Fall

1

"Amelia, Queen Clarissa said she wanted to see you!" Mayah yelled, speedily flying by the seed-carrying-mice Amelia was leading to the fairy farm. Without any explanation, Mayah was gone.

Well. That can't be good.

Scared, Amelia whistled for Vee, a beautiful brown bunny she called her own. Even though Vee was much bigger than Amelia, she loved her all the same. "Come on girl, let's go see the Queen."

✢✢

The door creaked as Amelia pushed open the door to the throne room. "Uh.. hey, Queen Clarissa? You asked to see me?"

With that soft, comforting smile the Queen always seemed to have, she gestured to a seat in front of her desk. "Please, sit."

Hesitantly taking a seat, Amelia fiddled with her thumbs in her lap. "I'm.. I'm sorry if I did something? I've been trying my best, you know?" she started to ramble. "I, I just thought I was doing really good, and I was overcoming a lot of my fears and-"

"Amelia, it's nothing like that, my dear."

A sigh of relief came from Amelia's mouth, her blue eyes that were welling with tears a few seconds ago leaving as fast as they came.

"Your 18th birthday is coming in a few days."

"Four!"

"As you know, you fill the position of the oldest fairy in your generation," Queen Clarissa paused. "And we believe that you have a destiny to fulfill."

"A... destiny? Just because I'm the oldest?"

"Not just because of that, my dear."

"I mean, what else could it be? I'm just a normal fairy like the rest of them!"

Pulling out a brown, chipped scroll from her desk drawer, the royal fairy read the black, ink words on the page.

"On the dawn of the eldest's eighteenth birthday,
she must go find
a fairy who is humble and kind.
But be careful of fate,
for it says she will fall."

The paper reads no other words. No explanation. Just this.. "prophecy".

"What.. what is that? Is it even real?"

"It was a prophecy, given to us by Lord Milori, the ruler of the Winter Woods."

"How would he even know?" Amelia asked, full of confusion.

"Amelia, please do not question us. We didn't create this."

"Why wouldn't I be angry? Or at least, scared? That stupid scroll is saying I'm going to 'fall', whatever that means!"

"Prophecies often have double meanings, Amelia."

"What else could it possibly mean? Fall? Into a well? Into an abyss?"

"Please, calm down."

"And now I have to embark on some quest?"

"We will not let you do this alone."

Amelia paused. She was scared, but she knew it wasn't Queen Clarissa's fault. "Can I...can I at least bring my friends?"

"Of course. We will provide any supplies you need."

"And... and Vee?"

"Of course."

"Then," Amelia started, swallowing any fear she had left. "I guess I'll be leaving in four day's time."

"I will have Clarence prepare you all some pixie dust."

"Thank you, Queen Clarissa."

"And Amelia?"

"Yes?"

"Take these." Queen Clarissa held out her hand, sparkling earrings in the shape of X's sitting in her palm. "They came with the scroll."

"Thank you." Amelia gulped. How do you tell your friends that you're leaving your home to go on a dangerous journey, and they're coming with you?