Vidia and The Rare Talent

by Janine15

Summary:

What is a Rare Talent?

"Vidia watched along with everyone else as the new fairy picked her talent from the options. Vaguely, she remembered herself, but pushed the memory away. The blonde walked over to the flower that glowed with the Pink Dust that identified the Garden Fairies, only for the flower to die when the newbie touched it. Then she walked over to the bubble of water that contained the Dark Blue Dust swirling around it, and the bubble burst when the blonde fairy touched it. She walked over to the whirlpool that was spinning almost violently into a Purple Dust, and Vidia sighed as the whirlpool broke apart as it threatened to be touched. It was odd that the new fairy had ignored the simple hammer that defined the Tinker Fairies, and Vidia wondered if Clank, Phineas, or even Fairy Mary would be offended. Then again, they weren't like Vidia and could understand the attitude that only Vidia found arrogant. And she began to smile when the hammer came to life and began to chase the blonde fairy around the room without her noticing. She noticed.

Then Pixie Hollow would have one more Tinker Fairy among them."

Notes:

First of all, English is not my first language and almost the entire chapter was taken from Google Translate. Second, I write my fics on my own and I don't have anyone to help me with that, so keep that in mind before criticizing, okay?

I'll add more tags as the story progresses!

Well, that said, thank you for your attention and enjoy reading!

Chapter 1: 0 - Prologue

'Cause Vidia still didn't understand.

 

Her heart still beat even after her death. She didn't need to eat, but her body still suffered from physical and emotional pain. She didn't need to sleep, but her vigor remained alive even after days of work. And even though she didn't need to sleep, she still had moments of sleep and rest when she wanted, even if it was unpleasant with the almost constant nightmares, it was still better than spending the night awake like a nocturnal animal. Results of a former human life, she supposed, since other fairies didn't have such problems.

 

Vidia also used the nights she chose to stay awake to write. A diversion she had for herself when she was still human, wondering if in another life she would have the chance to sing what she wrote. Was it ironic or just a coincidence that she was living for the second time and had not yet done anything to fulfill her wish?

 

Her first weeks were difficult, but not the hardest. She recognizes it now. Because the unprecedented had happened and her talent fled her when she touched it for the first time. Some speculated. They said she might be incomplete, that perhaps her soul had been fractured during her journey to Neverland, so she might be incomplete. Vidia didn't know whether to thank them for trying to create a reason for her or if she should feel offended by such speculation.

 

Well, in the end, they were all wrong. It turns out that only Vidia knows the details of the truth, but they were all there to witness it when it happened. Weeks later, when Vidia had finally managed to overcome some of her fears and accept the obvious truth: her talent shone when she touched it. A lot. The Queen saw it, after all, she had asked Lady Spring, who was more accessible at the time, for a second chance. And of course everyone would have to do a ceremony again, everyone would be there, including the queen. Vidia remembers praying to whoever was listening at that moment. Mother Dove, perhaps?

 

Anyway, Vidia was a rare talent. For her talent shone and shone. A lot! Even illuminating beyond the great rustic hall to the nests outside. It wasn't as great a relief as it should have been. This bothered her as much as the nightmares, as well as the speculation that she was incomplete. It came as an unpleasant surprise to her how quickly she ended up gaining fame among the Fairies in Neverland. The Fast Fairy with the Ogre's humor, it still wasn't much better, not much different from how she had been in the beginning either. It was ugly and bad, she didn't want to push anyone away intentionally, but she supposed that this was the result when she was still stuck in the past that killed her and seeing her fear come true when she was reborn under the glazed eyes of an expectant public.

 

Part of her regretted asking for another chance...

 

Vidia was used to disappointment, but there was no denying how much it hurt her. Seeing her mother's disappointment every time she looked at her, her father's disgust every time he thought of the child who would inherit him if another child wasn't born. She knew it would only be a matter of time before the kind Fairies of Neverland were disappointed in her too. It just wasn't how she expected. Vidia had indeed been reborn with a rare talent for Air Magic, capable of doing what other fairies like her only dreamed of doing, learning spells with ease and adapting to them when necessary. But now they were disappointed in her. As if giving Vidia that gift was a waste of time or a waste of talent. Yes, that's right! They looked at her as if Vidia was a waste.

 

Of course, not all of them. There was that small group that tried to be more patient with Vidia, as well as other fairies. But that specific group caught her attention the most: Iridessa, the solar fairy, Rosetta, the gardening fairy, Silvermist, the water fairy, and Fawn, the animal fairy. She heard from the other fairies that those four fairies were linked by destiny. Vidia didn't quite understand at first, but after lazily researching (because she had plenty of time in the wee hours of the morning) in the libraries, she ended up discovering that sometimes Fairies are born (or reborn) marked by Destiny.

 

To simplify the paragraphs she read, the Star that had given them the chance to live in Neverland had not always been a star and now that that celestial creature saw the pasts of those who had already lived and the souls of those she chose, it simply made no sense not to decree that those souls would not meet one another someday. To decree that one day they would be a family, or that they would fall in love, or that they would find there the children or parents they had never had the chance to have until then.

 

That was what they were. Rosetta, Fawn, Iridessa and Silvermist were soul sisters, a friendship that would save them from many things in the future, whether internal or external conflicts. Vidia was happy to know that soulmates did exist, but she became sad soon after. Because she had been reborn alone. Because even though her loneliness tormented her, even though her heart was emptier every day that nothing happened, not even superior beings had the opinion that she was worthy of someone. She wasn't proud to admit it, but allowing this fact to haunt her every day for years and years only made her unpleasant personality worse, pushing others away even more. Even Zarina, who ignored practically everything around her, couldn't ignore the discomfort of having Vidia around. Even Terrence! The kind and polite Terrence no longer approached her or prolonged conversations like he used to. And there was no one to blame but herself.

 

So Vidia lived the years until decades allowed her to hone her magic. Writing the memories she didn't want to forget from her first life, some poems and practicing her singing when no one was close enough to hear her. And that's how 49 years passed.

 

Then she offered silent help and guided the new soul chosen by the Star. Her winds flew delicately and gently, afraid of being accused of hurting what was left of the Dandelion, and set it down gently. Terrence came and smiled at Vidia, still polite despite everything, and she sat in silence with the other fairies of her rank. Terrence sprinkled Pixie Dust on the little creature and everyone sighed and smiled as a sentient being began to emerge there.

 

That was the night Tinker Bell was born and it was from that moment on that everything began to change for Vidia.

Chapter 2: 1 - The Birth

Summary:

Vidia meets Tinker Bell and a little about her life in Pixie Hollow with other fairies... Vidia still doesn't know that another big change is about to happen.

For better or for worse.

Notes:

Please excuse any mistakes, English is not my first language. If there is any noticeable error, please let me know so I can fix it!

She looked in the mirror. She had fair skin, blemished by pimples, a teenage illness that her grandmother hated and taught her to hate too. She remembered the hatred she felt when she looked in the mirror. Ignoring compliments and focusing on criticism. She had striking eyes that she never really paid much attention to. Black hair that she loved to keep long, but it got tired with the care she had to maintain daily. Her teeth weren't that white, no matter how dedicated she was, so she kept her smile closed.

 

It's not like she had any reason to laugh openly most of the time either.

 

---

 

 

Tinker Bell had a curious nature, which could have been linked to her Tinker Fairy classification or just came from herself. She talked a lot, which made Vidia's head hurt like it had never done before without the help of heavy tears, overexertion and constant nightmares. Tinker Bell endeared herself to the fairies at an impressive speed. Her appearance was somewhat reminiscent of Terrence, her curiosity was reminiscent of Fawn, her creativity was reminiscent of Rosetta, and Vidia knew it wouldn't be long before she discovered what connected her to Silvermist and Iridessa as well. It was so obvious that she was also connected to them, another sister or a lifelong friend. Vidia watched along with everyone else as the new fairy searched for her talent among the options. Vaguely, she remembered herself, but pushed that memory away. She went to the flower that shone on the Pink Dust that identified the Garden Fairies, only for the flower to die when the newbie touched it. She was startled, looking at the beautiful fairy in the golden dress who nodded for her to continue. Then she went to the bubble of water that contained the Dark Blue Dust swirling around her, and the bubble burst when the blonde fairy touched it. Slowly, she went towards the whirlpool that was spinning almost violently in a Purple Dust and Vidia sighed when the whirlpool broke apart as it threatened to be touched. It was strange that the new fairy had ignored the simple hammer of wood and stone that defined the Tinker Fairies, and Vidia wondered if Clank, Phineas, or even Fairy Mary would be offended by the small act. But then again, they were not like Vidia and could understand the attitude that only Vidia found arrogant. But oh, how beautiful the irony was, and Vidia began to smile when the hammer came to life and began to chase the blonde fairy around the room without her noticing.

 

So Pixie Hollow would have another Tinker Fairy among them.

 

Her hands were about to touch the ball of light in Gold Dust when she noticed that something was hovering behind her. Then, her eyes lit up in anticipation, everyone there anxiously waiting for it to happen soon. And she touched it.

 

Tinker Bell was a rare talent.

 

When her hand held the hammer of wood and stone, the entire room lit up just as it had done for Vidia so many years ago. Then, Queen Clarion welcomed her, baptizing her with the name she had been born to have and left along with the Guardians of the Seasons and the Superiors of the Ranks. Before leaving, Fairy Mary appointed Clank and Phineas to guide her new co-worker and neighbor.

 

"I've never seen a talent shine so brightly before. Of course, besides Vidia."

 

And of course Silvermist hadn't said that out of malice, but that didn't stop Vidia from giving the fairy a sour look.

 

"Don't be like that, sweetie. You're still the best at what you do, it's not some new rare talent that's going to take away your exclusivity." The others agreed. Vidia didn't correct Rosetta. She didn't tell her that that wasn't what bothered her, she simply didn't have the strength to do so.

 

Vidia smiled as if to thank her, but she knew there was a tired air around her, and she left.

 

---

 

 

The next time she saw the newbie fairy she had already adjusted. Or almost.

 

Vidia was helping with the pollination, even though her allergies were something that haunted her in this life as well. She apologized when she startled Phineas, Clank and the newbie when she quickly passed by them, they must have been introducing her to everything while they were making deliveries too. After all, it had only been a few hours since she had been born. There was no denying that the fairy had been born in a busy time, when everyone was preparing for the change of seasons in the human world. Or the Continent, as most referred to it.

 

Vidia let it go when Phineas replied that everything was fine. One thing she had to be thankful for was her new hearing that had gotten much better since being reborn. (Something she only came to understand why days later: pointy and sensitive ears, both in touch and in their hearing function.) If it weren't for that, she wouldn't have heard Phineas' answer or Clank's vague explanation that "that was Vidia, she's very fast". Very vague, but it was good. She liked Clank. Well, Phineas too. They were still nice to her, even from afar.

 

So, all Vidia knows is that minutes later she was having a sneezing fit because the new fairy, Tinker Bell, did what no other fairy has done of her own free will in years: came to talk to her. But then, instead of Vidia being happy with the act, she wanted to pull the artisan by the wings and throw her away. Seriously, she had to not only mess up her timed work, she also had to trigger her allergy.

 

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, I didn't mean to! I'm Tinker Bell, I'm new here. You're Vidia, right? It's nice to meet you? Are you okay? What's making you sneeze so much? Can I help you?"

 

SHUT UP!

 

Vidia flew up into the air and summoned a light, pure breeze to help calm her sneezing. It would be better if there was a lake nearby, but the closest one wasn't that close and she would still have to go back to finish the job.

 

Finally, she was able to breathe. She knew her expression wasn't very friendly right now, but really, she didn't really care about that at that moment. She should have. But she didn't.

 

"Hi." The fairy Tinker Bell was still smiling happily, as if she hadn't given Vidia an allergic reaction. "We haven't properly introduced ourselves yet." Vidia left, two small whirlwinds forming between her hands as she went back to doing her work. "I'm Tinker Bell."

 

"I know."

 

"You're Vidia, aren't you?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Cool! What's your talent?"

 

That made Vidia look at Tinker Bell. She now had four little whirlwinds under her command. Was this the rare craftswoman? Seriously? Vidia looked at Tinker Bell and the whirlwinds, then back at Tinker Bell.

 

"Can't you imagine?"

 

"You're a Pollinator!" She tried too hard to come to that conclusion. "A pollen collector!" Tinker Bell cringed under Vidia's impatient gaze. "No, wait! A pollen spreader!"

 

"Get out of the pollen, dear. I'm a Weather Fairy, but specifically a Fast-Flying ​​Fairy."

 

"Hmm..."

 

Seriously, was this girl really a craftswoman fairy? She didn't even know what a speed fairy was?! Sure, she was new and still learning, but—what did Phineas and Clank teach her, anyway?! They had plenty of time to talk about the classifications!

 

"I control the wind."

 

"AH! I get it!" If she hadn't, she would have gone to Fairy Mary herself and demanded a second test, because there was no way Tinker Bell could have intelligence as a talent when she couldn't understand the obvious.

 

"Of course, that's a simple way to sum it up." She went back to doing her work, knowing the newbie was listening as she continued talking as well. "We make breezes in the summer, we take leaves off trees in the fall, we help cause storms in the winter, among other things too."

 

"Wow! That's incredible!"

 

"It was my winds that brought you here."

 

"Really? I know a light breeze brought me here, I didn't know it was you." She sounded like a child. Oh, God, give her patience. "So we're both the same!"

 

Vidia stopped. "What?"

 

"Yes! We both have talents that help everyone, everyone depends on us!"

 

Vidia took a breath. For a moment she thought she would have to hear about how amazing it was to have a rare talent from the same fairy she was being compared to now. She supposed she should take advantage of it, because Tinker Bell would soon discover that the two had something else in common and the way she kept talking non-stop, her peace would be over.

 

"Yes, yes, we are the same. Of course."

 

"Don't you agree?"

 

"Oh, yes, I do agree. You build houses and I tear them down."

 

"What's up?" The other fairy's mood began to change. Had Vidia said something wrong? Why did the new fairy already seem offended?

 

"I create forces of nature that can be aggressive, even catastrophic, and it has happened that my winds have destroyed the creations of artisans. It wasn't intentional, but it happened. Thank goodness Spring didn't depend on that." She joked.

 

"Of course! You destroyed the creations? But why would you do that?" The fairy in green wasn't joking.

 

"It wasn't on purpose, I already told you."

 

"You seem to have a lot of control over what you do." Okay, it was a fair point and Vidia hated to admit it, but...

 

"It wasn't always like that." The newbie's expression changed, no longer the smiling child she seemed to be, but a grumpy one. Was she really that childish? "What's wrong? Don't you believe it?"

 

"Are you going to the Continent too?"

 

"I'm going..." What was she getting at?

 

"Great!" And she turned her back and walked away. Vidia stood there, confused.

 

"Great..." Vidia went back to what she was doing, thinking that this wouldn't be the end of this conversation and already feeling tired at the thought of it.

 

She just hoped that a misunderstanding would bring her trouble.

 

---

 

 

Vidia met Iridessa later that day. She was stressed, quite exhausted. It wasn't the first time Vidia had seen her like this and she was already starting to discover a pattern. The Fairy never said when something was bothering her, so it took Vidia a while to realize why she spoke so quickly, her tics and even her attempts at helpfulness were euphoric and she rarely stopped talking.

 

Like she was now.

 

Vidia was on her way to get some fairy dust for herself when she met the sun fairy on the way. She almost walked right past it, but her heart wasn't as cold as winter yet. Not really. So she resisted the urge to simply ignore it and approached.

 

"Everything okay?" That was it, just that. This simple question that ended up generating a whole path of chatter and a headache for an entire day.

 

She reached the tree with a sun fairy in tow and was graced by Terrence's curious and amused look. Keeping her comments to herself, she knew it might be a bit obvious when they looked at her, but the other fairy just laughed as she watched the last of Vidia's patience drained by Iridessa's noisy concerns.

 

"Is it for both of you or...?"

 

"For me, Terrence, just for me, thank you." Terrence laughed and Vidia was happy to ignore him. "Iridessa." She didn't hear. "Iridessa..." Again, nothing. "Iridessa! Stop!" Her hands clamped down on the sun fairy's shoulders, a firm grip on each side and she forced the fairy to look her in the eye. Iridessa fell silent and the silence almost scared her. "Stop. And breathe." She demonstrated. Once, twice. "With me. Breathe with me." And Iridessa followed suit. Slowly and calmly, she managed to calm herself. Vidia smiled. "That's it."

 

And she shouldn't have been surprised. If there was one thing that almost all Fairies had in common, it was their almost infinite kindness and their ease in showing affection and trust. It was easy for most of them to express their emotions, both good and bad. Vidia really shouldn't have been surprised. But she was. And she was surprised when Iridessa hugged her. Vidia froze. Just like that. She didn't know what to do. I mean, yes, theoretically, she knew what to do, just put her arms around her and hug her back, right? Very easy. Except, no. It wasn't easy. And Vidia knew she looked like a winter snowman, with arms, but still.

 

"Thank you. Only you help me like this, I don't know what I would do if it weren't for you."

 

Oh.

 

Really? Vidia thought about that. She hadn't done much. Or at least, it wasn't much for her, and yet...

 

"Oh!" Iridessa pulled away abruptly. Vidia blinked, stunned by the change. "I wanted to tell you! The girls and I are helping Tinker Bell." She smiled, but in a nervous way that wasn't exactly sincere, but falsely optimistic. Vidia knew Iridessa well enough to recognize that look.

 

"Helping?" She wasn't convinced. "With what?"

 

The sun fairy laughed nervously. "We're helping her find a new gift."

 

... "Oh."

 

"What is it?" Give Terrence credit for being a good listener and being calmer than Vidia ever was.

 

"You're kidding me." Iridessa pressed her lips together and shook her head. No. Vidia was silent for a moment.

 

---

 

 

Vidia thinks she's finally gone crazy.

 

Because it doesn't enter her mind that this fairy, who was born with a rare talent and found it without any difficulty, besides having been accepted so easily by everyone around her, would be dissatisfied to the point of trying to change who she was born to be.

 

Seriously, what is Vidia missing?

 

There's no way this thought hasn't crossed the minds of the other fairies as well. She already knows that Iridessa thinks the same, not in the same aggressive way as Vidia, but the idea is still the same. She looks at Fawn and Rosetta from where she is, far from the little group of fairies she knows well as Iridessa tries to teach Tinker Bell how to give light to the fireflies, and realizes that they both already expect something to go wrong. As much as Fawn is more worried, Rosetta seems to just be watching tiredly. Vidia also expects something to go wrong and she knows it won't be long.

 

And of course she is not surprised when less than a minute later, the fireflies start chasing Tinker Bell because she didn't give them any light. And Iridessa flies hurriedly after her, screaming for Tinker Bell to come back. It's not funny when Vidia watches, it's the complete opposite of that. It engulfs her in anger and almost makes a windstorm start. She doesn't know this new fairy, maybe it's her imagination, maybe the other fairy is going through problems that really hurt her and Vidia shouldn't think badly of it without knowing everything. But how can this fairy be so ungrateful?! She was born with a gift! Craftsmen are so creative and have such incredible minds and Tinker Bell was still born a Rare Talent! She is a Fairy! She can fly, she doesn't need to worry about the evil of the world, WHY IS SHE SO UNHAPPY?!

 

Okay, control yourself. We don't want another hurricane to piss off Fairy Mary, okay?

 

She takes a deep breath.

 

And okay, maybe Vidia is overreacting, but she's not blaming herself for it yet. She knows very well how life can punish her, she was human before and she knows that what she has today is a blessing that's even too good for her. Even with everything that made her sad and hurt her in the last few years in this new life, Vidia is still grateful, because she was given a new chance and that's enough for her to thank all the mystical and divine forces she knows. Is it understandable that she feels a certain anger towards the actions of this Tinker Bell fairy?

 

It's days later that she receives an answer.

 

Vidia is approached by the fairy in the green dress. And that's it. Just this little moment that will haunt her for the next seven months. Oh, how she wishes she could go back and PUSH that dandelion back where it came from! (It's easier to think like that than to say that she wished someone had never been born. Only after she realizes that's exactly what she thought. Screw it. She's furious.) Vidia made a mistake, and as much as she wishes otherwise, there's no way to go back in time and stop it. No, instead she accepts her punishment imposed by the Golden Fairy, the Queen, and begins counting down the days for the next seven months as she flies towards the Star.

 

If she looked back she would have seen looks of resentment, regret, and pity. But, no, she didn't. Instead, she focused on her goal and pulled a buffalo of fresh night air into her lungs.

 

When all she wanted to do was hide in a high corner and let her sadness flow.

Notes:

I really hope you enjoyed it...

Comments are always appreciated and thank you for reading this far!!

Chapter 3: 2 - First Meeting

Notes:

Okay, here we have another chapter. Keep in mind that English is not my first language and I am still learning (and I also write and proofread everything by myself, so)

If anyone finds any mistakes, please let me know so I can fix them. Enjoy reading!

One thing Vidia loved about her human life was poetry.

 

In addition to the musicals that she would sneak away and watch alone because she knew it would be a while before she noticed her absence. Even though she is away now, the Fast-Flying Fairy still has this dream of singing in one of the Fairies' performances. Wouldn't that be a dream come true?

 

---

 

(Years ago)

 

It was a warm night in the mountains of Seeonee when a large Wolf woke up next to his mate after a short rest. His newborn pups were still fast asleep and the Wolf soon realized that his wife, a Wolf only a little smaller than him, had been keeping awake and alert for her pups.

 

He greeted her with an intimate gesture of affection that made them both comfortable and stood up. He yawned and stretched his paws to get rid of the numb feeling in his fingers. One of the pups stirred and cried, which made the gray-furred Wolf get up and run towards her pup.

 

"It's okay, my dear. I'm here," the mother said to her cub after transforming. The Wolf observed his wife in her human form and decided to change shape as well. Now two adult humans stood in the spacious room. Helpfully, the man walked to their shared wardrobe and took a dress for his wife and a set for himself. She thanked him and put it on, both looking presentable when someone knocked on the door.

 

"Forgive the intrusion, Alpha, but there's news about Shere Khan."

 

Few things scared the Wolves, especially a mantilla as strong and stable as the one they belonged to, but Shere Khan was no ordinary being. He was a Weretiger. He was unique in his classification, as old as Kaa and perhaps as powerful as her, but close in socializing with others, which made him dangerous and a threat to the younger ones. The Alpha and his mate shared expressions of alertness upon hearing those words.

 

"What's the news?" the Alpha asked.

 

"He went out hunting this afternoon, but not an ox or a deer, as it should be, but a human family." The smaller Wolf spoke with terror and the couple soon understood the danger that was approaching with those few words.

 

A human family.

 

---

 

(Nowadays)

 

The first thing that would be etched in her mind would be that image. Like her first memory as soon as she woke up from her rebirth or her memory of when she felt freedom crush her body with the warm spring wind, before she knew she could shape this detail to her own liking.

 

It was a clean forest. Alive, healthy. The green where the leaves and grasses were shone so brightly after a rain in the early morning that they looked like diamonds, browns on the trunks and stems of the trees seemed so intact as if no one had ever tried to hurt them, and a peaceful blue in the river that she could see running crystal clear by the reflection of the sun, as if there were gems floating in the purified water blessed by the moon.

 

It almost seemed magical.

 

If she weren't human.

 

She knew little about the residents who lived near the forest she was about to enter, only that they were simple people, hunting for their meals and supplementing it with what they planted. Maybe that was why the forest was so healthy that it seemed purified from above, why they didn't seem able to go any further into it than was explicitly necessary.

 

She hovered in the sky for a moment longer. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. Seven months. It would take a long time, not too difficult for a fairy who didn't age, but too much for someone whose mind was still human in many ways. She descended.

 

It was just before she reached the ground that she stopped. Her eyes narrowed. She looked around. It was strange. As if there was something floating in the air, something that made her alert, but she couldn't identify what it was exactly or where it came from. Just in case, she returned to pixie size. It helped her feel less threatened, less seen. Whether it was effective or not, she didn't know. Or maybe it was.

 

It still hovered in the air, around her, above and below her, but thinking she wouldn't get anywhere with suspicion, Vidia pressed on with her goal, relieved by the animals she encountered along the way, as if their existence reminded her that she wasn't alone. The little ones, squirrels, porcupines, snakes, wild boars and even a group of deer feeding, looked at her curiously, some twitching their ears or noses. Cute. She smiled and waved, as if they were magical and could understand. It took a while before she found the first of the twenty-six escapees she had come to retrieve. One of the twenty-six playful and stubborn gnomes. Those stubborn creatures wouldn't make it easy for her. They would still fight after they had been caught. Ugh, even the thought of that tired her. And she had barely started. Oh, how wonderful. The gnome ran. Cunning little creature. Vidia flew after him, returning to her normal human size when she realized it would be easier that way. She used the wind to her advantage, but she didn't use it to bring the gnome to her; it would be better to avoid using her magic for now. Round and round she went, chasing the little being like a cat chasing a mouse. The gnome laughed and Vidia doubled her speed.

 

"Got you!"

 

And quickly, she put the little being inside the magic bag where it would be safe and comfortable. Huh, that was easy. Compared to what she was expecting. Gnomes used to be cunning and their harmless pranks were often dangerous to everyone around them. They were reckless children, so why would they just run before being caught?

 

Grrrr.

 

Her spine froze. Her body tensed at the new sounds that appeared around her, as if they were surrounding her. She put away her wings. Bad idea. But she couldn't allow any human to know of her existence. Behind the trees and among the plants, golden eyes shone and Vidia trembled once more.

 

Until she stepped out.

 

Her eyes widened and her breathing stopped.

 

They were wolves. But not ordinary wolves. She knew wolves from the human world and they were not like that. No, these were bigger. Much bigger. Almost giant. Bigger than Vidia herself. Glowing eyes that seemed supernatural. Scary. She wanted to run away. Another growl sounded from the other side and Vidia jumped in fright. What were these animals? They were certainly not ordinary wolves! One of them launched itself at her, stopping a few inches away, as if in warning. Its sharp teeth trembled between growls and barks. Another pushed her. And once more, in the same direction. It soon became obvious: they wanted to take her somewhere.

 

Vidia panicked. Her mind racing in several different directions, the consequences if she fought, even if she flew, she felt something coming from these wolves and she was in their territory. The consequences if she obeyed, what they planned to do with her. Could she use her magic against them? To defend herself, that would be fair, right?

 

---

 

(Years ago)

 

The great Wolf ran with three more betas right behind him. Members of his pack and friends, the Wolves could feel with increasing detail with each step that they were getting closer to the place: death.

 

Human lives had been taken in that jungle. A family had been murdered and the entire jungle feared the consequences of that cruel act.

 

For everyone who lived on Seeonee Mountain, there were rules that everyone was obliged to follow and the first of them: 'Never, ever attack a human, for the revenge of this species will be imminent.' Shere Khan, like everyone else, was supposed to follow that rule with his life, but no one in the pack was surprised that he had disobeyed it. No, they were afraid.

 

As soon as they arrived at the place, the Wolves saw it. Two adult carcasses, a man and a woman with dark skin, dead and devoured to the bones, leaving only the parts that Shere Khan found less tasty.

 

The Betas approached, cautious, sniffing, but still unaware of the presence that hovered above their heads, in the trees. Watching them with its bright green eyes of night. Moving like a shadow.

 

"Bagheera."

 

The predator revealed its presence. The only one in all the Jungle that could hide its presence if it wished. The Wolf watched his friend approach cautiously, until his eyes shifted and focused on the small being that was carried in the Black Panther's jaws. The Alpha Wolf, Akeela, gasped in surprise. It was still alive.

 

The panther's bright eyes penetrated the darkness and the werewolves waited for their Alpha's order, all surprised at the small creature that was calm and silent between the fangs of a lethal predator.

 

"We must return. Bagheera, come with us." An order to his wolves, but a respectful request to the feline. Bagheera nodded silently and followed the pack.

 

At all times, he maintained a gentle speed, and the wolves accommodated themselves to that speed. Afraid of hurting the small creature, Bagheera remained calm, even though his mind was racing with worries.

 

---

 

(Nowadays)

 

Maybe it was her impression or the reflection of the light, but it always seemed that her wings had this slight purple tint, just like the black strands of her hair, as if they were drops spilled from a ripe purple grape. It reminded her of wine, a little.

 

She spent most of her time in open fields and it was curious how her skin remained the same color even after all this time. There was still much she didn't know. It wasn't her classification to know, she wasn't a craftswoman. Thinking about it made her bitter. Thinking about craftswomen reminded her of why she was trapped in a cage right now. Away from the sun, where her wings were reflected, away from the healthy earth and close to cold, damp stones.

 

When those wolves took her, she had been scared. When they took her to an unknown path, growling at her to follow through trees and tall grass, then through a dark, spacious tunnel that they must have seen very well, unlike her.

 

She saw no one. No one to question her, no one to demand anything of her. Only animals. Only wolves. Only a huge mountain that made her legs tremble more than the fear itself. She noticed that it looked like an entrance. In the prison cell where she was, there were other empty ones. Some with skeletal remains that the insects had found a way to fix.

 

There was something around. An energy. Something almost palpable. Was it magic? It seemed like it. But also not. What could it be?

 

She thought about the books she had read in the early hours of the morning in Pixie Hollow, some talked about wings, others about Magic Dust, and others talked about species that existed outside the Fairy Island. Vidia thought about the werewolves she had seen in the pictures. Wolves larger than any human species. The Fairies were lucky not to encounter any being of this kind in several years. She remembered Fawn telling her that she was curious about some creatures, werewolves being one of those creatures. Even back then, Vidia was perfectly comfortable not encountering any creature that could tear her in half. Now she begs that it is just a nightmare that she will wake up from soon.

 

She lowered her wings, feeling the need to protect them. She let her long hair down to cover them as well. If this was the case, if these were really the beings who had kidnapped her, Vidia knew she would be dead if she didn't have an escape plan. She was scared. Her breathing was starting to get difficult and she focused on the air currents she summoned into her lungs.

 

"Oh!"

 

A voice cut through the sound of her breathing getting louder and louder. Vidia turned quickly to see where the source of that sound was coming from.

 

"Boot!"

 

And a small albino wolf came bounding up to her. He was small, about the size of a normal wolf she knew from the normal human species, but much smaller than the wolves she suspected. This one almost looked like a smiling puppy. His snout was pink and cute. Everything about the little wolf screamed innocence, and Vidia almost felt calmed by having him around.

 

Then another being approached her cell. This time, someone with dark skin and long, curly black hair. A boy. Someone who looked familiar to her, but still seemed strangely different. In addition to the various marks and small scars on his skin, he still had the questionable choice of clothing. He looked dirty, but his odor came from earth and sweat, nothing she couldn't handle. (After watching Fawn and Rosetta prepare the manure and feces for compost, nothing else displeased her sense of smell so much.)

 

He was new. A boy. He seemed to be in that phase where the boy was learning what "being a man" meant. Damn phase.

 

He didn't arrive walking on two legs, a curiosity she quickly noticed. He just adopted a human posture as he approached the bars she held while staring at him. The boy, who seemed to growl in her presence, approached the small albino wolf protectively and Vidia raised an eyebrow as she analyzed the scene.

 

He stared at her. A growl stuck in his throat, but his eyes wide and curious. He was curious. Vidia could understand. It's not every day that you meet someone with an almost human appearance and wings on their back.

 

She leaned her forehead against the bars of her cage, insisting on meeting the dark-haired boy's dark eyes and staring back at him. He swallowed hard. She smiled. He was nervous, she liked that. The boy's long black hair fell in front of his eyes. Vidia spread her wings and watched as his curious eyes ran through the light that reflected on her wings. Then he returned to his face and froze when he noticed the fairy still staring at him.

 

"She's pretty, isn't she?" Vidia laughed at Boot's cuteness, who was looking at the boy expectantly. And, if that were possible, Mowgli's eyes doubled in size, which only made the fairy laugh a little more. "Mowgli!" The cute little wolf exclaimed when the boy... 'Mowgli' carried him in his arms and ran away from there.

 

Hmm... Interesting...

Chapter 4: 3 - Second Meeting

Notes:

Do you know Beth Crowley? I've been listening to her songs for years and I love them! Because of that, I decided that from now on Beth Crowley will be "voicing" Vidia in this fic by a crazy fan.

I really recommend that you get to know her songs, they're really good.

The song mentioned in this chapter is 'Time' and you can look up the lyrics or listen to the full song on her Youtube Channel. Okay?

Remember that I write and translate (because English is not my first language) everything by myself and so it's quite possible that there will be many grammatical errors, so please be nice to me.

(Years Ago...)

 

"Is this... a man cub?" Mother Wolf, the Alpha's wife, asked. Her eyes grew expressive as she continued to gaze at the small creature Bagheera had brought as a prey for dinner, hanging from his jaws, but still with such care that it resembled a mother crocodile carrying her cubs.

 

The panther was close. Far enough away to show respect, but also close enough that... what? What was he up to?

 

Akeela studied her friend. He looked different. His posture and bright eyes were familiar, but his motivations were what stood out the most. And Akeela still couldn't put into words what little he could see in his friend at that moment.

 

He kept his eyes trained on the cub his wife was caressing with her clawless fingertips. He was attentive to every twitch of the little child's muscles. Not in a predatory way, but... it seemed protective. It seemed like the care of a guardian. Akeela didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she couldn't think of any other conclusion when she saw Bagheera acting like that.

 

The Alpha Wolf looked back at his wife with the cub at the same time she decided to carry the cub in her arms.

 

"So small and fragile..." She ran her finger through the dark strands on his head. The child had large, curious eyes, never stopping to look and move, then grabbed the 'human' finger of the wolf who carried him. The woman smiled. "And brave."

 

Akeela knew his mate well enough. He knew what that starry gaze carried. Something as intimate as the same look she had when she carried her own cubs for the first time. The thought of this comparison brought a chill and cold to the Alpha's stomach.

 

"Raksha..."

 

"We won't abandon him. If what they said is true, he lost his protectors tonight. There's nothing we can do."

 

"Then we will leave him near the village of men where they can find him, or we will find a family in the jungle to raise him, but we are not raising him as our own."

 

Raksha, the one who had a pure mother's heart, thought that this would be the moment when she would stop respecting her husband. Because in her heart she had already made up her mind, warmed in her entrails by having the cub slowly falling asleep in her arms, resting his head against her breast, Raksha knew that there would be no force that could make her give up. No mother gives up when it comes to her young.

 

---

 

(Nowadays)

 

Vidia sang a lullaby. It was raining heavily outside. The bright moon was present, even with the force of the water that hit the fertile earth. The Fairy didn't mind the cold, but she knew she couldn't say the same about the animals seeking shelter outside those walls.

 

She once thought that her power could be shaped according to how she felt. At least, if that emotion was too strong or striking to be ignored. And she entered a sea of ​​memories when she sang to herself.

 

Her voice was low and the wind calmed in the storm. There were no lyrics, but a harmony. Her voice wasn't the best, but she could reach some notes with some ease. She guided the warmer air currents to the small shelters she could find with her clairvoyance, a trick she had discovered she had only recently. It wasn't clear, but it was enough.

 

Then, lost in thought, the words began to come out before she realized it...

 

"I pleaded with the heavens"

 

"I bargained with the gods"

 

"That even though the chance is slim"

 

"You might defy the odds so you can be"

 

"Here with me"

 

"Just a little bit longer..."

 

Was there anyone to dedicate it to? ... No. Not exactly. But the winds bring her stories. Even though this fairy of rare talent is not known as she deserves, that has never stopped her from telling true stories.

 

Tragic stories. A tragic love. A bitter fate. The pain of parting. Many she would like to forget, but since she can't, she dedicates this song to them that no one will ever know. A voice that no one cares to praise. It's these thoughts that make her think that maybe she's a lonelier soul than she allows herself to believe.

 

"Time is a gift and time is a thief"

 

"Time is currency we spend"

 

"I'm glad that you spent yours with me"

 

"It's a mystery that I will never understand"

 

"It makes me want the universe"

 

"To have a bigger plan..."

 

CRACK!

 

And her voice froze in her throat. Her head turning so fast and eyes so wide that some might mistake her for an owl in the middle of the night. Footsteps. She couldn't see through the darkness, her only source of light being the light of the crescent moon that filtered through the bars of the window on her saddle.

 

"Who's there?" Her voice was tense and cold, like the storm outside. A frightening thought came to her: if someone had made it through the thick drops of relentless rain and the icy wind that accompanied it, they must have had a purpose in mind. Whoever was so determined to reach her even in this weather was determined to do her harm, because there was no way anyone could have that much determination with good intentions. At least that wasn't how the world she knew worked. Except for Pixie Hollow, of course.

 

There was silence. After the sound of a twig breaking and her own voice, nothing else could be heard.

 

It was still there. She could feel it.

 

Vidia stared into the darkness, as if she could make out a figure if she stared long enough. Her eyebrows were knitted together in concentration and alertness, her hair almost falling into her face. Her wings spread wide as if she were a porcupine preparing to defend itself.

 

Maybe if the light had been full and the storm had been just a little stronger so that thunder could crack the skies, Vidia would have been able to quickly identify who was just a few steps away from reaching her saddle. But no. Vidia only realized who it was when he finally decided to step out of the darkness.

 

Yes, him.

 

This time unaccompanied.

 

He looked cleaner. He wasn't dry, because of the rain, but he smelled definitely nicer than last time. He was wearing appropriate clothing too. A loose, long-sleeved blouse that reached his wrists and comfortable-looking shorts, both in gray tones. His hair was loose and dripping wet, his movements slow and made her think he might be cold from the way he was shaking. Hmm.

 

Vidia looked up again and met his eyes.

 

Mowgli. The boy who was staring at her like a young apprentice predator. She might have been afraid, before the boy revealed himself she had been, but now, analyzing the details she could identify, Vidia thought she might prefer to be in the company of the dark-haired boy than the others who had brought her.

 

Mowgli stopped. His feet seemed to stick to the ground. Vidia couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when she realized that this would be the closest he would get.

 

Well, anyway, the storm was still raging mercilessly outside and there was nothing she could do to make the time pass any faster. So Vidia could accept this random intrusion and figure out how to make time pass faster and try to get some answers.

 

---

 

(Years Ago...)

 

"Man has always considered himself the best. He hunts for fun, mistreats because he wants to, and kills because he can. There has never been a man in the entire history of the jungle who has come close to being peaceful. Man is a dangerous, hateful creature."

 

"Does he look dangerous to you?"

 

"A man cub will grow into a man."

 

"Evil is not in the blood, but in the making. Look into the eyes of this child and tell me if you can see any malice."

 

"Please, Raksha..."

 

"He is mine. I'm begging you, Akeela. You know that sometimes we belong to someone who was not in our plans, but we are the plans of the red destiny that unites us. I feel it. I feel that I was made to love him as my child and I can only hope and beg that he will love me as his family in the future."

 

And how could I go against a mother's determination?

 

Akeela loved his wife with all his heart, just as he had learned to be a worthy father even before his cubs were born. Now, however, he regretted not having the same open heart as his mate. For Akeela looked at the child and felt fear, felt resentment. He knew he was being unfair. He should not look at an innocent being so harshly as if he were the one to blame for his family. The poor child had lost everything and could not even speak yet and here was an alpha choosing not to welcome him.

 

How ironic.

 

Akeela was hardening his heart and was not proud of it.

 

So, all he could do, he did.

 

"So it shall be. Raise him as your own, love him as if he were your own blood. Make this child your son."

 

Raksha smiled with tears in her eyes, failing to contain her emotions. But then, she realized...

 

"Did you say 'mine'? Akeela... only mine?"

 

And the Alpha did not have the courage to look her in the eyes.

 

---

 

Later that night, Bagheera walked through the shadows of the jungle.

 

Before he left, he saw the Mother Wolf, the Alpha's mate, Akeela, guarding her new cub along with his new brothers. Grey, one of her cubs, had woken up from his sleep. Looking curiously at his mother, Raksha simply cradled her cub's head in a motherly caress and left her new offspring there.

 

Grey, even so young and fragile, was already known for being the most responsible of his brothers. The most polite and respectful. So it came as no surprise to Raksha when his only action was to lie down again, but this time resting his head on the man cub's belly.

 

Bagheera stopped in his tracks.

 

He knew who was approaching.

 

The serpent slithered between the trees like a higher entity. The spirit that traveled between this jungle and other worlds. She had something to say, Bagheera realized. That's why he stayed and listened. Her voice reminding him of how powerful she was.

 

"One day," Kaa had said, the serpent whose origins no one knew, as old as the jungle itself. "One day magic will come to the jungle. With long dark hair, but still of a peculiar color. As peculiar as its own origins and wings swift as the wind." The panther listened. Its unfocused eyes didn't say much, but they said everything.

 

"The man cub..."

 

"Surely he will know her."

 

Green eyes gleamed in the black immensity. Bagheera sighed patiently. "What must that mean?"

 

But Kaa was not known for revealing secrets at inopportune moments. The serpent smiled at the feline, a knowing aura swimming about her. Bagheera knew it was a losing battle even before she answered. "Two lost souls will find their way. What more do you need to know, Panther?"

 

---

 

(Nowadays)

 

Vidia is a weather faerie. She controls the wind. She flies with it. Her wings are pointed, almost sharp like knife points, drawn in lines that resemble tornadoes in a work of art, glowing slightly purple. Her wings are a little bigger than they should be. Normally, Time Fairies have more resistant wings, because they need to be. Time Fairies travel between seasons and their bodies must withstand the drastic climate changes that they themselves cause. Still, Vidia was blessed with slightly larger and more pointed wings, like her ears.

 

It was one of the signs that she would not be a normal fairy. The subtle changes in her appearance could not be a coincidence and many kept their distance with different opinions, while others preferred to push her away instead. And yes, there is a difference. To summarize: When someone moves away, you miss them; when you are pushed away, you are humiliated.

 

Vidia knows that was not the intention. But she was humiliated. At least she feels the same shame in demeaning.

 

The cold never bothered her. But it was only after she was reborn that she felt like she belonged, like she was home. On quiet nights, she could conjure a small whirlwind only to be lifted and cradled like a baby by the wind. Its strength swirling as she stood in the middle. The sound of the wind rustling the trees, sweeping the grass, and dripping drops from the crystal river Silvermist might be dancing to, perhaps that same night, out of the spotlight but still gaining a light for herself. Sounds like lullabies that eased her thoughts. Vidia remembered hearing the glide as the Water Fairy skated, bubbles echoing as they popped in a nearby lake.

 

They would be quiet nights, and no one outside of the party would ever know that the blue sky would be reflecting her fears. A dark landscape, where the moon might not shine brightly enough, but the stars would help and keep the hope of something better coming.

 

Except it never came.

 

I mean... until now?

 

She thought about it.

 

She had seen many things in two lifetimes. From a cat in labor, women humiliating themselves in the streets for a penny that would pay for their food, men lying about being in love with their wives while sleeping with other men and dedicating their hearts to them when no one was looking, lightning striking the sand to turn the grains into sharp glass, children's bodies being treated like sewer rats walking the streets, where they shouldn't be.

 

Vidia supposed she should be grateful. Well, she was. Vidia had had a worthy end enough for her, a deserved death, but then, reborn into a legendary and powerful species. She had nothing to complain about. But human thoughts still clung to her mind the more she tried to overcome it. It was still early. She would have time. Fairies lived too long for human years to catch up.

 

And Vidia lived like that.

 

Waiting.

 

She waited day after day, night after night for something to take her out of the cage she had been trapped in before she even had the chance to understand.

 

She waited and waited... and now... there was this human in front of her. Vidia didn't mind the temperature, but she knew it was cold. This human was soaked by the merciless rain. He shivered, but still Vidia was undecided if it was because of the state he was in or because he was in her presence.

 

It was the way he looked at her. Staring at him, she noticed that this Mowgli was expressive. His eyes didn't lie, even though his attitudes were skittish, she saw that he wasn't violent. His thick eyebrows, cheeks matching his mouth in something childish with his curiosity, but still growling like a puppy. A wolf puppy.

 

But then... she made her first mistake:

 

"You're not a wolf." He growled at her words. Again, she had seen enough to realize that violence was not in his nature, but it wasn't claws and aggression that she was worried about coming from him. "It's not a flaw. I didn't mean to insult you." She hugged the bars that held her, wanting to get as close as she could. The boy stopped growling, but still kept his angry expression. Vidia smiled. "And the White Wolf from before? Is he okay?"

 

Mowgli found the question strange. Vidia didn't disagree, but what else could she say?

 

"Heavy rain. He didn't come." And that was when she heard his voice clearly. She liked the sound.

 

"Hm. And why did you come? Do you need something?"

 

The boy grimaced. "And what could you give me?"

 

"I don't know. You tell me, since you came all this way." Came to me. She didn't say.

 

There was a brief silence after her answer. The rain falling outside was a reminder that this was real, as strange and suspicious as it was, it was still as real as the light breeze she had warmed to warm the boy. He sat on the ground, seemingly thinking. Then his eyes lifted to hers once more and he spoke:

 

"There's nothing I want from you." But he spoke as if he didn't know what he was doing either. As if he had no idea why he was there either. Well, that was a relief. "What's your name?" he asked, sounding so curious that it sounded innocent.

 

"Vidia." Mowgli heard her name.

 

"Vi-di-a. Vidia." He said her name as if he were tasting honey cake. Mowgli smiled. "It's strange,-?"

 

"'Strange'?"

 

"... but beautiful. What does it mean?"

 

Vidia thought for a moment. "Wisdom, I think."

 

"You don't know?" Mowgli asked indignantly. Quite expressive.

 

"I don't know."

 

"How can you have a name and not know where it came from?" So they had a culture and customs. Good. They weren't just mindless beasts.

 

"I didn't know it was important." And before the dark-haired boy could protest, Vidia stepped forward: "And you? What does 'Mowgli' mean?" The boy stopped. Suddenly seeming unsure of looking her in the eye. Still, he answered. And she didn't hear. "What?" He spoke once more.

 

Oh. No... surely it couldn't be what she had heard... could it? The fairy bit her lip. She wanted to laugh so badly now. "I'm sorry, Mowgli, but I heard 'frog'."

 

And the boy growled like a cat about to take a bath. She laughed. He got even more irritated. Standing up furiously, he hesitated when he realized he had gotten close to the cell, but still annoyed that the girl was laughing. He complained and Vidia's laughter was cut short by a cough when she realized the brunette's hesitant proximity.

 

Coughing like that, she looked like a smoker. "I didn't laugh at you!" And Mowgli looked at her like she was an idiot. "Seriously! I didn't laugh at you, not at your name... at your face."

 

"AHH!"

 

"Your reaction was funny, that's all! Nothing special! So what does your name mean?" But then she stopped and allowed her curiosity to reflect on her face. "But why that name? You don't look at all like a frog."

 

Mowgli lowered his head, almost hitting his forehead on the iron she was still hugging, a reminder that he was still very close. He was still frowning, clearly unhappy with the fact as he answered:

 

"My parents named me that. They say I came to them naked and small like a frog." Ha. That was... cruel. She didn't say it, though.

 

"Hmm. It suits you."

 

"Hey!"

 

"Except for that part of the meaning!" She hurried on. Almost touching him as she raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Apart from that, it's a pretty name and it suits you." Hoping she wouldn't get bitten or punched in the face, Vidia was relieved, then surprised to see the boy's expression change to calm, then flushed.

 

His skin and the surroundings were dark enough that it wouldn't be obvious, but Vidia saw it anyway. A pinkish, just slightly reddish hue appeared on his striking cheeks. Would it be weird if she said that the sight made her want to bite his cheeks? It was so cute! How could someone who was so easily embarrassed by a simple compliment have the nerve to look threatening to her? For that matter, how could someone who couldn't even hide his emotions be allowed to come to her? A prisoner?

 

"Mowgli... does anyone else know you're here?" He glanced at her quickly. Vidia sighed. "Why are you here, Mowgli?" Curiosity? She wondered. There was honestly no other reason that came to mind.

 

And it was with mild surprise that she heard him say, "You're different. You still look like me. But different." The fairy raised her eyebrows. It was still pure curiosity, from what she understood, but with a twist. Before she could say anything else, however, he spoke: "You were singing when I arrived. Can you sing again?"

 

At that moment, Vidia was sure her face was contorting with the speed at which her thoughts were spinning. "What?"

 

To his credit, Mowgli seemed embarrassed by the request. "Can you sing again? It was beautiful." Seriously, what was going on in that little head of his? It was impossible for someone to be so direct and... how old was Mowgli, really? Was he younger than he looked? Or was this just his way? If so, he might very well be like Silvermist in terms of incoherence or like Iridessa in simply showing his thoughts on his face as clearly as the sunlight.

 

Either way, it must have been these relationships that made her relax and agree. Vidia settled on the floor and Mowgli did the same. "Can you turn your back?" The fairy felt embarrassed by the spotlight that was the pair of eyes staring at her.

 

He thought for a moment. "I can't take you out of my sight."

 

"Oh, right." After all, she was still a prisoner until further notice. In this case, the Fairy turned herself. Perhaps it was better this way, the sight of the moon and the rain being more welcoming than the strange boy. She could feel the weight of his gaze on the back of her neck, her shoulders tense and her wings spread out against the iron of her cell.

 

Without needing to look, she knew that the silver light of the moon reflected in the shine of his wings. She should cast light spots in the dark place, illuminating a little more where Mowgli was. Vidia let the cold wind reach her, just cooling her enough to keep her calm and a little braver. It was the same melody as before.

 

"In days I least expect it"

 

"It comes out of the blue"

 

"When something insignificant"

 

"Will remind me of you"

 

"And how my world has become"

 

"Just a little bit smaller"

 

And he stayed there. She sang and repeated, just as she had wanted from the beginning, since before his unexpected visit. Using her magic without him seeing the glow run through her eyes, but making sure he stared at her open wings, wondering what he was thinking as he looked at them. Vidia sighed as she felt better, as if a weight had been lifted and the rain had eased. The space had become silent and the animals slept in their hiding places.

 

Still, Mowgli was still there and Vidia didn't want to ask when he would leave.

Notes:

So, in case it wasn't clear: the lyrics of the song belong only to the singer, writer and composer Beth Crowley!

The song mentioned is Time, but I intend to mention other songs by this same singer in the future!

See yall in the next chapter!

Chapter 5: 4 - Mowgli

Notes:

One more chapter!!

Sorry for any mistake...

Yes.

 

There is indeed a human, a man-cub, in the Jungle.

 

He had not always been there, but just as his arrival was unexpected, it had also become of great importance later.

 

Some might say that for the past three decades there had been a metaphorical barrier that marked the 'before' and 'after' of his arrival.

 

He was small. Fragile. Almost hairless, except on his head, where there was a concentrated nest of dark, wavy hairs that were soft to the touch. His dark skin seemed to reflect the firelight that lit the wild nights outdoors. His large, curious eyes were also dark, and the older he grew, the clearer it became that they were filled with intelligence as well.

 

At least that is what they knew outside the pack. When the story began to be told. What they did not tell was none of their business, it was familiar and private among close family ties.

 

Akeela was not evil. But Mowgli didn't see his kindness until a few years later, when the boy was already able to run on his own, calling for his mother and brothers. When he had already had his share of patches on his body in his childhood, an unlucky child, indeed. As well as learning to climb, a skill that his older brothers found strange and atypical to have.

 

The brothers still remember when they were younger and were still learning to explore the Jungle on their own. Before the hunting test, before the training with Baloo intensified, before his acceptance. There was one time in particular when the brothers were wandering through the Jungle, a moment when their parents allowed them to explore right after lunch, and Mowgli, much more fragile at that time, was nothing more than a strange cub who slowed them down.

 

"He has his own instincts. This must be one of them," his sister had said at the time. A child who in her quadrupedal form, had white fur like her mother's, but still some dark streaks that reminded her of her father. Her name was Maya.

 

"Climbing high places?" One of his brothers, Sill, spoke. He had black fur, but white spots that reminded him of rain. "Then your instincts went wrong."

 

"Why do you say that?" Gray, the other brother, the gray wolf, asked. His fur looked like silver bathed in the moonlight.

 

"Don't you remember Lord Bagheera's lessons? If there are vines, it's dead!" The young wolf pointed. He was right about his instructor's words, Gray remembered them all too well. So what did he mean...

 

"Oh, no! Mowgli!" And as if waiting for a cue, the boy's human body plummeted as the branch he was leaning on gave way. "Mowgli! Are you okay?"

 

It wasn't the first time his brother had hurt himself to the point of breaking a bone, and perhaps because of that he had acquired a few tricks. If not to fall the 'right' way or then a considerable resistance to pain.

 

In this case, it could be both.

 

"Urghh... fine."

 

"He looks like he's going to faint." Maya said.

 

"I think he's going to throw up." Gray said with concern, already transforming into his 'human' form (at least close enough to that) to hold his little brother's smaller body.

 

"Did he hit his head?" Sill asked. Both siblings, Maya and Sill, were still in their wolf form.

 

Gray turned his brother's head carefully. He was limp and mumbling, it had been a high fall, with how fragile he was it was a miracle that only a bone in his leg had broken (as the three wolves had been able to hear the exact moment it happened). But now that Gray could see, there was blood coming out of a wound on the back of his head.

 

"Yes." Gray said with regret.

 

His mother was going to kill them and rightly so! Mowgli got hurt often, at the very least his older brothers should be able to keep him from getting seriously hurt.

 

His mother was inclined to be overprotective of her youngest. After his father decreed that he would only be a father to those who carried his kind in their veins, his mother ended up becoming both mother and father in one to his brother, and this ended up leading to some effects that should have been predictable. For example, her fear of failing her cub led her to a series of reactions and actions that could easily be considered exaggerated.

 

His brother didn't help either.

 

As they quickly learned, human physiognomy was quite weak compared to that of wolves. So any fall in his early childhood would leave Mowgli with a visible bruise for weeks, which, obviously, almost drove his mother crazy.

 

As expected, Mowgli fainted on the way back. While Gray carried him, Maya and Sill led the way.

 

They lived in the most remote part of the mountains, far from other hybrids, never invading their territories. The stone gate that separated the wolves' territory could be as tall as a redwood tree and when they felt the Alpha's cubs approaching, the guards opened the gates. Those who were there looked twice when they saw the unconscious boy in the gray wolf's arms, but no one took the initiative to approach. Besides, why would they? His father had disowned him.

 

"Let's take him to Baloo." Maya said. Gray agreed and the three brothers followed him to the bear's quarters.

 

The detail is that the reason why this memory is special is for three reasons: First, it was on this day that his father showed concern when he saw Mowgli in that state, the boy was unconscious, but Baloo never allowed Alpha Akeela to simply ignore this detail, to this day remembering that even back then the big wolf showed signs of being a father, even when he didn't want to be. Second, Baloo didn't wait for his mother to come and punish them for their lack of care for the youngest, the bear did it himself. "All part of the training!" And only idiots would believe that

 

Well, he was also the same guy who told Mowgli to lie down with his eyes to the sky while a poisonous scorpion walked over his body. "Focus." That was the activity about. In other words, Baloo could be unpredictable and even override the alphas' authority, just like Bagheera, but Bagheera was more polite about it.

 

Baloo was a bear and no one was surprised by his unpredictability.

 

After this incident Mowgli never again mistook a safe tree for a dead tree. And, just to be sure, his head would start throbbing whenever the boy was about to make a mistake.

 

Mowgli had always been creative too. And over time, his creativity grew along with his curiosity, and his curiosity evolved with his stubbornness. Sometimes Mowgli had ideas that only a human could have and this scared some of the wolves, some including his family. Since they were always afraid that Mowgli would become what he would inevitably have become if raised by their kind.

 

It was a talent. Mowgli had a talent. A talent that he would have to learn more about on his own, to figure out on his own. A talent that he used to give gifts to his mother, brothers, even Bagheera and Baloo. He tried to give gifts to his father, mind you, but his courage disappeared the moment he saw the man and his brother Gray forbade him from just leaving the gift on his side of the bed and running away.

 

They were simple things, like crocheted earrings for his mother or colorful bracelets for his sister, a newly repurposed spear for Sill or a new basket for Gray, since he liked to go pick berries for breakfast. Mowgli had talent, but more than that, he practiced every day, since there was not much he could be truly useful at.

 

A talent he hid most of the time, like the obvious distance between Mowgli and Akeela, everyone knew it was there, but no one would have the courage to talk about it.

 

Maybe that was why he and Boot became friends the same day they met. Boot was weak, he was born with crooked legs, his albino wolf hadn't grown as it should have, his fangs and claws weren't as big as they should have been, and Boot himself seemed to be mentally retarded. Don't get me wrong, Boot isn't an idiot, but he still has problems. Explanations don't make sense and figurative words become literal. He's limited. Just like Mowgli. For different reasons, but the feeling is assimilated.

 

Boot is the only wolf Mowgli can call a friend. Of course, his brother Gray does too, but Gray takes care of himself because it's important, unlike Mowgli, so Boot is the only one Mowgli doesn't worry about acting according to himself.

 

Years pass and Mowgli discovers that the lack of a father may be affecting him more than he realized. Of course, he won't lie to himself. He always knew that he avoided being near his brothers when his father was around because he knew that the Alpha would smile and hug his blood cubs. And ignore Mowgli. And that always bothered Mowgli. It bothered him to the point that he avoided looking at them because it made him cry, it bothered him to the point that he tried to outdo his brothers in physical tests even though he knew he would fail, but who knows if his father wouldn't notice him when his bones broke and he needed a healer?

 

Well, he didn't want his mother to cry, so he stopped trying so hard.

 

But the feeling, the will still prevailed.

 

That is, they prevailed.

 

When Mowgli was left behind during a group hunting lesson with other cubs, besides his brothers, he followed his instincts and climbed the first healthy tree he saw. He stayed there for a few moments, waiting, since he didn't know how to return alone yet and someone would probably miss him sooner or later.

 

When the Sun began to set, however, he felt sleepy. With his eyes closed, he almost didn't notice anyone approaching. He only had time to try to jump to another branch when a large Wolf jumped on him and took him to the ground.

 

The Wolf growled, his mouth drooled and it really seemed like the big Wolf was about to lose control.

 

"Father? What are you doing here?" Mowgli didn't understand. His father was busy, he certainly wouldn't leave the walls unless something urgent had happened.

 

The Wolf growled louder, getting off Mowgli and turning his back on him. The Wolf was three times the size of Mowgli, and even when the boy stood up, he still kept looking up to see his face.

 

And it was when he looked directly at him that Mowgli realized: this was the first time he had been alone with his father in a long time. And he wasn't running away. Neither of them.

 

After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, the Wolf finally made it clear what he had come here for and crouched low enough, just so Mowgli could climb on his back. Mowgli hesitated. Normally he wouldn't be this close to his father, but he knew better than to go against an Alpha.

 

The Wolf didn't move either until Mowgli was holding on properly. Which Mowgli was also reluctant to do, since there was only fur to hold on to.

 

You could say that that night was one of the most special in Mowgli's life. The night he first learned what it was like to "run" from a shapeshifter's perspective was also the first time his father had shown any kind of affection or concern.

 

---

 

A Man Cub. Raised by Wolves.

 

How absurd was that?

 

Don't ask the mother wolf, unless you want to lose a limb. A head, possibly.

 

The orphaned child who was nothing less than a piece of disastrous events, found in the dead of night by the Black Panther who roamed the Jungle, who had once been close to Shere Khan.

 

Bagheera looked into the eyes of the child to whom Kaa's words referred and knew that there was no reality in which he would simply turn his back on the little creature.

 

A being so weak and insignificant that he became hated and loved in the same instant.

 

Funny how things happen. Mowgli doesn't remember the details, but he knows that his father disapproved of him upon his arrival. If it weren't for his mother, Mowgli would never have spent a second night under her roof. Raksha, however, knew the moment she saw him that the little cub belonged to her and there was nothing her husband could do or say to undo that.

 

In Akeela's case, it took a few more years for him to accept this truth with his heart.

 

Bagheera observed the scene before him. His eyes were bright as fireflies in the darkest night, his fur was black and his footsteps were silent. If he had disguised his scent, not even a Wolf would have recognized him there. And that was what happened.

 

They did not recognize the shadow that camouflaged itself in the night.

 

The feline saw Raksha, the mother who had adopted the man cub, hugging the boy cub in her humanoid form, who had already grown enough to be up to her stomach. The boy hugged her back and even from a distance, Bagheera could see how tense the boy was, even in the arms of his mother who was shaking with relief. And just looking to the side was enough to understand why.

 

There he was. Akeela, in his bipedal form, looked no less intimidating than the Alpha Wolf he was. Bagheera quickly realized that his tension did not come from having to be there. No. He had seen how the Wolf had returned with the man-cub on his back, unlike how he would bring his blood cubs, still carefully in his mouth, but too dangerous for a man-cub. How he had been careful with every step so as not to risk the safety of the smaller being and now the Wolf looked at Mowgli as if taking him out of his sight would give him a concussion that would be difficult to heal.

 

It was concern.

 

And when his wife had moved far enough away from the youngest, Akeela stopped her cubs from approaching Mowgli. The little wolves didn't like it and Mowgli was sad, but for the adults who knew the Alpha - and who were also going to do the same - it was clear what had happened. Mowgli was weak and tired, if three wolves jumped on top of him he would be nothing less than a tired, weak and injured human.

 

Bagheera smiled. Baloo would soon know this too and the panther was already anticipating the bear's jokes. Raksha, however, barely reacted. She could have smiled with joy, since her companion was giving the signs she had been waiting for for years. But no, Raksha didn't smile. Her only reaction was that her eyes widened, shining with an emotion she couldn't control.

 

Bagheera felt satisfied. Baloo wouldn't know about this last part.

 

Bagheera purrs contentedly from where he is now. In his feline form, he lies on the fertile earth under the morning sun. The smell of wet earth from the rain of the previous night, the sounds of birds and a gentle breeze in the leaves of the trees. It was a peaceful morning.

 

Something told him that the rest would soon end.

 

Bagheera sighed. A familiar scent hit him. Human. The feline opened his eyes just enough. A dark silhouette with red and brown robes walked with hurried steps, without noticing the black panther there.

 

The panther knew very well where the boy was going, already foreseeing what would happen later, he had no other reaction than to let out another sigh and close his eyes again.

 

---

 

"Everyone knows where he is now." Maya said with a smile on her face.

 

Raksha remained silent while her children debated about Mowgli's recent sudden interest in the creature that his guards had found in his territory. Akeela had not yet made any decision about the girl, her companion was still gathering any and all information he could about the species with wings on their backs. Some books said 'seelies', others said 'fairies', others went further and said 'demons' and the truth is that only her youngest son, among all the pack, was the one who had genuine curiosity and no accusations or malice about this creature.

 

"I heard from the guards that she has pointy ears, but her fur is like Mowgli's." Sill said, as if it were something shocking. The Wolf often proved himself to be physically mature, but not mentally.

 

"I heard she's just like Mowgli. Only with wings." Maya said, less enthusiastic than Sill, but still invested in the conversation.

 

"Like like?" Gray asked.

 

"Oh, you know, like. She looks human, not much fur, weak, she just doesn't have those things on her face." Maya replied.

 

"The pimples? She doesn't have them?" Gray was confused.

 

"No. And from what I heard she's a different color too."

 

"Different how?" Sill widened his eyes.

 

"Light. She's lighter." The Wolf said, as if it were important.

 

Her children could be slow-witted sometimes. Did it really never occur to them that if everything from wolves to rabbits has different colors, wouldn't humans, who claim to be superior, also have their variations?

 

And her cubs kept talking. As if the so-called 'creature similar to Mowgli' was a hateful being or a forbidden fruit of exotic studies.

 

Raksha thought that even Boot, the albino wolf, had a certain reluctance the last time Raksha checked. The boy was scared when Mowgli talked about this creature, but Raksha hasn't seen Boot since then and doesn't know if he's still the same.

 

She doesn't think so. From what she knows about her son's friend, Boot has never been one to hold negative feelings for long.

 

"Mother? What do you think?" Her son Gray pulled her out of her reverie.

 

What did she think? Raksha looked at her children. She knew her cubs, not only because she had raised them, but because of their coexistence and company. She knew things about her children that not even they were aware of. What was happening to Mowgli at this very moment. Raksha thought for a while. Suddenly, she had an unusual thought, an idea, and a small smile tugged at her lips.

Chapter 6: 5 - Fairy Meets She-Wolf

Notes:

ONE MORE CHAPTER!!!!😁😁

This one is kind of... embarrassing???

She's starting to stink.

 

What a shame!

 

It turns out that Mowgli had brought her fruit the night before, right after she sang to the wind and he had stood there, listening as if he were part of an audience. Yes, it's true that Vidia didn't need to eat anymore, it wasn't a physical need. It was more like something she liked to do sometimes. But of course, what goes in must come out. If she eats, she has to excrete the excrement later.

 

She still doesn't understand this anatomy.

 

Even if she spends almost all her free time in the Pixie Hollow library reading and researching, she still wouldn't be able to understand many things.

 

Like the different types of Fairies, for example. There hasn't been a Fairy Godmother in Pixie Hollow for a long time, but it's a fact that they exist somewhere in the universe. In the human world, too. (And Vidia remembers exactly what she felt when she found out about this.)

 

There is also the legend of the Fairy who will not be reborn, will not have wings, but will still come from the human world and become a resident of Neverland that everyone will know. It has not yet come true and Vidia heard Terrence and Tinker Bell talking about it. (Or more Tinker Bell asking countless questions and Terrence trying to answer.)

 

Now with her, Mowgli also stayed there while she ate a bunch of grapes. A curious boy, just like Tinker Bell, but he didn't bother her. (Which is strange.) He didn't even wait for her to finish chewing to ask questions. He asked where she came from, if she had friends, family... she dodged all the questions.

 

And that was when she was sure that Mowgli was not a violent person, since even though she didn't give him what he wanted, he still acted friendly and comfortable.

 

The nights in Pixie Hollow were always magical. Something that only idiots would think of giving up. Something that a reborn person would never dream of experiencing in their first life. Something that Vidia still doesn't believe is real.

 

The wind fairy dreams sometimes. One of her wishes when she was still human was to travel and see new places. Beautiful places, to run through fields of flowers and lavender, to lie on the grass and watch the blue sky and breathe with the thought that everything that hurt her is behind her.

 

Traveling and remembering that life is much more than what she was chained to.

 

Maybe that's why Vidia was chosen as a wind fairy. Because sometimes that's what she wishes she could be. Free as the wind.

 

Unicorns! She once read that unicorns, like mermaids, haven't been seen in Pixie Hollow for centuries, but they do roam other areas of Neverland.

 

Who knows, maybe one day she'll see a unicorn up close? That would be a dream come true. Vidia still has this human mindset, as if her life were short and she never had time. She could end up spending most of her time with thoughts and feelings that would only bring her down and make her life gray, then she would cry because her life is a dead end.

 

Those were hard days.

 

And Vidia still feels trapped in those days sometimes.

 

This is one of those moments.

 

Trapped in this cell, she reflects when she's alone, when time passes more slowly, when Mowgli leaves.

 

He keeps coming back and bringing her things to pass the time.

 

(And Vidia won't mention the embarrassing incident where he had to teach her how to use the "bathroom" in the cell. And the idiot even had the audacity to laugh at her!)

 

Vidia wonders how long these wolves will keep her here. What do they intend with her? Does no one mind her having a visitor? Or do they not care? What about Mowgli's family? She knows she has to worry about all these unanswered questions. Why are they taking so long? Why keep her here? Why not just get it over with?

 

Vidia doesn't know if she'd prefer a quick answer either, since that might come as a sword separating her head from her neck. (Or in this case, wolf fangs instead of a sword.)

 

Vidia has already died once. She's threatening the queen herself before she lets herself die again.

 

Ugh, but what wouldn't she give for a bath right now?

 

She kicks up a slight breeze, dropping the temperature just enough to make her skin crawl. Ever since she had the chance to choose her own clothes, Vidia has made a point of wearing loose-fitting pants and sleeveless tops, so she can make the most of every breeze. The draft alleviates the slight stench coming from under her armpits (she feels so ashamed!).

 

She thinks of Silvermist. The Fairy whose personality caught Vidia's attention from the first moment she met her. Vidia feels a dark chill as she thinks about what the water fairy might have experienced if she had been a human with this type of personality. People tend to be cruel and claim to be educational. Vidia can only think that higher forces act according to destiny and if Vidia was chosen to be a human and then a fairy, the same must have happened to Silvermist who, thanks to the entities, never had to experience the horrors of humans.

 

She had more undesirable dreams during these nights trapped. Somehow it was worse than the ones she had had in Pixie Hollow. It was as if this place drew on her oldest, most human memories. She supposed that perhaps this place was similar in some way.

 

They were nightmares.

 

From being kept hungry in the name of her good looks, to having her hands torn off in the name of a good education.

 

Well... Vidia looked at her hands.

 

There were no scars.

 

It was as if her wings had erased any mark on her history.

 

But it was still in her mind. In her heart. And in her spirit.

 

But Vidia keeps thinking... and if she thinks too much, shame and anger consume her. She feels so ashamed of herself. To imagine what the only fairies who have treated her with nothing less than kindness must be thinking of her now. She swears she meant no harm, but the Golden Queen is just and she decreed Vidia's mission, a cover for her temporary exile.

 

A mission that Vidia has not yet completed. Which her imprisonment has only delayed by several days.

 

The fairy sighs. The air does not come in enough, so she forces the purified air of the trees to slide through her airways. It works briefly to calm her. But then, only briefly, and her frustration returns.

 

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" She screams. Screams and screams and screams. Vidia needs it. She just needs it. And why not? Has this right been taken away from her too? Her wings tremble at the thought that they haven't felt the wind caress them for days. Her mind growls furiously as she remembers once again that she is trapped against her will. Her fear freezes her veins as she comes to the same conclusion that she doesn't know what these wolves, these creatures, are up to. "AAAAHHHHHH!!!" She needs to get out. She needs to fly. She needs air. She needs-

 

"HEY! What's wrong?! Are you hurt?! Are you sick? What happened?" She breathes. It's Mowgli. Of course it is. Who else would it be?

 

His hands slide down her thighs to her knees and, once again, Vidia forces air to calm her. Silence falls and she forces her eyes open as she hears the boy approaching. (Vidia doesn't remember closing them.)

 

"Vidia?" He whispers. So worried. Her head turns slightly to look at him, his long, dark hair preventing her from seeing in detail and certainly making him look scary. (Mogli swallows hard as he stares at her and this reinforces her theory.) They stay there. Vidia doesn't have the strength to speak for a while and Mogli doesn't know what to say. He still approaches, getting so close that he grabs the bars that keep her trapped and leans against her. "Are you okay, Vidia? What can I do?" His voice is so pleasant in her ears. It's not the first time that a sound pleases her enough to make her admit it to herself, but it's the first time that the voice becomes as pleasant as the very presence of the one it belongs to.

 

"I like your voice." She admits out loud and realizes that she's hoarse from screaming. Vidia looks (or tries to, since her hair is heavy in her face) at Mowgli once more and has the pleasant sight of his blushing dark face. It's cute. "I like your company too." He blushes even more. And Vidia can't resist the smile that tugs at her lips at that sight. Mowgli looks away, completely embarrassed, which only makes her smile more.

 

"Do you like embarrassing me?" He asks shyly.

 

"I can like it, can't I?" She laughs.

 

Her laughter causes a blushing smile from Mowgli.

 

"But don't try to change the subject." He says. Finally managing to look at her again, still shy, but brave and concerned. "What happened? Did you get hurt?" Vidia doesn't answer right away. How to tell her that she's only a few breaths away from blowing up this place and anyone who comes across it? How to tell her that she's (not for the first time) having a mental and emotional breakdown? How to remind this boy that she's a prisoner and not a friend of his spending a few days at his house? Then his eyes widen and he looks terrified with a thought: "Someone came here? Did someone hurt you?!"

 

She laughs again, but it seems strange even to her. What to do with this boy? What to do with herself? What to do, just... WHAT TO DO?!

 

Her body finally moves. She straightens her back and quickly ignores her embarrassment. Her first move is to lean on the same iron bars that Mowgli is on, just to be closer, but she thinks better of it and leans on the opposite wall. A little away from him and with her wings open like a bright, living drawing. Mowgli follows her wings with his eyes and he seems fascinated. This doesn't surprise her. The boy had shown his interest in her magical details from the very first moment and this has only increased as they spend more time together.

 

"Do you know why I'm here, Mowgli?"

 

He moves away from her wings and meets her gaze. "The wolves smelled you near our territory. They wanted to take you to the Alpha." Yes, she already knew that. Mowgli had told her before and it wasn't hard to guess either. But...

 

"And why am I still here? Why not take me to the Alpha and get this over with?" She controlled herself. Mowgli gripped the bars tighter.

 

"... I don't know." He thought. "Maybe-"

 

Footsteps of someone approaching.

 

Both Vidia and Mowgli are nervous about the arrival of someone else. Mowgli turns his back to the cell and faces the entrance and all Vidia can do is press herself against the wall and beg him to swallow her, because what emerges are not two, not three, but four large wolves that chill Vidia to the core. They look different from the wolves that caught her and locked her in this place. These wolves seem, somehow, bigger and... more menacing. Their teeth are not popping out of their mouths in fright with furious snarls, but it is not necessary, since she can see very well how sharp they are even from this distance. Mowgli eyes the wolves with suspicion and curiosity and with much more courage than she feels.

 

"What are you doing here?" He asks as if he knows them and Vidia cannot help but wonder about it.

 

One of the wolves growls and growls as if that were an answer. Well, maybe it is, since that relaxes Mowgli slightly. Did he really understand that wolf? Before Vidia can think about it any further, the four wolves step aside to make way. And then, a different wolf walks past them. The four wolves bow in respect and Mowgli lowers his head slightly, but still keeps his eyes on the Wolf, which is unlike the others who don't seem to be allowed to do so.

 

Vidia was very curious now.

 

The Wolf of apparent superior status was white and Vidia couldn't help but notice that his beautiful and impeccable appearance exuded honor and protection. The Wolf looked at Mowgli, then at Vidia and continued to glance between the two until his throat emitted an unfamiliar sound.

 

"Her name is Vidia." Mowgli spoke. Vidia grimaced. Mowgli was talking to the Wolf and she wondered how Fawn would react to that scenario. The Wolf made another sound and... was that a question? She looked at Mowgli. "She..." He hesitated. "didn't take a bath."

 

'Didn't take a bath', he said. Vidia actually heard 'she didn't take a bath' coming from Mowgli's mouth. And that was what the Wolf was... 'talking' about?

 

... oh.

 

Oh.

 

Vidia looked like a tomato now.

 

She was going to scream again and this time punch a wall.

 

Were her wings turning red instead of purple? Oh, no. It was just a reflection of the strawberry face that Vidia was hiding.

 

Could the wind open a hole in the ground for her to bury herself right there?

 

She knows she stinks, she doesn't need a reminder! HA! She wanted to strangle someone.

 

Oblivious to Vidia's existential crisis over smelling like a monkey that went sour like cow's milk (okay, she may have exaggerated, but honestly-), Mowgli turned to the girl after 'talking' to the Wolf who was laughing (politely) at the strange creature's situation and said:

 

"Vidia, this is Raksha, mate of the Alpha of the pack." And before Vidia could react appropriately, the boy continued speaking: "She's inviting you to join her for a walk after lunch. The guards will take you to your new room, you can get ready there." Mowgli said those words happily. He had that anticipation on his face and it was almost like he was vibrating.

 

Vidia looked at the... She-Wolf? And then she looked at Mowgli again. She wasn’t sure what to do, how to react. Did she really have to say something? That was what was expected after an offering, at least a thank you, but… in the name of all the Deities she had ever heard of so far, Vidia was completely, completely lost.

 

So in the end, after an awkward, uncomfortable silence that diminished Mowgli’s cute smile, she simply said:

 

“Thank you…" She looked at Mogli who encouraged her with a brief smile. "... Raksha.”

Chapter 7: 6 - Names

Notes:

A quick warning: someone I care about a lot is going through some health problems and I'm taking care of her for a few days. Because of that, I'm going to be a little while without posting any fics. I hope you understand.

That said, enjoy the chapter.

Her name was Vidia.

 

Mowgli had really liked that name, because it was as unusual as the creature it was named after.

 

Vidia had wings. They were beautiful. Her wings were tall and pointy, with designs that glowed purple inside them, and every time Mowgli looked at those wings, Mowgli was amazed at how beautiful and intimidating they were. Just like Vidia herself.

 

Vidia had long hair as dark as a moonless night, but some strands still seemed to glow in light shades of purple. It seemed to be heavy too. Whenever her hair was down and Vidia moved her head, it was as if a black veil would sway.

 

And then there were her eyes. Her eyes were clear and seemed to pierce something inside Mowgli whenever she looked at him. It was as if pieces of the sky met there.

 

And then there was her voice.

 

Mowgli could spend hours just listening to Vidia talk or sing. Well, actually he had done that before. And he would like to do it again. Sometimes it seemed like Vidia didn't like the sound of her own voice, which Mowgli found odd, since her voice was just as beautiful as hers.

 

... Not that he would say that.

 

Vidia was nice to Mowgli, and it seemed like she found it funny whenever he embarrassed himself. And seeing her laugh at his embarrassment only embarrassed him more. Telling him that he thought her voice was beautiful and that he wanted to hear her sing again would only embarrass him, and he wasn't going to let Vidia think he was weak and weird, too! The other pack members and his brothers were enough (sometimes. He knew his brothers loved him, after all.)

 

Besides, Mowgli couldn't stop thinking about her words. 'I like your voice.' Vidia had told him. And how his body tingled unconsciously at just those words. Did she really like his voice? Why? What was it about his voice that she liked? Could he return the declaration without expecting to be intimidated by it? He didn't know Vidia well yet, but he could guess that she wasn't the kind of person who liked to humiliate others. The fact that she liked to see Mowgli embarrassed didn't mean anything... I mean... Mowgli thinks so.

 

'I like your company too.' She said right after and Mowgli felt like he was jumping off a mountain. He might have felt something stirring inside him. It would be ridiculous to say 'I like it too' back when the truth was much more worrying than a simple 'me too.'

 

Aside from Boot and his brother Gray, Mowgli never had any friends to play with or spend time with. Sure, he had Bagheera and Baloo, but that didn't change the fact that his own pack would rather leave him out than spend time with him. When he was younger, the other pups would say that he was too slow and would only slow them down in their races, or that he was too weak and wouldn't put up with their games. So, he would spend some afternoons with Boot (when his friend could, since his mother preferred him to stay where she could see) or with Gray, but he could only feel that his brother didn't choose to stay with Mowgli because he liked these moments. But out of pity. And that made him worse.

 

Mowgli walks down the hallway and greets some wolves that pass by him. They are all servants of their parents, either the ones responsible for cleaning or security, and they have known Mowgli since the day their father brought him, so it is natural for them that a being with a strange smell and a weak appearance would walk freely through the hallways and four corners of the stone mansion.

 

Mowgli still gets stares when he leaves, but it’s not bad, not really. In general, everyone is polite to him. His brothers went out this afternoon. Gray and Sill went out with other wolves in the forest and his sister Maya went with a friend to the fair. He wonders how they will react when they find out that Vidia is in their house now…

 

He stops in front of the heavy door and hesitates.

 

 

---

 

 

For 50 years Vidia has lived in Pixie Hollow, where everything is natural and comes from the earth, where no evil is inflicted and human hands cannot reach. Now, when she looks at this landscape before her… it’s like remembering an old memory that has come back to hug her until she suffocates.

 

In the name of Mother Dove… what in the name of Mother Dove has she gotten herself into this time?

 

She remembers the day she first met Fawn. The truth is that Vidia has always loved animals, even avoiding eating meat in her meals because she knew where it came from, feeding the animals she found wandering aimlessly through the damp streets of the city while the people around her simply ignored them, feeling sad when she realized that most of them might not have a happy ending in the world they lived in.

 

So she woke up in this world where animals were treated like precious children. Where human evil did not reach her, and she had a crying fit on her first night, right after being introduced to her new quarters by Zephyr and Dooley. (Dooley, being so kind and patient, just as Zephyr was optimistic. Both left Vidia with smiles even when all she could do was swallow the dry air in her throat so as not to collapse.) Vidia wandered that night, looking for something, for air, for space to calm her always treacherous mind. Still learning to control her wings, she flew out of control and crashed into a tree and dropped a baby squirrel that was there.

 

Fawn was there. Apparently helping that family of squirrels adapt to their new "home".

 

That night Vidia discovered that there are nocturnal squirrels and that little family were some of them. She also discovered that Fawn, like all the Fairies of her talent, loved these irrational beings as they loved life itself and spending the rest of eternity taking care of them was nothing more than a gift that these fairies loved.

 

Fawn...

 

Vidia missed her.

 

She missed all of them. And all of that.

 

She missed the afternoons helping the Garden Fairies tend to the flowers in the garden, she missed watching from a suitable distance the Water Fairies and Sun Fairies working together to create rainbows, she missed helping the Animal Fairies lead the mammals that would hibernate for the Winter, helping them not to suffer any thermal shock by slightly changing the temperature of the wind. Vidia missed her home. The place she had learned to love as her home in a way she had never been able to do when she was still human in a mansion, being the daughter of a respected couple, so having to be better than acceptable.

 

It became worse when Vidia discovered that acceptable was already beyond what she could bear.

 

Before her thoughts continued to travel to her home and everything she longed to return to, Vidia heard a knock on the door.

 

This took her by surprise. After she was taken from a cell to be placed in a much more comfortable room, the Fairy thought that some might be led to suspect as much as she was. The truth is that the change of scenery did nothing to lessen the feeling of being locked up. She is still a prisoner, no matter the comfort that was temporarily offered to her.

 

Now there is someone knocking on her door as if she also had some kind of privacy.

 

Vidia sighs. Well, at least she has to admit that this facade is welcome. The wolves' act of not even bothering about a stranger walking through the halls accompanied by the She-Wolf, who all lower their heads in respect when they pass by, at least gives her a small assurance that she will not be attacked when she turns her back.

 

Vidia walks to the door and opens it.

 

A smile tugs at her lips before she realizes it.

 

The presence that the fairy has come to associate with 'friendly and comfortable' is standing timidly on the other side of the doorway. The boy's long black hair almost covers the shy smile that easily appears on his lips when Vidia shows she is happy with his visit.

 

"Hi, Mogli."

 

"Hi." He keeps his head slightly lowered, but his eyes still meet hers boldly. "Um... is it okay if... I can come in?" he asks.

 

Vidia smiles with amusement and nods. "Sure."

 

She steps out of the way and allows him to enter. The boy waits for her to close the door again before he begins speaking. "So, how do you like your new room? Are you feeling better?" Mowgli's dark eyes scan her as if searching for something amiss. Maybe he was still worried about his earlier outburst.

 

Vidia feels embarrassed. Not even in her first life did she allow herself to show a certain side of herself, her most embarrassing part to anyone. The few times she had escaped this were only within familiar walls and with people who already expected the worst. This time, the one who had witnessed such embarrassment was someone who would never have imagined such a scene.

 

Of course she was embarrassed of herself.

 

Vidia tries her best to be convincing. "It's better than a cell, for sure. Hmm... the view is good too, can you see... a city?" She asks the last part. The truth is that it's almost as if the entire forest she was first approached was just a facade for what hides behind the high walls she was taken to by the wolf escort. The Fairy couldn't help but be surprised and confused by the view from the highest window in the room, which catches a specific and grand view of a bustling rural village, with children playing with wolf cubs as if they were school friends.

 

From what she had gathered so far, she wouldn't be surprised if they were indeed schoolmates. From what she had gathered so far, she wouldn't be surprised if they were indeed schoolmates. Mowgli smiled slightly, still with a slight tension between his eyebrows as he explained, "It's the Wolf Village in one of the mountains of Seeonee." His eyebrows furrowed together. "'See-Seeonee'?" "The Wolf Territory. There are five territories in Seeonee: the territory of the Wolves, the Apes, the Elephants, Kaa, and Shere Khan. No one enters any territory without permission, it would be considered a challenge or threat." "Is that why they arrested me?" Although she wasn't actually in the Wolf Territory from what she could tell, but very close to it. Perhaps having a new creature near her home without knowing about her intentions was enough to be considered a threat, Vidia supposed. "Because I was near the territory?" Mowgli had a curious reaction. Vidia looked up as an annoyed look came to life on his face as she asked.

 

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything about it and I haven't been able to find out anything either." He looked frustrated. "I'm sorry, Vidia. I'm so sorry."

 

"You don't have to apologize. You had nothing to do with it." She tried to assure him, but it proved to be a futile attempt. The boy lowered his head, focusing on his fingers that were abused by his medium nails and a negative scowl on his face. "Mowgli..."

 

"Did they hurt you?" came the sharp question. "When they took you by force and locked you in a cell? Did the Wolves hurt you?"

 

Vidia looked him in the eye, for he had raised his head to look at her when her cutting question came out.

 

"No." Was her firm answer. "Of course they weren't kind, but they didn't hurt me either." And Vidia had her complaints, but somehow she was still honest. More or less. "It's okay, Mowgli. It was their duty and it wasn't personal. None of them hurt me either." But why did it matter? Actually, to be more precise, why did it matter to Mowgli?

 

The boy remained silent and Vidia did not give in, staring back at him with an unimpressed look that later calmed the boy's concerns. When Mowgli looked away and returned his attention to the open view through the large window, Vidia continued to stare at him.

 

Vidia thought about how well his long, black hair suited him. The black waves gave him a wild tone, but they also highlighted his eyes and, somehow, made his cheeks more prominent. Mowgli was handsome and following that line of reasoning Vidia wondered if, since he was visibly different from the wolves, there would be a potential partner for him.

 

Vidia still had human characteristics, among them was wondering if Mowgli didn't mind the possibility of being single. If he were a human woman, he would certainly be marked (not in a positive way, if that even existed) and would be the target of unpleasant comments (being the optimist that she usually was not).

 

However, that was none of her business, right? Unless Mowgli gave her the right or the privacy to do so, Vidia was being respectful and walking without getting too close to the invisible boundaries between them.

 

Mowgli, however, didn't seem too willing to respect this invisible line of personal boundary.

 

"Can I touch your wings?" He asked as if he had been given a whiplash of courage. Vidia blinked twice as he explained himself. "Sorry! I thought that would be rude, but your wings are so beautiful, they suit you and they look so strong and fragile at the same time, also like you, and they look intimidating too-

 

"Let me guess: just like me?" The fairy smiled like a shark. Mowgli swallowed but nodded. Vidia laughed and it sounded venomous even to his ears, but Mowgli didn't seem to mind. If anything, he couldn't help but smile when she looked that scary.

 

Patient, but anxious. Mowgli waited for an answer while Vidia considered. He was bracing himself for a denial, but that wasn't what worried him right now, but the possibility that this request had upset his new friend. The last thing he wanted was to upset her. So, unsure and determined to apologize more often in the future, Mowgli waited for Vidia's answer.

 

'No!' She would have said it on any other occasion. She had said it on other occasions. Her wings were a little different from the wings that other fairies were normally born with. In addition to her wings being larger, pointy and with peculiar designs, there was also the fact that their color (which came from the purple powder of her classification) was highlighted in the designs.

 

Vidia loved her wings. They represented her freedom, her rebirth, her second chance. She loved her wings just as she loved her hair when she was human. Well, her hair was still important to her today, which is why she avoided cutting it, but it still didn't compare to what her wings had come to mean to her.

 

When she was reborn, there were some fairies who asked to touch her wings and Vidia regrets having seemed so rude back then when she refused.

 

Maybe that's why no one asked to touch Tinker Bell's wings, even though everyone whispered how beautiful her wings were with their shades of green after receiving her gift. Maybe they were afraid that Tinker Bell was an updated version of Vidia?

 

And perhaps that was also why Vidia was so inclined to let the boy touch her precious, pointy wings.

 

Then with a sigh, she nodded. Mowgli smiled. He seemed to be holding back his excitement, but it was quite obvious how much he really wanted this. Vidia smiled with amusement as he approached. Before he was too close, the Fairy spread her wings and her eyes sparkled with delight as Mowgli seemed mesmerized by the sight she made.

 

She allowed a breeze to blow the magic dust that evaporated from her wings, the faint purple glow floating with the air and Mowgli looked enchanted.

 

Vidia didn't mind. For so long, Vidia had equated admiration with violence, protection with imprisonment, love with pain, and so on. But looking back now... Mowgli's admiration had no malice. It was almost innocent. Almost. Mowgli was too old to be truly innocent. But the lack of innocence he carried was even less than the empathy he seemed to have.

 

Vidia thought she might be being tricked. This boy might be tricking her like so many humans before her. But, well... she supposed she would deal with that when the time came.

 

He reached out and hesitated. His wide eyes asked for permission and only continued when she allowed the touch.

 

And the touch was like the landing of a feather.

 

As light as the flutter of a hummingbird's wings, as caring as a bird protecting its young beneath its feathers. Mowgli walked slowly, touching her most precious possession with just the tips of his fingers, moving from the front, moving back. Vidia turned her face so she could see the boy. His gaze hadn't changed and he seemed hyperaware, almost startled when she shook her wings slightly.

 

"You said... you said that perhaps your name meant 'wisdom'." He began to speak. His voice so... soft, so impressed that it seemed breathless, so... intimate? Vidia couldn't describe that tone of voice, but it made her feel static and serene at the same time.

 

"Hm." She encouraged him to continue when he fell silent again.

 

"It also means 'truth'. I looked it up." Mowgli spoke. Had he looked it up? This boy was really curious.

 

And 'truth'? Did his name also mean 'truth'? Vidia wasn't sure if that was important to her. The Fairy knew that the meaning of names was important to many, some by culture, others by custom, others for any other reason, but it was still important.

 

It had never really been important to her. A fun curiosity perhaps, but not important.

 

But now... what did it mean that her name meant 'wisdom' and 'truth'? Vidia couldn't disagree more now. After all, wise and sincere are two things she still struggles to be.

 

"Thank you." She thanked him. Just out of politeness, perhaps?

 

"No problem." He said lightly. Then, uncertain but determined, "And... I also think your name suits you."

 

Vidia smiled. "Haven't you said that before?"

 

"Yes, but before it was how your name sounded on the tongue, now it's about what it represents."

 

"You talk like I'm..." She stopped mid-sentence. Mowgli looked at her disapprovingly, already knowing what she was going to say. Vidia sighed and rephrased her words: "You talk like you know something about me."

 

Mowgli stopped probing the glowing designs on his left wing and thought for a moment. "You're right. I know very little about you. But we can fix that. We can talk, spend more time together, do what friends do... and we can get to know each other."

 

And instead of commenting on what she really wanted, she joked: "And only then will I know that the meaning of a frog suits you?" They both laughed and a comfortable silence hung between them after that.

 

For a long time, the only sign that she wasn't alone was Mowgli's warm breath hitting her sensitive wings, as well as his gentle, curious fingers. Vidia couldn't stop wondering what he was thinking as he explored. The Fairy had to restrain herself from telling the boy to express out loud what was going on in his mind at that moment.

 

Then, later, when Mowgli circled her and stood in front of her again, his dark eyes met her stormy ones. And Vidia liked it. She liked the darkness in those curious eyes, she liked the admiration, she liked the charm he seemed to carry, the affection. She didn't know him as a friend, but she thought she could guess a few things about him just by looking into those eyes. She would do it without much effort.

 

A slight blush appeared on his dark cheeks, but unlike the other times, Mowgli didn't seem to mind. This time, he seemed more determined to stare back at her. Assessing her. Recording every detail. Vidia wondered if it was because she was a different species. She let the magic she was reborn with come to life in her eyes, allowing the storm to turn a purple hue similar to her wings. She could only imagine what her eyes looked like now, but she imagined they must be beautiful to the boy, since he seemed so comfortable and eager to look back.

 

"Mowgli." She called out to him when the moment stretched too long. He didn't hear her. Vidia smiled, her eyes still shining like only magic could, and watched as the boy's eyes followed the stretch of her lips into that smile. A little bold, huh? "Mowgli." She called out once more, hoping the eyes on her lips would make him realize she was talking.

 

"Oh... sorry, sorry. I didn't hear, I-" But Vidia stopped him from embarrassing himself any further and interrupted:

 

"Mowgli. It's not that I don't enjoy your company, but..." She bit her lip, actually feeling a little embarrassed, but needing to say it. "I was thinking of taking a shower when you arrived."

 

And if Vidia thought she knew what it was like to have Mowgli blushing right in front of her, she was not prepared for the scene before her now. The boy was so red that Vidia seriously worried that an invisible being had not slapped his cheeks to make them that way. Not to mention the boy's eyes that looked like they were going to pop out of his skull and his mouth that opened and closed like a little fish.

 

"Oh! OH! Sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't know, sorry! I'm going to leave now!"

 

But Vidia grabbed his arm before he ran to the door. (Both completely aware that this was the first time they had touched each other, but ignoring it for the better.) "I didn't mean it like that." A slight frown appeared on her brows, she sighed and explained. "I mean... do you know where I can get clothes and a bathroom? I don't want to mess with anything I shouldn't."

 

Vidia remembered that once, early in her rebirth, Fawn and Rosetta had complained that she never agreed to help them gather flowers, fruits, and wood when they planned a picnic in the morning sunlight. And Vidia always reminded them that many of her natural instincts had not yet awakened, as well as her gift, so she preferred to gather things she had no idea what they were. What if she picked the wrong thing? Were damp wood useless? She didn't know. There were inedible fruits in this land, and what were they?

 

Vidia had always preferred not to take chances.

 

Looking at Mowgli now, Vidia couldn't help but wonder if the boy's parents had chosen the wrong animal to compare their son to, because again Mowgli was opening and closing his mouth like a little fish. It was funny.

 

"Oh... okay." Mowgli showed her where the bathroom was, and Vidia was surprised at how comfortable it looked. The rocks kept the water warm, Mowgli explained, and the wolves called it hot springs. Then the boy showed her the heavy wardrobe that also seemed to be made of stones, commenting that they were of different sizes and styles. Vidia nodded and Mowgli waited for a reaction from her, but when he got none, he said: "I'll... I'll leave you alone now." He seemed a little lost, just an incentive and he could start rambling. "If you need anything you can... you can talk to a wolf outside and ask him to call me. I'll come quickly."

 

So there really were guards watching her, right?

 

Holding back a roll of her eyes but not a sigh, Vidia nodded and Mowgli bit his tongue to keep from saying anything else, then left.

 

"See you later... Vidia." His hopeful look did not go unnoticed.

 

Vidia smiled. "See you later, Mowgli."

 

And, apparently satisfied, the son of the wolves closed the door.