Crystal Heart

by Whitney Morris

  “Oh my God. It’s a rabbit!” screamed a lady. Everyone in the shop turned to look, stunned.

  “What are you doing in here? Get out. Now!” shouted a member of staff. He ran at the rabbit. The rabbit dodged the guy, causing him to stumble. I was confused by the crowd’s overreaction to a rabbit. It wasn’t exactly a vicious creature. I turned to Matt to see if he thought this was as crazy as I did, only to find him gone. I spun around. Matt was chasing the rabbit with the shop assistant. I’d never seen a rabbit move so fast. It was managing to outmanoeuvre the two people trying to catch it.

  “Hey, Matt, let the rabbit be,” I yelled. Both Matt and the rabbit looked up as I spoke. The rabbit circled round them and dashed toward me. I scooped the little guy up.

  “Madame, are you okay?” the shop assistant said with a pant.

  I shrugged. “It’s only a rabbit. I’ll pay for my stuff and take him out with me.”

  The shop assistant agreed. He simply wanted the rabbit gone. I paid for my shopping and left. For some reason, Matt’s good mood had dropped drastically. He was frowning, with his hands in his pockets. He didn’t say a word most of the walk back to my house. I didn’t see what his problem was. It was just a little bunny rabbit, and he was pretty cute. Maybe he was upset that he’d been outmanoeuvred by a rabbit. It had been amusing to watch Matt and the shop employee chase the little guy around.

  Just as we got to the top of the street I lived on, Matt stopped in front of me. He put his hand out. “Give me the rabbit.”

  I took a step back. “Why?”

  “Because you don’t know what he is.”

  “I know what a rabbit is. I’m not stupid.”

  Matt ran a hand though his hair. He looked like he was about to pull a chunk of it out. “That’s not what I meant. I would just like the rabbit, please.”

  “I don’t know where your sudden mood change has come from, but I’m keeping it.”

  “I thought you didn’t like animals? You know my family has had loads of pets. Let me take it off your hands, and I’ll take care of it.”

  “I do like animals. I just don’t like keeping them as pets, but there’s something different about this rabbit. Besides, he seems scared of you. You can accept that I’m keeping the rabbit, or you can keep going on like a crazy person, but I won’t help you with your homework if you do.”

  Matt screwed his face up but seemed to accept that I wanted to keep the rabbit.

  My dad’s car was parked in the driveway. He was home early. I bit my lip. How was I going to get the rabbit past him? I’d hoped to get him in the house before my dad arrived. If I’d already made the rabbit comfortable, he couldn’t say no to me keeping him. If I was quiet, I could sneak in and hide the little guy in my room. My dad would never have to know he was there. Then, I could bring the subject up later. Preferably when Matt wouldn’t be around to offer to take him off my hands. Unfortunately, walking across the gravel that made up our low maintenance front garden was not a quiet task. I opened the door to find my dad standing in the hallway.

  His face dropped as we walked in. He pointed at the creature in my arms. “Mellissa, what is that?”

  “It’s a rabbit. I found him hopping around the supermarket. Can I keep him? I’ll look after him myself, and he won’t be any hassle to you. Promise.” I spoke as quickly as I possibly could. “Anyway, you’re home early. Today is my turn to make dinner. You just go and relax while Matt and I do our homework. Then we’ll make dinner. It will be a taste sensation.” I hoped a change of subject would distract him. I gave my dad the biggest smile I could manage, then pushed Matt up the stairs.

  “Mellissa, we will talk about this later,” my dad shouted, “and nice to see you, Mathew.”

  “And you, Mr. Hail,” Matt shouted back as I pushed him through my bedroom door. I placed the rabbit on my desk between a pile of papers and my sketchbook. Matt scowled at me. “Your dad lets you get away with practically anything. I wish I could just smile at my parents like that, and they’d let me run off.”

  “Yes, but I’m pretty sure you would be running off to do something you really shouldn’t.”

  Matt pushed a pile of books to the side so he could sit in the window seat. “I think it’s more like the perks of being an only child.”

  “Count yourself lucky. I’ve always wanted a sibling.”

  “All right then, we can swap places for a bit. I’ll stay here and be an only child, and you can have my sister.”

  “On second thought, I’m happy with the way things are.” The thought of living with Victoria did not appeal to me. “Anyway, we have homework to do.”

  “Yeah, we do, but where exactly are we meant to do our work in here?” Matt pointed at my desk, which was overflowing with paints, brushes, and sketchbooks. I’d been working on my art coursework the night before. To an outsider, my room did look a mess, but to me, it was a well-organised mess, which is not the same as just being messy. Yes, everything was in what looked like random piles around my room, but I knew what was in each pile and could find anything I needed within seconds. Still, it was true that there wasn’t room to do our homework.

  “To the dining table,” I proclaimed. I gave the rabbit another look before picking up my English books and laptop and heading downstairs with Matt.

  After dinner, Matt went home with the best essay he’d ever written, thanks to my fantastic tutoring skills. I went back to my room to check on the rabbit. He hadn’t moved. He was still on my desk, wedged between my sketchbook and water pencils. It was as if he had been waiting for me to come back. I sat at my desk and swivelled side to side. Why had I picked him up? There was something different about him. He didn’t act like a normal rabbit. I’d never seen a person, let alone a rabbit, sit still for so long. I leant on my desk. There was something oddly familiar about this rabbit. He was a ginger colour with big green eyes, and he was looking at me the same way I was looking at him—like he was also trying to figure out why I was strange. Round his neck was a beautiful crystal. I’d never seen anything like it. A faint hum buzzed around my room. I spun in my chair, expecting to see a wasp, but there wasn’t anything there. I shrugged and turned back to the rabbit. He was now looking down at the crystal on his collar. I didn’t think rabbits wore collars, but what did I know? I had never had a pet before. With a fancy collar like that, he must’ve had an owner. They probably missed him. I picked up the crystal to see if it had a name on it. The room filled with rays of bright light. I jumped out of my chair, catching my feet on its legs and tumbling backward. Grabbing my desk, I pulled myself up. Where had that light come from? The rabbit jerked away from me and jumped onto my bed.

  “You really are the keeper of the Heart. I wasn’t sure when I saw you in the shop, but the crystal just confirmed it,” said the rabbit.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. The rabbit did not just speak. I had imagined it. It had been a long day. I just needed to get some sleep. The lights had been in my imagination too. Tired. Yes, that was it. I had overexerted myself helping Matt.

  The rabbit tilted his head. “Miss Hail.”

  My eyes widened. He really was speaking. Unable to process any speech, I slowly backed away from the rabbit until I was against the wall.

  “Miss Hail,” said the rabbit again.

  I looked at the rabbit sat on the end of my bed, then to my bedroom door. To get out of the room, I would have to pass him. I looked out the window. Jumping would be a last resort. The rabbit hopped toward me. I screamed at the top of my voice and leaped toward the door. In my panic, I tripped over my own feet, falling face-first in a pile of clothes. Pushing my clothes out of the way, I tried to get up, only to slip back down.

  My bedroom door thudded open. “Mellissa, are you all right?” my dad asked.

  “I’m fine, I—well, it’s just that—um…” What was I meant to say? I couldn’t tell him that the rabbit was talking and had scared me half to death.

  “Why are you on the floor?” He
stepped over the pile of clothes and helped me up.

  “It’s just—” I looked back at the rabbit now sat by the window. No way my dad would believe me, and I was sure the rabbit wouldn’t talk on request. “I thought the rabbit was going to hop out the window, and I fell as I tried to stop him.”

  “Mellissa, I thought something was really wrong. That creature is already causing problems.”

  “You’re right, Dad. It’s probably best I don’t keep it. Having a pet is way too much responsibility. I’ll take it to the shelter tomorrow before school.”

  My dad stood a little straighter. His brows narrowed as he looked down at me. “Really?”

  I nodded a bit too frantically. “Really.”

  “Good, good. Well, shut that window for now, just to be safe.” He shook his head as he walked out of my room.

  I listened at my door as he walked away. Once I could no longer hear his steps, I marched across the room and grabbed the rabbit. “What are you? And how did you talk?” I turned him side to side and upside down.

  “Hey, that hurts you know.” He wriggled about and jumped out of my hands. I narrowed my eyes. He sounded posh. “My name is Greg, and I do not appreciate being manhandled like that.” Maybe I had been a bit rough.

  “Sorry, you just took me by surprise. It’s not every day that I meet a talking rabbit. How is it you can talk?” I couldn’t believe I was having a conversation with a rabbit.

  “I can talk the same way you can. I learned as a child. Look, Miss Hail, I’m not from around here, and I need your help.”

  “How can I help you? You seem like a pretty capable little rabbit. Wait, how do you know my last name?” He may have overheard Matt or my dad using my name, but they didn’t tend to add Hail on the end. Maybe talking wasn’t the only peculiar thing the rabbit could do. What if he was an evil enchanter?

  “I just assumed you shared the same last name as your father,” said the rabbit. That made sense. Matt still referred to my dad as Mr. Hail. “Please, Miss Hail, tell me what you know about elves, leprechauns, and magic?”

  It seemed like an odd question, but then, the whole situation was. “They are all stuff of fairy tales.” I hit my forehead with my hand. He was a talking rabbit. He was magic. That’s why he wanted to know how much I knew—to see if I could help him. I jumped up and down on the spot. “This is totally wicked. You are magic. Well, a magical creature. That’s what you want help with. You’re not from around here, which means you’re from some magic land, and you want to get back there. Right? Oh, this is so cool.” I squealed with excitement. The idea of there being a whole world of magic out there was something out of the books I loved to read.

  “You are partially correct. I am a magical being, and I am from a magical land, but I don’t need your help getting home. I need your help to save the world.”

  “Wait, what?” The excitement drained from me.

  The rabbit—Greg—pulled himself up onto my desk. “Miss Hail, you are the new keeper of the Heart Crystal. Do you not know what that means?”

  “The what crystal? I don’t have any sort of crystal. Sorry, don’t have what you’re looking for.”

  Greg put his head in his paws. “No, that’s not what I mean. I have the Heart Crystal.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “You are the one that needs to have it. You’re the only one that can access its power and save us all.”

  I dropped into the window seat. “Come again?”

  Greg paced along the edge of my desk. “How can this be? She knows nothing about the Heart Crystal. They said the royals went into hiding, but surely they would have kept their offspring informed of who they were.”

  He obviously was no longer talking to me. I leant against the window. It was cool on my back and helped ease the headache that was developing. Why hadn’t I just given the rabbit to Matt when he asked for him? Then, he would’ve had to deal with the crazy talking beast.

  “Miss Hail,” said Greg

  I sat up, wide-eyed. “Yep.”

  “It has come to my attention you know nothing about magic.”

  “Why would I?”

  “Because you are heir to the elf throne, keeper of the Heart Crystal and our only hope. I will just have to educate you.”

  I bit my thumbnail. “I—um—well. Did you say elf throne?”

  “Yes. Long ago, there was the Great War. The king of the leprechauns tried to take control of the lands using dark magic, but Queen Freya—your ancestor—stopped him.”

  “Did you say leprechauns?”

  “Yes.”

  I laughed. “You expect me to believe leprechauns are the big bad villains of your story?”

  Greg’s nose twitched. “I don’t see what is so funny. This was a dark time. Kadon, King of the Leprechauns, killed the Sea King and laid waste to his kingdom. He then corrupted the Moon Crystal with dark magic and used it to take control of people on the land, forcing them to fight for him.”

  “Wait, now there’s a Moon Crystal?”

  “Yes, there are three life crystals: the Moon, Sun, and Heart Crystals.” He put his paw to his head. “You really know nothing. This is going to be so much harder than I thought.”

  “So sorry I’m not up-to-date on magic rabbit stories.”

  “This is not some story, and I’m not a rabbit.”

  I stood up. “Then what are you?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I am. This is about what you are.”

  “I’m just a girl. A normal girl. I am not some heir to the whatever throne or keeper of the moonstone.”

  “The Heart Crystal,” shouted Greg.

  I pointed at him. “Don’t shout at me, you creepy little rabbit.”

  “I’m sorry.” He lowered his head. “I did not mean to offend you.”

  “Well, too late. I think you should go. Considering you’re not really a rabbit, there’s no point taking you to the animal shelter.”

  Greg made his way over to me. “Please, Miss Hail. Can we not start over?”

  My chest tightened. He looked so cute there at my feet, looking up at me with his big green eyes. I folded my arms and closed my eyes. “No, we can’t. You’re confused about who I am. I’m sorry, I can’t help you. You should go find someone who can.”

  “But Miss Hail—”

  “No.”

  I’m not sure how long I stood there with my eyes shut, but when I opened them again, he was gone. I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding. I slumped onto my bed. Had that all really just happened? Talking to a rabbit. A crazy rabbit. Not much of what he said had made sense. It had all been a misunderstanding. A case of mistaken identity. The rabbit would find who he was really looking for, and I would go on with my life as before. At least, that was what I wanted to happen.

  Gregory

  Greg aimlessly wandered the streets. When he stumbled upon this village, he’d known it would be promising. He had discovered another tear here. This village was connected to the Novos Forest, south of the city he was from in the magic world. It was a sign that something was here. At first, he’d only discovered a pair of warlocks, but then he had found her. He had found the new keeper and succeeded where so many had failed before, and it had only taken six months. Yet, finding her had created unforeseen problems. She had no idea about magic. She didn’t know what the Heart Crystal was, and she’d kicked him out before he could properly explain. Losing his temper hadn’t helped. What was he meant to do now? There was no way he could contact the council about her yet. He needed to get her to believe first. He needed to get her to listen and let him explain things properly.

  The dark clouds that had been threatening to burst finally let loose. Greg pulled his jacket round him. Unfortunately, it seemed to rain every other day on this side of the veil. He shouldn’t have left so easily. He should have pushed harder to get her to listen, but that might’ve just pushed her further away. Maybe he should give the girl a bit of time to process the concept of talking rab
bits and try again, or perhaps a new approach was needed. For now, he needed to find some shelter from the rain.

  After wandering around for hours getting soaked, Greg came across an old warehouse. It appeared to have been out of use for years. The roof was leaking, and there was a draft, but it would do for the night. In the last six months, he’d come to appreciate the privileged life he had back home. His dad may not have been around a lot and made him jump through hoops all the time, but he had more than most and never went without. He found a dry corner sheltered from the wind to get comfortable in. With a click of his fingers, he summoned his travel bag. Summoning was one of his many specialities. He pulled his wet clothes off and changed them for dry ones. With another click of his fingers, he sent his wet clothes home. Samson repacked his bag regularly and left it in a spot he could easily summon it from. It wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion on the situation. He didn’t want the council to know about Miss Hail yet, but there was one person he could trust not to blab. He leant against a cold wall and summoned his communis device. The small circular device appeared in his hand. With a wave of his other hand, the device activated.

  “Hello,” came Samson’s voice. “How’s the search going?”

  “I found her,” he replied.

  “You what?” shouted Samson. Greg could imagine the look of shock on his cousin’s face. “I can’t believe this. After all these years, you of all people actually found the heir. Who is this person? Did you say ‘her?’”

  “Yes, I did say ‘her,’” Greg replied. “Her name is Mellissa Hail, but the thing is, she’s a human.”

  “A human? How is that possible?”

  “Well, she appears to be mostly human. She has to have some small amount of elf blood in her. Her magical aura is very faint, but it’s there. Oh, and she doesn’t know about magic or the life crystals. I tried to tell her about everything, but she threw me out.”