#rubyxtwinkle

“So, Twink, what do you need jam for? Are you making toast?”

Twinkle spins a pretty pirouette in the air. “I’m making jam tarts!” she exclaims. “It’s almost May Day and everyone celebrates by exchanging sweets!” A dark cloud passes over the fairy’s face. “...Almost everyone, that is. I haven’t been to a May Day celebration in years.” Just as quickly as the cloud appears, it vanishes again to reveal full sun. “But I’m meeting some friends this afternoon to celebrate with them! We’re going to drink tea, and tell stories, and make flower crowns! Oh, Ruby, doesn’t that sound like the best time in the world?”

Ruby shrugs off Twinkle’s enthusiasm. “Pfft, flower crowns. You’d never catch a pirate wearing one of those. They’re too girly.”

Twinkle’s face falls. She looks as though she’s about to say something, but a sudden cloud of black smoke sends her rushing back to the kitchen.

An hour later, Ruby wanders through the bright forests of the Enchanted Island, rolled map in hand. She meant to keep studying it after her chat with Twinkle, but--

She just can’t shake the image of Twinkle’s sad face. It’s not like she meant to hurt the fairy’s feelings! It’s just a fact that pirates don’t like flowers! She was only speaking the truth!

But at the same time, the forgotten map in her hand reminds Ruby of how much Twinkle means to her. How her bubbly laugh can fill a room, how her smile dazzles brighter than gold. How heart-achingly happy Ruby is to see Twinkle excited over the tiniest flower or bug. She means more than emeralds or diamonds ever could.

A small and scraggly stand of yellow flowers sparks an idea for an apology.

Ruby catches up with Twinkle just as she’s about to meet her friends.

“Twinkle!” Ruby rushes to say. “I’m so sorry about earlier, I know May Day is important--”

“Ruby!” Twinkle interrupts. “Oh, I’ve been thinking so much about what you said--”

“I made something for you!” they both exclaim at the same time.

Ruby reveals a drooping, crooked flower crown to find that Twinkle is also holding a flower crown before her-- although it’s got a curious lack of flowers.

Twinkle melts with joy at the sight of Ruby’s gift. “Oh, Ruby, it’s beautiful!” she gushes, and catches up the off-kilter crown. It hangs funny on her head, limp petals fluttering in a shower past her face, but Twinkle gazes up at Ruby as if she’s brought the fairy all of Gunpowder Island’s treasure. “I love it, I really do. It’s been so long since anyone’s made me a flower crown for May Day! And look at the flowers you used! Dandelions, for sunny thoughts, and forget-me-nots for everlasting bonds, and violets for-- um-- spring!”

Ruby rubs the back of her neck. She laughs nervously. “I’m glad you like it,” she murmurs. “I know it’s important to you.”

“Oh!” Twinkle says brightly. “I almost forgot! I made one for you, too! I know you said you didn’t like flowers, so-- I made one, just without the flowers.”

Ruby sweeps her pirate hat from her head with a flourish and allows Twinkle to crown her.

“It’s got fairy’s willow, for bravery, and black poplar for courage, and lovebine for-- well--” Twinkle blushes. “I forgot what those are for. Silly me! ...Do you like it?”

“Oh, Twink, it’s perfect! But, uh,” Ruby grins guiltily. “I didn’t know they were supposed to have meanings. I just grabbed whatever I saw for yours.”

Twinkle’s smile vanishes.

“But I mean every bit of it!” Ruby rushes to say. “You’re worth all the flowers in that stuffy Queen’s garden to me.”

“Even the roses?” Twinkle asks. She reaches out to place her fingers in Ruby’s calloused hands.

Soft music from an unknown source fills the air. Three young women fly and pirouette, the golden glow of the sunset making their wings sparkle.

Gene watches his friend dance with her only fairy friends. Friends who, if pressed by their queen, would turn her into a frog immediately. Loyalty to their Queen is powerful amongst fairies. Even those who are banished like Twinkle are under her control.

The only way to escape its hold is to renounce fairy magic, to become a witch. Doing so takes away a fairy’s connection to the magic of their island. Sadness no longer means losing her power, a witch does not need the Golden Spellbook, or the Magic Tree Ceremony to keep her magic. But, witches can only use black magic, they lose pieces of innate knowledge that only fairies can have, and they lose their wings.It is almost impossible to truly be happy as a witch, the more powerful a witch is, the more she falls to the darkness of her spells.

At least, that’s what Twinkle says. She once told her friends that Baba Cara is one of the most powerful witches on the Enchanted Island, commanding even the more pleasant witches. It’s why she’s so mean.

Gene believes it’s because the woman is an awful person, rather than evil magic making her miserable.

The fairies’ dance is hypnotic, distracting in a way only fairies can be. He meant to take notes on it, build up more data to explain their existence, but he is enthralled.

He tears his eyes away, barely managing that, to look at his human friends. Alex is as hypnotised as Gene was, unable to focus on just one of the fairies. His face is gentle, blue eyes serene…

Gene moves on from those forbidden thoughts, reminds himself of their friendship. He is secretly glad Alex isn’t dazzled by just one of them, it means he hasn’t become attracted to any of them.

Ruby, on the other hand, hasn’t taken her eyes off Twinkle at all. She seems bewitched by her movements, ignoring everything else. As though she’s found a treasure chest full of gold and jewels.

It isn’t uncommon for fairies to beguile humans, Alex and Twinkle had once told him. Sometimes it goes on until the human’s demise, as fairies can live many centuries longer and age slowly. The Queen is older than she appears, though still young for her kind, the Wise Fairy even moreso. Sadly fairies often lose interest. Humans often end up in a dark place, plagued by greed or misery.

One unlucky man was Fourchesac. Years ago, he had fallen for the Queen’s sister. She had shown him secrets most wizards would kill for, let him eat magical treats and dance with her through the night. She had given Fourchesac access to powers a human should not have. Wizards are supposed to use alchemy and a few safer spells, not fairy magic.

When the Queen’s sister lost interest, he broke. Forchesac succumbed to greed and cowardice, swearing revenge against all fairies. For giving a human the power and knowledge he now possessed and for allowing him to hate all fairy kind the Queen banished her sister. No one ever saw her again. Fairies can be cliquey as well, shunning anyone they do not consider worthy of their time. A contrast to their otherwise sweet nature. This is another why reason they abandon human lovers. They often pick their friends, their sisters, over humans. Twinkle is nothing but sweet, so Gene held little fear that she would leave Ruby broken.

He turns back to the dance and lets his mind drift. He feels calm. Gene likes the outside world, where the air is fresh, where the sun shines in the day, the stars glitter at night.

The only problem is that things often don’t make sense, like fairies and magic. He’s slowly accepting there is something about the Enchanted Island that science cannot explain. But he still tries to.

As the sun sets over the horizon the fairies end their dance. They elegantly flutter to the ground as one. Twinkle bids them goodnight. Gene, Alex, and Ruby shake themselves out of their stupor. Alien has long fallen asleep, somehow unaffected by the fairies. Twinkle picks him up and carries him to the Chameleon.

Gene drives them to the bridge connecting the Enchanted Island and Kingsland. They can’t stay in the land of the fairies due to Twinkle’s banishment. None of them want to be woken up by an angry queen chasing them out.

They had all agreed that day to stay in Kendric’s castle for the night, as Alex is always welcome there.