 |
|
|
Purely Metaphorical
by Liz Barr
summary: once upon a time, 400 years in the future…
Once there was a young woman who was rescued from her evil stepmother, became a worthwhile individual and married a prince (although some became confused and said it was the other way around). And before *that*, there was a fairy godmother, who rescued the young woman over the objections of her friend, the prince. The prince was concerned that introducing a young woman of such dubious background would be detrimental to their community. Since the community was, in some ways, as much his as the fairy godmother's, he felt that she should listen to his objections. Such a young woman would no doubt betray them, or turn to stealing, or simply demand more attention than the fairy godmother could reasonably give. The fairy godmother ignored him as usual, and rescued the young woman. She had her own worries, but they were of no concern. She knew the way these stories usually ended, with happy endings and royal weddings, but issues of marriage weren't her responsibility. And her relationship with the prince was purely professional, thankyou-very-much, a close professional friendship formed over late dinners, and lunches, and sometimes breakfasts and snacks. Of course she wasn't in love with the prince. She knew better than that. But there were times, late at night, when she could overlook his blandness and think that, perhaps if he weren't the prince, and she weren't the fairy godmother… It wasn't important. She had her duty, so she rescued the young woman and raised her well. At the wedding feast, she sat back and watched her community celebrate. It was a good place, with good people, and although there were those she missed, such as the elf-girl who ran away, and the goblin who left to seek a mate of his own people, she was grateful for what she had. This was why she glared at the big bad wolf, actually a powerful wizard in mortal (and furry) form, when he sat down beside her. "I don't remember inviting you," she said. "I'm sure my invitation was lost in the mail." He looked out over the hall. "Well, this is a petty affair. Little mortals and their mating games." "It suits them very well." "'Them?'" he asked. "What about you?" She frowned; she hadn't meant to say that. "I hope you're not planning anything," he said, "it's always sad when good fairies go bad." "I'd never—" "Still, if you ever need anything…" He dropped his voice. "I could set you up with a few decent curses. Purely for self-defense, of course," he added as she glared at him. "I couldn't do that." "Why not? What's a hundred years' enchanted sleep between friends?" He leaned over and whispered, "or you could just make sure the children inherit his intelligence instead of hers." "No! I couldn't hurt them." "Why? Because you're like a mother to them? Even a fairy godmother has to let go." "It's not about being a mother-figure. It's about bringing the stories to their proper ends." She looked around. All the right people were there: the warrior woman and the formerly-disgraced aristocrat, the young warrior-in-training, the eccentric but lovable sorcerer. "That's what a fairy godmother does," she said. "She nudges and pushes until everything ends properly." "What does she do then?" She paused. "I don't actually know," she admitted. "I have a suggestion." "I won't curse—" "It's not a curse. It's an offer. Come with me. I'll show you the universe. Planets, stars, nebulae. Anomalies." "But I only just got home." "And you're already unhappy. Do you know what that emptiness you're feeling is? It's not heartbreak. It's *boredom*." She frowned. She had worked so hard to bring everything to a proper end, but it was true, it didn't feel right. Her people didn't seem to need her anymore, and the world seemed oddly banal. And, although she loudly denied it, she quite liked anomalies, provided that they were well-mannered and didn't get too caught up in their own paradoxes. "It would be nice, to see the universe without having to be responsible for all those people," she admitted. So she left her people to live their own lives, and went to explore with the big bad wolf. And no one lived happily ever after, but most managed to muddle their way through to contentment and found that was just as good. THE END Copyright © 2001 Elizabeth M. Barr Star Trek ® is a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Star Trek: Voyager is a trademark of Paramount Pictures. Images from faeries.net.
Not mine, used without persmission, but with humble gratitude.
|
|
