Prompt: Thumbelina, Jongyu

In the dead of the night, a faery flew into one of the caverns in the trees, his translucent wings glittering with his intricate, emerald magic. He had chestnut hair and akin to his wings, his eyes were a deep green. The cavern was still lit, for he knew there was always one that worked late.

When he had entered deep enough, his frantic eyes roamed to find another faery, scarlet-winged...and there he was, dark-hair streaked with red, his scarlet wings fluttering as he wrapped up his work, blowing out the lamps of cold fire. When he landed, he finally noticed his presence and flew to him, landing before him, “What brings you here, Jinki?”

“I need some crystals, Kibum.”

Kibum remained silent a while, before monotonically repeating what he had repeated many a times, “As the guardian of the crystals, let me remind you that crystals are only to be used in emergencies, when our magic is not enough to evade dangers. A faery can only possess three, it is the law; and laws are the same for every faery. You took your share a while ago. I cannot give you anymore unless your reason for exhausting them has been validified by your father. More so, knowing that you have been studying forbidden magic discreetly-”

“Kibum,” Jinki breathed, kneeling, his voice breaking as he pleaded, “Jonghyun is dying.”

“Our clan has announced his liberation...he will be buried.” His face softened in dismay as he brought himself to the knees as well, “From where he is buried, will grow a strong, beautiful tree. Jonghyun will never truly die, Jinki...his soul will live within the nature, and protect us forever.”

“That is a story made up as console.” Jinki spoke acerbically; but soon anguish overpowered it, “Please, he may live if I try-”

“You will not survive the consequences-”

“And he will not survive at all!”

The air was silent for a while, and Kibum broke it softly, “...how much do you need?”

“...five times my share.”

Kibum hurriedly filled a pouch and pushed it into Jinki’s hands, “You stole them.”

Slight relief washed over Jinki’s troubled mien, as he clutched the small bag dearly, nodding, “I stole them.”

Jinki flew into his hollow, towards the area where the cold fire burnt, illuminating Jonghyun, lain against the wall of the tree, his breathing labored. His light hair was drenched in sweat, his blue eyes barely open as he shivered in pain. There was blood puddling around him, staining the bandages around his torso. The blood was coming from his back, from where one of his beautiful, azure wings had been torned off...when he had protected Jinki from the injured rodent they had tried to help beyond the enchanted borders.

Jinki glanced behind at the entrance to the hollow, knowing well that he did not have much time. The healers were on their way, to drip poisonous sap into Jonghyun’s mouth, to ease him from his pain, from his life, and to take him away, to bury him, so he could grow into an enchanted tree of their forest. But he could not let Jonghyun be rendered into that, not when he had promised to make true his dreams, not when Jonghyun had risked his life for his unworthy one.

He kneeled in front of Jonghyun, and Jonghyun stirred. There was a struggle within his azure eyes, as they strived to respond to his presence, but Jinki knew they could no longer. He uncovered a blade he had made of crystals and seeds, enchantments carved upon its wooden hilt, staring at it with fear, which soon turned into determination. He glanced to Jonghyun, and his eyes now that could no longer stay open, losing their fight. Jinki felt his hands shake and his tears clouded his vision, yet he clenched the blade and drove it into Jonghyun’s heart, withdrawing his shaky palms, watching the struggle in those blue eyes calm as the carved enchantments upon the hilt began to glow.

He watched those eyes slowly close, Jonghyun’s face returning to peace, and that sight finally broke him, his tears leaving him, sending uncontrollable shivers throughout his body. He was deafened to the chaos around him, numb to the many others who had flown in, surrounding him, uttering harsh words, chaining his arms, his wings with their magic.

He was hauled away, and he did not resist, yet he glanced back one last time, searching for the spot he had seen those beautiful azure eyes last, finding a dull seed rest there instead.

The cold fire burned bright, harsh in a small cavern, around which all the faery clans of the woods had assembled.

Jinki had been forced to kneel before the fire, head lowered as he heard the murmurs of all the clan leaders, of all the other faeries that were now regarding him with contempt.

But nothing mattered to him anymore, no words, no dishonor, no punishment...not even death. He had done all he could to keep his promises to Jonghyun, and if he had to die for them, so be it.

His father, the king of the clans, stepped ahead, his voice lacking emotion as he announced Jinki’s crimes to the assemblage.

“The prince is guilty of leading a predator to cross our magical boundaries, of stealing enchanted crystals, of practising forbidden spells, and murdering another faery with its product.”

“Jonghyun was already dying-”

“Silence!” The king roared, silencing a young dark-haired faery with glimmering, raven wings, who had spoken up from the crowd. He paused a while, “It does not matter if he was dying or not. Faeries do not harm, let alone kill. By stabbing another, the prince has not only broken laws, but betrayed our kin. The deed has been committed, nothing can refute that.” He looked to the other leaders of the clan, “I, King of all faery clans, sentence the prince to the harshest punishment by our laws. Banishment.” He returned to his seat and a few faeries surrounded Jinki, beginning to chant, spells that began to ring in Jinki’s ears, the magic within them blinding and suffocating him, before he collapsed, breathless.

When Jinki woke, he was lying against a tree. He sat up, feeling the anomaly in his body, in his spirit. He wandered his eyes, finding the trees to be sparse, understanding that he was beyond borders, outside the enchanted woods, banished from his kind. He got on his feet, and began to walk. He walked aimlessly, feeling a void within him, not because of the consequences of his actions, but because he could not complete what he had done. He had possessed only a sliver of hope, and it had been snatched away from him.

He walked and walked until the sky was bright, until he found a stream.

He crouched at the bank, and looked upon his reflection.

He could now see the anomaly that he had felt; his skin was no longer agleam, his prideful, glimmering emerald wings were no longer upon his back, and his eyes were a dull green.

He had no more magic, no wings, no place to go.

Banishment was deemed the harshest punishment, for predators roamed as they willed outside the enchanted borders, and without magic, without flight, a faery beyond borders was as good as dead.

He buried his face in his knees, his anguish overtaking him as he let himself cry, cry for one last time. He looked up after a while, looked at his palms, that had been shaking frantically. The pain within him worsened, remembering Jonghyun’s last moments, remembering everything else about him, his handsome smile, his melodic voice, his endearing pranks, his warmth, the promises they had spoken, the love that he never concealed, wearing it with pride in his sapphire eyes.

It ached him more after that, and he wished with all his heart why had his memory not been wiped clean, for he knew he could never forget Jonghyun, nor ever forget that now he was gone.

The true punishment was not of the clans’ but of fate...for now he had to live with a painful void, a void of Jonghyun, and the person Jonghyun had made him be.

Kibum waited for the skies to darken before he fluttered out of his hollow, flying away from the cluster of hollows where their clan resided, to find a recluse spot. He found one between trees and began to dig with his bare hands, afraid that the glow of his magic would attract attention. The pit he had dug was deep enough after a while and he halted, pulling out a dull seed from his satchel. It was heavy and big, but he managed to drop it inside the pit and began covering it with mud, pouring water upon it, before gathering all his things.

He watched the spot a while, knowing his deed would not wipe the guilt he felt, the pain of a lost friend, the pain of the wrong against another he had witnessed.

Every faery turned into a seed upon their death, but he did not believe this seed to grow. The seed Jonghyun had become was different, it was dull and not glimmering like how every enchanted seed was supposed to be. It was maybe due to the fact that his death had been inflicted by the dark spells Jinki had used. The dark magic was not entirely harmless, nor entirely harmful. It consisted of spells that were created to defy the flow of nature, and to do so, there was always a price to pay to the nature. Most of it had been rendered unlawful and ineffective too, and Kibum knew that was true, for he had witnessed Jinki practise them many a times, and fail. The reason he was planting this seed was not because he believed the forbidden magic to work, but because Jonghyun deserved to be returned to the nature, no matter what form.

He withdrew from it and flew back to his hollow, leaving the seed’s fate up to the nature.

Days passed, and the seed remained within the ground, never did a sapling sprung out, and Kibum gave up watching over it after a time.

Seasons passed and every faery had forgotten, of their banished prince, and the death of his beloved. But amidst everyone’s negligence, unawareness, a small sapling had finally grown, against the harsh winter, weak, yet striving to stand. When came the next spring, it grew strong enough to be noticed, and Kibum stood before it, with awed eyes. He built it a support so it could stand whilst it learnt to do so. But as days passed, Kibum noticed the anomaly, the fact that the sapling was not of a tree, but of a shrub, and despite being so, it grew very slow. After another season, it had grown big and strong suddenly, so tall that Kibum had to fly to be able to see it in its entirety.

He found a bud one day, small and fragile, shielded by the many leaves. He began to watch it everyday without fail, curious of its fate. It grew bigger, the green of the petals fading into a soft pink. One day, it finally bloomed, and Kibum decided to fly up to the top of the sturdy shrub to get a closer look.

When he finally reached the blooming flower and landed amongst the petals, he lost balance in the sudden push he had gotten and also in the bewilderment of what he had seen. He fell, but he fluttered his wings and clutched onto the vine around the stem, to retain his footing. He looked up slowly, thinking maybe he had seen wrong...but he had not, for half a head was peeking out the flower, hair fluffy and messy, the same pink as the petals of the flower, and a pair of deep blue eyes, murky with confusion.

Kibum looked a little closer and  his eyes widened, “Jonghyun!”

The head was withdrawn at his exclamation and Kibum grew tense, driven by what he had seen and flew up uncaringly, reaching the flower and finding Jonghyun sitting amidst the petals, hiding behind one of them, his eyes glowering defensively.

As Kibum drew close, Jonghyun grew more cautious of him, and Kibum halted, resolving the tensed shock upon his face, before uttering softly, “I mean no harm.”

Jonghyun glanced at him a while, before lowering the petal he had held close as a shield. Kibum walked to him, crouching as he finally took a longer look. Jonghyun no longer had wings, his blue eyes did not glimmer with magic, nor was his skin agleam...but he was alive, which was a miracle in itself. “I cannot believe it.” He breathed in his astonishment, and Jonghyun was quick to reply, “What can you not believe?”

Kibum smiled at Jonghyun’s characteristic brashness, “That it worked! Jinki’s madness worked!”

Jonghyun had obliged to Kibum’s words and had remained hidden until dusk, following him in the shadows on his instructions, until Kibum was able to smuggle him into his hollow.

When Jonghyun was cleaned, clothed and fed, Kibum left him to rest at the side of his little window, warning him to not leave his hollow. He made sure he had sealed his entrance with magic before he fluttered off towards Jinki’s abandoned hollow, finding scrolls and books littered everywhere. He began to search through them, trying to find answers for Jonghyun’s odd rebirth, the reasons why he lacked his magic and wings, the reason why he had no memory of his life.

After a long while, Kibum finally found a sheet, weak and almost torn by the amount of times it had been crumpled and straightened, littered along with seeds under Jinki’s desk.

There was a short, intricate enchantment written in the ancient language, and below it was its transliteration and a description.

The innate power of nature will flow in opposite, only if it is given to the nature in the required opposite, but beware, nature is cruel to its rebels and never fails to deduct the cost of its defiance.

Kibum clutched onto the sheet, the chaotic thoughts in his head calmly as bits and pieces began to fall in place.

“Jonghyun was stabbed...when he was alive...with the enchanted blade.” Kibum muttered, “The spell was given life.” He paused, reading those lines again, “Innate power of nature...faeries becoming a part of the nature upon...death…” He closed his eyes to let his thoughts flow better, “The innate power of nature will flow in opposite, faeries born from the trees…” He muttered everything again under his breath before opening his eyes, the dark of them possessing the answer, the reason he had come seeking. “Faeries will be born from nature, if their life is given to it.”

The reason for what Jonghyun lacked was clear as well...his magic, his wings, his memory of everything...was the price nature had deducted to complete the defying spell.

Jonghyun watched the dark view outside, his eyes staying upon the other faeries he saw, illuminated by the white fire lamps that were hung near every hollow. Their wings glimmered as well, in all kinds of shades. He saw them glide and play, talk animatedly as they perched upon the branches of the trees, sometimes singing as well. Soon they began to retreat and the lamps were extinguished, leaving nothing but darkness in his view.

Jonghyun closed his eyes, thinking. Kibum seemed to know him...so was he like him? But he had seen his reflection in the mirror that was standing in the corner of Kibum’s hollow. He had no wings, and his skin did not glow. He was not like Kibum, not like the ones he had gazed at...or was he?

Everything seemed strange, yet he had inherent knowledge of what everything was. He knew how to walk, how to speak, he could recognize everything that he saw...like he had learnt it all, a long time ago. But there was a strange instinctive movement in his back, like his body yearned to do something, yet failed, and relentlessly tried again.

He knew his name even, yet he did not remember what he was. He only remembered waking up amidst petals, with that little knowledge.

It was Kibum who knew his name, had recognized him, but he had not...and that only meant that he had existed for long, in a time that he no longer had a memory of.

Kibum entered the hollow right then, and Jonghyun was upon his feet, finally having gathered a few questions that he had wanted to ask.

Was he like him?

Will he ever have wings?

If he had lived longer than he remembered, then why did he not remember anything?

But before he could have uttered a word, Kibum had grabbed hold of his arm, his face frantic. “I heard rumors...I could not conceal you properly, Jonghyun...I am sorry. The guardians of the clan are coming here.”

“Guardians of the clan?”

“Yes. They are faeries skilled in flight and combat, they protect the clan when needed and are the only ones who dare to cross the borders to communicate with other clans.”

Everything was a mess in Jonghyun’s head, and he dismissed his other questions and asked instead, “Will they harm me?”

“I cannot vouch for anything.” Kibum replied, “You were dead. You were reborn from forbidden magic. Your presence in the world defies the ultimate law of nature…” He looked out the window, his eyes turbulent, “They banished Jinki for attempting dark magic...you are a living form of it…” He let go of Jonghyun’s arm and handed him the satchel he was wearing, “It is full of enchanted crystals.” he scurried around, grabbing another satchel and filling it with some necessities, before hanging it on Jonghyun, “You will have to hide in the woods for a while until I ascertain what the clan-”

“Kibum.” Jonghyun interrupted his words, his desperation for answers finally making him ask, “What am I?”

Kibum hesitated, “I...I am no longer sure.” His eyes caught suspicious activity out his window, “You have to leave now, Jonghyun...they are almost here!” He grabbed his wrist and dragged him out the hollow, a few faeries caught a glimpse of them, but Kibum now cared no longer. He pushed Jonghyun down the tilted trunk before he dropped himself into flight as well, and caught him before he reached the ground, gently dropping him on his feet, “Run, I will keep them distracted.” He pushed a piece of paper in his hand, “This is the map for the enchanted woods. Do not cross the enchanted borders. Because, only magical beings, or beings in their contact are the ones who can cross them back. You do not seem to possess magic. If you step outside-”

“I cannot step back inside.” Jonghyun completed for him and Kibum nodded, ushering him to go. Jonghyun ran into the dark woods, glancing back at the horde of faeries that had surrounded Kibum. A few faeries had noticed him as well, and had begun to approach his trail. He ran faster, pushing the guilt he felt out of his system, running blindly, desperately, into the dark.

When Jonghyun woke up next, the sun was harsh upon him and he was lying inside a hollow log. His feet ached when he sat up, remembering last night’s plight. He got out of the log cautiously, gathering his satchels and picking up the map Kibum had handed him, that had fallen from the folds of his clothes as he got up.

There was no one around, and Jonghyun sighed in relief, looking around before unfolding the map, deciding to study it to ascertain his whereabouts. He could not find himself close to any of the landmarks marked upon the map, and hence instead tried to find the borders.

“The trees that bear jade blue vines…” His heart fell a little, as he recalled his view, and he looked up before him, finding trees covered in jade blue vines before him. He stepped towards them, hoping that he was not on the wrong side of the trees. He touched the tree, only to be met by a force that threw him off his feet.

He straightened himself, his face paling in helplessness.

He had crossed the enchanted borders...and now he could not step back...not without Kibum.

He wallowed around that spot, his mind a rapid mess of thoughts. “Well, at least now I know for sure, I am no magical being.” He sighed as he sat under a tree, frisking through his satchels. He ate some of the food and began examining the crystals, watching their hues whirl within their dimensions.

He tried using the crystals to cross the borders, but he was pushed off again, the crystal he was holding, bursting due to the force that had repelled him.

He returned to his resting place, Kibum’s words rife in his mind.

“You were dead. You were reborn from forbidden magic. Your presence in the world defies the ultimate law of nature…They banished Jinki for attempting dark magic...and you are a living form of it…”

If he was indeed born out of forbidden magic, then no matter what Kibum did, he would find no proper place in his clan. He had mentioned banishment for attempting dark magic...and if him being born of dark magic was true, then it was evident that he would be feared, ridden of. Even if they did accept him, he was not like them, and that would only make it worse for him, trying to keep up with them, trying to overcome his differences. He had already burdened Kibum, and it was best if he found a home, a haven, where he would burden no one, nor be a threat to anyone. He did not know himself, what he was, what he could be, if his existence was harmless or not. But, now that he had thought it over better, he realized he did not need to seek answers...who knows, maybe they will come to him with time, learning to live on his own? Maybe he will find his place, where he truly belongs?

With that one mindset, bleak hope and confidence, he picked up a stone and scraped a message on the tree trunk for Kibum if ever came for him...and he took a deep breath, to calm the fearful yet excited, messy nerves of his.

If he had gotten another chance at life, like Kibum said, then nothing was better than to live it out as his heart said.

Jonghyun walked until it was dark, trying to find a vacant hollow he can make a home out of, or in fact anything that could shelter him, give him stability so he could figure out what he wanted to do with his life.

His feet gave away soon, and the strange feeling upon his back had begun irritate him, making him decide to sleep under one of the trees as soon as the night had set. Sleep did come easy, but he was woken by a strange noise quite a while after. He sat up and roamed his eyes in the utter darkness, fear setting upon him when the strange shuffle in the bushes got louder.

He got on his feet, gathering his satchels, grabbing onto a crystal, as he waited, alert, hoping that whatever he had heard to be an auditory hallucination.

But he was proved wrong when something dove out of the bushes, and Jonghyun ran for his life, fear encapsuling him, without even having caught a proper glimpse of what it had been. But whatever it was, it was chasing him, and Jonghyun turned around, finding it to be four legged creature, growling as it pursued him.

Jonghyun’s senses were numbed after having caught a glimpse of that creature, familiar pangs of pain running through his body. All he could hear was his thumping heart, thumping in fear, in pain. Blurry visions had begun to block his limited vision, a string of memories playing in his mind in a rush, and the only he could comprehend them was the terror in them, that br