Chapter 3: Awakening

He heard the fear in her voice, "come stand in front of me, child" he said in a calming voice. Bitsy stood before the old dragon, looking at him and for the first time he saw a slight glimmer of life in her eyes and thought to himself, we make progress, now to take a step forward, without falling two steps back.

His paw gently touched her cheek, then he reached down and took her tiny hands in his large paws. "these can be used for good or evil, for healing or hurting, for life or for death." He placed a talon over her heart, "this can used for love or for hate, for caring or for indifference." Then he touched her forehead with his talon, "this can be used for making life better, for learning and loving the universe, or it can be used for learning how to bring the world tumbling down about you. all these are your choices, your decisions." "The turmoil you feel is because on one hand you gave life and on the other hand you tried to take it away."

"Now, without casting any spells, make your hand glow blue." he told her. Bitsy looked down at her hand in his paw, without any effort at all, her hand started to glow blue. "Does your hand hurt? he asked, she shook her head, "make the glow darker" she looked worried, but did as he asked, with a little effort, her hand glowed a deep, dark blue. "Does your hand hurt? Once again she shook her head, staring at her hand, she was sure it would start to hurt, and hurt terribly. "Bitsy, make your whole body glow blue." She started to say she couldn't, "do it" the old dragon said. Bitsy's whole body started to glow a soft light blue, "more" she heard him say. Suddenly as if out of control, her body started to change different shades of blue, light, dark, back to light, then to a dark pulsating blue, that seemed to shimmer around her.

Without warning the inside of the room started to heave, the walls moving in and out, the air seemed to swirl around them, but swiftly turned into a wild tornado, Her dark blue glowing color flashed, the air crackled with electricity. Bitsy could hear him, as if from far away, "control your power, control the glow," his voice came more forcefully through the fierce wind that seemed to be blowing over her. "If you never want your hand to hurt again, you must control the powers within you!"

Bitsy tried to hold onto the blue glow, she told herself it was her friend, it was her helper. The dark blue started to change shades once again, she thought she had control of it, when suddenly she went spinning high into the air, she could see the lightning bolts flashing from the dark blue, almost black glow around her body. She felt Marluxion words "calm yourself and you calm the powers within you, softly, gently, Bitsy, listen to me, don't let your fear control you." She wanted to scream at him, help me, help me, I can't make it stop. "Yes you can, you control the power, the power doesn't control you. Remember how I taught you to breath, deep long calming breaths Bitsy, do it, do it now."

Bitsy took deep breaths and slowly exhaled, again she did the same thing, telling herself to ignore the wind swirling around her, she relaxed, half closing her eye's, she felt her wildly beating heart slow down. With each calming breath, she saw the glow shimmer and change to a lighter blue, light blue, light blue, I have to keep the glow light blue. Swiftly as if following an unspoken command the glow turned light blue. Floating down to the floor, she smiled, pleased with herself. She sent the blue glow away and looked with shock around the room. It was total chaos, as if someone had turned the room upside down and shaken all the contents out.

Bitsy cried out in alarm and ran to the old dragon laying on the floor, not moving, she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, "Mar, Mar, you have to be all right, please, Mar, please." she looked at his body, he was covered with cuts, that had sliced through his scales, the worst over his right eyeridge. Her hand reached towards it, glowing blue, it started to burn and hurt, she pulled her hand back with a angry cry. Remembering his words, she took a deep calming breath, and once more reached towards the cut, this time her hand didn't hurt, it was only a gentle welcoming warmth. Touching the cut it healed instantly, as did the rest of the cuts on his body as she touched them. Then sending the blue glow away she went back to look at Marluxion. As if all the energy from her body had been drained away, she lay against his neck, gently stroking it. She pressed her face against his neck, sobbing.

"I could use a VERY strong drink, right about now, how about you? my dear" chuckled Marluxion, Bitsy jumped up, shaking his ear, "you scared me witless, that's what you did, you mean old dragon!" then hugged him tightly. He wanted to say, you scared me into a few thousand years of quick aging, but instead he said, "well, where are our drinks?" The two sat on the floor, amid the chaos and drank, giggling, rolling on the floor, Bitsy snorted a very unlady like snort, "I suppose I have to clean up this mess, don't I." Marluxion smiled a wide toothy grin "you made the mess, you clean it up, that's only fair."

"Damn, did she blow you up again? Marluxion" the two on the floor stared at Keebler standing in the door way, a look of disbelief on his round button face, they looked at each other then started to laugh uproariously. Bitsy, waved the bottle in her hand at Keebler, "No, a storm blew in." then the two started laughing again. Keebler picked his way carefully across the room, grinning at the two. Since WindWhisper has left, Keebler had been feeling lonely and bored and had decided to visit Bitsy. Looked like he arrived just in time for a rousing good giggle. Marluxion tossed Keebler a bottle, laughing as he barely caught it, juggling it from hand to hand trying not to drop it. Bitsy clinked her bottle against Keebler's, "to the color blue" then fell back on the floor giggling.

Bitsy heard a groan and opened her eyes then quickly shut them with a groan of her own. Opening one eye very slowly, she saw Keebler laying sprawled over a pile of books, he was holding his head and making the most disgusting groaning noises, it was making her stomach roll. She suddenly stood up and bolted from the run, a hand over her mouth, she dashed past Marluxion, running quicker she barely made it to the convience in time. Sometime later a very white faced Bitsy walked back into the study. She made a face at Keebler, who seemed to be just fine sitting drinking a cup of a very interesting smelling brew.

Marluxion poured Bitsy a cup of the steaming brew and poured a bit from a bottle left over from last night, he handed it to her "hair of the dog, my dear" Bitsy put her hand over her mouth again as she felt her stomach roll. "your drinking dog hair? how disgusting!" The two males laughed as if she had said the funniest thing ever spoken. "No silly, its a hot drink from some far off land, called coffee, hair of the dog is a saying for a spot of what you drank last night, poured into the coffee." said Keebler as if he were the resident expert on all things having to do with hairy dogs. Taking a very cautious sip, Bitsy decided it was quite good and was happy to see her stomach wasn't going to rebel on her again. She just might live after all, if only the pounding behind her eyes would go away.

Hours later, Bitsy finally finished cleaning the mess in the study. Keebler had left sometime earlier, making them promise, the next time she blew something up to send for him, so he could celebrate with them. With a glower she told him there wouldn't be a next time. he only laughed and headed down the path.

Each day they worked on controlling Bitsy's blue glow, it wasn't easy and at times, she would fall into an exhausted sleep, Marluxion having to carry her to her bed. At first she would wake feeling tired and aching, but over time that went away and she would wake feeling refreshed, her body finally learning how to deal with the strain. She was slowly putting the night of the storm behind her. Marluxion watched Bitsy pleased to see the slow progression back to the laughing, giggling fairy.

She still took her daily walks, sometimes Keebler would join her, filling her in on things at home, about Trink and his ladies. Only once did he make the mistake of bringing up WindWhispers, the sudden look on her face surprised him into silence. Confused Keebler wondered what was going on but thought better of asking Bitsy, maybe he would get the nerve to ask the old dragon one of these days.

Over and over again Bitsy was drawn to a certain part of the forest, she wasn't really sure why she kept going back, but she did. The trees were very large and very old, Bitsy came to a small clearing, where the sunlight filtered down through the thick foliage, she sat down on a small rock, letting the rays from the sun warm her. It seemed so quiet here, so serene, she she wandered around, her fingers trailing over barren branches, until she stood before a an ancient oak tree, some of its roots, old and gnarled curled out of the ground. Behind one root, there was a crack in the tree trunk, it was big enough for Bitsy to slip through. Cautiously she entered, not wanting to disturb and winter sleeping animals, although they usually nested much higher up in the tree's.

Bitsy, set off a small flickering light in front of her, she looked around, surprised she walked around, why it was larger then her alcove at the lair. Seeing another crack a little bigger then the one she had just slipped through, she peered through it, finding another large open space, she went further inside. There were two more such spaces. The ground was dry, covered with old leaves and dirt, pieces of bark. At one time it must of been the home of some animal, but looked as if it hadn't been lived in for a very long time. She went back to the main room and sat on a piece of wood. she closed her eye's talking to the old ancient oak. In a sighing, whispering voice the old oak spoke to Bitsy, "you are welcome here, fairy, I've been waiting for you, you will bring new life to us, here in the forest, we will always be here, let us become your safe haven, your refuge from confusion and pain."