ASTER

CHAPTER 6

THE MEETING

From far and near
Did they appear
To attend the Mayor's grand meeting.
Caterpillars and slugs
And lady bugs
And moths whose time was fleeting.

The place was filled
With critters thrilled
By the festive mood of things.
By the summer's night
And firefly's light
And the love of life they bring.

There was green Poke salad
To please the palate
Of those with discriminating taste
And lambs quarter snacks
Laid out in stacks
For citizens rushing in haste.

And there he was,
The Mayor who does,
Perched in all his splendor.
On a mushroom top
Playing traffic cop
And yes, their public defender.

"Now friends and neighbors,
I ask this favor.
Please find a place to sit.
I, as your mayor
And Miss Fairy here,
Would like to talk for a bit."

All the residents there
Knew it was fair.
First, the business at hand.
Then to the food,
And holiday mood,
For the wee folks who inhabit this land.

"Well friends, you know me
And I think you'll agree
We've been terrorized long enough!
With the Fairy's assistance
We'll mount a resistance.
Life for Rouge Noir will be tough."

"How that will be
I can't quite see,"
Remarked a stately click bug
Who twitched to the left
To catch a quick breath
As he stepped on the tail of a slug.

"Well," said Inch Worm.
"I'd say it's firm."
To quote a well known phrase.
"We'll play it by ear
And with our fairy here,
She'll stare her down with a gaze."

"Is that true Aster?
Is your magic faster?
Can you cast a spell to transform
Rouge Noir's evil ways
With only a gaze
And make her regret she was born?"

"I may not harm another soul
Though their heart be black as coal.
A fairy's life is straight and true,
To care and cherish, and love too."

My magic is of pure design
And weaves its spell so very fine
That once it's done and all is through
It lifts us all, each one of you.

Be gone your burdens on that day,
All your heartaches washed away
And in the light, that holds us all,
Your souls will hear the guardians call."

"Uh." said Mister Woolly.
"Uh, I don't wish to seem silly
But I don't quite understand.
Do you intend
Or can you defend
Us and this flowered land?"

"My meaning is this.
That with a kiss
This villain will retire.
On that very day
I'll leave, but stay,
Just move a little bit higher."

"Oh!" said the mayor,
With a puzzled stare.
"That's what I thought you said.

So on with the playing
And dancing and swaying
And don't forget to get fed."

"One moment my mayor,
Without any hair,"
Came a voice from the trees up above.
"There's business undone,
Undue noise and fun
And distasteful talk about love."

From high-darkened limbs
On the silk that she spins
Rouge Noir slowly descended
And as she come down
To light on the ground
All knew that the party had ended.

"I believe I heard
A disparaging word
From you, my little Miss Fairy.
Was it this villain's fire
That you would retire
And heart you find black and scary?"

"Yes, it's you Rouge Noir
Whose villainous core
That I find beneath contempt.
Whose last breath is near
And whose unspoken fear
Has left her friendless and bent."

"I have the snake
And for evil's sake,
A treacherous spy of mine.
He's good with lies
And also with flies
Upon which I occasionally dine."

"I only helped you
'Cause I was lonely too
But now I have real friends.
If Miss Fairy can stand
Up to your evil hand
Harry too, can take as fate sends.”

"Leave now, Rouge Noir!"
Came Aster's roar,
"Leave now or on this very night,
Your evil reign
As giver of pain
Shall surely perish from sight."

As Aster's words rang
Rouge Noir bared a fang
and hunched her back to the sky.
She lowered her eyes,
To Aster's size
And lifted one back leg high.

Harry the Snake
Cried, "For God's sake!
Spare her Rouge, I plead.
She's pure and she's good
And it should be understood,
I won't stand for this evil deed."

But the Fairy stood tall
And no one at all
Could move to save her from death.
The magic Rouge Noir
On her wicked chore
Drew in her baited breath.

The Fairy's eyes closed
And standing on toes,
Aster held back her head.
The spider bit down
And the girl without sound
Sank to her knees in red.

A gasp arose
On the wind that blows
And faith seemed lost by all.
Their Fairy Aster
Had met a disaster
And betrayed her trust and call.

On this summer's night
A snow fell light
And dusted the Fairy's gold hair.
"We are judged as we live.
Rouge Noir, I forgive
And regret this that we share."

Through the snow veil
Rouge Noir grew pale
And her legs trembled in fright.
"I ask no forgiveness,
You all are my witness,
I've killed the Fairy this night."

For all of your evil, you cannot kill me,
It is I, who have won, you shall see,
For a fairy, who is pure of heart,
Can never die of evil art."

"I feel sleepy too,
Is this due to you?
What have you done to Rouge Noir?
My limbs feel weak
And slumber I seek.
I feel so aged and sore."

"What has been done to you,
Has been done for true.
As you've done to me you'll receive.
Your poisonous art
Has poisoned your heart
By the power of all who believe."

"I could not act
Or alter the fact
That I may not harm a soul.
Not even one
Who hurts for fun
And hates the sick and old."

Only by your hand
And fortune grand,
Was there hope to free ourselves.
As you poisoned me,
So you set us free
In spite of your book of spells.

"You shall sleep as you are
And no spell or star
Will wake you or cause you to stir.
Your magic turned back
Because of your lack
Of loving the being you are."

Rouge Noir's eyes closed
And legs frosted and froze
As snow crystals covered her back.
As if in a dream
This villain so mean
Had suffered her own attack.

As she sat on her knees
Beneath the night trees,
Aster smiled at her evil foe.
"My duty is done.
My magic is spun.
To believe is the same as to know."

At the Fairy's song end,
Approached her good friend,
Harry the Snake in remorse.
With tears in his eyes
And heart felt sighs
He found his voice in due course.

Oh please Miss Fairy,
Please help me carry
This heavy burden of guilt.
Please don't forget me
Or fail to see
These tears and feelings I've felt."

"As the mayor let me say
How your friends and I may
Wish you the wish that you feel,
We still hold your love
From the winds up above
And know that your goodness is real."

Aster lay her head softly,
The girl they loved soulfully,
A smile on her strawberry lips.
The light snow still fell
From the fairy's spell
And small sparks left her fingertips.

The snake and the mayor
Watched in a stare
And the Inch Worm and Woolly stood by.
Here and there,
Alone or by pair,
Some friends of the fairy did cry.

A dull blue light
Shown from that sight.
A glow as when she had come.
Even through the snow,
A gentle flow
Of love proved the fairy had won.