Chapter 196 - Mabon And Nell

Vincent turned, running his hands through his hair to push it out of his face although a few pieces fell right back down. He was still breathing hard from his time with his wife but now he stared into the forest where she was pointing. At first, he saw nothing but then a movement caught his attention.

"Come on," he took Delaney's hand, and together they walked towards the thing.

Delaney's heart beat quickly with her excitement as she walked with her husband towards the enormous, pearly beast. They stepped into a small clearing and there he was before them, Mabon the unicorn.

"Good evening old boy," Vincent smiled warmly at the creature he'd known nearly his entire life, "We were hoping to see you tonight. You remember my wife Delaney."

The unicorn's big, deep purple eyes turned to look at them. He tossed his head a bit and Vincent took that as a sign they could approach him. He and Delaney walked to him, holding out their hands so he could first smell them before they started petting him.

"It's lovely to see you again Mabon," Delaney spoke quietly to the ancient unicorn, "I wish we could have come sooner."

"He knows our lives are busy," Vincent assured her, "I don't think he minds. I suppose time is different for a creature who lives for so long."

"That's true," Delaney agreed, and she reached out and ran her hand along his neck. His fur was unimaginably soft and thick.

Vincent scratched the unicorn behind his ears and Delaney ran her fingers through his spun-gold hair. She picked out a few sections and began to absently braid them.

"How do you always know where he'll be?" Delaney asked her husband, glancing over at him, "You've found him both times we went out. How did you know he would be here?"

"I think he's always right around here. From what I've read, unicorns have some kind of connection to the moonlight. You can always find him standing in it. There is something special about this place to him though or maybe to all unicorns."

"Really? What makes you think that?"

"I've ridden Frost many times. If I take him into the forest like this he almost immediately stops following directions and goes where he wants to. If I don't fight him and just let him keep going, eventually he leads us here."

Delaney looked at him astounded, "Did you take him here the first time you had him out?"

Vincent smirked and shook his head, "I've never taken anyone here but you. Creatures included."

"How interesting," she muttered as she continued braiding and thought about this. She looked around the clearing and saw nothing special about it. It looked very much like the clearing they had found Mabon in the first time but she knew it wasn't the same one. She looked up at the unicorn's opalescent horn, shining in the moonlight, and wondered if that was what guided him. Of course, Frost didn't have a horn so it wouldn't explain what had drawn him here.

"Are you ready to go on?" Vincent asked her.

Delaney nodded and he turned with a small smile for Mabon.

"How about it old boy? Take us to see Nell and the others?"

The unicorn didn't move for a moment, eyeing them. At last, though he headed off through the trees and Delaney followed with her husband. She noticed as they walked that Vincent's expression was serious again and he looked almost worried.

"What's wrong love?" she asked him quietly.

Vincent dropped his gaze to the ground, swallowing hard.

"I suppose I'm still a bit wary of going here," he admitted, "I expect the fairies to send me away."

"But why?" she asked in surprise, "You heard Nell last time. They recognized you."

"Yes," he agreed quietly, "But fairies like beauty... And I'm..."

"You're terribly handsome," Delaney finished the sentence for him, "And as Nell said, your soul is beautiful and that is much more important anyway."

Vincent gave a small smile as he looked at his wife, "I love you."

She turned to look up at him, smiling too, "I love you."

-

They walked on through the night and eventually Delaney began to be able to make out the big mass of glowing light ahead of them. Her heart leaped with excitement and she squeezed Vincent's hand. He glanced down at her thrilled expression and chuckled.

It wasn't scary this time as it had been last time. This time Delaney knew what to expect when a little ball of light broke away from the bigger ball and came and spun around Mabon and then them. She and Vincent didn't move. Their cloaks fluttered with the gust the little light had caused and Delaney smiled. She knew now that those little balls of light were actually fairies.

The entire mass of fairies flew to them, encircling them in a warm, buzzing, bright mass. Delaney saw it was even bigger this time than the last time. They were still as they were being examined by countless fairies that were still only little balls of light. And then the pull began, pulling them onward as if being swept out to sea by a wave. Delaney looked back to say goodbye to Mabon but he was already gone. Vanished as if he had never been there at all.

The pull brought them all the way into the middle of the fairy ring and Delaney looked around pleased. This was the exact place they had been last time. She wondered if fairy rings didn't move.

All around the ring the dots floated like a wall of light. Delaney looked over at her husband's scarred face with the colorful lights glowing across it. He still looked anxious but not afraid as he had the last time.

A familiar rosy pink light separated from the other's and floated up to them, brushing first across Delaney's cheek in greeting and then across Vincent's. A moment later there was a little popping sound and the tiny, beautiful, Nell was before them.

"Vincent! Delaney! We were hoping we would see you again soon. It has been a long time."

"We've been away to the ocean," Vincent explained, "But we should have come to see you sooner after we returned. I'm sorry. That's my fault."

"Is it?" the fairy girl looked at him curiously, "Why?"

Vincent swallowed and his gaze dropped from her as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh well, I've had a lot more pain lately," he answered, embarrassed, "In my leg and arm and side. From all the wounds from the dragon. It's been hard to manage and it stops me from being able to walk far."

The little fairy's face fell, "It hurts my heart to hear that Vince. It looks like your marks are growing worse as well."

"Uh, yes," he nodded and cleared his throat, still not raising his gaze.

Delaney saw his scars darken as he grew more embarrassed under the fairy's observation. She eased closer to him and gave his hand a squeeze. Luckily her movement caught the princess fairy's attention and she floated over in front of her.

"I apologize for ignoring you," Nell smiled, "You look as lovely as ever Delaney. How are you?"

"I'm quite well," Delaney giggled, "And how have all of you been? It looks like there may be even more of you here now than there was the last time."

"You are right," she answered, "It's growing close to winter so we all gather together. And fairies cannot grow ill so we are all very well."

Delaney was amused by the fairy princess's frankness. She said and asked whatever she wanted.

Around them, the music began to quietly play and popping sounds filled the air as the fairies began to change into their human-like forms.

"Will you dance with us?" the rosy pink Nell asked them.

Vincent cleared his throat again, "I can't. I don't think even your fairy magic could overpower the pain from the wounds anymore."

The fairy looked sad but nodded and turned to Delaney, waiting for an answer. Delaney looked at her husband seriously though. She didn't realize he thought his pain was so bad. Nell's magic had saved him from almost any pain last time although he had been sore the next day. How much worse was it now that he thought even that wouldn't work?

"No," Delaney answered quietly, "I will just sit and watch with my husband. But thank you for the invitation, Nell."

Vincent's eyes shot up to her and he shook his head.

"You don't have to miss out on this because of me. I'll be fine sitting and watching. I'll enjoy watching you enjoy yourself."

Delaney shook her head and moved towards the edge of the fairy ring. "If you're going to only watch then that's all I will do as well."

"But Delaney..."

"Really," she turned to look at her husband and found his face was sad, "I will be fine sitting and watching. I don't want to dance without you."

Vincent opened his mouth to argue more but Delaney turned away before he could and excused herself to step between the fairies and out of the ring, lowering herself to sit and lean back against a tree trunk. He hesitated as he stood beside Nell. He didn't want to ruin this chance for Delaney but he knew his body couldn't hold up to the strain of dancing.

"Vince," Nell cut through his thoughts, her voice quieter, "Does Delaney understand your marks and pain are getting worse?"

"I've told her. She can see my scars are growing and see that the pain can get a lot worse sometimes."

"Yes," the fairy nodded, "But does she understand?"

Vincent's gaze dropped to the ground again.

"I've been feeling better lately since we returned to Edgewood," he told the fairy, "The pain only comes to a truly unbearable amount if I've pushed myself too hard. She knows I need to try not to push my body harder than it can handle."

The little fairy sighed and shook her head sadly at the man.

"If you don't want to discuss it, we don't have to and I take it from your lack of an answer that you don't want to discuss it. But Vince you really should discuss it with someone and your wife should be that person."