Faerie Garden (...we'll work on that title)

Family Reunion

I don't know what exactly I expected, but it definitely was not that. My eyes flutter open as I regain consciousness, slowly figuring out that I'm laying on the ground, Ambrose kneeling over me, saying something that I can't hear through the ringing in my ears. Groggy is the only way I can describe the sensation.

"You okay?" His voice echoes in my empty mind.

"Yeah, I'm good, I think," sitting up and looking around, I realize the grass is a bit greener here, the air a little more clear. I also realize that I'm drawing a lot of attention just sitting on the ground like this. Ambrose stands, helping me do the same. There are many, many faeries, most of them being very pale and very thin, although some of them have a bit of a darker complexion and some have more muscle than others. None of them have wings like in the tales, which doesn't surprise me, those stories have always been inaccurate. Their clothes seem light, flowing around their willowy forms. Hair colors and textures range from blonde to light brown, from perfectly straight to slightly wavy. None of them have the fluffy, dark hair of Ambrose, and that seems to be getting him a few weird looks.

"Where do you wanna go first?" He asks, rocking back and forth on his heels. I take a glance at my surroundings. There are four large towers, each one marked with a direction, North, South, East, and West. To the North, there appears to be a crystalline castle in the distance, shimmering in the warm sunlight. Turning around, there's a city that stretches from south to east, and to the west, a steeple, complete with a golden bell.

"Can we go see the city?" I request, pointing in the general direction of the town. Ambrose smiles kindly, his nose and cheeks tinted with pink.

"Of course! Let's go."

He takes my hand, wandering down the swirling path that leads down the hill that I wasn't aware we were standing on. The cobblestone and dirt road is lined with wildflowers, mossy logs scattered throughout the tall grasses. I nearly trip a few times, loose stones creating a hazard, but eventually we reach a road, a true road, one with faeries travelling on solid colored black and white horses with flowers braided into their manes, hooves clicking against the stone. Ambrose whistles a short, high tune, a tall black horse stopping in front of us. Somehow, Ambrose manages to climb onto it's back, assisting me as I struggle to follow his example. I wrap my arms around Ambrose's slender waist, holding onto him tight as we begin moving. The ride is short, both of us dropping off of the mare when it comes to a stop in front of what looks to be a greeting station of sorts.

"Enjoy your time in Amethyst Village!" Someone calls out as we pass through a set of glass doors. This seems to be a bit bigger than a village, I'd say, but Amethyst Village is a very regal name. Ambrose grabs my hand for the third time today, leading me through the crowd on the other side of the doors. He seems to know exactly where he's going, weaving through foot traffic and finally breaking out of the sea of beings- people? People. Ambrose continues walking, following a path made of packed down dirt, a path that winds around the town, finally coming to a halt in front of a small house. There's moss growing on the stone bricks and vines creeping up the door frame. Ambrose knocks exactly three times, each knock evenly spaced out. Silence hangs in the air for a split second before the door swings open, a surprisingly tall faerie now standing in front of us.

"Hi Ambrose!" They say, their long, platinum blonde hair falling over their shoulders.

"Hey Sasha! This is Atlas, Atlas, this is Sasha, he's nice, don't worry."

I wave shyly, Sasha smiles. His smile isn't as pretty as Ambrose's but maybe that's a personal bias.

"Come in," he beckons, stepping aside to give us room. Sasha's house is quite nice, small, but nice, neat and tidy. It's a fairly relaxed environment.

"So, Atlas, what are you?" Sasha asks calmly, taking me by surprise. Some may consider it a rude question, but I just see it as curiosity. I look to Ambrose, searching for any guidance in his gaze, any warning that I shouldn't tell the truth.

"I'm a human."

"I figured that much, I've never seen you around here before," He states, crossing his slender arms as he leans against the kitchen counter, "plus, Ambrose seems like the type to take that risk."

"What do you mean by risk?" I ask, almost panicked by the idea of danger, especially in a world that's not mine.

"Calm down, I meant it was risky for him. You humans tend to be pretty cruel towards us."

I look down at the polished marble floor in shame, guilt clouding my thoughts.

"I don't hold grudges, though. My husband is a human, actually," Sasha shares, followed by a call towards the stairs, footsteps quickly making their way closer and closer before another human is standing on the landing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hi...?" He says, looking a bit confused. Then he sees me, and his silver eyes light up.

"Atlas?" I freeze.

"How do you know my name?"

"Remember your older brother that went missing?"

Barely. I don't remember what he looked like or how old I was or even where he went.

"Orpheus?"

He nods, walking closer, closer until he wraps me in a tight hug. Tears prick at my eyes, flooding over my bottom eyelids as a sob rips from my throat.

"I missed you," I cry, allowing myself to be held by the brother I thought I had lost forever. I feel Ambrose's hand on my shoulder, rubbing gently as a method to calm me down. Orpheus just keeps holding on, whispering comforting words until I stop crying. Ambrose holds my face in his warm, pale hands, wiping my tears away with his thumbs. I can barely hear Sasha talking to Orpheus behind me, closer to the window in the kitchen.

"It's okay, you found him, it's all alright," Ambrose comforts, smiling at me, his own radiant grin. I nod in agreement. I still can't believe I found him after years of grief.

"Do you wanna walk around the city with them too?" Ambrose asks. I just nod again, too scared that I'd start sobbing again if I opened my mouth to speak.

"Do you guys wanna come with us? We're going wandering around town," Ambrose says, turning his head towards Orpheus and Sasha. They discuss it with their eyes, then agree, already moving towards the door.

"Ready to go?"