The moment had finally arrived, and every fairy was busy tending to the chosen flowers in the meadow. This long-awaited time only occurred once every 500 years, and its importance to the world was beyond measure. For you see, this was the year of the birth of the fairy dragons.
Every 500 years, the first flowers of spring were chosen and nurtured by the fairies, as when they bloomed, they would also birth a new baby fairy dragon. Fairy dragons were crucial to the survival of the planet, as each new generation renewed the magic of the world, whose delicate balance relied upon this magic to sustain all life within her.
Silf was so excited, as this year she had been tasked with the sole care of her own spring dragon flower. She got up each day at the crack of dawn to go and water the steadily growing plant, watching as it grew taller and taller, and tending to it throughout the day; removing leaves, clearing the encroaching growth of plants, polishing its leaves, and so on.
“Hey, Odessa,” Silf called, as she flew towards her charge, struggling to carry her two buckets of water and then landing to catch her breath and give her arms a break.
“Hey, Silf, off to water your chosen again?” Odessa replied, flying over to stand with Silf.
“Yeh, it’s been really sunny today, and she’s starting to look a little wilty.”
“Let me come with you, I’ve finished my chores for the day, so I can give you a hand carrying if you like?”
“Oh, that would be great, thank you so much. My arms are killing me.”
“It’s no problem at all, what are best friends for?”
Collecting the buckets up, Silf and Odessa made their way towards the dragon flower. It was a fairly small plant, and not nearly as grown as some of the other chosen flowers, but Silf was responsible for its progress, and so was determined to help it develop, no matter how much work it took.
Gently pouring the buckets of water around its base, Silf cleared away a few stray leaves that had blown against it.
“Wow, it’s looking good, I think it’s grown a bit more since last time I saw it,” Odessa said timidly, trying to be supportive of her friend’s progress, even though her charge was far less developed than all of the other dragon flowers she had seen.
“She! It is totally a she. And yeah, she’s coming along nicely.”
“Is there anything else I can do to help; I could go and gather some more crystal dust for you if you want?”
Crystal dust was a substance found in the caves to the west of Swallows Nook, the home of the fairies. It was used to help nourish the chosen dragon flowers as they developed, as the substance was innately magical. It was hard to gather, as it only formed at the base of certain crystals throughout the cave, and especially at this time, as the stocks gathered throughout the years had already been allocated to each fairy who’d been charged with raising their own dragon flower. But Odessa could see that her friend could use all the extra help she could get, even if it meant spending hours searching for dust.
“That’s a great idea! I’ll come with you, as two sets of eyes are better than one,” Silf said excitedly.
They both flew off towards the cave, chatting about the exciting times yet to come when the flowers bloomed.
***
It had been three weeks, and Silf had been working hard to help her flower grow. Odessa had been really helpful, and they had searched the caves a few times to find some extra crystal dust, but had barely found a grain.
All of the other dragon flowers had bloomed, except for hers. There were an array of brightly coloured fairy dragons all around the meadow and Swallows Nook. Whites, oranges, greens, yellows, blues, even a few crimsons. Everyone was so excited and happy at the abundance of blooms this year, and at how quickly Spring had sprung. So why wouldn’t her flower bloom?
Silf had done everything she could; no one could have loved and cared for her flower as much as she had. She’d even spent a few nights outside with it, reading it stories, and covering it with blankets of moss to help keep it warm against the night time chills. She felt like a failure. What if it never bloomed at all? It happened occasionally – it was rare, but it did happen. What if her first charge never bloomed? The elders would never trust her with such an important task again. Silf’s heart sank, and she felt like crying with both frustration and sadness.
“What’s wrong, my child,” came a deep, gravelly voice from behind her.
Turning around, Silf saw elder Tarrow hovering behind her. Coming to land next to her on the branch that she was sitting on, she turned to face him.
“Oh, it’s nothing, I’m fine.”
“You can’t fool me young one. When you’ve been around as long as I have, you can see when someone is not themselves.”
Silf sighed, “you’re right. I am just worried about my charge. All of the other dragon flowers have hatched, and yet mine doesn’t even seem ready to bloom. What if it never does? I feel like I’ve failed everyone.”
“Child, you worry too much. Flowers bloom in their own time, and some are late to flower. No amount of work or worry can change that.”
“But, if it doesn’t flower before the end of the festival in three days’ time, then it will be lost. What can I do? I have tried everything. If it doesn’t flower, then I’ll be the only person who has failed. How could you ever trust me again with such an important task?” Silf rambled, tears welling in her eyes.
“Hush child,” he said, wrapping her in his arms, “you haven’t failed us. I’ve seen the work that you have done caring for your charge. If it’s not meant to be, then it’s not meant to be, you must not blame yourself.”
They sat in silence for a moment, a few stray tears tracking down Silf’s cheeks, before she regathered herself. Tarrow released her and looked her in the eyes.
“My girl, you need not take such a burden upon yourself. You are strong and determined; this is why we chose you for this task. You must not let yourself give in to such doubts and fears. The universe is full of magic and mystery, and hope can flower even in the darkest of places.”
With that said, and a last hug goodbye, Tarrow flew off to go and help prepare for the coming festival.
Strengthening her resolve, Silf flew off to find Odessa. Maybe if she could just find some extra crystal dust, then she could help her charge to bloom.
***
Entering the cave for the second day in a row, the two fairies carried with them a glow orb each. Imbued with magic that sustained the phosphorescent moss within them, they gave off enough light to illuminate the cave around them. The light flowing from their orbs struck the surrounding crystals in the cave and bounced off them in a kaleidoscope of beams and colours, glistening and sparkling like a million fireflies. Silf was always awestruck when in the caves. Every inch of them, from floor to ceiling, was littered with a multitude of crystals of all shapes and colours. Large, purple amethysts, citrines, and quartz points thrust out from the cave walls at all angles. The surrounding energy from the crystals seemed to hum with the magics they held.
Venturing deeper into the extensive cavern, they both searched the walls, floors, and ceiling, checking around each crystal to see if there was any dust to be found.
Hours later, just as Silf was about to call it a day and go to finish her chores, she heard Odessa let out a shriek.
“SILF, QUICK, COME HERE!” Odessa yelled, excitement lacing her voice.
Rushing to where her friend’s voice was coming from, she turned the corner to find nothing.
“Odessa, where are you?” Silf called out.
“I’m over here,” Odessa called, sounding much louder than she should do, considering she was nowhere to be seen.
“Where? I can’t see you?”
Suddenly, a hand appeared from the middle of a wall of crystal.
Silf jumped back in surprise, only to see Odessa emerge from the crystal wall.
“How did you do that?” Silf exclaimed in amazement.
“It’s an illusion. There’s actually a gap between the crystals, but you can only see it when you walk through it. Isn’t it amazing!? I found it when I leant against the wall to get a stone out of my shoe. And, you’re never gonna believe what’s behind it.”
“What?”
“Come on; I’ll show you,” Odessa said excitedly, grabbing hold of Silf’s arm and pulling her through the gap in the wall.
Silf’s mouth dropped open in amazement. Before her stood a large, hexagonal, blue crystal, with six smooth sides. Best of all, at the base of this amazing crystal, which looked just like frozen water, lay heaps of crystal dust.
Letting out an excited squeal, she grabbed Odessa up in a big hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed.
“This should be perfect for your flower,” Odessa said excitedly, happiness for her friend lifting her spirits also.
Gathering up all of the dust they could carry, they flew back to Silf’s charge to infuse the soil surrounding the flower with the dust. Standing back to admire their work, they both watched as the dust sank into the ground, and a glowing light spread up the budding flower to infuse every part of it.
“Maybe there was still hope,” Silf thought.
***
Waking up the next morning brought both excitement and dread. Silf was excited to see how the crystal dust had helped her charge, but at the same time, she was terribly nervous in case it hadn’t worked. Today was the day of the festival, and if it didn’t bloom today, then all of her hard work would be for nothing.
Getting dressed, she gathered up a bucket of water to take with her, there was no sense in wasting a trip. She made her way to the meadow, anticipation speeding her flight, even with the bucket of water weighing her down.
When she arrived, her heart sank. Her charge had grown substantially, but it had still not bloomed. She had failed. She sank to her knees in the clearing before the flower, tears welling in her eyes once more. She had gotten her hopes up. She had truly thought that their find yesterday would help and that she had not failed her charge after all.
Odessa found her sometime later, still sitting before her dragon flower, her tears long since dried up.
“Oh, sweety,” Odessa said, swiftly gathering her friend up in a comforting hug.
“I failed, Odessa.”
“Oh, no! It’s not your fault at all! You did everything you could. These things just happen.”
“But it was my responsibility. I was meant to help it bloom. I should have done something else.”
“There was nothing else for you to do.”
“But….”
“But nothing. You worked so hard; you couldn’t have done more than you did. Now get yourself up, brush yourself off, and stop blaming yourself. Let’s go to the festival, maybe some of Bramble’s nectar will help cheer you up.”
“I’d rather stay here, Odessa; I don’t really feel like being around people at the moment.”
“But Silf, you can’t just sit here feeling glum, you need to shake yourself off and let everyone help you feel better.”
“Thanks, Dess, but I really just want to be alone right now. You go and have fun. I may come and join you later.”
“Ok, but if you are not there by the time they start the mulberry dance, I’m coming back for you.”
Looking back one last time, hesitant to leave her friend, Odessa flew off towards the festival. Alone and feeling depressed, Silf moved closer to her charge, running her hand down one of the leaves that dangled to the side of the stem.
“Well, I tried little one,” she whispered to the flower. “I wish there was something more I could have done.”
Hugging the stem of the flower in a gesture of goodbye, she leant her head against it, tears once again forming.
“I’m so sorry,” she choked out, her voice raw with emotion.
The tears ran down her face and dropped onto the stem of the flower, dripping down to pool on the ground at its base.
Suddenly, the ground around her charge began to glow. Silf jumped back in surprise, not knowing what was happening. The glow grew and grew, spreading up the stem of the flower. What was happening? As the glow reached the bud of the flower, it began to coalesce, growing in intensity until it hurt Silf’s eyes to look at it. Then, in a blinding flash of light, she heard a popping noise. Blinking back the blindness, she looked towards her charge, only to find that the flower had bloomed into the most brilliant purple crocus blossom; a fine, purple dust settling to the ground all around it.
She had ventured over to the magnificent bloom to get a better look, when she saw, nestled within the stunning purple petals, a perfectly formed baby purple fairy dragon, stretching itself out and unfurling its wings.
Her heart swelled with joy as she stared at the magnificent creature. It looked up at her with big, soulful eyes, innocence and wonder in its expression. She gently approached, not wanting to scare it, when suddenly it launched itself at her and showered her with licking kisses.
Giggling and gathering the baby dragon up in her arms to take a better look at it, she got a sudden flash of image and thought in her mind. The dragon was thanking her for taking such good care of her and helping to give her the strength to emerge into this world. She also introduced herself, saying that her name was Starfire. Silf welcomed her new friend and told her how grateful she was that Starfire was ok.
After they had chatted for some time, Silf made her way to the festivities, Starfire perched on her shoulders, with her tail encircling her neck. As a new-born, her wings were not quite ready to work yet, but within a day she would be flying about with the rest of the fairies and fairy dragons.
Arriving at the festival, everyone’s mouths dropped open in amazement at Silf’s new friend. Purple fairy dragons were amazingly rare, and no one had seen one for centuries. Everyone congratulated Silf on her success and they were soon buzzing about Starfire in sheer awe. Odessa squealed with delight when she caught sight of them both, over the moon that everything had worked out okay.
Finally, once everything had settled down again, Tarrow came over to where Silf and Starfire were sitting. Silf was enjoying some well-deserved nectar, and Starfire was enthusiastically wolfing down some of the delicious acorn bread and cloudberry pie that was traditional fare at the Spring festival.
“So, I see that all of your worry was for nothing, little one.”
“You were right as ever Tarrow; I didn’t give up just like you said not to.”
“And to help bring a purple dragon into the world too – that is indeed a special honour. You must have truly loved your charge, as that is no easy feat.”
“What do you mean?” Silf asked, confused by Tarrow’s cryptic words
“The reason that purple dragons are so rare is because they bloom so late. Most are not successful, as they bloom after the festival, and so do not bear dragons. Only true love for one’s charge can help to bring forth such dragons.”
“But I thought every fairy loved their charges?”
“Oh, they do. It’s a great honour to be chosen to care for a dragon flower. But therein lies the confusion between duty and true love. Yes, others care for and look after their charges, but it’s a truly special person whose love goes beyond mere duty or honour.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Because, young one, that wouldn’t have helped. Knowing that you need to love something doesn’t mean that you unconditionally love it, it’s just another task to complete. Selfless love comes from the heart, not the mind, and so you had to discover this for yourself. But I will tell you a little secret,” he paused for dramatic effect.
“What is it?” Silf asked, anticipation spurring on her words.
“The love that births a rare purple dragon forges a bond between you both – bond that cannot be broken. You have a friend for life in Starfire now, and where all the other dragons may move on around the world, Starfire will always be close.”
“Really?!”
“Yes, she is bound to you, as you are bound to her. You will be able to communicate mind to mind, no matter the distance, and you will be able to feel each other’s emotions.”
“Did you hear that Starfire?”
Starfire glanced up from her feast, her face full of cloudberry pie. Her voice whispered in Silf’s mind followed by a wave of emotions, “I will stay with you always.”
Joy bloomed within Silf, before another message crossed into her mind.
“I like pie!”
Silf looked at Starfire and burst into laughter – she was sure that this would be the beginning of many an adventure with her new dragon friend.
[If you enjoyed this and would like to see more, you can read more of the authors work at www.mikeflynnauthor.com]