Amy and Lina entered the Magic store, the rotting pine smell once again assailing their noses. “Forgot how weird this place smelled.” Lina said.
Amy walked up to the old man; who was sleeping like when they entered the first time; and tapped on the counter.
“Welcome, newest members of the Fair Folk.” The old man said.
Lina and Amy were stunned.
“How did…” Lina began to ask.
“You two came in the day before yesterday. You were human then. Now you stand before me with fairy magic running through your veins.” Amy and Lina looked at each other in amazement. The ancient shopkeeper then turned to Amy. “You thought I didn’t know your long hair was a magic wig, did you.”
“I’m sorry.” Amy apologized “It stuck to my head and…”
“No need for that. I wanted you to have it. You see, that hair was made of genuine fairy locks. When a fairy comes of age, her hair is enchanted to form a cocoon, that they may grow their wings. They learned this trick from the butterflies. The hairspray you bought contained magic from that same enchantment. I knew you would choose the hairspray that you did, and use the combination on your friend as well.”
“You make it sound like you planned this whole thing,” Lina spoke up, “but it looks to me like you’re taking credit for a huge coincidence.”
“Ah, young fae,” the old man chuckled,” when you get to be my age in about 150 years or so, you’ll develop a keen instinct on what people will do just by looking at them.”
“But, why let me have the wig, but make me pay for the hairspray anyway?” Amy asked.
“Still got to make some money, this store doesn’t pay for itself.” The old wizard said, chuckling “But enough about finances; you two wish to tap into your vast magical abilities, don’t you? And for that, you need fairy wands.” He took a staff out from behind the counter and gave it a couple of taps on the floor. The neon “OPEN” sign in the window turned off, the door locks all locked and the blinds lowered. “Now no one will interrupt us. Come, what you seek is in the back room.”
As the girls followed the wizard, Amy decided to bring out her wings. “Seeing as how no one can see us.” Lina nodded in agreement as she unfurled her own wings, not realizing she was walking down the aisle with some rather uncouth door accessories.
“Hey, look who’s back.” The magic doorknocker said. “It’s…”
“Can it,” Lina said, “or when I come back with my wand, I’m turning you into a deadbolt. Emphasis on DEAD!” The doorknocker clenched his mouth shut immediately.
Back in the back room, the wizard took out a long ornate box and placed it before the girls. “Open the box,” he said; “it will create a wand for each of you. Take them and become true fairies.”
Amy and Lina both placed a hand on the box. They glanced at each other and opened it. Light poured out from inside the box and two glowing rods, a little over 18 inches in length arose from within. As the light faded, the wands’ design became clear. Both had a silver shaft leading from a handle flanked with gold rings to a jeweled tip. One was a star with a pink handle, the other, a crescent moon where the crescent pointed upward at a 45-degree angle and a midnight blue handle.
“That was the wand you had in the dream.” Lina spoke, pointing at the star wand. “Come to think of it. I was holding this one as well.” Lina never saw the wand she held, but she was certain the crescent wand was it.
When both girls reached out and grasped the wands, the jewels began to glow. Amy and Lina both felt a surge of energy flow between them and their own wands. Suddenly, their ears elongated into points, and a pair of antennae sprang out of their foreheads. The fairies looked at each other’s new features and gasped.
“Your ears!” Amy shouted.
“Your antennae!” Lina said likewise.
“You are now full fledged fairies.” The wizard said. “The wands you hold have bonded with your magic; they are literally an extension of your bodies. They can never be destroyed as long as you live; you can hide them within yourselves and call them forth at will; and they can never be taken from you. Oh, and don’t worry, you can hide your new features as easily as your wings.”
Indeed, at will, Amy and Lina returned to human form, their wands sinking into their arms. “So, how much do we owe you?” Lina asked.
“I would not be so foolish as to ask payment for a fairy’s entitlement.”
“Oh, cool!” Amy said. “So, Lina, let’s go back to the woods and see what we can do.” And the two girls left the magic shop.