Of Field Mice, Hares, and Goons

(Based off of the popular children's tune. Little Bunny Foo Foo..... cause I like to stay up REALLY late and do these kinds of things)

A girl scout skipped home from a meeting one evening. The whole time, she was singing the new song that she heard there. The song was about a rabbit who hopped through a forest, and killed field mice for fun. Eventually in the song, the good fairy got mad at the rabbit and turned her into a goon. When she came into her house singing the song, her grandmother gave her a look of scolding.
"Do not sing that song." she said scornfully to her grand daughter.
The girl looked up at her grandmother with huge green eyes.
"Why not granma?" she asked.
Her grandmother sighed and beckoned for her to come sit on her lap.
"I'll tell you why" she said thoughtfully.

"Once upon a time....." she began.....

...in a time when fairies and other fantastic creatures lived in harmony. Before the age of man. The world was covered in lush green forests, azure blue seas that shined like saphire under the sun, and majestic purple mountains that seemed to pierce the sky.
One of these forests was a part of the court of the Good Fairy. The Good Fairy was a beautiful fae. Her hair was like a golden river that rushed over the pebbles and rocks in the morning sun. Her eyes, the color of spring sprinkled with amber. Her skin was so pale, that even the man in the moon might have envied it. Her lips were soft, and pink. The same shade of a baby kitten's nose. She was tall and willowy, but still a portrait of all that is beautiful. She did not have wings however. She did not feel the need for them. She preferred to walk among her court.
One day, while she was in her herb garden planting rosemary, a messanger approached her.
Bowing clumsily he informed her of a mischevious hare who was causing havoc for the field mice within her court.
The rabbit's name was Foo Foo.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the forest, a large lean hare was indeed hopping through the forest. Scooping up field mice and bopping them on the head as she went. This hare wasn't much to look upon. Her ears were uneven. One flopped down over her face, while the other stood up straight. Like a pine tree. Her grey-brown fur was tangled and gnatted with leaves and dirt and other disgusting gross things. Her large black eyes had a mischevious shean to them.
Everyone in the forest knew who she was. As she hopped through forest village to forest village, she left a trail of unconcious field mice, big and small, in her wake. When each day came to a closing, she would sit under the biggest oak in the middle of the forest to eat all that she had looted as she went. She only took food. She left the belongings of all the mice to them. What little mouse treasure could be of value to her?

When this news reached the Good Fairy's ears, she just smiled and shook her head.
"I'll take care of it. Take this message to Foo Foo." she said to the messanger.
"I'll give her three days to stop her antics, and then I'll turn her into the most disgraceful creature in the forest."
The messanger nodded, clumsily bowed, then went off to deliver the message.

Foo Foo continued to hop through the forest as she always did. At about noon, she came upon a clearing. She hopped slowly into it, then hid behind a rock when she saw that a Fae was already there  training by himself. She watched him as he stood on a small tree stump in complete concentration. His  long silver hair was tied back in a pony tail, revealing his long elven ears. His skin was a tan mixed with a tint of green like noone she had ever seen. She watched him as he stood there on the tip toes of one foot. Sword out and still. He was so quiet. So tranquil. She was tempted to throw something at him. Of course, being the mischevious creature she was, she picked up a pine cone and threw it at him.

Brom stood there. He needed to concentrate and there was nowhere else that he could do it quietly other than this place. Not only that, but it was prettier than his mountain where he came from. Nothing would bother him. He was one with... something hard bounced off the elf's head. His flaming eyes burst open. He looked down over his shoulder and saw the pine cone. He stared at it for a moment, and then around to where it might have came from. Suddenly, with the loss of concentration, he realized that his balance was off, and he fell off of the stump, immediatly transfering to a fighting stance.

Foo Foo snickered as  she watched this. He was fun to tease, she decided. She threw a few more pine cones his way.
Brom saw these come at him and he raised his sword, cutting them apart before they hit him.

"Good block" she said peaking slightly over the rock at him still giggling at his dismay.
"Who are you?" Brom said standing straight and looking around.
"Although it was better when I knocked you off of the tree stump" she continued.
Brom looked around some more. Where was that voice coming from? Who was it?
"I would hardly think I was funny" he growled. "Now come out! Show me who you are!"
She sighed. He was so demanding.
"Why should I?" she asked.
"Ummmm.... Because." he barked.
"And what are you going to do if I don't?"
"I'll... I'll..." Brom didn't know what he'd do. He had been in many battles before, but none as aggravating as this one. She was so stupid, he didn't know what to make of it. And he couldn't just out right kill her. She hadn't done anything to threaten him.
"Well? What will you do Mr. Elf?" she asked again.
"I'll... Not do anything." he finally said.
Foo Foo grinned and laughed.
"Then I shant, come out and reveal myself to you." she mocked. She then promptly picked up another pine cone and threw it at him. Brom blocked it.
"Please" another  one came hurtling at him, he blocked it. "Just do as I ask. I promise" another pine cone. Blocked.
"No harm will come to you"
Foo Foo stopped in mid throw in thought for a few moments. She bit her lip gently, then nodded.
"Alright then. That's fair enough."
She put down the pine cone and hopped up onto the rock, and spreaded her arms out.
"I am Foo Foo." she said after a few minutes of him watching her with a disgusted look.
"Yes... I know who you are now." he said. He turned and sat down on the tree stump.
"Everyone knows of you" he said.
She laughted.
The laugh was then followed by an awkward silence.

"So... Who are you?" she asked after a moment of this.
"Sir Brom. Of the..." he almost answered when there was a sudden loud sound. The sound was like a horn mixed with a moose call.
Brom jumped up, relieved. He was being summoned. He no longer wanted to be around this disgusting hare.
"Never mind. I must leave." he said. And before she could say anything, he picked up his sword and ran off through the forest.

Foo Foo sighed. He was quite handsome, but for some reason, she felt that he was a bit shallow. She watched his retreating back for a moment, then turned to go back to the oak. There behind her was the messanger. She jumped. Startled by his sudden appearance.
He clumsily bowed.
"Hallo! I am the messanger of the Good Fairy. I bring you a message from her." he announced.
Foo Foo nodded.
"What does she want?" she asked.
"She requests that you discontinue your ways of causing havoc for the field mice."
"What if... I refuse?"
"She says that you have three days to change your antics, and she will turn you into the most disgraceful creature in the forest"

Foo Foo mocked a frightened look.
"Oh my! I should stop hurting the poor field mice!" she said.
The messanger looked proud of himself as she picked up a wondering field mouse and stroked it softly.
"I'm sowwy wittle gwuy." she said rubbing noses with it, trying to gain its trust it seemed.
"Good. I shall tell the Good Fairy that you have changed indeed." and with that, he bowed clumsily again and turned to return to the Good Fairy's castle. Foo Foo waited till he was out of sight before she promptly bopped the field mouse in her hand over the head.

The Good Fairy was seated at breakfast when once again she was approached by the messanger who bowed clumsily.
"My Lady... I was mistaken. Foo Foo has not stopped her bullying of the field mice" he said.
"I see... Well perhaps we should use a more stronger force." she said taking a bite out of the grape fruit she had before her.
"Send out Brom with this message." she said.
"Foo Foo has now two days left, and then I'll change her into the most disgraceful creature in the forest."
The messanger nodded and left her hall to deliver the message to Brom.

The next day was no different from any other day. Foo Foo continued to hop through the forest, from village to village, knocking out field mice as she went. This time, at around noon, she came upon a path. Tired from her hopping, scooping, and bopping, she decided to take a rest underneath a tree. Scarcely had she closed her eyes for a nap, when she heard something moving along the path. She opened her eyes, and looked down the path.

There was a large dark figure moving slowly towards her. She couldn't tell what it was exactly. It had a very very dark aura around it. Something inside her almost made her want to run off. But she didn't. She continued to watch as it passed by her.

Intrigued as it started to put some distance between her and it, she decided to follow it. She caught up enough, that there was three feet between her and the strange creature. Suddenly, without warning, it stopped. Voices began to fill her head.
Some of the voices begged and pleaded with her to go back. Yet others beckoned her to come even closer. And still others just groaned with anguish and pain.

Ciaran moved slowly. He usually wasn't out at all, but for some reason, he felt the need to be out of the palace. He existed as the only  dark creature inside of the Good Fairy's castle. It was her belief that, to even out the good, you need a little evil. Just like a painting could not be all white or all black, it needed a mix of both. That was why he was there. The day was cloudy, so it was perfect for him. He had covered his black skin with a giant black cloak, to hide his features.
As he walked, he suddenly sensed the presence of a small creature following him. He hadn't eaten yet today, and he was feeling a bit hungry, so he wondered if this small creature would be fit enough to eat. He believed in being fair. He always questioned his food before actually eating them. If they passed, he'd go find something else to eat, but if they didn't...
He stopped. At this point, the creature should have ran off with the voices. He waited for a moment. Foo Foo was not bothered much by the voices, and continued to move forward a bit. She stopped when the voices stopped. But instead a new voice began. It was dark, and dripped with malice.
"Stupid? Brave? or curious?" Ciaran asked.
Foo Foo didn't answer. She could sense that he wasn't a normal fae. She'd never seen a fae like this.
Ciaran laughed softly.
"I see... You're a hare. Tell me. Which do you prefer? The sun? Or the Moon?" he asked.
He was giving her a riddle of some sort Foo Foo decided. Riddles she could handle. She smirked.
"Neither. For I prefer the stars. They are the children of the  moon, but they act as the sun does." she said. Inside she laughed. That sounded clever enough.
Ciaran thought for a moment. His back towards her. He had never heard that sort of answer before. Prehaps she wasn't as dumb as he had thought.
"Alright little one, tell me this. Life or death?" He smirked to himself. It was always this question that stumped most creatures.
"Neither, for both bring happiness and sorrow to me." she said. It was not the truth obviously. Foo Foo much preferred life over death, but she wanted to stump this Fae and his questions. She wanted to sound intelligent.
Ciaran nodded. She did seem very clever indeed. He decided against on eating her. Cleverness in the world would help balance out the stupidity, in his opinion.

"One last question." he said.
"Who is your master?"
Foo Foo was a little shocked by this question. Who WAS her master? She didn't think she had a master. She knew of the Good Fairy, but she didn't consider her a master.
"I have none sir." she said.
"There is the Good Fairy who is mistress over this land, and she has scolded me once already, but I do as I please, satisfying myself and only myself."
Ciaran nodded. It was a good answer. Perhaps this small creature would make for good company as he walked.
"Walk with me then." he said. He finally turned, transforming into something a little less frightening. His skin was as pale as the moon herself, his hair was long and amber colored, like the jewel. Within the small light there was, she could see that his hair still glimmered brightly. His eyes were a dark grey with small flecks of azure blue. Indeed in this form, he was quite handsome.
Less frightened now, she approached him. She felt a sudden trust within those grey eyes.
Ciaran smiled.
"Do not worry, I shant eat you." he said chuckling softly to himself.

As they walked, they talked about the forest, and about Foo Foo. Very little was said about Ciaran, aside from his name.  There was a little laughter as she told him jokes that amused him.
"So... where are you from?" She finally asked.
"I've told you all about myself, but so little was said of you."
Ciaran was silent for a moment. He didn't think this little acquaintance would like it if he suddenly said he was from the court of the Good Fairy. He shrugged.
"I am a wanderer. I've traveled so much that I do not remember where I am from." he lied.
She blinked and thought about that, and then she shrugged too.
"Good enough for me." she said grinning.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Clever as she was, that was easily pulled over her.
They continued down the path when suddenly he heard something. He turned quickly and looked back the way they had come.
She stopped and looked up.
"What is it?" she asked.
Ciaran narrowed his eyes, and then looked at her.
"I'm sorry, but I must leave you now. It was nice to meet you, and I hope we'll meet again." he said. He bowed, and then  disappeared in a black puff of smoke.
She blinked. That was the second handsome Fae she had met that had to leave. She shook her head and then turned and continued to hop down the path, when Brom came riding up  to her, on a pure white horse, from the direction she was traveling.
"Aha! I have found you." he said triumphantlly from his horse.
She looked up at him with a very sarcastic look.
"And why have you been looking if I may so ask?" she questioned tilting her head to one side.
"I am an agent of the Good Fairy." he announced.
"And I bring a message from her grace."
"Deja vu." she muttered to herself.
"Now what does she want?"
"She wants you to stop causing havoc upon the field mice."
"And if I don't?"
"She said you now have two days to stop your evil ways, and then she will turn you into the most disgraceful creature in the land."
Brom looked at her, his eyes suddenly filled with pity.
"Why Foo Foo do you do what you do? Are you really that cold and heartless?" he asked her.
Another field mouse came scrambling off of a rock and tried to go past her. She caught it and grinning evily she raised her hand to bop it.
"FOO FOO! Look at it!" he said hopping off of his horse.
"Can't you see the that it has family? A LIFE!?"
Foo Foo narrowed her eyes at him, and then looked down into the frightened mouse's tiny beady little eyes.
Her face crinkled up with sadness as she saw the mouse's fear.
"You're right! How could I be so heartless and cold?" she sobbed stroking the mouse comfortingly on the head. Brom sighed with relief and patted her shoulder as she cried.
"It's alright." he said.
"I'm sure they'll forgive you." he said.
She continued to cry, hugging the mouse to herself. Brom, proud of himself, left her side and jumped back onto his horse.
"Thank you Foo Foo." he said. He then turned and sped his horse back towards the castle.

Once he was out of ear-shot, Foo Foo stopped crying and looked up. She grinned evily.
"I may be cold and heartless." she muttered to herself, holding the mouse out before her.
"But it's not much fun being nice either." she said. With that philosophy in mind, she promptly bopped the mouse over the head and headed back to her tree.

The next day, the Good Fairy was sitting in an herbal bath full of rose petals and lavendar when the messanger came up to her. He closed his eyes and bowed clumsily.
"Your grace! Foo Foo continues to cause havoc on the field mice!" he said with his eyes still closed.
She sighed. This was turning out to be more of a problem than it needed to be.
"So Brom has failed... That's twice now, and I'm getting annoyed." she said.
"Give this message to Ciaran to give to Foo Foo." she said.
The messanger bowed clumsily and went off to do her bidding. She sighed again.
"Why are you doing this Foo Foo?"

The hare continued her trek through the forest. Still continuing to scoop up field mice and knock them out, leaving piles of unconscious field mice here and there. This time, she didn't feel like stopping or resting. She didn't want anymore messages from the Good Fairy. She just wanted to live her life how she wanted to. Her mind kept going back to Ciaran. Out of the two Faes she had met, he was the most attractive. Not only that, but he didn't look at her with disgust. Granted, he DID threaten to eat her. She shook her head. She was a hare, and he was a Fae. No way in all the land, would a relationship like that work. Just the feeling of awkwardness made her shutter.
The day seemed to end early this day. She made her way back to the great oak after all of the day's random activities. As she approached the tree, she stopped. She saw a dark figure at the tree already. She recognized the large black figure. It was Ciaran.

Ciaran sat on one of the great roots of the tree and waited for Foo Foo. He did not bother to change when she appeared from out of the brushes. There was no need to. He wasn't gonna stay very long. He wanted to relay the message to her, and then be on his way.
Foo Foo approached the tree cautiously.
"Ciaran? Why are you here?" she asked. "You aren't an agent of the Good Fairy too are you?"
Ciaran stood up.
"I've come to relay a message to you from her grace." he said with out emotion.
Foo Foo's nose twitched angrily.
"I know I know. She wants me to stop torturing the field mice. And if I don't, I have one more day before she changes me into the most disgraceful creature in the land. Am I right?"
Ciaran blinked.
"You are correct. I suppose you've heard the same message..."
"You would be the third person to inform me of this." she said.
Ciaran smiled and bowed.
"I see. Then you are very smart" he said.
Foo Foo nodded sarcastically and waved him off.
"Go away already." she said.
Ciaran stepped back a bit.
"I am." he said, the smile wiped from his face.
With that, he disappeared in a puff of black smoke.
Foo Foo sighed, and plopped down in a crook between the roots of the oak. She felt betrayed somehow. She didn't know why though. She picked up a rock and threw it towards the forest. A satisfying thunk meant she hit a tree. She sighed, and fell into an uneasy sleep.

The next day, as if she had forgotten all of the other days' events, she hopped from village to village. The path was littered with mice who had been knocked unconcious by her.
The Good Fairy had heard that Foo Foo still presisted to run havoc. Angered by this hare's rebellious nature, she called a couple gaurds to come with her as she sought out the rabbit.

She found Foo Foo in the evening just as the sun was about to set.
"Foo Foo!" she said loud enough to awaken the bunny.
Foo Foo woke up with a start, and jumped when she realized who it was.
"Foo Foo, I have given you three chances to stop your trouble, and yet you disobeyed. Why?" she asked scornfully.
Foo Foo stood up straight and brave.
"I do not take orders from anyone. I refused to obey, because I didn't want to do what I was ordered. I am a free spirited creature, and will not take any requests or orders from anyone." she said steadily.
The Good Fairy did not like this answer.
"I can not take that as an excuse. Thrice you have ignored me, now I shall punish you."
Foo Foo bowed.
"Go ahead your grace. I know I more than deserve it. But know this. Whatever my punishment, my nature will not change." she said.
"That fact has been dully noted. As punishmet for you Foo Foo. I shall keep to my promise of turning you into the most disgraceful creature in the land."
"Helkaer....Caela ie'lle!" she muttered softly, her spring green eyes burning with fury.
Foo Foo stood still through out the Fairy's wrath. She closed her eyes as magic swirled around her like a torrent of wind. It picked up the leaves and pine needles. The air suddenly grew heavy, and the swirls around her stabbed at her like knives. Still she kept quiet. This was her punishment.
When everything was finally stilled, she opened her eyes. The forest was dark and quiet. The Good Fairy had gone. She had been knocked over. Pain spread through her body as she moved to get up.  She looked at her hand. The Good Fairy had kept to her promise. Her fingers were webbed, and covered in thick black fur. She felt her face. Her nose was now elongated, and flat. The Good Fairy had turned her into a goon. She looked down and there was a sheet of paper with the name "burraidh" written on it.
She lifted it up, and smiled. It still wouldn't change her nature. And with that, she continued to go from village to village.
She continued to do this, until finally, the Good Fairy banished her from the forest.
Burraidh continued to wonder around the world, and no one from the forest court heard from her again.

"The End." said the grandmother. She looked at her grand daughter.
"Is there a moral to the story?" she asked.
Her grandmother nodded with a small smile.
"The moral is A hare today, and a goon tomorrow" she said.