Crystal's Christmas Wish
Fae danced in lunar light to the music of snow falls. Feet skipping lightly across cobbled streets and graceless ground. Despite the season, the air was filled with anger and sorrow as people milled about grabbing gifts and wrappers, balancing cheque books, and juggling lists and parties.
Crystal danced between the patrons legs unworried about being noticed. To the unawared, she simply look like light glistening on the snow or a small flake on the wind. She, however, was worried about the failings of the hearts around her.
Could these mortals be any more blind then they already were? Did they not know that this was no time to be rushing between buildings and stalls? They yell and scream for products to be brought forward. Rush on icy roads and build up the statistics of road rage. Snatch items from one another, even fighting amongst themselves. The mortals turn a season that is supposed to be filled with love and mirth, into a season where the only treasured days are few and far.
Why are they not cozied up to the fires with family and friends? The children need not material possesions to know love of the season. They need lessons of life, sacrifice, family, friends and love. What do these gifts they recieve even mean to them? What makes getting the gifts this season any different then getting them any other day? Does it have something to do with the semi-fictional saint who brings gifts to all the good children? Even if that were true, threats of Santa Claus leaving coal in stockings are not year round.
And what of the other mortals? Why is it that this time of year can be so much more painful then any other? They remember that this is the time for family and friends, but since they have none anymore or distanced far apart, they spend the season in misery and woe. Some even taking Grim's job into their own hands, to weak to face the time alone and alive.
Crystal has seen this every year, and wondered the why's and how's. Wondering what it is she could do to make the psuedo happy holidays truly wonderful, if only in a small way. If she only knew what the Fates' had in store...
The night grew colder and was only as dark as the street lamps would allow. Milling pedestrians become fewer as they sought warm shelter and soft beds. The icy music growing loud enough to make anyone who hears it feel the chill. And underlying this chilly song, Crystal heard a muffled sound. A break in the snow orchestra. Skipping lightly across the walks, passing fay sisters and brothers, Crystal followed the sound to a small family trudging tiredly through the snow.
The mother held a young boy of about five years wrapped in swaddling as the tried to keep them all warm in his arms, ever looking for shelter. They looked to Crystal to be haggard and tired. She knew not their story but did know that at that moment they did not have anywhere to turn to and needed help if only for the one night. Crystal knew the town and thought of all the possible places for the family to stay warm and how to get them there, since they could not see her.
Like ligtning, Crystal was struck with the thought of an old church. The priest lived in a little room behind the altar and kept the place well maintained. He had no family to speak of, after having dedicated his life to his God and religion. He was also a bit aware of her whenever she would be near. Coaxing him to find these people will be rather easy.
So Crystal grabbed an icy breeze and followed it up beyond the roof tops. Once she was up on high, she began scanning the scenery till she found the church, only a few blocks from the freezing family. She made her dancingly to the cross perched atop the little chapel of the church. Down the belfry she flew, through the entry nook where patrons would cross, through the chapel with ghostly pews and behind the altar, to the small pine door and through its lock.
The priest was in normal attire, a pair of pants and a flannel shirt, a pair of fuzzy slippers and a wool hat to help keep him warm as he sat in his recliner by the fire. He was an older fella, but ancient by no means. He paused in mid-motion of drinking his hot chocolate, "Well, hello my friend. Has the cold gotten to you, too?" He couldn't see her, but just the same knew that she was there. This delighted her. She flew past him slowly, knowing that he would somehow know that she was saying hello. He nodded and got up to pour her a small thimble of hot chocolate from his own mug. They both knew that she wouldn't drink it, but the offer itself let her know that she was welcomed. Now, to try and comunicate her needs.
The priest was sitting in his chair again, hot chocolate in his hands and feet to the fire. Looking around the room, Crystal noted that there was a snowglobe with a bell nearby. Acting like wind, she rang the bell. When the priest looked up, she made it snow in the little globe.
"Yes, the weather is quite fierce and cold outside," the priest stood up and walked to the globe. The little fae didn't let the fake snow fall, it really was snowing on the little village scene. And there were tiny people moving around in it, much like it was earlier that night. "Whatcha doing little one? Trying to tell me something," the old man peered with clear eyes at the scene unfolding. She showed the hustle and bustle of the day, then she let the people get fewer and fewer till there were only the small family of three. She tried to instill the idea of them being tired and haggard, worn and cold. "Why do you show me this little family?"
Crystal let the snow globe return to normal and flew to the fire. She made a piece of the burning wood snap a bit louder then it would normally. The priest turned dutifully around to see the flames form a picture of at first the small family being cold, but then another figure showed up and seemed to ask them to follow. A cross appeared in the flames and then the family were pictured being warm and comforted in the small room with the priest. "You're being a little more showy then normal, little one. Helping these people must be really important to you." Crystal made the wood crack again in afirmation. "Well, I guess there's nothing left but for me to go get them. Let me bundle up and grab some blankets. Then, you can lead the way."
Stepping out into the cold, the priest allowed his senses to spread as far as he could, trying to catch the tell tale signs of the fae. Icicles gleamed and snow shone brightly in one direction, and he took it to be the sign he was looking for. Following the little signs were not very hard for him as he was always looking for similar signs in the world around him for God's presence. It didn't take very long, and the priest was able to find the little family, huddled on a stoop of a bank for shelter from the wind.
"Well, hello there friends. You must be freezing in this weather. Come take these blankets and follow me. I live in a church near here..."
"We thank you for your kindness, but we are not really church goers. I don't even think that you would welcome us in under normal circumstances. But thanks just the same," the father replied denying both the invitation and the blankets in turn.
The priest looked at the family again, "Nonsense, anyone seeking shelter for one reason or another can find it at my church. Now, let's bundle you and yours up and get you to the church. I have a fire going and so I can't leave it unattended for very long. Besides, a friend of mine will be surely miffed if I left the three of you here in the cold." Crystal punctuated this observation with cracking ice and a gust of wind.
The father saw that the elder man would not budge from this and helped wrap his wife and child in the blankets before bundling himself, and the three of them followed the old man to the church. Once inside the priest ushered them around the fire before they were allowed to remove the blankets and warm garments. While the family warmed themselves at the fire, the priest began preparing more hot chocolate and some hot soup. He placed four mugs of chocolate and four bowls of soup on a tray with two thimbles of the same. He set the tray on the floor in front of the fire and sat down on the floor with the family. The priest said a small, quiet prayer and doled out the food, leaving the thimbles on the tray.
"What are they for," asked the little boy, pointing at the thimbles.
"Those are for my friend. She was who told me about you and your parents being out in the cold," replied the priest.
"They're a bit small for an angel, don't you think," said the father.
"For an angel, maybe. But these offerings are for a faerie."
"A faerie," the wife said in surprise, "I didn't think priests believed in faeries."
"I can't speak for other priests, but this one does. In fact, I believe that faeries are just little angels."
And they sat in front of the fire in companionable silence, enjoying the soup and hot chocolate.