Moonchild, A Faerie's tale

Episode Seven: Sisterhood/Did Moonchild die, giving her lifeforce to save Eleanor's life? Will her father remain on the farm as resident faerie?

Moonchild felt so weak and tired, she understood the weakness Eleanor had endured with the sickness Doctor Welling called “consumption.” She saw her own glow had faded away but was reassured to see her and her father’s combined glowing faerieforces had extended into Eleanor’s complete body, all the way out to the little girl’s fingernails. Her conscious thoughts began to fade away.

“Our effort is rewarded, daughter,” said Moondazewaxing. “Look, our glow extends to entire body, and her own human glow is returning�"pink in her cheeks�"Moonchild?” 

Moonchild still had her palms on Eleanor’s forehead, so intensely determined to save her friend, but she had collapsed, lying flat on Eleanor’s mussed auburn hair.

 “Daughter, can you hear me?” He whispered.

Eleanor gasped and immediately took in a heavy fresh breath. Moondazewaxing noticed new vigor in her breath inhalation, but he recognized Moonchild had gone lifeless there in Eleanor’s hair.

“NO!” He said and reluctantly released his hands from Eleanor’s forehead to embrace his daughter. He picked her up, but she did not stir or speak.

“What-is-the-matter?” Eleanor said tiredly, looking up out of the tops of her eyes.

Moondazewaxing carried Moonchild off from Eleanor’s mountainous pillows and laid her on the quilt top onto a block with a brightly embroidered morning glory. Eleanor saw that Moondazewaxing dragged his feet, struggling to carry the limp Moonchild. His blue glow had begun to return, but Moonchild remained an inert dull yellow. Her wings hung wilted like a flower’s petals deprived of moisture, her hair sagged like dead grass, and her gown drooped like wrinkled rice paper.

“No, Moonchild, not for me.” Eleanor cried, the tears rolling down her cheeks, but she was so weak when she tried to turn toward Moonchild, she barely stirred.

Father faerie Moondazewaxing bent over his daughter and picked up her limp arm to hold her hand. Eleanor watched helplessly as he tried to revive her by placing both hands on Moonchild’s shoulders but nothing changed.

“Moonchild, no,” Eleanor said, and rocked once, twice, three times before she could turn enough to face the two fairies. “Sir Faerie, please tell me she will be all right?” Moondazewaxing looked up at Eleanor’s huge slightly glowing face just inches from his without expressing emotion or gesture.

Eleanor sobbed. “No, it can’t be true. Moonchild, I would gladly die for you. You weren’t supposed to die for me. It was my time, not your time. Fairies don’t die for a long, long time, you told me so!”

Moondazedwaxing looked sadly into Eleanor’s eyes that held a weak faerie glow and whispered, “Fairies can die anytime, Eleanor, just as any living thing, I’m sorry.”

“NO!” She cried, leaning over Moonchild. “Oh come back to me, Moonchild. I love you,” she sobbed.

As she reached to hold Moonchild’s other tiny limp hand, a tear fell from the tip of her nose onto Moonchild’s neck and chest. From the center of that single tear, a minuscule, heart-shaped greenish glow erupted. The greenish glow spread up into the faerie’s face, and her eyes flickered open. A tired smile spread across Moonchild’s glowing face.

“I love you too, my forever friend.”

Moondazewaxing hugged his daughter close while smiling at Eleanor. “A miracle of friendship,” he said quietly. “You are an exceptional human Eleanor, with your own surprising magic.”

Slowly, very slowly, Moonchild lifted her head and her father helped her to a sitting position. Eleanor saw that Moonchild glowed weakly all over except her toes.

“Moonchild, you need to get your toes glowing, too,” Eleanor said, with a smile. “Then I’ll know you are fine.”

“I am fine, almost,” Moonchild smiled, and she looked down, letting out a weak laugh. “You are right, my toes need to glow, but you my friend, you have your human pink cheeks.”

“My daughter is correct,” Moondazewaxing said. “You look healthier already.”

“Thanks to you, two,” said Eleanor. “Thank you so much, Sir Moondazewaxing.”

“My pleasure,” he said. “In all my years, I have never known a human friend as Moonchild has in you�"you both are very lucky indeed.”

Human and faerie females looked at one another and smiled.

“We all need to rest now,” Moondazewaxing said. “Moonchild and I will retire to her burrow. You need to sleep, Eleanor. May I call you friend?”

“Gladly, my friend,” Eleanor said, before leaning back on her pillow.

Moonchild crawled on hands and knees to Eleanor’s shoulder to pat her on the cheek. “You look so much better. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Eleanor whispered, “’Bye.” She watched father and daughter faerie flitter slowly out the door. “Bye,” she said, to the empty room after they had gone. “My dear, dear faerie friends.” After a few moments, she fell asleep.

Moondazewaxing and Moonchild made their way down the stairs. Moonchild speeded up and pointed at the big clock with the long elegant hand pointing straight up. Her father nodded understanding as the clock chimed seven, and they heard Eleanor’s family talking low in the other room. The twosome continued out the portal, across the porch deck, out across the backyard, past the birdbath fountain, and straight into Moonchild’s burrow. They too were resting within moments.

***

The morning proved delightful when the two fairies emerged from the burrow.

“Another beautiful day, daughter,” Moondazewaxing said. “A joy to be with you daughter.”

“You should stay. Eleanor loves you and you’ll enjoy all the activity, the animals, and joy here.”

He nodded. “I know I would, but I have my own faerierealm as this one is deservingly yours. You have proven yourself a forceful faerie daughter Moonchild, I must tell the Elders.”

“Must you?”

“Yes, they required me to inform them of the outcome of this transaction based on their advice,” He said. “I honestly believe they will have trouble accepting the truth that Eleanor saved you.”

“But as good faeries, they will know it is truth you present,” Moonchild said. “Does it mean they will visit to investigate?”

“Oh no, like all GOOD fairies who follow the rules, they must stay put,” Moondazewaxing said, and let out a laugh. “So I must go, and I can see you are eager to visit your friend.”

“Yes, I am but to say goodbye is more difficult now. Can I visit you again?”

“Of course, even though you are not supposed to.” He put a finger to his lips. “A happy visit, please!”

“Promise!” They embraced briefly and flew separate directions stopping only once to wave. Moonchild zoomed with renewed vigor to her friend’s bedroom.

Eleanor opened her eyes when Moonchild came in and smiled with a playful grimace.

 “Moonchild, where have you been? I’ve been awake for sometime, wanting to know what to do about all this dust covering me. I feel like a mess. I don’t want to wash it off and oh, here are your special stones. I held them all night!”

“Whew! After last night, what kind of greeting is this? You MUST be feeling better.” Moonchild said with a smile but then sobered. “Oh, yes the dust. You must never wash it off and those stones? You must hold them always and forever.”

“Really?”

“No, of course not, my special friend! The dust has done its good, and these stones need to be returned to my secret cache.”

“Secret, huh?”

“I can’t show and tell you ALL my faerie secrets can I? Well, I suppose I can now because you are part faerie!”

“I am?”

“Sure, sort of, after seeing you glowing last night.” Moonchild said, smiling. “But considering the glow has worn off, no big faerie secrets only little faerie secrets.” They both burst out laughing.

Suddenly, they heard steps on the stairs.

“Ssshhh,” Eleanor shushed. “Elizabeth by the sound of it.” Then there were another heavier set of steps. “And mother, too. Hide!”

“I’m still VERY tired,” Moonchild said, relaxing. “I don’t want to hide today.”

“Now’s not the time to play that game, my faerie friend�"it’s dangerous,” Eleanor whispered. “Don’t wait until the last second again!” 

  “I’m staying right here with my most favorite healthy friend,” Moonchild said, patting the bed.

“Are you going crazy? She’s, they’re both right here!”  Eleanor whispered.

Elizabeth rounded the corner of the bedroom door and skidded to a halt. Eleanor’s eyes grew huge, and she put her hands over her eyes but peeked through her fingers to watch the certain horrible encounter. She saw a big smile form on Elizabeth’s face.

“Moonchild!” Elizabeth said delightfully. “So happy to see you. I hope you’re both feeling better.”

Bewildered, Eleanor dropped her hands. “Wha-wha-what is going on? Mother is coming, you guys. Moonchild, hide now!”

But Moonchild sat tight despite Eleanor’s shooing.

Mother rounded the corner and without a blink or misstep, she said, “Hello, Miss Moonchild. I thought you may be here visiting your very best friend Eleanor.”

Moonchild sat there with her arms across her chest, her long gown fluffed out around while she attempted to imitate someone whistling nonchalantly. She couldn’t pull off the charade, bursting out with a big giggle as she looked at Eleanor who wore a renewed look of astonishment.

 “All right, someone has to explain what happened around here while I was sick in bed,” Eleanor said sternly.

“We do owe you an explanation,” Mother said. “First thing this morning when I looked in on you, I noticed right away that you looked and sounded so much better, except you had all this dust on your face. I realized immediately that someone we had just met had gotten involved like I never imagined.” Mother touched Eleanor’s auburn hair. “Just look at you my healthy child. Simply amazing, thanks to Moonchild!”

“Moonchild said she was going to help you Nell, but not like this�"you look totally cured!” Elizabeth said.

“Her father Moondazewaxing helped!” Eleanor said.

“Your father was here?” Elizabeth asked, with a point downwards.

“Yes, he helped me with Eleanor, but he had to hurry back to his own faerierealm this morning,” Moonchild said.

“I would have liked to see him off,” Eleanor said.

“And I need to thank him,” said Mother.

“He is well aware of how you all feel about Eleanor’s improvement,” Moonchild said.

“So, how did you two get to know Moonchild WITHOUT ME?” Eleanor asked. “There, on the day of the barn fire?”

“I, we,” Mother indicated Elizabeth and her. “Saw something shining green that day of the fire, but to tell you the truth, we had no idea it was Moonchild.”

“Because we didn’t believe,” Elizabeth finished.

“That still doesn’t explain how you came to see and believe in Moonchild,” Eleanor said, holding a hand out to allow Moonchild to step aboard. Elizabeth and Mother sat down on Eleanor’s bed.

“Well,” Moonchild began. “It seems that under certain unpleasant situations, people can believe in things, like me for instance, they would not normally want to or need to believe in.”

 “And,” Elizabeth continued. “Those things, or beautiful powerful faerie ladies,” she indicated Moonchild. “May find they need help from sources they would never consider until they’re in trouble.”

“In trouble? You were in trouble Moonchild?” Eleanor asked, with an amazed expression.

“Yes, Elizabeth saved me from a butterfly trap.”

“Butterfly trap?” Eleanor put a finger to her pinkish cheek in recognition. “Joseph.”

“No, it was not Joseph,” Mother said. “I asked him without indicating our little friend’s predicament, and he said it was not him�"and I can tell when he lies.”  

“Speaking of lies,” Eleanor said. “Moonchild, you told me you got tied up, but you never told me all this about being trapped.” She scolded with a finger. “For a faerie who says she can’t lie, you sure do fib a lot.”

“Oh, it was just a tiny omission, my young missy,” Moonchild said, performing a perfect curtsy.

The four of them laughed.

“This is really wonderful,” Eleanor said. “After all this time Liz, you didn’t believe me about Moonchild.”

“I know, Nell. I had to be in the right situation to believe what I saw�"a real, honest-to-goodness faerie.”

Eleanor glanced from sister to mother with a pout forming on her face.

“What is wrong, Nell?” Elizabeth asked.

“Now I have to share Moonchild with you two.”

“Oh, no,” said Elizabeth, shaking her head and holding up her hands. “Moonchild made it perfectly clear to me and Mother that only you, Nell were her most favorite forever friend.”

“You two are definitely fast friends,” Mother said. “Liz and I can’t compete.”

“I knew that,” Eleanor said, beaming again. “Moonchild told me once that only one human person could be a faerie’s friend, and I was hers.”

“You’re my only one person for sure, my young missy,” Moonchild said, smiling with her bright chartreuse glow. “After all, you are named for the sun’s brightest ray, and what person would be better for a contented glow-full faerie?”

Moonchild thought back to her initial doubts. Now here with her forever friend and new friends, and after all that transpired, she knew she should have never doubted the powers of an unpredictable but always glorious blue moon.   

Reviews

[Journal-Writer]

I loved this story! It was enchanting to read and I found myself wanting to just read more of it.