Beware the Violet

by Maria Vermisoglou

  “That was fast. I would prefer you to an airplane the next time I travel.”

  She laughed but then her expression turned grim.

  Trying to understand what caused her distress, I looked ahead to the forest. Hearing her story, I was expecting to see enormous trees, shimmering with magic, but instead, a scene from one of those horror movies awaited me. The leaves had fallen down withered, and the trees were black. It felt like the whole forest was in pain. “Why is everything turning black?”

  Kristy’s shoulders slumped. “Even enchanted forests are affected by this dark power.” She paused. “You can do it, you know. You can save us.”

  Frustrated, I paced. “But I don’t know what to do! I’m just a human girl.”

  “You passed through a magic door, to a magic land, and had a meeting with a witch, a fairy, a vampire, shapeshifters, a banshee, and ghosts.”

  “There were ghosts? And a banshee?” I wouldn’t have known.

  “You could see them because it’s a supernatural land, but in the human world, you wouldn’t. The banshee was the pale girl. She’s a really nice creature, and she doesn’t scream like most tales say, but that’s a story for another day.”

  I raised my eyebrows impressed.

  “The point is you did things no human could, and you still kept an open mind. Humans have this silly Halloween celebration, but put a vampire, a witch or even a fairy in front of them and they will run like scared rabbits! You didn’t run, and I know deep down you want to help.”

  “But I can’t do anything like magic—”

  “But you will discover a power more special than any of our powers combined.” I sighed, and she took my hand. “Come along! This is where I was born. Now, let’s go meet some other fairies.”

  I followed her, mulling over her words. She said I had the power, but how could I have any kind of power if I didn’t believe? I wanted to help because these supernatural creatures had souls, a life and they deserved to be saved. I wasn’t certain about vampires since I almost became a meal for one of them, but in the meeting, the vampire seemed completely harmless. If the legends were true, they didn’t demand this curse they had. But did I have a gift like they said? Maybe it didn’t matter. All that mattered was to find a way to defeat this evil entity before it could spread its insidious presence in both of our worlds.

  “Wow!” When we got closer to the forest, I witnessed the Enchanted Forest in all its glory. The first thing being that it was filled with fairies—they had wings of all colors imaginable and they were flying from tree to tree and going about their business. There was something about them that made you understand they weren’t human and seeing these magical creatures alive, fascinated me. I was still trying hard not to touch Kristy’s wing to feel its texture. From all supernatural creatures, fairies were the only ones who resembled humans the most. Probably that’s why I trusted Kristy in such a little time.

  A fairy with pink wings flew toward us and landed with a thud. As I inspected it, I was surprised to discover it was a man. “Kristy, it’s getting worse,” he said in a sharp tone. “Have you figured anything out?”

  “We’ll defeat him, Father.” This fairy was her father? I couldn’t believe it. They had similar characteristics, but while Kristy was all purple, he was multicolored. Pink wings with blonde hair and blue eyes. Going back to the fairy facts Kristy told me about, I wondered why his eyes were not the same color as his wings. From afar, I caught sight of fairies and they had identical wings and eyes. So, why was he different?

  Looking at him, gave me an eerie sense as if he disapproved of me even though he had never met me.

  “Look at the forest!” He gestured angrily like everything was Kristy’s fault and my heart ached for her. “Tomorrow, there will be nothing left! Stop believing in those silly Believer stories and do something, otherwise, we’ll all be gone by the next fairy light!”

  “We’ll fix it, okay?” Kristy said in an equally sharp tone, her complexion turning pink.

  If I was in her position, I would have yelled at him pretty badly but she kept her patience, took my arm, and we walked away. “Sorry about that.”

  “That was harsh. Why isn’t he doing something if he’s so worried?” I said, crossing my arms.

  “That’s not how it works in our society. Male fairies stay behind to protect the inside of our home while the females go out in search of a solution. You can say we have a matriarchal society.” She laughed softly, even as sadness descended over her face.

  “So he doesn’t think the Believer exists?”

  “No. The story has been around for as long as I can remember. When the signs of the dark power appeared, I tried to warn them, but nobody listened.”

  I frowned. “That’s why you want me to fix it?”

  “No. I know you can fix it and not because of a silly story. There’s something about you, I can feel a power buried deep inside you, lying dormant.” I shook my head, puzzled. “I’ll help you, Violet. You might think it’s an impossible task, but you’ll see that it isn’t.”

  We were in a brighter part of the forest now, one that wasn’t destroyed yet. Trees glowed full of life while their golden, silver, and copper leaves enchanted me. Fireflies buzzed around and animals ran around freely. It was like magic.

  “Wow! It’s beautiful.”

  “This was what the Enchanted Forest looked like before the dark power began encroaching on our land.” Her expression was sad, but like a light, it turned into a joyous one. “So, you’ve escaped I see.”

  I looked at her, but her gaze was fixed on a white rabbit that was perched on a severed trunk. I shook my head, confused as to why she would be talking to a rabbit. A rabbit, wait…

  “Jacques? Is that you?” I said uncertainly.

  The rabbit smiled and within a moment, a young man with an arrogant smile sat on the trunk instead of the rabbit. “How was your flight?” he said casually like we didn’t just have to face a dark power that threatened the balance of the worlds.

  “You saw us?” I said in bewilderment. “And how come your clothes are intact? How did you escape?”

  “I am a rabbit,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I ran when I saw my chance. No need to get into a fight that is already lost. Who would see a rabbit, anyway?”

  “A white rabbit,” I said and frowned. I wasn’t sure if I liked him. He didn’t seem even bothered that he left the others to fight the evil power on their own. He just bailed on them.

  “Jacques is always fashionable so you won’t see him with tattered clothes evil powers afoot or not.” Kristy snickered. “He isn’t big on fights, but he will fight when the need arises,” Kristy said, looking at him pointedly.

  “Maybe. If I feel so inspired,” he said, his blue eyes fixed directly into mine.

  Feeling a slight discomfort by his intense gaze, I turned to Kristy. “So…that Believer legend, what does it say exactly?”

  Kristy stared at me for a moment like she was lost in her own thoughts and then shook her head. “Right, the legend. A long time ago, in a faraway land, there lived creatures of the moon and shadows, ladies of magic, spirits of the dead, winged girls and boys, half animals and many others that were thought to be just stories.

  “All was well in the Blessed Realm, and they would be for many decades. But one day, everything will change with the arrival of the Dark Master. He will come on a night with no moon, and his evil power will begin to desiccate the place only by walking. Creatures will unite their powers, but nothing will defeat him. On the night where the veil is thin, a Believer will come, and she will have the power to defeat him. She, who has the power of the violet will bring peace again in our Blessed Realm.”

  “You seem to know it by heart,” I said, trying to cover my shock. It wasn’t just the creatures’ belief in me, but now there was a prophecy, too, and it made my denial seem childish.

  “Well, it has been around for many years, and it was one of my favorite stories growing up.”

 
I couldn’t picture Kristy as a young fairy. The image was just too weird. “Why do you think it is me?”

  “I told you.” She nodded without a grain of doubt in her voice, “there is something about you.”

  Was the legend talking about me? I wondered. How did they know it was me and why did it choose me to be the one who defeated the Evil Master? I was just a human who was thrown into an unknown world.

  “Any human would have taken the task gladly but not you,” Jacques said from his place on the trunk. “You’re such a peculiar girl.”

  “I know myself and I definitely know that I don’t have this mystical power you all talk about. You on the other hand—” I said, pointing at him—“have the power to fight but won’t use it. Why?” I demanded. “You might be a rabbit, but you are also a man, which means you can fight and you can use your shifter tricks to defeat the evil creature. Why won’t you do it?” I half-lidded my eyes as I attempted to make sense of his logic. He didn’t appear to be a coward, but he just wasn’t interested in fighting. Yet there was this glow in his eyes that betrayed his sadness.

  Jacques looked at me intensely for a moment and then a genuine smile appeared on his face. “Congratulations, your observations were right on the mark.” He nodded. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re Hope’s granddaughter.” Pride adorned his voice, and I tried to mask my feelings.

  “You knew my grandmother?”

  “Of course, I did. A marvelous woman who brought light into our darkness.” He shook his head. “Not that darkness. We had turned to the darkness even before that and that’s why the Blessed Realm was so easy to take over.” With a sudden jump, he landed on his feet and closed in on me. He started to speak quickly, his eyes never leaving my face. “I was raised in this very Realm and never left since I thought the human world was ridiculous. They think rabbits are the same thing as bunnies.” He gritted his teeth in frustration. “Imagine that! I don’t know when it happened, but bit-by-bit I noticed the small changes in our protected world. Banshees started to scream whereas their true power is a sad song to bring the ones who have passed away in the spirit world, vampires craved more blood, werewolves turned even without a full moon.” He paused. “The shapeshifters started to act like their animal side and I had to remain in my human form for longer than I’ve been used to. Only the witch didn’t show signs of turning dark yet, but she was smart and that’s why we needed you to come. I was sent to bring you here, and it was my first time venturing into the human world.” He rolled his eyes. “Can’t say I’m fascinated but right now, it’s better than the Blessed Realm.”

  I absorbed his words, but I was unable to utter a word of comfort. His voice betrayed so much sadness and I was almost certain I was the first one to actually take the time to stop and listen to him.

  “Kristy tried to warn them, but the darkness made them blind and when the Dark Master came, it was game over. Only the witch was able to cast some magic into a selected team, making them immune to the darkness, but that can only hold on for so long. As the darkness covers the place, so does the darkness in our hearts. Your grandmother tried to help but couldn’t.” He pointed to my necklace. “I gave her that stone to protect her from any harm if things became worse. I hope it protects you as well.”

  Rubbing the stone between my fingers, I was at a loss of words. Jacques took my hand, and I stared at him, startled. His skin burned while his blazing eyes, came closer to mine. “You’ve been told so many things, but you must believe what you think is true. Only then, will your true power be revealed,” he whispered.

  Before I could recover from my daze, Kristy appeared, holding a leather-bound book. I hadn’t noticed she had left. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I was looking—” She stopped when she saw me and frowned. “Are you all right?” Her gaze fell on Jacques, who had returned to his seat on the trunk. “Or has he started on death threats yet?”

  “No,” I said as it was the only word I was able to get out. What Jacques had told me made me question what I had gotten myself into. In the human world, we had light and dark in our hearts, but Jacques made the darkness entering the creatures’ hearts sound alarming. “I’m fine, what is that?” I said and after a worried look at me, Kristy said, “This will help you understand our world. I thought the more information you had, the better and you might as well do it now while we have the chance. “It contains the story of how the Enchanted Forest came to life and some information my ancestors collected on other creatures.”

  I started reading, trying to keep Jacques’ words at bay. Focusing on the book, I was shocked by the information it contained. “Fairies were initially humans with big dreams?”

  “Yes. We came to life because we believed in our dreams, and we wanted to spread happiness to everyone. On a night with a silver moon, we wished for our dreams to come true. The moon transformed us, and we have been alive ever since.”

  That might explain why some humans were born in the fairy world, but I let it go. Instead, I said, “That was beautiful.”

  She nodded. “The only fable in the human world with any truth to it concerns the vampires.”

  “Classic,” I said, grimacing when I saw an illustration of a snarling vampire.

  “Most creatures are born with their powers like witches, werewolves…and ghosts are—well—dead. Shapeshifters get their powers in their teenage years.”

  “And you all get along?” I found it hard to believe since they were so many different species. Humans were just one species and we fought all the time.

  She shrugged. “Well, we all mind our own business, but vampires always fight with werewolves about mundane things. Sometimes they behave like children.” Kristy twisted her mouth and then, reluctantly said, “Fairies don’t get along with pixies and Banshees get in trouble with ghosts. We’re a community comprised of different species so fights are bound to happen. Fortunately, it’s for small things and the witch puts an order if necessary. Usually, her presence is enough to resolve situations but if necessary she will summon us in her house to discuss the case at hand. But not on a night with moonlight.”

  I laughed as convincingly as I could. Did Kristy know what Jacques knew or did she think the Dark Master was the only one to blame? Did they all know and if they knew, why didn’t they do anything about it? Questions circled in my mind and as I lifted my gaze, I saw Jacques shaking his head slightly.

  “They are born from different powers so they aren’t supposed to get along,” Jacques said in his sarcastic voice but I knew it was just an act.

  “What about this dark power?” I avoided his gaze and focused on the forest. Such beauty lost because of the darkness.

  Kristy’s face fell. “He came on a night with no moon. A lot of creatures come here, but he was different. The minute he stepped his foot in this land, everything changed. Everything he touched died. We realized his evil plans too late, and any attempt in stopping him has proved futile.” Kristy looked at me, and I realized how desperate she was. “He devours the world bit by bit until nothing remains.”

  I wasn’t ready to give up. Supernatural or not, he was going down. Jacques might have given up, but I did not come all the way down here to lose. If we were going to lose, I was dragging the Dark Master with me! “There must be something we can do to stop him. Everything has a weakness. Even supernatural beings.”

  Before she could respond, screams tore through the night while the ground started vibrating. Jacques morphed at once while Kristy flew in the air. We moved toward the sound and saw trees falling, making the task more difficult. The fireflies were gone and the only light was the bloody moon.

  “Watch out!” Kristy pushed me out of the way before a tree crushed me.

  “Thanks,” I said, and we continued our wild trek through the maze of a forest.

  “He’s here!” shouted a yellow-winged fairy as she ran toward us and then turned herself into meadow flowers. My eyes blinked at the sight of them and worried about the yellow-winged fairy. Would she ever tur
n back?

  Before we could act, everything was enveloped in blackness. Jacques turned back into a human while Kristy landed on the ground next to me. We stood back to back, waiting to face whatever came.

  “Well, this is it, mademoiselle,” Jacques said, and I rolled my eyes, annoyed. “Prepare to meet the flamboyant being!”

  Chapter 4: The Evil Master

  Something formed in the dark, but I couldn’t make it out. I had no weapons which worried me, but I held the belief that this strange power inside me they all talked about, would wake up and protect us.

  “So here is the defiant fairy, the shapeshifter who just stood back and watched it all, and besides them, the famous Believer who is merely a human. I expected something more,” a raspy voice announced.

  I whirled, trying to locate the source of the voice but only darkness greeted my gaze wherever I turned. “There!” Kristy pointed, and I saw it. There was a hooded figure, and under the hood, I could only make out red glowing eyes and sharp golden teeth.

  “You know, I expected something more from the evil power they described, but you’re just a cheap Halloween attraction. Glowing teeth? That doesn’t even fool children!” When Kristy heard my comment, she gasped. I assumed she didn’t expect me to insult the Dark Master who threatened the entire world.

  The creature roared. “I will destroy you!” A dark power shot from his hand, and Kristy pulled me out of the way.

  “His appearance might seem fake, but his powers are not,” she chided.

  “I just realized that!”

  “I have taken over the supernatural world, and now I will annihilate the human world.” He made a clicking sound I realized was a laugh. Even that sounded wrong.