Mary Elizabeth and the Dark Omnipotence

Mary Elizabeth carefully closed her delicate pink wings as she settled comfortably on the groaning tree branch. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, sighing happily. She smiled, thinking about what a beautiful day it was and how grateful she was to enjoy it.

"Mary Elizabeth! Come quick!" A frantic voice called from the small rounded door of our tiny toadstool home.

I should have known. Feeling happy was a sure sign that something is about to go wrong. At least in my world. Mary Elizabeth gave her wings a quick shake pulling herself from her relaxed state and preparing for action.

So much for enjoying singing birds and beautiful skies. What in the blue blazes was wrong now? Stomping my tiny pink boots as hard as I could to show my displeasure, I made my way down the spiny tree and into the house.

"What's the rush? Is the house on fire?" I stood with my hands on my hips and my pink wings folded neatly down my back. Their deepening color showing my irritation at being disturbed.

"Joseph has been captured! He dared to defy the Dark Omnipotence and has been imprisoned!" Francine was frantic. Wringing her hands and opening and closing her heart shaped yellow wings. As if any of that would help.

Okay, this was serious. The Dark Omnipotence was not known to be a patient and kind Lord. Joseph was in some serious muck.

"Well, what did he do?"

"He and the Dark Princess have had a crush on each other for a while now. They got caught sneaking out."

Hmm. Not smart on Joseph's part. The fairy world was clearly divided into the "haves" and the "have not's". One guess on which side Joseph lived.

"Okay, not good. We need a plan to get him out. Suggestions? Anyone? Anyone?" I look around, pretending there might be someone in the room who might actually have a plan.

Sigh. Not happening.

"Oh, Mary Elizabeth, I'm so worried. Joseph really loves the Dark Princess. I'm worried he won't repent and the Dark Omnipotence will lock him away for a long time!"

Joseph was Francine's only child and she had pretty near raised him alone for most of his life. No sense trying to tell her to calm down. That wasn't going to happen.

"Okay, let's just stay calm and figure it out. Has anyone been allowed to talk to Joseph? See what his thoughts are?" In other words, would Joseph apologize big time and promise not to do it again.

"No one has been allowed to see him. Oh, Mary Elizabeth, I think we should seek out the Domain Master." Francine made a face as she said this, knowing how much it would thrill me.

The Domain Master just happens to be my ex. Can't tell you how much it would thrill me to have that conversation.

"Let's just see if we can handle this little situation ourselves. Now, tell me exactly what the two of them were doing when they were caught?" Start from square one I always say.

"Well, they were behind the border rock. Doing you-know-what." Francine can't use words that describe any sort of physical contact. She's kinda weird that way.

"Doing you-know-what? What is that? For bees sakes, Francine, be a little more specific." You would think Francine was a nun or something.

"Kissing. They were kissing." Her tiny heart shaped face expressing a huge amount of disapproval.

"Bees sakes, Francine. Is that all they were doing? That's nothing. What was the big deal? They're kids. Kids do things."

"Mary Elizabeth, you know how the Dark Omnipotence feels about the "have not" side of the meadow. We are not allowed to cross the border rock. Joseph violated two important rules."

"Oh, pish, posh, that's ridiculous. Just 'cause his high and mighty self was hatched on the easy side of the meadow doesn't make him any better than us." I had half a mind to fly right over to the other side and deal with the Dark Omnipotence myself.

"I don't know, Mary Elizabeth. I'm worried. Are you sure we shouldn't talk to Domain Master?"

Francine was deliberately pretending it didn't matter that the Domain Master and 
I had quite the history. And here's me trying to live every day as though it never happened. The last thing I want to do is owe that fairy any gratitude. Especially for something as serious as this.

"I think I will just go over there myself. Have a fairy to fairy talk with the Dark Omnipotence and see what's what." What's the worst that could happen?

Actually, a lot could happen, but I sure wasn't going to let my mind go in that direction.

"Mary Elizabeth, that could be dangerous! No one sees the Dark Omnipotence without an appointment!"

"Oh for bees sakes Francine, get a grip. I'll be back before my fairy dust hits the ground. See ya in a bit, I'm off."

Before I could talk myself out it, I spread my wings full bore and flew off towards the Border Rock. I do some crazy things, but this was probably going to be in my top ten. Wonder what the odds are that Dark Omnipotence will even see me? Let alone release Joseph on my say so.

On the other hand, having to beg favor from that good for nothing Domain Master ruffles my wings. So that option is closed.

Flying low over the toadstool meadow, I marveled as I always did over the prettiness of it all. The neat and orderly toadstool houses, each one surrounded by its colorful beds of flowers. Each one immaculate in it's appearance. We fairies are all about color and beauty. It's just who we are.

Reaching the imposing but immaculately detailed castle way too quickly, I knocked bravely on the massively dark and intimidating door that was the entrance to an equally dark and intimidating castle. I tried to appear confident making sure my wings were properly folded and my tiny pink boots didn't have a speck of dust on them. Head held high, I waited.

Not for long. A gruesome looking gnome opened the door, glaring at me as if I were a grasshopper or some such thing.

"You are not seriously knocking on the Dark Omnipotence's door without an invitation, are you?" The ugly grey gnome looked down his oversized nose imperiously as he spoke.

Pertinent thing. As if he himself was the almighty Omnipotence.

"Get your bulbous nose out of the air and tell his highness I need to parlay with him." Boldness would definitely be the way to play this. Acting as if I make a habit out of visiting this side of the border rock.

The gruesome gnome continued to look down on me as if deciding whether or not to just slam the door in my chirpy little face and be done with this right now.

Clearing my throat and trying real hard not to look nervous, I glared right back.

"I shall return." The gnome made it sound as if he were doing me some sort of big favor as he slammed the huge door with majorly unnecessary force in my chirpy but very confident looking face.

Harrumph. Full of his own self importance, that one.

After making me wait for an amount of time that would have allowed the entire castle to be torn down and rebuilt, the door opened again. This time by a different gnome.

Gnomes of all things. What self respecting fairy would hire gnomes? They are not the most attractive creatures. We fairies are beautiful creatures and always surround ourselves with beautiful things. It's in our DNA, we couldn't do ugly if we tried.