Introducing....Willow




"Alright men, we're here. Time to start the job. The boss wants this lot
cleared out by next Wednesday." The leader called out. There were a group of
three lumberjacks, tasked with cutting down a section of the forest. Jupiter
City was divided into a few different zones. There was the sprawling
metropolis of skyscrapers and apartments, the industrial zone and also the
more suburban section.

The suburban section had acres of untouched land including forests and even a
lake. Some investor had purchased some land with the intention of removing the
trees and building a golf course. The lumberjacks were here to see that the
removal was swift and hassle-free.

One man lifted a chainsaw, completely unaware of the danger he found himself
in. Nearby, a pair of eyes were watching intently. The eyes belonged to
Willow; a Nymph who was not of this world. She crouched down in the bushes,
observing her prey. Nymphs were guardians of nature, defending it from any who
sought to damage the environment.

She didn't wear clothes. Her outfit consisted of a vine snaking its way up her
body with a few leaves covering certain areas. Her face was painted white; it
stood out and would terrify anyone caught by surprise in the forest. She
carried a simple bow with a quiver of arrows. The chainsaw roared to life and
she lined up her shot.

The first lumberjack didn't hear or see it coming. An arrow, out of nowhere,
shot across the open space and buried itself in his hand. He cried out and
dropped the chainsaw. He barely had time to register his injury before a
second arrow struck him between the eyes. He fell over; dead before he hit the
ground.

Blood pooled around the now deceased man as his co-workers panicked. Willow
took in a deep breath and stepped out from the bushes. "You will not harm my
forest if you value your lives." The remaining two lumberjacks stared at the
sight before them. Although she appeared to be human, something was off. "Is
that a threat?"

In response, Willow just raised a bow and nocked an arrow. One of the men
started to run. Removing her hand from the bow, Willow made a gesture. The
root of a tree emerged from the ground and tripped the man. He cried out as he
twisted his ankle. As he lay on the ground, a vine fell done from the tree's
branches, coiled around his ankle and hoisted him into the air.

As he hung upside down, he saw the other lumberjack raise an axe. Willow
smirked and whistled. Out of nowhere a wolf charged and tackled the man to the
floor. He opened his mouth to scream but was cut off as the wolf sunk its
teeth into him. The lone lumberjack swayed in the air as Willow approached.
"This is my forest. I will not suffer humans who believe that they can just do
whatever they please with complete disregard for the environment. I'll let you
down so you can run along back to the one who claims this land as their own.
Tell them what happened. If they send any more people, I'll send back their
heads."

The lumberjack fell as the vine released his ankle. He hit the floor with a
thud and slowly got to his feet. The Nymph had vanished just as quickly as she
had appeared. He couldn't wait to get back to the city. As she walked away,
Willow began to think about how she had ended up in a world populated by
humans.

Many years ago, while humans were still burning themselves with the discovery
of fire, the Nymphs and Fairies lived in harmony. The two species would
interact and get along. Both held a deep respect for all of nature. The Nymphs
believed that it was sacred and that living off the land entailed a reverence
of nature. You could only live off what was provided. The Fairies, on the
other hand, believed that while nature was supreme, they were the caretakers.
Resources could be utilised as long as nature remained in balance.

These views were what had initially led to the war between Nymphs and Fairies.
The Fairies had constructed a village out of the trees, growing them in such a
way as to create rooms and houses. These were added to with wood salvaged from
fallen trees. The result was a magnificent village that was part of the
forest.

The trees had grown thick branches that connected with the branches of other
trees to form bridges and walkways. Some trees had grown small branches in
spirals that led to the upper levels of the village. Glowing balls of light
were scattered around and turned on whenever night fell across the forest.

To the Fairies, everything was perfect; they had maintained nature's delicate
balance and been gifted a home in exchange. The Nymphs, however, could not
reconcile this with their beliefs. In their eyes, the Fairies had twisted
nature and warped it to meet their own needs; justifying it with excuses of
stewardship. The Nymphs believed that this was morally wrong and so they began
a war.

They needed something to spark a conflict. At first they toyed with the idea
of blowing up a hut or burning something down. However, that would damage the
forest and contradict their beliefs. The end result was that they caused a
tree to expand its trunk and middle part. As the tree expanded, it caused the
disruption of wooden planks. The walkways became loose. The planks shuddered
before falling down towards the forest floor. The Nymphs had made their point
and hadn't needed to harm nature. Neither side wanted the forest to be harmed,
and so a truce was enacted while both sides took their place on the nearby
plains.

"Archers!" Willow's voice rang out. "On my signal we fire! Until then, keep
your bows down." The Nymphs and Fairies had taken up opposite sides of the
plains and the Fairies were now advancing closer. In the days leading up to
conflict, the Nymphs had produced several arrows with cold iron heads. These
were being held at the ready, the bows hidden by leaves they had grown to
provide shelter. A group of fairies were running along the ground while a
smaller group flew overhead.

They drew closer, some already casting spells. A couple Fairies conjured a
tornado to disrupt the Nymph ranks. The line was broken as several Nymphs were
launched into the air, crashing back to the floor as the ground Fairies
attacked. "NOW!" As one, the Nymph archers raised their bows and fired their
arrows. They sailed through the air; arrowheads glimmering in the sun.

A few Fairies with quicker reflexes had noticed and were able to turn or twist
in the air; the arrows gliding harmless past them. Many weren't so lucky. The
arrows pierced their skin, or pinned their wings together. They fell from the
sky and plummeted to the ground. They lay there, dead or wounded. The Fairies
on the ground dodged and danced as they avoided the attacks of the Nymphs.
After a few more volleys of arrows, the archers were out of arrows and ran
forward to join in. Willow knew that she still had one arrow left. It was a
rule of hers to save one in case it was ever needed later.

Flames spread across the plains as smoke billowed in the breeze. Lightning
struck and cries rung out across the battlefield. Roots rose from nowhere and
ensnared some Fairies. As the battle raged on, the Nymphs were forced to back
up. A few Fairies had been rounded up the Nymphs; those that were captured
were being suspended in floating bubbles of air. They moved them further back.

The battle had clearly been tipped in the way of the Fairies. Willow made a
decision. A small band of Nymphs could hide in the forest and liberate the
forest through guerrilla warfare; even if it meant losing this battle. She
made a signal; a vine shooting up in the air, covered in leaves. A few Nymphs
knew the meaning. They tore away from the fighting and ran for the forest.
Willow's band of four fled. Seeing this, a small group of Fairies gave chase.

Storm clouds gathered in the air and a chilling breeze rolled across the
battlefield. Behind them, the Nymphs heard the sound of thunder. Everyone knew
what was happening. A portal had just opened. It would now be possible to
travel between Realms. Events like these were fairly rare but today was
special; this day held a deeper significance. The Nymphs and Fairies had
studied the Realms in the past and discovered a rare event. They had labelled
it the Cataclysm.

None knew what its arrival heralded: some believed it was the end of the
world, others believed it meant good fortunes, many didn't know what to
believe, and some believed it would lead to a new age. What everyone did know
was that on this day all the Realms would be in contact with one another. When
two Realms existed in the same space, the portals opened; facilitating travel
between the two. But today every Realm occupied the exact same space. Today
the Realms of the Fae, Monsters and Humans were one and the same as well as
any Realms that had yet to be discovered.

The Fairies made a final push, the Nymphs fell back. The bubbles holding
captured Nymphs were sent through the portals, the rest were pushed through.
Some dragged Fairies through with them while others fought hard. Which Realm
they would end up in, nobody knew. They might stay together or they might be
spread throughout.

The battle was over. The Nymphs had been routed and corpses lay on the plains.
The dead were taken back to be laid to rest in their burial sites. Although
the Nymphs had rebelled, they were still Nature's children and were owed
respect. As the Fairies began to clean up, some were left to guard the portal.
Anything could come through and they would need to be prepared.

Orion raced through the forest, ducking branches and jumping roots. In front
of him, four Nymphs were running away. A few Fairies flanked him as they
closed in. The forest opened to a clearing. The Nymphs froze. At their backs
were the four Fairies, in front of them lay a waterfall. They spun around as
Orion and his second in command approached.

"What you've done to the trees is unacceptable" declared Willow. Her stare
could melt ice as she glared at the Fairies; daring them to fight. "You should
have asked them to change, not forced your will upon them."

"Nature has provided for us countless times in exchange for our protection.
The trees became our shelter. It's symbiotic; we protect Nature and in return
we are blessed."

"It's not a blessing if you must take it!"

A Nymph that had been circling pounced. She dived towards Orion, preparing to
take him down. His second in command merely raised a hand and forced her back
with a gust of wind. She lay on the floor as his hand clenched into a fist.
Flames engulfed her and she was reduced to ash.

"It doesn't have to end like this Willow. Put an end to this rebellion and
return. The King will forgive you. If you end this now, search parties can be
sent to find the Nymphs who went through the portals." Orion pleaded. His long
hair fell to his shoulders, it was tied back to keep it out of his face during
the battle. It normally shone with the light of the moon but it was now
splattered with blood.

"I'm sorry Orion. You know I can't do that. The Elders would never agree. They
ordered us to fight back." Another Nymph jumped forward and Orion stepped
aside. Dropping to a crouch he kicked her legs away. He moved his head out of
the way of a rapidly growing sharpened spike and plunged a dagger through her
heart.

The other Nymph charged forward. Orion pulled his sword from its sheath and
stabbed. The blade went straight through her chest and came out the other
side. Orion pulled the blade out and wiped it, using the Nymph's corpse.
Willow was the last remaining.

Two of Orion's soldiers stepped forward, making a move to take Willow down. As
the pair approached, roots began to grow from the ground. They grew around one
Fairy's legs and held him in place. The other lunged at Willow. She dropped to
the floor and raised her leg, catching the Fairy in the stomach. Using his
momentum against him, Willow flipped him over the edge and he fell down to
certain death.

Turning her attention to the Fairy who had been trapped by the roots, she
withdrew a single arrow. She stabbed it into his heart and killed him. Willow
stood tall as she stared down Orion and his second in command.

"You're their commander. You can order the Nymphs to surrender."

"I can't do that."

Thunder shook the forest and a brilliant light poured from the bottom of the
waterfall; a portal had just opened. "Please Willow. I don't want to kill
you."

Willow shook her head. "You won't."

She pulled a dagger from the leaves that fashioned a quiver. It was forged
from cold iron. Stepping forward she thrust it into Orion's stomach. He
gasped. "I'm sorry Orion."

"Me too"

Orion placed his hands on Willow's shoulder and pushed. She fell off the
waterfall and into the portal below. Orion fell to his knees, clutching the
blade that protruded from him. His second rushed to his side. "My Lord!"

He tried to pull the knife out. "No! Leave it. I'll bleed out if you remove
it."

"But the cold iron. That might be worse!"

"Just get me back home."

The second in command helped Orion to his feet and pulled his arm over his own
shoulder. The two staggered away; heading towards the village.

That had happened many years ago. Since then Willow had observed humanity's
development throughout the ages. She had seen empires rise and fall, kings
leadings their armies into battle and, more importantly to her, she had
watched as mankind's greed had caused damage to the environment. She would
find a forest and defend it. She had decided on the forest just outside the
sprawling metropolis of Jupiter City.

She'd made many attempts to leave the Realm of Man, but she never knew exactly
when or where the portals would open. And even if she did find a portal; where
would she go? She wouldn't be welcomed among the Fairies and the Nymphs were
scattered when the Fairies had forced them through. The former commander
wouldn't know where to begin her search.

Willow had noticed a strange girl recently. One day, she had sensed a power
coming from her. So she had followed her and began to watch. She discovered
that the blonde was actually a Fairy! Willow decided that she would need to be
captured and questioned. This strange Fairy may provide her with the means of
returning home.

The sound of a bell had rung out. All the students left the school. Jessica
was leaving and was chatting with her best friend, Emily. "Alright. Let's work
on that assignment together. You can come round to mine."

"Sure thing Jess, but I've got to get some textbooks from home first. I'll
meet you at your place." With that, Emily ran off to retrieve her books from
home. As Jessica began to head home herself, she was stopped by a hand on her
shoulder. She turned around; it was Alex.

Alex was the same age as Jess and Emily. He'd been friends with the two of
them ever since his family had moved to Jupiter City. The two girls had known
each other for a while before Alex's arrival and offered to show him around
the school. The trio had been inseparable ever since.

"Hey Jess."

"Hiya Alex! What's up?"

"Not too much. Just going to hit the gym."

His reply drew a giggle from Jessica. "Please. For the past few years your New
Year's Resolution has been to go to the gym. And you haven't been in once."

"That's not true and you know it!"

"Oh that's right. You had to go in to cancel your subscription."

Alex acted as though he took great offense at Jessica's comment but didn't say
anything. It was true that he had given up on his plans for the last few
years, but it was also true that he somehow managed to stay in shape.

"So, you wanna hang out?" He asked as he looked Jessica in the eyes. She
stared into his brown eyes as his short black hair waved about slightly.

"I would love to. But Emily and I have to get some assignment done. It's due
tomorrow. Another time?"

"Sure. Another time. See you later." Alex left. He ran off towards a school
bus; shouting for it to stop. As he chased it down the road, the bus driver
brought it to a stop and he got on.

"Excuse me."

"Huh?" Jessica looked around. She had been walking through a park since it was
a shortcut home. There hadn't been anybody around last time she had looked.

"Over here. In the bush." Jessica made her way over, her curiosity getting the
better of her. She was confronted by a woman with face paint on. Her body was
obscured by bushes.

"Who are you?"

"That's not important. I know what you are."

"What I am?" Jessica asked with a confused look on her face. She knew she was
a Fairy, but it wasn't the kind of thing she told everyone.

The girl's voice dropped to a whisper. "You're a Fairy."

"How-how did you know?"

"I can just tell. I know a thing or two about magical stuff. My Mother was
obsessed with it. She told me loads of stories, but I didn't think I'd ever
met an actual fairy."

Jessica felt her phone vibrate. She checked her texts and found one from
Emily. "Sorry! I'll be a little late. Having trouble finding the books and the
neighbour's dog got stuck in the fence."

"But she told me lots of stories. I think I might be able to help you. I know
of a few tricks that you might not." The woman stepped out of the bush and
Jessica took a step back. The woman appeared to be a few years older than her,
but she wasn't wearing any clothes. Just some vines and leaves. Noticing
Jessica's reaction, the woman spoke up. "Sorry. Mother may be slightly
delusional. She thinks we are both Nymphs. So, there are no actual clothes in
the house." Jessica bought the story and invited the woman back round to her
place. Willow couldn't believe it! This Fairy was incredibly naive. She had
even bought Willow's story about having a delusional Mother.

"Are you being serious?"

"Absolutely. Mother said that Fairies lose their magic once their wings are
bound."

"Well, yes. But tying my wings down is the only way to avoid being caught at
school."

"Just try it! Try folding your wings up by using your wings rather than tying
them. That way, you'll still have your magic AND you'll hide your wings."

Jessica practiced. She furled up her wings; folding them against her back. It
took a few tries to get it right but after that she was away. "Doing great!
What's your name by the way?" Willow asked as she opened a pouch made of
leaves. It was attached to the vine that coiled around her. She stored things
in there and knew what she was going for.

"I'm Jessica. Will you tell me your name now?"

"Sure thing, Dear. My name is Willow." As she said it, Willow had walked up
behind Jessica. Jess was in the middle of folding her wings. As soon as they
were folded, Willow's plan could begin. The wings folded and Willow reacted
faster than any human could possibly hope. First, her hands retracted from her
leaf bag and brought up an item. It was a collar made of cold iron. She
quickly snapped it in place around Jessica's neck; hearing the younger girl
gasp as it touched her skin.

The iron would sap her strength, but she needed to make sure no magic could be
used; no matter how slight. She retrieved a small chain and wrapped it around
Jessica's wings. The Fairy was captured. Her wings bound to prevent the use of
magic and a cold iron collar to sap her strength.

Jessica fell to her knees as the cold iron burned her skin. It wasn't quite
burning but Jessica didn't know how to describe it. It was both freezing and
hot at the same time. It stung, yet it made her numb. She immediately tried to
grab it with her hands and pull it away. As soon as her hands touched it she
cried out. She pulled her hands away, feeling the same sensation start to
affect them. She felt herself growing slightly dizzy as her wings became
bound. "Who are you?"

Willow laughed. "I'm Willow, Commander of the Nymph forces. And I was forced
from my home by the Fairies. Many years ago."

"Fairies? Where?"

Willow walked around in front of Jessica as she looked around the room. She
picked up a newspaper article that lay besides Sir Roger's book. It had Wisp
on the cover with the headline "New Heroine in Town? Flying Fairy spotted."

"So? You're a heroine are you?" Spat Willow. "Wisp. Believe me my Dear,
Fairies are evil. They claim one thing yet live another. But I'll answer your
question for you. The Fairies are in another Realm. I can see by the look on
your face that you are confused. I'll elaborate."

Willow opened a window and gestured for the tree outside to enter. Its branch
grew and entered the room, providing a seat for Willow. She sat down and
cleared her throat.

"The Realms are different places that exist. They share a space and may
overlap from time to time. How can I explain it better? Let's use your 'Solar
System.' Each Realm represents a planet. They all orbit a fixed point, for
simplicity let's call it the Sun. The Realms orbit this point, like the
planets orbit the Sun. There's the Fairealm; where the Fairies make their
home. The Monstrealm, which as you can guess, is inhabited by Monsters. I
noticed a book by Sir Roger on your table. All those Monsters come from that
Realm. But, the real monsters are far worse. They exist solely in this Realm;
Earthrealm. Humans, my Dear, are the true monsters. They rape the land of
everything it has, caring for nothing but their own greed and ambitions."

Jessica blinked a few times. It was difficult enough to take all of this in,
but it was even harder with an iron collar secured around her neck. "Where ...
do Nymphs come from?"

Anger flickered across Willow's face. "Nymphs come from the Fairealm. We are
the rightful rulers. The Fairies kicked us out after enslaving the forest. In
your Solar System, the planets orbit independently from each other. If they
ever collide then the planets smash together and get destroyed. The Realms are
different. They exist in the same space, yet are completely separate. If the
Realms overlap with each other then they both occupy the same space. Portals
between the Realms open up and allow travel between them. The Fairies forced
the Nymphs through portals and we were scattered. Now, come with me."

Willow held out her hand. The vine that covered it began to grow. It reached
out and extended towards Jessica. It wrapped itself around her neck and Willow
began walking. Jessica was tugged forward, like a dog on a leash. The collar
made her weak and Willow walked quickly. Jessica crawled along on her hands
and knees. Willow laughed. "You know your position little Fairy. Nymphs should
rule and Fairies should serve."

Willow led Jessica outside and the vine leash shrank; it withdrew to her hand
again and Willow began to gesture once more. Before Jessica could utter a
word, vines sprung forth from the trees in her backyard. They wrapped around
her arms and legs and pulled her back. She was suspended in the air, arms and
legs outstretched, between the two trees.

"That collar, in case you're wondering, is made from cold iron. It's special.
Very harmful to Fairies. It renders you weak and I'm sure you know how it
feels." Jessica hung her head; she was constantly reminded of its presence.
Her body refused to adjust to its weight. She could feel it at all times. It
was secured with just a simple strap, but Jessica was unable to touch it.

"You're probably wondering what cold iron is and why it hurts you. Well, I'll
explain. Most living creatures have traces of iron in their blood. Iron, as
you know, can also be found in the earth. It is essentially the life force of
the earth itself, as well many creatures. Cold worked iron is when iron is
hammered into shaped without the use of a forge to melt it first. You may be
wondering why that is important. Well, by twisting the iron to a new shape you
are perverting nature. Because Fairies have a connection to nature, your
instincts view this as impure. It's a repulsive thought to your kind. But all
you need to know is the short version: Nature has been weakened, and due to
your connection with it, so have you."

Willow drew closer to Jessica and ran a hand along her face. "Let's get better
acquainted, shall we?" As Willow continued talking she allowed her hand to
reach down and fondle lightly with Jessica's breasts. Jessica blushed
furiously but was thankful that she still had her bra and shirt between her
body and Willow's hand.

"Oh. That is precious. You've never done anything like this before, have you?"
Willow grinned like a hungry wolf discovering an injured animal. She allowed
her hand to slip between Jessica's thighs and began massaging her. Jessica
closed her eyes and tried to distance herself from what was happening. But she
kept being pulled back by the collar's presence. Her body betrayed her and she
heard a quiet moan escape her lips. This drew another laugh from Willow. "Oh.
Look at you! I don't know about the name Wisp. Perhaps something more
appropriate? Kinkerbell perhaps."

A voice called out from the front door. "Jessie? HELLO! You home? You aren't
replying to my text or opening the door." It was Emily! She had arrived!
Willow leaned forward and whispered into Jessica's ear. "We will meet again
soon."

Willow left. She didn't want to do anything too serious to Wisp. After all,
the Fairy could be her chance to return home. But in order for that to happen,
she needed Wisp to be as strong as she could be. That's why she had explained
how to attend class without stopping magic.

In the background, Willow could hear Jessica explaining what had happened.
"It's a long story. Just get this collar off me and we can finish that
assignment." Willow smiled; the two of them would definitely meet again.