Genre (s): Dark Fantasy/Teen Fiction
Written When? 10th Grade
Prologue
Seven years earlier
Way out in the Atlantic Ocean, near the beaches of Seabrook Island, stood a small island filled with vegetation. Numerous coastal trees stood overlooking the ocean. There was also a jungle and volcano on the tropical island.
It was late afternoon. The sun was setting on the horizon, and the branches of the palm trees waved goodnight to it.
Two bottlenose dolphins leaped out of the ocean. The rays of the setting sun scanned them. They dove back into the water and swam towards the island.
Deep in the island's jungle was a cave. It groaned. Inside the cave, it was cool and dark. At the mouth of it was an entrance hallway. It led to a vast room in the cave's heart. In that room lived Merlin the Great, the most powerful wizard in the world, and also most likely the oldest. The cave served as his home, and all his belongings were in its vast heart. There were old couches, chairs, desks, chests, etc. that waited patiently in it.
Merlin the Great paced back and forth, with his hand at his chin. He was concerned about something. His eyes told it all. They flashed with worry and tiredness. His long, nighttime-patterned, blue cloak trailed down to the ground, and his long, white beard hung down to his thighs. His blue wizard hat, which was also nighttime-patterned, stood tall on his head, and he ran his aging fingertips through his beard. For once, the old wizard needed help. He was losing control of his powers. If he lost all of them, then all the magic concealed in Earth's core would go extinct.
Merlin didn't want that to happen. He needed the help of a fairy known as a Metamorphic Fairy.
Metamorphic Fairies were special fairies that were half human and half fairy. They were naturally born from humans, and they started as regular kids until they reached their teen years. During their teenage years, their fairy halves were revealed. Only a Metamorphic Fairy could rescue Merlin and all the magic in the world. However, finding one was a difficult task because they were extremely rare. A Metamorphic Fairy was only born from a strong heart and a family in which one past member had to have been a fairy.
Merlin needed the assistance of his apprentice, Tracey, who was a ten-year-old Apprentice Fairy.
He called for him from where he paced and impatiently waited.
After five minutes, a child fairy appeared at the entrance of another hallway that fed off of the cave's heart. He had the size and appearance of an average ten-year-old boy. The only difference was that he had wings and pointy ears. He was dressed in a dark green, jinbei-like shirt, a black sash, black shorts, and dark purple shoes. He had short, black hair and mesmerizing, golden brown eyes. His wings were fairly large and translucent. Both his upper and lower wings were light green and purple. They glittered with purple and green fairy dust.
Tracey hurried to Merlin. Once he reached him, he fell to one knee and asked, "Yes, my liege?" in a calm voice. Lifting his head, he met Merlin's eyes.
"My boy," the elderly wizard said, "it has come to the point that we have to find a Metamorphic Fairy. Please rise."
Tracey did. He knew what was going on with Merlin's powers, but he didn't think it'd get so bad that they'd have to seek out a Metamorphic Fairy.
Remaining calm, Tracey followed Merlin to the heart of the room, where a table sat. Resting on the face of the table, in a line, were three enchanted necklaces. Each one had a silver loop but different pendants. Green butterfly wings served as the pendant of the first necklace. For the second one, its pendant was a red fairy, and finally, the pendant for the third one was a blue horse head. That necklace was the one Merlin wanted.
Picking it up, he showed it to his apprentice and explained, "Tracey, this is a Metamorphic Necklace. It will show us where we can find the perfect Metamorphic Fairy. If you would do the honors, please." He handed the necklace to Tracey.
He started to protest. "But, sir, Metamorphic Fairies are extremely rare. They may even be extinct by now."
"Extinct?" Merlin asked. "You don't even know what that means." He approached the child fairy and rested his hand on his shoulder. "Whatever. I understand your concern, son, but it doesn't hurt to try."
He had a good point. Although, Tracey expected nothing less from the most powerful wizard in the world. He nodded understandingly.
Merlin clutched his shoulder. He took a step back to give Tracey space.
The young fairy peered up to the ceiling and flapped his wings. After each flap, there was a blast of fairy dust. Very slowly, with the necklace clutched in his left hand, Tracey picked himself up off the ground and started to climb. As he climbed, his wings gave off a trail of purple and green fairy dust.
Merlin watched him from below.
Tracey stopped his climb midway to the ceiling. Now hovering, he held the necklace out, and it floated free from his grasp. Like Tracey, it also hovered.
Merlin's apprentice circled the necklace over and over again. As he did so, he recited the spell Merlin taught him about finding a Metamorphic Fairy: "Necklace, oh necklace, find a fairy capable of saving my master. Necklace, oh necklace, find the Metamorphic Fairy who's willing to make a sacrifice and show true metamorphosis."
Right after reciting the spell, the necklace glowed a faint, blue color.
Tracey stopped circling it and stooped down to Merlin. Soon hovering next to him, he crossed his arms. "It's searching." Flying forward, he blinked. "Remarkable."
Blue strings of light escaped the necklace and went towards both the wizard and his apprentice, starting to circle them.
They waited for a bit, and then something amazing happened. The strings of blue lights hovered in front of Merlin and twirled like mad! It was almost as if they were having a spaz attack!
Grinning, Merlin announced, "It's found something!"
"No way!" Tracey said, landing. "Impossible!" He approached his master. Metamorphic Fairies were so rare! This was pure luck!
From the twirling lights appeared an image. It showed a little girl, maybe seven years old. With her was her little brother, who was about four. The little girl, like her brother, had short, brown hair. They looked very alike. The only difference between them was that the little girl had beautiful, blue eyes, and her brother had mesmerizing, deep brown eyes.
The little girl was very cute. She wore a silky, blue dress and flats on her feet. On her back, she wore a pair of costume Tinkerbell wings. In her hand, she held a Tinkerbell doll.
She and her brother played a game. The little girl tried flying, but she ended up falling into the grass. Fortunately, she was unharmed by the fall. She grabbed her brother's wrist and pulled him down on the grass to join her.
They lay on their backs and peered up at the clouds, which made shapes.
The little girl pointed up to them.
Her brother chuckled.
Tracey peered over Merlin's shoulder. Once the image ended and the lights vanished, he said, "She's perfect!" He jumped into the sky, acting out a midair cartwheel. "Master Merlin, we've found the answer to all our problems!" He started to tap dance on air. "I can't wait to see what her fairy self will look like! I can't wait! Oh, this is so exciting!"
Scoffing, Merlin crossed his arms and said, "Tracey, get in control of your wings. Perhaps she is the perfect fairy, but she has not come of age."
Tracey stopped dancing. "Come of age?" he asked. "What do you mean, Master?" He landed and placed his hands on his hips.
"My child," Merlin explained, "if you don't recall, Metamorphic Fairies have to grow into their fairy halves. By the time they reach their teen years, they go through a series of changes, or better said, a metamorphosis. Depending on the fairy, they will get their real wings either at the age of fourteen or sixteen. We have to wait a while before she becomes a full-fledged fairy."
"But she is a fairy, right?" Tracey asked.
"Yes," said Merlin. He crossed his arms. "She is. To be exact, she's a Metamorphic Fairy, and she is destined to save us. We just have to be patient."
"Patient?" Tracey asked. "Are you sure you want to wait that long, Master? Perhaps we could ask the necklace to find another Metamorphic Fairy who has come of age?" He reached for the necklace that still floated, but Merlin stopped him from grabbing it.
"No. No one else, Tracey. She's the one we need. I can hang on."
"Are you sure?" asked Tracey.
Merlin nodded. "Yes, my child. I understand we'll have to wait for another seven to nine years, but I'm willing to take the risk. This girl is special. I can feel it."
Tracey sighed. Well, Merlin was Merlin the Great. He wouldn't let the world down. The ten-year-old apprentice soon narrowed his eyebrows and became serious. "Very well, Master. If you are willing to take the risk, then I am, too. I'll train extra hard for these next seven to nine years." He clenched his fist. "You can count on it."
Merlin sighed and said, "Spoken like a true apprentice. I can always count on you, Tracey, but before you even start training, we need to find this girl. I want you to ask the necklace for her name and address."
Understanding, Tracey dipped his head to him. He flew up to the necklace and closed his eyes. Through telepathy, he asked for the little girl's name and address. Telepathy was the only way a fairy could communicate with enchanted necklaces.
The necklace answered Tracey's questions.
Out loud he said, "Master Merlin, her name is Makenna Delling, and she's seven years old. She lives on Jenkins Point Rd., located on Seabrook Island in Charleston, South Carolina. She lives with her younger brother, Caleb, her parents, and a beagle puppy named Tony." Suddenly, he felt a sudden surge of energy flowing through his body. "What is this?" Tracey asked. "The necklace says she's the perfect fairy to seek out Selene. We just have to wait until she becomes a full-fledged one. Well, that's all the necklace has to say." He opened his eyes and grabbed the necklace.
He peered down at Merlin, who said, "Well done, Tracey!"
Blushing, Tracey chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
Merlin continued: "However, she won't grow properly unless she has that necklace. That necklace will also prove if she really is a Metamorphic Fairy. Tracey, I want you to fly to Seabrook Island, find this fairy, and deliver the necklace to her. You remember the Shrinking Spell, right?"
Tracey nodded. "Yes, Master."
"Good," said Merlin, "because that spell will help you get into the house. Remember, if she is a Metamorphic Fairy, she will get her real wings no matter what, but for it to be a successful metamorphosis, she has to have that necklace. Understand?"
"I do, sir," said Tracey, "and I won't let you down."
He landed in front of Merlin, who said, "I know you won't, my young apprentice. You're Tracey. Good luck."
"Thank you," Tracey said. "Good luck to you, too, Master."
He and Merlin shared a hug. Once they disconnected, Merlin said, "Now go, my young apprentice." He nudged Tracey's shoulder. "Be careful."
"I will, sir," said Tracey. "Nighttime is actually a really good time to fly because everybody's asleep." He slipped the necklace into his pocket and clenched his fist. "Right! I'll find this girl! See you soon, Master!"
Merlin smiled. "See you soon, Tracey."
Tracey turned towards the corridor that led to the cave's exit and opened his wings. Flapping them, he lifted into the air and waved goodbye to Merlin. Taking a deep breath, he zipped out of the room and into the corridor.
Back in the cave's heart, Merlin watched him disappear into the shadows and said, "Good luck, my young apprentice."
***
While Tracey flew down the corridor towards the exit, he held his arms out to his sides and looked very serious. Soon exiting the mouth of the cave, he landed and slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out the necklace. Although he knew how to get to Seabrook Island, he still needed the necklace to take him to Makenna.
He remembered the spell Merlin taught him about finding fairies and clenched his fists, becoming even more serious than he already was. A blast of wind massaged his scalp, and a ring of purple and green fairy dust surrounded Merlin's apprentice. He said, "Find Makenna Delling!"
The necklace's pendant started to glow. It ascended upward, towards the canopy.
"All right, necklace, take me to her," Tracey said. The ring of fairy dust surrounding him disappeared, and he followed the necklace to the top of the canopy. Soon over the treetops, he said, "Whoa!" when he saw the sunset. "What a beautiful sunset!"
The rays of the setting sun scanned him up and down.
Tracey sighed. His eyes rolled over to the island's volcano, and he waved goodbye to it. After waving, he followed the necklace and left a trail of green and purple fairy dust behind. Before long, he flew across the ocean, near the surface of the water. He peered back to the island and now flew backward.
The island became smaller and smaller by the second.
Dolphins jumped out and joined the fairy as he flew, clicking at him.
A pink light covered the sky, but Tracey didn't mind the fact it was getting dark only because, like bats, fairies could see just as well in the dark as they could during daytime.
Tracey peered back to the island one last time. An ocean breeze rushed through his hair. He flew for a very long time, but who cared? Tracey loved his wings. He loved having the gift of flight. In his opinion, it was the greatest thing ever.
By the time Tracey landed on a rock to rest, the moon was already high in the sky.
Its rays scanned the ocean's surface.
Tracey twisted his head, and his eyes fell upon a large, dark figure in front of him. He gasped. That was Seabrook Island. He was almost there. Excited, the young fairy opened his wings and picked himself up off the ground, holding out his arms. He flew forward. While he did, Seabrook Island grew closer. Soon, Tracey no longer saw a silhouette on the water, but a small island covered in trees. He was almost to the mainland. His wings began to ache; he'd been flying so long, but that didn't stop Tracey. He was Merlin's apprentice. He had a mission.
***
Tracey followed the necklace to North Beach, Seabrook Island's main beach, and landed on the sand. Immediately, he collapsed to his knees and tried to catch his breath. He had to give his wings a break. Other than the small waves crashing onto the shore, it was quiet and empty on the beach. All humans were at home sleeping. That gave Tracey some time to rest.
When his wings felt a little better, he stood up and studied the beach, which looked a little bit creepy.
There was the crack of a stick.
Gasping, Tracey twisted his head in the direction of the noise and dropped his wings behind his back. There was nothing in front of him. He may have just been hearing things.
When he felt comfortable, he glanced at the necklace and said, "Now, necklace, take me to Makenna's house."
The necklace seemed to nod. It turned and started to float away.
Tracey jogged after it. While he jogged, his wings banged up against his legs.
The necklace took him to a long boardwalk that went from the beach to a parking lot.
Tracey continued to jog after it, but because his eyes were focused on the necklace and not the boardwalk, his foot slipped, and he fell onto the sand-covered footpath.
The necklace stopped and waited for him to recover from his fall.
When he did, he stood up and noticed grains of sand stuck to his wings. The sand made his wings look ugly, and Tracey didn't like that. Therefore, he lifted his wings and flapped them as fast as he could. The sand flew off. When he was sure they were clean, Tracey stopped flapping and sighed, dropping them again. He chased after the necklace, but because he wasn't used to walking, he tripped a lot.
He soon found himself on an even longer stretch of boardwalk. Trees surrounded his left side, with bushes on his right. Astonished, the young fairy said, "Whoa." He peered behind him, towards the beach. Turning on his heel, he focused ahead on the light of the necklace and jogged after it.
Tracey soon reached the end of the long stretch of the boardwalk. He gasped when he saw that a road was in front of him. Across the road, the boardwalk continued. He asked, "Holy smokes, how long is this boardwalk?" Tracey lifted his wings and flapped them.
As he lifted into the sky, through telepathy, he could hear the necklace chirping at him. It soon floated over to him.
Ten-year-old Tracey glanced at it and bobbed his head up and down. He extended his arms and chased after the necklace once again. In just a few more seconds, the boardwalk ended, and Merlin's apprentice saw he hovered over a large but empty parking lot and the North Beach pool.
The North Beach pool was concealed inside a gate. The front of the pool area was attached to a small building.
For a few minutes, Tracey locked his eyes on the pool and didn't move. He was totally spaced out. He didn't even blink.
The necklace soon hovered in front of his face. Through telepathy, it said, "Snap out of it, Tracey! Fly! Fly! You have a mission!"
"Huh?" Tracey asked. He blinked and snapped out of his doze, gasping, remembering his mission. "Oh! Right! I'm sorry, necklace." He shook his head and added, "Take me to Makenna Delling."
"That's better," said the necklace, floating forward.
Tracey cautiously followed it. As he flew, he peered back to the pool and tried to figure out what happened to him back there. It was really strange. For a second, he felt like his normal apprentice self, but then, all of a sudden, at the sight of the pool, he felt a great pain in his heart, and a blurry vision of him being hammered by an enormous wave on the Atlantic Ocean during a storm invaded his mind. He sure hoped it wasn't a sign. Fairies were known for having a special power that would sometimes predict future events and their fate. After seeing that image, Tracey couldn't help but feel like something tragic was going to happen to him in the future, but what?
He tried to not be bothered by the premonition and flapped his powerful, yet fragile wings harder, but because they were exhausted, he started to sink to the ground.
The necklace saw him losing altitude and stooped down to him, yelling encouragements.
Tracey's wings were tired, yes, but he wasn't going to let them stop him. He was A: A fairy on a mission, and B: A fairy who didn't want to disappoint Merlin the Great. Therefore, he remained strong and continued his flight.
Because of Tracey's exhausted wings, the flight to Jenkins Point took a bit longer than usual. By the time he and the necklace finally made it, he felt like his wings were about to break. He couldn't do it anymore. He sank to the ground, and his knees touched the road's concrete. Soon, the young fairy sat on his knees, and his wings fell limply behind his back.
While Tracey rested, he checked his surroundings. Looking to his left, he saw that a pond with a bench on its bed sat. Just beyond it, his eyes barely caught a large, blue and white Seabrook Island home, in which the garages were under it. Propped up against the side of one garage was a blue surfboard that had flower designs on it.
At the sight of the house, Tracey said, "Hm," and stood up. He wondered if that was Makenna's house. Glancing at the necklace, he pointed at it and asked, "Is that Makenna's house?"
The necklace nodded and floated towards the house.
Tracey stumbled after it and tried to fly, but his wings were too tired. He couldn't even lift himself off the ground. For once, the fairy's wings felt heavy, but he didn't give up. He was a very dedicated apprentice.
Before long, he and the necklace stood in front of the house and peered up at it.
"This is it?" Tracey asked.
"Yep," said the necklace. "It is." It floated up towards an open window on the second story of the house.
"So, I'm guessing that's Makenna's room?" Tracey said, pointing at it.
Once again, the necklace nodded.
Tracey took a deep breath and didn't take his eyes off the open window. He didn't want to fly, but it was probably the best way to get into the house.
Tracey nodded. Very slowly, he lifted his aching wings and prepared to flap them, but just before he could, he heard a sound behind him. Gasping, the young fairy whirled around, and his golden-brown eyes widened. He froze.
A red jeep with black tires rolled down the road towards another Seabrook Island house. Its headlights landed on the child fairy.
Driving the jeep was a young man, maybe in his early thirties, who had short, auburn hair and blue eyes. At the sight of Tracey, he gasped, and his own eyes widened. He slammed the brakes, and the jeep came to a screeching stop, throwing his coffee mug in the process, which spilled out all over the passenger's seat.
Not paying attention to the spill, the young man yelled, "It's a fairy! Holy cow! It's a real fairy!" Shocked, he reached into a brown satchel that was next to him and fumbled around for his camera. "Wait! Don't move! I've gotta get your picture! Oh, I'm going to be famous! A real fairy!"
Outside the car, Tracey remained frozen.
Before long, the necklace approached him and yelled, "Don't just stand there, Tracey!" through telepathy. "Fly! Fly before he gets your picture!"
Tracey returned to reality and said, "Ugh!" shaking his head. What was up with him tonight? Quickly, he turned away and started to run. As he ran, he tried flying, but his wings were still exhausted. Almost immediately, he fell onto his front.
The young man in the red jeep finally found his camera. He opened the door and leaped out of the car. Once his feet hit the concrete, he ran towards Tracey and held the camera up to his eyes.
Terrified, the child fairy crawled back and again tried flying, but he couldn't do it. His wings were too tired. For a second, he sat on the concrete, lost in thought, but then, he got an idea. Tracey was Tracey. He could get out of a tough situation with no problem. He was like a ninja, a fairy ninja, and he knew what to do.
Quickly standing, he glared and brought his palms and fingertips together, like a ninja, and yelled, "I have had it with you wannabee humans!" With that said, he dropped his hands and turned his back to the young man, flapping his wings as fast as a hummingbird's.
Unfortunately, the man managed to get a shot of his wings before he was thrown back and crashed into the hood of his jeep, falling to the ground.
Tracey turned back to him and crossed his arms, chuckling. He took off in flight and followed the necklace into a tree, where they waited for the coast to clear.
The young, auburn-haired man, now covered in green and purple fairy dust, recovered from his crash and chuckled. He checked the blurry picture of Tracey's wings flapping and said, "A fairy. A real fairy. Whoo-hoo!" He kissed his camera and jumped to his feet, starting to tap dance. Afterward, he opened the door to his car and dove inside.
Tracey could hear him yelling, "Wait until Liana and Peter hear about this! They're going to flip out of their skin!"
He laughed and closed the door, placing his hands on the steering wheel. While driving away, he kept on whispering, "A fairy," over and over again. He considered himself a very lucky man. It wasn't every day someone found a fairy hovering around Makenna Delling's house.
When he disappeared into the shadows, Tracey sighed. Unaware that the man had gotten a picture of his flapping wings, he said, "Whew, that was way too close."
"It really was," said the necklace. "Come on, let's not waste any more time."
"I agree," Tracey said. He checked his surroundings and zipped over to Makenna's house, landing on the roof of it.
The necklace joined him.
Tracey silently slid down the roof and jumped off it. He now hovered in front of Makenna Delling's open window and peered inside.
Soon joining him, the necklace asked, "Is there a reason why you're entering Makenna's house like Peter Pan, Tracey?"
"Shh!" Tracey said, placing his finger to his lips. "This is where the Shrinking Spell comes in handy."
"Huh?" asked the necklace.
Tracey grabbed it and whispered, "Come here." He closed his fingers around the necklace and shut his eyes, starting to meditate. After a bit, he shrunk down to two inches tall.
The necklace shrunk, too.
Tracey opened his eyes and smiled at his success. "Ah, that's better," he said. He shook his tiny shoulders and flew into the room.
***
A fairy night light lit up the small room. In it were two twin beds. Tracey could hear the silent breathing of children. In between the two beds was a nightstand.
Tracey said, "Hmm," and flew up to the nightstand, landing on it. He turned his head to the right and saw that he faced the face of a little, brown-headed boy–maybe four years old. Tracey guessed he was Caleb, Makenna's little brother.
He carefully turned his head to the left next and held his breath at what he saw. There she was! Little Makenna Delling! Tracey and the necklace found her.
She rested on her side, sleeping peacefully.
Smiling, Tracey opened his hand and let the necklace float out of it. "Well, necklace, there's your fairy." He nodded. "Good luck, my friend."
"Thank you, Tracey," replied the necklace. "I promise I won't fail you, partner. I promise I will help this little girl become a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy so she can save Merlin."
"Sure," Tracey said in a cool voice. "That's as if it's proven tomorrow that she really is one."
"Oh, Tracey," the necklace said. "What's giving you your doubts?"
Tracey crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "I don't know. I just feel like this little girl is going to be a challenge."
"All Metamorphic Fairies are," said the necklace, "but I promise we'll succeed. Well, goodbye, Tracey."
"Goodbye, necklace," Tracey said. He glanced at Makenna. "Goodbye, Makenna Delling. I'm certain we'll see each other again." Nodding, he turned to the necklace and brought his hands together, bowing. He backed up and watched as the necklace changed its size and became big again.
It landed next to Makenna's head so that when she woke up, it'd be the first thing she'd see.
Tracey feebly smiled and lifted his wings, flapping them. He lifted into the sky and started flying away in a slow but ordinary fashion.
Little did he know that behind him, flying out from underneath Caleb's pillow was the Tooth Fairy. She was a small fairy who had long, blonde hair worn in a bun. She wore a short, long-sleeved, silver dress and barefoot sandals. Her wings were long and white. One could barely see the small, thin bones in each wing.
She held a silver wand in one hand, and in the other, one of Caleb's baby teeth. "What a beauty!" she excitedly said. "Caleb is getting better at flossing!" The Tooth Fairy chuckled and kissed Caleb's tooth. However, she crashed right into Tracey's back.
He yelled.
Both fairies were knocked out of the sky, and they landed on the nightstand.
Tracey landed on his front, and the Tooth Fairy landed on her back. She leaped to her feet, yelling, "Watch where you're flying, or else I'm going to have to fine you!" at Merlin's apprentice.
Tracey, too, jumped to his feet and asked, "Watch where I'm going? You're the one who crashed into me!"
However, the two fairies soon recognized each other, and they gasped.
"Tooth Fairy?" Tracey hollered.
"Tracey?" she yelled back.
Tracey nodded.
The Tooth Fairy shook her head. She asked, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be practicing at Merlin's Cave?"
Tracey rocked his head up and down and said, "Well yes, but he's losing control of his powers, and only a Metamorphic Fairy can save him."
"Metamorphic Fairy?" asked the Tooth Fairy. "What are you talking about? Metamorphic Fairies are extremely rare. Not even you'd be able to find one."
She continued to speak, but Tracey placed a finger to her lips and said, "Now, now, Tooth Fairy, don't judge a fairy by his looks. He may know more than you think."
The Tooth Fairy glared and crossed her arms, asking, "Like?" She didn't like being insulted.
Tracey narrowed his eyebrows and pointed at Makenna. "That girl is a Metamorphic Fairy. She's the necklace's fairy." He next pointed at the necklace.
Chuckling sarcastically, the Tooth Fairy said, "Oh, please, you've got to be kidding me, Tracey. No, she's not! You're even more clueless than I thought. Humans can't be fairies. They're humans!"
Chuckling, Tracey waved his finger and said, "Not unless they're a Metamorphic Fairy. You'll see someday, Tooth Fairy, that that child is a fairy. Until then,–" He glared, "I suggest you stay out of the way."
Scoffing, the Tooth Fairy flapped her wings and lifted into the sky, starting to fly away. "Fine," she said. "When you see she's not a fairy, don't come crying to me." With that, she disappeared out the window and left Tracey, along with the children, behind.
Merlin's apprentice was left a bit hesitant. What if the Tooth Fairy was right? What if Makenna wasn't a fairy? No, Tracey wasn't going to let his doubts overtake his mind. The truth would be revealed in the morning.
With that thought in mind, Tracey flew over to the windowsill and landed. He yawned. Along with his wings, he was exhausted. It was time for bed. Like humans, fairies, too, had to sleep.
Tracey yawned again. He saluted at Makenna, opened his wings, and fluttered out of the house. He spent the night in the knot hole of a tree that was next to Makenna's house, using a leaf as a blanket.
***
Eventually, the next morning came. The sun rose in the east, and its rays poked through Makenna Delling's open window, scanning the floor like a lighthouse.
The birds started to chirp, and the squirrels began to chatter. The time was 7:30 am.
Caleb was the first one to wake up. He yawned. Still half asleep, he sat up in bed. While he sat there, trying to wake up, he scratched the side of his face and stretched his arms. He lowered them and grinned. There was a gap in his mouth from where he lost his lower, central incisor, the tooth the Tooth Fairy came to get.
Caleb turned towards Makenna, who was still fast asleep. While he waited for her to wake up, he slipped out of bed and trotted over to a wooden chest towards the front of the room that was filled with costumes, accessories, and props. Once he approached the chest, Caleb got down on his knees and went through it. He wanted to play Neverland with Makenna.
Neverland was a game the two siblings played. It went like this: since Makenna was a fairy lover, she played the role of Tinkerbell, and Caleb played the role of Peter Pan. Together, Tink and Peter, the two siblings, would travel to Neverland and have many adventures with Captain Hook, Smee, and the Lost Boys. Neverland was a great game for the children to play because they both had incredible imaginations. Their parents, Michelle and Andy, defined them "as two Anne of Green Gables" put together.
Caleb waited for ten more minutes, but finally, he could take no more. He stood up and sprinted over to Makenna's bed, leaping onto it. Once on it, he extended his hands and grabbed his sister's shoulder, starting to shake it. As he shook, he said, "Makenna, Makenna! Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
She groaned and pushed him off the bed, which Caleb landed on his bum. She pulled the covers over her head and tried to go back to sleep.
From the ground, Caleb huffed. He wanted to play with her. After a bit, he gasped and sat up straight. He had an idea.
Leaping to his feet, Caleb rushed over to his bed and grabbed his pillow, tossing it off. At the sight of the quarter the Tooth Fairy left behind, he grinned and picked it up. He returned to his sister and pulled the covers off her head, holding the quarter up to her face. "Makenna, look! The Tooth Fairy came!"
That woke her up. She smiled slyly and opened her stunning, blue eyes. She sat up in bed. She was dressed in a beautiful, blue nightgown and fluffy, blue night socks. Her Tinkerbell wings hung from a clothes rack.
Makenna turned her head to Caleb and took the quarter out of his hand, gasping. Her eyes lit up, and she said, "She did! She really did come! Congratulations, Caleb!" She handed him his gift and jumped onto the floor, hugging her brother.
He blushed.
When Makenna let go, she peered into his eyes.
Caleb started to beg. He put his hands together and asked, "Makenna, can we please play Neverland? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
Makenna playfully rolled her eyes and took Caleb's shoulder. "Of course."
He cheered and jumped into the air, but his sister placed a finger to her lips. "Shh!" She didn't want to wake their parents.
Caleb understood her message. "Oh, right." He placed his own finger to his lips. "Shh."
"Caleb," Makenna whispered, "why don't you go ahead and dig out your costume? I'll join you as soon as I get dressed, okay?" She pushed her brother towards their chest of costumes.
"Okay," he whispered back. He slipped away from Makenna and skipped over to the chest, starting to dig through it.
Little Makenna chuckled. She turned her body and reached her arm across her bed, picking up her Tinkerbell doll. She held her up to her face and traced her facial features with her index finger, asking, "Are you ready, Tink? Are you ready for another day of fun and adventure, fighting Captain Hook-For-No-Hand?" She smiled, "Yeah," and held her doll close to her chest. "I am, too."
She was just getting ready to slip over to her silky, blue dress when her eyes rolled over the nightstand in between hers and Caleb's bed and landed on the blue, horse head necklace Tracey delivered to her. Makenna asked, "Hm? What's this?" and reached for the necklace.
Caleb heard her and stopped rummaging around in the chest. "What's what, Makenn?" He turned to her.
"This necklace," Makenna answered while pointing at it. "I don't remember buying nor seeing this."
"What?" Caleb asked. He stood up, "What are you talking about, sis?" and approached her.
With her free hand, seven-year-old Makenna pointed at the mysterious necklace.
Seeing it, Caleb's eyes widened, and he said, "Whoa! Where did that come from?"
"I-I don't know," Makenna stammered. She picked up the necklace. Both she and Caleb examined it up and down. Makenna added, "This is very mysterious. A random necklace doesn't just appear from out of nowhere, unless–" She gasped and glanced at Caleb.
At the same time, they announced, "Magic! The Tooth Fairy!"
"You didn't even lose a tooth!" Caleb said, slightly jealous. "So, how come she also gave you a gift?"
Makenna shrugged and said, "I'm not sure, Caleb. I really do not know."
She and Caleb were unaware that resting on the windowsill of her open window, hiding behind a picture frame, still two inches tall, was Merlin's ten-year-old apprentice and deliverer of the necklace, Tracey. He had woken up only a short time ago, but he was already wide awake. His fairy instincts led him right back to Makenna's open windowsill. He was eager to see the proof of whether or not she was a Metamorphic Fairy.
He smiled at the sight of Makenna holding the necklace and whispered, "Come on, come on," in a serious tone.
Makenna and Caleb, unaware that a real fairy was watching them, stared into each other's eyes, completely bewildered.
Caleb broke the awkward silence by asking, "Say, Makenna, why don't you try it on?"
"Try it on?" she asked.
"Yeah," said Caleb, shrugging. "I mean, if the Tooth Fairy gave it to you, then it only makes sense to wear it. You can go to school on the first day of Second Grade and announce to everybody that the Tooth Fairy also left you a gift."
"Hm," Makenna thoughtfully said. She smiled. "You are absolutely right, Caleb! I mean, that'd be like the coolest thing ever to announce to Ms. Haynes."
"See?" asked Caleb. He backed up and held out his hands. "I think you should do it, Makenna. I think you should put on that necklace."
"All right," Makenna said. She stood up straight. "Then I will."
"Yes, yes," Tracey whispered from where he stood. "Go on, Makenna Delling. Put it on."
Makenna cleared her throat, her eyes fixed on the necklace. She started to bring it towards her neck and undid its loop.
From where he stood, Tracey shook with excitement. He had not seen something this exciting since Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith! He whispered, "Come on!" One could see the desperation in his eyes.
After what felt like five minutes, Makenna clipped on the necklace. She gasped when suddenly, she heard screaming, and a blurry image of a young girl took over her mind.
She could hear her yelling, "Help! Mommy! Daddy!" and saw her arm frantically waving.
Makenna heard the cracking of iron and a splash of seawater.
The pendant of her necklace started to glow a faint, blue glow.
Caleb gasped at the sight of it. "Whoa!"
From the windowsill, Tracey's mouth gaped open, and he said, "Come on, necklace. Is she a fairy or not?" He chomped on his nails,–he was so nervous–and his foot started to shake.
The image of the screaming girl replayed itself in Makenna's brain over and over again. She peered into space.
Caleb said, "Whoo-hoo." He waved his hand in front of her face. "Makenna, are you in there?"
"Caleb!" she said. She blinked and snapped out of her doze. "I'm sorry. There was just an image in my head."
"An image?" Caleb asked, bewildered. "An image of what?"
"A young girl," Makenna explained. "Maybe thirteen years old. She was yelling for her parents, and she sounded really cold and really sick. It was almost as if she was dying from hypothermia."
"Oh, Makenna," Caleb said, although he had no idea what hypothermia was, "it's okay. You're still in a bit of a dreamlike state. You'll feel better when we get to Neverland."
Makenna shook her shoulders and said, "Yeah." She gripped her necklace pendant, which no longer glowed. "You're right, Caleb. Let me quickly change." She headed towards her dress.
"Cool," Caleb said.
Makenna stopped and turned to him. She didn't like that remark.
Caleb shrugged and hopped onto his bed again.
***
Tracey had still not been given proof of whether Makenna was a Metamorphic Fairy or not. He started to lose hope. He began to believe the Tooth Fairy was right when she said humans couldn't be fairies. He began to believe Metamorphic Fairies really were extinct now, but without one, how would Merlin get in control of his powers?
Ashamed, the young, ninja-like fairy wrapped his arms around his body, dropped his wings behind his back, and hung his head. He had failed. Merlin would never forgive him.
Plopping down on his backside, Tracey placed his hands in his lap and stared gloomily out to the Gator Pond, the pond next to Makenna's house. He sighed and said, "The Tooth Fairy was right. Humans can't be fairies. They're humans."
After a couple of minutes, Makenna, who had changed into her dress, stepped out of the bathroom. She held her Tinkerbell doll in her left hand. On her back, she wore her small but glittery, costume Tinkerbell wings. She still wore the mysterious horse head necklace. She had grown very fond of it in just a couple of minutes. Makenna almost felt like she was meant to wear it.
At the sight of her, Caleb, who still sat on his bed, asked, "Are you ready, Makenn–excuse me, Tinkerbell?" He had changed into a Peter Pan costume.
Makenna smiled and said, "I am, Peter." She excitedly clenched her fist. "Let's go fight Captain Hook-For-No-Hand again! Lead the way to the second star!"
"As you wish," Caleb said. "Let's go, Makenn–I mean, Tink!"
"Yes," Makenna said. "Let's." She started to jump up and down.
Caleb cleared his throat. He leaped down from the bed, and in his best, manly voice, announced, "Hurry, Tink! We have to rush to Neverland to help the Lost Boys at Mermaid Lagoon!"
Makenna nodded and reached her small hand into a pocket of her dress. From it, she drew a small bell and rang it, since that was the only way Tinkerbell could communicate.
Caleb gave a thumb's up.
Both he and Makenna hurried toward their bedroom's door, but halfway to it, Makenna's necklace pendant started to glow, and it burned her neck.
Yelling, she reached for the necklace and fell to her knees.
Hearing her, Caleb stopped, turned, and asked, "Makenna, what's wrong?"
"My necklace!" she yelled. "It's burning my neck!" Grabbing the pendant, she tried pulling the necklace off, but blue lightning bolts escaped the pendant and shocked her. Makenna yelled again.
Caleb hurried to her and kneeled, saying, "Makenna, your necklace! It's glowing!"
He reached for the necklace, but Makenna pushed his hand away and said, "No, Caleb! Don't touch it! Please,–" She peered into Caleb's face, "go get Mommy and Daddy."
Caleb nodded and quickly stood up. He hurried to the door and threw it open, exiting.
Makenna could hear him thundering down the hallway, calling, "Mommy! Daddy!"
She looked down at her necklace and asked as the glow shone on her face, "What's happening?"
From the windowsill, Tracey heard her and asked, "Huh?" He quickly stood up and lifted his wings, turning. He gasped at the sight of Makenna, and his jaw dropped to the ground.
The necklace's pendant glowed brighter. "What's happening?" Makenna asked again, in a much louder voice.
A bright, blue light outlined her, and she closed her eyes. It lifted her into the sky. She twirled around and around. When she stopped, she placed her hand to the side of her head and smiled. Her necklace pendant glowed like crazy.
Makenna dropped her hand. Faint, blue and pink tail fins appeared on the backs of her legs.
She was oblivious to what was going on, but she knew it was something mysterious. She placed her hand to her heart. When she turned and faced the camera, her Tinkerbell costume wings started to flap. Now, Makenna floated in midair.
Tracey, who witnessed the whole thing, gasped again. That was it! That was the proof he and Merlin needed! Makenna was a Metamorphic Fairy! She was the one destined to become a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy, save Merlin, and all the magic in the world!
Tracey was overwhelmed. Metamorphic Fairies were so rare. He continued to watch her.
The magic around Makenna eventually died, and the fins on the backs of her legs vanished. Her pendant stopped glowing. It wasn't long until her Tinkerbell wings turned back into costume wings. She floated to the ground and landed gently on it.
Makenna opened her eyes and asked, "What? What just happened to me?"
Caleb soon returned with their parents, who were still in their night clothes, and pointed at Makenna. "There she is!"
Mrs. Delling, Michelle, gasped and said, "Makenna!" She rushed to her bewildered daughter and picked her up, asking, "Are you all right? You're looking a bit pale."
Makenna nodded, although deep inside, she wasn't sure if she was all right. She had been shaken up by something, but what? Was it the image she saw of the screaming girl, or was it the fact that she couldn't help but feel like something... magical just happened to her?
Makenna didn't speak. She couldn't. Her nerves rattled like a rattlesnake. She felt like she had just seen a car wreck.
Mrs. Delling lifted her hand and placed the palm of it to Makenna's forehead, to feel for a fever. She didn't have one. She was healthy. Mrs. Delling soon removed her hand and tickled her daughter's nose, asking, "Makenna, why don't we go ahead and make some breakfast? You may have merely woken up from a nightmare. After breakfast,–" She smiled and glanced at Caleb, "why don't we head out to North Beach and buy you and Caleb a new toy?" She put Makenna down, next to her brother.
"Okay, Mommy," Makenna said.
Mrs. Delling leaned down and kissed both her children on the tops of their heads. Afterward, she ruffled each child's hair and joined her husband, Andy Delling, at the door of their bedroom.
Makenna was just getting ready to relax when Caleb opened his mouth and said, "Mommy, Daddy, did you see the necklace the Tooth Fairy got for her?"
"Necklace?" Mrs. Delling asked. She eyed her child. "What necklace? What are you talking about, Caleb?"
Caleb pointed at Makenna's necklace.
Mrs. Delling's eyes landed on it. "Oh," she said, "that necklace. Oh my gosh." She approached Makenna again and leaned into her necklace's pendant. "Where did you get that beautiful piece of jewelry, Makenna?"
Makenna opened her mouth to speak, but Caleb beat her to it. "The Tooth Fairy gave it to her."
"Ah," Mrs. Delling unconvincingly said, clearly not believing him. "The Tooth Fairy."
"No, she didn't!" Tracey whispered from the windowsill. "I did!" He still hid behind the picture frame.
"You should have seen it, Mommy," Caleb said. "Her necklace pendant was glowing just a second ago. The Tooth Fairy must have left some magic in it! What if,–" He gasped, "she gave her the gift of a fairy? What if Makenna is turning into one?"
Makenna hid behind her hands. She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. She loved fairies, yes, but hadn't Caleb taken things a little too far?
"Oh gee," said their mother. "Can't we, um, save the drama for Neverland, Peter Pan?"
Caleb shut his mouth.
Makenna mouthed, Thank you to him.
Mrs. Delling chuckled. She re-approached her husband and shook her head. "Ah, children. Now, Makenna and Caleb, breakfast will be ready in ten minutes. Ten minutes." She hooked elbows with her husband. "In how many minutes will breakfast be ready, Makenna and Caleb?"
They held up ten fingers and said, "Ten."
Mrs. Delling nodded. "Correct. You guys are getting better at counting. We'll call you when it's ready, okay?"
"Okay," they said. They waved goodbye and watched as their parents exited their bedroom and shut the door behind them.
***
The two siblings were left alone. Excuse me, almost alone.
Tracey was still there, but he was getting ready to leave. He had been given proof that Makenna was a Metamorphic Fairy, so all he had left to do was fly back to Merlin's Island, deliver the good news, and start training extra hard so he could be in prime form when he met Makenna again. He knew they were going to meet again. His fairy instincts told him so.
Flapping his wings, Tracey lifted into the sky and turned his head, glancing at Makenna one last time. He put his hands together and bowed. He then saluted and said, "I'll see you again when you become a full-fledged Metamorphic Fairy, Makenna. You can count on it."
He closed his golden-brown eyes and turned to the open window, opening them. With a flap of his wings, he was out the window and shooting towards Seabrook Island's treetops, with his arms out to his sides. While he flew, he covered himself in green and purple magic. Through the magic, he returned to his normal height. Merlin's apprentice no longer was two inches tall. He was 4 ½ feet, instead, but he was still covered in magic.
The second he shot out of Seabrook Island's treetops, the magic left him, and he hovered over the beautiful island, facing the Atlantic Ocean and the direction of Merlin's Island.
Tracey smiled. With his arms slightly out to his sides and wings flapping behind his back, he turned his head and looked over his shoulder, winking. He shot across the sky, as fast as a rocket.
In a blast of green and purple fairy dust, Tracey disappeared.