Chapter 12

"Greetings, Fairy Princess. As you can plainly see, you and your little friend are a bit late for the festivities. But worry not. I've saved a place of honor for you -- at my barbeque." The words of the Fire Nymph blaze with an evil flame directed at the trembling fairy who had just arrived. Standing in the doorway alone, the door had just moments ago been slammed shut behind her, locking Cathrine's exit and escape from dangers inside.

Her own insides were shaking violently. Peaceful fairy Cathrine had never before felt so terribly afraid of anyone as much as this fearsome fire woman. The flames that were her dress were so hot and vivid there was an aura of heatwaves surrounding her every step towards Cathrine.

The Nymph's eyes were so alive with the burning fire of evil that Cathrine had to hold back the screams of fear threatening to overtake her trembling body. The only thing that kept her frightened, senseless mind at ease was the knowledge that Mariemaia had escaped. Assuredly, she had made it to the safety of the Archer and the Elves. For certain, her precious little wings, along with her life, would be safe with a man who had eyes of beauty such as he did.

But as for herself, Cathrine's certainty of her own wings, her own life, was already given up for dead. Tears slip out of her eyes as the evil fire enchantress slinks nearer to her. No longer blocking the view behind her fiery orange and red dress, of the iridescent wings piled on the table. Their wings.

Iria.

Sylvia.

Middie.

Fairy lives just cruelly snuffed out for some evil to gain their powers....

"Middie...Iria....Sylvia...My sisters...." The tears that were threatening to break open fall freely and hysterically, as Cathrine realizes what the disattached wings meant---that the lives of her sisters were no more.

She falls to her knees before the great wickedness that had taken them from their safe palace. Cathrine's tears cloud the eyes that would never see her beloved sisters again....

The Fire Nymph pauses her fire-red nailed attack as her burning eyes fill with the desire to rid the world of yet one more fairy. Suddenly, she takes a strange pity upon the one pixie who did not plead for her own life. She was so overcome with grief for the others, that she seemed to care not for herself--and that selflessness puzzled the Nymph to no end.

"Why do you not beg for your own life? Why do you mourn theirs with your final breath instead, foolish pixie? Do you not consider yourself the most important one in this world? Are you not the one and only person you care for? What manner of creature are you?" The Fire Nymph's questions went far beyond the understanding her evil heart burning in a dark fire could comprehend.

"A beautiful princess of light whom I will not allow you to lay a single finger upon, Fire Witch." From somewhere above a dashing figure on a glorious white steed comes flying in the castle's smoke-filled window. He and the noble pegasus moved as one. The silver-tipped arrow he chooses from its quiver was one that had a magical enchantment to strike a likewise magical target and destroy its evil from inside out---such as a Fire Nymph...

This special target hits its surprised target dead-on. It's liquid silver mercury tip embedded itself deep in her chest, straight and true and strong as its archer's good soul into the long void empty cavern of fire where a heart once existed. Long, long ago....

And the shocked at being defeated so easily by a mere mortal Fire Nymph phases out, vanishing from the room in a puff of smoke, just as the main structure of the palace's timbers come tumbling down in an explosion of fire and smoke. The rumbling of which could be felt as an earth tremor across the river....

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moments earlier....

The explosive puff of smoke that the Fire Nymph phased through was just the beginning. One quick look at the vaulted ceiling above and Trowa knew that it would come down in mere moments. The integral structure of the palace was about to give way.

If he didn't move like lightning wind, his heroic rescue of the fairy princess would be irrelevant as his gaze falls upon the beautiful, auburn haired fairy still on her knees near the entrance front doors.

She didn't seem to know the crashing bits of ceiling descending in fire all around her. Cathrine's wounded heart could see nothing. So in shock and grief was she that she remained frozen still in a pile on the ground--the last true fairy of this land--or any other for that matter--no longer had the will to live.

My powers....my powers....what good are they now? What use are they to my three sisters? Iria, Sylvia, Middie....

Tears blinded her eyes to the imminent danger above her. The domed ceiling began to come down. But amidst her blinding tears, Cathrine sees a hand cut through the darkness. A hand that appeared so suddenly and strong. A hand that gently caressed and dried the cheek of her tear stained face.

"Princess..." His voice was the only sound that could reach her forlorn ears in the midst of the cacophony of terrible crackling screams. It seemed the palace ceiling was crying out as it continued to fall, piece by piece...

"Come with me." The whispered words come with such gentility, such utter peace of goodness and beauty, that even Cathrine's tears are overtaken by them. Her glassy, waterfilled eyes meet his confident ones. This man among men was the only one in the world who could perhaps heal her broken soul.

One hand still caressing her face, the other reaches out in offer of rescue, of protection. All of Cathrine's fears of this human from earlier evaporate in the dark green light of his eyes. Her every sense was pervaded by his scent, his eyes, his strength....

Almost involuntarily, her head not quite working any longer, but her heart was. A heart stirred to life again by the brave courage of this one man. And her small, trembling palm slips slowly into his strong, reassuring one.

The archer kisses the fairy's hand to his lips, knowing she needed him. This delicate creature of perfection needed him to bring her broken soul back to the land where she could still live---and his own pounding heart told him that he needed her too. That she was the one his entire life of searching and adventure was looking for. The beating in his chest as the gaze of dark orchid eyes resounded within him as he realizes she was his destined princess.

The soft, gentle kiss that tenderly passes through their lips told each of their need to be with one another. Cathrine now allowed this human man to do what no fairy would ever let a man do. Never in all the sisterhood that no longer was did the fairies ever let a human's hands touch her skin--save once.

But this man nonetheless breaks this lonely cycle. He takes the trembling fairy in his arms, for Cathrine's weakened legs and wilted, saddened wings could not and he carries her lithe body to where his noble pegasus was dutifully waiting for him despite the fire and embers cascading around its ears. And the Archer named Trowa lifts his beautiful princess to the pegasus' winged back. Neither Cathrine nor Trowa seemed to notice the world crumbling before and behind them as the winged horse makes its daring escape. Both of its riders were so entranced in each other's eyes, it was up to the noble steed to save them all....