Faerie Wings II: Rosia's Revenge - Part Seven

     Sitting behind the cashier counter was a Fire faerie with dark brown hair that swept down past her shoulders. Kira immediately identified her as she watched the Fire faerie file her fingernails. She walked over to Ardore, who looked up and gave the Air faerie a surprised expression. "Hi, Ardore," said Kira. "Nice boutique."

     Ardore gave her a glare. "Why are you two doing here?" she asked.

     "Because we wanted to see how you were doing," Kira insisted. She looked around the boutique one more time. "So, did you design this whole place or did you hire some interior designers?"

     "I did it myself," Ardore explained, sounding agitated. "It was easy and I managed to do it in one day thanks to some spells I learned. Now, will you and Illere LEAVE until I'm done sorting things out?"

     Illere stepped forward. "Do you need help?" she asked in a soft voice. "Because Kira and I would be glad to–"

     Kira shook her head and coughed loudly. "I can't help because of my... uh, studies! Yes, I have this test tomorrow and I need to study as soon as I get home!"

     "Whatever," said Ardore. "And no, I don't need anybody to help me. Now if both of you an be so kind as to leave before I have to–"

     "But we do have another reason for being here," Kira insisted.

     Ardore narrowed her eyes. "I thought you said you had to go home and 'study'?"

     "Well, I do," said Kira. "But I also have to tell you about Daphne and Violet. They've been attacking–"

     Ardore yawned loudly and waved her hand at Kira. "You can save me your little faerie tale for some other boring time."

     "It's true! And as the Top Fire faerie, you have a responsibility to take care of your peers!" Kira insisted.

     "What peers?" Ardore demanded.

     "I meant your classmates at Faeriewood Academy," Kira explained. "You know, the girls that are in your classes and who you hang out with?"

     After a moment of awkward silence, Ardore turned to her cash register and snapped her fingers, casting a spell which magically polished the register and made it glimmer. Then she turned to Kira and said, "I don't care about my 'peers' because I've never attended Faeriewood, and I don't plan to either."

     "Are you serious?" Kira gasped. "Ardore, are you insane? What would Fyora say if she found out you dropped out of Faeriewood?"

     Ardore shrugged her shoulders. "She hasn't said anything yet. Plus, it's not like I've even bothered to attend that stupid school in the first place. And why should I? I already know more fire spells than all of those other minors."

     "But why would you want to open a boutique on Main Street?" asked Kira.

     "Because owning a fashionable store in Faerie City sounds a lot more fulfilling than attending some baby faerie school," Ardore insisted. "Plus, I need the neopoints for personal indulges. So who cares if this place is located right beside the Faerie Petpet Shop? I don't."

     "But–" Kira began frantically.

     Kira's protests were cut off by the sound of something crashing to the ground behind her. She and Ardore turned to face Illere, who was standing beside a broken clothes hanger. The Top Earth faerie's face grew red as she looked at the look. "Uh... it was already broken when we came here," she muttered.

     "Oh great," Ardore growled. "Now I'll have to poof up a new rack! Thanks a lot!" She turned to Kira and said, "Could you two go now?"

     "Will you help us free some trapped faeries?" asked Kira. "Because Alice told me that she saw Sirena–"

     Ardore waved a hand at her. "Like I care what some lame Grey faerie has to say. And no, I don't care to fight any more Dark faeries anytime soon. So just leave and make sure Illere doesn't knock over anything else!"

     Kira formed a fist as she and Illere left the boutique.

     As the two faeries walked past the Faerie Petpet Shop, Illere's tense face softened as she stopped in front of a window and waved at a couple of faerie Spardels, who barked happily at her as they flew inches above their cushions. "Oh, they're so cute!" she cooed. "Aren't they so adorable, Kira?"

     Kira looked over at the Spardels and shrugged. I still can't believe Ardore would rather own a store than attend Faeriewood! She thought. I mean I know we're not close friends, but I still can't feel like letting this issue go... though I don't know why I can't.

     ***

     After handing each Air faerie a seven page exam, Ms, Aeriel walked towards the front of the classroom and said, "You girls have forty-five minutes to finish your exam. After you are done, please walk up to my desk and place them in a neat pile."

     Kira felt her head ache as she stared at the first page of her exam. For some reason, the feud she had with Ardore the day before kept giving her a nagging feeling in her mind. Why can't I get her out of my head? Why should I care if Ardore doesn't want to attend Faeriewood? Kira thought, still staring at the front page.

     Marissa, who was sitting beside Kira, gave her a smirk as she opened her exam to the second page. "Loser!" she whispered just loud enough for Kira to hear.

     Kira looked up at Ms. Aerial, who was busy reading a book. Still upset, the Top Air faerie turned to face the window she was sitting against, hoping her troubled mind would ease and relax. Suddenly she noticed a giant purple tornado swirling in front of the window, its powerful force shattering the glass in seconds.

     As soon as the window broke open, Kira felt a powerful force push her and the other faeries in her row towards the opposite end of the classroom. Dark purple smoke covered the floor, and a familiar shrieking sound made Kira even angrier. "It's Daphne," she muttered as she struggled to stand up.

     Daphne smiled as she watched Kira struggle to stand on her wounded legs, her back arched low and her shoulders sagging as if in pain. "Well, if it isn't Rosia's best friend!" she announced to everyone. "What a lovely surprise."

     Ms. Aerial flew over to Daphne. "What do you want?" she demanded, poofing up a crystal sword and grasping it with both hands.

     Daphne laughed. "Nice sword. Too bad it can't save these girls from where I'll be taking them!" Ms. Aerial raised her sword to attack, but before she brought it down on the Dark faerie, Daphne had pulled out a handful of the green glitter and thrown it in her face.

     While Kira struggled to reach her sore hand inside her pocket to retrieve her Air Faerie Token, Daphne had already begun to fling specks of the green glitter at all the other Air faeries that were injured and were struggling to get off the ground, and she could also see her teacher bang onto the glass surface of the container that had now emerged around her. "I have to... save them!" Kira sputtered as she placed her hand in her dress pocket, watching as the faeries around her collapsed within their glass containers.

     Meanwhile Marissa and the students around her were protecting themselves with light blue shields and chanting various spells to ward off the unwelcome intruder. Daphne stunned them with a light spell that froze them in place, and she immediately threw glitter at them before any of the students' spells could be cats successfully. The Dark faerie turned to Kira and asked, "Are you honestly going to try to fight me? Or do you want me to get your Mommy?"

     "I... won't let you... get away," Kira stuttered, now feeling the feather of the token with her aching fingers.

     Daphne smiled and flew over to Kira, making sure her gloved hand was above her victim's head. Kira looked around and gasped when she noticed that all of her classmates, and her teacher, were now imprisoned in miniature glass containers. Now what? She asked herself.

     "Blinding light in your sight!" a voice shouted from the classroom entrance. Brillare, the Top Light faerie, fired two sun beams directly in Daphne's eyes.

     "My beautiful eyes!" Daphne shrieked as she covered both eyes with her hands. "If you ruined my eye shadow and mascara, I will so get revenge on you!"

     Brillare ran over to Kira and helped her up. "Are you all right?" she asked.

     "Cloudious Fogus!" Kira cried, knowing the spell she was using was for beginner faeries. Still, Kira was hopeful that she could still save her classmates in time.

     "You'll pay for this, you sun witch!" Daphne shrieked as she poofed herself away.

     As the fog settled and evaporated, Kira and Brillare looked around the classroom for any faeries to spare. They were shocked, however, to find the classroom completely deserted and all the glass containers mysteriously vanished.

     Kira sank to her knees. "How did she do that?" she asked aloud.

To be continued....