"Wake up! Wake up, fairy-boy! We have to get out of here," he could hear Oona gasping in his ear. Her ice-cold fingers woke him up, bringing him back from the dark world he has just visited.

In the last second, he managed to remove the Moon's Tear. And as soon as he did it, the shadows of the darkness gathered again over the Blind Alley.

They were now flying. But this time, flying was hard. Although Oona guided him, branches hit his face and the wind threw leaves and dust in his eyes. He flew gropingly, and he was just about to hit a tree a few times. But Oona was there to save him.

Finally, Oona slowly descended, helping him to stay on his feet. They stopped for a while in a clearing to catch their breath. Oona spread tickle-flower dust all around to be sure no one was watching.

"So? What did the Fountain show you?" she asked when she was sure there was no one there but them.

Ferry was still shaken by the vision he'd just had. "I ─ I don't know..."

"I felt the same," she hurried to answer, looking away. "Anyway, how do we know the Fountain is telling the truth? Maybe the Fountain is under a charm, just like everything around here."

They were both lying on the grass. The moon on the sky was big and round like a white, fluffy bread just taken out of the oven. At the sight of it, Oona jumped on her feet.

"I need to go," she said. "The Dance of the Moon should start soon." Then she stretched her hand, helping him stand. "Goodbye, fairy-boy. The Door between the Worlds is still open. Your friends must be waiting for you..."

Ferry stretched his hand for goodbye. But Oona smiled. That prankish smile Ferry knew so well.

"That's not how we do things around here," she said. Then she grabbed him by the hands and started to spin, ever faster, the sky becoming one with the grass and the trees. Ferry was laughing, carried away by that feeling of freedom and relief. He felt as light as a feather and he even had the feeling he wasn't touching the ground anymore. Although he was sure he had removed the blue feather.

Then, Oona let go of his hands and vanished before he could come to his senses.

"May the wind watch over your path, fairy-boy," he could hear her whisper in the air. Oona has vanished from his life as fast as she appeared. He waited for a few seconds, hoping that Oona would appear and say goodbye properly. She couldn't just vanish like that. And Ferry had the feeling that wasn't the last time he would see her.

But Oona didn't come back. So he was forced to go to the Door between the Worlds all by himself.

Soon, he reached the big rock in the middle of the meadow which connected the world of fae with the world of humans. But his friends weren't there. A heavy silence fell over the night and over him. No sign of his friends. Have they left without him? It would've been easy for his Guardians, of course. But the others would've needed the red feather to open the Door between the Worlds and get through. And the feather was still in his backpack. No, they definitely didn't leave. Most probably, they went looking for him. And with the Moon almost full above him, Ferry turned around at a firm pace.

⃰

Under the protection of the blue feather which made him invisible to the fairy eye, he threaded his way through the hundreds of Fay People. They were all heading towards the Fae Queen Palace to celebrate Midsummer Eve. There was hubbub, music, and good cheer everywhere he turned. The fairies were clapping their hands, playing the pipe or the flute, and dancing in circles of five, seven, or nine. Some were drinking liquors from silver goblets, toasting on behalf of the celebration that had brought together fairies from all the corners of the world. Others were having a treat of bread, honey, milk, nuts, and fruits at never-ending tables. Jolly fairy fires were burning everywhere, though the Moon was lightening as if a plain day.

Ferry would've wanted to leave the shadows and join the Fay People. But now, he had to find his friends. It wasn't long before the Door between the Worlds would close. Maybe they hid in the Secluded Forest, away from curious eyes. But to get there, he had to pass by Fae Queen's Palace. It would've been easier to fly. But without Oona, he was afraid. He was too close to the moonlight. So he decided he should stay in the shadows, hidden.

The crowd of fairies was getting ever bigger with each step he took. He could see the light of the orb from afar, calling him with its alluring brightness. Ferry made his way through so he could take a better look at it. He wasn't to stay for too long. Just for a moment. Just to take another glimpse.

The most curious creatures came on his way. Dwarfs, gnomes, elves, nymphs, small and hairy creatures or tall and majestic ones. But most of them looked like ordinary people. And if he had met them anywhere else, he would have thought of them as humans. He could see familiar faces among them. Petrichor, the shepherd and the innkeeper at The Hornless Unicorn. On a side path, he discovered Hoity Toity playing a pebble game with his gnome friends, all wearing tunics in bright colors. Yet, his friends were nowhere to be seen.

When he reached the pedestal the orb was placed on, it wasn't its light to allure him the most. On the other side of the light globe, sitting on a throne adorned with flowers that seemed to be made from the same wood as the tree-castle, there was the Fae Queen. Ferry couldn't take his eyes off of her. He's never seen anyone like her. It wasn't just her beauty and youth. Nor that her cheek looked younger than one of a thirteen-year-old. Nor that her golden braids, in which diamonds sparkled, looked like made of sunlight. Or that her eyes, the color of the sky in the summer, looked at each and everyone around. Nor her lips, ripe cherries in May, smiling warmly.

It was something else. Something he couldn't define. It was in her eyes. They weren't pure and innocent, the eyes of a young maid. They looked like the eyes of an old, wise woman who's been through a lot. Who's seen a lot. Ferry, who hasn't taken his eyes away from her the whole time, was surprised to see that the Queen wasn't blinking. And then, there was the light. That bright, blinding light that radiating from her body. Yet, warm and gentle. As if he was watching the sun, but without feeling his eyes hurt.

"Each time we see her, each Midsummer Eve, our Queen looks younger," he could hear the admiring murmur of young nymphs near him.

Ferry has completely forgotten about his friends. He was surprised to see Oona, sitting at Fae Queen's feet with her sisters. The Wandering Fays braided each other's hair, looking from time to time to their Queen. The Queen smiled back at them, wrapping them in a warm look. Oona was the only one who wasn't looking at her. She seemed lost in thought, making a wreath of small, yellow flowers. The other nymphs ─ Alwyn the loudest of them all ─ smiled and giggled, whispering in each other's ear.

Somewhere, on the right side of the throne, there was Doruh, the warrior. On the left side of the blossoming throne, watching the crowd with a warm look, there was Mamma Leena.

Some distance away, he could see the three Guards of the Palace ─ Nook, Paltin, and Brad. Although they tried to smile back at the nymphs, Ferry saw them more preoccupied than usual. They watched the crowd as if waiting for something to happen. The nymphs kept on giggling and calling out their names. But they didn't mind their alluring laughter.

After a while, Alwyn got up and headed towards the waiting crowd. She slowly moved, barely touching the ground with her bare feet. Her blonde hair floated behind her, just like the strips of her airy dress. Each one of her steps brought a melodious bell tinkling. Ferry saw a small bell tied to her ankle. All of a sudden, the hubbub and the laughter stopped.

Alwyn smiled, opening her arms.

"Welcome, Good People of the far-off lands of Tenalach and beyond! We have gathered here to celebrate the Midsummer Eve, the celebration that brings the Moon closer to bless us with its light. The time has come to enjoy the summer and its wonders. We will all witness the Moon Dance. Come closer, you, Good People, and let the moonlight invade your souls! Come, Wandering Fays, come sisters! Let's dance, and may the wind, the sky, and ground dance with us. Sing and let your voice be heard beyond these lands. May every mite, every beast, and every creature hear us. Let the Midsummer Feast begin!"

Then, Alwyn came in front of the light orb. She looked at Fae Queen and the Queen nodded with a smile. One of the guards handed her a tambourine, bowing. The blonde nymph gently took it, touching his hand and smiling as she took it.

She began to sing. Her hauntingly beautiful voice filled the air and the silence that reigned over the place. Ferry couldn't understand the words of that unearthly song. It was that sweet language again. Elvian. But the song invaded his soul, giving him a strange feeling of peace like the silence before a storm. And he wasn't the only one troubled. He saw Oona just as troubled. A tear, like a drop of dew, fell on her freckled cheek. He's never seen her so sad. What was the song saying to trouble her so? When Alwyn ended the song, the final words scattered in the air like taken away by the wind. Oona quickly wiped away the tear. The Moon seemed even bigger, like a dome protecting everyone with its light.

https://youtu.be/_zVO-ztFSSs

One after another, there came the musicians. They were gnomes with sallow faces, tunics and cone-shaped beanies, hopping around the fairies. They watched them with admiration and a bit of fear. Ferry remembered Hoity's words. Nymphs were moody creatures. And Heavens save anyone from the wrath of a fairy! The little men brought their instruments ─ flutes, pipes, and violins made to fit their size.

Then, the gnomes played their instruments. The music was sweet and sounded like the raindrops, the trees' rustling, and the Earth singing altogether with the birds and bugs as their choirs.

Alwyn was dancing. She was waving, a willow touching the water in the wind. She was spinning, cowering, then lying on the soft grass and embracing the earth. Then, she was up from one leap and waving again. All eyes were on her, hypnotized.

The other Wandering Fays joined Alwyn. They wore lucent dresses like weaved from the moist, green air around, glued to their slim bodies. They all had bells tied to their ankles and the sound filled the air. The fays gathered in front of the light orb, giggling and poking each other. Oona joined her sisters, but she still looked troubled, somehow.

When they began their dance, their brown, red, and golden locks danced in the wind that started out of nowhere as if wanting to join them.

Then, Alwyn threw the tambourine up in the air, towards the Moon. But the tambourine didn't fell. Instead, a dust of gold scattered over everyone; and everyone greeted that golden fall of stardust with cheers and shouts of joy.

The Wandering Fays then held hands and began to dance in the circle around the orb of light, yelling. Their voice broke in thousands of echoes, making the air around vibrate. The music turned brisker and the pace of the nymphs lighter. The hastier the music, the faster the Wandering Fays were spinning. Faster and faster, the grass turning greener and the flowers blossoming under their bare feet.

Yet, something else caught Ferry's eye. The globe of light was getting brighter, pulsating with each spin of the fairies, possessed by their mad dance; and the aura surrounding the Fae Queen got brighter. No one seemed to notice the strange changes because everyone was completely dazzled by the fairy dance.

All this time, the dance got ever feverish. The more passionate they danced, the more vibrating, more alive everything around turned. The brighter the colors of the flowers. The greener the grass. The more robust the trees. And the happier and more alive the Fay People. Even Ferry felt how his whole being was being invaded by a warm light that chased away all his fears and tiredness.

Soon, the Wandering Fays were not touching the ground anymore. They now danced in the air above the orb of light, and above everyone. Everyone looked up, surrendering to their magical moves. The fairies looked like dancing around the Moon, and the Moon was one of them.

Then, the music stopped. The Wandering Fays fell on the ground, whacked to the wide. Their hair unbraided. Their skin glowed as if covered in diamond dust. The Dance of the Moon had ended. But the people of those places were to rejoice its power for a long time. Until the next Midsummer Eve. Everyone cheered and shouted.

The three guards helped the nymphs stand and guided them, one by one, back to the Queen's throne. Oona looked like feeling better now and she even smiled at Mamma Leena who caressed her ruby hair.

Doruh, the warrior, raised his arm and there was silence again. When Fae Queen rose from her blossomed throne, everyone bowed their heads.

"Stand up thee, dwellers of Tenalach!" her gentle, yet firm voice said. "Welcome to Medley Paths and to my Palace! Soon, the Moon will leave and the Sun, blessed be the Sun, shall be back to watch over us again. We're blessed to have so many Good People among us, from so many parts of our realm. And I tell you thee, now, before the Moon sets ─ cherish the moonlight! Let yourself struck by it! Come together and celebrate it!"

Everyone burst into cheers and ovations at Queen's words. But the Queen raised her white arm and there was silence again. Her warm smile vanished. Her look changed. Ferry shivered at her sight. She looked like a different person, with all the warmth and kindness gone.

"But there are people among us," she continued with a glacial voice, "who want to turn the tide. Poor, miserable souls who believe, with their childish minds, that if they take some of us away, everything shall stay the same. And no one will ever know what they did."

Ferry had a bad feeling.

"But they are wrong!" Fae Queen hissed coming down from her pedestal. "Because here, the wind is our friend. And the wind watches over our path. But the wind also brings the whispers of our enemies closer. Here they are!" she said, pointing her finger at her left side.

Everybody looked in the direction she was pointing. Ferry could see the three guards of the Palace pushing onward a group of people. At first, he couldn't see too well because the crowd started to quiver. But he made his way through without caring someone might notice his presence. When he finally got in front of everyone, his heart almost stopped. The prisoners were his friends. 

This chapter is inspired by a Romanian pagan holiday. It's called "The Sanziene" and it takes place on the night of 23rd to 24th of June. They say that night, the skies open and the mortals can take a glimpse at the fairy realm and they can even see the fairies dancing. 

I hope you'll enjoy my version of the fairy dance. Let me know what you think.