Grace paced on top of the building, trying to figure out which one she should go to and ask for advice. She realized her best bet was Rachael. She knew a ton about the supernatural and mythical creatures. She could give her a clear image about what was going on with her. On her way, she had imagined showing her friend her wings and getting rather freaked out, but if she wanted any advice about anything about fantasy or the supernatural, Rachael would be the best one to head to.

She stood on the slippery steep roof of Rachael’s huge mansion with firmness. She walked around, looking for a specific window. Rachael would always keep it open to give her plants proper sunlight and ventilation. Grace cursed as she remembered the plants on the windowsill. They were too many of varying sizes and they could possibly block her way inside.

She eventually found the window and she was not incorrect. The flower pots did block her path. She sighed and knocked on the window’s glass pane. 

“Rae? It’s Grace. Can you help me with the flowers?” Grace asked. Rachael, with an utter look of confusion on her face, aided her friend by placing some pots on the ground. 

“Grace, how did you get up here? Are you out of your mind?” Rachael asked. Grace held on to the edge of the roof, planting her legs to the wall. She launched herself in the air and made a full turn in the air before she landed in Rachael’s room. She stood up, brushing her clothes. 

She gave her best friend a toothy grin, “Hi.” Rachael could only gape at her friend’s glowing figure and wings.

“Alright. Am I dreaming or..” She trailed off, clutching the back of her seat like her life depended on it.

“I really wish I knew if we were dreaming, Rae.”

“This is really really awesome.” She replied breathlessly.

“I know.” 

“Like, super duper awesome.”

“I know!”

“And.. we are playing with something that doesn’t belong to us.” She pointed at the pendant on Grace’s neck in realization. Grace rolled her eyes.

“Rae! Come on. Who would refuse a glowing pendant in a forest? It’s like it was meant to be below my feet.”

“Who do you think it belongs to?” Grace could tell that Rachael was trying to keep a conversation going. She was getting paler the more she looked at her wings.

“I don’t know. The pendant, It can make me a fairy and can give me a magic sword and huge wings and I am glowing right now and..” Grace spoke really quickly until she realized that her friend couldn’t register half of the information. “Whoops. Sorry I overwhelmed you.”

“Oh, no. It’s alright.” Rachael said, though she didn’t look ‘alright’. She looked on the verge of fainting. Her face was ash-white.

“Do you need a glass of water?” Grace asked. 

Rachael ignored her question, “You can change back, right?” Grace went silent at her question. 

“That’s what I am trying to figure out. As far as I know, I can’t change back.” 

“You what?” Rachael exclaimed. She took a shaky breath to regain her composure. Grace suddenly felt a pang in her heart. Guilt. Rachael rotated her desk chair and flopped on it. “Have you tried taking it off?” Rachael asked. Grace smiled. 

“That could actually work!” Grace took off the pendant.

Grace’s body stopped glowing. She felt something tug at her back lightly. Her sword disappeared. 

“Phew,” Rachael sighed in relief, “I am glad that transformation wasn’t permanent.” Grace didn’t reply. She stared at Rachael’s mirror with a look of dissatisfaction, like she was disappointed to find herself normal again. Rachael pursed her lips, “You liked being a fairy, didn’t you?” Grace turned to her. 

“Being a fairy was nice..” Her expression turned thoughtful, “Wait, a fairy? But I had a sword, not a magic wand! And aren’t fairies, like, tiny?” Grace made a small gap between her thumb and her index finger as a gesture. 

“Well, you had butterfly-like wings. I guess fairies can have weapons but the tiny thing?” Rachael jumped up and sprinted to her bookshelf. If her movement didn’t show enough excitement, then her high-pitched humming would have as she flipped through the book’s pages. Grace smiled at her best friend’s demeanor. She knew she had come to the right place and even if she hadn’t benefitted enough from her visit, she at least made Rae happy by sharing her information.

Rachael eventually pointed at a page. “Aha!” She exclaimed, “Just like I thought..” She showed Grace the book’s page. Grace tried to read but she found a language she barely understood. 

“Rae, that’s in French.” Grace said. 

“Right, sorry. You don’t know French.” Grace rolled her eyes.

“I know some but I am not Fluent! You are half-french, I clearly am not.”

“So, you only know enough to pass a test.” 

“Exactly.” Grace handed her the book. Rachael snatched the book and gave it a small glance before turning her gaze to Grace. 

“Small fairies are called ‘Pixies’. They are mischievous and they are often thieves. Fairies are like normal humans but with wings. Some urban legends claim they have wands but I am sure that’s not your case.” Rachael explained, sliding her finger on the pages to read. 

"So, what do we do? Who does it belong to?" Rachael frowned in thought. 

"I don't know." Grace sat on the bed and gave out a sigh of exhaustion. Grace herself was ashen-faced, with beads of sweat stuck to her face.

"Are you alright?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I just.. flew all the way here." Rachael dropped the book to the floor. 

"Are you nuts?"

"Am I nuts? No, I am cashews." Grace deadpanned. 

"Grace, first of all, that was a horrible one. Second of all, someone could've seen you." 

"Nobody did. I guarantee it. This made me so tired, though." Grace said, resting her head on her hand. Her arm was propped on her knees, which were jiggling with anxiety. 

"How do you plan on going back home?" 

"I slipped out here to you. Dad shouldn't know about this, so I have to take the aerial route back." Rachael sighed, applying pressure on her temple with her fingers.

"Alright, you call me as soon as you go home no matter what. No excuses." 

"Promise." Grace climbed the high windowsill and gave a small wave to her friend. She jumped. 

"Grace!" Rachael ran to the window to look at her friend, only to find her soaring in the endless darkness of the night. Rachael feared what lingered in the night. If there was a magic pendant lying upon her best friend's feet in the forest, then who knows? Maybe they might stumble upon something bigger.. and more dangerous. 

***

Huge Wings..

Glowing.. Glowing eyes.

Swords.. and bows.

Face your fears, Grace..

She sat up abruptly again when the voice intensified as it told her: "You will be my guardian till your last breath." Same dream she'd been having. The staircase with the swinging axes and falling steps. 

Grace rubbed her eyes with her fingers and looked at the pendant on her space-themed and paint-stained nightstand. The pendant was glowing like a nightlight. 

That's not normal.

Then again, who am I to judge? I know nothing about it. 

Her phone, which was beside the pendant, rang. Grace was suprised by the coincidence that her pendant started glowing seconds before she got a phone call in the middle of the knight. It was Rachael. 

"Grace, those fairies that were in that article on the internet? They are standing in my backyard. They are pointing at my window now. I am so scared." 

"I am on my way." 

"No, don't come! What if they hurt you?" Grace found it heartwarming that Rachael cared about her, but she can't let her get hurt because of her.

"That's cute. You are scared for me?" Grace smirked as she changed into slightly above knee-length shorts, a shirt and a fuzzy jacket. If there was something she learnt from flying at night, it was that it could get very chilly. 

"Yes, Grace! I heard them chatting about your pendant and some guardian things. I don't know if they are friendly." Rachael sounded in distress. Grace hated that tone of hers. 

"Well, they want the pendant, so I am going to give it to them. Stay put." Grace said decisively. 

"Grace, wait—" She hung up and abandoned her phone on the bed. She wore the pendant on her neck and commanded it to give her wings. 

Grace opened her window only to be engulfed by a strong cold breeze that made her shiver. She jumped anyway and flapped her wings fast. She still hadn't recovered from the wave of exhaustion that came over her from last time's flight. Her wings were gradually getting heavier and heavier.

The Clevhoods' mansion came into view. The huge fancy building obstructed her vision of the backyard. 

Now, I have to measure the distance of landing and the angle so I can land on the roof and investigate.

Grace turned herself so her head aimed for the spot she was going to land in. She missed the roof and she could only hold on to the gutter to catch herself from flying any further.

I messed up.

I've got to pay more attention in Maths class if I want to measure my aerial trajectory next time.

Grace held on to the dewy gutter and watched the commotion in the backyard. Grace's heart sank when she found her best friend, held hostage by fairies wearing armour and holding different weapons. Rachael was in the hands of two fairies, one placing his gloved hand over her mouth. Her cheeks were lined with tears. The sight only ignited a fire in her heart. 

Rachael's eyes stared at Grace steadily. Grace brought up her finger to her lips. Rachael whimpered as she stared at her friend. 

Grace didn't know what happened. One second she was holding on to the gutter and in a second, she found her fingers slipping and her jacket wet with mud. 

She immediately stood up and summoned her sword when she found everybody staring at her. She aimed her sword at them. 

"Let go of my friend." Grace failed to make her voice sound threatening. Instead, it was wavering and scared. 

"Not until you hand over that pendant." A knight said threateningly. 

"George, calm down, she is wielding the sword." Another knight spread his arm to seize any action, protecting Grace. He looked at her steadily. 

"Our queen needs to see you. Will you walk with us and act like a good girl?" The knight said. Grace looked at Rachael then back at them.

"I am not leaving with you. Just take the pendant, leave my friend and go." Grace said. The knight came closer. "Stop! I know sword-fighting. My dad taught me sword-fighting! Don't come any closer!" Grace threatened. The knight huffed. 

"Alright, Commence the protocol." He said. The knights made a circle around Grace. Grace held her sword. 

"Stand back!" She yelled out. 

"Get both of them." 

That's all that Grace heard before the world swayed upon her feet and black dots overwhelmed her vision until she saw nothing more.