Under the Whitethorn Tree

15. Revelation

It's pitch dark, an overwhelming silence enwraps himself that he thinks he may not be alive. He struggles to open his eyes, trying to kick his legs in every direction. His mind is a convoluted mess of thoughts. 

 A soothing presence touches his conscious, tries to calm his senses fondly without words, bids him to wait and lulls him to sleep. 

And then it happens. A brilliant light curls around his body working in gleaming coils and slowly ever more slowly he sees the outside world. The air glistens, trees rustle their leaves when a fairy is born as if welcoming this new fairy into their world. 

He smiles, this isn't merely a dream. It's his first ever memory etched into his core. The memory of his birth. 

The flower from where he came from whispers something in his ear. She beams of pride.
"Don't regret the choices you make, my dearest." She says in her beautiful voice. 

Then Gun finds himself caught in another dreamlike memory, beautiful and peaceful. Glittering dew drops tangle cautiously on the tip of grass. Finding a dry patch there in the grassland,they lie next to each other and Off's hand clasped in his own.

Off hums a melody and he hears a promise in that tune, a promise that fills his mind. He gets drawn to this music, a music he could listen ever since they had unexpectedly collided into each other. 

It's only natural that Gun feels safe cocooned in his slender arms. Gun feels safe holding hands with him. Gun feels safe in his presence. 

He feels loved and he never felt this loved in his entire life. 

''I'm holding on to you tight.  He promises yet again. 

．．．．．．．．

"Is he alright?'' Gun hears New's voice trembling and worried while he is stuck in this trancelike state. 

"He'll be in a few minutes. That magic wears out. Tay, didn't you warn him?'' A third voice interrupts. 

"I did………...... but maybe not in the way you wanted me to warn him'' Tay slurs in his usual voice. After a pause he adds, 
"Okok but he is my friend. how can I ask him to stay away from his lover, human or not?'' 

Lover! Human! Off! 

Gun startles awake. He holds his head that is mercilessly pounding,  it takes a few seconds before the ache subsides. 

"Why is he here?'' Gun feels disgust at the sight of the third Elder, although he wasn't there in that chamber ridiculing him and accusing him with all sorts of lies. 

"It's ok, Gun. He brought you here when you were unconscious.'' New pats Gun's shoulders to calm him down. 

Oh right! Now his friends are siding with one of the tyrants, Old wolf - Tay's stupid nickname for this person. 

"If he doesn't leave, I'll leave. You can't stop me.'' Gun sways one leg, removing the blanket wrapped around him, in an effort to get out of the bed when New's strong hands try to keep him in place. 

"Gun, just listen to what he has to say.'' New is gentle, his concerned voice makes it difficult for Gun to disobey him.  

"Gun I know you are angry with us but listen to me. I was helplessly watching all of these wrong deeds of my friends. Now I can't anymore.'' Old wolf seems very serious. 

"You need to know what happened before to fully understand the problem. What you think about Protector is all wrong. The Protector wasn't a person. It was a feeling. A feeling of love, affection and respect. That was how the realm opened up for Off because he had those feelings towards a fairy. Back in our younger days, we all lived together with humans. They kept hunters away from us. They knew about us and everything was good until immortal fairies began to fall in love with mortal humans.'' 

The Elder creates an illusion before their eyes. Gun sees fairies skipping on human shoulders ,whispers of love sweeten the air around them, eyes sparkling unmistakenly in love.  Their joy is very contagious that Gun immediately remembers him and Off so drunk in love like them. 

"But who could defy fate? Humans are bound to die and their fairy lovers went insane by grief. Some killed themselves.  To protect the young fairies from that fate, we had to close our world and break our bonds with humans completely.''  The illusion breaks and something akin to nostalgia coils in Gun's heart at the Elder's words. 

"By changing history? By cooking up tales about there being one Protector to protect fairies from hunters? Why one? You should have removed that part as well. You all are pathetic.'' Gun  vents out his frustration. 

"We couldn't. We needed a reason to show why we can't go out of the realm. I'm sorry Gun. It was the only way back then.'' The Elder makes up excuses. 

The only way! Isn't that what they always say in order to make you give up something you love? 

"I don't get this. Why is that the other old fairies, your peers don't remember what happened?'' Tay is the one to question this time.

 " You mean the weaker ones? They eventually forgot what happened. So many memories can't be kept in one's mind for so long. To be honest we three were glad because that sad past became our burden to bear.'' The old wolf replies. 

"What about Off? He's in danger because of this nonsense.'' Nobody can blame Gun. He can't be bothered about anything else at the moment. 

"It's our fault I agree. The other two Elders, I don't know what begotten them. They are so hateful of humans. They are scared of their authority being questioned if other young fairies started following you, Gun. Like falling in love with a human. Going out of the realm whenever they like. Fairies won't need Elders if there are no rules.'' 

Gun gets thrown into a fit of bitter laughter, "They could have punished me harshly in the first place if that was a big issue.. could have killed me if they wanted to………. But tell me why Off is getting targeted by hunters now? What wrong did he do to deserve this? " His yelling resonates through the chamber throwing the three fairies gathered into a dumbstruck state. 

"I'm sorry Gun… they made a bargain with a hunter.. to get rid of Off and when that failed to work each time, they tried to pressurize him to stay away from you. I don't know..They seem to see this as some sort of an enjoyable game. It truly worries me.'' The old wolf says in a low voice. 

"What!'' Gun, Tay and New shout in unison. 

Off is strong, he has proven his strength several times by escaping these hunters. Albeit it's a matter of time before he cannot no longer defend himself. An unstable agitated human would become an easy target and that's what the Elders are driving him into now. 

The Elder sighs. "Both of them want to give the worst possible punishment to Off and Gun. If something bad happens to Off because of those hunters, it would affect Gun in a serious way"  He glides across the floor unable to meet Gun's eyes while adding, 
" This is a sort of a lesson to other fairies not to make the mistake that Gun did. Falling in love with a human." 

Cast in this web of manipulation, Gun curls his hands into a fist unable to bridle the anger that wants to crush everything and anything that stands in his way.  They have played so wrong and they'll suffer the consequences but his mind now is so full of Off. 

Where are you?