Faban is lonely wind fairy. The devastating war between the Chantria kingdom and the Evil Fairy named Laverna claimed the lives of both his parents. With no known family left, he found himself in the care of an orphanage near the Galethorn Hollow & Radiant Gardens region.
The orphanage, Aether Glimmer, specifically caters to wind and sparkle child fairies who have lost their parents, much like Faban and his fellow orphans.
Unfortunately, Faban has found it difficult to make friends within the confines of the orphanage. At just 4 years old, he is much younger than the other children, who range from 7 to 12 years old. The older kids tend to keep their distance, fearing the responsibility of looking out for Faban, who hasn't been taught to fly like them.
It's not his fault, though. His parents never had the chance to pass on their knowledge before their tragic demise.
The caretaker of the orphanage is also too busy to teach Faban to fly, and most of the games the other children play require the ability to soar through the sky with their own wings.
This creates a barrier between Faban and the rest of the kids, isolating him further. They perceive him as a hindrance, someone who can't fully participate in the fun, and always needs someone to keep an eye on him due to his young age.
As a result, Faban spends most of his time in solitude. For a whole year, Faban had no one to keep him company, resulting in him rarely speaking unless it was absolutely necessary or when he interacted with the caretaker at the orphanage.
Then, one day, the caretaker gathered all the children and made an announcement.
"Attention all the children. Later on, you will have a new friend. I hope you will all become good friends with each other, alright?" The children of Aether Glimmer orphanage replied in unison,
"Okay, sis!"
Excited by the news, the children engaged in gossip while having their breakfast. "I wonder what the new child will be like. Will she be a wind or sparkle fairy? Will she be nice or mean?" one of the orphanage children pondered aloud. Another child chimed in,
"I don't really know or care about that. What I hope is that she's not too young and can fly, unlike Faban. Ugh," expressing their dissatisfaction. Their friend agreed with their opinion, solidifying their shared sentiment.
When the other fairy kids at the Aether Glimmer orphanage were having fun playing in the grassy area nearby, Faban preferred to hide in his secret spot under the roots of a big tree planted near the back door of the orphanage.
It was a peaceful place where he could be alone without any interruptions from the other kids. Plus, it was close enough to the orphanage in case of an emergency. While Faban was playing and making shadow puppets with his hands and Fairy Flicker, he suddenly noticed that someone else was hiding in the tree roots too.
It was only when the person's shadow blocked his Fairy Flicker that Faban turned around to see who it was. To his surprise, it was another fairy kid he didn't recognize, and this fairy kid didn't have any wings on their back. The unknown fairy kid walked over to Faban.
"What are you doing here?" In a nervous stutter, Faban replied,
"I-i was just playing by myself under this tree... What about you?"
The unknown fairy child revealed that they were new to the area, causing Faban to blush as he realized they were the new orphanage child.
Curiosity sparked in the fairy children's eyes as they asked if they could continue playing shadow puppets together. Not knowing the fairy child's name, Faban questioned, "...why should I play with you when there are other kids around who could play with you?"
The unknown fairy child fell silent for a moment, then explained, "I don't really like playing with them. They're too old for me. I prefer playing with kids my own age." Faban was momentarily taken aback but eventually responded,
"Oh... okay."
They remained silent for several minutes, the atmosphere between them growing increasingly awkward. Finally, the unknown fairy child mustered the courage to ask Faban,
"So, can we play with your shadow puppets again?"
They resumed playing, losing track of time until they realized it was already afternoon. The caretaker of the Aether Glimmer orphanage called all the children inside for dinner.
At night, Faban went to sleep with a sense of happiness because he finally had peers to play with. He was no longer alone, as Shimmer was now by his side. The next day, Faban and Shimmer met again at their secret hiding place.
Despite only knowing each other for a week, Faban and Shimmer were inseparable, as if they had been friends since infancy. The caretaker of the Aether Glimmer Orphanage couldn't help but smile at the close bond between the two fairy children who had lost their families.
The caretaker was glad that Faban had found a close friend in the orphanage. However, amidst Faban's joy, some children in the orphanage felt left out.
They believed that the caretaker favoured Faban and neglected them because of Faban's actions.
One day, while Faban and Shimmer were playing near their hiding tree, a group of older children from the orphanage forcefully grabbed Shimmer's hand while she was sitting next to Faban.
"Hey, let go of me!" Shimmer exclaimed as she was being pulled.
"What are you guys doing to Shimmer?!" Faban asked in surprise.
"Now, it's our turn to play with Shimmer! Stay away, Faban!" said one of the senior fairy children, trying to separate Shimmer from Faban.
"I don't even want to play with you guys! So let go of me!" Shimmer protested.
"Why do you even want to play with this loser? He's useless! He has wings but he can't even fly!" one of the seniors said to Slimmer. Faban's eyes welled up with tears when he heard the hurtful comments.
He was used to being excluded by the other children at the orphanage, but this time they were being openly cruel, right in front of his new best friend, Shimmer.
Shimmer couldn't bear to see Faban being taunted and shouted,
"I don't care if he can't fly! I bet if he could, he'd be the fastest flyer out of all of you!" The older children at the orphanage burst into laughter at Shimmer's outburst. One of the older fairy children with green wings sneered,
"Him being the fastest flyer? That's the funniest joke I've heard all day!"
Faban's tears streamed down his face as he hung his head low, each droplet hitting the ground. Shimmer, witnessing this, felt her anger intensify. In a fit of fury, she lashed out at the seniors without considering her words.
"I'm sure if Faban could fly, he would beat all of you as the fastest flyer!"
The seniors erupted in laughter, mocking Shimmer's ignorance. They reminded her that Faban couldn't fly and scoffed at the idea of him surpassing their years of experience. Sneering at Shimmer, the senior child with red wings made the others join in the mockery. Defending Faban, Shimmer shouted,
"I can teach him to fly!"
This only fueled the laughter of the senior orphanage children. The child of one of the seniors with green wings jeered,
"You think you can teach Faban to fly? Bwahahaha!" One of the senior children with blue wings suggested,
"Why don't we turn it into a bet? Let's have some fun!" A senior child with yellow wings agreed, saying,
"Sounds interesting, let's do it!" Confidently, Shimmer declared,
"Alright then! I bet I can teach Faban to fly, and he'll be the fastest flyer than all of you!" Faban was taken aback by his friend's audacious challenge to the senior children. One of the senior orphanage children with the red-winged extended their hand, proposing a deal.
If Shimmer won the bet, they would leave them alone. But if she lost, Shimmer would be prohibited from playing with Faban or reprimanding him forever. Without hesitation, Shimmer shook their hand, signifying her agreement to the terms of the bet.
Shimmer glared at them and then turned her attention to Faban, who was shocked and crying on the ground. So, she came over and hugged him to try and calm him down.
"Faban, take a deep breath and try to calm yourself," Faban started to feel a little better, but he couldn't stop crying.
"I think we won't be friends anymore, and I'll definitely lose to them," Faban sobbed in Shimmer's arms. Shimmer tried to comfort him.
"Don't say that. I'll teach you how to fly faster than them, and we'll still be friends." Faban didn't believe her at all. He felt like he couldn't compete with the older fairy children from the orphanage who had more experience flying than he ever had which was zero.
Shimmer encouraged Faban, saying, "I'm confident that you can do it, so don't give up just yet! Even if you lose, I promise to always be your friend, Faban." Faban responded with a slow nod.
"But first, you need to wake up." This statement puzzled Faban,
"Wake up? What do you mean, Shimmer?"
Shimmer simply smiled softly and walked a few meters away from Faban. Suddenly, a Skeezite, a creature known for devouring fairies like them, descended from the sky and swallowed Shimmer whole. The Skeezite remarked,
"Hmm, a tasty fairy," after consuming Shimmer right in front of Faban. Overwhelmed with grief, Faban screamed hysterically,
"SHIMMER!!"
Witnessing his friend being eaten alive before his eyes.
________________________________________________________
"AHH- Hump!" Shimmer whispered as she covered Faban's mouth.
"Shut up, idiot. There are many Skeezites patrolling this area. We must keep quiet!"
Shimmer remained in her position until Faban started to feel a little calmer. She then let go of his mouth.
"....what are you screaming about, idiot?" Shimmer asked.
"...Just a nightmare," Faban replied quietly, then lay back down in Shimmer's arms.
Shimmer sighed softly, seeing Faban's true nature coming out again after so many years behind his narcissistic mask. She stroked his head, trying to calm him about the situation they were facing.
It never crossed their minds that the meet and greet event would end tragically. They found themselves trapped, hiding in a building, being targeted by the Skeezites who were known to eat the fairies roaming Fairy Town.
Suddenly, Faban's stomach growled. Shimmer chuckled softly at the sound, causing Faban to blush.
"Looks like someone's hungry," Shimmer teased.
"...shut up, Shimmer. I only drank water during the meet and greet. It's natural that I'm hungry. By the way, did we have any food or drinks?" Faban asked.
Shimmer shook her head slowly. Faban was stunned, and they fell into silence once again. Time seemed to stand still as they waited, fearing that death could come for them at any moment. They could hear the Skeezites flapping their wings outside, creating a sense of horror as if they could be discovered at any moment and meet a tragic end.
Faban's stomach rang again, this time accompanied by pain. He curled up in agony, clutching his stomach.
Shimmer, noticing his discomfort, gently inquired,
"Your stomach ulcer has returned, hasn't it, Faban?" Faban nodded slowly, silently enduring the agony in his stomach.
Acting swiftly, Shimmer hurried to retrieve the ulcer medicine she kept in her trouser pocket and handed it to Faban. "There's only a little bit of stomach medicine left, so drink it quickly!" she urged. Without hesitation, Faban promptly took the medicine, finding some relief from the previous intensity of the pain.
Suddenly, in a serious tone, Shimmer spoke up,
"We need to find some food." Faban was taken aback and exclaimed,
"What?! Are you out of your mind? There could be hundreds of Skeezites lurking nearby! It's suicide!" Firm in her resolve, Shimmer retorted,
"Yes, I'm aware that Skeezites are around us, you fool! But this is an emergency! We need sustenance, especially for you with your acute stomach ulcers. We have to venture out and search for food to survive!"
"Shimmer, we agreed to stay hidden in this building to avoid being targeted by the Skeezites! And now you want to go out where they can freely roam and potentially harm us as soon as we step outside! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Is that what you want?!"
Shimmer defended her point by reminding Faban of their predicament. "Listen, Faban! We don't know how long we'll be trapped here! There are so many Skeezites out there that even the kingdom's elite soldiers would struggle to handle them all. Plus, these Skeezites have some kind of ability to block light rays and magic. I've tried using light magic against them, but it has no effect whatsoever. That's probably why they can fly into Fairy Town even with the city lights still on! We can expect reinforcements to arrive after sunrise when the Skeezites retreat from the sunlight."
"Shimmer, did you hear yourself correctly? You said your light magic attack is useless against them, and you mentioned that reinforcements will come when the sun rises. It's probably already midnight now, so we only have to wait another 6 hours for the sun to rise! There's no need to leave the building and risk becoming food for the Skeezites while looking for food!" said Faban, still refusing to come out of their hiding place.
"First of all, it's probably 10 p.m. You only fell asleep an hour after all this happened! That means we need another 8 hours before the sun rises. Help might come in 10 hours! I might be fine without eating or drinking for 8-10 hours, but I'm worried about you, Faban! You have an acute stomach ulcer, and your medicine has run out. You haven't eaten since 3 in the afternoon, and you've only had a glass of water at 6 in the evening. If you don't eat soon, you could die! Your stomach acid levels are normal now, but if you don't eat, they will rise again and cause harm. We still need to find food, for your own good," Shimmer said firmly.
Faban was stunned to hear the reasons for his friend's insistence on finding food, even with the threat of death. He was confused about how to respond and took a deep breath.
".....Then what should we do, Shimmer? You said light magic is useless against them, so how are you planning to fight back if some Skeezites spot us?" Faban asked in a low tone.
Shimmer took out a clear bottle from her dress pocket and showed it to Faban.
"What is that?" Faban asked.
"This bottle contains vinegar water. Even though their eyes are protected from the light, we can still hurt them by throwing the vinegar water in their faces. It will cause their eyes to hurt and mess up their sense of smell, but..." Shimmer's words faded.
"But what, Shimmer?" Faban asked.
"...I only have one bottle of vinegar water left. So we have to be careful not to be spotted by the Skeezites. What do you think? Do you wanna go together to look for food or do you wanna stay and hide here while I go look for some food?" Faban pondered for a moment before giving his answer.
"I will...."
_______________________________________________________________
The Cast :
The End of Cast
______________________________________________________________________
The Meme :
___________________________________________________________________
Author Note:
I am so sorry for finally updating this story. I finally got a job after my college graduation. It's not much, but I do it for the experience. Then I got sick really bad for at least 2 weeks, and I went to work to find so many piled-up files on my desk. So yeah, I got zero time to write a story except the new Jujutsu crossover story. It's already in draft so I just post it without the need to write it again.