The Last Fairy Tale

by Lowell, E. S.

  “Olivia…” Rayn began. She sighed. “This is obviously more than any one person should ever have to take in at once, but just try to bear with me as I explain why you’re here.”

  Olivia nodded in agreement.

  “This world is slowly on its way to becoming as horrible and bleak as your own,” said Rayn.

  Olivia recalled how the world outside the orphanage looked. She remembered the dark, desolate wasteland and the twisted creatures that had chased her to the tree. “But how?” she asked.

  “Well,” said Duhrt, “a few decades ago, we noticed that some of the same irresponsible consumption of resources that had occurred in your world was occurring in the northeast of Aeldyn. At first, we thought that perhaps a group of rogue creatures was responsible, but it would be extremely unusual for the creatures of Aeldyn to behave that way.”

  “So we came up with another hunch!” shouted Briiz. “And we found a human!” Everyone turned and looked at him. He seemed to sink back into his seat. “Oh…I hope I didn’t ruin the story.” He giggled nervously.

  “No, Briiz,” said Duhrt patiently. “That’s actually where I was headed.” She turned back to Olivia. “Olivia, we believe the human in the northeast is going to slowly turn this world into what yours has become. We have tried our best, through many, many ages, to help save your world from destruction, but it’s too far gone. Humans are very difficult to reason with.”

  “So, Olivia,” said the Great Fairy, “we believe that you can help us fix this before it is too late.”

  “But why me? I’m also a human,” said Olivia.

  “Ah, that is a question I would like to answer right now,” the Great Fairy said. “You, Olivia, stand apart from other humans. You defy the very definition of human nature. You are very special, indeed.”

  Olivia didn’t know what to say. She wondered if he meant that she wasn’t human because of her altered genes. “What do you mean?” she finally asked.

  “It shows when you are afraid, Olivia,” the Great Fairy responded. “When all seems lost to you, you still do not lose hope. Do you see yet?” He paused for a moment, although he didn’t expect her to answer. “You have a wonderful heart, Olivia. And with it comes love, courage, and hope… And I believe that is what it will take in order to put an end to this evil.”

  “Yes, and she is also very smart,” added Flaym. “This, too, will play a large role.”

  “I still don’t understand,” Olivia said. She was on the verge of tears. “I don’t think I can do what you want me to do. I’m just a girl. I’m not special. I just want to go back home, back to Nachton, to make sure he’s okay.” She began to cry, though she tried her best to hold it back.

  “Please listen, Olivia,” the Great Fairy said gently. “We knew when we brought you here that it would be too much for any one person to understand all at once. But I’ve exhausted all of my options, and after a meeting with the kami and Ink, I decided the best and only option was to ask you for help. I know that it is a lot to ask, but you are indeed special. You have something no other human has. We will end this meeting by giving you a choice, Olivia. If you want to try to aid us in saving Aeldyn, then we will help you to do so and provide you with everything you need. If you want to return to your world, then we will also help you to do that. It is up to you, my child.” The Great Fairy rose from his seat and hobbled over to her. He placed one hand over hers, leaned in close, and whispered, “There is no shame in either choice, Olivia. Make your decision knowing that.”

  The Great Fairy turned and raised his arms. “I believe this concludes our meeting. If any of you wish to stay, then please feel free to do so. I will be showing Olivia to her room so that she may think in peace.”

  The kami rose from their seats and floated over to Olivia. Locke stood and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. They stood in silence for a moment as Olivia wiped tears from her eyes.

  “I would just like to thank you for coming and hearing what we had to say,” Duhrt said.

  “Yes,” Flaym added. “It takes a lot of bravery to do even that.”

  “Indeed it does!” Briiz exclaimed. “I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it. Heh heh.”

  “We should probably be going,” Rayn said. “We’ll leave you to think in peace, Olivia. Thank you again.”

  Olivia sniffed and looked up at them. She nodded, wiping her nose. The kami moved to the center of the mound and formed a circle. The crowns around their heads began to fade. It wasn’t long before they were completely gone and the cloaks and stone faces became still and lifeless.

  “Come, my child,” the Great Fairy said. “A room is prepared specially for you. I believe some soft blankets and rest will do you good.”

  Olivia numbly followed the Great Fairy down one of the stepping stone pathways to a large wooden door. She clutched her father’s journal, not realizing that Locke was still at her side trying to comfort her.

  A large spiral staircase was on the other side of the wooden door. They slowly climbed it, the Great Fairy having difficulty with each step. At the top of the staircase, they came to a landing that led to a long hallway. The Great Fairy then led them to a door on the right.

  “Here you are, Olivia,” the Great Fairy said, panting and wheezing. “I hope that you will find time to rest. I know that it is difficult for you to think about sleeping at a time like this, but please try.” With that, he opened the door and let her in the room.

  The room was made entirely of wood. There was a bed covered in soft white blankets in one corner and a bookcase filled with old books in another. A few toys lay strewn about on a soft rug in the center of the room. Olivia slowly made her way over to the bed and settled in.

  * * * * *

  Olivia woke suddenly and found herself nestled in a mass of soft blankets. She rolled over and saw that the room around her had become dark. The glowing orbs floating near the ceiling had gone dim. The memory of the how she had gotten there suddenly came back to her. She lay there, staring up at the ceiling.

  I can’t believe I’m here, she thought. They brought me here because I’m supposed to have the ability to save Aeldyn. She closed her eyes and shook her head. And Aeldyn is supposed to be a world that magical creatures were forced into by ancient humans that could do…magic. She almost felt like laughing at the thought.

  “It’s quite true, though, Olivia Wickworth,” came a raspy voice from over near the bookshelf.

  Olivia shot upright, grabbing her father’s journal and looking over at the bookshelf. In the dim light, she could barely make out a black goat lying on top of it, its hooves folded under itself.

  Olivia yelped in surprise. “What are you doing in here? Wait, how did you know what I was–”

  “Patience, child,” chuckled Ink. “Still asking plenty of questions, I see? This is good news.” He paused, gazing at Olivia. Then he continued, “I am here because I wish to observe you. You are a very curious being, I must say. And as for how I knew what you were thinking...well, that is irrelevant at this point.” He laughed his low, wheezy laugh.

  Olivia sighed. She knew getting useful information from Ink was beyond hope. Still, she wondered why and how he was there. “I thought you were only in my dreams,” she said suspiciously.

  “Ah, yes,” said Ink. “I can travel to the plane of dreams, indeed. But I can also be here, you see?”

  “No, I don’t see. But it doesn’t matter,” Olivia said. “Why did you lead me here? I can’t help these people. I’m a human, too, just like everyone that destroyed my world. And I’m certainly not special.”

  Ink looked at her for a moment before laughing. “There is still so much you do not know. However, I would say that surely you know enough at this point to weigh your options and make a decision. Now, I’m not here to weave fate, but I would say that your decision means…a lot.” He chuckled again.

  “What? Either I stay here and do who-knows-what or I go back to my world and waste away in its final years of existence?” Olivi
a was angry. She stood up and began pacing the room, accidently kicking a small toy. The toy, a small round object with a string wound between two wooden discs, rattled across the floor. Olivia had seen one before, but only in an encyclopedia. She realized that it was a yo-yo. She walked over to it and reached down to pick it up.

  Suddenly, vivid scenes flashed through Olivia’s mind. First, she was playing with the yo-yo and laughing. Then she handed it to Nachton and taught him how to use it. He grinned and laughed as if it was the most fun he had ever had. Then she was handing yo-yos to all of the children in the orphanage. All the children laughed and played with them together. Suddenly, the scene changed. The children were lying dead along the hallways of the orphanage.

  “No!” Olivia screamed. She threw the yo-yo down and closed her eyes, trying to erase what she had seen.

  “You seem to know exactly what you need to know,” said Ink. “You said it yourself: Either stay here or go back to waste away. Both choices have unforeseen consequences, but I believe you’ll make the right choice.” He began to fade, his laugh growing fainter until it, too, was gone.

  Olivia gently picked the yo-yo back up and walked over to the bed. She lay back down on the soft blankets, holding the toy up in front of her. She was unsure of what she wanted to do, but she knew what she had to do. Only one choice sounded right to her. She turned over and stared at her father’s journal on the bed beside her. Mom… Dad… Did you know about this? she thought.

  She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what her parents would tell her. She wondered if they would have made the same decision she was about to make. Then she remembered Mr. Dewberry. “Always trust yerself, lass. There’s not a soul in this world that has a heart like yers…” She tossed the memory around in her mind for a while, but she soon grew tired and fell asleep.

  Chapter Eight

  Magic

  Olivia awoke, sat up, and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She noticed the orbs of light above her becoming brighter. She heard birds chirping outside her door and wondered if someone had let the birds into the house or whatever it was that she was in. She grabbed her father’s journal and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

  All of a sudden, she was aware that she felt the best she had ever felt. Her head was clear and her body was light and strong. She felt as if she could run several miles without becoming the least bit tired. I bet it has something to do with the air here, she thought to herself. Or perhaps it was those amazingly soft blankets. She smiled.

  The day before had been a tough day for Olivia, but she was handling it quite well, all things considered. She had made up her mind about what decision to make, and although she was still worried and frightened, something about the way she felt that morning was urging her forward. She decided to leave her room to seek out the Great Fairy and tell him of her decision. She walked over to the door and opened it.

  She immediately knew why she had heard the birds chirping so loudly. Outside the room large windows led out into the open air. Birds were lined along the wide windowsills, hopping about and singing their cheery songs. Olivia decided to walk over to the windows and look outside. She took a step out of her doorway, but her foot landed on something firm yet squishy.

  “Huh…mmm…you know…I like…apples, myself…” came Locke’s voice. He was lying on the ground, asleep, in front of Olivia’s door. She looked to her right and noticed another bedroom door next to her own standing open.

  “Locke!” Olivia whispered loudly. He didn’t budge. “Locke!”

  “I don’t climb trees like girl imps!” Locke exclaimed, shuffling to his feet. “…on… Tuesdays…”

  Locke had fallen back to sleep while standing. Olivia giggled as he swayed back and forth. She tapped him on his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes, which grew wide after he realized that he was standing in front of Olivia.

  “Olivia!” he said loudly. “How did you sleep? Are you still upset about yesterday? You’re not gonna leave, are you? I mean, it’s okay if you are, because it’s up to you, but you know…” He scratched his head and leaned up against the wall. “Actually, you know what? Never mind, heh heh.”

  “Don’t worry, Locke,” Olivia said, smiling at him. “I’m going to tell the Great Fairy my decision right now. You should come with me.”

  “Oh, I will,” Locke said quickly. “I mean, you know, that is, if you want me to.”

  “Of course,” Olivia replied. “Where are we exactly?” she asked, walking over to the windows. The birds flew away as she neared them. She stuck her head out of one window.

  Below, Olivia saw the elaborate orchard that she had seen the day before. The river she and Locke had sailed down with Gaw stretched as far into the forest as she could see. She looked upward, into the sky, and saw great white clouds drifting slowly by underneath the boughs of the Great Fairy Tree. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye and looked to her right. Locke had stuck his head out through a window farther down the hallway and was waving at her. She laughed and waved back.

  “I guess we’re in the Great Fairy Tree!” she shouted to him. “Is it as great as you imagined?”

  “Yes, much greater, in fact!”

  Olivia pulled her head back through the window, and Locke did the same.

  “We should probably be getting to the Great Fairy,” Olivia said. “I think we came from that way last night.” She pointed behind her in the direction of the landing at the end of the hallway.

  They took the spiral staircase, which led to another hallway with a large wooden doorway at the other end. They passed through the doors and entered the Great Fairy’s hollow. Then they walked across the stepping stone pathway and up to the grassy mound in the center of the cavern.

  The Great Fairy was nowhere to be seen. Locke wandered toward the end of the mound near the entrance, while Olivia headed toward the other end. She was curious about what the cavern looked like behind the mound. When she made it to the edge, she looked out and saw that all the small streams of water that had come from the river were running over the edge of the cavern floor in a waterfall. She turned her ear toward the waterfall and listened. She could only faintly hear the splashing of the water as it hit the bottom far below.

  “Hey!” Locke called. “He’s out there.” Olivia looked back at him and saw that he was pointing out toward the entrance. She hurried back across the mound and followed Locke along the path to the entrance of the hollow.

  At the end of the pathway, the Great Fairy stood underneath the archway made of roots, facing the garden and the orchard. He leaned heavily on his cane, his head bowed. As Olivia and Locke neared him, they slowed, not wanting to disturb him. They walked up beside him and stood for a moment, taken aback once again by the beauty of the glen. Olivia took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air and the citrusy scent from the orchard.

  “Beautiful, is it not?” the Great Fairy asked, slowly raising his head to look at the gardens. “Do you enjoy it, Olivia?”

  “Yes,” Olivia said after a moment. “I can’t believe that we had all of this once.”

  “Do you not prefer your complex, computerized lives? Your advancements and your efficiency?” the Great Fairy asked, looking at Olivia.

  “Of course not. Look at where those things have gotten us.”

  The Great Fairy began to chuckle, but coughed. When the coughing fit ended, he said, “I know, Olivia. You are different. You dare to dream. You look at life in a different way.” He squinted his eyes and looked at the forest. After a while, he said, “You remind me of how humans used to be, Olivia. It baffles me that you, in a time as grim as this, stand before me. A human, without a fairy, able to see above the lies…able to see the mockery the humans have made of life.”

  Olivia looked at the Great Fairy. The previous day she had a hard time believing that she was the least bit special. But after hearing him now, she felt that perhaps she did have a purpose.

  “So, Olivia, have you made your choice?”

  “
Yes,” she said confidently. “I want to help you save Aeldyn. Even if it means that I have to go back to a dying world when I return…I mean, if I return…I would never be able to live with myself knowing that I could have helped someone, or a whole world for that matter, but didn’t just because I was afraid.”

  The Great Fairy closed his eyes and breathed deeply. After a moment, he turned and looked up at Olivia. “I am grateful, my child.” He tucked his cane under one arm and took her hands in his. “I fear that I will never be able to thank you enough, Olivia. All of the people of Aeldyn are in your debt.” He smiled at her for a moment before releasing her hands. He then grabbed his cane and began to hobble toward the bridge leading down to the orchard. “Now, we shall go to the orchard. I hear you like apples, Olivia? There are many other fruits, too, you know!” the Great Fairy exclaimed, his hand waving in the air above him as he walked.

  Olivia looked over at Locke. He was grinning from ear to ear. Neither of them knew what was to come, but they didn’t care. Somehow, Olivia was going to save this world. They both turned and followed the Great Fairy to the orchard.

  The orchard was indeed filled with many types of fruits—trees of apples, pears, peaches, and figs. Between one of the rows of trees were small bushes filled with blackberries. A network of muscadine vines twisted around a fence down another row of trees. Olivia twirled this way and that through the trees, taking in all the wonderful scents and observing each fruit carefully.

  “Over here, my girl!” the Great Fairy called.