Two Worlds In One

         Rystique is my name and I am the lone being of my kind, the only fairy with such a bizarre and twisted gift. I survive off the life force of other living beings, and it’s seen by most as inhumane and cruel. But I cannot help this, as it is my nature to do such things. Now that I have your curiosity brewing, I will tell you the story of my life.

         Twenty years ago a forbidden love took place. My mother, Shinar, was a fairy like me, who had an extremely rebellious nature. She went against her parents who had expressly laid out the only rule, which governs our fairy world. It stated that no fairy should change size and enter the mortal world, nor should he or she fall in love with any man or woman from that sector.

         There isn’t one fairy here that knows the consequences of disobeying this law, as they have all followed it. The only exception being my mother. Not only did she use her powers to make herself big and enter the mortal’s domain, she also fell in love with a man. He wasn’t like any man we’ve heard about, as he possessed a quality no other mortal has-immortality.

         He prowled the streets at night in search of victims. When he or she suited his fancy, he brought them to their death by sucking the red fluid out of them. A vampire is what I hear you mortals call him. That isn’t all, for he’s also Jacob, my father.

         After Mother’s fling had ended, she returned home. When others of our kind asked where she had been, Shinar simply told them she’d gone on an adventure. Honesty was a belief among us here, so no one pried any further and took what was said as truth. They should’ve probed Mother for more information; then they would’ve known she was with child.

         However, Mother remained reticent as long as she could and then the days came when her belly grew and she could no longer hide it. She stayed inside the house and when visitors would stop by she gently shooed them away. She gave the excuse she was working on something important, which in a way was true.

         Months passed, and one sunny day Mother secretly called the doctor to her house, as it was time for my birth. The doctor came immediately but was very disappointed in Mother because of her secrecy.

         After I was born, the doctor’s face went pale when he saw me; however, Mother thought I was a beautiful child and she wanted to show me off to everyone. Sadness struck her when she realized she may have pushed her friends and family away too much and now they might not return. Just the opposite happened as my crying echoed through the magical kingdom and brought its dwellers to our house.

         Faces peered through the windows and Mother quickly took notice. Her pride grew along with her excitement and she could no longer stand it. Quickly, she wrapped me up in a fuzzy, pale blue blanket and rushed outside. The doctor followed close behind.

         A circle formed around us and looks of shock and astonishment were painted on everyone. These reactions only lasted until Mother unveiled me. The fairies gasped and drew back away from us into their own huddled group.

         “You’re cursed, Shinar! The child you hold isn’t one of us!” Papa Fairy, our leader, shouted.

         “How could you bring a child like this into our world?” inquired Mama Fairy sternly. She, as you have probably guessed, is Papa’s wife. “His skin isn’t shimmery and golden like ours. He’s too white, his hair is as dark as night, and his eyes show little mercy.”

         Mother’s sister then gained courage to speak out. “Where’ve you been?” Monique asked worriedly.

         My mother started to cry at the harsh questions and thoughtless words of the others, but she knew inside that she had brought this on herself. Mother then twisted her sadness into anger and revealed her secret. “I did what was forbidden and went to the mortal world,” she replied with a harsh tone.

         Again gasps of shock rang out and in addition, a few fairies fainted, as they could no longer handle the outrage of Shinar. Papa and Mama Fairy became very stern as they broke away from the group and approached Mother. “You mean to tell us that not only did you visit the humans, you fell in love with one as well?” Papa interrogated.

         “Yes, I did.” Mother stated and then quickly began to explain herself. “But he wasn’t like any human you’ve warned me about.”

         “Oh, so I guess that makes it okay, doesn’t it?” Mama scolded.

         “No. I... I didn’t say that!” Mother cried.

         “Then what are you saying, Shinar?” Papa folded his arms as his wings fluttered from fits of anger. “I mean, look at your baby. What kind of human could aid in such a ghastly looking child?”

         Mother’s tears continued to flow as she answered him. “He’s a...” She took a deep breath and let it out. “He’s a vampire!”

         The fairies left in the group either fainted like the others before them, or they ran screaming back to their homes.

         “You knew this and you slept with him anyway?” It was Mama’s turn to flutter her wings.

         “Yes,” Mother replied, as she dropped her eyes to the ground.

         Mama didn’t say a word as she flew away to a sacred land and said a few prayers for Shinar. She did this in hopes that the gods would forgive Shinar, but Mama knew in her heart this might not happen.

         Papa on the other hand, stood his ground. “Shinar, there’s only one kind of punishment for this crime.”

         Mother shifted her gaze to Papa and asked sensitively, “Which is?”

         “Death!” he retorted. “But not by any of us here. You will die at the hands of the one who loved you.”

         “No!”

         “But before you return to the mortals, you’ll be stripped of all your powers, and especially your wings. You will be as we fairies fear to say...human. Your child will be left with us where he’ll grow and be given a chance to prove his worth.”

         “No, please, Papa! Don’t do this!” Mother pleaded as she dropped to her knees in a desperate attempt to save her life.

         “I’m sorry, my dear, but you know you’ve brought this on yourself. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.” Papa dropped his arms and began to walk away.

         Shinar stood up and placed me in the doctor’s arms who amazingly still remained at her side. She then flew after Papa and managed to stop him in his tracks.

         “Please, Papa. I’m on my knees begging you. Don’t do this!”

         “It’s too late. It is done.”

         With those words, Mother lost her powers and vanished to be with the humans.

         Reluctantly, I was taken in by Mama and Papa Fairy whose love for me grew as I did. They weren’t the only ones to fall in love with me as the whole colony of fairies did the same. In fact, everyone took part in giving me the name Rystique. It’s very unusual, I agree. But so am I.

         I started out being fed coconut milk, which satisfied me for a while, but as I grew older and developed teeth, fruits and berries were gathered from various trees and bushes for me to eat. This was all well and good. However, when I reached the mere age of two, the fear began. You see, my vampire fangs had grown in completely and the need for blood was overpowering my senses. I could no longer contain the vile instinct of killing that lay within me.

         A mysterious plague soon hit our kingdom of Majestic Waters and panic was wide spread. You may think it’s strange that grown fairies were frightened of such a young child, but you mustn’t forget I possessed not only the magic and agility of a fairy, but also the preternatural strength and coldness of a vampire.

         With these two worlds living within me, it had been rumored that I had the might and beauty of a god, which is only to grow stronger with age.

         Eventually I was caught by two fairy warriors and put into a cage with thick metal bars. This made me fierce as my needs to kill and feed were repressed. You can’t blame me for my actions, as I was a child and didn’t know that what I was doing was wrong.

         “I knew this was going to happen. It was just a matter of time,” Papa Fairy stated with a sad tone. He and Mama were watching my cage as it was being loaded onto a carriage drawn by horseflies.

         “But, Papa, must we send him away? I still love him like he’s one of our own,” Mama said through painful sobs.

         Papa put an arm around her and brought her closer to him. “I know, dear, but this is the best thing for him. He’ll be taken to a cabin in the forest where he’ll meet with Artemis.”

         “The goddess of the moon? But how can she possibly help him?” Mama was still crying while the carriage was departing.

         “Once with Artemis, Rystique will learn how to hunt, as her majesty knows the art well. Our son will find animals for the blood he needs; therefore, he will not be killing creatures like us.”

         Mama sighed. “Yes, Papa. I see that you’re right.”

         Without further discussion, Mama and Papa Fairy visited panic-stricken families and did their best to calm them down. They also tried to pour reassurance out to them that everything was safe, but as you can imagine, it didn’t take effect right away.

         For years I grew up under the care of our moon goddess, who was as beautiful as a blooming lily. She had the fragrance of the night and the gracefulness of a prowling panther. The forest was a sacred place to her.

         While living with Artemis, changes within me began to take place. At the age of ten, I could no longer venture out into the daylight, as Helios, our sun god, saw it necessary for the sun to be my enemy. However, when I dared to challenge him, I wore a long, white hooded robe that kept me covered and reflected the harmful rays of the sun.

         By the time I turned sixteen, Artemis had fully instructed me on how to use both my vampire and fairy powers. It surprised me that she knew so much about both worlds, and it was then, as we sat at her kitchen table, she explained to me how she had obtained this knowledge.

         “First of all, Rystique, I’m very old as we immortals tend to be after many years of living,” she intoned in a very calm and soft voice.

         “But you look so young,” I protested.

         “Yes, I know. Surprising isn’t?” I nodded my head. “Anyway, it’s because of my immortality I’m able to soak up so much information. So many places I’ve been to and so numerous are the years that have passed before me...”

         “It must have been amazing to see such transactions!”

         She smiled and then sighed. “It was.”

         “But how do you know about vampires? I mean, I’m the only one, or part vampire, that existed among the fairies. How did you come across the lessons that helped me so?”

         “My child, you’re only seeing the picture in front of you. I’m not only the moon goddess of the fairies, but also of the humans. It’s from watching mortals that I’ve learned about vampires.” She stood up and walked over to the stove and put a kettle of water on for tea.

         “Oh, I see. However, another question has arisen.” I waited for my mentor to finish brewing her tea before I continued.

         “Yes. What is it? You know you can ask me anything,” she said reassuringly as she reclaimed her chair.

         “What do you think about vampires, now that you’ve gotten to know one of their kind?” I beseeched seriously, as my eyes grew firm and cold as if in a warning.

         “I think they’re you know...interesting phenomena.” I watched her intently as she took a small sip of the hot liquid.

         Seething hatred pierced through my heart and veins, as I knew what she was truly saying. “You lie, Your Majesty!” I accused in a hoarse manner.

         “What?”

         “You have apparently forgotten the most important power a vampire possesses-telepathy.” I quickly stood up and flipped the wooden table, spilling Artemis’ tea all over her.

         “Ahh!” she screamed as the steaming substance scalded her sensitive skin. “Rystique, what are you saying? I’ve never taught you to read minds.”

         I glared into her ice blue eyes as they filled with fear at my advancing closeness. “You’re right. You didn’t. I taught myself.” I tilted my head back and let out an evil laugh. Sarcasm then took over. “It’s so nice to know you love us like all the others. Even your words are the same.”

         “And what words would they be exactly?” she managed to choke out, as I mockingly stroked her long blue hair.

         “Vile. Disgusting. Repulsive.” The fairy in me was about to overpower the vampire and force me to walk away, for how could I harm something so beautiful and innocent?

         However, it was the sigh that escaped the moon goddess’ throat that gave me the confirmation that what I read in her mind was true.

         Rage swelled within me, which caused me to latch onto Artemis’ hair and pull her out of her chair. “Ouch!” she cried grabbing my hand that held her hair. Desperately, with kicks and punches, she tried to squirm out of my grasp but her efforts came to no avail. Before another word was uttered out of her supple lips, I sank my teeth into her warm and smooth neck. Through her muttered scream I continued to drink her blood, feeling the warmth of it in my veins and hearing the pulse of it in my ears.

         After her body fell limp in my arms, I dropped her to the floor. “Ha! Now how immortal are you, my love?” I sneered and ran out into the night.

         It was then I made a vow never to drink blood again and to repress the vampire within me. I must bring out the fairy side and live off that. It was a hard task but I had to do it, for I could not stand the full-blown rage the vampire part brought out. I wouldn’t kill again if I could help it. I did not know what would happen to me if I didn’t feed, but I figured I would find out.

         For years I wandered about from place to place and with each passing day the need for blood soared to its zenith. I tried filling this void by sleeping or feeding on berries and fruits, but this only helped for minutes at most. The lack of blood was getting to me now as I was losing my strength, and I became disoriented. As if that wasn’t bad enough, my memories left me and I forgot who I was, where I came from, or even where I was going. I didn’t even know where I was or how I had found my way back to this familiar forest.

         One lesson Artemis taught me was to always remember who you are for you must do this in order to survive. If you lose yourself, for whatever reason, you’ll die in mind and soul, and therefore, in basic terms, be nonexistent.

         While I sat on a stone in the midst of the forest, a man appeared to me, or so I thought that was what he was. He told me he could help me remember myself and also that what I was doing to survive wasn’t wrong, but what my species is meant to do, no matter how repulsive it may seem.

         I followed him back to his lair, which was the underworld, and I came to call this man Hates, as he’s the god of the dead. He gave me a scarlet colored drink and as I consumed the substance, I remembered it was called blood. He then told me this story, which I’ve told you, to spark some kind of fuse in my brain.

         A great rush of warmth and what felt like electricity filled my whole being. I remembered everything from who I was to what I’d done. Once I saw that Hates wasn’t a threat to me, I proceeded to ask him a few questions. “If Artemis thought of me as a repulsive creature, then why didn’t she try to destroy me?”

         In a deep voice he answered, “Because death isn’t her domain and she only did what was asked of her and that was to teach you things.”

         This made sense to me. “But then what of my mother? Did she really die like Papa Fairy said she would?”

         With a wave of his hand, Hades forced open a door, and behind it were the souls of the dead. Among them, I saw my mother. Grief struck me but I repressed it.

         As for my past, I don’t regret it any more, as Hades has taught me that the vampire in me isn’t a creature of evil but just another species of man and myth rolled into one. He said evil is just a title you give something you dislike or is unjust to you. Therefore, if I call you evil, is that what you really are? No, of course not. You are different from me but not evil.

         If you wish to remain alive, the same should be said when you view me. Just remember that when I cross your path one day.