Chapter Text
The Magic Meadow was lovelier than ever with the flying sickness gone and fairies fluttering around again, and it was lovelier still when everyone stopped to greet Elina as she walked by. And with Hue soaring by overhead, the day grew even brighter.
His recovery had taken slightly longer than most fairies’, so Elina had sent him a letter; however, Bibble had lost it on the way to Fairytown. Upon arriving empty-handed, he had tried to recite it from memory—meaning that the sneaky little puffball must’ve opened and read it along the way—which went as well as expected. It was embarrassing, but Hue had appreciated the effort. His reply, which Bibble had delivered successfully, lay on Elina’s vanity table, and it told her exactly when he’d be able to fly again.
He must’ve flown directly to the Magic Meadow as soon as he was cleared to go. She waved to catch his attention.
“Hey!” He descended when he spotted her.
Had he come all the way just to see her? She felt honored—flattered, even, if the warmth in her cheeks meant anything.
“Good morning, Hue.” His wings stirred up a slight breeze when he landed. “Feeling better?”
He placed a hand on his chest and grinned. “Much better, thank you.”
Dandelion fluttered down beside them, grinning. She’d probably already guessed who he was, but Elina wanted to introduce them anyway.
An audible shimmer interrupted them, though. It was louder than most fairies’ flights, which meant it was someone with powerful magic; Elina expected one of The Guardians, like Topaz or Azura. However, the beautiful fairy drifting towards them was decked in sunlight and sky-blue, and the trail of her inner light shone with all the colors of a rainbow.
“The Enchantress!” Ever-chivalrous, Hue dropped to one knee, bowing. Elina didn’t know how deeply she should curtsy, so she copied Dandelion, wobbling slightly without wings to balance her. Even Bibble bobbed midair to show his respects.
“Please, you needn’t bow down to me.” The Enchantress opened her arms, gesturing for them to rise. “I’m the one who has come to thank all of you for your bravery and your willingness to sacrifice for others.”
“Oh, thank you.” Elina blushed. While her friends certainly deserved recognition, the sickness had posed no threat to her, so she’d risked nothing. Even the wings that Laverna offered her weren’t hers to sacrifice in the first place. “But we just did what we had to do. We weren’t trying to be heroes.”
“Exactly. But you are.” The Enchantress clasped her hands together. “Especially you, Elina. And I don’t want you to think I didn’t notice.”
Elina wavered at being addressed directly. She glanced at Hue, hoping he’d anchor her, and his eyes softened when they met hers.
“You have earned a great gift.” The Enchantress approached, drawing her hands apart and forging a necklace from thin air. At first glance it resembled Azura’s, a butterfly with deep blue wings, but as The Enchantress fastened it around Elina’s throat, the crystallite flickered in gold and purple.
Up close, there was something almost melancholy in the warmth of The Enchantress’s face. “You may not need a gift, but you still deserve one. Thank you, Elina.”
She drifted away, her gaze lingering as if hesitant to leave, before she dipped her head and left.
Before Elina could think too deeply on the exchange, the necklace shimmered. Two wisps of magic shot out, sparkling and dancing around her.
Dandelion gasped. “Elina!”
The wisps glittered as they encircled Elina, and when she twisted around to watch them, she glimpsed something else, parchment-thin and glowing. When she tried to get a better look, they flickered out of view, like they were anchored to her back.
Unused muscles between her shoulder blades contracted, strengthened, and then relaxed. A set of gorgeous wings fluttered behind her.
“I have wings!” Her voice was tight, torn between wonder and tears, delight and disbelief.
Bibble cheered.
These wings—they shimmered in the shades of a peace rose, a creamy yellow blooming into a sweet pink, with edges that were softly scalloped like a petal. Their shape was fuller than those of other fairies, less like dragonfly wings and more like…like a butterfly’s wings. They reminded her of Hue’s: strong, capable, reliable, beautiful. Better in every way than the wings Laverna had offered her.
They’re perfect, and they’re hers.