Believe (6 page)

As Deliah got even sleepier, she thought, I'll have to pick one of those cupcakes and put a chocolate in my pock–….

Thrilled that their signs had worked and had led Deliah down the wrong path, the group of Dark Ones crept closer in the night. Surrounded by their glowing flames, they smiled sinfully
as they pictured how proud the Dark King would be when they captured Deliah and brought her back to the castle. The six of them continued to creep toward her and were just about to cast the capture spell on her when they were pushed back several yards by a mighty rush of water and fell to the ground. They angrily got up and armed themselves for a fight but were again stunned senseless by another wave of water and saw Edwin the unicorn's horn beaming through the forest at them. He stood protectively in front of Deliah, rubbing his hooves in the dirt as though he were about to charge at them. Unicorns were a symbol of power and purity, and even a Dark One would not dare attempt an attack on a unicorn. Many Dark Ones had tried and failed. Gasping in the water for air and struggling to fly out with their wet, withered wings, they buzzed bitterly. Edwin stood his ground with a grace even a swan would admire. Sensing his victory, Edwin at last stopped the flow of water and watched as the six drenched Dark Ones, sore and sullen, stumbled away.

Having woke up to the sound of waves of water and miserable shrieks, Ostephen and Deliah sat huddled behind Edwin and wondered what on earth had just happened.

Edwin bowed his long neck and mane slightly in acknowledgement before saying, “I urge you to be more careful, dear child. You needn't try to figure things out on your own. If you are lost or unsure, know that it takes more courage to ask for help than it does to deny it.”

Feeling quite embarrassed at her own stubbornness, Deliah nodded quietly and thanked him. Ostephen opened the door of the lantern and looked at the now closed, wilted lily. The dragonfly who still hovered above it gave him a look of “Hey, I tried” before buzzing out of the lantern and flying away.

Edwin offered to help Deliah and Ostephen get to Greenland, which would make up for any lost time. They eagerly accepted and climbed on his back. They were staring at the sun setting over the rolling green hills and brilliant bright flowers of Greenland in what seemed like mere seconds. The land was filled with tulips and colorful flowers in bloom. Woodpeckers and birds of all kinds nested in the trees, and the sky was bluer than anything Deliah had ever seen. It seemed Greenland was graced with a little extra cast of color.

To dewdrops and rainbows and sparkles anew,

To fairies, elves, and unicorns, too,

To all the great creatures that roam through Faye,

To the many wonders that surround us each day.

T
here was a buffet of food, drink, music, and dancing as various fairies, leprechauns, elves, foxes, and elemental friends waved them over and invited them to join the fun. They knew of Deliah and her journey, and they were happy to provide some food and respite. Deliah asked the fairies and friends what the celebration was about, and they all fell over laughing and wondered why humans always needed a cause for a celebration.

“You guys are certainly social,” Deliah said to Ostephen, feeling embarrassed.

“Oh, indeed,” Ostephen said with a nod.

A song started up, and he placed his right hand to his heart and began reciting the national anthem of Faye.

“Run through the grass with reckless abandon. Let down your hair in true fairy fashion. We live for the joy, the games, and the laughter, for, you see, these are your keys to happily ever after,” he crooned, smiling proudly.

Suddenly, Ostephen spotted Rosella and flew over to give her a big hug. She was just as happy to see him and set down the cap she had been knitting him. She urged him to sit down and rest, while she gathered food and drink for him.

“Deliah!” Ostephen called, waving Deliah over.

Deliah was happy to see Rosella again. And after Ostephen got pulled away and into the crowd by a gnome, the two ladies easily fell into conversation. Deliah watched Rosella's eyes follow Ostephen into the crowd.

“He's lucky to have such a good friend,” Deliah said.

With a knowing smile, Rosella looked to Deliah and said, “He loves me. He just doesn't know it yet.” Deliah nodded, and the two giggled.

The group of elementals began to gather around Deliah, and they informed her that there was actually another reason for their meeting up with her.

“We are here to teach you the skill of foresight,” they explained. “We will help you practice your breathing and concentration. You will need it when you reach the Dark Corner.”

With that, they all settled in. As a group, they taught Deliah how to ignore distractions and listen to her own voice. They showed her how to slow her breathing and focus when she was faced with fear and how to find calm in any moment. It was frustrating for Deliah at first; she found it hard to quiet her mind and concentrate, but they all assured her that she was a natural and that the more she practiced, the easier it would become. The more fear the Dark Ones can sense, the stronger they feel. This is why it is best to breathe and concentrate on what you want to happen, not what you fear will happen. Deliah petted the fox beside her and thanked the group for their help. She felt good knowing she had a skill to rely on when she reached the Dark Corner.

Hours later, they were still mingling and having fun with their allies and friends. One fairy, dressed as a ballerina, danced over to Deliah. While winking and twirling, the fairy handed her a piece of chocolate cake.

“I'm Ballencia. Dance and sing; be merry for our sake. Enjoy life, for it is a piece of cake!”

She laughed and spun as Deliah accepted the cake. Ballencia was so graceful that she never walked; she always danced, and if she didn't dance, she glided. Her little pink tutu and ballet slippers were sparkly and drew attention, but there was nothing about Ballencia that was insincere or needy. She was just full of
life—a reminder to the other fairies of the beauty and fun in every step of every moment.

I think I may take up ballet when I get home,
Deliah thought, suddenly inspired.
If I ever get home…,
she heard a voice in her head threaten. She suddenly envisioned Grandma still sleeping soundly by the fire.
I'll be back, Grandma,
she vowed silently.
I won't leave you.

Deliah suddenly froze as she held a vision of the Dark Ones buzzing toward her grandmother's house. Within a few feet of the door, she saw them slam against an invisible wall and angrily retreat. She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Tatum was inside laughing and reading a book next to Grandma. Coming out of her vision, Deliah took a big bite of the yummy cake and looked around at all the frolicking fairies.

I wonder where Ostephen has gone? she mused.

Ostephen slumped down on a smooth, flat bedrock. Resting his chin in his hands, he thought glumly,
Here we go again.
Every time he would gain confidence and prepare to make his move, something or someone would swoop in and nullify all his efforts.

Forget it,
he said to himself,
This is what it is and what it will always be.
He sipped the last of his berry juice, his only comfort at the moment. Looking around at all the other couples dancing, singing, and drinking merrily, his heart heaved with an undeserved heaviness, a loneliness that had been eating away at him for far too long. As always, his gaze slowly drifted back to Ballencia. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders like silk. Her laugh haunted him as did the flirtatious glimmer in her icy blue eyes. She caught him staring and waved him over, never one to shy away from a moment's admiration. Suddenly released from his sullen state, Ostephen set his mug down in the grass and was about to hop to when
he
swooped in, took her by the hand, and twirled her around the dance floor.

Slumping back down onto his rock, Ostephen rolled his big blue eyes, sighed wearily, and muttered an infuriated, “Nad!”

He hated to admit it, but he was jealous of Nad. Nad had no problems getting attention from the lady fairies; they all swooned. His orange glow was hard to compete with, and he was always working out—or showing off, as Ostephen chose to
see it—but there was no denying that Nad was definitely one fit fairy. Ostephen once thought of joining Nad for a workout or asking him for some advice, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Ostephen wished he had it in him to get up and steal Ballencia away from Nad. Ostephen could take Nad on if it came to that— at least Ostephen hoped he could. It didn't matter. Ostephen shrugged because he knew he never would.

He looked up as a group of fairies challenged Nad to break his jumping record. A bunch of fairies were all piled atop one another's shoulders, creating a line that reached six feet high.

They were all cheering loudly, “Nad, Nad, Nad, Nad…!”

Oh, come on!
Ostephen thought.

“He'll never make it!” someone at the bottom of the pile shouted.

“Remember, no wings!” Ballencia yelled.

Nad was ready; knees bent, crouched, and focused.

He'll make it,
Ostephen said to himself.
He always does.

Sure enough, with no wings, Nad managed to jump up and over, making it look effortless. The fairies all fell over one another, laughing and cheering hysterically. This was one of their favorite games at every fairy party.

Ostephen sighed. “Yeah, great job!” he muttered sarcastically. “Real impressive orange glow.”

Then he froze as he spotted a swoosh of long blonde hair and saw his beautiful fairy lean in and kiss Nad adoringly on the cheek. Ostephen's light dimmed to almost nothing. He was loved and adored by the rest of the realm, commonly referred to as “the good one.” No one had ever met a gentler, generous soul. He was fairly happy, had a great family and good friends, but none of that mattered because the love he so yearned for still escaped him. Hiding his tenderhearted face, he dragged himself through the forest, ignorant of its simple pleasures: the sweet smell of the pine trees and the crunching of their needles beneath his pointy-toed feet. Ostephen needed to rest; a new day would soon dawn.

It was sunrise when Deliah awoke to find Ostephen missing. As she was looking about in a panic, a little bluebird chirped her a good morning and filled her in on his whereabouts.

“I saw him this morning as I was gathering worms for the youngins. He's okay. He came back late, and he's sleeping right by
that cherry tree over there.”

Deliah followed the bluebird and found Ostephen sleeping slumped against the cherry tree, murmuring of Ballencia and then Kristoff. She assumed that he must have been dreaming and felt it best to leave him for awhile longer and allow him some extra slumber. She decided to go for a walk and pick some fruit from a nearby cove to bring along for the next part of their journey. As she stretched on her tiptoes trying to knock down a pear from an orchard, she noticed a thin red puff of smoke float by her. She suddenly fell to the ground limp and unconscious.

Sidney, the squirrel who had been gathering nuts nearby, witnessed the whole event and scurried off to get help.

“Poison! Poison! The little girl's been poisoned!” his tiny voice shrieked as he ran through the forest. Ostephen opened his eyes to see what all the racket was as Sidney skidded to a halt in front of him. “She…sh…sh…poi….She was….”

“Spit it out,” Ostephen said. Sometimes he got annoyed with the squirrels; they were very anxious and scattered.

“Deliah! She got…Dark One…poison!”

Ostephen flew up immediately and followed Sidney, flying as fast as his little wings would allow. He arrived at the base of the pear tree and saw Deliah's lifeless body.

“Help!” he shouted. “Help!”

He buzzed from one direction to the other, frantically searching for someone or something. Just then, he saw a group of gnomes making their way over the hill on their way back from the pond and recognized his friend Herbie.

“Help! Herbie! The Dark Ones! They poisoned her!” he shrieked.

The gnomes heard his cry and trudged faster toward him. The gnomes lifted Deliah up above their heads.

“If there's any hope for her at all, it's in the crystal cave. Hurry!” They trekked quickly to the west for about a quarter of a mile. Their short arms were getting tired, but they were hard workers and never once complained. The crystal cave had been around for centuries; it was the home of many miraculous healings.

“Hurry!” Ostephen shouted worriedly. “She hasn't got much time!”

The gnomes finally approached the healing cave and rushed Deliah in. Hands held high above little gnome heads, they continue to carry her in as though they were a well–formed assembly line.

The cave looked like the aurora borealis, and the colors kept changing: red to orange to yellow to green to blue to purple and back to red. Merely being inside the crystal cave caused Ostephen's fears to subside slightly. The cave's healing powers were written about centuries ago; it was legendary. It just had to help her. Slowly fluttering along, his eyes blinking with trepidation, Ostephen knew all would be well. They'd come this far. He felt certain that the universe would not disappoint them.

A rich green hue took over the cave, and the gnomes stopped and gently placed her on the crystal ground. The green lights encircled her entire body, swirling in all directions until her body lifted from the floor, and the green light entered her mouth, her eyes, and her ears. Her body was wrapped in a cocoon of emerald green crystal. Herbie, the head gnome, let a tiny squeal of awe slip from his lips. Ostephen sat on Herbie's shoulder, his little blue hand held to his heart in hope.

Suddenly, Deliah disappeared as a thick mist of green clouded everything and everyone. The mist began to fade, and the gnomes shuffled forward anxious for some sign of life. The mist continued to settle, but there was no sign of Deliah. Ostephen's hand fell to his lap, and Herbie patted it lovingly with compassion. The cave had returned to its normal kaleidoscope of colors. The gnomes looked from one to another with saddened faces, not sure what to say or do.

Herbie finally said, “I'm sorry, Ostephen.”

“Ostephen!” they heard Deliah's voice shout enthusiastically. They looked toward the opposite end of the cave. Beyond a blinding white light, they made out a tiny figure running toward them.

“Deliah!” they shouted in disbelief. “It worked! It truly worked!”

Herbie and Ostephen ran to embrace Deliah, and they bombarded her with questions.

“Are you okay? What happened? How do you feel?”

“I've never felt better!” Deliah exclaimed. “I saw this
glorious green light, and then a beautiful fairy with curly blonde hair, draped in an exquisite gown of green velvet healed me. Her name was Elvina, and she said I was to come back and go to the hills of Nuverny, and she gave me this.” Deliah reached in her dress pocket and pulled out a clear crystal wand. “Then I saw you guys!” Herbie let a tear slide down his cheek before wiping it away embarrassed.

Deliah looked around from wall to wall at this unbelievable crystal cave, seeing it for the first time.

“Wow! Thank you,” she said quietly with deep appreciation for the crystals.

Bright lights shot toward the end of the cave, and there was a marvelous echo as if the cave were saying, “You're welcome.”

The gnomes introduced themselves to Deliah, and she patted each of her rescuers on the head and shoulders. They led her toward the forest. When they arrived outside the cave, Deliah and Ostephen thanked the Greenland gnomes for their help. They brushed their feet on the grass and blushed bashfully.

“Aw, shucks! It's nothin',” Herbie said. “Deliah, let me see that crystal wand for a second, will ya?”

As Deliah handed it to Herbie, he wrapped it tightly in both hands and mumbled, “Greenland gnomes, where ya be? Greenland gnomes, I be needin' thee.”

He held up the crystal, then handed it to Deliah. She stared at it in amazement.

“It's you! I can see you all in the crystal!” she exclaimed.

“That ya can,” Herbie replied. “If you ever need us again, Dearie, you just hold that wand there and you'll know where we are. Just ask it for our help, and we'll come a runnin'.”

“A runnin'!” they all echoed, nodding their heads affirmatively.