The Moonlight Boy | Ferry's Tale # 1

Dance of the Moon

"Wake up! Wake up, fairy-boy! We have to get out of here," he could hear Oona gasping in his ear. Her ice-cold fingers woke him up, bringing him back from the dark world he has just visited.

In the last second, he managed to remove the Moon's Tear. And as soon as he did it, the shadows of the darkness gathered again over the Blind Alley.

They were now flying. But this time, flying was hard. Although Oona guided him, branches hit his face and the wind threw leaves and dust in his eyes. He flew gropingly, and he was just about to hit a tree a few times. But Oona was there to save him.

Finally, Oona slowly descended, helping him to stay on his feet. They stopped for a while in a clearing to catch their breath. Oona spread tickle-flower dust all around to be sure no one was watching.

"So? What did the Fountain show you?" she asked when she was sure there was no one there but them.

Ferry was still shaken by the vision he'd just had. "I ─ I don't know..."

"I felt the same," she hurried to answer, looking away. "Anyway, how do we know the Fountain is telling the truth? Maybe the Fountain is under a charm, just like everything around here."

They were both lying on the grass. The moon on the sky was big and round like a white, fluffy bread just taken out of the oven. At the sight of it, Oona jumped on her feet.

"I need to go," she said. "The Dance of the Moon should start soon." Then she stretched her hand, helping him stand. "Goodbye, fairy-boy. The Door between the Worlds is still open. Your friends must be waiting for you..."

Ferry stretched his hand for goodbye. But Oona smiled. That prankish smile Ferry knew so well.

"That's not how we do things around here," she said. Then she grabbed him by the hands and started to spin, ever faster, the sky becoming one with the grass and the trees. Ferry was laughing, carried away by that feeling of freedom and relief. He felt as light as a feather and he even had the feeling he wasn't touching the ground anymore. Although he was sure he had removed the blue feather.

Then, Oona let go of his hands and vanished before he could come to his senses.

"May the wind watch over your path, fairy-boy," he could hear her whisper in the air. Oona has vanished from his life as fast as she appeared. He waited for a few seconds, hoping that Oona would appear and say goodbye properly. She couldn't just vanish like that. And Ferry had the feeling that wasn't the last time he would see her.

But Oona didn't come back. So he was forced to go to the Door between the Worlds all by himself.

Soon, he reached the big rock in the middle of the meadow which connected the world of fae with the world of humans. But his friends weren't there. A heavy silence fell over the night and over him. No sign of his friends. Have they left without him? It would've been easy for his Guardians, of course. But the others would've needed the red feather to open the Door between the Worlds and get through. And the feather was still in his backpack. No, they definitely didn't leave. Most probably, they went looking for him. And with the Moon almost full above him, Ferry turned around at a firm pace.

⃰

Under the protection of the blue feather which made him invisible to the fairy eye, he threaded his way through the hundreds of Fay People. They were all heading towards the Fae Queen Palace to celebrate Midsummer Eve. There was hubbub, music, and good cheer everywhere he turned. The fairies were clapping their hands, playing the pipe or the flute, and dancing in circles of five, seven, or nine. Some were drinking liquors from silver goblets, toasting on behalf of the celebration that had brought together fairies from all the corners of the world. Others were having a treat of bread, honey, milk, nuts, and fruits at never-ending tables. Jolly fairy fires were burning everywhere, though the Moon was lightening as if a plain day.