("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._ `6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`) (_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-' _..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,' (((' (((-((('' (((( K R I S T E N' S C O L L E C T I O N _________________________________________ WARNING! This text file contains sexually explicit material. If you do not wish to read this type of literature, or you are under age, PLEASE DELETE THIS FILE NOW!!!! _________________________________________ Scroll down to view text -------------------------------------------------------- This work is copyrighted to the author © 2008. Please don't remove the author information or make any changes to this story. All rights reserved. Thank you for your consideration. -------------------------------------------------------- Fairy Tail by Dream Weaver (elle.eff1981@gmail.com) *** Billy is reunited with his lost love, but there's a complication... She's not quite human. (MF, rom, fantasy) *** Author's note: Thanks to Ginevra for helping with the accent. *** In this world there are three types of people. The most common are the lay people. Heavily influenced by those around them, they have dreams and wishes but many of them are never realized. Then you have the businessmen, those entrepreneurs who see the world as something to gain from, be it money or power or even just friends. They have something to gain and go get it, no matter who they have to step on along the way. Lastly you have the naturists, the empaths. They usually have their own dreams but are more conscious of the impact they have on their environment, be it in nature or the people around them. They CAN get what they want out of life, but never hurt someone to get it if they can help it. William Shore was one of these. William, or Billy to his friends, was a very simple person. He wanted someone to spend his life with, a companion on the long and winding road. That search led him to Cecelia, the first true love of his life. They met while she was protesting against cutting down yet another swatch of forest to put up a parking lot. It was love at first sight for Billy. He watched for a few minutes as she stood there, chained to the thickest tree in the lot. He stood there watching, his eyes travelling over her lustrous hair, as red as a living flame, to her eyes the colour of emeralds. In those eyes he saw a purity of purpose he had never seen in anyone else before or since. There was a caring there, not only for the goal in mind, but for the world itself. That was all it took. He was hooked. Some people in the crowd of construction workers poised to cut down the trees were starting to get irritated at the lack of progress. One of them saw her as the obstacle directly in their way and started throwing stones at her in a vain attempt to scare her off. One glanced off of her temple, knocking her unconscious. Billy saw this and leaped into action the only way he knew how. He jumped in front of the Cecelia's prone form keeping the workers, whether they thought to make sure she wasn't injured too badly or simply to pull her out of the way and start working, away from her and shouted at them. "How can you do this?" he yelled. "Can't you people see that hurting her isn't going to get your work done? Why don't you try negotiating instead of resorting to violence?" Cecelia came to as he was pleading with them and realized that he had saved if not her life then at least her self respect. Sure he wasn't wearing highly polished armour, nor was he tall or particularly dark. Still, she had to admit that he was a real gentleman, someone willing to throw himself in front of a complete stranger when she was in need. That was all it took. She was hooked. The foreman and Cecelia spoke at length with Billy acting as a negotiator. In the end they settled on making part of the area into a parking lot while preserving at least half of the trees for 'decoration' to please both the landowners and the naturists. Billy and Cecelia's relationship soon blossomed and they were happy together for a great five years before it came to an end. She had chained herself to another tree to halt the 'evil corporate machine' and was in the middle of an impassioned speech she had written with Billy, saying that a balance between nature and progress not only could be maintained, but should be as well. Unfortunately she never had a chance to finish as a large earthquake hit. The tree she was chained to toppled over and started rolling down the hill, Billy running after it in a futile attempt to save the young woman's life. She was dead before the second turn. The loss of Cecelia and her positive influence on the world around her was devastating to Billy. He spent a lot of time in bed feeling alternately depressed at being truly alone for the first time since he met her and angry at the world for taking her away from him in such a violently ironic way. Eventually he returned to his environmental work. It was what he really loved doing. After all, it came easily to him and he felt alive when he was on the picket line, fighting for what he believed in, for what Cecelia had believed in. It wasn't even that difficult to be there without Cecelia because he felt a presence with him wherever he went. Sometimes it was just a warm feeling, as if she approved of what he was doing, other times it was as it he had her hand on his shoulder, supporting him during a particularly long or arduous meeting. Assuming this was Cecelia's spirit, he went on with his work in her name and did more good for the environment then ever before. It wasn't long before he was sought out by various environmental groups for his skills at negotiating. He always seemed to know exactly what to say to get the suits to agree to a compromise, almost as if someone was whispering what he should say in his ear. That's how he got the job in Louisiana. Some company was trying to clear out a large section of bayou to build their fifth factory in the state. Most of the people were against it and they called Billy in to get them to move it elsewhere. * As he got off the plane from New York he was met by Francine Autin, the Greenpeace spokesperson for the state. "Welcome to Louisiana, Mr. Shore," she said in a slow, thick Cajun drawl. "How your trip go?" "I'll tell you when my stomach catches up to me," Billy replied with a forced laugh. He wasn't fond of planes and indeed would have preferred to have taken the train if he could have, but time was too often of the essence in his line of work. Francine smiled and led him to her car. As they drove to his hotel she explained the history of the company and the many run-ins they've had. They had been slowly building over the lush swamplands for years causing the wildlife to migrate into other parts of the swamp which in turn had caused more animal-related accidents. As Francine finished her expiation the car pulled to a stop. "Looks like we're 'ere, Mr. Shore," she said, opening the door. "We got a hard day ahead of us, but there's no reason you can't have a little fun before you get some rest. What you say, cher?" Billy became inexplicably nervous at this. No one had hit on him since high school. It was flattering in its own way, but he had to refuse. It wasn't because she was older then he by over a decade. It wasn't because she was unattractive; in fact many people thought her dark hair and lithe form were very attractive. It wasn't even because the presence that had been a background to his life for so long was giving what would be best described as a feeling of distaste. It was simply because he still loved Cecelia. He still saw what Francine had suggested to him as cheating. He mumbled some lame excuse and ran into the hotel leaving a stunned and hurt Francine in the dust. Even though she knew about his commitment to his late love, she couldn't help but feel like she had said or done something wrong. She got in her car and drove slowly home, rejected and alone. Billy checked himself in and was up in his Hotel room on the third floor in record time. He hung the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door and fell onto the bed, still completely clothed. His nerves over his flight, not to mention being hit on, had caught up to him. He was so intent on the wood-patterned tiles on the ceiling that he didn't even realize when he had fallen asleep. "Billy..." the voice came, softly at first, barely enough to grab his attention. "Billy..." There it was again. Billy sat up on the bed and was immediately stricken by the change in the room. A thick yet transparent mist billowed around him. The ceiling was a lush canopy and the floor was a series of crossed branches, as if the thick trees making up the walls were reaching out to embrace each other. "Billy..." The voice came again and Billy looked toward the source. There was a soft, reddish glow coming from where the door to the room should have been. There was a warm, familiar quality to the glow. Billy had to think a moment before he was able to place it. It was the presence he had felt with him for so long. Billy's breath caught in his throat as he focused on the light floating before him. As he watched he saw the form he had come to know so well materialize before him. Her hair flowed wild around her shoulders and she wore a floor-length gown which flattered her slightly plus-sized form, parted at one side to let her voluptuous thigh show through. Her lips were parted slightly in the smile she had always given him when she had thought he wasn't looking. "Cecelia..." He breathed. "How can this be? I thought you were-" "I was," she interrupted with an eerie finality. The apparition drifted closer. "For a time, anyways. I'm sorry that I left you alone for so long. I can't stay long; I just wanted to let you know I'm here." She kissed him on the cheek leaving only a tingle behind as she faded away, the room fading with her. Billy fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of being reunited with his love again. * In a corner of the room there was a potted plant. It wasn't large or particularly pretty, but it was there. As Billy slept evening fell. If someone had been there to see it they would have seen a faint, red glow nestled among the leaves. If their mind was open to the possibility they would have been able to make out the figure of a tiny female body in a beautiful red dress lying in the middle of that glow completely exhausted. A tiny voice could be heard from the spite's body saying "Soon, Billy..." as a smile spread across her face. It wasn't long at all before her almost silent snores would have told the watcher that she had left for dreamland. * The next day when Billy woke up he recalled the dream he had. It was extremely vivid, his cheek still tingled where she had kissed him. He disentangled himself from the sheets and stumbled to the bathroom. He pulled yesterday's cloths of and glanced in the mirror. He noticed a small, shimmering red mark in the shape of lips on the spot where Cecelia had kissed him. He raised his fingers to see if it was real, but it disintegrated into a light, red dust at his touch. He sighed and headed in to the shower. He had a job to do and he couldn't afford any distractions. Once he was clean and dressed he went downstairs to the in-hotel restaurant for the 'Continental' breakfast. It was pretty bland but at least it kept him full. Francine arrived right after breakfast and drove Billy to the meeting location. She was silent as they drove and this made Billy very uncomfortable. "Francine," Billy started, feeling responsible for her mood. "About yesterday-" "No need, Mr. Shore," she replied coldly, her jaw clenched. "It's fine. Fin, cher." That's all she said throughout the entire drive. Billy hated hurting people for any reason, but he forced himself to let it go. He had to concentrate after all. * The first meeting went better than he had expected. Mr. Larson, the advocate for the company, had explained that the company had felt that it was the only place to build that wouldn't have an effect on the local population. Mr. Larson had agreed until Billy pointed out the effect the displaced animals would have. He agreed to at least consider moving the project and to bring the new information to his boss. Feeling elated after his minor victory over the Corporate Suits, Billy decided that a little celebration wouldn't be out of the question. Hoping she wouldn't take his request the wrong way, he asked Francine if she'd show him a nice place to have dinner. She was taken aback by the request but recovered instantly. "I know just the place to take you, cher," she declared as she drove him out of town. Billy was starting to doubt how good an idea it was by the time they pulled up in front of a long shack with a faded sign. He couldn't quite make out what it said in the light that barely filtered through the trees behind him. They entered the shack, Francine leading, and were greeted by a haze of smoke. This caused Billy, who was unused to such things, to erupt in a coughing fit, bringing gales of laughter from the patrons closest to him. Laughing a bit herself, Francine led him to a seat near the bar. The young waitress came over to take their order before they were even seated. "File' for both, p'tit," Fran ordered. She looked at Billy with a naughty glint in her eye before adding "chaud." The waitress smiled evilly at Billy and trotted off to get their food. Billy was quite uncomfortable sitting there at that moment. He thought this must be what a fly caught in a spider's web must have felt like. Thankfully the waitress was back in a flash with two bowls of what looked like an extraordinarily dark and thick stew. Not knowing what to make of it he looked at it as if it was about to bite him. Francine laughed lightly at him. "Go on, cher" she said. "You like it, I promise." Sceptically, Billy picked up his fork and took a bite. Billy's eyes closed as the food seemed to burst with flavour in his mouth. He had never tasted anything so rich and the flavours seemed to be in perfect harmony. As he swallowed his mouth heated up as if he had just stuck a candle inside. The burning sensation was too much for almost all newcomers to the cabin, but to Billy it was just another layer to the meal. He hadn't realized how hungry he had been and practically wolfed down the rest of his plate. Francine looked impressed at the way he handled the spice and laughed at the waitress' shocked expression when he asked for more. The two of them talked about themselves for a while, Billy telling her about his time with Cecelia and Francine telling him about her past. Francine told him that she had divorced her husband when she found out that he was having a fling with his blond bimbo of a secretary. He somehow managed to blame her for it and her two children, barely into their teens, now lived with him and the secretary he had married. She had heard about Billy's loss and felt he would have been a kindred spirit of sorts. Billy explained to her that it wasn't her fault, that he simply couldn't be with someone right now and she understood. He spoke at length about Cecelia, the type of person she had been and their relationship. He never mentioned the presence he felt or how it was always a little nervous around her, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. She agreed that he needed time and told him that she hoped he wouldn't take too long. She drove him back to his hotel and decided to give him his space. As she drove away the presence felt elated. He smiled and headed up to his room. * When Billy got back to his room there was a gift basket full of organic products that had been delivered while he was out. There was some fruit, some bath salts, even a rose-scented candle. Billy looked at the card attached to the basket and smiled as he read it. 'Billy, I'm sorry I came on so strong yesterday. Never forget her. -F' Billy felt the presence stir, as if waiting for something. He took some of the bath-salts and headed to the bathroom, shedding his cloths and his worries along the way. He drew himself a bath and thought about how his day had gone. He was taken aback by the simple fact that someone had actually found him attractive. It's not that he was an ugly person, just average in almost every way. The only person who ever admitted that they found him at all attractive was Cecelia, and he felt a little guilty that he didn't feel the same way about Francine. Billy got in as the room filled with steam from the hot bathwater. The presence gave a nervous feeling as Billy noticed a red glow just at the limit of his vision. Thinking that he had fallen asleep and was dreaming about his love again, he only smiled when he heard her voice say, "Just close your eyes and let me take care of you." He sighed as he felt the salts doing their work on his muscles, working their way around his chest and side like tiny little fingers. He closed his eyes and sighed, luxuriating in the tingling sensation as it spread across his shoulders. This had to be one of the best massages he'd ever received. The fingers stopped suddenly and Billy saw the red light of the presence floating before him. He looked closely and saw the small yet plus-sized form he had burnt in his memory come into being before him. She was no larger then his hand and he noticed that she had sparkling wings, not unlike a dragonfly's, with tiny gemstones and silver veins running through them. She smiled and winked at him, her giggle tinkling like wind chimes in his ear. "C-Cecelia?" The sprightly figure nodded, flying over to Billy landing gently on his shoulder. She kissed him sweetly on the earlobe and whispered to him softly. "I'll be by the plant when you're done, my brave knight." He reddened, thinking that he hadn't heard her old nickname for him since... well, in a while anyways. She giggled again and flew off, a broad smile spread across her translucent features. Billy quickly washed himself and dried off, almost slipping as he ran out of the tiled washroom in his haste to see his love again. He ran over to the plant and noticed a red glow on one of the leaves. He looked closer and saw her lounging in her little red dress, just smiling up at him. "Cecelia," Billy said hesitantly. "Can I ask you something?" Cecelia turned her small face to him, a cheerful smile spread across it. "Anything, sweetheart," she breathed. "Not long after you... I lost you, I thought I could feel a sort of... presence, supporting me in everything I did. Was that you, princess?" Pride and guilt warred on her face. She sat up and crossed her legs in the way she always did when she was thinking something very serious. She took a deep breath. "Well, actually it was," she explained. "I wasn't strong enough yet to make any real contact, so I used a spell to sort of send you my emotions." Billy nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "So, what happened to you since then?" Billy had always wanted to know everything about her. It was one of the things she loved about him. "Well, the tree that fell down was a sort of summer- home for a faerie, someone powerful in their world." Billy nodded, not completely understanding. "She had actually just lost someone she loved as well. When she saw the devastation it caused you she was able to pull my spirit from my dying body and placed it in a Spirit- Pod-" "Spirit-Pod?" Billy interrupted, clearly confused. "It's kind of like a wooden cocoon," Cecelia explained. "They use it to transfer a soul into a new body, usually from someone who was mortally wounded. The way she explained it was that it makes a copy of the genetic code of a being and translates it into a faerie version of itself before giving it form. I'm not sure of the exact process." She let out a small sigh. "The only drawback was that I had to learn how to use my new body. I was able to learn some faerie magic too, but they couldn't teach me much. "Apparently each Faerie specializes in their own form of magic but no one could figure out what mine was, so I couldn't be apprenticed to the appropriate master. I'm not sure what happened, the spell to let you feel me has never let you see me before. I wonder..." She trailed off into her own thoughts, a little grin playing across her minuscule features. "I have an idea, but I need to check something with the others first. I'll be back soon. I love you, my Knight." She flew out the window in a rush leaving Billy stunned in her tiny wake. * As Billy sat there waiting for Cecelia to come back he ordered room service. While he was eating his large chicken 'gumbo', disappointed that it was nowhere near as good as the one he had in the cabin, his faerie love was at a puddle of murky water at the edge of the bayou. She took the shell of some kind of nut and dipped it in, filling it. She spoke an incantation over it. As she finished the spell the water in the shell turned completely clear. A form slowly materialized inside it, as if stepping out of a fog. "What would you like, young one?" the figure asked in a voice that sounded both old and wise. Cecelia explained what had happened with Billy and the figure nodded sagely. "It sounds like the hotel lies on the cross of two lay lines. This would raise the power of your spells, but why would you need to know that now?" The figure raised an eyebrow as Cecelia explained what she wanted to do for Billy. "It's certainly possible, but you must be careful. There's the chance that this might backfire. The boost of the lay cross may have... unstable affects." Thoughts of Billy clouding her head, Cecelia did not see the look of concern on the figure's face as she nodded her thanks and placed the shell on the ground. As soon as she broke contact the figure disappeared and the water grew murky again. Cecelia flew back to the Hotel, a definitively impish grin on her face. * Billy was lounging in his bathrobe at the table having just finished his burnt piece of what he called 'Manhattan Project Cheesecake' when the red light that was Cecelia flew in excitedly through the open window and landed on the table in front of him. He had to stare at the glow a moment before Cecelia's tiny form materialized before him, but when it did the first thing he noticed was her smile. She was grinning broadly with just the barest hint of mischief. He found himself grinning back. "I have an idea," Cecelia said excitedly. Billy's heart leapt. He had almost forgotten how the dimple on her cheek stood out when she got excited. "What is it, Princess?" He reached over and ran his finger gently along her small arm, careful not to push her over. "You'll see." She winked at him, then turned completely serious. "Now, take the candle from the basket and bring it over to the plant." Billy raised a skeptical eyebrow, but did as she asked, placing the candle on a plate between him and the plant. She flitted over and sat on the same leaf she had used earlier, crossing her legs in a meditative position. She asked Billy to repeat what she said and to light the candle when he was done. He nodded and did as she asked. "Íen scäen heten píritssé oten ówerlú ymén erspectivepá ótén hättë fóén héten neóen Ïén óvelä." As he lit the candle he felt a tingle pass through his body. His skin seemed to ripple as if a horde of maggots was passing just underneath. His bones suddenly felt cold, as if they had been put in him straight from some cosmic freezer. The room spun around him before he feinted dead away. * He came to a moment later, Cecelia's beautiful face hovering inches above his. "How do you feel, sweetie?" Cecelia asked, worry written all over her face. "Like I just woke up out of a dream," Billy replied. "You were there, but you had died and been reborn as a fairy..." As Billy sat up he saw that Cecelia still had her jewelled wings. "It's 'Faerie', actually." She just smiled at him as he looked around. To his amazement they were sitting on a leaf of the plant. It appeared to be about as large as the entire hotel room. He put his hand down on the leaf to steady himself in an effort to stand up. He was surprised to find that it felt spongy to the touch, yet firm enough to support his weight. He looked up at her. "What happened?" Billy asked, confusion clear in his voice. "Why am I on a leaf?" "It's the spell we cast," Cecelia responded with a smile. "It was asking the spirits to let you 'see things from my perspective'. In other words, to make you my size." "OK, I guess that makes sense, but how exactly did I get on the leaf?" Cecelia blushed a little at the question. "After you passed out from the shock, well, I flew you up here." Billy looked at her. He was not entirely at ease with the situation. A discordant thought ran through his brain, causing him to panic. "So, I'll be small like this forever? I can't do that, Princess. People are counting on me to do what I can for the environment. I have to-" "Don't worry, my Knight," Cecelia said with a gentle smile. Billy's panic faded at her words. "The spell is tied to the flame of the candle. As long as it burns, the spell will continue." Her smile changed slightly at this, becoming warmer, more inviting. "I'll be more then willing to blow it out, but all this time watching you without being able to touch you or even talk to you, it's been very lonely for me as well." As Cecelia took his hand he realized just how lonely he had been since the last time they had really been together. Her gentle touch sparked the flames in his heart that he thought had turned to ash long ago. He realized he had been handed a gift like no other, one more chance to be with the woman he loved, even if she was no longer quite human. She pulled him to his feet. He raised his hands to her arms and pulled her into a warm embrace. As he did he marvelled at her skin. She had always used plenty of moisturizers to keep her skin smooth, but her skin as a faerie was smoother and softer then he had ever felt before. He breathed in her scent and sighed. She smelled of Night-Jasmine. It was the only scent that could make his heart race and his breath stop. He raised his lips to hers and brushed lightly against them, just barely tasting the flavour of wild raspberries. He held her tight, his lips pressed against hers. He couldn't believe this was actually happening. Billy ran his fingers lightly over her shoulder blades, goose bumps rising at his touch. He could feel the base of her wings below them, as soft as silk yet at the same time as strong as steel. He reached his right hand up to the single strap of her toga-style faerie dress and pulled it down, the flimsy material sticking on her ample bosom. He kissed down the side of her neck and down her chest to one breast. Billy removed the soft fabric with his teeth before turning his attention to the nipple, licking and sucking, little moans of pleasure coming from Cecelia. He traced a line with his tongue over to her other breast, repeating the process. He pulled the dress down to the leaf below, licking and kissing his way down as she stepped out of the died spider's silk pooling at her feet. When he reached her sweet nexus Billy was impressed by Cecelia's balance as she raised one leg over his shoulder, letting his tongue probe deeper. The flavour was not the semi-sweet tartness that he remembered. In fact she tasted like actual honey. He smiled to himself and worked at her honey pot with abandon, her fingers tangling in his hair as she held him as close to her sex as she could. He was completely amazed as she brought her other leg up to his other shoulder. He stayed upright and was a little confused for a moment before remembering that she had wings and must have been using them to stay above him. Billy was intimately familiar with her nooks and crannies and he manipulated them expertly. It wasn't long before Cecelia's legs were clenching around his head, her moans loud in his ears. Cecelia released her hold on him and let her body just drift lazily downwards until she was standing before Billy in all her naked glory. Billy's breath was taken away as the red glow radiating from her had increased in intensity, making her soft body look as if she were a perfectly crafted ruby statue come to life. She smiled a come-hither grin and reached out her hand. As he took it in his, a tingle spread through his fingers, slowly spreading throughout his entire body. He stood, a feeling of bliss spreading along the same path the tingle took. Cecelia reached down to the cord holding his robe together and with one quick yank left the robe hanging loose, his rod parting the folds of terrycloth. She moved in close, Billy gasping as his hardness pressed against her plush mound. Cecelia gently pushed the robe off of his shoulders and kissed him deeply, the ecstasy now spreading from his lips, then from every spot that her lips made contact as she kissed her way down his body. She knelt before him, studying his member carefully, as if she were trying to fix it in her memory. He squirmed as she ran her fingers over it, testing every spot. He just about hit the roof as she planted a kiss right on the tip. Hearing his pleasured moans made her feel more confident. She wrapped her mouth around his member, teasing any part she could with her tongue. The feel of her expert mouth and tongue combined with the tingling bliss she made him feel was almost to much for Billy to bear. Cecelia noticed the telltale swelling of his head that presaged his orgasm and stopped suddenly. She let him fall from her mouth and stood up. "Not yet, my Knight," she said, a seductive lilt in her voice. "You're not finished yet." After giving him a moment to let his excitement subside Cecelia hugged him around his chest and took to the air. Billy had never been too good when it came to heights, so he just held on, trusting her not to let go. They didn't get very far above the leaf before she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him close. She was tighter then Billy remembered but he slipped into her without any resistance. They fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. Cecelia leaned back, letting Billy's weight drive him in deeper. All thoughts of their height flew right out of his head as he thrust his hips, driving himself as deep into her as he could. Her muscled passage gripped his manhood as he thrust in and out, as if she wanted to keep him inside of her as long as possible. Cecelia moaned in ecstasy, her nails carving shallow rivulets in Billy's shoulders. Her muscles spasmed as she came, trapping his engorged rod deep inside of her. He couldn't hold back any longer. His entire body shuddered as he shot spray after spray of sticky, ivory seed into her hungry womb. Billy looked his faerie love in her Emerald eyes. "I love you, my Princess," He said, a silly grin plastered on his face. Forgetting where they were he rolled off of her and shocked them both by hovering there on his back beside her. Cecelia's eyes widened as she noticed he had what looked to be alabaster bat wings growing out of his back where she had scratched him. Billy didn't appear to notice the change. He just reached out and took her hand. The blissful feeling spread through their touch, leaving both floating above the leaf, just staring into each other's eyes. They slowly floated downwards, landing softly on the leaf below. Cecelia gave him the once over, amazed at the subtle transformation. His once grey eyes now shone silver. He stood with a confidence that he had lacked earlier and his body shone with an inner glow not unlike hers, only it was a gentle Sky Blue. "Thank you." Billy said simply. When Cecelia looked confused he continued, smirking. "That was the most wonderful experience I've ever had. Do you think we need to be here to do it again?" Cecelia was worried. She hadn't expected the transformation. She told him to hold on a moment and flew over to the candle. The flame was already extinguished, smothered by the candle's own wax. Overcome by the guilt and joy warring within her she flew back to Billy, falling into his arms. "I'm so sorry, my Knight," she said, burying her head in his chest. "I don't know when it happened. The Candle went out and you're not human anymore." "What do you mean?" Billy asked confused. "Not human any more? How can that be? I still feel like me." "Come with me." She grabbed Billy's arm and flew over to the bathroom, landing in front of the wall-sized mirror. Billy's jaw dropped as he saw the two of them reflected back at them. Two tiny people, glowing with an inner light, with wings that drew the eye. He examined their naked forms in the mirror, searching for similarities and differences. Then he did something that confused Cecelia. He laughed. "This is great," Billy said happily. Cecelia looked at him incredulously, not knowing what to make of this. "Don't you see, Princess? We can be together again. We can build a happy little life for us now." Cecelia laughed out loud and jumped in his arms, almost throttling him in the process. Returning to the hotel room, Cecelia mumbled some words over the bed. Billy stared in awe as an exact clone of his human body appeared in the bed. "It's so they don't think you've run away or been kidnapped," Cecelia explained. They hurriedly dressed and flew off toward the horizon and their new life together, hand in hand, neither one looking back. * Billy didn't answer the door when Francine came to pick him up for the meeting the following day. Expecting him to be ready to go, she became worried. She explained what was wrong to the Manager. Recognizing Billy's name, he agreed to let her in to the Hotel Room to check if he was alright. She immediately wished she hadn't. Billy's body was found in his bed, a silly grin plastered on his cold face, eyes wide and staring. The candle was found by the plant, smothered in its wax. The Coroner said he had died of heart failure some time overnight. When Mr. Larson heard what had happened he forced the company to move the location of the factory. When asked why he only said, "It was a dying man's last request." When it came time to bury the body they were mystified. The body was gone. All that was left in the freezer drawer was a pile of mud and vines in a vaguely human form. No one ever found the missing body or reported seeing him since. To this day no one knows the truth, that he's happy and healthy living with his family in a commune of Faeries in a remote part of the Bayou. END * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * It's okay to *READ* stories about unprotected sex with others outside a monogamous relationship. But it isn't okay to *HAVE* unprotected sex with people other than a trusted partner. 4-million people around the world contract HIV every year. You only have one body per lifetime, so take good care of it! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Kristen's collection - Directory 59