AN:

I'm sure some of you will be 'meh.' about this section, but for others that this might unsettle or remind you of something negative in your life, I apologize.

Chapter 93: Broken Dreams

A fairy's love is a thing not often given, but lasting in its nature. A connection is formed that allows them to feel something of their lover from far away. At a distance it might only be general sense of their well-being. Close together, they can even share thoughts and memories.

Ero sat on a lily pad while gently swishing her legs around in the water. For several days now she'd felt a sense of unease. Scott barely registered in her senses, though she could tell that he was alive. Something happened, she knew it, but she did not know what it was.

She sighed softly then placed a hand to her slightly protruding abdomen. "Do you feel it too, little one?"

The little light inside of her did not change, but Ero liked to think that the baby was worried for its father as well. A slight, but worried, smile crossed her lips. Only another two weeks or so were left before she could be reunited with her family, but she was nervous about the future.

Other fairies fluttered around here and there. Each of them was pregnant and joyful. In many ways, Karsi's diagnostic retreat was good for them. The water was clean and natural. There was a lot of fun to be had, and friends to be made. Ero enjoyed it immensely as well, but recently things felt strange. She withdrew from her fluttering friends and sat by herself more often.

Soft tears flowed from Ero's eyes and trailed down her cheeks. Even surrounded by such joyfulness, she was alone. It was more than just her misgivings over Scott's current status. Karsi had something important to tell her about the baby, and from the tone the motherly elf had spoken in Ero could only think that it was not good news.

She sat on her lily pad for a while longer before Karsi appeared before her. The fairy doctor was not alone. She brought someone with her, a fairy woman who stood at nearly twice Ero's height.

"Hello little one. Are you well?" asked Karsi gently. She offered Ero a smile, but not the typically bright and warm one.

"Yes, I think so..." said Ero, her eyes half closed. She sighed softly then looked down.

Karsi nodded gently. "I see..."

She then gestured toward the newcomer and said, "I must introduce you to princess Avidia, one of the foremost experts of fairy physiology in the world."

"Hello, your highness," said Ero softly. She looked up at the taller fairy and inclined her head.

Avidia fluttered down and then sat next to Ero. "Sister, do you know why I have been summoned here?"

"Something... is wrong," said Ero, her lower lip quivering a little in the process.

"Actually, nothing is wrong per se. Though, things might not be as you hoped," replied Avidia.

Ero looked to the fairy princess, her eyes wide despite the tears that continued to fall. "What do you mean?"

"May I examine you, first? I do not wish to cause you any further distress unless I am certain."

"Y-yes, of course," said Ero.

At the doctor's direction, she stretched out on top of the lily pad. Avidia placed her hand to Ero's abdomen and gently caressed the little bulge that grew there. A soft blue light radiated from the palm of her hand and she closed her eyes.

Ero felt a gentle warmth spreading throughout her body, one that made her slightly drowsy. The examination did not take long, however, and the effect wore off quickly.

"Uhm..." said Ero softly. She looked at Avidia expectantly, though it was still obvious that she was worried.

"Ero, I have good news and not-so good news," said Avidia.

A pregnant paused lingered in the air as neither of them spoke for a moment. Eventually, the pause ended when Avidia informed Ero of the truth. "You are pregnant. The little light inside of you is perfect fine. However, you are not with child."

The water of the pond rippled slightly due to a sudden breeze that blew up. Ero stared at Avidia in confusion. How could she be both pregnant and not with child?

"I know that it is a confusing thing to hear, but it is the truth," said Avidia. She reached out and gently squeezed Ero's shoulder. "Little sister, you have undergone what is known as a fairy dream."

"I don't understand..." said Ero slowly. She blinked twice then leaned away from Avidia. "What does that mean?"

Avidia squeezed Ero's shoulder once more then sighed. "Your mother should have been the one to explain this to you, but Karsi has told me about your situation."

Ero nodded slightly before looking down at the water. "I did not get to spend much time with her when I was young, not before..."

The younger fairy was drawn forward into Avidia's embrace. "I know, sister."

Confused once more by the sudden affection shown by Avidia, it took Ero a moment to relax into her embrace. The older girl was warm and presented a quiet sort of comfort that put the younger girl at ease.

"Ero, we fairies are beings formed of pure magic and emotion. We are essentially the manifestations of beautiful dreams."

Avidia lightly stroked Ero's hair while she held the younger fairy close. "We do not fall in love easily, though we do make friends with as many people as possible... When we do fall in love, it is complete."

"Do you understand?" asked Avidia.

"Yes..." said Ero softly.

Avidia pressed her cheek to the top of Ero's head. "We stop being simply a beautiful dream, and become the beautiful dream of another. In many ways, our happiness is at its highest point when we share ourselves completely with our loved one."

"So, what are you trying to tell me?" asked Ero with a sigh.

The princess stroked Ero's hair for a moment then said, "What you have growing inside of you is not a child. It is a concentration of magical energy that is taking on the form of a powerful symbol."

"A symbol? I'm growing something that isn't a child?" asked Ero. She tasted the words on her lips, but was not certain she really understood what the princess was telling her. It did not make much sense.

"A physical representation of your relationship and feelings toward your love. You are growing such a thing inside of you," said Avidia. "You are old enough to bear children, but you're still a bit young to actually do so. You have not quite reached a point where a true child is likely."

She kissed Ero on the top of the head then said, "The light growing inside of you is a biological reaction to something that has been building inside of you for a long time. Now it has reached a point where you must be show it to the world or risk becoming seriously ill."

"What—What is it?" asked Ero. "What's really inside of me?"

Avidia sighed gently. "The truth. Beyond that, we won't know its exact form until it has come to term."

"H-how long till I know?" asked Ero.

"At the rate your little light is growing? It will probably be born not long after you leave here," said Avidia.

Ero bit her lower lip and nodded slightly. Tears began to fall once more. She was nervous before. Now that she knew more about what was happening inside of her, there was a sense of loss growing as well.

Avidia and Karsi sat with Ero for a while. Once they left, Ero stretched out on the lily pad once more and closed her eyes. She sniffled a little then covered her eyes with the back of her hand. Her sniffling grew in intensity and she soon began to sob softly.

Since the moment that she'd discovered that she was pregnant, Ero was worried. Yet, when Scott seemed so happy it caused her to be at peace with it. The fact that the man she loved would be supportive and even happy that they were going to have a child together, it was a wonderful feeling.

Ero bit her lower lip in order to try to fight the sobs. Images of little daydreams that she'd recently had began to fill her mind, unbidden. She'd imagined a little fairy girl with blue hair and a sweet personality. She would raise her well, and they would spend a lot of time with Scott as a family.

"Mommy... Daddy..." whispered Ero in a childlike voice while she envisioned her happy child fluttering back and forth between the people she loved most.

She sobbed loudly and clutched at the lily pad with her fingers before whispering, "Hey, mama it's hot. Can we get ice cream? Can we? Can we?"

Ero ran her fingers along the surface of her lily pad while the tears trickled down. "Oh, daddy! You have ice cream on your chin! You're so silly..."

Until the moment that she'd been told that she was not pregnant with a child, Ero did not realize just how much she was looking forward to the future. Now, it was like her simple dreams were destroyed. There was something growing inside of her, but it was not the future she had dreamed of until now.

Sad, alone, and heartbroken, Ero curled into a fetal ball atop the lily pad. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest and allowed the hot tears to fall harder than before. Her tiny little body jerked with each of her powerful sobs. Not since the moment she was released from her imprisonment had she felt so utterly alone, so empty.