Sleeping Fairy

Chapter VI

Meanwhile:

Why can I not speak? Grandmother, help me! Silence follows. Rose closes her eyes as she feels a wave of sleepiness wash over her.

"Rose! ROSE! Where are you?!?!" Derek calls out as he finds an abandoned castle. "Extia's favorite kind of hideout." Stealthily walking around, he spies a bed of ivy and roses, with Rose blanketed in Wereh a lavender-like plant, also the softest and rarest plant in Faerie.

Forgetting his stealth, Derek runs noisily across the garden. But, just before he can reach Rose, Extia materializes in front of him.

"She is dead, Derek. Nothing to be done about it."

"Rose isn't dead. A monster couldn't kill her, let alone a rose thorn."

"That is where you are wrong. She can indeed be killed by a rose thorn, for there she is."

"No. She is alive, you are just too evil to see it. Get away from her." Derek draws out his foret sword, letting Extia hear its ring. She winces visibly, subconsciously touching her side. Smiling, Derek lunges, getting Extia out of the way. She is nicked by the sword and flutters away. Rushing to Rose's side, Derek clutches her head, raising her into his arms. "No, no, no, no, no Rose, you can't do this." Clutching her shoulders closer, he says, "Rose, can you hear that? That's my heart. It beats for you. No one else, just you. It will stop if you don't wake up. Please, Rose, for me." Gently tipping her head back, Derek raises Rose's lips to his. Carefully, he lays her back on her flower bed and clutches her hand. Bowing his head onto her bed, Derek is startled when he feels a light hand on his head. Rose turns her head on the bed, smiling at Derek.

"I'm here, Derek."

"Rose!" Snatching her up into his arms, Derek buries his face in her bodice, tears streaming down his face. "Rose, Rose!" Holding onto Derek's shoulders gently, Rose gently smiles and strokes Derek's hair, saying,

"I'm here, I'm here. Hey, you're going to ruin this dress!" Derek looks up, smiling through his tears. Pulling Rose to him, Derek presses his lips against hers. As Rose pulls away, Derek curls a lock of Rose's hair back behind her ear, revealing her whole face. Gently setting her down on her bed, Derek gets down on one knee. But, before he can speak, Extia swoops into the garden.

"So, you're awake. Let's see if you can beat me now." With a single motion of her hand, Derek is chained to the wall of the garden. Before Rose can help him, Extia shoots a strand of darkness towards Rose. Summoning all her anger, Rose shoots ball after ball of fire. Suddenly, she bursts into flame! All

the elements start attacking Extia, one after the other. Water swirls around the fireball that is Rose, earth beyond that, and an invisible wall of wind, all combining until Rose is surrounded by a ball of the elements. Eyes blazing, Rose wraps Extia tighter and tighter in wind and fire. Sending a little bit of fire towards Derek, she carefully melts the chains off of him. Tipping back her head, Rose releases everything she has, turning Extia to ash and blowing her to the farthest reaches and depths of the Earth. When the last bit of wind that is holding Rose up departs, she collapses to the ground in a heap. Rushing over to her side, Derek scoops Rose up and holds her close, listening for her heartbeat. Hearing it pulse faintly, Derek lifts into the air and carries her all the way back to the clearing.

When Derek reaches their clearing, he gently lays Rose, still asleep, in her oak. Protectively wrapping an arm around her, Derek falls asleep, listening to her steady heartbeat. Ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk.