Fairy Dust

What You See in the Vision is both Real and Unreliable

'One three,' Mirth said and the three counted to three and took a sip of the murky milk drink.

Nothing happened.

Quixiup and Doxod laughed loudly as Mirth, Zennick and Sparkeltouch looked disappointed at each other.

'You have to finish the tea, relax, lie down and then it'll happen. This is pretty slow. Enjoy the drink, chat and -'

Mirth didn't hear the end of what Doxod had to say. They were being sucked into the soil, deep underground, blackness all around them.

Faintly, Mirth could hear Zennick screaming and they reached out a hand to find his. They found each other through the thick soil and held on tight as they hit something hard. A rock? A Root?

Mirth thought they heard Zennick mutter something and then Sparkletouch was beside them, holding on to Zennick. Mirth felt their wings explode into energy behind them in a way they never had before.

Your wings are amazing Mirth felt Zennick and Sparkletouch say, but didn't hear them. It was only a feeling, a sense in the blackness with a vague rainbow glow from their wings to guide them.

Mirth looked down and saw a Root, the smallest Root they'd ever seen. They felt roots shouldn't even be this small, like baby hairs.

Beside Mirth, they felt a deep, distance glow from Zennick. But it wasn't quite there yet. They reached down to the baby hair and felt a

Connection.

Welcome children, a booming sense spoke to the three. It was all around them, through the soil, coming from the baby root but there was more further away, a stronger, more vital source. Touch me and know me. I am the Tree known by your people as Ysgawen. I am your home, you're protector, your source of power.

Mirth pulled their hand away and felt shocked. Zennick was the first to move forward, then Sparkletouch, then a hesitant Mirth.

The world exploded into bright fluctuating lights, drifting into and out of fractal patterns, around and through Mirth and the others. The colours were warm, inviting, strange and confusing. Vaguely Mirth thought they were rising but it was hard to tell with the lights.

Suddenly, they appeared into the World Cave, but the three of them were stretched to cover all the walls, gems pocking their skin, insects rooting around inside their heads.

It was both terrible and ticklish. Mirth couldn't help but laugh while being unable to itch the spots that needed it most.

Mirth became aware that the Cave was empty. Ysgawen was nowhere.

Without having hands, Zennick pointed to the very centre.

There were three creatures bringing water to a tiny sapling.

That is me, and your distant ancestors. I feel there are fae like them still in the world, but they moved on so long ago I can no longer track them Ysgawen spoke to them booming all around them. Mirth felt like they were freaking out, but a cave wall can't freak out. They were cold in their stones and warm in their soil and that was all.

Time sped out and the fae creatures became a blur as they brought water to the sapling and watched the sapling grow and grow and grow. Birds, animals, insects, even the little white bats that hung in the outer boughs of Ysgawen came from the hole at the top of the world, blue sky sometimes smeared with whiteness flickered between bright and dark.

I saw that when I was falling, Mirth thought to themself.

The tree grew and the fairies they knew started to live in the nooks and crannies made by other animals. Mirth reached for the words they'd never know: squirrels, racoons. Mirth was shocked to see every fairy flitting around the cave, flying as easily as the birds, dipping and diving with joy. More and more Mirth could see a strengthening core to Ysgawen, a pulsing energy that connected it to every fairy and animal that lived with the tree, attached with infinitely fine tethers.