At around the same time, high up in the air, one of the young fairies stood arms wide on her platform, eyes closed, waiting for it to disappear from underneath her feet.

As soon as she felt it fading, she let herself fall head-first, without thinking, as though it was second nature. Her curls took to dancing rapidly in the wind and- as she neared the ground- the corners of her mouth curled up to form a faint smile.

When the sound of rustling leaves caught her ears, she opened her eyes, eyes that were glowing like the reflection of the moon on a dark lake in the middle of the night- and a bluish glow soon took over her entire body. Where once had been a long purple skirt and a matching top accompanied by tingling bracelets, it now all seemed to burn away to leave only the glowing silhouette of a being halfway through a magically induced change.

In an instance, wings sprouted from her back while newly created fabric covered her then-naked body.

She landed most gracefully- a slight bit of fluttering was enough to make her gain her balance again. When her feet touched the ground, she looked up to where the sun still shone through the thick layers of branches, as though in anticipation of someone.

Not long after, that certain someone came hopping down the trees, dashing from one to another. She grabbed the lowest branch to swing and land right in front of the tall girl already on the ground. As she landed, the dirt beneath her magically moved up to catch her.

‘Seems we’re partners, Ab.’ She grinned after landing. She held her hand out to the fairy in front of her as soon as the dirt had found its way back into the ground again.

The taller girl moved her hand up to grab hers- but held still midway. She tilted her head to her left side, quietly, listening. She put her finger in front of her lips. Then she looked back.

‘Ra!’ was all she needed to say, for her companion understood quite clearly. The both of them needed as little as a short glance to know just what to do.

The shorter one quickly assumed a steady stance, one foot in front of the other. She moved her weight from the back to the front as she flung her arms downward and up again. Her hands started glowing, red as a ruby, like the Circle of Magic beneath her feet. The earth around her began to shake, for it was now under the will of the young fairy, and her command forced it up.

When she gave a quick nod, the taller fairy flew up into the air, putting two fingers of the same hand to rest on her forehead, her other hand serving as support. As the lines of her Magic Circle became visible in the air, the wind in the forest increased its force. Swirling, faster and faster, harder and harder, the wind formed a small tornado, catching a few stray leaves here and there that before long were dancing along with it. Just in time.

✿