet in the dirt. Jinba rolled his eyes, and Yogani looked to anyone for guidance. Reiya's frustration ebbed away as she saw Taji lower his gaze to the ground. It didn't come back up again.

  “So... is he a a fairy, or...” said Yogani.

  “Who cares,” Jinba said sharply. “The lantern will tell us.” He gave Taji a kick in the back of his leg, making him stumble and Reiya twitch helplessly. “Move,” he ordered.

  And with that, their strange little party crossed the threshold of the Wanderwood.

  Taji walked first beneath the canopy of bamboo. Reiya couldn't see his face, and she shuffled beside him, her arms still bound. The air was different inside the forest, with odd sounds and the scent of damp leaves. Squat stone lanterns lit their path, bright at their feet, and dark high above. Taji looked ahead, presumably walking down an perfectly ordinary road, tho
ugh his eyes seemed unfocused.

  “Taji,” Reiya said, coming shoulder to shoulder with him. Behind them, Jinba, Muka and Yogani crept forward, holding their torches out to the shadows and jumping at small noises. “Taji, please tell them. It's the only way to get us out of here.”

  Taji seemed more preoccupied with his feet than strictly necessary. Reiya had never seen him despondent before; he was usually the one cheering her up. “I'm sorry I yelled at you,” she said, ducking her head and wishing he would let her catch his eye. “But you can see we're in serious trouble, right? These idiots think you can stick your hand in fairy fire and-”

  “I'm not an idiot,” said Taji.

  His voice was mild, but it still felt like an arrow to the chest. “I didn't say...”

  “I know I'm not really...” he went on, then shrugged. “I just...”

  Reiya couldn't even take his hand, since hers were tied. “Just what?” she asked gently, as they crunched together on the leaves.

  “I'd rather be a fairy than a freak of nature,” Taji said, finally glancing at her with a sad smile. “I just thought you understood that.”

  He shrugged again, and Reiya felt sick.

  “I'm sorry,” she whispered to him. She swallowed the urge to tell him she always understood, and that she'd never meant to hurt him; they had bigger problems. “Really I am, but you can't stick your hand into that lantern. You know that, right?”

  Taji's smile turned grim. “Not sure I have much choice.”

  Reiya took a deep breath and glanced back at the others, who were out of earshot. “Yes you do,” she said to him. “But there's something you have to do for me first, okay? I need you to do what you do best.”

  “What, make you a flower crown?” he said, gesturing at the lack of flowers around them. “I'm a little busy at the moment.”

  Reiya fixed him with the most serious gaze she could manage. “I need you to believe in fairies.”

  Taji looked at her like she'd announced her desire to fly to the moon. He laughed, but there was a note of bitterness in his voice that Reiya hoped never to hear again. “You just said only idiots do that.”

  “I was lying,” she said.

  Taji still looked at her dubiously, and Reiya's guilt ached in her chest. Her brother had the strongest faith of anyone she'd ever met, and she had just crushed it with a few words – right when she needed it the most. “Taji, listen to me,” she pleaded.

  Before she could explain, the forest path opened up ahead, and a brighter light shone at the end. Yogani shouted and the others pushed them forward, until they all stumbled into the open space. The great stone gatekeeper lantern stood in the centre, a heavy carved structure with wide legs and a sloping roof. The flame that burned in its bowl was the colour of twilight, and it cast a soft purple glow on all their faces.

  Reiya watched the greedy looks come over the faces of Jinba and his gang. Taji's eyes glowed with wonder for just a moment, before he remembered himself.

  “You remember the rules about fairies?” Reiya said in a whispered rush, before the others could remember why they had come. “When they're in human form, they have to hide from humans, so they can't declare themselves.”

  “So because I did, I'm not a fairy. Yeah, I got it.”

  “No, that's not what I mean,” she said, trying to get the words out before it was too late. “They're bound by magic, right? They can't show themselves unless someone really believes in-”

  “Just stop it, Reiya,” Taji said, grim but resigned as Yogani grabbed his arm and marched him forward.

  Reiya tried to follow, but Muka seized her ropes and she could barely squirm. “Don't make him do it, I'll do it,” she said frantically, turning to Jinba in desperation. “Let him go.”

  “It's okay, you don't always have to protect me,” Taji said, letting Yogani lead him up the steps of the gatekeeper. Reiya saw him wince slightly at the heat from the purple flame, and Yogani retreated completely.

  “Go on, fairy boy,” Jinba said, standing at the base. “Show us how it's done.”

  Reiya shook her head frantically, trying to think of a way to convince Taji not to do it. Her brother looked at the flame, then back at her. “If I get burned up, you'll let my sister go, right?” he asked.

  Muka's hand clamped over Reiya's mouth just as she cried out, so that all she made was a muffled sound of dismay.

  Jinba wasn't impressed by the question. “Stick your hand in there, or it'll be hers instead,” he countered.

  Taji frowned at him. “No. You have to promise to let her go.”

  “I don't have to do anything,” Jinba snarled, now marching up the stairs.

  “But you don't need her,” he protested, glancing back at Reiya. “She's a human, she's not...”

  But he stared at her again, and Reiya's heart gave a leap of hope at the curious tilt of his head. Jinba interrupted him by seizing his wrist.

  Reiya opened her mouth to let in a foul bit of Muka's dirty hand, and clamped down on it. Muka howled with pain and jumped away, making her lose her balance. “Don't!” she shouted as she fell to her knees. Taji and Jinba pulled against each other with both hands now, but Taji was still distracted. Reiya summoned her strength and forced out the words. “Taji,” she called to him, praying with all her might that he would understand. “You're not the one!”

  Muka and Yogani seized her from behind again, but Reiya saw Taji's eyes widen with amazement. The bitterness and doubt was gone, and Reiya nearly smiled to see the familiar look on her brother's face.

  “You are?” he said.

  At his words, Reiya felt a great sense of relief, as if all the ropes binding her had suddenly dropped away. The magic that had kept her safely bound in human form for twelve years released her. She sighed as the forest around them began to change.

  The boys paused as they noticed a strange wind flood into the clearing, rattling the bamboo stalks against each other in a haunting rhythm. Taji yanked his hand out of Jinba's grip, and stumbled backwards, falling to the grass beside Reiya.

  All around the clearing, the lanterns began to wink out, one by one, until only the gatekeeper remained. Jinba and the others murmured their alarm in the darkness, crowding around each other in confusion. Then the wind began to whistle in earnest, and phantom lights glimmered through the forest. Pale figures swooped in and out of the branches like the ghosts of the dead.

  Jinba's gang began to panic, yelping as the spectres drew near. In tears, Yogani dropped his torch, and Muka fell to the ground, scrambling to get back on his feet and out of the way. Jinba tried to jab at the figures with Reiya's staff, but screamed when a ghostly skeleton snapped its jaws over his head and vanished.

  Reiya's staff clattered to the ground, and all three boys tore out of the clearing as fast as they could, crashing away through the undergrowth and into the darkness.

  Once the sounds of their cries had faded away, the stone lanterns sparked back to life. The wind died and the figures vanished, like they had never been there at all.

  Reiya gave another great sigh of relief and slumped against her ropes. It felt good to use her glamours after they had been locked away for so long, and even better to use them on a bunch of bullies. But as the rush of magic wore off, shame set in. Reiya couldn't bring herself to look at Taji, who hadn't moved from where he sat beside her.

  After several moments, he crawled over and began to undo the knots of her ropes. When they finally fell off, Reiya murmured her thanks, and they lapsed into silence again.

  “You're a fairy,” Taji said finally.

  Reiya scratched her arms where the ropes had rubbed her. “Yeah,” she admitted, picking at the blades of grass beneath her hands.

  “The whole time,” he said.

  “Yeah,” she replied again. She couldn't think of what else to say. She felt awful, hardly better than if she had let Taji burn to a crisp in the great stone lantern. “I never wanted to... you know... steal you
r identity,” Reiya mumbled. “That's why I didn't tell you before. That and, well, I couldn't. Part of the whole human disguise thing.”

  She still couldn't look at him, but she thought Taji slowly nodded his head. “Do mom and dad know?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Reiya said. Though she could now explain the truth without fairy magic binding her tongue, it was still difficult. “I asked my other parents if I could stay with them, if I put on a human glamour. They – yours, I mean – they said they'd be happy to have me. So my parents put a blessing on the farm to say thanks. That's why it's lucky all the time. That was about twelve years ago. We didn't think you'd remember it, but then you thought you were the fairy prince, and it made you so happy, so...” She shrugged, feeling miserable. “I'm really sorry. I just wanted to join your family for awhile.”

  “Why?” Taji asked, sounding genuinely curious.

  Reiya risked a glance at him, but felt distinctly embarrassed when she met his gaze. She remembered chubby little two-year-old Taji like she had first met him yesterday. “Cause... I dunno, Mom and Dad seemed like nice people, and... well, you were there, talking nonsense to the chickens with a doily on your head. And then you cried when you fell in the mud, so I gave you a flower, and...”

  She trailed off helplessly, and before she could continue, they both turned to see Jinba stumbling back into the clearing. He looked over his shoulder like something was chasing him, but froze when he saw Taji and Reiya sitting casually in the grass.

  “It's you!” he said, pointing a trembling finger, his face twisted in horror and disgust. “You're – you're both freaks!”

  Taji leapt to his feet with astonishing speed. “HEY!” he shouted. Jinba stumbled back like Taji was a mountain lion. “She is Princess Reiya of the Fairy Realm and you will show her the proper respect, you miserable little coward!”

  Jinba took off as quickly as he had come, shouting curses.

  Reiya stood to join her brother, a little stunned. Taji scratched at his head, now looking as awkward as she felt.

  “Was that right?” he said. “Princess Reiya?”

  “I guess,” she replied. “No one's called me that in years.”

  Taji picked at his nails as Reiya retrieved her bamboo staff. He looked a little sombre as they stood together at the base of the great stone lantern. “So... are you going to go back now?” he said.

  “If you want me to,” Reiya replied quietly.

  “What?” Taji's head snapped up. “No, I just meant... well it must be way better living in the fairy realm than with a bunch of humans.”

  A small smile graced his face, and it was like the sun had come out. Reiya had never wanted to hug him more. “Not really,” she said. “I mean, it's okay. It's just kind of tedious, you know? All the butterflies talk about is who's in love and who has a secret and who's coming in on the next full moon, and the rabbits are even worse after the spring feast. The trees are always changing colour so you can never get a good night's sleep when you want to. And now everyone's wearing lacewings and spidersilk gowns and they don't want to get them dirty, so no one else wants to swim in the sparkling spring or ride a sparrow race with me anymore. I dunno. It's not that interesting.”

  The look on Taji's face nearly made her laugh when she realized why his eyes were so wide. “Oh,” she said. “You want to go, don't you?”

  “Are you kidding?” he burst out, taking her by the shoulders. “Reiya – your highness! Princess Reiya of the Fairy Realm!” he cried.

  “Yeah?”

  “Please allow me into your kingdom,” Taji said, with the solemnity of a lifelong vow.

  Reiya gave a long, theatrical sigh. “Fine,” she said.

  Taji's mouth opened as she walked away from him and back up to the gatekeeper. His jaw fell even further when she stuck her hand inside the twilight flame. It danced and tickled her fingers as the Wanderwood began to welcome her home. Beyond the clearing, a string of lanterns changed their colour to the same soft purple, leading away into the bamboo.

  Reiya came back down the steps and proceeded towards the correct path, beckoning a stunned Taji after her. “Come on. It's only a visit though. Mom said we had to be home by midday tomorrow,” she reminded him.

  “Really!?” Taji said, before bounding up to her like a happy dog. “But I'm... I'm a human,” he said. He looked a little sheepish about it, but couldn't hide his excitement. Reiya had never been happier to be by his side.

  “Yeah, but you're my brother. I don't mind.”

  THE END