Ecko Arrives

She had only been reading the story “Oz and Mason, Killer Detectives from Avalor”, for an hour when there was a knock on the door. Looking up from the article, she found the clock on the other side of the room, and read that the current time was one o'clock. It was not the time when any being should be knocking on another one’s door unless there was a life and death situation unfolding in front of them. At first, Jasmine chose not to answer, but when the one on the other side of the door changed the way they were knocking from annoying and fleeting to desperate and permanent, she decided to answer, “Okay, okay. Keep your shoes on. I’m coming”. As she reached the door, she heard her best friend Luna reply, “If you would have answered five minutes ago, I wouldn’t be freezing my ass off, but now I am and you need to hurry up, old one”.

Jasmine said, “Old! Old! Who are you calling old Luna Renfrew? You and I are the same age”. With that, she yanked the door open, and said further, “Bring your ass inside and stand in front of the fireplace. While you’re standing there, you can tell me what brings you by at this ungodly hour. Have you lost your mind”. She placed herself behind the door in order to allow Luna to step inside, and when the queen cleared the door, it was given a hard shove with the fairy’s right hip.

Luna found her way through the sitting room to the fireplace and held her hands out so the flames could warm her hands. As she stood there, she began to explain, “You and I may be thick as thieves since childhood, but there’s something I have been keeping from you”. She turned so the flames could begin to warm her backside, and so that she could see Jasmine’s face, and continued, “I know what you’re thinking, ‘I know everything about you, there are no secrets between us’. Well, you would be wrong about that because I never told you that Lance does not want the baby. She was born four days ago, and I was given seven to find her a place to live that is not the citadel”.

Jasmine was astonished and said, “Why wouldn’t you tell me something that important, Luna”. Tears began to escape from the ducts in her eyes, and she responded, “I thought once he met the baby, he would change his mind and we would keep it. But, he wouldn’t even see me after labor, let alone the new little one. When I could get out of bed a few hours later, I went to his chambers and he said, ‘I told you, I do not want children right now. You have one week to find it a place to go or I’m leaving. Now, get out until you have news of a place to leave it. I was more than furious, and I waited to come here as long as I could. He came to my room a couple of hours ago, and told me that I no longer had until the end of the week, and my position will be in jeopardy if I get divorced. Please, take her and raise her as your own.”

Jasmine chuckled nervously and said, "I don't know why you think I am the one to take your baby, and raise her as my own. I don't have any children of my own. What makes you think I'm qualified to do such a thing". She had begun to sweat, and said, "Is it hot in here to you". She felt dizzy and nauseated, but continued, "I'm serious. Why would you ever think I have what it takes to raise your child".

Luna studied her friend's face for a few minutes. She was looking for any obvious signs of weakness in her stature, in spite of the way Jasmine may have been feeling, and when she could not find weakness she said, "Because, you and I have been the best of friends since elementary school. You are emotionally strong. In studying you just now, I could not find one cinch in your armor nor could I detect the stench of fear coming off of you. That is the kind of being who needs to raise this baby. You, Jasmine. Please, say you'll take the little one. I've even left her nameless so that you can give her the name you think is most appropriate. After all, she would be yours. All I need you to do is say yes, and I'll retrieve her from my guard standing right outside". Jasmine's entire disposition changed from a nervous wreck to a furious mother hen. She looked at Luna and said, "Now, I know that you have lost your fuckin' mind. You left a four day old baby outside in this cold ass weather? I really ought to whip your ass, you goofy bitch. Go get that baby before she no longer has a biological mother. Matter of fact, bring the baby inside, lay her down on the bearskin in front of the fireplace, and get the fuckin' hell out of here. I don't have to think about it any further. I'll take your baby, since you apparently have no kind of caring in your heart for her". Luna did not argue with Jasmine nor did she protest leaving so quickly. Her intent was to talk Jasmine into taking the baby, and when she'd laid her on the hide in front of the fireplace, she silently left. Nothing more had been said by either being.

Jasmine shoved the front door closed, and went to the baby lying in front of the mantle. She hadn't ever seen a being as small as the one before her eyes. She felt nervous, but shoved it down deep into her belly. She was unaware of there being someone else in the room, and had been startled when Dixi spoke, "Miss Jasmine, I didn't mean to listen to your conversation, but I heard a lot of what she said. I guess because she left without the baby, you're going to keep her". She had moved from the hallway to the spot on Jasmine's right. Jasmine said, "Yes, I'm going to be raising this little one. Can you help me think of a name for her".

Dixi said, “Sure thing. I’ve already got one. I think you’ll really enjoy it”.

Jasmine responded, “Well, let’s hear it”.

The dark fairy said, “Echo, but don’t spell it ‘E-c-h-o’ like normal. Spell it ‘E-c-k-o’, and for no other reason than just to be different. About that time, the little one on the bearskin had began to stir. She wasn’t very loud, but got the message across that she was hungry. Instead of allowing Jasmine to pick the baby up, Dixi enveloped her into a comforting hold by her side, and said, “I’ve got nine brothers and seven sisters. All younger than me, and all raised by me”. This was said in order to assure Jasmine she had nothing to worry about. Dixi went into the kitchen, she dug around in the cabinet until she found what she was looking for, and said, "Miss Jasmine, you don't have to worry about clothes for her. I'll talk to momma. She will need some cloths for her bottom. I might be able to talk momma into giving a few of them up that she has, but I cannot say that she will because she's still got little ones who need them. As far as food is concerned, the best thing for her would be goat's milk. It's easy on the tummy, it's free and babies generally love it.