A time to laugh, a time to mourn
“Sylvia...” Cynthia whispered.
“Oh Cynthia!” Sylvia's voice was choked with tears.
“Sylvia I'm dying. But I have a prophecy for you.” her blue eyes were dull. “A great battle awaits you, but you cannot fight it alone. You cannot fight it with a sword. You are about to be tested. Your love for Jayden will be tested. Be strong, Sylvia.” she coughed a little and closed her eyes.
“Cynthia!” Sylvia pulled her friend's hand to her lips.
“Sylvia...” she whispered again, even quieter. “The moon's power is greater than yours. Connect with it.” she went limp in Sylvia's arms.
Sylvia buried her face in Cynthia's beautiful hair and cried. The moonlight shone down on the battlefield.
“Sylvia.” Rose's musical voice was behind her. “It's time to go. The last of the wounded have been transported.”
“I can't leave her.” Sylvia sobbed. “She was always there for me.”
Rose saw Cynthia's body and bowed her head respectfully. “I always respected Cynthia's prophecies.” she said soberly. “It would be an honor to carry her home.”
“I'll walk if it's too much.” Sylvia said. “I want my friend to be honored.”
“No Sylvia.” Alex walked up next to Rose. “You fly back with Rose. I'll carry Cynthia.”
“Alex...” she felt two tears slip down her cheek.
He stepped forward and hugged her. “I know. I want you to go back to the tree and find Felix. Tell him to meet me. I'll take Cynthia and meet the two of you by the moon fountain.”
Sylvia hugged him back. “Thank you Alex.” she whispered.
He held her at arm's length. “Go with Rose.”
Sylvia nodded and climbed onto Rose's back. Alex lifted Cynthia's slight frame easily and nodded to Rose.
Back at the tree, Sylvia fought her way up to the night elves' level, hoping to find Felix. She did.
“Felix.”
“Sylvia!” he got up and hugged her. “I was hoping you were alright.”
“Where is the moon fountain? We have to meet Alex there.”
Felix frowned, thinking. “Let's go. I know the way.”
Sylvia had forgotten about the throbbing in her arm. Felix took her hand and they pushed through the remainder of the army to the woods.
“I heard Jayden was hurt bad.”
Sylvia nodded. “He'll be alright though.”
“That's good. I'm glad you two finally got together. I can never be with the girl I love.” his voice was wistful.
“Cynthia?” Sylvia choked.
Felix nodded. “I've always loved her, but our power colors are different. She'll have to be with a blue.” he kicked a rock down the dirt path.
Sylvia felt a tear run down her face again. Felix didn't see it because of the dark. The moon was hidden behind a cloud. They arrived at the fountain first. It was so beautiful, but Sylvia didn't notice it at all.
A stone basin held the water. It was clear and sparkling. From a stone pillar reaching from the center, more of the crystal clear water sprang up.
“Why is it called the moon fountain?”
“This is where water elves and fairies connect with the moon.” Felix said. “Blue night elves and fairies often find it a place of peace. Sometimes those with prophetic powers can see visions in the water. I know this is where Cynthia saw her first vision. This was her favorite place. This is where I first kissed her. The one and only kiss she allowed me because she foresaw her future. She wouldn't tell me what it was. She just told me we could never be together.”
Sylvia sank to the stone ledge. She knew what Cynthia's vision had been. She had seen her own death. That's why she wouldn't let Felix get too attached.
A stick cracked in the woods.
“Alex?” Sylvia called.
“It's me.” his voice came from another trail.
“What's going on Alex?” Felix asked.
Alex came into view, the light that came from within the fountain illuminated him—and the elf he carried. Felix didn't need to see her face. He groaned and sank to the ground, his arms resting on the side of the fountain. His shoulders shook with sobs and Sylvia's eyes filled with tears as Alex laid Cynthia on a stone bench.
“She foresaw it, Felix.” Alex said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “That's why she wouldn't let you get too close. She knew she was going to die from the moment she made the connection with the moon. She was protecting you.”
Felix looked at her bloodstained form. “I wish she would have told me.”
“She couldn't. You would have tried to stop her fate from happening.” Alex said. “You can't mess with destiny.”
Sylvia sniffed and wiped away a tear. “Be thankful you knew her longer than me.” she said. “You got more time with her.”
Felix tried to smile. He stood and walked over to where she lay. “Sweet, beautiful Cynthia.”
Alex put his arm around Sylvia and hugged her. She hid her face against his shoulder and she felt his arms hold her close.
“It'll be alright, Sylv.” he said quietly.
She nodded, but the tears still coursed down her cheeks.
They took Cynthia back to the tree and into the moon room. Frederick was on his throne, shuffling through medical papers on his desk.
“Frederick?” Sylvia called his name.
He peered over the spectacles that were, as always, perched on his nose. “Oh Sylvia.” he sighed. “It's too bad you have to endure these losses.”
“Losses?” Sylvia began to fear that she'd lost Jayden as well.
“Lucia just died a quarter of an hour ago.”
Sylvia was too numb over Cynthia's death to react.
Frederick was padding across the silver floor. Felix had been carrying Cynthia, and when Frederick cleared a table, he laid her on it. Frederick pulled a shining, dark blue sheet from a cabinet in the wall and they laid it over Cynthia's body.
“Goodbye Cynthia.” Sylvia whispered. Alex squeezed her good arm.
“Sylvia.” Frederick handed her two little capsules with crushed herbs in them. She looked at him. “For the pain.” he nodded toward her arm. She gave him a little smile.
“The pain in my arm is nothing.” she said.
“I know. Go see Jayden. He's awake now.”
She and Alex left the moon room. Sure enough, Jayden was awake.
“Sylvia.” he smiled.
“Hi.” she said.
“What's wrong?” he asked, looking at Alex and pulling her into a hug.
“Cynthia is dead.” he said gravely.
Jayden didn't say anything. He just held Sylvia close and let her cry softly.
Alex sat on the mat next to Jayden. “You gonna make it Jay?”
Jayden nodded. “Frederick's herbs helped a lot.”
“Let's go up to the night quarters. You'll feel a lot better up there Sylv.” Alex said.
Sylvia sat up and looked at Jayden.
“Frederick said that when you two came back I could go up.” he answered her unasked question.
“Sylvia!” Isa's voice cut through the chaos that was only dying down slightly.
“Hi Isa.” she said, when the water elf appeared near them.
“I heard about Cynthia. I'm so sorry.”
Sylvia caught more tears in her throat.
“I have to run, but I just wanted to give you a hug and say I'm sorry.” Isa said, giving Sylvia a quick embrace. “I'll let you help Jayden up before we have to take Devon up.”
Sylvia and Alex stood, helping Jayden up slowly. Then they headed for the stairs. About half way to the wood elves' floor, Jayden's knees gave out and he crumpled to the stairs. Sylvia and Alex caught him. “Jayden!” Sylvia knelt by him.
“I'm alright.” he said, wincing.
“No you're not.” she said, looking at Alex.
“Well you can't carry me so I'm going to have to walk.” Jayden said.
“We could too...” Alex said.
“I'm not letting Sylvia do that.” Jayden cut him off. “She's injured too.”
“At least I can walk.” Sylvia retorted. “You have to let us help you.”
“I'm better now. Let me walk a little ways more.”
Sylvia and Alex had no choice but to let him. They helped him to his feet. They made it just past the wood elves' floor when he had to stop again.
“Just two more flights Jayden.” Sylvia said.
He winced when they pulled him up again. It took them a little longer to get to the purple glow coming from the night elves' floor. But Jayden collapsed on the black leather couch as soon as they got up there. There was no sounds now. The hubbub of the army had died away as soon as they had closed the door by the wood elves' floor.
Sylvia sank into a chair, staring at the girls' bedroom door. She and Ivy would be sharing it alone now, unless Sally came to the tree more often. The door opened and Sylvia and Alex sat up. It was Damian.
“Damian!” Sylvia exclaimed.
“Hi there Sylvia.” he said. He sounded very tired. She noticed stitches on his arm as well.
The night elves slowly trickled in. Felix came up first, his eyes red and his face sad. He spoke to no one, but went straight to bed. The fairies had returned to their hollow, so Warren, Drake, and Fayette wouldn't be with them that night. Next to come up were Kyle and Ben. They weren't wounded too badly. Sally came up next. She was limping. Ivy wasn't far behind her. She was dragging her left leg and she had some of Frederick's neat stitches on her cheek. Josh was last. He had a gash running from one side of his face down to his jawbone. It had missed both his blue eyes, but it still looked bad. No one really wanted to sleep in Cynthia or Lucia's beds, but they didn't have a choice.
Sylvia played Cynthia's final prophecy in her mind. What did she mean, 'connect with the moon'? Hadn't she done that when she got her internal powers? Was there another connection? She got up quietly.
Jayden was asleep on the couch, so Sylvia was quiet when she took the thick purple book from the table.
“Connecting with the moon.” she murmured, running a finger down the list of topics in the index of the book. She stopped and stared at the page. “Moon Connections and Prophecies” she said softly. She opened the book to the page number listed and began to read.
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