In the dark forest, a little girl probably no older than five traversed the snowy road without her shoes as she could only hug a tall stick that she's lit with a spare flint. In her tattered brown dress, her crimson hair was cut to the scalp almost bald and a purple stain sported around her right eye.
However, she didn't cower as the sun continued to set. Rather she held a small sense of relief having left her group that would never return to find her.
Initially arriving with a small group of orphans, she was abandoned by all of them. Children and adults. Not a single one came back to look for a five-year-old child cursed with hair so bright red and naturally tinted with gold.
Her back was shivering cold down to the spine as she turned around the corner looking for a small piece of shelter in the dark woods. Thorn vines wrapped around the place as she walked through with ease. She believed that she had now trespassed from the ice-cold cities into the forest that bordered a land of fairies.
Despite the pretty name, the place would be covered with thorns in some parts and would look rather creepy during the night.
It was then that the little girl heard it. A small scream in the air.
Curious, the child went ahead carefully without rustling the dead leaves or crushing much of the white snow piled up to her ankles. After traversing a bit further towards the scream, that's when she found a small clearing in the forest when the clean full moon shown upon the clearing. In the corner sat a trembling gold figure that glowed like the actual stone itself with bright eyes. However, several dark figures swirled around her growling.
They were wolves!
Yet, since when did wolves hunt at night?
She found this unusual as she pondered whether she should help the woman. Seeing the transparent wings on her back, the little girl could deduce that this woman was a fairy that she had overheard the adults spoke about with the other children at the orphanage during storytime.
However, this woman wasn't like the fairy she had encountered in her past life. No fairies in her previous life had such features. Rather, if not for their beauty, they'd be mistaken for mortals instead.
Having recalled this, she sighed and shook her head.
"May as well." the girl mumbled quietly under her breath.
She picked up a large pebble from under a large tree and chucked it at one of the creatures with a loud shout, "Hey you, cowards!"
One of the wolves spun around just in time to receive the pebble to the eye. It howled and reached out towards her with its claws. The girl lept away and stuck the branch onto its scruff.
Automatically, the fire moved onto the wolf as it cried and scrambled amongst the snow trying to release itself from the pain.
Seeing one of its members set aflame, the others grew wary of the five-year-old girl who looked to be just slightly taller than them. In total, the girl could see that there were three other wolves and two pairs of shiny eyes in the dark of the trees.
Despite the odds, the girl didn't leave a chance to be in fear. Instead, she glanced at the distance between the surprised fairy and the wolves before she shouted, "I'll lead them away. Just run when I do!"
Hearing her shout, the wolves began to pounce at her as she rolled away from them and dashed deeper into the thick forest on the path she had come from.
With her short legs, the wolves had no problem catching up to her as two of them pounced fro the shadows. She quickly dodged one of them when a chubby looking wolf bit her leg. She grimaced before smashing the splintered end of the stick into the face of the wolf. It yelped released her quickly before cowering in fear behind the others with his ears lowered.
Without giving it a second thought, she then rammed the flame of the branch into the butt of the one that she had avoided previously. Butt burnt, the wolf screamed and hilariously began dragging its bottom disgracefully across the snowy floor.
Bewildered eyes fell on her as the remaining three pairs of wolves stared at her nervously with paws pattering in the snow. The girl smirked, "What? Getting the cold feet now? Where's that so-called bravery when you were outnumbering one fairy earlier?"
The wolves' ears began to pull back as they reformed and began to slowly retreat. Curious, she began to wonder if it was really her. However, she couldn't sense any other eyes on them and knew that the wolves were actually retreating from her.
She swung her branch again and saw the five pull back before turning tails and running in a different direction from where they came.
"So, it was the fire..." The little girl breathed a sigh of relief before beginning to make her way back to the path she was taking.
However, the pain in her leg increased when she limped her way through the forest. She scowled and tore off a piece of her dress clumsily before trying to wrap it around her leg. The bite mark from earlier had punctured her skin and the wound was already starting to bleed.
With a scowl, she broke a piece of the branch and tied it to her leg. If her evaluation wasn't wrong, she had just fractured her leg. However, with her young age and proper rest, she should hear properly. The only problem now was...
The little girl looked around and saw that there was nothing of use to her. No shelter, no food, or life. Probably the only life around her area would be those wolves and that fairy. However, if she remembers correctly about these fairies, it would be that they don't have a favorable impression of humans, much like the beasts back in her previous life.
The little girl struggled to get up again when she hadn't even taken three steps that she fell back down from sheer pain. With a frown, she struggled to get up again when she fell forward once more into the cold snow that had already stun her feet with frostbites.
She felt cold as a chilly breeze blew past her shoulders. It was as she thought. Being human was the worst thing ever.
Suddenly, there was a touch of warmth to her shoulder as she looked up and saw that it was the golden fairy that now towered over her like an adult.
Seeing the girl look up, the fairy breathed a small sigh of relief and said, "Thank goodness, you're still alive."
"My queen- Ah! A human child?!"
The woman looked over her shoulders as she knelt down to help the child sit up, "Maisey, hurry! I think the poor girl is hurt!"
It was then that a small person with a red mushroom cap and clothes of green leaves flew over to the girl's side as she watched on in surprise. Maisey looked over the little girl curiously before nodding his head, "I think she broke her leg from the wolf attack earlier."
The queen nodded and waved her golden hand over the leg. To the little girl's surprise, the pain stopped!
Curiously, she removed it and saw that the bite marks were gone. Perhaps, this would also mean that she could walk again. With a grateful smile, the little girl slowly got up and bowed her head respectfully, "Thank you for helping me."
"Tell me." The queen questioned her with a raised brow, "What brought such a young human into the forest? Did you got lost by accident?"
The girl shook her head, "I was indeed lost, your majesty. But, not by accident."
"Oh?" The queen narrowed her eyes in confusion, "Then, you came to seek us, fairies?"
"No." The girl responded bluntly, "I was left here to die by the orphanage. Abandoned."
"What?!" The fairy called Maisey stared at the girl in shock when he heard this.
"For what reason?" The queen asked curiously upon hearing the most unlikely words from the little girl.
"I was not well-liked for my appearance, it would seem." She responded, "My physical appearance brought fear to those around me, so I was shunned away from the day they found me."
"So, I see..." The fairy queen responded having noticed the little girl's bright and steady purple eyes and flaming red hair under the light of the moon. It would seem that it had to do with a little bit more than just her appearance.
However, the incredibly thin child brought a sense of pity in the fairy's chest. Yet, as a fairy, she wasn't certain whether she should trust this little child or not. After all, she was a human and humans can be as sly as a fox.
"How about your name?" The queen asked.
The girl opened her mouth before she froze in confusion, "I... Don't have a proper name..."
After some thought, the little girl continued, "The people in town have called me midget before though..."
"That won't do." The queen scowled. With some thoughts, the fairies watched and examined the girl closely before finally nodding their heads towards each other.
The queen turned towards her and smiled before taking her hand, "It hasn't been done in many years now, but you shall stay with us."
"With you?!" The little girl looked to them with wide eyes, "Is this all right with you?"
"Normally, no. However, we'll make it an exception for now." The queen responded with a wider smile.
Personally, the queen was more intrigued by the girl's unique behavior unfitting to that of a child of her age and wished to learn more of her. It was then that she felt a sudden rise of heat in her hand and stared at the child.
Yes, this child is indeed unique. The fairies shall take her in, then.
With a wider and bright smile, the fairy queen looked down upon her and said, "From this moment on, you'll be my child."
"We're going to take care of a child?" Maisey noted in surprise as the finger-sized fairy flew onto the little girl's shoulder, "This will be many of the fairies' first time witnessing the growth of a human child!"
The queen chuckled softly upon hearing her subject's interest in her new child before she turned to the little girl, "How about a new name for this new start?"
"A new name..." The little girl looked up to her with deep curiosity before slowly nodding her head, "Then, maybe a Xue."
"Xue..." The queen thought for a bit before looking at her curiously, "Let me take a look at you a little."
Lightly grasping the little girl on the shoulders, the queen carefully examined the little girl before nodding her head, "Your hair reminds me of a flower... How about Peony?"
Her words stunned the little girl with wide eyes to which the fairy queen wondered with a frown, "Is it not to your satisfaction?"
The little girl shook her head and smiled, "I like it."
"Peony." The queen nodded, "Then, from now on, you shall be called Peony Xue. Peony, my name is Tatiana. I am your mother from now on."
"Tatiana..." The new "Peony" slowly nodded her head with eyes flashing in excitement as a rosy smile appeared on her thin lips, "Okay. Then, you are my mother!"
The queen smiled warmly upon the arrival of her new daughter as she also knew that she'll have to do a lot of convincing with the other fairies later.