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Nico was flying back to his home tree after a peaceful afternoon of collecting mushrooms in the forest. Though mushroom gathering wasn’t his forte, being a Hypno gave him the ability to tell the difference between a deadly toadstool and an edible one, and during the Awakening (what mortals call “spring” and “summer”) it wasn’t unusual for him to be gathering food. He enjoyed the solitude of the forest, and today it had been as tranquil as ever.
Until he flew across the fairy stuck in the fir tree, that is.
“Hello down there!” a cheerful yet somewhat desperate voice beckoned down to him.
Nico looked around wildly trying to find the source of the voice.
“I’m up here!”
Nico looked up at a tree to his right to see a male fairy clutching a shivering baby bird to his chest with one arm and waving excitedly with the other while sitting with his legs dangling over the side of a branch. The fairy’s wings were bright blue with swirls of sunshine yellow that were the exact shade of his wavy hair. No Hypno had such bright or colorful wings—or would be holding a live bird for that matter—so Nico figured he was either a Hestian or, more likely than not, a Persephe.
It did cross his mind in that moment that this stranded fairy might become his chosen. You see, all fairies, by their fifth arrival anniversary, must find a mate. It was as it had been before anyone but Queen Hera could remember. If a fairy did not have a chosen by their fifth anniversary, they began to fade until they simply dissipated into a mist.
Nico’s fourth anniversary was coming up later that year during the Slumbering, and he had yet to find his chosen. His friends had all found theirs, and it was a common point of anxiety for Nico as he lay in bed at night trying to lose himself to sleep. You see, Nico had seen a fairy fade not long after he arrived, and he did not want to end up like that poor soul.
The fairy in the tree called down to him again, “Could you lend me your wings, please?”
Oh, yes. He probably needed help, didn’t he? Nico stopped his silent worry about chosens to set his basket carefully on the ground before flying up to the distressed fairy.
“Have you run out of dust?” Nico asked not unkindly.
The blond fairy grunted in frustration. “Yes, unfortunately. I had already begun flying up to the nest when I ran out. Lucky for me, I was able to catch a branch before I plummeted to the ground.”
“What do you want me to do?”
The fairy nodded to the bird in his arms. “Take Doli back up to her nest. It’s only a few branches above us.”
Nico looked at the bird in the other fairy’s arms. The bird, Doli, stared back at him and was undoubtedly thinking the same thing as the dark-winged fairy.
“I can’t take the bird.”
The other fairy frowned. “Why not?”
“I’m a Hypno.”
“Oh.” He glanced at Nico’s black and purple wings as if noticing them for the first time. “This is a bit of a problem then.”
Nico sighed. “Well, I can’t just leave you here for the predators.”
The other fairy looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. “I know what we’ll do: you can get that basket you were carrying and return Doli to her nest, and then you can carry me back down to the ground.”
Nico cocked an eyebrow. “I’m not sure about this. . . .”
“It’ll be fine!” he said.
Will turned to the small bird in his arm and twittered something that Nico couldn’t understand seeing as he didn’t speak Bird. The bird cooed in reply.
The fairy with the blue and yellow wings looked back at Nico. “She said yes. Just be quick.”
With a sigh, Nico flew back to the ground, emptied the contents of his basket, and returned to get the bird. She was a bit hesitant to get in the basket, and as soon as Nico had reached the nest, she hopped out. Nico returned to the stranded fairy, fastening the basket to his hip with his belt as he went.
The fairy smiled at him. “Thanks a bushel! I’m Will of the Persephes, by the way.”
He extended his left hand toward Nico his pinky extended. Nico consented to the greeting, and they hooked fingers. Nico introduced himself when they were finished.
“I’m Nico of the Hypnos. Are you ready to go now?”
Will nodded enthusiastically. “Yes.”
It was an unpleasant flight. Scratch that—it wasn’t unpleasant, it was downright horrific. Nico was not one for physical contact, and he certainly did not enjoy having a fairy (albeit, an attractive male fairy) wrap his arms around his neck and his legs around his midriff while he attempted to get them both safely to the forest floor.
In the end, Nico ended up tumbling to the ground with Will still clinging to him even though Nico had let go of him.
“Ow,” Nico muttered rubbing his neck. “Were you expecting me to drop you?”
Will gazed at him sheepishly and moved out of Nico's lap. “No, it’s just—“ he stopped short, a hand flying to his mouth. The sunshine yellow in the other fairy’s wings paled to the color of straw.
Nico was immediately on the alert. “What is it? Is there an animal behind me?”
Will shook his head.
“What is it then?”
Will reached out his hand and touch Nico’s right wing with a grimace. “Your wing . . .”
Oh, please, no.
Nico shot to his feet and attempted to shake out his wings. Something was wrong; he couldn’t get his right wing to budge, and he felt a pinching sensation at the base of said wing. When he looked over his shoulder, he could see that his wing had been folded flat against his back in their botched landing and the rest of it seemed to have crumpled.
The Hypno glared at Will before collecting his mushrooms and putting them back in his basket. He winced as pain shot through his wing when he straightened up.
“I’m going back to the Glade—on foot—to find a Healer to fix my wing.”
Nico turned away from the Persephe and began to stride away. Only being able to flutter one wing for balance made walking awkward, and caused Nico to stumble over his own feet. He ignored the other fairy as he got up off the ground and began to walk beside him uttering apologies. Nico kicked himself mentally for thinking he could have been his chosen.
The Persphe grabbed his arm. “I’ll wash your wings for you. Today so they’ll be nice for the Awakening Ball or some other time, if you prefer.”
Nico stopped walking, and Will let his hand drop from his arm. He did need his wings to be washed before the Awakening Ball, and none of his friends were available to help him. (Wing-washing is not something you can do on your own.) Besides that, offering to wash another’s wings was the greatest offer of friendship or apology a fairy could bestow, and it would be rude of him to reject it.
That was why Nico accepted the offer. At least, that is what he told himself. (It was most definitely not because the Persephe’s pleading sky-blue eyes melted Nico’s cold heart, oh no.)
“Fine,” Nico replied, trying to keep his voice soft. “But I’ll still need to visit the infirmary.”
Relief washed across the other fairy’s face. “I can help you with that too! I’m a Healer.”
Nico practically laughed at the irony—he was an Euthanasiast, the exact opposite of a Healer. He assisted in bringing of death and sleep to the mortal world at the beginning of the Slumbering (referred to as “autumn” and “winter” by mortals).
Will tilted his head, awaiting Nico’s response.
Nico shrugged. “Lead the way, Healer.”
They walked through the forest, Will making cheerful conversation and Nico answering politely despite the pain his injured wing was putting him in. They hadn’t yet made it to the Glade where the main fairy outposts were when Will turned off the main path. He caught Nico’s inquiring glance before he voiced his question.
“It’ll be quicker to go to my home. I always keep healing supplies on hand.”
Nico couldn’t argue with that so he continued to follow Will off the main path until the other fairy stopped at the base of a maple tree. He found a concealed niche in the tree’s trunk and pulled out a small jar of pixie dust.
“I learned the hard way that I should have a jar stashed down here,” Will said as he opened the jar and sprinkled the contents on himself. “Wait here,” he told Nico before flying upward.
Nico craned his neck to watch the Healer open a door made from a knot in the tree’s trunk and go inside what Nico presumed could only be his home. He returned shortly with a rope ladder.
“Come on up!”
Will pulled Nico to his feet once he’d reached the door and forced him onto a nearby pouf made of turquoise tulip petals stuffed with dandelion fluff. Nico waited patiently while Will flitted about gathering the necessary healing/cleaning salves and whatnot.
The room was the normal size for a fairy home with a bed covered in fern blankets, a large wardrobe with drawers at the bottom, a small table, and a mirror in the corner next to a large window with false Solomon’s-seal leaf curtains.
The Healer set down his supplies on the floor next to Nico. Will studied him for a moment, a hand placed to his cheek, and then announced, “I’ll need you to take off your tunic.”
Nico was already reaching back to undo the buttons on the half of his tunic below the wing slit when he paused to look up at the Persephe. “Are you sure?”
Will gestured with his hand. “If I’m to straighten it—hopefully no nerves have been damaged—I’ll need to access the point where your wings meet your skin.”
Nico did what he was told after that, setting aside his raccoon-hair tunic.
Will took a seat on a low, three-legged stool behind Nico. He opened a jar and the pine-sage fragrance of arnica along with other herbs tickled his nose.
“I’m going to spread salve around the base of your wing before I try to straighten it. Don’t move.”
Nico let out a breathy “Okay,” and braced himself mentally for Will’s touch.
The Healer massaged the herbaceous salve into Nico’s skin, relaxing his muscles and relieving the pain in his back. The Hypno relaxed under his experienced touch. He was a bit disappointed when Will finished his work and wiped his hands on a rag.
Shivers ran down Nico’s back when the Persephe ran his hands along his damaged wing. Nico heard Will’s deep breath before he started to sing in the Old Language. His voice was soft and mellifluous, bearing with it an ancient healing incantation that he had no doubt spent much time and energy learning. Nico could feel his wing straightening itself with the aid of the Healer’s magic.
Will let out one final note and took his hands off of Nico’s wing.
Nico fluttered his wings tentatively. His right wing responded as it should. He stood up and flew slowly around the room. Will watched him silently from his stool. A small smile played across his lips when Nico finished his test flight and returned to the ground.
“Wow, it feels great!” Nico declared.
He grabbed Will’s hand on an impulse and pressed Will’s palm to his cheek (the fairy equivalent of a mortal’s “hug”). Will’s eyes went wide with surprise which was quickly followed by a crimson blush. Nico reluctantly let go of his hand before he made the other fairy uncomfortable.
“Thank you,” Nico said sincerely.
Will rubbed his upper arm. “It was nothing.” He dropped his hand and returned to Healer mode. “Now sit back down so I can wash your wings!”
Nico obliged happily and let the Persephe wash his wings. They chatted casually about the latest gossip going about the Glade (“She tried to move into a bird’s nest, with the bird still living there!” “No!”) and eventually rested on the topic of the oncoming Awakening Ball, an annual event held the week after the Persephes got back from bringing the Awakening to the mortal world.
“I wonder who will get the crown,” Nico wondered aloud. (The crown the Hypno was referring to was the ceremonial Awakening crown that was presented to the most outstanding fairy of that season. The recipient wore the crown during the ball before it was returned to its resting place until the next year.)
Gingerly, Will patted the excess water off of Nico’s wings with a cloth made of woven spider webs. “I don’t know . . . everyone did excellently this year. Lee’s songs roused birds efficiently enough, but Katie will probably get the crown for reviving an entire mortal garden on her own.”
“Do you think you’ll get it?”
Will’s laugh was as melodious as his singing. Butterflies took flight in Nico’s stomach.
“Oh, I doubt it. But we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?” Will gave Nico’s wings one last pat. “There you go. They’re all nice and clean.”
Nico pulled his tunic over his head, mindful of his wings, and did up the buttons. He offered to wash Will’s wings, but the Persephe declined saying that a friend was coming by the next morning, and they’d be washing each other’s wings.
Nico accepted this fact—of course he has friends who’ll be helping him get ready for the ball—but had a difficult time concealing his disappointment.
Will grinned lopsidedly. “Would you like me to walk you home since your wings are still damp?”
Nico shook his head. “No, it’s fine.”
Will didn’t walk Nico back to his home, but he did follow him down the rope ladder on Will’s tree.
When they reached the base, Will took Nico’s hand and pressed it briefly to his cheek before flying back up into the maple tree.
And if the purple in Nico’s dark wings turned blue in surprise, well, no one was around to point it out.
***
Nico reached up to adjust the crown of baby’s breath flowers that sat atop his curly black hair as he entered the foyer of the mighty Oak. Despite his efforts to keep it in place, it kept listing to one side as he flew.
“Nico!” a chipper voice called from the ballroom entryway.
The Hypno flew over to where Will hovered waiting for him. His butterfly-shaped wings were sparkling, looking like a diamond sky run through with golden rays of light. Their edges were soft and rounded, making them even more unlike Nico’s own.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” the Persephe said as they glided into the grand ballroom.
Nico snorted. “And risk the wrath of Hades? Even if Queen Hera didn’t notice my absence, he would have my wings.” He smiled at the Healer. “And we wouldn’t want that after you washed them so nicely.”
Will laughed. “No, we wouldn’t.”
They came to rest near the entryway to the courtyard. Will wanted to be nearer to the front of the crowd, but Nico wanted to stay off to the side. He gazed about the ballroom as they waited for Queen Hera to arrive. Every surface was polished to a high sheen, and many lanterns, plus a few lightning bugs, floated about the ceiling casting soft light onto the fairies gathered below. A band of Hestians were tuning instruments at the far end of the room that would come in use after the ceremony.
A hush went through the crowd when the Queen arrived with her entourage. The ceremony began shortly after filled with the same speeches Nico had heard over the past four years. Apollo spoke of the great accomplishments of the Persephes, and Antheia applauded them for their beautiful work helping the flowers bloom and gardens flourish. Demeter made some comment about how the harvest should be good for the mortals this year, but Nico didn’t catch any specifics.
Nico had to call his mind to come back from a world away when he noticed Will leaving his side. Nico glanced at him questioningly—where are you going?—but Will shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. Apollo was making impatient “come here” gestures to the Healer.
That’s when Nico started paying attention to what the Queen was saying.
“For being the most dedicated to his place as a Persephe and a Healer, I present Will of the Persephes the ceremonial Awakening crown.”
With a small push from Apollo, Will approached Queen Hera and knelt on one knee. She set a delicate circlet of gold atop his wavy blond hair. He stood up and the crowd of fairies gathered in the ballroom clapped enthusiastically. Once Will made his escape from the limelight, the Queen called for the real festivities to begin.
Will’s face was shining with pride when he flew back to where Nico was hugging the wall. Before he could protest, Will grabbed Nico’s hand and pulled him out into the courtyard.
Small glowing orbs floated around the garden as some had in the ballroom, providing ample light. Will landed on a bench by a large fountain, and Nico took a seat beside him. Nico swung his feet absentmindedly.
“The Queen favors you,” he murmured after a moment’s silence.
Will touched the circlet atop his head. “I suppose so.”
I favor you, too, Nico thought to himself.
“Could you repeat that? I couldn’t quite hear you.”
Nico looked up at Will in shock and quickly looked back down. Apparently he’d spoken aloud.
“Well?”
“I—I said that I favor you, too.”
“You do?”
Nico still refused to meet Will’s eyes. “Yes.”
The Healer got up and stood in front of the Hypno. Will touched his hands, and Nico finally looked up. Will pulled him to his feet, an amused smile gracing his lips. He let go of Nico’s hands and instead placed them at the base of Nico’s wings. Will pressed his forehead to Nico’s.
Nico went rigid in the other fairy’s embrace. Will couldn’t be serious, could he? This show of affection (what mortals would equate to a “kiss”) from another fairy when neither had a chosen was usually followed by—no. How could he, a bright-winged, high-spirited Healer love him, a dark-winged Hypno who was an Euthaniasiast, the total opposite of himself?
But he must have because Will pulled back and said the words Nico had worried about late at night ever since he saw that one fairy fade in front of his very eyes.
“I’ll fly with you to the sun,” he whispered.
Nico finished the proposal, unable to believe his ears, “And I’ll fly with you to the moon.”
And so, if a fairy attending the Awakening Ball that night had cared to leave the festivities behind for the tranquility of the garden, they would have stumbled upon two very opposite fairies, one with bright blue and sunshine-yellow wings and one with black wings swirling with dark purple, in close embrace, having just chosen to live out their eternities with each other.