A Little Detour

I made my way back through the forest, passing the magical well and the small drop off right before you get to Camelot. As I was passing the small drop off where I had thrown a stick while chasing Edgar, I heard a movement. Looking over I saw nothing but bushes and trees.

"Maybe it's just a squirrel." I said to myself, and turned to walk back towards Camelot. Yet, my curiosity pulled me towards that small drop off. I turned back and heard another sound that sounded like a twig snapping in half. I wondered if I should be frightened by this, but everything just seems so new and exciting that fear was no where in my mind.

Setting the basket down on the side of the path, I slid down the side of the road which was angled pretty steep, but not so steep that I had to worry about falling. Once back on my feet, I glimpsed around, still only seeing shrubbery. So, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, using all of my focus to listen to my surroundings. I heard sounds of bugs calling to each other, the wind blowing leaves, and what seemed to be some kind of stream far off, but nothing like what I had heard before. I tried to concentrate even harder, but no odd sounds struck my ear. Yet, I felt I should go towards the trees on my right. So, of course, I did.

The grass felt nice against my feet, since I woke up with tennis shoes I had to go barefoot. "Such shoes will not exist for hundreds of years!" Edgar had cried when I asked him about them. Walking past a pair of entangled trees, I heard another sound directly to my right. There was a pretty big bush of berries, so surely whatever I was hearing was hiding in there. I knelt down and pressed my hand into the bush, "Hello?" I saw a small brown bunny shaking like it had just ran miles. "You poor thing!" I said, and right as I said it I heard a noise directly behind me.

Moving slowly, I backed a little from the bush and turned to see a decently sized wolf, bearing its teeth and the hair on its back raised as it snarled in my direction. I may not have been scared before, but I sure was now. It began to move its weight to its back feet, a stance they take right before they leap and rip your throat out.

Suddenly, a voice called out from above me, "Watch out!" In a matter of what felt like minutes, but was less than a second, the wolf pounced, an arrow shot through the air, and a dead animal landed on top of me. I let out a scream and saw the small bunny race off to safety as I landed in the bush.

I pushed the animal off of me, its blood covering my hands as I did so. It looked wild, even in death. One of it's ears was missing a good size piece like it had been bitten off, blood was dripping out of its mouth, and its eyes were still open and deranged looking.

"Are you all right?" A soft voice next to me said. I turned and saw a young man jump out of a tree. His hair shined like gold in the sunlight and his eyes a blue like the sky looks right after it rains. He came over swiftly and gracefully, putting his bow up and stooping down to look at me."He didn't get you, did he?"

I shook my head, unable to speak to this strange hero.

"Oh good." He reached out a hand and helped me up, getting some of the wolf's blood on his own hand. "I don't think I've ever seen you before, are you new around here?"

I gave a nod, and took a deep breath. "Thank you for saving me, I'm sorry I got blood on you."

He just gave me a kind of half-smile, "It does look like i've caught you red handed!" he laughed at his own joke and I just stared at him, not quite sure of his humor, or what he meant by that remark. His eyebrows furrowed a little, "Well that's different, everyone loves my jokes." He shook his head, "Anyway, my name is Aurelius, what's yours?"

I stared at him, not saying a word. This was the king? I almost wanted to yell and run away screaming. What was I supposed to say? I'm Fia and I was only wanting to sneak into your castle to see my alien brother? I shook my heard. "Fia..." I said quietly. "My name is Fia."

The Send Off

"Merlin! I know that story!" I was filled with excitement, Merlin was a great and powerful wizard. "But, Edgar... isn't Merlin really old?" I looked back at the picture in the book, he was a young man, not an old man.

"Yes... I'm sure you do know that story. Somehow, your brother has become the stuff of legends so to speak. Yet, this is a time before the old Merlin most of us know about. Aurelius is king, and his younger brother, Uther, is destined to take the throne before too much longer, which then of course his son--"

"Arthur! I know this stuff Edgar," I was full of excitement to be surrounded by such a magical place, I could hardly contain myself, "but if this is medieval times why am I in these clothes?" I gestured to the dirty jeans  and T-shirt I had woken up in.

Edgar hopped up and took the book back to its place. "Well, when we came to earth there was no knowing what time we would emerge. Traveling through space, even by magic, can be tricky. That's the same reason you have knowledge of stories and events that have not even happened yet. Because of this you have to be very careful out there, watch what you say. I'm sure you've been awake long enough for people to treat you like anyone else. Now, do sit tight, I must go fetch you some clothes from this era." He grabbed his umbrella and was out the door without a second to lose.

I stood up and wandered to the bookshelf, driven by my curiosity of what things Edgar could possibly be interested in. A lot of the books seemed old and fragile, the wording was almost completely rubbed off of all of their spines. A couple books seemed to have some kind of medicinal purposes, while others seemed to be different versions of the Arthurian Legend. I had to wonder, as I traced the books with a finger, if all of this is real, why is it planted in my brain as simply myth....

Edgar came back shortly after that, a dress draped over one small furry arm. He shook his umbrella and then closed it, leavening it leaning against the wall next to the door frame.

"Here we are!" He came over to me and handed the dress to me, "What do you think?" He asked, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

I held the dress out in front of me, it was a light blue dress with beige accents to it. "It's lovely," I said, smiling at Edgar, "But where did you get this?"

His nose twitched a little and he quickly replied, "Oh, no where, go ahead and put it on, i'm very anxious for you to speak with your brother."

Edgar helped me with the dress, and while doing so explained to me how some of the things in this town worked. Magic was not banned, but heavily watched over due to its possibility for evil. Merlin lived at the castle to help Aurelius fight the evil magic that appears in the land, and is a great ally and friend to both Aurelius and Uther. I was to go to the castle and try to find my way to Merlin, Edgar was not entirely sure how to go about it, but seemed positive I was smart enough to figure it out when the time came.

When the rain let up Edgar gave me a basket and a little money in case I wanted to try their food and blend in more. "Be very careful, and remember what I said about not giving out too much information. Merlin can be the only one either of us can trust, the others are too risky." He straightened the bow at the back of my dress. "I wonder if this is how parents feel sending their children to school..." he muttered to himself softly.

"I'll be back before you know it." I said, giving a soft pat on his little head. "Just don't go stealing any more things for clothing while i'm away." He smiled at me with teary eyes and gave a little nod. And, with that I stepped outside and began my trek to the magical land of Camelot, and it took all of my will power to keep myself from running all the way there. I could hardly imagine the wonders that awaited me.

Emris

A sat quietly as Edgar explained how the stories I knew were given to me by the magic that transformed us, which was also why I awoke in a cellar stiff and sore. I had been lying in that cellar for about three years while the infant version of my true self bonded to this older version of a human.

"I watched over you the best I could." He explained. "Yet, the magic had chosen to make me a rabbit, and rabbit makes a good meal for the humans that surrounded our area. So, when I could watch over you no more, I used what little magic I could muster in this small form and locked the cellar from the inside, so that only you could open it, and quickly ran with a dog or two chasing behind me. I have never felt so unwelcome!" He twitched his nose and crossed his arms. "It took people a while to take notice of me, since our species is usually unseen by human eyes. It took time for the humans to make me out. Although, i'm quite sure my making a top coat out of someone's curtains might have been a little rude of myself and brought attention, but I was not going to go around naked, that's just senseless."

"But you're not wearing any pants." I pointed out.

"Oh, I would not dare steal all of the woman's curtains! A coat is fashionable enough."

"Edgar..." I began cautiously.

"Yes? I know this is a lot to take in, and I maybe should not be ranting about myself... I do apologize. What is it, my child?" He uncrossed his arms and laid them in his lap, giving me his full attention.

"You mentioned a prince... I have a brother?"

Edgar hopped down from his chair once again. "Oh, yes!" He handed me the bracelet he had been holding and then went over to a small bookshelf and pulled down a leather-bound book. Hopping back into his chair, he gently turned the pages of the book, which looked greatly worn. "You found me around Camelot because I had found this." He turned the book back to me which had a picture of a young man, hair dark like a raven and eyes the same color as an emerald. "His name is Emris, he lives in Camelot as a young sorcerer with great wisdom. I knew the moment I came across this photo that it had to be him. While our people look much different from humans, this boy does resemble him so."

"What did our people look like, Edgar?"

"Yes, I was afraid you would ask that, it's a rather complicated concept to convey. You see, humans are made of that pink fleshy stuff, and we were not. Our shapes are very similar, but our skin was more like what earth thinks of as sunlight, yet tangible. Also, unlike the sun, we were not blinding, it was more like our outside was the reflection of our souls; each one of us made from our own soul's aura. We had nothing to hide, which eventually led to the exploitation of our powers, which led Nequior to us. Are you understanding any of this?" His fuzzy eyebrows knitted together with concern. "I'm trying my best, but there is just so much to our people... and to you."

I put a hand to my head. Everything was beginning to make sense, yet I wanted none of it. I did not want to be some kind of story from space that rings of sadness and an odd bunny-rabbit, but here I am. Edgar seems like a nice person, and maybe it's the fact that he's a rabbit, but I began to feel more alone than ever.

After a lot of thought I said to Edgar, "I want to find my brother."

He smiled. "I was hoping you would say that, I can't because i'll be eaten, but a young girl such as yourself should have no problem going into Camelot. The only problem is Emris may not be so easy to get to... He may live... in a castle... and he may be better known as Merlin to these people."

Zelix

Edgar waited for a response, but all I could think about was how imposturous his statement was. Everything within in me wanted to yell at him, run out the door, maybe even cry. I wanted to do so many things at that moment that I could do nothing. Edgar rested his paw on my hand, which I had been clenching my knee with. His paw was small and soft, and his face read true sincerity.

"I know this will take some getting use to, but you are very special, indeed." He got up and hopped across the room as I let out the breath I had not realized I was holding. When he came back he handed me a small oval-shapped mirror. "You have never thought about how looked before, have you?"

I took the mirror and gazed into it. Instantly I was taken aback by the eyes that gazed right into my own. They were colored like the bark of an oak tree, and my hair that fell down past my shoulders was an almost unnatural shade of red, compared to the feathers of a male cardinal. I lifted one hand to my hair, as if I was feeling it for the first time. "I look..."

"Human." Edgar chimed. "You look human. Yet, you are in fact not human at all. You are from a people who live in a constant silence, never gazing upon one another, and never having need for food or water."

I set the mirror down and looked at Edgar. "Then how do I know things like Earth stories and what everything is named?"

Edgar settled back into his rabbit sized chair and gave me a gaze that suggested great knowledge. "It's a bit of a long story, are you sure you're ready?"

I gave a single nod.

"Your home planet, many galaxies away from Earth, is known as Zelix. The society was built by a royal family who wanted to protect their son and daughter from the same catastrophe that had hit their home planet Yaynar, which led them to Zelix. A vile creature known as Nequior had taken over yaynar, and just about killed everyone on it with the exception of the royal family, which he held hostage, and a few others who found safety in hidden places.

"One man was smart enough to build a shuttle that could carry the remaining people to a new home, but he would not leave without the royal family. He had lived many years, and this royal family was the only family who had not oppressed the people, and he had grown very close to them. So, he made a plan to sneak the family out from under Nequior's nose while he was busy destroying his beloved home planet. With the rescue of the king, queen, prince, and unborn princess, the man gathered the rest of the survivors and boarded the shuttle to Zelix.

"With the arrival at a new planet, the royal family decided the survivors should live different from the others before them. Each of them had magical powers, and with Nequior gone they all devoted themselves to a life of silence and gratitude for their survival. From that point on they all sat in a room, meditating and listening to the other worlds outside of their own. They became what you may call guardian angels. If someone wishes hard enough or is in enough trouble one of your people will arrive to save them from their distress. Yet, it wasn't long before Nequior found them again, and was ready to harvest the rest of the people's powers for his own malicious deeds.

'The queen was about to have her child at that time, and the people of silence broke their silence for this one occasion. The man who had saved them once before came to the royal family with a very old book he had taken from their first home. Inside that book was a way to save their people, but it would require the prince and princess to be removed from their home, and the possibility of never being joined again with their parents. It was a very desperate time and Nequior was almost upon them. The queen had begun to go into labor, so the king discussed urgently with the man and eventually agreed, if they would not live at least his children would be given the chance. So the man took the prince and gave him a leather wrist band with a shimmering yellow stone, and sent him through a portal which the old book told of. He then quickly returned to find the newborn princess in the king's arms. The king grabbed the man's wrist with a seriousness in his eyes 'She cannot go alone, she will never survive.' He spoke, with great love and sadness in his eyes. 'I will watch over her, sire.' said the man, who had become greatly loved by the king, and also had grown to admire the king as well. He nodded, 'Thank you, friend.' and as they began to slip out he yelled, 'Tell Fia I love her! That her mother and I, we believe in her!'

"With those parting words, the man grabbed the second wrist band with a ruby placed in the center and took her to the portal, which was instantly destroyed by the arrival of Nequior. Once arrived things were a little out of hand, the prince was never found, and the man was separated from the child, but...." Edgar looked up from the bracelet he had been running his paw over, and gave me a soft smile. "They seemed to have found each other again."

The Name

I followed the rabbit in the rain; trying to get him to take his umbrella back, but he refused to even let one drop touch my head. The poor thing was soaked to the bone, yet he showed no signs of discontent. "Hurry along." He would say every now and then. "I can't let you get all wet out here." And I would give the reply, "I won't melt." To which he would respond, "Yes, yes, of course not."

After a while, we came upon a small cabin-like house, with two small windows to each side of the door. "Here we are!" He opened the door and ushered me inside the dark house. After I was safe inside, he hopped around the house lighting candles. "Can't have you sitting in the dark, it's not proper in the least."

The house smelt like a campfire and shoe polish. "Nice house, you have here."

"Yes, yes." He said, putting away his matches. "Do have a seat." He motioned to a rocking chair next to the fireplace which he now had going. The chair seemed out of place, being rather large for his rabbit sized house. 

"So, tell me rabbit--"

"Edgar, my name is Edgar." 

I looked at the fuzzy white rabbit, who stared back at me blankly. "Edgar... why did you bring me here after running away from me before?"

He continued to give me a blank stare. "What? Ran away?"

"Yes, I believe you said, and I quote, 'Oh, no, no, no....'"

"Well, I believe I was a bit more enthusiastic than that!" This time I gave him the blank stare. He cleared his throat, "Sorry, I only exclaimed that because I realized it was about to rain and I had left my umbrella at home."

"You didn't even use the umbrella."

"Well it wasn't for me! It was for you." He shook his head as if I was missing something I should have known already. 

"It's just rain, I don't see what all the hubbub is about." I said with hint of tiredness to my voice.

"Sorry, I should probably explain. Do tell me, what is your name?"

"Fia."

"And do you know what your name means?" He said, with a slight raise of an eyebrow. I said nothing so he continued on. "You see, your name is Latin for flame, and the memories you are searching for really do not exist at all."

What Was Once Lost

It wasn't long before I lost the white rabbit. I was now in the middle of a forest with no clue how to get anywhere. I suppose I should have known that even a rabbit weighed down by a trench coat would still be faster than I.

I kicked a stick into the brush just a few feet to my left after a small drop off. My legs were aching from running and I had a few scrapes on my legs from thorns, but other than that I was still one peace. I guess I have to learn to be grateful for the small things.

Walking down a muddy trail, I took in a deep breath. There was something magical about these woods; I felt like I could smell the water mixing with the dirt, and hear the roots quenching their thirst. It's an odd sensation, but not a bad kind. Everything was lush and green, and what little bits of the sky I could see were bluer than ever. I wonder if I have found myself in another world, different from where I awoke, and different from Camelot.

I eventually came upon a well. It looked old with pieces of it chipped off here and there, but it still had a rope in decent shape connected to a bucket. There was a sign on the well made of old wood that said the water in this well was magical and if you drank the water it would return something once lost to you.

With my condition there was no way I could pass it up. Even if it wasn't true, i could feel magic was around, so what's the risk? I cranked the arm which pulled the bucket from the depths of the well. The water smelled pure and magical, and a cup floated on top of its surface. I took the cup and scooped some of the water out of the bucket and took a small taste. The water didn't taste too different, there is something that sets it apart, but I could not tell you what it is.

After waiting a minute or two, I figured there was no magic and set the cup down to walk away. It was at that moment I heard a timid voice speak,

"Have you lost something?"

I turned quickly to see the white rabbit, now holding an umbrella. "Yes... Yes I have." I said to the rabbit.

His ears twitched, "And what might that be?"

"My Memory."

"Oh, I find that is very inconvenient."

"Yes...." I was now a bit weary of this rabbit, curious how I never thought twice about chasing such a weird creature.

"Well," He said as he handed me his umbrella. "You'll be wanting that, it will rain soon. Now, come along, we have things to do."

There is no doubt that this rabbit is one of the weirdest creatures. I feel it is like that crazy rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, yet combined with Jiminy Cricket. Funny how I remember others' stories, but not my own. Yet, perhaps this rabbit knows something about me, maybe he will restore the thing I have lost.

Camelot

I have arrived in a new town; people lavished in chain-mail and fancy dresses. They're wonderful people who could, of course, can only be found in this land called Camelot. Camelot is quite different from everything i've seen, yet my memory still lacks, so there's not too much I can compare it with. I feel I have gone even farther back in time, and it is oh so intriguing.

The sky lights up with magic, and everything is so lovely, yet I still feel I can interact with none of it. My heart longs for some kind of connection, but I have found nothing. I attempted a couple times to connect with people, but it was never satisfying and I felt more empty than before.

I thought, maybe if I had my memories back, that would help, but alas I do not know how to go about that. Entertaining the idea of visiting a wizard, I visited the tavern. A person of magic might be helpful, but just like everyone else they would probably try to look at me, but instead look through me, only half-seeing me. Yet, I could see this was progress, before no one even attempted a glimpse.

On my way to the tavern, I noticed something odd. Why, it appeared to be rabbit in a topcoat! I looked around, possibly a person of magic had conjured it up, but I saw no one of the likes. Well, how fascinating is it to see a rabbit in a topcoat in Camelot! One does not simply pass that by.

I made haste towards the rabbit, which lead me into the neighboring woods. As I got closer to the white rabbit he turned and gave a gasp.

"Oh, don't be frightened." I said.

"Oh, no, no, no!" It cried as he began to scurry away as fast as possible.

Well, I wasn't going to let a talking white rabbit in a topcoat get away from me now, I was too invested. So I began my new journey following an odd bunny, let's just hope he doesn't bite. Until next time, I am Fia and this is my story.