Suzuran
*****
A jingle of bells brought Suzuran back to her senses; she sighed
heavily, and readjusted the bells she'd tied to her wings for just that
purpose. Weariness had drawn her head downwards, nearly into the dyes she had been painting with; something cool brushed against her cheek, and she glared at the unoffending half-painted egg that stood before her. Then, suspicious, she raised a hand to her face, frowning even more deeply when it came away dyed a deep purple.
"I hate eggs," she muttered, adding more coherently: "I hate my job."
She leaned back for a moment, longing to get away from the bright colors and the eggs. It didn't work, but then she hadn't really expected that it would. Escape was just not possible, when one was surrounded by flowers and rainbows and sickening amounts of sugar. And, worst of all, the obnoxiously adorable bunnies crouched by baskets of... more eggs. She shuddered at the mere mention of the word.
"It's not fair," she complained to the inanimate and unhearing rabbits. "I didn't want this job. I only asked for a part-time job... and they gave me this." Slim, rose-skinned arms gestured angrily, including all the prettily pastel contents of the house.
"But I could live, even with all this... if they'd only let me redecorate... and redesign my wardrobe... and abolish eggs... and banish everyone who likes this stupid season..."
She knew she was contradicting herself, and didn't care. She also knew that she'd been given this particular assignment just because she hated everything it entailed - and because a former God with a very cruel sense of humor had thought it would be amusing to force her to wear pink. Well, she was tired of being the perfect fairy, she was tired of all this, and one of these days, she would just go and let them know how she felt, and she'd scream at them until they were deaf, or until she found something more unpleasant to do, and then... She almost smiled, enjoying this train of thought, and, right on cue, it was broken by the sounding of a cheerily chiming pastel clock.
That brought her back to the reality in which none of her imaginings would ever happen, quickly enough. She stared at the clock for a moment, and the hands spun and wavered under her gaze. Seeing four hands couldn't be good, could it?
Too many attempts to paint minute designs on eggs... She grabbed a cup of coffee, gulped it down, and sat still until things snapped into place - and then stared at the clock, wondering whether her vision was still playing tricks. It couldn't be so late...
It was. Oh, God, she was late, she should have gone by now, she'd be late...
And then a slow smile crept across her face. She picked up the egg she had partially painted, admiring her handiwork for a long moment. It was just the size to fit in her cupped palms, and she held it there, for a minute. Then, slowly, deliberately, she threw it at the floor.
The shell shattered into bright shards; the boiled egg rolled across the ground, stopping at her feet, and she smiled more broadly, and crushed it.
Suzuran smiled, and left her hut, pausing along the way to break every egg in the house. She was in no hurry, at all.
*****
Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang...
Silence.
Tazia looked up from her pile of papers, brow furrowed in puzzlement. Something was wrong... or, more accurately, different. The fact that a literal ton of papers had just appeared from an inexistant trap door to rain down on the office? No, probably not. She hadn't been working for Heaven long, but already it seemed that this sort of thing was becoming a frequent if not natural occurrance. It still bothered her that there was no possible way the papers could have fallen - for Heaven was known for its also-impossible location above all the mortal world, but no one else seemed to care, though that could have been simply because they weren't paid to cope with this sort of thing. Come to think of it, she wasn't paid nearly enough to be expected to cope, but...
There was definitely something different, or perhaps it was a lack of something.
Ah! that was it! and her forehead furrowed more deeply, though she'd found the elusive answer. She was going to kill God for eating the last of her chocolate eggs.
Well, zark it.
Clang clang-clang-clang clang-clang-clang-clang! Clang clang-clang-clang-clang clang-clang-clang-clang-clang. Clang-clang-clang-clang clang-clang-claaang clang clang clang clang clang-clang-clang clang... Clang clang clang-clang clang-clang-clang clang!
Whoever was at the door had apparently gotten bored with steady, monotonous ringing; in fact, it sounded suspiciously as if he or she had begun to ring out the rhythm of a song. That sounded promising; if he or she had the necessary creativity, they couldn't be as bad as... well, some of God's visitors.
Pushing aside the mountains of papers obstructing the doorway (not to mention general movement,) she went to answer the door.
*****
"I hate my job, I really do, and today was just too much, and I figured I was never going to get all the eggs done anyway, and I really don't care because I hate this whole season and I hate eggs and I hate never getting credit for any of the work I do, but no, they all think some stupid rabbit's doing it, as if any rabbit would be smart enough to do all the work and organizing I have to do, so I'm just not going to bother anymore, and they can miss Easter for all I care, because I've just come to scream at you until you're deaf, and then I'm quitting, and..."
"Really?" The pretty if rather plump angel looked at her; she seemed genuinely interested.
"Really," Suzuran assured her, frowning. She let go of the knocker on which she had been hanging to put her hands on her hips, found that this made her drift slowly downwards, glared at her mostly-ineffective gossamer wings, and finally returned to holding onto the knocker. "And if you'd get God for me, I'd be more than happy to scream at him, too, because I'm sure you have more more important things to do."
"Not really," the angel contradicted mildly. "This is actually quite interesting, considering that I'd have to be coping with the paperwork if you weren't providing a distraction."
"I see."
"So, thanks for being distracting..."
"Oh, er..." Suzuran gave her a long look, trying to figure out whether this was complimentary. She decided to go with "It's my pleasure" accompanied by a lifting of her eyebrows, which seemed appropriately gracious.
Something struck her; she took a second look at the angel, and resumed frowning. "I was almost positive you used to have red hair."
The angel, who was decidedly blonde, smiled faintly. "No, I'm Tazia - I think you're thinking of Silviera. She worked here before me." The memory must have been unpleasant; she frowned slightly. "And I'll never forgive her for leaving."
"Why not?" Suzuran asked, deciding to save her anger for God, since she'd obviously lost her rant's momentum for now, and Tazia did not seem inclined to argue with her in any case.
"Because I got drafted into taking her place," Tazia complained, to herself more than to Suzuran. "Just because my hair was the right color..." She caught Suzuran's startled look and shook her head. "It's a Heaven thing."
Suzuran decided she really didn't want to ask about that. "Could I talk to God?" she asked instead, hoping to get another chance to complain to someone.
Tazia's lips quirked. "If I had any control over anything that went on in this office, I'd be more than happy to help you. As it is... well, you're welcome to come in and look for him, but I can't promise anything. He's probably gone down to Earth to get more chocolate eggs," she added, as an afterthought, stepping aside to let Suzuran through the Pearly Gates. "At least, he'd better have, because he ate all of mine."
Suzuran, who had followed her in, nearly fell out of the air. It took quite some concentration to fly when one was wearing such ridiculously long robes, and in her surprise, she'd tripped over the hem of her dress. "Eggs?!" she choked out, blushing furiously as she picked herself up.
"Excuse me?" Tazia gave her a startled look; obviously, she wasn't used to seeing foot-tall fluttering pastel beings trip over their own clothes in mid air while muttering incoherencies.
Suzuran, who hadn't thought of this and wouldn't have considered it a reason for patience in any case, glared at her. "I said, 'Eggs?!'" It didn't sound as dramatic upon being repeated; she sighed, and shook her head. "Never mind. It's just that I'm the Easter Faery, if you hadn't guessed. My name is Suzuran."
"Isn't it the Easter Bu..."
"No."
"Oh."
"Yes." Suzuran smiled grimly. "That's a good part of the reason I came to talk to God. No credit, no wages, no vacations, horrid housing, and I have to wear this..." She gestured to her clothes. "As soon as I find God, I'm going to resign."
"Well, I see what you mean, but I wish you wouldn't..."
"Too bad." And then she caught herself, and looked up at Tazia, startled. "What? Why?"
The angel looked suddenly guilty. "Well... I'm very fond of chocolate, almost addicted to it, you might say, and Easter's always been my favorite season, because of all the candy eggs, you know..."
Suzuran looked mollified; then, she realized that Tazia had spoken the infamous word, and shook her head firmly. "Nope. Sorry, but I've just had too much. I was given this assignment just because God thought it would be funny to make me do all this, but I'm not going to stand for it any longer. He can find someone else to do his dirty work."
"Dirty?"
Suzuran held up her hands, which were still markedly purple, in explanation.
"Oh, well, I see, but perhaps 'colorful'..." She caught Suzuran's eyes, and shrugged. "I think you want one of the previous Gods, anyway. It doesn't seem like the present God's style - he's very dull, you know, no sense of humor. We go through Gods almost as fast as we do angels," she added, explanatorily. "Smart of Silviera to get herself thrown out of Heaven with that human, I guess, if not very nice for me. Personally, I can't get out of here too soon."
"Don't blame you." Suzuran fiddled with her pastel wand. "I suppose I could make you some chocolate, since you do have to put up with God and all, and you're one of the more decent angels I've met."
"Thank you!" A smile lit Tazia's face, to be quickly replaced by a wistful look. "But it would be the last, though, wouldn't it?"
"I'm afraid so. Unless you want to buy the cheap Hershey stuff," she added, as an afterthought.
Tazia wrinkled her nose in disgust. "No way - I think they make it out of plastic, or something. It doesn't taste like chocolate. I was only thinking," she went on, innocently, "that maybe if you went off-world, you wouldn't have to worry about all the Easter business, but you could keep on making candy. Since you are so good at it," she added, voice dripping sweetness.
"Well..." Now that she came to think of it, it wasn't really making candy that she hated, just the deadlines, and the ingratitude, and the... costume. Definitely the costume. But on another world... "That's quite a good idea," she approved, grudgingly, and then frowned suspiciously at the angel. "You planned all this."
Tazia grinned. "Yes, but it worked, didn't it? Will you?"
"Probably," Suzuran told her. "I suppose you want me to take you with me?"
Tazia beamed at her. "However did you guess?"
"Any preference on where we go?" Suzuran's words surprised even her, but to her credit, she did not show it.
"Warm," Tazia responded promptly. "And no offices."
Suzuran smiled wrily. "Works for me." She looked around the office; the floor was invisible under nearly three feet of papers. "First, though, I think I'd better leave something for God, since I won't be talking to him in person..."
She brandished her egg-tipped wand and thrust it violently towards the floor; the letters shuddered violently, and turned into a multitude of live foxes with rabbit ears. The air was suddenly full of floating fur.
Behind her, Tazia suppressed laughter; Suzuran ignored her, debated trying to turn the foxes into full rabbits, and decided that it wasn't worth the effort. "I think even God will get the point," she said half-aloud, half-to-herself, and turned back to the angel. "Now - warm and no offices, you said?"
*****
"Well, this is certainly... warm..." Tazia offered, looking around at the new scene that had materialized around them.
Suzuran frowned suspiciously at her. "What's wrong with this?"
Tazia shrugged, trying to look innocent. "Nothing, really... I think I should have specified 'not so busy'."
The faery glared at her. "If you want to specify, you can find your own planet. You do still have your wings," she added, with a touch of surprise.
The angel wavered her wings in surprise, and tried to twist her head around to see. "So I do," she agreed, rather pleased. "It must be because I wasn't technically fired..."
The wings vanished abruptly, as if just to prove her wrong. She sighed, and shrugged. "I guess it doesn't really matter. They didn't work, anyway."
Suzuran, who did still have functional wings, but had traded her costume for a more practical blouse and pants, managed to look smug. Then she merely looked annoyed, as a shadow - rather large to someone a scant foot tall - fell over her. She turned to glare at the foxy creature that loomed over her, and it retreated under her angry stare, flattening its ears against its head. When she turned away, it pointed a long rabbit ear at the faery and winked roguishly at Tazia, who suppressed laughter.
Pointedly ignoring the animal, Suzuran shifted her glare to Tazia. "What is that thing, and how did it get here?"
"It's one of the envelopes you changed into rabbit-foxes," the ex-angel told her.
"I know that."
Tazia didn't argue. "I think it must have been caught in your transportation spell with us." She held out a hand to it, and it came to her, turned up its fluffy head to be scratched. Being an envelope was very boring, it informed her. And I'm not a rabbit-fox - I'm a vulpi. Ohh... that's it. Scratch harder.
"How do you know what you're called when you were an envelope up until fifteen minutes ago?" Tazia wondered. The vulpi ignored her rather pointedly. She shrugged, and complied.
Suzuran was practicing looking sickened from a safe distance. "I hope you're not going to make a pet out of that."
"Probably," Tazia affirmed peaceably. And then her eyes widened, and she began to grin. "Speaking of rabbits, Suz'..."
"Who was?" the faery demanded irritably, and then she too caught sight of the largest group of rabbits she'd seen anywhere aside from her former house. Rabbit-like beings seemed more accurate, since they were all talking rather loudly, and she'd never known the rabbits she dealt with to be intelligent enough to speak.
Something about an egg hunt...
"Suzuran, you could join them..." Tazia suggested, and then trailed off at the murderous glance the faery shot her. Fortunately, she didn't have to suffer it long, for the irate faery had caught another snatch of conversation: "I'm helping the Easter Bunny hide eggs, you know..."
"I'll 'Easter Bunny' them," the faery muttered, and fluttered angrily off to find the errant speaker.
*****
Just when the girl who had spoken seemed to be about to realize the error of her ways, some hulking great human announced that the egg hunt was beginning. Suzuran treated him to her second-best glare - and then realized that the egg hunt might just have something to do with the dragons the people around her seemed to be so interested in. If she got a dragon... she could show every single stupid rabbit masquerading as the Easter Bunny just what was what. Of course, something in the back of her mind whispered, she wasn't the Easter Faery any more, really... but then it was glared into nonexistance. If she couldn't escape this Easter nonsense, then she would simply have to be right about it.
She looked around unhurriedly - after all, she didn't have to worry about a deadline this time. Although... those human-ish creatures might beat her to the eggs, or worse, step on one - they were certainly big and clumsy enough.
Ironic that she tripped just then, but Suzuran didn't appreciate it. Her description of her dress was not long, but contained some very choice words - and then she remembered that she could not possible have tripped over her hideous costume - she wasn't wearing it.
Eyes narrowed, she slowly retraced her steps, to kneel by the egg that had almost caused her fall. It wasn't very large, true, but most things seem large from a vantage point of a foot from the ground, and so it was already nearly her own height.
Her visual measurement might not have been quite accurate, however, because just at that moment, the egg exploded.
Well - she didn't like eggs anyway, she thought, before a fluffy, purple, and very energetic dragon nearly overwhelmed her.
Hi, my chosen! I want to meet this Easter Bunny you're thinking about!
Suzuran tried to frown at her. It wasn't working.
Or not, the little one added, shrugging. She didn't exactly fit Suzuran's already-dissolving mental picture; she didn't have wings, but very long ears, and she was decidedly furry. Still...
"What's your name?" she asked, a little gruffly, devoutly hoping that she wasn't expected to come up with one. But Azumai! the purple dragonet squealed... so obviously there was no danger of that.
Suzuran added 'hyper' to the list of things she hadn't expected.
*****
Later, she discovered that Azumai liked chocolate.
"Is it good for you?" she wondered aloud, watching her purple dragonet, who, though sleepy, was still very interested in ploughing through a chocolate rabbit nearly as big as herself. Suzuran rather thought that chocolate was poisonous to dogs - not that she liked dogs anyway, but she didn't know much about dragon metabolism.
It hasn't hurt me yet, Azumai pointed out, stopping for a bite of grass. Somehow, the chocolate seemed to calm her - or maybe she was simply worn out, which seemed more likely. Suzuran hadn't thought that anything could be so fast.
Wait til I grow up, the little dragon promised. And then she cocked one long ear. I think they're talking about that rabbit again. Although far from sarcastic by nature, she managed to infuse quite a lot of her rider's scorn into the word. Maybe you should go straighten them out.
Azumai?
Go on, Azumai urged; her head was definitely starting to droop. I'm not going... ah... any... anywhere. She was asleep, head pillowed on her soft ears.
Suzuran smiled - the sort of expression that no human would ever see from her - and went to better inform the misguided storyteller.
*****
Tazia squealed upon seeing Azumai, and tried to pick the little bunny-dragon up. And, almost as quickly, Suzuran moved between her purple and the ex-angel.
Tazia put a hand to her mouth, apologetic. "Oh, I'm sorry... Is it rude to touch someone else's dragon?"
Not really, Azumai answered, giving Suzuran a look that made the faery melt and step aside. I like being scratched.
"I scratch you," Suzuran protested.
Of course you do, Azumai agreed peaceably. But, she added wistfully, I don't fit it your lap...
Tazia's smile returned; she sat down, folding her legs, and the purple bunny-dragon bounced into her lap. Suzuran fluttered over to her bond, hovering just above Azumai, and her bond smiled up at her.
You know, the little dragon remarked softly, for her rider's ears alone, if Tazia bonds too, you won't have to share me...
*****
*****
Tazia-Tazia-Tazia! Azumai bounced over towards the ex-angel, long ears flopping. Tazia smiled at the little purple's exuberance, reaching down to ruffle the bunny-dragon's fur. Although quite large enough for Suzuran, Azumai had never gotten very big; she was about the size of a small horse - too large to climb into Tazia's lap, but still little enough to want to be petted. Tazia was very happy to do so; although she would never have dreamed of taking Azumai from Suzuran, she often wished that she too had bonded. She loved Lantessama's dragons - but then, she loved anything cute or cuddly, the Easter faery had observed sardonicly on more than one occasion. Tazia didn't mind; she'd been friends with Suzuran too long to take her complaints seriously.
Taaaziaa! Azumai repeated, louder, putting dainty front paws on Tazia's knees. You're not listening! She peered up into the ex-angel's face, eyes bright with excitement. Tazia sighed, but couldn't help grinning.
"I'm listening. 'Zumai, just how much sugar has Suzuran been giving you?"
Not too much, Azumai insisted, but her bounciness belied her statement. But Tazia, there's a flit clutch on the beach! Don't you want to come?
"Really?" Tazia would have jumped up had not the little purple's weight restrained her; now, she looked over at the vulpi who lay curled in a patch of sunlight. "That is... Would you mind, Vulpi?" She wasn't quite sure how it felt about their relationship, but if it considered itself her pet, she didn't want it to feel it was being replaced.
But the vulpi - it hadn't given its name, and she'd never asked - seemed tolerant enough. Go ahead, it advised, half-opening one eye to regard her sleepily. I don't mind.
Tazia didn't need to be told twice; she rose now, Azumai backing away just in time. She'd gone down to the beaches several times before, but there had never been a clutch; firelizards were in high demand. That hadn't stopped her from wanting a flit of her own, though - and not for the first time, she found herself wondering just how much of her mind Azumai could really read.
But the little purple seemed innocent enough if rather exuberant; and so, smiling broadly, she followed the bunny-dragon to the beaches.
*****
The ex-angel scanned the beaches hopefully, turning finally to Azumai in slight annoyance. "Are you sure there's a clutch here, 'Zumai?"
You have to hunt, the purple told her, as if this should have been obvious. Tazia sighed.
"You're the one who's supposed to be good at looking for eggs..."
Suzuran is better, the bunny-dragon remarked loyally, but she looked flattered; she dove into a sand dune and began to dig, sending sand flying. Tazia let out an exclamation of surprise and backed up just in time to avoid being buried. In a moment, the rain of sand had ceased; Azumai peered up out of her hole, looking smug. I found them!
Chuckling, Tazia joined her at the edge of the pit, looked down at a clutch of at least a dozen creamy eggs. "So you did, Azumai." And then the sand shifted under her; she found herself sliding into the hole as her feet were taken out from under her.
The hole wasn't really deep; unhurt, she checked to make sure none of the eggs had been damaged, trying to ignore the bunny-dragon's hysterical giggling. Luckily, the eggs seemed unharmed; she chose one, and was about to pull herself out when a voice made her look up.
"Could I help you up?" A man in rider's garb knelt by the pit, hazel eyes concerned and faintly amused, though he was clearly trying not to show it. He extended a hand to her; she took it, and was lifted from the hole.
"Thanks." She brushed sand from her clothing, then looked back the courteous rider. He was a little taller than she when they were on level ground; his skin was tanned as if he was used to tropical weather, and dark hair fell into his eyes. His expression was one of polite dignity; but there was a sadness in his eyes, though he gave her a faint smile.
"No problem." His words had a slightly odd inflection too - or rather, a lack of any accent, Tazia realized.
He seemed to notice Azumai for the first time; he blinked rapidly, and looked at Tazia with mild surprise. "Is this your bond?"
Tazia grinned; although she was fond of the little bunny-dragon, the thought of being her rider was ridiculous. "No - Azumai's bonded to my friend Suzuran."
"She's very pretty," the rider commented. Azumai colored with pleasure under her fur.
Thank you! She looked up at Tazia. I'm glad you have your firelizard egg now, Tazia. I've got to go now. Suzuran will be looking for me. I think she's making a new batch of candy... And, with that last remark, she bolted away.
The rider stared after her; finally, he looked back at Tazia, and both began to laugh. "Is she always like that?" he asked, smiling.
Tazia chuckled. "Except when she's had sugar - then she's more so. Suzuran spoils her rotten - but I guess I do too."
"She is cute," the rider agreed, nodding. "You're not a rider, then?"
Tazia shook her head. "Nope, not me. I came with Suzuran, but I didn't bond." She shrugged. "I haven't been here long, though - I guess I still have a chance." Her lips quirked. "I guess I'm just a sort of long-term visitor."
The rider smiled. "So am I. I'm Fr'dyre of Abri; my brown Xhishoth flew Hydrath, the green on the sands."
"There's a clutch on the sands?" Tazia blinked, startled. "I didn't know that."
"There is," Fr'dyre assured her, smiling slightly. "Not a large clutch - four eggs, but we're still looking for candidates." And then a look of sudden alarm crossed his face, and he grabbed for the egg she still held, catching it just before it fell. The egg split at his touch, revealing a cream flit; quickly, he handed the little female over to Tazia.
Startled, she held out her hands instinctively, and the cream half-flew into them. Automatically, she cupped her hands around the little creature, a smile lighting her face as the flit broadcast love and - hunger. "Calm down, Kohana." And then she looked up at Fr'dyre, apologetic. "I'm sorry. You saved her; you should have gotten her."
The rider's lips quirked in a slight smile. "That's okay. I have Hanashimasu -" and he indicated the blue who appeared on his shoulder, apparently out of nowhere. "One flit's quite enough for me - especially with all the dragons who talk to me." He shook his head. "I don't know how people with whole fairs manage - I know I couldn't."
But Tazia was staring at him, wide-eyed. "You can hear dragons?"
Fr'dyre shrugged, downplaying his ability. "Hmm," he agreed. "But I'd be just as glad to only hear Xhi', if I could hear people."
"What?" And then comprehension dawned, leaving Tazia rather embarrassed and feeling she'd been rather rude. Fr'dyre was... deaf?
He nodded, correctly interpreting her expression. "Doesn't matter." Then, a trifle annoyed: "Tazia, don't look at me like that. I haven't grown rabbit-ears or anything similarly drastic, have I?"
At that, she collapsed in helpless laughter for what were, to Fr'dyre, inexplicable reasons. He watched her with polite bemusement, waiting until she had regained control of herself. "Should I ask?"
Tazia looked up at him, grinned. "Go ahead. It's actually quite... interesting."
*****
She hadn't exactly planned on telling him her life's story - but Fr'dyre was just the sort of person that one talked to. Perhaps it was because he seemed to listen, in fact, more closely than the average person; likely, because he needed his full concentration to compensate for his disability. He didn't seem hampered, however, though she did notice his lips moving faintly in repetition of her own words. Sometime during her tale, she became aware of a deeper, melodic voice much like Fr'dyre's own that also spoke to her; and she knew that Xhishoth listened too.
Fr'dyre was rather more reluctant to speak of himself, but gradually she assimilated bits and pieces, learned that he had Impressed brown Xhishoth at Ryslen, that he was a wingleader at Abri, that he had been weyrmated to the Lightrider Tauryn. Had been - and she realized with sudden insight, though he did not say it, that Tauryn and her bond were dead.
He deserved to be happy, she decided forcefully - and she would do whatever she could towards this end.
And, somehow, during the hours that stretched into days, it didn't seem odd at all, nor surprising, that he should ask her to stand as a candidate for Xhishoth's clutch...
*****
*****
*****
*****
Lantessama Isle
The Nameless Forest
Xandorra's Place
The background image is a photo that I took. If you want to use it,
please contact me first.
