Grace and Clover walked slowly in the deep crack, hoping to regain some energy to climb or fly their way out. Clover rubbed the cut on his cheek from the anget. 

"Let's just climb with my sword and your daggers." Grace sighed. 

"I can try to fly as high as I can, though I am not so good at flying." Grace frowned. 

"Are you sure?" Clover nodded. 

"Hold your sword well. If I couldn't fly us all the way up, I can do it in levels." Grace understood what he meant. 

"You mean I dig my sword in the rocks if we start falling?" Clover gave her a thumbs up and warmed up. He held her and bounced off the ground. His wings immediately carried both of their weight and he started to go high up very slowly. As much as Grace wanted him to go faster, she admitted his slow movement helped her get over her phobia of heights. 

And the pressure might snap our necks if we went too fast, but I don't want to think about that.

Clover strained as he continued to fly up. Grace started to feel worried for him. 

"Are you okay?" Grace asked. He nodded rapidly, but it didn't seem like it, because his hands had been loosening. "Clover, we are going to fall."

"No, we are not going to.." He trailed off and Grace felt the pressure from her stomach, where his hands lied, decreasing. 

"Clover!" They both started to fall. Grace immediately grabbed his hand and dug her sword in the rocks. "Clover!" She called for him, expecting a reply, when she found his eyes shut. "Hey, hey, don't pass out on me.." Grace let out a shaky breath. 

And here they were, dangling from the side of a cliff, with nobody else to help.

***

Daniel and Rachael finally sat down after a full day of hard work. Immediately after Grace had been abducted, the dark fairies vanished, yet, a load of work ranging from sending formal letters to all leaders to return the people back to Syndioma to helping to clean up the damage (Daniel's foolish proposal) appeared mercilessly. 

Queen Elena gave them countless orders in less than an hour, and expected them to be done immediately. The Golden Knight was defensive, and told the queen she had no right to overwork two young humans, so she acquired the rights by announcing them squires under the mercy of Sir George and Miss Luna. 

Daniel and Rachael were overjoyed, and completely oblivious of Queen Elena and the Golden Knight's exchange. They insisted on helping around Aneroma while their friend was not around. 

Daniel and Rachael had to split up to work for their respective master. Daniel deduced from his work with George that his master was rather talkative. While he did grant him great advice, he went on and on, for hours, showing no sign of exhaustion. It was undeniable that Sir George's enthusiasm about tasks and missions was somewhat contagious. However, his excitement soon lost its effect on Daniel. 

Rachael, on the other hand, was stuck with who was the exact opposite of George. Miss Luna was a strict quiet woman. Rachael was always trying to get a word out of her to explain some of the tasks at hand, only to fail, at most times. 

She was mesmerized by her elegance, precision and finesse. While Rachael did a lot of cleaning and guiding unicorns, which she was extremely excited about, Luna watched over her and gave her invaluable advice. 

Daniel and Rachael sat down after their long day and discussed it together, both admitting that their mind hadn't left Grace the whole day. They were told that the Golden Knight, along with many experienced knights and squires, went to South Aneroma to help Grace. 

Daniel looked out the window of the last floor of the castle, watching construction and the return of many families. 

"What do you think Grace is doing right now?" Daniel asked. Rachael shrugged her shoulders and kept her eyes on the flying fairies in the sky. 

"I don't know, Daniel." Rachael said, "I wanted to go and help, but our poor experience in fairy stuff won't let us." 

"I like to think that all of that help we did today will make her happy when she comes back." 

"Will she?" Rachael asked. Daniel gave her a look like the answer was as obvious as a massive ship in the sea. 

"Of course. You have no idea how awesome she was when she fought those fairies with me back in Los Angeles!" Daniel said. Rachael gave a slight nod.

"It is driving me crazy how we are just sitting here, doing nothing. She could get hurt. This isn't all fun and games here. She almost died fighting a Griffin." Daniel asked for elaboration, to which Rachael hesitantly replied with the whole story. 

"That's why she didn't say anything that night! That makes a lot of sense." Daniel sighed, "I feel so bad that I always pressured her to talk when she couldn't." 

"It's okay. You like her, don't you?" Daniel quickly turned his head to meet Rachael's smug expression. Rachael wiggled her eyebrows. 

"No! No, no, no, no, no. She is my best friend, I can't—I mean I don't ever.. like.. no, she is just a friend." Rachael smiled knowingly. 

"Sure." Daniel rolled his eyes. 

"Mind your own business." 

"Oh, no, this is my business, Danny." 

"Okay, stop." 

"Fine," Rachael shrugged her shoulders again innocently. They both sat in an unexplained silence, both trying to think of a way to fill in the gap in the air. 

"What if we sneak behind Queen Elena's back and join the team in rescuing Grace?" 

"What?" Rachael exclaimed, "We could get into a world of trouble! Besides, Grace can do well on her own." 

***

Grace felt something soft and gooey slide against her cheek, making the cut on her jaw flare up with pain. She opened her eyes and found a unicorn-like creature with wings, licking her face. It immediately stopped when she saw Grace's open eyes and neighed at Clover, who had his back propped to the rocky walls. Clover's face lit up with hope when he found Grace awake. 

"What.. happened?" Grace croaked out. 

"I am so sorry, Grace. I am so sorry. I-I have this condition that no healer managed to get rid of." Clover continued a series of incoherent apologies. 

"Look, it is okay, don't worry about it." Grace comforted, "What condition?" 

"It is rare. My core starts beating way slower whenever I start to fly high up for a long period of time and I don't get enough power to continue to fly. I don't even think they have a name for it, yet." Clover chuckled bitterly, "It is rare to see a fairy unable to fly," He stood up, "Like a bird with no wings." Grace didn't know what to say. She looked up and found her sword not so high up, right where she had left it. 

It was comforting that she might have not passed out from the hit, but exhaustion. Who knew killing Angets, walking miles and escaping mindless guards could do so much to one's energy?

Grace then remembered lying there for a few minutes, with Clover, unconscious, by her side. She slept right after. The memory proved her suspicion. 

"When did you wake up?" 

"Oh, no, I faint for five minutes. I woke up and found us on the ground, so I slept. Nothing I haven't experienced before, it's not like Queen Helen is considerate enough to put a bed in the cell of her prisoner." Clover said, "Who am I kidding? Mate, that woman probably forgot that I had been under her throne room for two years." Grace didn't have much to say. 

She wanted Clover to stop his negativity, but trying that approach might hurt him. She decided to listen instead. 

The alicorn beside the both of them nudged Clover with its head and neighed at him aggressively. 

"Fine, princess, I will quit complaining, happy?" She let out a dissatisfied nicker and took a few steps towards Grace. It sat beside her and stared curiously at her. Grace held her breath at how pretty it looked. 

It was like a white horse, but with rainbow hair, a white horn and feathery wings. 

"Looks like she was abandoned here, or lost." Clover guessed. 

"It can help us, though! Doesn't it fly?" 

"It is a 'she', Grace." Clover said, "And we can try." He added. Grace noticed his unenthusiastic behavior was because of the accident. Grace wanted to reassure him that it wasn't his fault and give him hope for the future simultaneously, but she dropped the idea. 

Grace stood up, groaning at her back which ached more than ever. Clover gaped at what hung behind her. 

"Your wings! They are fully grown!" Clover exclaimed excitedly. Grace carefully unfolded her now big wings. She could feel them hanging behind her back, she could see their tips from her peripheral vision. She grinned as she spun, trying to grasp as much of their beauty in her eyes. 

"That's great!" 

"You should probably rest before you think of flying, though. I say we ride the Alicorn, instead." 

"I think she needs a name." Grace went over to her and petted her affectionately. She wickered and leaned with her head in Grace's hand. 

"How about Ali? I think it suits her. It's the name of my mother." Clover nodded. 

"I think it is beautiful, mate." Grace looked over her shoulder at him, only to receive his charismatic wink. Grace rolled her eyes, yet her lips twisted upwards. 

She carefully hopped on Ali's back. Clover jumped behind her, securing his hands on her shoulders. Ali stretched her feathery white wings and ran before her legs left the ground. Moving slowly yet steadily, the alicorn flew down a slope. 

Grace kept her head high, so she didn't have to see what was under her grow further and smaller. She smiled when she spotted the dark sky grow closer. 

They finally got out of the crack in the ground. 

"We are doing it!" Clover yelled enthusiastically. He let go of Grace and spread his arms beside him. 

As much as Grace wanted to share his happiness, her anxiety seized her. She couldn't help but think to find a way to get out of this hopeless place. 

"Where is a portal that can lead us to North Aneroma?" Grace asked. Clover shrugged.

"All I know is that there is a portal at the opposite side of the castle. I never put it into account in my escape plans. I was willing to walk to Murdell's Express and take a train to Quenria." Clover said, his voice getting progressively lower upon realizing how foolish his plans had been. 

"That's a long walk." Grace commented simply. Clover nodded. 

"Yeah." 

"So, which way?" Clover pointed east. Grace directed Ali to that way and there came their plan to freedom. Clover was delighted when an orb of spiraling energy appeared into view. It was still far away.

But it felt good to see hope of return. 

"Hey, listen, thank you." Clover said, "I thought I would just die back there, alone. You saved me. I don't know how to repay you." Grace smiled. 

"You don't have to. Soon, we'll go home to Daniel and Rachael and Queen Elena." 

"Rachael?" 

"She's also my best friend. She is really sweet. She always disagrees with Daniel, but they also grew up with each other so they are also best friends. That's just a warning so if you ever get to meet them, you are able to tolerate their constant fighting." Clover chuckled.

"Does it get that bad?"

"Yeah, sometimes, but that's okay, I can get them to shut up." Grace said. 

"What does Rachael look like?" Clover asked. When Grace shot him a questioning look, he was quick to defend himself: "Just curious, that's all." 

"Well, she is blonde. She has blue eyes. She is also really smart and she knows a great deal about mythical creatures which suddenly didn't become so mythical anymore," Her voice lowered to a murmur, "And also greek mythology. She is also.. taller than I am." 

"Of course, she is taller than you. That pendant chose an elf." He smirked.

"Ali, I am throwing Clover off you." She neighed in agreement. 

"Hey, that's betrayal!" 

"And that's bullying, get over yourself." Grace said, "One day, you'll get struck by lightning because you are tall and I will be here to tell you 'I told you so'." Clover couldn't help but laugh. 

"You've got sass." Grace shrugged. 

"Sure." Her short reply was followed by great silence as they approached the portal. 

Ali started to neigh loudly and frantically flap her wings. 

"Ali!" Clover and Grace screamed in unison, oblivious to Ali's source of panic. 

"An arrow! She is hit with an arrow!" Clover yelled, pointing at the arrow in her wing. Grace immediately looked over her shoulder and found a mob of dark fairies approaching. She cursed loudly. 

Grace was suddenly at a loss of what to do. She was plunging on the back of an Alicorn. 

"Grace, now might be a great time to make use of those wings!" Clover pointed at her own wings. Her face brightened. "We just need to land near the portal so we can make it." Grace got off Ali and hung from her neck, trying to get herself to fly. 

When she felt herself getting lighter, she supported Ali's weight and guided her to the ground. She abruptly felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, which made her drop on her back to the ground. Ali continued to thrash around in the sky until Clover lost his balance and both fell to the ground. They found the portal a few meters away from them. 

Clover jumped on his feet in a split second and pulled Grace on her feet so harshly she stumbled. He stole a glance at the mob and found them closer than ever. 

He guided Ali and both entered the portal, Grace following them. 

She suddenly stopped at a sharp pain that attacked her neck. 

She felt a feather with a pointy tip embed itself into her skin. She immediately lost sensation in her limbs. She tumbled to the ground, landing on her back in efforts to cushion her harsh fall. 

She was surrounded by overwhelming noises that soon turned muffled, like she was underwater. Her eyes drooped until she could no longer resist. Darkness consumed her.