The Fairy Isles

1. Life in Azalea Village

Waking up on a bright sunny day would be fun if I didn't have to work the fields picking berries today. The season ends soon, and the berries will go bad if we don't pick them up and start preserving them until next season. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love living and working in the farming village I live in. Azalea Village is great, and I've got my best friend Lucielle, my adoptive parents Fawn and Ivan. Plus, I have my boyfriend Claude. It's just that the weather is nice, and it's so tough getting the berries picked before they spoil when I would rather be enjoying the weather! But soon, the season will be over, and I'll have a short break before preping the jams we will make with some of the berries.

I finally get out of bed and go over to my vanity to brush my long golden hair. All fairies have variations of golden hair, although mine is much thicker and shinier than most. I tell everyone it's because I eat so well! We also have green or blue eyes. Mine are bright green, pointy ears and wings, which we can retract luckily. Being born a fairy means I have natural magic, which allows me to do so many cool things! And I'm oddly strong compared to all of the other fairies I know. It's a little weird, and I'm definitely curious enough to plan on researching it during my break. As a fairy, we begin coming into our powers around 18, and if you have enough status and power, you can go to school at 20 to learn to harness your powers more easily. Unfortunately, my family doesn't have the status to send me to school, so I will have to make it work with the local libraries. I always assumed my powers had to do with my real parents, who passed away before I turned a year old. I don't know much about them. Mom and dad were really close to them, so it's difficult for them to talk about my real parents. One day, I'll push to learn more, but that can wait. Right now, I need to focus on work so I can get ready for the festival tonight!

As I go over to my closet to put on something comfortable for today, I gaze at my festival gown longingly. I've been waiting to wear this gown for so long! It's the yearly Bellwater festival held in every village on all of the Fairy Isles to celebrate the 19th year of each fairy before we officially come into our adulthood. My gown is a gorgeous satin rose gold with spaghetti straps and an open cut back that shows off my lovely back, as my mother says. There is also a slit up the left side showing off my beautiful anklet my boyfriend Claude gave me on my 19th birthday. We have been together for almost a year now and he's not a bad boyfriend, a little too cocky about his powers and a little secretive but he's sweet and cares about me so it's been going good so far. Okay, no more distractions! It's time to get dressed for work.

When I get downstairs for breakfast, I see my Mom and Dad already in the kitchen cooking, I'm so lucky they decided to take me in! They are such wonderful parents, and they love me so much. Sometimes I feel bad they can't have kids, and when I say that to them, they tell me it's so they can love me with all they have since I lost my parents. "There you are, sleepy head! We thought you were never gonna get out of bed." Coming from mom, and she walks into the living room with a stack of pancakes and syrup. "Breakfast is served! Dad's got eggs and bacon on the way any minute, too." We hear a plate crash, then Dad comes out of the kitchen."Here I am! Eggs and bacon are ready, too! Let's eat!" Mom and I can't help but laugh, Dad's always making a mess in the kitchen. Fairies are usually pretty good at keeping clean when doing things, but it's a different story when Dad is in the kitchen!

The walk to work is always enjoyable since everyone in the village knows each other, and most fairies tend to be pretty nice. Not every fairy, of course, there's always bad people out in the world trying to take advantage of others. Luckily, I have a great family, the best of best friends and a boyfriend that cares about me, plus my great neighbors and caring village members. What more could I need? Of course, answers on who my real parents were would be great, but I know I'll get to that one day. Today I'll focus on work and the festival. Tomorrow can be about my family, I can spend the whole day at the library doing research on what little information I've got. I know I came from Dravenswood Isle, where the Royal Court resides! I also know that I'm the same age as the Princess and her 5 chamber maids who all went missing before they turned one. It's definitely weird, and I get this feeling that my real parents were involved somehow. Mom and dad say they won't "indulge my ridiculous fantasies," but I know they are hiding something from me! Hopefully, my parents weren't a part of the kidnappings, and something happened because of that, I could never think of them the same! But I can't believe that. It has to just be a coincidence.

"Aurora! How are you today?" Says my neighbor Katarina. She's always checking in on me, I love it when she brings baked goods over because she made too many! I'm sure she does it on purpose just to share and try to fatten me up. She always says I'm too skinny and need to eat more. I respond, "I'm good, excited for the festival to start! Too bad I have to work, but the season is almost over anyway!" And she says,"Do you have any plans to attend school this year? I hear they are still choosing the scholarship students." All the main schools are expensive to get into, but every year, they offer 6 scholarships to all the main schools on each Isle. "I would love to attend, but I haven't been approached by a Kingsguard yet. Only a few years left until I'm too old for school anyway! I might as well focus on work and my relationship. Maybe we will have a family one day." I exclaim. "Pshaw, you have plenty of life in you to learn! You might as well take advantage and learn as much as you can, I can tell you have incredible magic that could flourish with more advanced training." Says Katarina, which makes me blush! "Katarina, you always praise me with such nice words! I will do my best to catch the notice of the Kingsguard, but I won't worry too much, and I'll keep up my training either way! I've got to get moving now, but I don't want to be late for work on the last day of the season!"

As I continue walking through the village to work, I wave hello to all the villagers I see. I just love how friendly most of Azalea Village is. I would miss this place if I ever went to school in Clover Village on the opposite side of the Isle. It would be even more difficult if I went to school on another Isle altogether, I really doubt that would happen, though. You need to have a lot of skill with magic to get chosen for another Isle's school. Someone saying my name distracts me from my thoughts. "Aurora, Aurora! Look at this new trick my dad taught me!" Yells Cora, one of my favorite kids in the village. "I can't stay long, or I'll be late to the farm, but I would love to see your trick real quick." I say as I ruffle her partner in crime, Tily's hair. Cora takes a deep, calming breath with her hands together in front of her. She slowly begins to pull her hands apart as a small round ball of light begins to form between her hands. All the kids start cheering, and Cora smile is so big it's almost as bright as the light she's making! She's doing great magic for a child her age. Her dad has been teaching her really well. I say to her, "Wow! That's amazing, Cora. I'm so proud of you for putting in the dedication to learn that kind of magic." And she responds with "Thanks, Aurora! Now it's your turn. Will you please show us something cool?" How can I pass that up when she asked so nicely? I take a deep centering breath and hold my hands in front of me with my palms up. Another deep breath and my magic have gathered and swelled up within me. One more breath and my magic explode out of my hands and into the space in front of me in the form of a mini firework show. I hear a chorus of oh's and ah's from the children before they all start clapping and cheering. They always love the magic I do, and I always try to do something new and unique. Your imagination and skill level are the only things that can hold you back or push you to do amazing things with magic. Plum and Archer run up to me with Cora and Tily right behind them. Plum says "Wow Aurora, that was so cook! Can you please teach us that one day, if we can grow our magic powers enough?" These kids are seriously so nice and cute! I can help but answer back with, "Of course I'll teach you all, maybe I'll grow up to be a magic teacher on day! Now it's time for me to get moving. The fields are going to wait for little old me!" This turns all the kids into a fit of laughter, which was obviously the plan. "See you all later!" I say as I throw a wave up and continue heading to work. I made it to the fields in no time without any more interruptions. I don't see my best friend anywhere, but I'm sure she was one of the first ones here and has already started working. She's always such an overachiever. I grab my basket and decide to get out there and finish the last day of the season strong.