Author's note: Okay, here's chapter two. I finally got over my brief writer's block and I'm really glad for that, because it really sucks. Anyway, please read and tell me what you think. I love to hear your reviews, so please REVIEW!

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In a matter of minutes, Alinda had already found her wand and was leaning curiously over her niece. "I guess I could use it just this once...I mean, there's no harm done...because she's unconscious and she won't remember a thing anyway." A smile crept slightly across the old woman's face. A smile that hadn't been on Alinda's face in over fifteen years.

The old woman then stood up and closed her eyes. "Let's see, now," the woman muttered. She felt uneasy and scared, because she had not used her wand in many years. All those awful years she had to work and slave like a mortal elf. And on top of that, she had to care for and love a mortal child. A mortal child that had no idea that her so-called aunt was an immortal fairy. But...Alinda did love this girl. She would give up her life for this girl...this sweet, sweet child. But her time was elapsed. This child was not hers. It was time to move on...time to go back to her land, with her own people. Alinda felt a tear fall upon her pale cheek. She was becoming more mortal everyday. If she stayed any more years, she would soon become ill like mortals did...and soon she would even die, as they did. "No," she exclaimed, "that mustn't happen."

"Now...what kind of a spell should I put upon her?" Alinda asked herself. "There's a quieting spell--I could make her quiet so that she would not fuss over how horrid her small life is. Or maybe an Obedience spell..." And Alinda read down her memorized list of possible spells she could use upon her niece.

After a moment, Alinda's eyes sparked with agreement. "Yes! I shall give her an Acceptance spell!" she replied aloud to herself. She could almost feel her power spread throughout her body. "She'll accept anything that I tell her. She won't argue or cry or fuss....This is the perfect spell." And then Alinda lifted her wand above her sleeping niece.

* * * * * * * * *

It was about mid-afternoon the following day and Hala's small self began to regain consciousness. As she lifted her head to peer among her surroundings, she found that she was back in her small bedroom, placed in her comfortable bed. Her head suddenly ached and her muscles became tense. She felt different...but not quite so. She found it hard to even think about. I was going home and then Alinda began to talk to me about something. And suddenly it came to her. She remembered everything they had talked about. She then felt her heart ache and her eyes burn; but the tears never came. Nor did her words of grieving.

"Ahh--so you are finally deciding to awake," an old voice boomed into the room. Hala shot herself up and winced at the pain that crept up her spine. "Take it easy, Halanna. You took a fall last night and unfortunately hit your head on the table. And if you move so suddenly, you're no doubt going to have some sort of pain," Alinda explained as she walked up to Hala. Hala nodded slightly and looked away from Alinda's stern face.

"What will be done with me?" Hala asked meekly. Her hands began to shake and she quickly hid them among her dress as so not to draw Alinda's attention. Alinda seemed not to have noticed.

"What do you mean, child?" Alinda asked. "Oh--about your parents, is it?" Hala nodded in reply. "So--are you considering about going with them?" Alinda asked.

Hala opened her mouth to object, but her chosen words would not flow from her mouth. Instead, other words came..."I would love to live with them." Hala's gasped at the words that she had said. Alinda only smiled.

"That is great, Halanna. You will go to them in Aloni. Aloni is a beautiful kingdom that every elf would dream of going to. I'm sure you will love it there," Alinda explained. Hala bit her lip, and as she did, she once again felt her heart ache from what Alinda was saying.

"Isn't Aloni is a kingdom of humans? It's very rare to see any elves there..."

Alinda cut in. "Well...yes. And this may not be easy to take, but...well...Hala, your father is human."

HUMAN! The words rung through her head. How could that be?! I'm an elf! He couldn't be human! Why would she dare say such a thing?! Hala cried within her mind. Her words chose different. "Oh. I see. Though, How could I possibly be an elf?" she asked, her eyes large with fear at the words she had just said.

"Well, Hala, your father is human but he married an elf. You're only half-elf," Alinda revealed. She stared at Hala waiting for what she would say. She knew that not one normal person in the world could ever handle all the she had revealed to Hala...and all at once. But she smiled once she found no upsetting reply, and found only Hala thinking quietly in her mind.

Hala felt unrealistically calm and instead of screaming of how sudden and hard this was for her, she instead thought back to the times when she felt left out because of her height. She had only had one best friend, who didn't care about her height and liked her the way she was. The other elves were meaner and they would call her "midget" because she was shorter than the others.

"Is that why I'm so small?" she meekly asked.

"Probably. You have your mother's ears, but your height...It's probably your father's. You also obtained your age from your father. You go by human growth. That's why your friends are hundreds of years old and you're only fifteen."

Hala nodded, for she had already had that knowledge. She never had any elf fall in love with her, they'd all say she was too young. "Are you still my aunt or did you lie about that too?" she asked, trying to rid her thoughts of how horrible the elves had been to her. Alinda looked at her strangely.

"Of course I'm still your aunt! Don't be stupid! I don't think your parents would trust anybody else to raise you," Alinda snickered.

"I don't know why they would want to know me," Hala replied quietly. She could feel herself crying inside of her, because for some reason, she wasn't able to cry anymore.

"And why wouldn't they! You're a sweet, sweet child and I don't know of anyone who wouldn't want to. Besides, they're your parents. Your mother gave birth to you...They love you," Alinda replied as she stroked Hala's dark hair.

Hala sighed. "When do I see them?" she asked, her heart crying and her eyes unable to.

Alinda noticed how Hala was feeling, but she quickly ignored it and took it for her own advantage. "Ahh in exactly twenty five days...that is the night before your sixteenth birthday. They will be throwing you the biggest masquerade for your arrival. And since they live in Aloni, we would have to leave at least two weeks earlier. But I think it'd be better if we left the beginning of next week." A smile stretched across the old woman's wrinkled face. "Well...now you must get up and start the new day. There are lots to do. I should have told this to you earlier, but I had an awful time making up my mind how I would reveal this all to you." She turned to leave the room, but stopped short. "And child, you really must do something with that awful hair of yours. You're going to meet your new parents for God's sake. You don't want them seeing how you normally look," Alinda replied, returning to her normal, annoyed, state.

"Fine," Hala replied as she curled back in bed. And that was where she spent the remainder of the day, with only her thoughts to comfort her, and her mind to talk to. It was only that evening that she decided to get up, because the children, her true friends, were expecting her.

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"What's wrong, Hala? You look upset." a small elf boy asked. He was a small pale child, with golden hair and small elfin ears, and glowing blue eyes. Hala looked deeply into those eyes and found such comfort. She smiled and let out a slow sigh.

"Well, I just have many things on my mind right now. But everything will turn out all right...I can sense it," Hala explained to the children, who were now gathering around her. "Hmm...this kind of gives me an idea for a story," she whispered. "Does anyone want to listen to this story?" she asked. The children smiled and nodded their heads in excitement for their replies. "Okay then," Hala started. "Once upon a time there was a little baby girl. She was born as a half human and half elf child. But she never knew this and no one ever told her this. And on top of that, her parents sent her away from them to live with her aunt. Her aunt was an elf and she never told the girl about her parents or who the girl was. She lied to her and told the little girl that her parents were killed. And so this girl lived her life believing all of these lies that she was told. But that was until she was older and her aunt revealed this all to her. Her aunt told her that she would have to leave and go back to live with her parents in another kingdom. The girl could hardly even handle what was being told to her. And then she had to face the fact that soon she would be leaving, and she would have to leave all the people that she loved. Her heart was breaking inside because she would have to leave all her friends, and all of the people she loves the most." Hala stopped and felt herself crying inside.

"And does the girl get a happy ending?" a small elf child asked. Hala smiled.

"I don't know," she replied. She looked around and found that every child wasn't smiling anymore.

"But you know what, Hala? I hope the girl still realizes how much her friends love her and will always love her. We'll always miss you," a little girl explained. She ran over to Hala and threw her hands around her neck. Hala smiled, realizing that she was still loved, and will always be.

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