| “ | Am I one hot, sassy girlfriend, or what? | „ |
| ~ Lily Martagon to Bufkin in Fables #116 — "A Revolution in Oz, Chapter Three: At the End of His Rope" |
Lily Martagon,[1][2] known as as Lily Martanion on her headstone,[5] is a Barleycorn Bride Fable who assists Bufkin in defeating Baba Yaga, and becomes the flying monkey's lifelong companion during his heroic adventures. She first appears in Fables #90 — "Ozma: Chapter Four of Witches."
History
Defeating Baba Yaga
Lily Martagon is one of the many Barleycorn Brides who are born from[4] tulips grown from magic barleycorns,[7] the same seeds used to create Thumbelina.[8] Following the unraveling of the enchantments that bound Fabletown together, the flying monkey's Bufkin finds himself marooned in the Business Office, rendering him incapable of reuniting with the rest. Unfortunately, he is not alone; he was now stuck with Baba Yaga and the freed d'jinn, both of whom have been imprisoned in the office.[9]
Bufkin, upon recognizing the peril, employs enchanted barleycorns,[7] resulting in the birth of Lily[4] and her "sisters." He then enlists their assistance in vanquishing the witch. Following a meticulously devised strategy, Bufkin receives support from the Magic Mirror, the head of Frankenstein's monster, the Barleycorn maidens, and the heads of the imprisoned wooden soldiers.[7] This collective effort enables him to successfully defeat Baba Yaga. Bufkin loses his wings during the ultimate encounter with the witch, and Lily and the rest of the maidens diligently attend to his injuries to the best of their abilities.[3]
As Bufkin continues to contemplate an escape plan, Lily, out of sheer boredom, proposes the idea of marrying him. However, Bufkin vehemently opposes this absurd notion for various reasons. Firstly, he believes that Lily is too small to be his partner. Secondly, he had no desire to engage in her juvenile game. Lastly, their distinct species poses a significant barrier. Despite Lily's assurance that she has no interest in bestiality, she persists in her make-believe.[1]
Revolution in Oz
Following this, Bufkin ascends the tree of the Business Office. Accompanying him is Lily, who harbors strong feelings for him and secretly hides in his backpack. Bufkin attempts to convince her to return, but she insists that he requires her presence to narrate his adventures, as they are worthy of having their own storyteller. She promises to remember everything he does and document it later.[2]
Lily with a pair of Expectacles taken from the Nome King's secret bunker
Upon reaching the pinnacle of the tree, they discover themselves in Ev, a neighboring land to Oz. While resting amidst one of Ev's enchanted lunch box trees, Bufkin unintentionally saves a group of Oz Fables from the oppressive forces of the Nome King. Inspired by this act, he establishes a resistance movement with the aim of overthrowing the wicked Nome King.[2] The Nome King attempts to execute Bufkin by hanging, however, Lily employs the Powder of Life to animate the very rope used for the execution, thereby setting him free.[10]
Further adventures
Afterward, Lily, Bufkin and Hangy, the hanging rope which Lily brought to life, had many adventures in many different worlds. Lily becomes Bufkin's wife three times thanks to a mad scientist experiment, a wishing fork and a transformation gas, and the two have many children in the species which they transform into, namely flying monkeys, Barleycorn Brides and Korob Birds. She and Bufkin grow old together, and eventually die from old age. They were buried next to each other in the Homelands.[5]
Physical appearance
Lily is a tiny, beautiful Barleycorn Bride with fair skin and medium length hair. Her hair color is inconsistently portrayed throughout the series: It which starts out as blond,[4] but has turned black by the time Bufkin kills Baba Yaga,[3] and when she introduces herself to Bufkin.[1] When she travels up the Business Office tree, her hair is medium brown,[2] but when she and the resistance trek across the Deadly Desert of Oz, her hair is once again black,[11] only to turn brown again by the time the resistance breaks into the Nome King's bunker.[12] It would eventually turn gray with age.[5] On the journey up the Business Office tree and amidst the revolution in Oz, she dressed in garments made entirely of newspaper clippings.[2]
Appearances
Fables
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fables #100 — "Celebrity Burning Questions"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Fables #101 — "The Ascent"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fables #91 — "Geppetto: Chapter Five of Witches"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Fables #90 — "Ozma: Chapter Four of Witches"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Fables #124 — "A Revolution in Oz, Chapter Eleven: Emperor Bufkin"
- ↑ As stated in Fables #79 — "Fabletown Unbound: Chapter Three of The Dark Ages," the Woodland's Business Office is physically located in an unknown location, tied to the Woodland via enchantments
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Fables #89 — "Baba Yaga: Chapter Three of Witches"
- ↑ Fables #18 — "Barleycorn Brides"
- ↑ Fables #87 — "Bufkin: Chapter One of Witches"
- ↑ Fables #116 — "A Revolution in Oz, Chapter Three: At the End of His Rope"
- ↑ Fables #108 — "Hall of the Mountain King, Chapter One of Inherit the Wind"
- ↑ Fables #114 — "A Revolution in Oz, Chapter 1: The Treasure House"