Tiernan's Magic Carousel IV - Quest For A Flion

This story was originally posted as a letter to Princess Kelsey of the Crystal Castle and is dedicated to her cherished memory.

See, my name is Tiernan, and I'm an Elf. Here in Atlantis, the good people of this Realm have been kind enough to let me be one of thier Princesses, and I have a Magical Castle in Faerieland that has a Magical Gateway into Atlantis. The Gateway is inside the Magic Carousel, which is a beautiful magical Carousel built from a toy carousel and some of Santa's magic a couple years ago, right in the Atlantian meadow. In fact, if you come with me right now, I'll take you to see the Magic Carousel and we'll go for a ride...

Tiernan picks Kelsey up gently and carries her outside and across the lovely summertime green Meadow. On the breeze, Kelsey hears the music of the Magic Carousel and a smile lights her eyes...

Arriving at the Carousel, Tiernan find the biggest, most beautiful fancy white Charger on the entire Carousel and gently lifts Kelsey up onto his strong back. The Carousel begins to revolve, slowly at first, then faster as the mirrors flash and the Band Organ plays a merry tune. Tiernan and Kelsey laugh with joy as the Carousel whirls them around and around until they are breathless from laughing so much.

Finally, the Carousel begins to slow down, and Tiernan begins to tell Kelsey about a small problem she has, because she needs Kelsey's help...

Ok, now I have a small problem, and I need your help. My Castle is in Faerie, but there are parts of it that reach into other Magical lands as well, like the Carousel here in Atlantis. And I need to find a special Guardian to help me keep the Castle safe and to watch over all the various parts of the Castle. I need a very special kind of Guardian, in fact... I need a winged lion... a Flion.

Alas, dear Kelsey, I've been all over the place trying to find a Flion, without much success. Greyhawk very kindly took me to the Court of his Gryphon friends and they had some good advice, but no Flion. And I really, really need to find a Flion for the Castle, a white one because Flions have magic and white Flions have the most magic of all. He needs to be a very magical Flion, because in each of the wings of the Castle he needs to be just a little different.

In the Haunted Wing, he needs to be a Good Spirit, a friendly Ghost Flion so that he can make sure the Haunted Wing in only full of good ghosts and friendly witches. And in the Faerie Wing he needs to be just as he is, a white Flion with majestic feathery wings and sapphire blue eyes, flying in the air above the Castle and watching over us. And here, in the Atlantis Wing, he needs to be a Carousel Flion, so he can watch over the Carousel and keep it's special magic safe for all of us. I know he is out there, because I saw him in a Dream. But so far, I haven't been able to find him anywhere.

Tiernan lifted Kelsey down from the back of the Carousel horse, and taking her hand, they stepped down from the Carousel and walked a few steps away.

Now the first thing we need is a Horse to carry us to find the Flion. And I think if you help me work some Elven Magic, I can find us a Horse. Now just hold both my hands with yours, and while I say the magic words you wish with all your heart that the magic comes true...

Elven Magic, Wishing strong
Calling to the Magic Source
Kelsey and Tiernan sing this song
Bring to us a Magic Horse!

As Tiernan says the last word, a bright glow begins to appear around the Carousel Horse that Kelsey rode. It glows brighter and brighter, until the two almost can't look at it anymore. And then, with a joyful trumpeting fanfare from the Band Organ, the Carousel Horse comes to life and jumps down from the Carousel, whinnying a greeting to Tiernan and Kelsey. He is a fine, handsome white Horse now with a lovely shiny black saddle on a red and gold blanket, with white, red and yellow roses woven into it and multicolored ribbons braided into his mane and tail. Hundreds of tiny, dainty silver bells are sewn onto his harness so that with every step a sweetly musical jingling fills the air. He prances over to Kelsey and stops before her, bowing low with one foreleg stretched out before him. Then he lowers his head and nuzzles her cheek gently.

He likes you! His name is Tango, because he likes to dance. And he would be honored to help us find the Flion.

Tiernan lifted Kelsey up onto Tango's back, then jumped up behind her and picked up the reins.

Now hang on tight, Kelsey, because I forgot to tell you one thing... Tango can Fly!

And with that, Tango leapt up into the air and began to gallop with an up-and-down motion, just like a Carousel Horse only with each upward sweep he rose higher and higher into the sky. Higher and higher they rose until the Atlantis Castle was as tiny as a dollhouse, and the two of them could see all around Atlantis. Tango flew around in a circle so that Kelsey and Tiernan could see all around the Realm. As he flew, Tiernan explained to Kelsey just how she could help...

What I need you to do, Kelsey, is to wish with all your might to find the Flion. According to all the legends I have read about Flions, if your heart is true and good and you wish very, very hard to find a Flion, the Flion will hear your wish and will wish for you to find him, too. And then you will be able to hear his wish, just as he heard yours, and you can show Tango which way to fly to find the Flion. So I will hold on to you to make sure you don't fall, and you close you eyes, and wish very very very hard, and see if your heart tells you which way we should go.

So Kelsey closed her eyes, and wished very very very hard... and when she opened her eyes she pointed off in one direction, toward the setting sun, and told Tango to go THAT way...

Tango flew with Kelsey and Tiernan on his back, his bells jingling sweetly and his ribbons fluttering in the wind. He flew and flew for a long, long time, over the land, and then over the sea. Far, far he flew, and he flew so fast that he kept up with the sunset and so Tiernan and Kelsey could watch the sun as it set across the sea, and Kelsey and Tiernan sang songs to pass the time. Until finally, they came to an Island, and Kelsey suddenly stopped and told Tango they needed to land on that Island.

Tango circled around and flew gently down to the Island, which was a beautiful green island set like a jewel in the middle of the blue, blue sea. They landed on the beach, and the three of them looked around in wonder at the beauty of the Island. The sand was white and soft and warm beneath thier feet, and the sea was a deep sapphire blue, and the breeze was soft and scented with the perfume of the flowers that seemed to be growing everywhere in the brush beyond the beach. Here and there bright birds flew, chattering with noisy glee and a large Dragonfly came to hover before them. Kelsey pointed up at the Dragonfly, and told Tango to follow it.

Tango walked toward the Dragonfly, which turned and began to fly slowly enough for them to follow. It flew along the beach for a ways, then turned and led them inland. For a long time they followed it, all the way to the base of an odd looking, wedge-shaped hill upon the Island. This hill was covered with a strange looking black stone, and no normal horse could have walked upon it. But Tango was a Magic Carousel Horse, so he had no trouble at all. He carried Tiernan and Kelsey up and up the odd-shaped hill, until they were standing at the very highest part of it.

From there, they could see the ocean all spread out in front of them, all deep blue with sunlight sparkling on it like a handful of diamonds scattered across sapphire velvet. Above them the sun was warm, and they listened to the breeze and heard the magic of the Island singing and sighing and laughing softly to itself. Tiernan dismounted and lifted Kelsey down from Tango's back, and together they stood at the top of the hill and just looked out at the sea. They felt the magic of the Island wrap them up like a warm blanket, and for a moment they forgot all about thier Quest and were happy just to stand there.

Kelsey squealed with Glee and ran to the Flion to fling her arms around his neck. He smiled happily and purred and licked her face gently. Tiernan approached more slowly, hardly able to believe her eyes. After all the searching, here he was, a real live Flion.

Just like in her Dream, he was white with feathery wings and eyes the same beautiful sapphire blue as the sea. "I am glad Kelsey was able to finally help you all find me," he told them. "For I have been lonely here, all by myself."

"Because I have nobody to share it with," he replied sadly. "And the most beautiful place in all the world is lonely when you have nobody to share it with."

Tiernan knelt beside the Flion. "Kelsey and I have a request," she told him. "You see, back in Atlantis, I have a Castle. Part of it lies in Atlantis, but part of it lies in Faerie and part in the mystical haunted Otherworld, and it needs a Guardian. Long ago, I had a dream of a white Flion who could guard the Castle, as a ghost in the Haunted Wing, as himself in the Faerie Wing and as a Carousel Flion in the Atlantian Wing. Long have I looked for a Flion, and I have never found one until Kelsey helped me. Kelsey and I would be honored if you would consider coming back with us to Guard the Castle. That way, there would always be people to talk to, and laugh with and who will love you. Come with me, Flion, and I promise you will never be lonely again!"

The Flion looked at them. "Do you mean that, truly?" he said, his voice full of hope.

"We mean that, truly!" replied Tiernan. "You will never, never be lonely again. And whenever you need to come back here and visit your lovely Island, you can, knowing there will always be someone to welcome you when you come back. We can even bring you out here so that you don't have to visit alone!"

And with that, the Flion threw back his head and laughed, a great roaring laughing laugh, full of happiness. "I will come with you!" he exclaimed. But only on one condition! That *I* get to carry Kelsey back to Atlantis on my back! Because Kelsey is the one who found me for you, and Kelsey deserves to be the very first Atlantian resident to ride me!"

"Deal!" agreed Tiernan, and she lifted Kelsey up onto the Flion's back. Kelsey wrapped her arm around the Flion's neck and laid her head down on his soft mane. "But I have a question," Tiernan continued. "What should we call you?"

"You can call me Tangaroa," replied the Flion. "That is this Island's God of the Sea, and my eyes are Blue like that sea. Now, I am fast and strong, and I fly just like the wind so lead me to this Kingdom of Atlantis you tell me of, for I do not want to be lonely anymore!"

And with that, Tiernan jumped back up on Tango's back, and they leapt up into the sky along with Tangaroa and Kelsey. Together, they circled in the sky, then flew back toward the rising sun, over the sea for a long, long time until the came again to the Fabled Realm, Atlantis.

Tango led them down, down to the Meadow again, to where the Carousel waited for them. As all the Cuddlers gathered around, Tiernan dismounted and let Tango step back up onto the Carousel platform, where once again a bright glow surrounded him and he once again became a Carousel Horse.

Tangaroa crouched down so Kelsey could slip off his back then stood next to her as she petted his mane. Tiernan joined them, calling all the cuddlers to attention.

"See, everyone!" she told them all. "This is Tangaroa, he will become a Carousel Flion and will protect the magic of the Carousel for all of us. I promised him he would get lots of hugs and never be lonely again, so we must make sure to hug him every day. And in return, he will bring us his Magic and use it to make sure my Castle is safe and that the Carousel remains as magical as the day Santa's magic created it. And we have Kelsey to thank, because without her own special Magic, I could have never found the Flion."

And with that, Tangaroa stepped forward and a glow began to form around him, just like the one that had formed around Tango. And when it faded, Tangaroa was a Carousel Flion!


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Thank you, Kelsey, for bring me and the Carousel some of *your* special magic, so that together we could find Tangaroa. I want you to know, that from now on, the magic of the Carousel and it's Flion will always be a part of you, forever.