Glitter masked the faces of the fairies as they rushed to the scene. Yasmina was already there. She tried to make the process go slower, but no one could stop death. It came when it pleased and swept people like her mother off of her feet. She couldn’t imagine a life without her. The arrow flew into her mother’s little heart and Yasmina didn’t dare stop it. She was shocked at the spontaneity of it all. Now Shelide was on the ground, eyes tired and skin pale. How could the colony live without their graceful leader?

"Mom! Please! Stay with me!" Yasmina squealed. Her mother’s hair was shining in the green grass, tangled and crusted with salt from all the sweat. The air was light and clean, despite the heaviness and thickness Yasmina felt in her chest.
"I love you and Devi, Yasmina. Always remember that."
"What do you mean? You'll live! The healing fairies are here!"
Shelide stared up into the watery eyes of the healer.
Turning to her leader, she said, “I'm sorry, your majesty. We will all miss you."
Yasmina was shocked by the abruptness of the healing fairy, but she had to stay positive for her mother.
"Yasmina. Take this to Devi. Stay safe. They're coming." Shelide put the mysterious pouch into her daughter’s hands. "I will always be in your heart when you need me."
"Who's coming? Mom!"
Shelide took her last breath, hoping that she made the right decision to give the colony’s only hope to her youngest daughter.
As Yasmina rushed to the tree where her family lived, she wondered what the strange pouch in her hands would do, but it was none of her business. Her sister would know what to do. As the tree came into focus, the brave face of determination turned into a clammy face of desperation. Yasmina’s sister wasn’t there, replaced by the black, greasy creature staring her in the eyes. Yasmina didn’t know what they were or what they were doing here but she started to panic. She clutched onto the pouch and flew rapidly in the other direction. But this came to no avail. Yasmina was soon surrounded by these grimy, sticky bodies with one eye and fat bellies, wondering if these were the things her mother was talking about. No time to think, she thought. Got to get out of here and find Devi. She flew down into the woods and saw the creatures crawling down the trees. Arrows flew from all directions at a synchronized pace toward Yasmina.
“Hey, Yas!” A familiar voice rang out. She frantically looked all around her, dodging arrows left and right. She saw her sister Devi and flew toward her.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been? Are you okay?”
“Listen, sis, we’ll talk later. Now, there are a bunch of monsters at our tails. Are you sure you want to stop to have coffee and chat?”
“You were always the logical one.”
“That’s why I’m older. Now, go off to the left and I’ll meet you in the cave there. Hide with the seeds. Watch your back. I love you.”
Yasmina was pushed to the left and Devi started to shield herself with her armor. Yasmina dove into the cave. She clutched onto the pouch. She was startled by a voice behind her.
“Ahh. You must be Shelide’s daughter.” The blob said with a smirk.
“Who are you? Why do you know who I am?” Yasmina screamed.
“Just hand over the seeds or else. Oh, Shelide was so stupid, leaving the seeds with you. Look how helpless you are. I thought she was smarter. Guess I was wrong.”
The monster was getting closer to Yasmina. She screamed for Devi, but heard nothing. The monster put his slimy hand onto her mouth, and Yasmina’s instincts kicked in. No more weakness, she thought. Do this for mom. Yasmina kicked the monster in the gut and he stumbled backwards.
“A fighter, huh? You’re stupid, just like your mother.” He said.
Yasmina kicked him and punched him with her tiny hands, adrenaline rushing through her veins. Her sister ran in, surprised at the sudden burst of power.
“Perfect timing, sis.” Yasmina said with a sigh.
Devi and her sister attacked the blob and he died, impaled by an arrow. They hunched behind a bush. They checked the area before rising.
“Where did they all go?” They asked simultaneously.
The sisters walked into the town square, no monsters to be found. Devi walked up to the Wisdom Fairy and asked her what happened.
“I’ve been hiding in the trees and I found some information on the blobs. It turns out that they are monsters that have been trying to invade our territory for years. For the past thirty years there have been no attempts, so everyone forgot. Except your mother. It’s a shame what happened. Anyway, about 10 minutes ago I found an old journal. It turns out that they get all of their power form their leader, Glopnex. If he dies, so does everyone else. After about five minutes, they disintegrate into the ground. Gross but easy cleanup, right? That’s probably what happened now. I don’t know who killed Glopnex, but kudos to them. If you’ll excuse me, I have to blow the horn to indicate safety.”
The horn blew and the fairies emerged from the tree bark. A meeting was called to see what would happen next. The town mortician came up first and read Shelide’s will.
“It is a very long will, so I will only read the important information. Devi will be the new leader. The seeds should be planted in the middle of the town square for everyone to see.”
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The colony celebrated a new leader while mourning the last. Devi got the honor of planting the seeds, and soon, it grew into a tree bearing fairy dust. It had magical benefits. The town lived without worry, and all was great again.