Half and Half

Dawn woke up with a jerk when the carriage landed. Everybody climbed out, including the Birch Guard, and Dawn saw they were inside some kind of forest. There were large fir trees, and logs with red mushrooms growing on them.

The king went over to a large stone and sat down. The two white fawns lay down beside him, and he began to stroke one on the head.

"We're safe for now. These woods are very thick," King Septimus said. Dawn sat down on another rock, feeling shaky.

"Now we can talk," the king said. "And let me start at the beginning." Fairy Godmother sat down and the Birch Tree stood his ground in a puddle of water. The king took in a breath.

"It all started with the war," he said. "Humans discovered Telebone and thought that fairies and pixies were like animals--they wanted to study us, and to keep us in zoos. They caught a fairy and a pixie, and I do not know who they were or what happened to them. They wanted more than two species, and they had heard the fairies and pixies talking of a girl who was half fairy and half pixie. And so they started hunting for her. That girl was you." Dawn nodded, and her head began to ache.

"Before the war, pixies and fairies lived in harmony," the king said. "But they were not good friends. Not one bothered the other. But your father, Isen Runebloom, fell in love with a fairy. They got married and had a child. Just a few weeks after that, the humans came to Telebone, and started capturing fairies and pixies. Some were killed. And then the humans began to look for you. They questioned everyone who might even know your name. They would stop at nothing to get you." The king stopped.

"Who was my mother?" Dawn asked, a little afraid to know the answer. The king hesitated.

"You won't like to hear it," he said. Dawn sighed.

"But I want to know," she said.

"Alright," said the king. "Your mother's name is Fanfire Runebloom."

Dawn choked.

"Excuse me?" she said in disbelief. "Fanfire is mean! She makes me sleep outside when I'm not in bed!" Dawn felt like a stone had been dropped in her heart, and was slowly sinking it down.

"She's not Fanfire. Not really," Fairy Godmother said. Dawn shook her head.

"Listen to me carefully Dawn," the king said. "Your mother and father were the ones closest to you. Your father wanted to go into hiding, so they wouldn't be interrogated, and you wouldn't be captured. But your mother wanted to stay in Mixed-up Meadow, where they lived. But that night your father was captured, and sent away. He later escaped to Pixie Grove, but was not able to return to your mother. A woman called Adela Titanbraid stayed with your mother for a while, helping her. Then the humans came, and started to attack the others in the meadow. Adela was a very good healer, and had invented a very interesting formula. It could erase one's memories, and change their whole personality entirely. Your mother begged Adela to let her take it, so that no matter how much the humans interrogated her, they would not find anything about you. And so Fanfire's memories of you and your father were gone, to save your life. Her gentle and kind personality was changed to unkind and ungrateful," the king stopped to take in a breath, and Dawn stared at him in disbelief. How could Fanfire be kind and gentle? And she had given up her memories to save her?

"Then how come she still raised me?" Dawn asked the king.

"Before she took the potion, Fanfire told Adela that no matter how much she changed, she would still want to take care of you. She said that even though her memories would be erased, she would not live without her daughter. And so Adela made her your nanny, saying that nobody else could take care of you. Fanfire must have a small soft spot, because she agreed, although she never seemed to... like you," King Septimus said.

Dawn was crying now, and her cheeks were covered in streams of tears. Fanfire took a handkerchief out of her bag and handed it to Dawn, who wiped her eyes and nose. She felt upset that she had been living with her mother her whole life, and had never known. She was also very sorry for Fanfire, who's most precious memories had been erased to save Dawn's life.

"Anyways," the king continued, “your mother was interrogated, and the humans could get nothing out of her. Adela kept you safe for a few weeks until the humans had gone out of Mixed-up Meadow, and you were returned to Fanfire. Your father had lived in peace inside Pixie Grove. But now the humans have returned." Dawn gasped.

"How?" she said. "How is that possible? I thought humans didn't believe in fairies anymore." The king shook his head.

"I had put a spell on the entire earth, to make sure that fairies stayed in books only. But it had slowly faded away, as no spell can last forever. You had gone to your father at the wrong time and wrong place," the king said.

"How do you know all this?" Dawn asked.

"Because your father is my son. Your father is a prince, he is the heir to the throne," King Septimus said. Dawn almost fainted. Her father was royalty. Dawn herself was royalty. This was a very exhausting day.

The sun began to set, and then the sky turned from blue to black. Dawn yawned.

"We should get some sleep," King Septimus said. Dawn lay down under an especially small tree and closed her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to forget the news she had just heard, and to fall into the darkness of sleep.