Kurt sat at a long table in the large common room, staring off into space. He was dressed in his long, gold, ceremony robe, and there was a flutter of activity going on around him as other fairies mixed and mingled with one another. Kurt was excited; he'd been excited about this ceremony for weeks now. It was everything he'd been preparing for since he started at the Academy of Magic and Spells. The Giving Ceremony, akin to the human's graduation, was the most important ceremony in a young fairy's life. Each one of the fairies from his class would be receiving their special gift from the Supreme Fairy, and everyone had a special gift that they hoped to receive.
"Kurt? You okay?" Mercedes asked, sitting down next to her friend. "You've been awfully quiet today."
He smiled at her, but she could tell it wasn't real. "I'm okay. I'm just thinking."
"About what?"
"I've been training for this since I was four. I've been at the top of my class for as long as I can remember. I've studied hard, aced all my exams, and everything rests on today. If the Supreme Fairy doesn't give me a prestigious honor, all my hard work will be for nothing."
Mercedes couldn't hold back a snort. "As if you wouldn't get a prestigious honor. Yeah, the gift you're given is based on what you're good at, but it's also based on personality and the guidance of the Fates. If anyone deserves to get exactly what they want, it's you, Kurt." She patted his arm encouragingly. "Today is your day, an-"
"Yes. Thank you, Mercedes," came a loud voice from behind them.
Neither Kurt nor his friend needed to turn around to see who it was. No one else but Rachel Berry could hear the words "training" and "honor" in one conversation and not assume they were talking about her.
Rachel swept in, spinning her gold robes around dramatically as she took a seat on the bench next to Kurt. "I'm nervous about which gift the Supreme Fairy is going to grant me. I've been working on my spells since I was two, aced my first test when I was three, and now I could get something horrible as my gift! That would be absolutely unfair!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought. "Luckily, my dads know someone on the Magic Board for this Academy, and they've promised they'll sue if I don't get exactly the gift I've requested." She smiled smugly at them as if this should be great news to them, too.
"And, what exactly did you request?" Mercedes asked in the driest tone, knowing that if she didn't placate her, Rachel would keep interrupting and inserting herself until she was able to talk about herself thoroughly.
"The Throat of the Lark," Rachel replied, shaking her head as if that should have been obvious. "I'm already a fabulous singer. Why shouldn't I be gifted perfect pitch and a clear, strong voice?" She looked at her friends for objections, but they had none. "Don't worry. I'm sure you two will get a nice gift as well." She patted at Kurt's knee for a moment before rising from the table and flouncing off, calling out Finn's name as she went. Her job was clearly finished.
"Fairy dust, does she ever get tired of hearing herself speak?" Mercedes asked, shaking her head as she watched Rachel walk away. "If she gets The Throat of the Lark, I'm gonna-"
"Be so happy for her," Kurt cut in. "You know that's what she's going to get. She has no other talents. Her style looks like she was dressed by her great grandfairy." He shook his head. "You're going to get something wonderful, though. It's obvious." He gave her another smile, this one far more genuine.
Mercedes glared at her friend. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. But, Kurt, you need to stop doubting yourself. Whatever you put in for, you're going to get. You've earned it. You're the top of the class, even over Rachel 'Better Than Everyone' Berry." She paused, then asked, "What did you request?"
Kurt glanced about to make sure no one else was listening before he answered. "Interdimensional Travel."
"Why?" Mercedes had blurted the question before she really knew what she was saying, and she regretted it immediately.
Instead of responding, Kurt sighed, turning away from Mercedes. He hadn't wanted to share his choice with anyone. He knew they wouldn't understand.
"Kurt, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset." Reaching over, she patted Kurt's shoulder. "I'm just surprised. I mean, you're such a good writer. Wouldn't you want the Golden Pen gift or the Perfect Storyteller gift?"
With a shake of his head, Kurt mumbled, "I don't write because I want to tell perfect stories."
"I don't understand."
"It's…hard to explain, 'Cedes," he told her. "I love writing, love creating different characters and the places that they adventure to. I enjoy it when people appreciate the things I've written. But, that's not why I write. I write for me." He straightened up, glancing around them to make sure they were still alone before he continued. "I write because I want to escape the world I'm in. You know being at the top of the class, gay, in the Glee Club, and naturally good at something that teachers praise me for hasn't been easy for me. You remember the slushies, the name-calling, the shoving." He stopped, rubbing a hand down his face, not particularly wanting to take a trip down this path, especially not right before the most important ceremony of his young life. "I write to escape, Mercedes. I read to escape. I'd love to be able to go into a literary world and get away from everything here."
"Oh. I had no idea you felt that way." Her voice was meek and soft.
"Sorry," Kurt mumbled. "I didn't mean—"
"No. Thank you for sharing. Really."
Kurt was going to respond, but one of the Academy teachers began to shout instructions at them, and he turned his focus to her. "Okay, class. I know you're all very excited about the Giving Ceremony. The teachers here at the Academy of Magic and Spells are very proud of you as is all of the Fairy community. This is a big day for everyone. So, you need to line up for the processional just like we practiced." The teacher clapped her hands, and everyone in the room flew into action, cleaning up their areas and moving to stand in their designated places.
"Good luck," Mercedes said, pulling Kurt into a hug.
"You, too. Find me after?"
"Of course," Mercedes agreed with a smile. Then, she took off, taking her place in line amongst the others.
Kurt walked toward the back of the line, falling in near the end with the rest of the young fairies that were giving speeches or receiving special honors. He hoped his family was here already; he was excited to see them, and he knew they were pumped for him to give his speech.
"I'm so proud of you, kid," his dad had told him the night before, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "First Hummel to ever go through the Giving Ceremony at the Academy with honors." Then, he'd handed over a small wooden box with Kurt's name engraved on it.
"Dad, the ceremony isn't until tomorrow."
"I know. I want you to take it to the ceremony."
Sliding the lid off the box, Kurt had gasped. Inside was a beautifully carved wand. The handle had been painted black, and his initials were engraved on the butt of it. The body of the wand was honey brown with splotches of black here and there and had been carved into a twist pattern, the first two inches of the wand the only thing that was straight. "Dad, this must have cost you a fortune!" he'd said holding the box out toward his father.
"It's worth it for my boy," his father had said, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "I'm so proud of you."
Kurt fidgeted in line, patting his pocket to make sure the wand was still tucked into its place. He was eager to get started. He knew there would be a ton of speeches by both students and faculty for them to sit through, many awards to announce, and finally the long line of gifts and blessings to be handed out by the Supreme Fairy. It was no secret that these Academy ceremonies could last for hours, and Kurt was itching to be finished. He had other dreams and aspirations that had nothing to do with the Academy.
Finally, they were moving forward, and they all filed into the large auditorium to whistles, clapping, and music. It was loud, and the Head Fairy waited until the room was silent before beginning to speak. "Welcome to The Giving Ceremony. We are delighted all of you could join us to see our wonderful Fairies received their gifts from our Supreme Fairy." The Head Fairy gestured toward a beautiful blonde woman sitting in a chair on the right side of the stage. There were more loud cheers and clapping for the Supreme Fairy before the Head Fairy was able to speak again. "We are delighted to have our Supreme Fairy among us. I'm the Head Fairy here at the Academy of Magic and Spells, Sue Sylvester. Now, I'd like to call to the podium this year's valedictorian, Kurt Hummel."
As more fairies cheered, Kurt made his way to the stage. He hadn't told his dad about this particular honor in favor of giving him a surprise, and he really didn't want to mess up this speech. "Good evening," he greeted everyone as he adjusted the mic a bit and pulled his notes from his pocket. "I'm honored to be standing before you as this year's valedictorian." A few of his friends cheered, and he smiled in their direction. "I know many of us have been working toward this ceremony since we were toddlers, and, well, we've finally made it. We're about to become officially part of the Fairy community." Kurt's classmates cheered again. "But," he went on, ignoring their enthusiasm, "we shouldn't forget what got us here." He smiled at the crowd, his eyes searching for his father amongst the smiling faces. "We have to thank our teachers of course, but also our parents and this community. We've spent a lot of time practicing spells on all of you, and I know there have been more than a few accidents." Everyone laughed at that. "Today," he went on, "marks our transition from students to productive members of society, and I want to thank everyone for supporting us each and every step of the way." He nodded slightly and excused himself from the podium as everyone clapped and cheered again. One speech down. Thankfully.
After that, there were a plethora of other speakers. It seemed as if nearly every teacher in the Academy had something special they wanted to say to the graduating students. Well, at least they thought that what they were saying was special. Mostly, everyone repeated themselves, telling the students that they were so proud of them, that they had so many changes coming in their young lives, and that they would always have a place to come back to in the Academy if they needed. Kurt knew this was a line of bullshit, but most of the teachers felt the need to say it anyway.
Then, it was time for the honors. Each person who was graduating in the top five percent of the class was called forward, and Kurt rose to receive a medal. Then, students who showed outstanding abilities in certain areas of the Academy's program were called forward to be recognized. Kurt was recognized in several of those categories including singing, dancing, and writing. Lastly, anyone who had received a special job offer was brought forward to be recognized. This was one area where Kurt had no reason to stand, and he was happy for it. It wasn't that he was excited to finish at the Academy with no job; he had a job. It just wasn't traditional. His father had given him permission to continue living with him while he finished his novel and tried to find a publisher. The prospect of finishing his novel was enticing and exciting, and he was over the moon that his father had agreed to support him. Writing was one of the most important things in the world to him.
After that, the Supreme Fairy rose to her feet and approached the podium. Everyone stopped talking, and the room grew completely silent. The Supreme Fairy was highly respected among the members of the community, and she rarely made public appearances. In fact, no one really saw much of her outside of the yearly Gifting Ceremony unless there was an emergency. So, when she decided to grace everyone with her presence, whoever was nearby stopped to listen.
"Hello," she said in her sweet, high voice. "I'm your Supreme Fairy, Ms. April Rhodes, and it's my pleasure to be here with you today to give our young fairies their magical gifts." Everyone applauded as the Supreme Fairy looked out at the students.
Sue rose and went to stand beside Ms. Rhodes, leaning in to speak into the microphone. "We ask that the students rise by row and line up at the base of the stairs." She pointed toward the stairs to the right of the stage. "Only one student should be on the stage at a time, so please don't approach the Supreme Fairy until it's your turn to receive your gift."
A teacher came down the stairs at the left of the stage to begin dismissing rows of students as the Supreme Fairy stood in the center of the stage, adjusting her microphone. Sue stayed behind the podium so she could announce the students' names as they came up to receive their gifts.
There were only six students in the first row, though when they stood, Kurt could tell that someone was missing. There was a large gap after the first two students. He was happy to see that Rachel was in the first group. Despite what he'd told Mercedes, he secretly hoped that the Supreme Fairy would give her a gift that she didn't want. It would serve her right after all her years of telling anyone with ears that she was better than them.
Kurt sat quietly as the first two students made their way across the stage. The first was a football player Kurt knew nothing about, and the second was a nice girl from their Glee club. Kurt didn't know her well, but she looked happy with the gift she received.
The next name belonged to the kid who wasn't there; Kurt didn't recognize the name when Sue called it, but he wondered for a fleeting moment why they weren't there. Who would want to miss their Giving Ceremony? Perhaps they were sick?
Next came Rachel. She strode onto the stage as if she owned the place and stood quietly in front of the Supreme Fairy while Sue announced her name: "Rachel Barbra Berry."
Then, the Supreme Fairy put her hands on Rachel's shoulders, and said, "Rachel, I give you the gift of The Throat of the Lark."
Everyone applauded, and Kurt sighed. That was exactly what he hadn't wanted. Oh, well, he thought. Good for Rachel. She'll be happy.
After another football player that Kurt didn't know, another friend of his, Tina, stepped onto the stage to see the Supreme Fairy. Kurt could tell from the way that Tina held herself that she was nervous, and he knew why. She'd requested one of the top gifts: Golden Garments. Tina wanted a career in fashion and was decent at sewing and designing. He just wasn't sure if it was going to be enough for her to get what she wanted. Golden Garments was a tough gift to give, and there were few in the fashion world that had received that gift from the Supreme Fairy.
"Tina May Cohen-Chang," Sue said over the speaker, and the Supreme Fairy raised her hands to Tina's shoulders.
Kurt took a deep breath, crossing his fingers for his friend.
"Tina, I give you the gift Clarity of Thought," the Supreme Fairy announced, removing her hands from Tina's shoulders.
Mind reading? Kurt thought. That was odd. He'd never picked Tina as a gypsy. But, he thought she does have a thing for predicting how events will turn out. I guess it makes sense...
As the last person in Rachel and Tina's row went on stage, the teacher dismissed the next row of students, and Kurt noticed that he'd be able to relax a bit. There was no one in this row that he was close with, the only exception to the rule Finn Hudson, possibly. He and Finn weren't super close. They'd had their moments back when Kurt's parents had divorced, and Finn's mom had been searching for a new mate. The two boys had schemed to get their parents together, but it hadn't worked out. They'd soon drifted apart and were only polite to one another now, mere acquaintances.
When the third row stood, Kurt felt his muscles constrict again. This was Mercedes' group, and he was hoping against hope that she'd get the gift she wanted. There was no reason she shouldn't. She'd worked her ass off to pass her tests, and she was more than gifted in music. He held his breath as Sue announced "Mercedes Aretha Jones," and the Supreme Fairy put her hands on Mercedes' shoulders.
"Mercedes, I give you the gift of Gospel Praise."
Kurt couldn't hold back a chuckle as Mercedes practically danced off stage, a huge grin on her face. While Kurt might not approve of everything Mercedes' chosen field stood for, he knew it made her happy, and when his friends were happy, he was happy.
Relaxing, Kurt sat back in his chair. His three closest friends had received their gifts, and he could breathe again. While they weren't all exuberant over their gifts, he knew they were going to be okay. He sat back in his chair, watching as many young fairies that he knew from Glee club and other Academy activities had their moment with the Supreme Fairy. It was clear from the looks on his classmates' faces who had and hadn't received the gift they'd hoped to get. It seemed as though the Supreme Fairy was erring more on the side of disappointment, and Kurt felt his heart leap into his throat with anxiety. Would he get what he wanted? Would he be okay if he didn't?
Finally, the teacher dismissed their row, and he followed the pretty, blonde, head cheerleader to the base of the stage steps. He was second in line, and he was nervous. His heart was racing, his mind was reeling, and he could feel his palms sweating as he clasped his hands together in front of him. Keep it together, Hummel, he told himself. You can handle it, no matter what the outcome.
"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel," he heard Sue say over the microphone, and on shaky legs, he made his way up the stairs toward the Supreme Fairy. As he approached, the petite Fairy smiled at him and discreetly waved him over.
He moved to his spot, taking a step closer as the Supreme Fairy gestured again. She smelled like strawberries and fresh air, and Kurt sucked in a deep breath, determined not to make a fool of himself on stage. He felt his heart beat impossibly faster as the Supreme Fairy put her hands on his shoulders.
"Kurt," she began, giving him a warm smile, "I grant you the gift of…"
It seemed forever before the words fell from her lips to grace Kurt's ears. Time seemed to move in slow motion, and Kurt was sure he was going to pass out from holding his breath.
"...Interdimensional Travel."
"Yes!" The exclamation left his lips before he had time to really think about it, and the Supreme Fairy winked at him.
"Congratulations," she whispered. "You deserve it."
Kurt didn't listen to anything else the rest of the ceremony, not even to himself as he gave the expected closing address as valedictorian. He was moving through a haze of joy and excitement, and he wanted nothing more than to go home and peruse his bookshelf. He had enough wherewithal to pull his new wand out of his pocket for the Endowing of the Wands, but as soon as they were released, he was off like a rocket, returning to the gathering space he'd shared with his classmates to collect his things.
"Kurt!" Mercedes called to him. "Are you going to wait in the receiving line?"
"No. My dad and his parents are the only ones here, and they're going back to my place. Grandma and Grandpa don't like to stand for too long." He grabbed his jacket off of the back coat tree by the door.
"Your mom didn't come?" Mercedes asked, making her way over to him and grabbing his arm to keep him from walking away.
Kurt just shook his head. He didn't like to talk about his mother.
"I'm sorry." She hugged him close. "Can you stay for a few minutes? Tina and I want to get a picture with you, and Rachel said she had something for us." Mercedes rolled her eyes, but she loved Rachel as much as the rest of them, even if she was more of an on-again, off-again friend than an actual part of their little group.
"Fine. Just for a few minutes, though. I need to get home."
"Aren't you going to congratulate me?" she asked, socking him on the arm as they moved back toward the crowded auditorium to find their friends.
Pulling her into a hug right then and there, Kurt squealed, "Congrats, 'Cedes! I'm so glad you got what you wanted."
"Me, too!" she exclaimed, squeezing him back. "And, I'm glad you got yours, too. Know where you're gonna go first?"
Kurt shrugged. "Not sure. I need to look at my bookshelf at home to figure out the perfect first place to visit."
"You're not even going to go into one of your own worlds?" She seemed shocked by the news.
"I need to see what a good second dimension looks like before I try to create one of my own," he exclaimed, barely getting his sentence out before Tina jumped into his arms. "You okay?" he asked her as he squeezed her tight.
"Yeah," Tina replied as he set her back down. "It took me a minute, but I realized that I like to tell the future, and I'm pretty good at it. Plus, I can actually travel the world with this gift, too, probably easier than I could in the fashion industry. You okay with yours?" she asked, touching him lightly on the shoulder. "You didn't get any of the writing gifts."
"He asked for that one," Mercedes said in a stage whisper.
Tina eyed him but didn't say anything as Rachel headed their way, shoving people out of her path as she went.
"I got The Throat of the Lark!" she exclaimed as she came to them. "Aren't you guys so excited?"
"Congrats, Rachel," they all chorused, meaning it to one degree or another.
"Here. I got you all something. I wanted to give it to you before the ceremony, but my dads made me wait until after." She produced three small gift bags from behind her back, handing one to each of them. "Open them!" she prompted when no one was moving fast enough for her.
Kurt carefully pulled back the tissue paper and found a small silver bracelet inside. The band was thin, but there were four thick squares spread out evenly across the band. Upon closer inspection, he realized that each of the squares had a letter on it: R, T, M, and K. "Rachel, this is so nice!" he exclaimed as he glanced at his two friends, ensuring that they had the same thing.
Rachel didn't respond. Instead, she pushed back her sleeve, revealing her own bracelet. "Besties!" she cried, grabbing onto Tina and Mercedes shoulders and hopping up and down.
The rest of them joined in, and they were soon breathless and laughing. They pulled together in a group hug, and when they split, Kurt tried to leave. "I need to head out," he announced, stepping back.
"Not yet! Pictures," Tina reminded him, grabbing his arm and guiding him over to where her parents stood, patiently waiting for her and her friends. "Just a few," she assured Kurt when he tried to protest. "I promise we'll be fast."
"Fine," he agreed. He really wanted to get home and find a book to enter, but he knew that pictures were important to Tina; he really did want to remember this day, too. He knew that when he wasn't so anxious to try out his new gift, he'd be thankful for the photos. So, he posed for a few with the group and then one with each of the girls by themselves. Well, it was supposed to be one pose each, but Rachel had them doing several poses. Apparently, the first ten tries weren't good enough.
Finally, Kurt had to excuse himself. "I really have to go. My dad and my grandfairies are waiting for me at home. We're supposed to be having cake." He gave each of the girls a kiss on the cheek, promising he'd be in touch with each of them before they set off on their new career paths.
Finally, he pushed out the front doors of the Academy and took a deep breath of the fresh spring air. It was nice to finally be out in the open, and he considered flying home. However, his dad's house was only a few blocks from the Academy, and he knew that if they were going to have cake, he was going to need to work off the calories.
So, he headed down the sidewalk at a fast pace, paying little attention to what was going on around him. He was only thinking about his gift and how excited he was to use it. He wanted to blow off the cake with his father and grandfairies, but he knew they'd been waiting for him. And, they'd be excited about celebrating his receiving the gift he'd wanted. He'd have to put up with it long enough to have cake; then, he could beg off. His dad would understand.
Kurt breezed into his dad's house a few moments later, and a loud cheer came from the living room.
"There's my favorite son," his dad said, coming out to greet him at the front door as he took off his shoes and hung up his jacket. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks, Dad," Kurt replied, giving him a gentle smile.
"Are you excited? You got the gift you were hoping for."
"I'm ecstatic, Dad," he reassured the man. "Can we have cake fast? I wanna go upstairs and pick a book to go into."
"Sure, son. Your grandfaires are getting tired anyway."
"Thanks. I'll talk with them while you get the cake?"
"Sounds like a plan."
Kurt headed into the living room, taking a seat and answering all of his grandfairies' questions. He chatted with them while they listened intently to what he said. When his dad came out with the cake, they all ate and chatted away about nothing. It was nice, Kurt realized, to sit and talk with his grandfairies. He hardly ever saw them as they lived a few hours away. He was glad that they'd made the trip up for his Giving Ceremony. It was more than his own mother had been willing to do.
"Well, we need to take off," Burt's father said, rising on shaky legs and extending his hand to his wife. "We're so proud of you, Kurt. We know you'll do great with your novel. Tell us all about your adventures in other dimensions sometime, will you?"
"Of course," Kurt replied, pulling each of them into a hug. "Will I see you soon?"
"Promise," his grandmother agreed, smooching his cheek.
Then, the grandfairies gave their son a hug goodbye and were off.
Kurt waited until his dad had shut the door behind him before asking, "Do you mind if I head upstairs, Dad?"
"Go ahead, kid. I'll clean up down here. Will you want some dinner later?"
"Yes. Thanks!" He gave his dad another hug before dashing up the stairs and heading straight for his bookshelf. "What to pick...what to pick…" he muttered to himself as he perused, running his finger along the spines of his books.
He probably had too many books, he realized, but he didn't care. Just because any wall space that his bed and desk weren't taking up was occupied by bookshelves didn't mean he had to get rid of any of his books. He liked to keep around what he read, and he didn't care if anyone else understood this. That was how he was, and he was happy with it.
Finally, Kurt got to the section of his shelves where he kept his all-time favorite stories. These books were well-loved, and he wanted them close by for easy access whenever he felt like reading them again.
He felt himself gravitate toward one book in particular, a green, hard-bound novel with silver printing on the spine. He traced the letters with the tip of his finger as he thought. This was his favorite novel by far, the first his mother had ever read to him, and a book that he felt he connected with on a deep level. It was something he couldn't explain, but the more he considered it, the more he was sure this was where he should go first. It was a place not unlike where he lived now, and the idea of going into something somewhat familiar intrigued him.
Quickly, he pulled the novel from the shelf and flipped it open to the first page. Carefully, he slipped his wand from his pocket and held it over the page. In a soft, breathy voice, he repeated the words he'd learned would transport him into whichever dimension he chose.
"Wish I may, wish I might, enter this book by way of the light."