Wings of Change

Chapter 1: A Harvest Moon Lingers, A New Fairy Is Born

The air over England was unusually still. It was late and everyone, albeit a select few, was at home, sleeping soundly. A few lingering birds glided through the night sky, taking note of the glittering array of stars shimmering overhead. It seemed to be a perfectly ordinary night. But it was far from ordinary. And, as a gentle laugh drifted over the wind, it was clear that something was different, and something phenomenal was about to occur.

The wind rustled a cluster of small oaks and the whisper in the air grew. A single speck of gold spun through the air, caught up in the breeze and tossed into the clouds. There it lingered for a short time before continuing its journey toward the heavens and on through the night.

The sun was just beginning to rise when the laugh drifted into Neverland. It glowed a kind of silver, a reflection of the moon's light, and it caught the attention of one particular fast-flying talent who just happened to be out dusting the fields at the time.

She cautiously summoned a wind to push the laugh and keep it aloft, guiding it toward the center of the fairy kingdom, the Pixie dust Tree, where a large crowd of fairies and sparrowmen had begun to gather.

Loud exclamations trickled to soft whispers as the fast-flying fairy gently set the laugh down and retreated as Terence, the newest of the dust-talents, stepped forward, gripping a sack of Pixie dust tightly.

Everyone held their breaths as Terence poured the sack and stepped back to watch the transformation. A bright glow flooded the hollow, and the form of a sparrowman appeared. He was average height, his hair was auburn like wildfire, and he was skinny with gangly arms and legs. He kept his head down, however, instead of glancing up to greet his fellow fairies, almost as if he were afraid.

"He's so small," came a voice from somewhere amongst the fairies, and a breeze of agreements floated through the hollow.

"Look at his wings! Look! He'll be a fast-flyer for sure!"

"He seems shy. The poor dear. All this must be extremely overwhelming for him."

The whispers grew louder until they clashed like thunder. The fairy curled in further on himself, shaking slightly.

Suddenly, a brilliant yellow glow filled the sky, and out of nowhere, a sparkling yellow orb descended to the tree. Several younger fairies yelped and hastily darted out of the way as the ball met the earth and transformed into a beautiful pixie, dressed from head to toe in gold, and sporting a glittering crown upon her head.

"Queen Clarion," whispered many of the onlookers.

He felt a touch on his shoulder, accompanied by a swarm of bright lights, colors, and emotions. Love. Joy. Peace. Fear. Love. Duty. Power. Love. It was almost too much and he felt the urge to remain curled up in his ball forever where no one could see him, and better yet, he couldn't see them.

"Dear one," came a gentle voice above him. "It's quite all right. You're safe. We're all friends here."

The owner of the voice spoke the truth. He could feel it radiating off of the crowd, roaring louder than even the whispers. They flooded his head like raindrops on a leaf and he struggled to hold on to them.

I wonder what talent he'll be.

Why is he so nervous? I wasn't that nervous on my arrival day, was I?

Oh! He seems so shy. I wanna fly up there and give him a great big hug! I hope he'll be a water fairy!

That last thought was different and stood out. Instead of pity or confusion, he felt excitement and caring from that mind. He glanced up abruptly, scanning the onlookers for the source. There! He spotted her, a slim blue and black blob sitting on what he guessed was a large red...mushy blob?