♡ Origins of Euhinas ♡

Long ago, on the edges of the Halcyon village, there lived a lonely little Wisp. He had come and gone from the village — taken by his owner — to a land far away. However, when tragedy took his beloved owner from him, he found himself uncertain and afraid. The little Wisp returned to Halcyon, not knowing what else to do or where to go. The Wisps of the village eagerly accepted him home. Their hearts were heavy for their friend, but few knew what to do.

Shy and timid, the little Wisp would spend his days largely in the comfort of his home – alone. He’d fluff his long velveteen ears listening to the gems jingling inside. Some mornings, when the light pooled in and warmed him through the window panes, he’d close his eyes and remember the care his owner had given him.

In the afternoons, the little Wisp would peak around the wooden door of his cottage and hop toward the village. The road would fill with cheers and chatter, but the little Wisp never partook. He’d arrive to buy a bundle of carrots and a basket of berries. The farmer and the baker were polite, and the little Wisp didn’t mean to be rude. He just found his heart was so heavy these days.

When the weather was pleasant enough, he’d perch on a log and lay a cloth across his lap. He’d watch the other Wisps play from a distance, longing for the days he had someone with whom to play. He looked down to his belly where his gems held his memories.

The days, he found, were not so different. Other Wisps told him it would take time, but the little Wisp still felt his heart swelling from the pain the others couldn’t understand. He knew they were trying. All he wanted was one person to understand.

On a late afternoon, as he sat upon his perch, a berry fell to his foot. As it plopped on the ground, the little Wisp sighed to himself, dusted the berry off, and set it down. He told the berry it ought to be a bit more careful with itself. As the sun drew down, the little Wisp found he’d spoken to the berry more than once that afternoon. He went home, and the loneliness began. The little Wisp pulled the feeling over him like a blanket. That night he watched the twinkling stars from his cottage. The loneliness felt heavier than usual, and the little Wisp recalled his conversation with the berry. He began to talk – to no one in particular - about how he felt. To his surprise, someone answered. Such a lovely voice, he thought to himself. He carried on in conversation to the no one in the room.

Come morning, he prepared himself for the town’s market, and as he hopped out of his cottage, he came to a pause. The little Wisp tilted his head inquisitively to the still-open door. “Won’t you be coming?” He asked no one in particular.

The little Wisp and his newfound friend laughed and chattered on the way into town. It was an idyllic afternoon. He spent the time on his perch telling his friend all about the other Wisps in the village. For the first time in months, he didn’t feel so alone.

He found comfort in his imaginary friend. When he wept, she consoled him. When he was angry, she helped him understand. When he was happy, she celebrated with him. Imaginary she might have been, she was the friend the little Wisp needed.

Days rolled on, and the little Wisp began to heal. He said hello to the farmer and the baker. Some days he brought them flowers from his garden. In the afternoons, he found he didn’t shy away when others sat beside him and didn’t want to turn away the invitations to play.

But…

Always, he’d look to his side to try to invite his most treasured friend. She couldn’t eat the berries with him, and she couldn’t come when he was invited to play. The little Wisp was saddened. She had done so much for him, so he wondered what he could do for her.

A fine summer day came by, and the little Wisp took a walk through the Hiraeth Forest. He hopped and hopped, remembering the many walks he had taken with his owner. Turning to his dearest friend, he felt a twinkle in his tummy.

The gem! His gem embedded in his stomach was full of the memories of his owner, the owner he had lost. There were legends of a special Wisp who lived in the forest: the Guardian of the Wisps. The Guardian could embed the gems with the spirit of a lost animal. He wondered then if such a thing could be done for his friend in the memory of his owner.

Rushing through the underbrush, the little Wisp made way for the Eternal Whisper Falls. His heart pounded in his chest, his long ears fluttered, and he felt his emotions welling up inside as he made a dash toward his only hope.

What he found, though, was despair. There was no Guardian to be found. He grew angry though at whom he wasn’t sure. His owner for leaving him? The other Wisps for never understanding? Perhaps the Guardian who seemed gone when needed most? Or was it himself for feeling so foolish?

The little Wisp wanted to rip the gem from his stomach. His hand hesitated. The intention he had come with had been to return a gift. His friend, he had found, slipped further from his mind as his memories of his owner grew more distant. Guilt ate at him, and the little Wisp collapsed. He wept, wondering how he could think to do such a thing to his fading friend who had only given him comfort and to the memories of his owner.

Long and lonely was the walk home to his cottage. His limbs were heavy as he pulled himself into his bed. Through his window, he caught sight of a glittering star falling through the sky. He jumped from his bed and hopped to his window. Pinching his eyes closed tightly, he thought of the tale his owner had told him. One could make wishes on falling stars. From the tips of his toes to the fuzz on his ears, the little Wisp wished. He wished and wished and wished! He wished he could give his friend the same feeling his owner had given him. He wished he would never forget the joy his owner had given him.

As he burrowed back into bed, though nothing had come from the star, he kept wishing. There was very little thought to what he chose to do next, but it felt the right thing to do. He took the gem from his belly and pulled it free. Setting it beneath his pillow, he closed his eyes, feeling at peace. I want to be your friend, he wished. I want to give you the happiness that you have given me. I want you to know what she was like and to share these memories with you. The little Wisp felt weak, and soon his heavy eyes were closing. He fell into the deepest sleep he had ever known, unaware of the guest at his door.

Outside, the Guardian of the Wisps looked upon the cottage, having heard every thought and every word. The Guardian, moved by the little Wisp’s wish, did something never done before.

Morning came, and with it the smell of dew and berries. Wiggling his nose and blinking his eyes, the little Wisp woke up to a big surprise. He squeaked and jumped from his bed, finding a strange someone new in his home. Ball joints and stitches, the girl looked somehow familiar. The little Wisp had woken her with his freight, and she seemed just as perplexed as him.

Her eyes roamed over her hand and touched her ear. There, hanging from her ear, was the little Wisp’s gem. When she spoke, he knew her voice. His friend, his dearest friend who had guided him through his grief, was now alive.

Hopping over, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She could join him now for lunch and for games. She could meet the other Wisps. But first, they had to learn how this could possibly be.

Returning to the Eternal Whisper Falls, the little Wisp and his friend met the Guardian of the Wisps. They stood hand in hand as the Guardian explained the wish on little Wisp’s gem had been what brought his imaginary friend to life. The Guardian called her an Euhina, one born of a sweet wish, but warned not all Euhina would be the same. Some can be born of a sour, spiteful wish made on a Wisp’s gemstone. That is why gemstones are to be protected, but sometimes, the Guardian admitted, a wish is just too strong.

The little Wisp squeezed the hand of his friend and smiled. He wondered what adventures would await them when the Wisps of Halcyon learned about Euhinas.