Faerie Wings: The Fate of Kira - Part Six

     "I wonder who could have done this to her," Illere said as she approached her friend. She placed a hand on Brillare's cheek.

     Alice sighed and shook her head with dismay. "I'm afraid there is only one type of faerie that can use such powerful spells."

     "Who are they?" Illere demanded.

     "Dark faeries," Alice replied, her voice sounding cautious. "They're the only faeries, besides Fyora, that can possess such magical abilities."

     "So what you're saying is that a Dark faerie turned Brillare into stone?" asked Kira.

     Alice nodded. "They can turn anything-and anyone-into stone if they choose to. And because Dark faeries are entwined with dark magic, it would be physically impossible for any faerie, even Queen Fyora, to use their powers to break a Dark Faerie's spell."

     "But can't a Grey faerie reverse this type of spell?" Kira wondered.

     "No," said Alice, her expression filled with sorrow. "I'm afraid that there's nothing we, or even I, can do to break the spell."

     Covering her eyes, Illere looked up at the bright sun and squinted. "You know," she said, "the sun has been getting brighter ever since the last day that I saw Brillare. And if Brillare really has been turned to stone, then I guess the other Light faeries must be having trouble." Alice nodded in agreement.

     Kira looked at the sun and noticed a couple Light faeries holding their hands out towards the sun. "Aren't they able to control the sun's rays by themselves?"

     "Not without Brillare," Illere explained. "If they don't have Brillare and her Top Light faerie powers, then it would be very difficult for them to control the sunlight by themselves." After turning away from the sky, Illere pointed to Kira's token and said, "Now that you have that, I guess you can begin searching for the circlet."

     "What circlet?" Kira wondered.

     "The Circlet of the Air Faerie," Illere said in a noble tone. "It's only the most valuable and powerful item of Air faerie magic in the world!"

     "Ah," said Kira. She looked down at the token wrung around her neck and asked, "But I thought the Air Faerie Token was powerful enough: why would I need a circlet?"

     "It's just an alternate power source in case there's a grave emergency," Alice explained. "Technically you wouldn't need your circlet for everyday spells, but Fyora has created them in case any serious faerie magic threatens Faerieland."

     "So where is it, then?" asked Kira.

     "You'll find it as soon as the Air Faerie Token begins to glow," said Illere. "The brighter the glow, the closer you are to the circlet."

     "Oh cool!" With her gaze now fixed to her token, Kira began walking around, hoping to see the token glow it's faintest blue light. After what seemed like twenty minutes, Kira gasped with glee as her token began to glow in front of her eyes. "You guys! It's glowing!" she exclaimed.

     "You found it already?" a voice asked from nearby. Kira smiled and waved to Sirena and Ardore, who were both running towards her. "Wow," Sirena continued, "it sure is pretty! That feather looks adorable."

     Ardore gave Kira a sly smile. "So, who exactly found this 'mystical tree' for you? Was it Illere?"

     Kira shook her head. "A kind Grey faerie found it for me! She led me to it and said-"

     "A Grey faerie?" Sirena gasped in disbelief.

     "Yeah, I'd like to meet her," Ardore said as she rolled her eyes.

     "But it's true!" Kira insisted.

     "Don't you know that all Grey faeries are weak and useless?" asked Ardore.

     Sirena shook her head. "I don't think they're useless... although they are rather rare to find in Faerieland."

     "Look guys!" said Kira, pointing to her glowing token. "It's getting brighter! Do you know what this means?"

     "It must mean that your token is nearby," said Sirena, looking up at the mountain behind Kira. "In fact, I think your token is right up there!"

     Kira looked up at the mountain, her face uncertain. "Are you sure Fyora would put it in there?"

     "Maybe by the top," Ardore suggested. "You better fly up there before a Dark faerie comes by!"

     I'll show her! Kira thought furiously. After giving Sirena a hug, Kira flew up towards the coven located at the top of the mountain. From the highest ledge, Kira could see Illere and Alice wandering the forest, and Faerie City in the distance.

     With her token glowing even brighter, Kira ventured inside the small coven, looking everywhere for a circlet. The cave's walls were decorated with pictures and carvings created by past residents. Though water was dropping from above, Kira ventured towards the back wall of the cave. Even though her token was glowing, she couldn't see anything inside the cave's interior.

     "Looking for something?" a voice hollered from the entrance.

     Kira turned and gasped when she recognized the redheaded Dark faerie that was smirking at her. "What do you want?" she demanded.

     "Oh, I was just here to participate in your little 'treasure hunt'," said Daphne. After forming two purple orbs, she threw them as hard as she could towards Kira, who immediately dodged the orbs by ducking. "Drat!"

     "Why are you really here?" Kira pressed.

     "Have you found the circlet yet?" Daphne wondered.

     Kira felt confused. "My circlet? How did you know about the Circlet of the Air Faerie?"

     "Because I just do," Daphne growled. "Now tell me faerie: where in this dingy, little cave is your circlet?"

     Why is she after my circlet? Kira wondered. Before she could ask, Daphne threw two more orbs towards Kira, who then protected herself with an emergency shield. Not wanting the cave to suddenly collapse upon her, Kira blinded Daphne with white fog while she ran out of the cave. Once she was out of the cave, Kira looked up and watched as Rosia hovered above the cave while her younger sister stumbled out.

     "Has she found the circlet yet?" Rosia shouted from above.

     "Not yet!" Daphne replied. "But I think that it's somewhere inside this cave!"

     "Well then let me take care of it!" With dark clouds forming above the cave, Rosia pointed her fingers towards the top of the cave, creating dark thunder that struck the cave until it collapsed.

     "Well done!" Daphne exclaimed. "Now let's go back home since the deed is done!" Rosia nodded and both Dark faeries disappeared with a puff of purple smoke.

     "Oh no," Kira gasped as she approached the remains of the cave. With the cave now just a pile of rock and rubble, Kira was worried that her circlet had been destroyed along side it's location. And just the idea that Rosia had wanted the circlet made her even more upset: what was so important about the circlet that made her want to destroy it?

     Suddenly, just as Kira was preparing to fly away from the destroyed cave, a strange light appeared right in front of her. Kira gasped as the light faded, and a light blue circlet adored with blue sapphires appeared right in front of her, making her feel proud and powerful. With the circlet now in her hands, Kira flew down the mountain with a proud smile on her face. I can't wait to tell Mother about what I found! Kira thought anxiously. Surely she will be so proud of me!

     As soon as she had landed on the ground, Sirena ran over and grabbed Kira's wrist. "What's wrong?" asked Kira.

     "It's the Light faeries!" Sirena explained. "They need our help!" Not wanting to waste any time, Sirena lead Kira out of the Faerie Forest and towards Faerie City.

     It was at Faerie Plaza that Kira saw the five stone faeries, all of them spread apart from each other. Two of the faeries posed in frightened positions while the remaining three were in their battle poses. She also saw Illere and Ardore talking to a couple of Light faeries that were shaken up by what had just happened.

     "Are they alright?" Kira asked Illere.

     Illere sighed and nodded. "Yes, thank goodness! If they hadn't blinded their opponents then they would have been turned to stone, too!"

     "But what happened?" asked Sirena.

     "Two faeries attacked us while we were busy working with the sun," a Light faerie explained. "We were trying very hard to defend ourselves, but they were too strong and they quickly outwitted us with their dark magic!"

     "Did you just say 'dark magic?" asked Kira. "Because if that's true then that would mean-"

     "That this was the doing of a couple of Dark faeries," Alice perked up as she approached the troubled faeries. "And I think I know why they did this."

To be continued...