A\N: I am really weirded out. This story is just coming out in total opposites. Go figure.

Rita's still chanting.

It's hard for me to sit still, but I'm trying. Most faires, Rita said, could be diagnosed with ADHD, whatever that is, but she adjusted the spell a bit.

Finally Rita gently lifts the necklace off.

I blink, and I'm up in the top of a tree, laughing my head off. "Come down from there!" Rita says, laughing herself. "What was that?"

"Don't know! This is fuuun!" I zip around, light and laughter and bubbly happieness zinging around with me.

Rita puts a slow-spell on me. "Hey!" I yelp. "Quit it!"

"Then come down here!"

I land, grumbling.

"I thought you wanted to help Thomas." Rita asks.

I grin. "Yeah, but this is so much fun!"

"You're in power shock." Rita informs me. "Your powers are overwhelming you. Sit still for a minute and it'll pass." She adds under her breath, "And maybe then you'll act sane."

I breath. Still. Calm. Stone, imagine stone.

No, do not imagine a stone with wings flying around like a rocketship.

I open my eyes, giggling a little. Rita sighs. "Come on. You can put these up." She holds up spell-strings.

I dart around, placing the spells for Rita. It feels like hours before my energy wears off.

I see the sun setting.

Rita smiles encouragingly. "Better?"

I nod. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I squeal, bowing deeply.

"I'm not about to let my husband start wreaking havoc again. And when I see Dark Specter, I will have words with him." She growls.

"I take it those words aren't Blessings." I say. Sarcasm? I blink.

"Don't be surprised." Rita says. "You've been through a lot, Nirantiva. Emotionally, you're as well-developed as a human. Not much fun, is it?"

I want to say something sarcastic. To be rude. But I can only shake my head, tears starting again.

Rita touches my shoulder, her magic hugging me. I smile up at her. "You go tell Thomas to stop worrying." She says. "He's here."

I run out to Tommy. He's lingering on the edge of the forest. "Tommy!" I laugh, hugging him.

He oofs. "Nirantiva!" He gasps. "Lemme breath!"

"Sorry." I let him go. "Rita's here! She got rid of the necklace and I got my voice back and she's gonna get rid of Zedd but you have to come into the circle or it won't work--"

"Slow up." A girl says. She's powerful. Not magic-powerful, The Power-powerful. "Rita's here. She got your voice back."

"Yeah. And she says she can get rid of Zedd, but you have to come into the circle."

Tommy nods. "Let's go, then."

We walk into the clearing.

Almost instantly, Rita and Tommy are drawing the battle lines.

Humans.

Rita sees my annoyance and says, "Nirantiva, you should go home. Your mother will be worried."

I grin. "Bye!" I fly off.

I can't wait.

I turn.

I'm home. Home, finally, in the Fairy Mound.

My mother isn't worried, but Rita was just saying stuff. Whatever. I don't care.

But something's happening.

The fairies see it, and they fly away. One child tugs on my hand.

Tommy and Conner are in trouble. They're scared.

I shoo the child away, then take off without another thought.

The difference between fairies and humans, everyone says, isn't the wings. It's the feelings. Humans are responsible. They take care of others.

I know why.

It's because they get scared too. They get scared and lonely and they hurt.

But I won't let Tommy and Conner be scared.

The circle is working. Zedd's there, and so is Dark Specter.

But Rita's asleep.

I hide in the trees. Conner is backed up, hiding in his mind. Tommy's staring Zedd down.

"I even send a goddamned fairy after you, and what happens? NOTHING!" Zedd bellows.

Uh-oh. He hits Tommy, and I wince. I could see that coming.

Tommy says, calmly, "You have me, Zedd. Let the others go."

Dark Specter laughs. "A team of Dark Rangers." He cackles. "I can't wait."

He'll bind them with iron. No. Oh, no.

Please, Goddess, I pray, Give me power. I know I'm too young for it. But please, let me save them.

Please.

They're my freinds.

Power floods me.

I leap down, shooting at Zedd, sparks and energy almost frying him. "Leave them alone!" I screech.

Dark Specter laughs. "Shut up!" I snap.

"Oh, no." Zedd groans.

Rita laughs weakly. I guess she's still awake. "Nirantiva." She whispers. "Princess of Fairy."

Princess?

Me?

Dark Specter storms twords me. "Now I have you, little runt. The fairies will be in the palm of my hand..."

"Nira!"

Conner shoots into Dark Specter, attacking him frantically.

I reach for my magic and cast a spell.

The magic explodes.

Dark Specter howls in pain, and I feel good magic shooting around, happy and bubbly, like me, but knowing, too.

And then strength.

The strength of humans and fairies both floods the clearing, blowing Rita's spell to smithereens. The good heals Zedd.

And the pain turns on Dark Specter.

"Go." I say. "Just go. Leave Earth alone."

Dark Specter turns and vanishes.

I turn to Conner, and he looks stunned. "Nira...whoa."

I smile.

"I'm a fairy, Con. It's kind of my job."

THE END