Lia looked from Steven to her father and back again, "Steven, that isn't possible. My father left these woods over two hundred years ago with the rest of my kin."
Steven continued to glance warily at her father, "That may be, Lia, but I'm telling you I've seen him before. No, I've seen him twice," he said correcting himself.
Nimor stepped forward and approached Steven, "Human, I fear you are mistaken. I have never seen you before, I do not see how you could possibly know me."
"I know what I'm saying," Steven insisted, "I wish I could remember where, but I know I've seen you."
As Nimor approached Steven, he spread his hands out to his sides, "Human, my daughter says that you need my help to discover why certain things had been happening to you. Perhaps in discovering those reasons, I can determine how you claim to know me."
Lia glanced back and forth between Steven and her father, concerned that this was not starting out the way she had hoped. Finally, Steven sighed and his shoulders slumped, "You're right. I'm . . . I'm sorry, its just that I swear I've seen you somewhere and the moment you appeared, it surprised me, that's all." He reached out his hand to Nimor, who clasped it in return. "It's a pleasure to meet Lia's father finally."
"And it is a pleasure to meet the one who has obviously become the center of my daughter's affections," Nimor replied.
Steven blushed slightly, "Umm, well actually that wasn't exactly something we planned on happening to begin with, but I think Lia will agree with me when I say that I'm not about to argue about the results."
Nimor tilted his head back and laughed a rich, almost musical sound, "That much is obvious to anyone who sees you both. Come, let us return to the great oak and find the answers to your questions there." With that, Nimor leapt into the air and hovered while Lia slipped behind Steven, wrapped her arms around his waist again, and slowly lifted him up, following her father to the great oak.
"Dammit, Lucy! I can't believe you'd pull something like this!" Robert exclaimed as he stood up from the table and paced the kitchen. He was upset, just as his wife thought he would be.
"Well what do you expect me to do when I overhear my husband telling our son
that he should pursue a fantasy of being in love with a faerie!" Lucy shot back, equally upset. "You sat there the other night and told him to 'not let her go' when you know that faeries don't exist and that Steven was obviously having delusions. Why else would he make such a wild claim like that?"
"I don't know, Lucy, but you have to admit that for the first time since the accident and you finding him at the apartment, Steven is doing something other than moping around the house all day!" Robert threw his hands in the air, "For crying out loud, I'm not saying that he's right or wrong, I can't say for sure. Steven asked me a question that he felt strongly about, even though he knew that what he was asking was completely off the wall, and I answered him honestly." Robert glared at his wife, "Lucy, I believe faeries exist, I have always believed it. So you can call me crazy, you can call me an idiot, but when Steven asked me, I had a choice between telling him to pursue this, or telling him that he was crazy and that he needed to forget it. In my heart, I couldn't tell him to forget it because its something I've always dreamed about since I was a little boy."
He pointed a finger at his wife, "but if you do this, if you have Doctor Godlewski come into this house and spout that psychobabble at Steven in an attempt to analyze whether he's crazy or not and to prove that this is just a figment of his imagination, you could very well set him off again, and this time, it could destroy him! Now is that what you want?"
Lucy rose to her feet, "I don't see where I would destroy him. I see that I'd be helping him to overcome whatever problems he's let build up without telling us about them. Isn't that better than going off to a park to imagine that he's in love with a figment of his imagination?!? How is he ever going to start socializing again if he runs around with this wild notion that he's fallen in love with a faerie? He'd be laughed at immediately!" She shot a look at Robert and slammed her hand down on the table, "Doctor Godlewski can help him! Probably much better than you did by telling him about your great-great grandmother who told you faerie stories when you were a child! This is a chance to finally get him to accept Jennifer's death and to move on with his life, and I'm not going to let him spend the rest of his life running from it. It's time he dealt with it and not ruining his life by continuing with this fantasy of his!"
Robert sighed and shook his head, "Lucy, Steven has dealt with Jennifer's death, and if you only took a moment to see that, you'd realize that there is something else going on here."
"What are you talking about?" she asked, sitting back down.
Seizing the opportunity, Robert continued, "You never liked Jennifer, did you?"
"It was never my place to like or dislike her. She was Steven's choice, not mine," Lucy replied.
"Oh, but you made sure to let Steven know that you didn't care for her. She made mistakes in her life, and hurt Steven once before. You never forgave her for that."
"Of course I did," she responded defensively.
"No, you didn't. You claimed that you did, but every time he brought up her name, every time Steven mentioned her, you would get a look on your face that said that you disliked her for how she had treated him the first time. Privately, I wouldn't be surprised if you wished she'd died before coming back into his life!"
That comment alone caused Lucy's eyes to grew wide in shock and she reeled backed, "Bobbie, how could you say such things?"
Robert ignored her attempt to defend herself, and continued, "It's true isn't it? Don't be afraid, you can admit it. After all, she's dead now, Lucy, you won't hurt her feelings. When she left Steven, you hated her for what she'd done to him. I saw how you hated the anguish she put him through because he still loved her and had a hard time dealing with it. But when they got back together, you never trusted her. You went so far as to make Steven feel that getting back together with her was going to be a choice between you and her, and you discovered that you lost. You never liked that, did you? You always thought she was one step away from hurting him again, that she couldn't possibly love him, and you wanted to protect him from what you thought would happen, didn't you? Better to shelter him from possible pain than let him experience life and take the good with the bad, right? Well what if it had worked out?" Robert hissed, "What if she hadn't died and they'd gotten married, would you have accepted her then? Or would you have continued to make their lives miserable every chance you got?"
Lucy was dumbfounded, so Robert plunged on, "Now Steven has found something to hold onto, I don't know what it is, but he's changed . . . for the better, I think. And for the first time since Jennifer's death, you're finding that Steven doesn't need you anymore. It scares you, doesn't it; not having Steven to need you to help him deal with his grief?"
"That's not the point, Bobbie, and you know it!" she fired back, deliberately avoiding his last question. "I don't know what it is that has changed Steven, but I know that delusions like the kind he is running around having right now are not good for him. He's thirty years old for crying out loud! Tales of faeries are for kids who don't know better, not for adults who need to get on with their lives."
Before Robert could respond, Lucy speared him with a glare that could burn through the wall, "Doctor Godlewski will be coming over, and he will examine Steven whether you like it or not! So you can either accept it, or leave. Either way, I'm going to make sure that he gets through this, and not by relying on some little faerie fantasy!" Standing up, Lucy stormed down the hallway and up the stairs, leaving Robert to wonder what would happen tomorrow. As he sat down at the table and looked outside, he could only hope for the best.
Once Lia, Nimor and Steven returned to the great oak, they landed in a great bowl shaped depression in the middle of the tree amongst the higher branches. Lia spoke with her father for a little while, letting Steven explore the great hall and marvel at its design. Once she was finished speaking with her father, Lia explained that this served as a gathering place for faeries to come together and discuss matters of importance, a place where the faerie council had met back when her kin had lived here.
To Steven, it looked like a natural amphitheater with seats that were actually ridges in the tree's skin that had been formed into a sort of stylish waterfall made out of wood. He marveled at how beautiful it looked, even though it had not been used in over two hundred years, according to Nimor, who watched Steven intently from a seat on the far side of the bowl. Lia followed beside Steven, pointing out little details as they walked around, showing where the councilmen and women had sat when they would meet. Even after two hundred years, Lia couldn't help but find herself remembering how wonderful it had been when all the members of her kin-folk would come together.
Finally, Nimor stood and approached Steven, "Now it is time for us to discover the answers to the questions you have been asking about what has happened to you." He turned to his daughter, "Lia, Steven and I will need to be alone for awhile."
Lia bowed respectfully, "Yes father." Looking over at Steven, she touched him lightly on the shoulder and smiled encouragingly, then leapt into the air and flew away.
Nimor gestured for Steven to sit down and then sat down himself, "Tell me about some of the things that you've experienced since meeting my daughter, Steven."
After taking a deep breath, Steven asked, "Where should I begin? It seems like something new has happened every day that we've been together."
Nodding sagely, Nimor answered, "For a human to encounter a faerie, and then develop a relationship, it is only expected that there are new experiences that you have never known of before."
"Well, being shrunk is certainly not something that humans think of doing every day, and it certainly gives you a different perspective on life."
Nimor chuckled softly, "I can imagine. Besides being able to see her, what else has occurred to you since you first saw her?"
At this point, Steven stood up, feeling better able to express himself by walking around, "I think the first thing that occurred after I found I could see her was that I knew her name."
"She told you her name?" Nimor asked, "what is special about that?"
"No sir, you don't understand, I knew her name but she hadn't told it to me. I found that I just . . . knew it." Nimor didn't respond for a moment, but then indicated that he should continue. "Well, I found that I was able to talk to animals, Lia told me that I'd learned how to speak the fae language . . . umm, she said I was very good at remembering various plants and their medicinal properties. I think the thing that concerned me the most though was the first time I had a vision though."
"Vision?" Nimor asked intrigued, "Can you describe it?"
"Its kind of hard to recall," Steven said, "For the most part, there were bits and pieces of images. Something about a gathering of faeries, I think."
Looking over at Nimor, Steve could see that he was surprised, "A faerie gathering, you say?" Steven nodded. "Show me, please." Nimor stretched out his hands, indicating that Steven should hold them. As his hands slipped into Nimor's, he could feel a tingling sensation creep up his arms. "Close your eyes and think back to your vision."
A wave of tranquility washed over Steven and he felt his eyelids droop. He could hear Nimor's voice grow softer, lulling him into a deep trance-like sleep until his chin rested on his chest . . .
Steven found himself at the base of the great oak again, only this time, things looked different than before. In fact, it didn't take long to realize what was different. Faeries of all ages sat around a sort of bonfire singing and laughing, eating and having a good time. As he looked up into the tree, Steven could see dozens of the faerie-folk sitting in various branches, either in groups or in some cases, individual couples. Little faerie children laughed and giggled, flying to and fro, in a game of Catch Me.
"Friend!" a voice called out from behind him, "a pleasure it is to have a visitor from afar!"
As Steven turned around, he was confronted by a tall, dignified faerie. Suddenly, he realized, "I know . . .
". . . you." Steven realized he was no longer at the great oak. He was lying on his back amidst the rocks at the base of the hill by the pool. As Steven looked up, he could see the assembled faeries atop the hill. In the midst of the faeries stood Lia, her eyes filled with tears, just as before, standing next to . . .
Steven jerked away from Nimor's touch, his heart pounding and his head feeling like it was splitting in two. Crying out in pain, he stumbled back against one of the rows of seats and collapsed to the floor of the meeting hall. Lia appeared at the sound of his voice and rushed to his side as Nimor bent down to help him.
"Father! What's wrong? What happened to Steven?" Lia cried as Steven curled into a ball, his body convulsing violently.
"I do not know, daughter. We had been in a link trying to help him determine where he had seen me before, and then he bolted up and fell back in pain."
Steven's eyes were shut and his face was locked in a grimace of agony as he continued to shake. Lia reached out and held him as best she could as Nimor attempted to work his magic to ease some of Steven's pain. It took a few minutes, but gradually Steven's shaking subsided and his body relaxed. Finally, he groaned and opened his eyes slowly, propping himself up and looking around.
"Wha . . . what happened?" he asked confused, "how did I end up on the floor?"
"I do not know, Steven. I think it had to do with our link. You reacted badly to it and I apologize for causing you pain," Nimor replied, his eyes looking away from Steven.
"It's ok," Steven smiled gamely, "whatever it was, I know you didn't mean to hurt me." His eyes closed again and he took a deep breath, "Although that's not something I'd like to repeat again. It felt like my head was going to explode for a moment there." Glancing up, he noticed that the sun was beginning to descend, "How long were we in the link?"
"For many hours," Nimor replied. "Time can pass very quickly when one has a vision."
Sitting up, Steven breathed deeply again and began to stand, "I guess I'd better be going home. I have some things to finalize before I come back tomorrow," Steven looked over at Lia and smiled, "for good, this time."
"Indeed. Perhaps I should let you and Lia have a moment together so she can return you to normal size." Nimor ascended the steps and headed towards Lia's hollow, then turned back, "It was an honor meeting you, Steven."
"Thank you, sir. I hope to see you again tomorrow."
Nimor didn't respond, but simply nodded and continued up to the top of the bowl, and then disappeared. Lia, who had stood by Steven's side, looked over at him in concern, "Are you sure you're all right? I was very worried about you."
Steven smiled and hugged her tightly, "I know, love. I'm sorry I gave you a scare there. Let's go down and get my clothes so I can head home. Tomorrow starts the beginning of our lives together."
Lia slipped her hand in his and smiled as they climbed up to the top of the meeting hall and out to the branch. A few minutes later, after restoring Steven to human size, Lia found her father sitting on the edge of the entrance to the hollow watching Steven as he headed toward the forest and home. Bending down, Lia hugged her father and kissed him gently.
"So, do you approve of him, father?" she asked hopefully.
Nimor said nothing for a moment. He stood up and walked out onto the nearby branch and watched as Steven disappeared into the woods.
"Father?"
Turning around, Nimor saw his daughter watching him, her eyes filled with concern. "Is something wrong father?"
"Lia," he began, "do you remember the last time that a human came to live amongst us?"
Lia shook her head, "It was a very long time ago, when I was only a little child, I think. Why?"
Nimor did not answer immediately, instead turning to watch as the sun slowly dipped beneath the top of the trees. His silence prompted Lia to approach him and ask again, "Father, why do you ask me that? Is something wrong?"
As Nimor turned around, Lia could see a great sadness in his eyes, something she had not seen since her kin had left the forest many years before. "Lia, you know that I would never do anything to cause you pain, but I'm afraid I must this time."
Looking up, Lia said, "I don't understand, what are you saying, father?"
Quietly, Nimor answered, "You must not let Steven come back tomorrow."
Lia gasped, her eyes growing wide, "Father, why?!? Why would you say that? Has he done something wrong? He is the first human who actually cares about our people since before I can remember." Lia's eyes glistened with tears, "What has he done to be turned away? What have we done that would make you say that?"
Nimor ducked his head, his brow creasing in distress, "Forgive me, daughter. I know this causes you great pain. I can see how much you love him, but believe me when I say that I would not ask this of you it if it were not important."
"But why father?" Lia cried, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, "Yes, I love him, father, more than life itself. In him I have found a soul mate unlike any that I could ever dream of." At her statement, she saw her father shudder and turn away. She reached out to him and begged him, "Please father, tell me, why do you say I must turn him away? Was it something you saw in his vision?"
"Partially," Nimor replied, ashamed to look at his daughter, ashamed to see the pain his words were causing her, "and partially for what happened after the vision. Lia, do you realize why no humans have joined with us in so long?" Lia shook her head. "It is because of the magic we carry inside us. Once, long ago, humans recognized that magic and it was a part of them as much as it was of us. Remember the tales of the time when faeries and humans lived together and helped each other? That was long ago, before even I was born, but humans turned away from the magic. They turned to their own creations, leaving the magic that we once shared until it became foreign to them, even harmful."
"Lia, the reason why no humans and faeries have not lived together in so long is because between the time when they knew of us and the magic we carried, and now, they have forgotten the magic, just as they have forgotten about us! Think of what you have seen, daughter! You told me that he became very sick only two days ago, suffering from a fever with aches and pains that you were barely able to heal. And now, when I established a link with him, the intensity of the magic I used caused him pain."
Lia wept openly now, "but father, surely there must be a way to deal with that? I love him, how can you ask me to turn him away?"
Nimor crossed over to his daughter and enfolded her in his arms, "Daughter, I am sorry to tell you such news, but to do otherwise would not be fair to you or to Steven. He is an incredible human. There is something about him that even I cannot identify, but that does not change reality. Have you not noticed how he looks now? He's paler than when I first saw him earlier. What happened to him when I established the link with him is only the beginning."
"But father, I love him, how can I turn him away?"
"You must, my daughter. You must turn him away," Nimor said as Lia slipped to her knees. "For if you do not, Steven will die."