Running for the fairytale {Ems}

Once upon a time, there was a magic kingdom where elves, fairies, flowers and other beautiful creatures lived. The kingdom never had a war with the humans who lived in their own countries. People sometimes came to see the fairies and smell the flowers. Elves had their own streets in every human town. Everyone was happy until...

One day a very evil king gained power in one of the countries and conquered all the places around. All of them but one. The magic kingdom was still independent and freedom bloomed within its borders. People from the whole world were hiding from the war there. It was only a matter of time until the evil king would attempt to attack the kingdom. His secret police were searching for elves and fairies who hadn't fled from the king's lands while they still had time. It was obvious that the kingdom couldn't fight back. Its citizens had never seen a war before and wouldn't hurt a fly. So the wise queen who ruled that kingdom decided that they should close their borders to all humans, except for the few harmless ones.

At the moment when the queen waved her wand, all humans who stayed outside of the magic kingdom forgot that it existed and couldn't ever find it again. Only a few of them were allowed to enter the land of fairies and almost none of those few returned to the evil king's cruel country. And when the fairytale creatures entered the human's part of the world, almost nobody could see them, because they didn't believe they existed.

Since those days most people haven't seen any magic in their lives. Some of them still tried to find it and because of that, fairy fighters appeared. They are people who don't just ignore the fairytales, they do their best to make others stop believing in them. They were chosen to protect the magic kingdom from humans by their ignorance.

Fairy fighters are usually adults. They don't know who they are, but they still do their job brilliantly. Ivy hadn't met many fairy fighters before the flower princess took her family to the magic kingdom. However, when she had to go to live in a fortress full of fairy fighters. Almost every adult in there seemed to be more than just skeptical about anything magical. Of course, there had to be a lot of them in that place. All the children in there had lost their families to the flower princess and the fairies didn't want them to find out.

One of the fairy fighters, in particular, was doing her best to make Ivy stop believing. She couldn't do anything, so after a few months of struggle, she took her to a more experienced fairy fighter. However, after five years of "therapy sessions", as they called it, Ivy still isn't ready to give up.

They have tried different tactics.

Telling her for a few thousand times that the magic isn't real...

"Ivy, dear, you are sixteen years old, you have to understand that all those things you talk about don't exist".

"You have to grow up, darling".

Whispering behind her back...

"Poor girl, she still can't get over her family's deaths".

"If she doesn't heal before she is of age, she will have to go to an asylum... We can't keep her in the orphanage forever... Maybe, if someone agreed to adopt her... But no one wants to take a lunatic... Poor orphan".

No matter what they say, she still can't stop believing. She can't let them tear the hope out of her heart. And that is why she is brought to the fairy fighter boss three times a week.

Her fairy fighter from the orphanage fortress is holding her hand firmly when they enter a tall white building - the fairy fighter's castle. They are early again because Ivy's "teacher" is a little bit more punctual than necessary. It is understandable: no fairy fighter and no other normal adult would want to keep their boss waiting. They have to wait in a huge white room until the fighter is ready to receive them. When the "teacher" decides to take a book out of her bag and starts reading, Ivy quietly rises from her chair and walks towards a beautiful crystal pond on a small table. Four mermaids are swimming inside it. They are smiling at Ivy and their gorgeous tails are shining in the sunlight that fills the room on this cheerful morning. The girl slowly puts her hand into the water, trying to shake one of the mermaid's hands.

"Hello, it is nice to see you again. You look beautiful today."

She whispers that as quietly as she can, but it doesn't help. Her "teacher's" tired voice finds her anyway.

"Ivy, please, don't touch the fish".

She really can't see anything. And she can't understand anything.

"But it is not a fish, it is a mermaid! I was just saying hello..."

Ivy knows that now the woman is going to get up from her chair now... And make her sit down again... And probably scold her a little... But she can't blame a fairy fighter for doing her job. It would be ridiculous.

The "teacher's" hand grabs her elbow and drags her gently towards the chair.

"Please, don't do that again, darling. You shouldn't touch the fish. It can die if you hurt it".

Ivy's eyes fill with disbelief.

"But I can't harm a mermaid! It is protected by magic!"

The tired woman sighs loudly and impatiently.

"I think we've had this conversation before, young lady. Why can't you just sit down and be a good girl?"