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I Believe in Fairies
By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 11: Plans

Her swift intake of breath hissed through her clenched teeth as Kendra eased her shirt from her back. As she had suspected might happen, the burn Cyndi had inflicted on her earlier returned once she had transformed back to normal and her fairy powers were no longer masking the pain. Her jacket was a write-off and her shirt was badly scorched and discoloured.

Candice snorted in disgust as she took the shirt in two fingers and promptly dropped it on the kitchen floor. "She got you good, didn't she?"

"Do me a favour and don't tell me how it looks," Kendra groaned as she dragged out a chair and gingerly sat down. "Just find some anti-burn spray or something, please." Her friend quickly retrieved a small pot of cream from the bathroom and began to apply it to the afflicted skin, and she sighed as a soothing coolness spread across her back. "Thanks."

"If it's any consolation there are no blisters, so it's probably not as bad as it feels. I think your jacket took most of it." She brought Kendra a clean shirt and helped her put it on.

"I have another jacket," Kendra said wryly, "but that one was my favourite." Suddenly she began to giggle uncontrollably; more from reaction than amusement. "I knew Cyndi had a petty grudge, but I never thought she would want to kill me! I'm a stupid fairy." Tears leaked from her eyes then. "And you ended up being the one who pulled my butt out of the fire."

Candice put the cream down and carefully hugged her. "That's what friends do," she said as she handed over a box of tissues. "Anyway..." she paused while Kendra composed herself and wiped her face. "It's time to spill it."

Kendra told her everything: Gardenia, the Magic Dimension, meeting Fatinah, fairies and witches, the quest for relics... the words tumbled over each other in a torrent.

At first Candice listened with incredulity, but by the time the story concluded she had become rather agitated. "So what happens now? It's not like we can pretend it was a dream and go back to our normal lives like all those people that Miss Griffin zapped. How can we be responsible for such power?"

"That's what schools like Alfea and Cloud Tower are for: to teach that responsibility," Kendra replied. "Besides, I think we're better off than Cyndi was. Although we all absorbed powerful magical energies, you and I became fairies because we chose goodness."

"But what if I don't want that?" Candice asked as she flung her arms up in frustration, which caused a few snowflakes to appear. "I have a job! I have plans for the future! I only grabbed that stupid tiara because I thought it was yours and didn't want that witch to damage it. How was I to know that it would turn me into an ice-making machine?"

"Oh, please don't start thinking that way!"

"Why not? Look at me!" She abruptly stood and flourished one hand: a small cloud of mist formed in the air. "I'm different now! What if I can't control it? What if I go all Snow Queen and accidentally hurt someone? What am I going to tell my family? Ugh!" Turning on her heel she stormed out of the room, mist wafting behind her.

"Wait!" Kendra caught up to her and clasped her shoulders, turning her around and forcing her to face her reflection in the bathroom mirror. "Look, do you see anything different? I mean, really?" To her, Candice looked as she always had: pale freckled skin, round face, short blonde hair. But emotionally... that was perhaps a different story. "Being a fairy doesn't make you a monster. Have I changed that much to you?"

Bitterness edged her friend's tone. "Says the lucky shiksa who just happened to get help from two of the most powerful fairies in existence."

Despite herself, Kendra bristled at the Yiddish insult and put her hands on her hips. "Candice Lehrman, there's no need for that kind of language."

"Well, it's true! Anyway, have you even told your family? Or hasn't that crossed your mind yet?"

With an exasperated sigh Kendra said, "All they know is that I'm considering graduate studies at a foreign university. But what am I supposed to say?"

Candice framed her face with outspread hands and said in a voice that dripped with sarcasm, "Hi, I'm a fairy with magical powers now! I get to turn away from everything I knew and go to magic school."

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

"It's still true," Candice insisted. "You might think what's best for you, but what about what's best for everyone around you?"

Kendra mulled that over. "It's certainly understandable why Fatinah didn't tell her family about her powers until she was forced to do so. I know I couldn't subject my family to a shock like that; at least not until I've learned more about how my powers work."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Candice said, deflating somewhat. "Especially not after what happened to Fatinah in the end, or what Cyndi said she did to her parents." She chuckled mirthlessly as she made her way into her bedroom and plopped onto her bed. "Listen to us, arguing like idiots when we should be supportive of each other." Blowing a stray lock of hair out of her face, she asked, "So, what are you going to do?"

Kendra sat beside her. "Regardless if I get the Anthropology degree or not, next semester I'm going to Alfea to study how to be a proper fairy. Miss Faragonda said that it's very rare for a non-magical person to become a fairy or witch, so I imagine it'll take more work for me to catch up to those who are already magical by birth."

"Looks to me that you're well on the way," Candice noted. "You got that power-up, right?"

"According to what I was told, second-year fairies are eligible for it," Kendra said. "So it shouldn't have happened to me yet. Maybe it did because I'm older than most fairy students would be at this point, or because I overcame a more difficult challenge. I don't know. Everything about my experience so far has been unusual, which makes it more important for me to try to understand."

"That makes sense. As long as I've known you, you've struck me as someone who values control and precision. And you certainly don't lack determination and ambition: look at how you worked to follow your mother's example and teach. But sometimes you need to loosen up too. Stop and smell the roses, as the saying goes."

"Yes, well, maybe that's another reason why I earned the Charmix. I realized that I can't predict or control everything."

"Well..." Candice stretched and stood up. "Powers or no powers, I predict that I'm going to lose my internship if I don't attend the training seminar this afternoon, so I need to get ready. And you have work too. How's your back?"

Kendra carefully moved her arms and shoulders around for a moment before glancing at Candice's bedside clock. "It's tolerable if you'd help put more of that cream on. I should contact the university also."

"Go and do that," Candice encouraged her with a smile.

A few minutes later, as Candice emerged from her room dressed for work she heard a whoop of delight from the kitchen. She smiled to herself. "I thought so. Good for you, girlfriend," she murmured.


A few days later, at the university's Spring Convocation ceremony, Kendra walked onto the auditorium stage to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Education. The Dean of the Arts faculty awaited her approach, removed his velvet cap and tapped her lightly on the shoulder with it before handing her the diploma that she had laboured so hard to receive.

Her family had travelled in for the occasion and arranged a celebratory dinner for her at a local hotel. During and after the meal she spoke with them at length and explained her decision to go to Alfea College. As she had done with Candice initially, she forbore mentioning anything about magic. Instead she told them, not untruthfully, that she had been accepted at full scholarship and there was no need to worry about money. Once she completed the advanced program she would be eligible to teach, which in turn would enable her to pay back any other expenses she might incur. To cement the deal, she handed her father a perfectly ordinary-looking form letter, signed by Headmistress Faragonda, which informed of her status.

Her mother and younger brother were both extremely pleased. Although her father at first was unconvinced, he was brought around grudgingly through the efforts of Kendra, her mother — and surprisingly, Candice, who had dropped by briefly on the way back to the apartment after her job training session.

The conversations with her family and Candice made her think about those who could not attend the graduation ceremony due to lack of time or money. That thought inspired her to call Morgana the next day with an idea: suppose more young people on Earth discovered that they had gained magical powers through some means, but were unable to go to Alfea or another training school. Maybe they had familial obligations like Fatinah. Or like Candice, they already had a life on Earth planned out for themselves and didn't want to drop everything. One way such people could safely learn about their powers at their own pace was to be tutored one-on-one or in small groups by older fairies and witches who didn't work in a classroom but still wanted to pass along their experience.

Morgana endorsed Kendra's idea and promised that she would discuss it with Faragonda, Griffin, and other magical beings she knew to find out who might be available to give such instruction. "I might even take on a student myself," she said. "I'm working part-time with Klaus at the Frutti Music Bar; but to be honest tutoring would be a better use of my talents. It'll keep me from getting rusty."


The summer passed by almost in a blur as Kendra tied up her remaining obligations on Earth: clearing her debts, tendering her resignation from her part-time job, and breaking the apartment lease. Candice had decided to move to her own place instead of looking for a new roommate, to give herself her own space to learn in as well as avoid accidentally revealing her powers; for she had accepted Morgana's offer of private tutoring. This meant that Kendra's possessions that couldn't be packed to take to Alfea had to be put into storage.

Kendra also visited Fatinah to give her a formal letter of discharge from Alfea and pass along Miss Faragonda's well-wishes. She seemed to be doing well, having enrolled in a Political Science program, but there was an underlying sadness about her despite her pleasure at hearing about Kendra's plans. They promised each other that they would keep in touch.

Lastly she tracked down Cyndi's family, who had moved to the other side of the city. Before confronting Kendra, Cyndi had caused severe injuries to her parents and burned their house to the ground. Only her younger brother had been lucky enough to escape relatively unscathed. They were all still recovering and had effectively disowned Cyndi after what had happened. Although they seemed satisfied that she was getting help, they had little interest in what ultimately became of her.


The day finally came when a shuttle from Alfea was due to arrive to pick her up. There was laughter and a few tears as she had one last video-chat session with her family before packing up her computer, and Candice hugged her and wished her good luck before she had to leave for work.

As she waited at the designated spot with her luggage, she glanced over the course schedule that she had received through her magic-enabled smartphone: History of Magix, Spellcasting, Potionology, Magiphilosophy, and a few other subjects. There were timeslots allocated for her artifact research as well, and she would be leading more second- and third-year students into the field.

It was going to be a busy year.

The pick-up and flight were uneventful, and when she disembarked at the gates of Alfea she joined the throngs of other students heading into the courtyard. To her surprise, Alice accosted her and excitedly led her to the great staircase that rose to the main entrance. Waiting there were Headmistress Faragonda, several other professors, and six young women about her own age.

She was awestruck as she at long last was introduced to the fairies that she had heard so much about: the Winx Club — Bloom, Stella, Tecna, Flora, Musa, and Aisha. It took her a few moments to find her voice when they asked her about herself.

"Kendra, Fairy of Knowledge!"

THE END

Sailor Chronos
December 2015

I would like to thank the following people:

My husband, as always, for his support.

All the readers and reviewers who have encouraged me to continue Kendra's story, despite the difficulties that life has thrown at me. I'd promised myself I'd finish the story by the end of the year and I did it.

Iginio Straffi, the creator of Winx Club, for providing a rich and magical universe to inspire the imagination.