When dragons became pixies

There weren't always dragons in the Valley of the small world of the Freedom pixie sprites. My name is Moonbeam, and long ago I started dreaming of these wonderful flying beings with multicolored wings and beautiful kind eyes that wished to be my friends. When we spoke, we somehow understood each other. They were pleasant dreams, the kinds that made you wake up smiling and wishing that they were real.

My favorite dream friend was Draxia. He was not as large as the other dream beings whose sizes were a little intimidating. He was black and gold in color, his purple eyes had slits which matched the gold of his wings. His long black streaked tail would swish whenever he was excited. Draxia was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. We would fly side by side, high up to the clouds when he carried me, we were happy to be wild and blissfully free.

Why would these huge creatures wanted to be friends with the tiny pixies from the hidden world of Freedom was a mystery to me, even if they were only in dreams. Sometimes I would dream that they were tiny like me, but mostly they were really just their regular enormous selves.

But lately, I have had disturbing images of my dream friends. They are in deep distress. My dreams have become terrible, there is great upheaval and death. Fire and destruction now haunt my dreams. I wake up in a cold sweat, screaming and tormented, it's as if I am on fire, burning so badly I can barely stand the pain. My parents come running in at nights where they find me trying to oust the imaginary flames from my body. They are terrified and alarmed for me. I now wish that the dreams would go away, even though I would dearly miss my friends.

I am wide awake tonight. Afraid to close my eyes.

Suddenly, there at my tiny window I see a triangular eye. it stays for a second or two, then darts away. I blink twice and rub my tired eyes, maybe now I am hallucinating because I am too scared to sleep. There it is again. This time I am sure it's not my imagination. The purple eye streaked with gold. Draxia, could it be? There was a slight commotion, the sounds of a medium sized dragon trying to fit in an unaccustomed small space.

I jumped out of bed, opened my window, and there was my friend, in real life, not smiling as he usually does, but sad and obviously in pain. Sprinkling some warming pym dust on myself, the nights were cold, I grabbed the xnu healing dust and climbed out on the window ledge.

"Come my friend, I will explain while we fly. Draxia beckoned me onto his back and we flew up high above Freedom land. I sure hope my parents didn't hear the racket and are still asleep.

I could hardly contain my curiosity. The unreal had suddenly materialized out of thin air. I was not the least bit afraid.

"How is this possible, Draxia, how are you real, I see you in my dreams all the time. What are you anyway, apart from a large flying being"?

"We are called dragons, Moonbeam, and you dream of me because you are my spirit rider, I have the same dreams that you do. Our minds are connected telepathically over space and time".

"That explains a lot actually. That is why we already know each other's names. There is so much to understand. Are you hurt, you seem to be in pain. I am sprinkling xnu healing dust over you to make you feel better".

"Thanks, wow, it tickles, I am feeling better. Draxia flexed his hurt wing, it had really healed, the pain was gone.

"War has broken out on The Realms of Kaidon, our dragon world. The Northern dragons have killed the king, my father. My mother and sister have been taken as prisoners. I am here to ask for your people's help"!

"How can we help. We are so tiny, how do we fight such large dragons"?

"That is exactly how you can help. We wish to become tiny dragons"!

"Tiny dragons, but why"? I was very puzzled.

"If we were small, and had the means to become small, I could get my family back, we would go in undetected and be out before we could be discovered".

"I will help you Draxia, take me back to my room". I hastily arranged my bed to appear that I was sleeping. Then we flew to the Forbidden tree, the shrinking tree. Only the elders wee supposed to use the Llyxu shrinking dust. I had no time for the formal meeting of the elders. I would be in a lot of trouble if I got discovered.

Asking my friend to wait a distant off, I circled the tree, beseeching it's help in a matter of dire importance. The tree listened and allowed me to bottle the forbidden dust of the pixies. Using a tiny winds breath of the dust, I gently blew it over Draxia's form. In a twinkle he had shrunk to a size compatible to mine. I had enough dust to help whomever needed it. We then flew off to go help his family to freedom. I would face the consequences of my actions later.

The young dragon was silent for a while, this small form was foreign to his nature. Could he really adjust to being a tiny fraction of his normal size. But, he rationalized, is being small really all that different to being big. Is it not all in the mind. I may be small, but am I not the same male that I have always been. Am I not still my father's son, heir to the throne of Kaidon's Realms and protector of my family and my subjects. Draxia squared his shoulders, he was ready, his mind was firm in it's objectives. He glanced across at his tiny friend, deep down he knew that she had broken the rules of Pixieland, he knew that she must be torn between obedience and the forewarnings of dreams she has had for so many of her young years.

Staring straight ahead, riding on the back of this dragon that she had met in her dreams all these years, Moonbeam had no doubt that she had done the right thing. She had seen the future of her world and his, and knew that in order to succeed, she must help him and his people. Her destiny was clearly tied to his, of that she had no doubt. The future and prosperity of both species depended on their success.

We arrived at the Kingdom of the Northern dragons. It was cloaked in dense fog, we could see nothing. Braving our way through the fog, we finally emerged into a vast landscape of mighty trees. The homes of these dragons were all built above and around the trees. Trees so thick and dense it was almost impossible to penetrate. I realize now how the advantage of being small clearly would be in our favor.

We could travel through the leaves of the trees and never be seen.

"We can speak freely here Moonbeam. To these beasts we are like little bees buzzing. Let us go exploring, you keep a lookout, while I focus on scouting the tree houses".

"Ok. Got it, be careful nevertheless, we can still be squashed like flies".

"True, right, here goes".

It was not hard to find where the royal family was being held. It was the only one that was quite heavily guarded. We got in without incident, the dragon mother and daughter were sleeping in a corner of the room, huddling close to each other. I opened my bottle and blew the sprinkle of LLyxu dust on them both. The motion of becoming tiny woke them up. Kathlana was about to scream, but Drakia covered her mouth.

"Quiet, he whispered, it's Draxia. Remember we always discussed how we wanted to be tiny dragons when we were young. Well, we are now. Look at me"!

"Draxia, by the gods, what happened to you, to us"? Pharjia, his mother was alarmed and looked so tired.

"Quickly mother. I will explain later. We must leave now. Can you fly, are you both ok"?

"Yes, we are ready to leave this horrid place. Come Kathlana, we shall be free again".

We left as we had come, in silence and secrecy. Leaving his mother and sister in the safety of a nearby protected overhang, we returned for the rest of his imprisoned people. One by one I made them small. They were mostly amused. some were puzzled, but Draxia promised to explain it all later. We all made it out unseen. We left this place as we had come, with no one in the kingdom being the wiser.

Next, we proceeded to the Kingdom of Kaidon, I used pixie spells to cast the dust over the entire realm. Dragons awoke to find themselves tiny and quite cute. They all converged on the palace where all was explained to them. There was a great uproar about the recent developments.

"This is Moonbeam, my spirit rider, as I explained to my mother and sister, she is a pixie, some of you already have pixie spirits, so you understand. She helped me rescue our people from the Northern dragons. Being made small is a choice, you can reject this later if you wish, but for now it is the only way to save our lives. The Northerns will be coming here as soon as they realize that their prisoners are gone".

"Come, let us travel to the rivers high atop the mountain, from there we can watch them come in, we will not have to fight them, our dragonkind will not have to die this day. No one else will have to die"!

We slept for some hours before we were awakened by a thunderous roar and whooshing of dragon wings. It was terrible to behold. Gigantic dragons of every color and description ascended on the palace and it's environs. They searched everywhere for signs of life. Finding nothing, they collectively razed the entire kingdom to ashes. They bellowed in anger and fire rained down on everything. They burned the surrounding trees as far as they could see. Finally, convinced that they were alone, they turned and charged angrily up to the sky and flew away.

"They will be back at some time, these Northerns do not like to lose. I have to leave you all for a while, until I return Jankenat, please take care of my mother and sister. You will be safe here for now".

"Come Moonbeam, I shall accompany you to face your people".

By now it was morning, my parents and the elders were waiting. The shrinking tree had told them the truth. It was forbidden to lie. Draxia was allowed to tell his side of the story. They understood more than anyone, the power of dream spirits and one's obligation to fulfill the requests of these dreams. Draxia and his subjects would be made welcome here. They would be welcomed if they decided to settle in the nearby lands, it's been too long without the sounds of life and laughter.

"Moonbeam, despite your bravery and sacrifice in saving the lives of the dragonkind, you disobeyed the rules. We fully understand the reasons and circumstances, but rules are rules. They cannot be taken lightly".

"The council has arrived at a decision. You are forbidden to be seen using or acquiring any kind of pixie dust for a complete year starting now. Disobey that rule and you shall be banished from Freedomland for a complete year".

"I understand and accept your decision. It is fair". Moonbeam bowed and withdrew.

"That is so unfair, one whole year. How am I to function for a whole year without pixie dust"?

"Be thankful that you are not banished". Her mother was quite calm and understanding about the matter. Given the same choice she would have done the same thing.

Moonbeam and Draxia had a lot to do to prepare for the new lands for the other dragons. They would have to be vigilant. The Northerns were on the prowl, with spies everywhere.

They would be safer here, but as long as they were being hunted Moonbeam would need pixie dust. She had to find a way.

N.A.