3 – Were-Bunnie Village

Night had fallen, and Princess Honeybun had taken her full bunny form. She was small with golden and black fur in perfect fluffy patches. She shone like a glimmering seastone underneath the moonlight.

Emily yawned as she awoke. She smiled down at her now very little friend. “We fell asleep!”

Honeybun nodded sleepily. Were-bunnies could talk in their fully bunny form, but they often chose not to.

Without another word, Emily swooped her little friend up and pulled her close to her chest. She looked about the land and started down the steep hill.

The top of the hill was dark, but as the pair came closer to the nearby Were-Bunnie village, their eyes were overwhelmed with light. Fire on torches and crackling within pits, golden lights strung upon carts and stone buildings, pink fireflies incrementally lighting then dimming against the navy blue sky… all of it was a wonderful sight. The bustling of people and their merry voices and songs and the smell of the sweetest breads and chocolates made the young fairy’s heart swell. The night was warm, and her cuddly friend in her arms made her feel even warmer.

She dodged an incoming gaggle of vampire children and made her way to a wooden cart selling soup. She pulled out six gold coins and asked the were-bunnies vendor Elda (who was still in her half form) for two bowls of carrot and potato soup. When the vendor asked if she would like radishes on the side, Honeybun shook vigorously in excitement.

“That’ll be a yes,” Emily laughed. “Thank you, Elda.”

“Put those coins away, princess,” the vendor ordered, kind yet sharp. “You know you don’t have to pay.”

“I know, I know. But I still would like to.” She smiled and dropped the coins on the cart.

As the fairy struggled to grab the bowls with one hand, the vendor studied her for a moment then said, “You look different, Princess Emily. Very different.”

“Oh–”

“Still beautiful,” Elda added. “Without question. But you’re not at all the same. What happened?”

“If only I knew. I wish I could tell you.”

Elda pulled an odd face. “It’s never a good thing when a fairy changes against her will. Is it, princess?”

Emily stared at the woman, lips parted. “I…”

“Leave little Honeybun and her soup with me. I’ll get her back home to her palace in just a little bit. You should run along back home. You have enough on your mind, I wager.”

“Of course,” she agreed quickly. She handed Honeybun to the vendor and one of the bowls. “Thank you again, Elda.”

“You’re very welcome. I hope you figure out all that is troubling you.”

Emily smiled and bowed her head. The bowl was hot in her hands, so hot that it hurt. When she turned away and started back to the Fairy Realm, she sighed and whispered, “From your mouth to the ears of heaven… I hope so too.”

~Sammicakes