As they approached the ocean, the village where Sword had been abused came into view. And that village was destroyed. Along with everyone in it. Mystica used her white magic. She floated up from the dragon she was on. Taking to the sky. She flew low to the ground, approaching the remains of the village.Scream and the other two dragons stayed high in the sky. Keeping the little fairies safe. Mystica landed in what had once been the center of the village. She looked around. There were bodies, half buried in the sand. There was debris everywhere. Sand was piled up against the homes that were still there. Many of the homes were gone. Mystica had never seen such a thing. A white aura encased her. And she spoke. “Show me what happened here.”
The sand around Mystica went flat. Flatter than a table top. Leaving her standing in a circle about 30 feet across. Figures grew up from the sand, playing out a movie. Forming a mini copy of the village, and the people in it. Going about their normal lives. Until a tall, slim fairy came into the village. She carried a trident. And wore a crown. She was stunning to behold.
This fairy floated, her wings easily carrying her a couple of feet off the ground. Moving slowly through the village, to its center. All the humans of the village dropped what they were doing. They ran to their homes, grabbing anything they could use as a weapon. Knives, swords, bows, arrows, even sticks. The fairy reached the center of the village, and turned toward the sea. The villagers attacked. They threw rocks, and shot arrows. None of them reached the fairy. She held her staff before her, and the air grew thick. Almost like a wall. Everything that reached that wall came to a stop. Bouncing backwards. Falling to the ground.
The fairy spoke, “Where is my son?” It was a demand more than a question. “Where is Sword?”
The man that had spoken when Sword was whipped came out. He stood at the edge of the village, and addressed the fairy. “He was rescued by a dragon, and a witch.” The men with whips had come out, behind the fairy. They raised their whips, and struck. As they struck, the fairy had turned, she reached out with her hands, and literally caught the whips out of the air. It was something that had to have hurt. But if it had, the pain never showed once in the fairy’s face. In the way she moved.
She yanked both whips. Ripping them from the grips of the men that yielded them. The handles of the whips floated through the air, and she caught both of them. Then used them to strike at the men that had yielded them.
“The gulls and terns. They told me everything. Told me what you did. How you whipped my son. And left him here. On the sand. To die.” As she spoke, the whips struck at the men, leaving nasty streaks of torn flesh on them. Leaving them howling in pain. “I should make you suffer the same way he did.”
She dropped the whips to the ground. “But I won’t. Instead, I’ll do what I should have done years ago, when you invaded my land.” She turned to the man that had spoken, “I tried to let you live here. To learn to live in peace with you.” The man grabbed a sword from a nearby person. He turned to face the fairy. And holding the sword out, he ran straight at her, screaming.
The fairy simply floated up, out of his reach. And she continued speaking. “But peace you would not have. Unable to accept the diversity of life. You believe you have to dominate it. Rule it. Destroy it.”
She turned to face the sea. “So now I do what I should have done years ago. I show you who I am.”
The sound of the ocean grew louder. And louder. The people of the village began to panic. Running in all directions. And an enormous wall of water swept through the village. The water was at least 20 feet tall. It swept away everything and everyone in its path. Destroying houses. Destroying the village. And everyone in it.
The fairy watched. Then she floated up into the sky, and spoke one last time. “Take care of my son, White Witch. And when it is time, please bring him home to me. So speaks Oceana. Princess of the sea.”
Mystica watched it all play out upon the sand. When the images reached their end, she knew what she had to do. The white magic shined around her, and she walked out of the village, toward the sea. Scream, and the other dragons landed, as Mystica walked right up to the edge of the water. Where she spoke. “I am Mystica. Your son is safe. He is healed. I have brought him here. He’s ready to come home.”
Her voice had echoed across the ocean. Silently, quietly, calmly. Yet the white magic carried it for miles. Both above and below the ocean.
Sword walked up next to Mystica. “Mother is coming,” he spoke.
The little fairies that were Mystica’s family came slowly forward. Forming a small group behind their adopted mother. Scream and the other two dragons took positions to each side of the group. With Scream taking to the sky, holding a position above Mystica. Sword realized the dragons were acting to protect their friends. He’d never known dragons to be friends with fairies before. This Mystica was different. She was unique.
Sword remembered his mother speaking of a new fairy. A white magic fairy. More powerful than any of the dragons were. More powerful than even she was. A white mage. That would change the world with time. Sword looked at Mystica. He wondered. Could she be the fairy his mother had spoken of?
That’s when the fairy, Oceana, appeared. She rose up out of the ocean. The ocean holding her up. She didn’t walk. The ocean itself carried her. Bringing her right to the shore. Right to Mystica.
Mystica had smiled. And then looked at Sword. “Your mother, Sword. It’s time for you to return home.”
Sword walked into the water, which carried him to his mother. To Oceana herself. Oceana smiled. She hugged her son. Then she spoke to the ocean, and it’s inhabitants. “Sword has been found. He is returned. Show him the way home.” And the water moved, forming a smooth pathway that Sword could walk along. But he didn’t leave. Instead, he looked at his mother. “First, there is something I have to do.”
Sword walked back to Mystica. He bowed to her. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.” And Mystica smiled.
“I couldn’t not stand by and watch. I had to help. No one should be treated the way those people treated you.”
Next, Sword walked to the group of fairy girls. He gave each of them a hug. One at a time. He reached Dream, and Rose last. He hugged Dream. “Thank you, for helping me.” Dream blushed. “I can remember a beautiful dream of the sea. Of my home.” He held both her hands. “You gave that to me, didn’t you?”
Dream could only smile, and blush. And nod her head. Sword hugged her a second time.
Then, he took both of Rose’s hands. He raised her right hand up, and gently kissed it. “Thank you, Rose. For the roses you shared with me.” Then he hugged her, holding her for a time.
He walked back to his mother. And smiled. “These are now part of my family, Mother.”
Oceana smiled. “I know, my son. I know. I can see how you feel about each of them. It is written in your heart.” Oceana spoke to Mystica. “You are all welcome to visit us for a few days. While I can’t help you live beneath the sea, I can guarantee that you will be safe here, on this sand. In this place. You may stay here for a long as you wish. And Sword may visit you. And so will the creatures of the sea.”
And so it was that Oceana and Mystica first met. By the sea. On the sand. By the water’s edge. And formed a bond of friendship that would so long as both lived.