I sighed as I got off the shuttle that stopped near Bear Lake. It was early in the morning so the July heat hadn't gotten to everyone. I headed on to the path. My destination, first Emerald Lake and Asha's cave. It was hidden by a barrier that only fairies could get through. Fairies like me who live in the human world. After I visited with her I'd head on up to Lake Haiyaha. The place that, five years ago, my best friend in the whole world and I were going to spend the day. But Flit had never come. When I told the Council about his standing me up they said that he had died. They didn't say how though. And then when I got nosey enough to ask the four Council members who were there at the time and Samoa, Mother Nature, each alone, I had gotten five completely different stories!

"Mommy! Mommy look at that girl! There's a squirrel on her foot!" I looked down and saw a chipmunk on my boot. Just then my cell rang and I answered it.

"Ella," I answered using my human name because I hadn't bothered to check caller ID.

"Keaira?" Samm, my human sister, responded, "Are you sick? Do you feel okay? Does some one need to come and get you? Icea said that you were blubbering like a baby last night." That's me. Keairakash Pine alias Ella Tiller in the human world.

"Samm remember. It's been five years now."

"Oh. Right. Bye then. Make it home safely okay. Don't shift to fairy, fly home, and trip on air on the way home. Promise?"

"I promise." I hung up and headed up the path and thoughts swarmed in my mind like sharks to a bleeding animal.

If Flit is alive then he was possibly sent away. No that's ridiculous. Maybe the Council doesn't know how he died and just wants me to believe what ever. Obvious denial.

I stopped at Nymph Lake and admired the water lilies. Laughing, I remembered a time that I'd brought Flit here when we were eight.

"Keairakash?" Flit had asked me, "What is a nymph?"

"I doona know. I think, according to humans, they're evil fairies. Or self-centered. I forget." I left the lake and walked farther up the path and eventually got to Dream lake. There, I saw a person that I was completely, with out a shadow of a doubt, sure was going to ruin my day. The human Fred. I walked past him without giving him even the slightest knowledge that I had spotted him. As I walked I was fairly sure that he was following me. I was shocked by how easily he took the bate. I thought that he would have learned not to follow me after what had happened last week in that little ally way when I had caught him stalking me.

"Maybe his parents dropped him on his head while he was a baby," I hypothesized. It sounded plausible.

I arrived at Emerald Lake and didn't see him. I just shrugged and started climbing the bigger rocks to where the mountain bowled out. I made my way over loose rocks until I reached the hidden cave entrance. I walked in and stretched my arms.

"Come here often?" the all too familiar, and now annoying, voice asked. I jumped and turned around. That move left my back to the wall.

"Honestly Fred," I said putting my hands into a fighting position, "do you ever learn? Was me creaming you in the ally after I caught you stalking me not enough. Do you really need a round two? And most importantly, how do you know my real na-?!"

My sentence was cut short when his hands pressed on my shoulders, pinning me against the wall. I hadn't realized how close he'd gotten. Fred leaned in closer until our faces were only a fraction of an inch away. Then before I realized what had just happened, his lips were on mine. This complete idiot and total stranger was kissing me. And if that wasn't bad enough, I wanted to kiss him back. Common sense over ruled my hormones and I pounded on the wall of the cave to call to Asha for help. Any earth fairy would have to be a complete idiot to not recognize my distress signal. After that I pushed him away and into the other wall.

"You PERVERT!" I shouted wiping my mouth with my arm, "I don't even know you. You've messed with the wrong person!" As I spoke my threat I shifted. Light surrounded my body. While it did, leaves engulfed my chest and formed a top. A flower petal swirled around my waist and constructed my matching green skirt. Two blades of grass snaked their way around each foot and up my legs to become my boot. My wings formed from light and for a split second the emblem on my right eye was a real leaf. The light faded and I was once again a fairy. "Fred," I said, "you're dead."

In the back of the cave I heard the mad buzzing of wings. I looked around and saw, instead of the purple eyed, dumb blond (no offence to anyone else, my human form has blond hair too) pervert. I saw the yellow eyed purple haired...

"FLIT!?" I shouted. Just then I remembered that Asha was going to attack whomever was in here that wasn't ME.

"Asha stop!" I shouted, "It's Flit!" You know. Had I realized it two seconds earlier Asha could have stopped her attack in time. But all I could do was stand there and watch with my mouth hanging open like a dope. Stalagmites formed from the floor and a cloud of dust hindered my sight of him. Asha couldn't completely stop her attack but she was able to move it so that he wouldn't be killed. The dust settled and Asha sent the rock to its normal shape. We both saw Flit.

"Good bye Keairakash," he said. With that he disappeared. Had I not been in complete shock I could have stopped him. But I didn't.

Asha, I signed my mute friend, did you see what I saw? Or am I just mad.

You do not appear to be angry. But I did see Flit.

Not what I meant. But if I'm not crazy I think that Fred's Flit! I thought for a moment. Where's the nearest portal?

Why?

I need to get to the fairy realm ASAP.

Right where Flit was standing. Whatever you are planning please be safe.

Aren't I always?

No.

Very funny Asha. I'll see you when I get back. Bye!

Good bye and good luck. I ran through the portal and ended up in the fairy realm. I had no idea where I was. I flew straight up above the trees and got a good look around. I needed to head due north. Right before I did a voice stopped me.

"Keairakash!" Bramble, the most annoying fairy in the entire realm, called out.

"What?" I asked him.

"Are you lost?" he asked back. It was all too obvious that he had a crush on me.

"No. Not any more. I know where I'm going now. Thanks though."

Hahahah. RUN! my mind yelled at me.

"Can I escort you?"

No! my mind screamed.

"Sure." I mentally slapped myself.

"Okay then. Where to?"

"Center Forest Village." We flew in silence until we landed and started to walk.

"So what are you planning to do in the village?"

"Flit's alive," I told him.

"What do you mean?"

"He followed me to a cave, kissed me, then vanished!" He stopped walking and started to mumble.

"I knew the Council should have executed him instead of banishing him." I froze and my heart lurched up into my throat.

"What," I demanded turning around, "did you say?"