Tokyo 1992
A magical girl’s promise to the sprites
Shall the child see the diminutive little folk in the dew-drenched morn?
Since the birth of the little elemental princess, her watchers had been waiting, hoping and dreaming of the day she would see them, speak with them and love them and they would reciprocate. But was it all just a dream?
She stepped groggily out onto the veranda, looking like a little morning faery herself. She lit up with the joy of the singing songbirds and the beauty of the dawn. She loved the colors, the scents of flowers and the aromatic apricot trees, now laden with ripe fruit caressed by the freshness of the gentle morning breeze.
She was truly content. She breathed in a lung-full of the fresh morning air into her small lungs. With an adorable sigh, she released the breath ever so slowly, watching it crystallize upon the coolness of the morn, her body tingling with the invigorating action.
Then, she looked in their direction, eyes aglow with wonder.
But, does she really see them?
They observed the sapphire aura forming around the four year old and winked at one another with a secret knowing. The faeries stop for a moment to watch the child as she blinked as the light of the golden sun peeked over the rose bushes, jasmine, gladiolas and lilies.
Liata, Princess of the Sprites, sat cross-legged upon the narrow platform at the feet of the birdbath’s stone figurine of a white marble moon girl cradling a sphere Liata took to represent the silvery night orb. The figure she recognized as Serenity of the Moon, the statuesque girl’s long locks pouring over her graceful marble form to her calves.
Liata’s own hair, a silvery-blue, was of a similar length. She smiled at the thought that she and the statue looked so alike but for Liata’s lovely sapphire-blue physique.
She smiled at the child that had yet not seen Liata or the rest of her guardians.
Ami rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
‘Oh, let her look to the birdbath and the flowers around her, and there child you shall see a sight that will delight the heart! Yes, winged girls of sapphire-blue -- yes, blue and silver are our wings. See them flutter. Can you see our little bodies? We, the tiny women watchers and our offspring, the faery girls and the cheeky elves that splash my darling ones, do you not see, they’re pouting and giggling at the antics of those mischievous lads? But, yee don’t see!’ she lamented, tears in her eyes as she waved a tiny hand and the gemstone codec in her lap vanished. She stood up, brushing her skirts and waving like the others. Liata knew it was futile, but she still did it anyway as they all did, every morning.
Once again, the sapphire sprites flew towards the edge of the stone pool and tackled the handsome elves, one in particular had lost his cap, he also, lost his heart to Princess Liata who had sought him out and kissed him upon his pursed lips, the elf pleased that Liata stole the kiss.
‘Oh, Liata, this day, my heart’s secret wishes doth come true.’
Her companions danced, played and dreamt. But one looked to the smog-filled sky looming upon the Tokyo horizon and sighed, ‘Oh why can’t they see they’re making the sky cry, and the Great Lady lament? I must do something, but a wish is only as effective as the magic one can ignite if the little girl hears my plea. Oh little one, don’t forget me, don’t forget your faeries! We are your protectors!’
Ami, spellbound, mouth agape, broke into a brilliant smile and caught Liata’s eye.
“You see me, by the Kamis! She can see us all!” and with a shout of joy, hundreds of sprites, elves and nymphs looked at the little girl. Cute in her pink nightdress with its bunny motifs, she made her way along the ornate stone path, flanked by daisies and irises.
She knelt on the damp grass, not caring that her knees were cold and wet and covered in grass clippings from the day before when the gardener had cut the lawns.
Giggling with delight, eyes wide as saucers, little Ami extended her delicate hand and a shy little sprite by the name of Ashalia, sprang into her palm and bowed.
“I hear you, and I won’t forget, and I will make sure the Great Lady will smile again…I promise!” Ami answered in a sweet reassuring tone as all the faery folk bowed en masse, tears of joy in all their eyes as they played with their little mistress.
‘However, little one, will you remember when the world takes you into itself, my princess?’ Liata asked herself as the child of the Kamis held court.
Flying about the little girl’s head, Liata zoomed in and placed a kiss on Ami’s cheek and flew off, and made a wish that life would be kind and that the sapphire child would awaken upon her fourteenth year.
‘But, she may think this a dream, something of a flight of fancy. I hope she remembers us.’
