Foster looked at the board in geometry, trying his best to pay attention. He was too focused on Kara. The way she'd kissed him, how beautiful she was. All he could see was her bright hazel eyes and her vibrant red hair. He scribbled things for class in his notebook, but it held no importance. He could normally not study and get good grades anyway. Suddenly there was a face at the door. Foster thought he had seen Kara there. He was hallucinating, he was sure of it. He took off his glasses, breathed on them, and rubbed them with his shirt sleeve. Foster put them back on, and blinked. It was her! Kara looked at him as if to say "Come out here. Right now." He realized she was actually mouthing those words. He mouthed back, "What for?" "It's an emergency," she replied. "Come out. Please." Mrs. Schneider noticed and spoke. "Foster? Is there something you'd like to share with the class? You're being disruptive." Foster turned around, and immediately everyone looked at him. His face burned with embarrassment. "Uh, um...no. Can I be excused please?" "For what reason?" "To go to the bathroom." "Fine. Go on ahead. But come back, we're going over the homework." Foster mentally sighed in relief. He was lucky that this teacher was found of him. He murmured a slight "thank you" and was out the door in a matter of seconds. Kara was there, looking impatient. "What was that about?" Foster yelled. "I just got lectured about interrupting class!" "I'm sorry, I really am," Kara said, "but this is important. Lily is missing." "Missing? Couldn't she have just gone home sick?" "I don't think so. She was perfectly fine when I saw her today."

"She's probably at home in bed or at some doctor appointment." Foster turned to go back in class, but Kara grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Kara, stop!" Foster shouted. "I need to get back to my math notes!" "But what if Lily's in serious danger?" "She's not in any-" A scream interrupted them, a shrill shriek that could only come from a girl. "What was that?" Foster whispered. "Lily!" Kara told him, racing down the hallway. Foster ran after her, being pulled by the wrist. "How do you even know that's her?" Foster gasped. "It could be anyone!" "If you'd been friends with her for as long as I have, you'd recognize her scream from anywhere," Kara retorted. "She screams when there's a shoe sale or a spider, but this sounds like neither."

"I hope it really is her that we just heard," Foster commented. "How do you know that it is her, anyway?" "Well, I had this...vision while I was leaving my class. It kind of told me where she was and what was happening to her. "Um, no offense, but that kind of stuff only happens in science fiction movies or dreams. Were you dreaming?" "I don't think so." The couple finally reached the hole in the ceiling. "Here it is," Kara said. "I think this is where a monster took her." Foster narrowed his eyes. "A monster? Now this sounds like a video game." "I'm serious! We have to help her!" Foster sighed. "Okay, okay! We will. Do you and Lily do this a lot?" "Do what?" "Leave class to rescue each other." Kara laughed, then just smirked in her boyfriend's direction as she went to find a ladder in the nearby janitor's closet. "No, of course not. That's just this once." She rummaged through it, seeing hard white plastic bars attached to stairs. "Here's a ladder. Um, Foster, is there any chance that you could climb up this ladder to go through the hole in the ceiling, then pull me up afterwards?" "I guess I could try," Foster replied. "But since we are close friends and are now dating, you should know that I have no upper body strength. Would I have to hold you for that long?" "I don't think so." There was the slight screeching sound of the ladder being dragged across their high school's tiled floor. Kara winced, taking her hands away from the ladder once it was directly under the gaping hole in the ceiling. Her fingers were caked with dirt. She wiped her fingers off on her pants, and was about to tell Foster to climb up the ladder now. Suddenly there was a roar from up above, one of some sort of horrible thing on the roof. Kara didn't want the creature to know that they were there, so she simply motioned for Foster to come. He listened, uneasily climbing the steps. Kara held the ladder steady. As soon as he was through the hole, Kara climbed up the ladder herself. "Please don't fall over," she murmured. Luckily the ladder didn't fall, only trembling slightly. There was another roar that sounded like hideous laughter, and Kara heard a muffled gasp from Foster. "Kara, come up," he breathed out, his voice a whisper. "You're not gonna like this." Foster extended his hand out to Kara through the hole, and Kara took it. Foster hoisted her up with some difficulty. When Kara saw what Foster had, her heart nearly stopped. The thing that Kara and Foster had heard roaring before was a human-like creature that stood atop the roof. It had giant horns that came out of the sides of its head. It had wicked claws on its hands and feet. Its skin was scaly and a pale gray. Its head had black hair on it, glossy black hair that felt familiar somehow. But all this wasn't what had terrified Foster and Kara. It was the beast's face. It's face was Danny's, and he was growling something out to Lily, who was tied up on the roof. "Tell me the half fairy Flightless's whereabouts," he screeched. "Oh my God," Kara gasped. "That's...that's..." Her eyes were wide with horror. Lily was wildly trying to unite herself as Danny smiled, revealing sharp demonic fangs that had replaced his formerly perfect, straight human teeth. "Tell me, or I'll eat you." "Eat me?" Lily squeaked. "Help! Somebody help me!" Danny laughed, then started to grow bigger and bigger. He was now big enough to hold Lily in one of his monstrous clawed hands. A barbed scorpion tail shot out from behind him, tearing through the back of his already shredded trousers. Danny was still laughing. When he scooped up Lily, extended bat wings blocked out the sun. "Tell me where Kara is, Lily," Danny howled. "Tell me, and you can live." Foster tore off a metal pole that was attached to the side of one of the many solar panels that adorned the roof of their high school, and gripped it tightly. "Let her go!" he yelled. "Foster, no!" Kara screamed. It was too late. Danny turned around to face him. His grin was so eerie and evil that it looked almost skeletal. "Foster. How nice of you to join us." "Danny, what are you, and what are you doing?" he asked. "I'm a demise beast, what else?" Danny cackled. "And my name's not Danny. It's Daniel. Well, that's my host's full name, anyway. My real name's too hard to say." He broke into maniacal, crazy laughter. "What's a demise beast?" Foster asked. "It's not important. You're in my way, Flightless boy. Either you leave, or you die protecting your worthless friends. The choice is yours." He stood his ground. "I'm not going anywhere," he told him. "I'll protect Kara and Lily as much as I can, and anyone else that you're after. I won't just stand aside and let you do whatever you want." Danny smirked. "Plan B, then? That's just fine." He roared, his mouth opening wide and flames billowing out, aimed directly at Foster. He moved just in the nick of time, almost getting incinerated. Behind his glasses, his blue eyes were wide with fear.

Kara listened and watched them, horrified. She wanted to help, but how? She had nothing to protect herself from being burned. "Kara!" Someone whispered rather harshly. "Kara, come here!" Kara turned around to see Shade on the roof. He was crouching over something that was glowing with blue light. "Shade!" she gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you, and your friends if I have time," he told her. He chuckled. "Couldn't wait until lunch, could you?" Shade lifted the object that had been beneath him up so that Kara could see it. It was cloaked in sky blue light, with darker golden designs adorning it. The thing ended in a wicked blade that glittered in the sun. "What is that?" she asked, making sure to still speak quietly. "A sword," he explained. "A fairy war sword. It should definitely go right through those thick scales of his." He examined his weapon, looking at the gleaming steel point with his pale green eyes. Kara saw something stir behind Shade, something she had seen before but never on a person. They shined when the sun's rays hit them, and were big but not enormous. They were attached to his upper back where his shoulder blades should have been. Kara finally found her voice. "You...you have wings," she gasped. Shade seemed startled at this statement, but soon returned to being calm again. "Yeah. I know." He smirked and fluttered them. They were wings like a bug's but not exactly, since each were curved and longer than any insects' would have been. His right one was torn in one spot. "Do you like them?" Kara wasn't sure what to say. This boy clearly wasn't human. "Yes," she murmured. "W-What are you?" Shade stood up. His wings extended out behind him, going to their full length. "What am I?" He seemed amused. "I'm a fairy. What else would I be?" Kara suddenly felt dizzy. "But fairies aren't real. This...this isn't possible." Shade laughed at this. "Tell that to my wings, sister. I'm real to you, aren't I?" Kara felt shaky, as if there were a massive earthquake going on all around her. "Yeah, but I still don't understand," she cried. "What happened to him?" She pointed to Danny, who was too busy terrorizing Foster to notice what Kara was up to. "His name is Danny. He went to my school here, Jefferson High, but he was always normal and was never a horrible creature like that!" Shade looked deep in thought. A bag was slung over his shoulder, and it swung back and forth as he paced along the edge of the roof. "I don't know exactly. It could be a lot of things. Was that boy completely normal before, with no strange abilities or ulterior motives?" Kara nodded briskly. "Then dark magic must be at work. Come on." Shade placed the glowing sword into a sheath that was on a belt that wrapped around his waist. "We'd better get moving." He grabbed Kara's hand and before she could say a word, he jumped off of the side of the roof. Kara screamed, but then looked at him in shock when he flew upwards. The boy laughed. He was gripping her tightly now, making sure that she wouldn't fall. "Wings, remember?" Kara swallowed hard and clung to his shoulder as he landed and stepped through a doorway that led back inside of the school. "We have to get inside," Shade told her. Kara lingered outside. "Wait, why?" she asked obliviously. "Why do you think?" Shade snapped. He grabbed her arm and pulled her inside just before Danny's huge, monstrous head swung around to face where they had stood. Kara's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah." Shade let go of her as soon as they had gotten near the end of a hallway. The hole was visible in the ceiling. "So, what's he to you?" Shade asked her. "This Danny kid." "Oh, um....he, uh..." Kara felt warmth rise to her face. Shade rolled his eyes. "You like him, don't you?" "Well, I used to. I can't now." Kara was filled with fury at her actions. "God, I shouldn't even be thinking about him in that way!" She put her hands to her face in shame. "I don't really get why you like Danny the way you do," Shade said, a mischievous look to his face. "He's got the ugliest mug of any magic induced monster I've ever fought." Kara tried to ignore most of his comment. "Hey, he was human once," she protested. Shade laughed. He had a nice laugh, she thought. "My guess is that he's a demise beast now," Shade stated, interrupting her thoughts. "But I've fought a lot of monsters. He could be anything." Kara was curious at this. "There are other monsters?" "Well, yeah. My life would be way too easy otherwise." His expression became more serious as he strode farther into the school. "Why can't you feel about the kid in that way? Do you Flightless have rules that forbid love?" "No," Kara murmured. "Wait, what are Flightless?" "Humans, like you." Shade looked amused again. "You still haven't given me an answer." Kara narrowed her eyes. "Who says I have to?" "It's just to make conversation. I mean, you don't have to....but I'll probably bother you about it later." Shade's cocky grin made Kara want to slap his face and laugh at his antics at the same time. It felt more right to slap him. Instead she gave in. "Fine, I'll tell you. I have a boyfriend." "Who's the lucky guy?" Kara smiled. "Foster." "Is he that scrawny kid that Danny's probably beating up? I bet he's never played a sport in his life." Kara glared at him. "Shade, I barely know you. Don't go around insulting my friends when I could easily offer you up as monster food and stab him myself." Shade smirked again. His dark hair fell in front of his eyes, and he brushed it away with one hand. "You couldn't do that. This sword can't be held by human hands. It would burn your body until there was nothing left but a charred pile of bones. Also, I know you like me. How could you give this face," he pointed to himself, "up as food? The world would have one less dashing hero." Kara scowled. "I hate you so much." "Well, you're gonna have to put up with me for now since I know how to keep you from getting yourself killed," Shade retorted. "Let's go back out there. Be as quiet as you can." Kara nodded and followed him, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Out on the roof, Foster was fighting fiercely with Danny. Talons clawed at his steel bar, and he shoved them back with it. They looked as if they were battling with swords. The clang of metal against claws certainly sounded that way. Kara watched fearfully. Yes, Foster was doing the best that he could to fight them off, but how much longer could he do that for? Shade watched too, his eyes narrowed. He's waiting for the perfect moment to launch his attack on Danny, Kara realized.

Shade's grip tightened on his sword as he took it out of its sheath, his knuckles turning white. He focused on Danny's scaly side. How could he get close to him without being spotted? He could hover, but that would attract way too much Flightless attention for his liking. He would just have to sneak up on the monster. Suddenly Kara was at his side, her bright hazel eyes revealing her fear. "Shade...you're going to kill him, aren't you?" She sounded close to tears. "Yes," Shade responded coldly. "I have to. If he were a different type of monster, I wouldn't have to, but he's a Leader demise beast. I have to do it this way." "But he's only a human, like you said, influenced by dark magic! He can't die! He doesn't deserve to..." Kara sniffled, looking distraught. Shade sighed. "He has to, okay? Whatever remnant of Danny that was left is gone now. Demise beasts wipe out their body's subconscious mind completely until they are obliterated or they release their hold on them, which rarely ever happens. Their normal forms are hideous, so they take the form of another living thing, normally permanently until they are killed. That means that when I stab the beast, your friend Danny will die too. I'm sorry, Kara." Kara choked back her sobs, and Shade awkwardly hugged her, unsure of how to comfort a Flightless. When he let go of her, she looked at him with confusion, then just turned away. "How do you know my name? Ugh, forget it. I don't know what you are at this point, human or beast or whatever, but it doesn't matter. You're a monster." She crossed her arms and left. Shade glimpsed a single tear running down the side of her cheek. He shook his head and walked away. Why couldn't Kara, and all the other humans, understand that he was doing what had to be done so that they could all live in peace and be safe? Why was he given this job? Of all fairy...He pushed away his inner turmoil and focused on the task at hand. Shade moved behind the demise beast, carefully eyeing his deadly spiked tail that moved back and forth. He decided that he didn't care what these Flightless thought of him, and decided he'd do whatever he needed to in order to save them. He breathed in deeply, then extended his arms outwards. Still gripping the sword, he rose into the air. The unfurled wings that only he could see stirred the air behind him, and he smiled. They were just as they always were-gossamer, and spun through with black and silver swirling patterns. Smirking, he flew above Danny's head. "Hey, scaly skin! Up here!" Danny glanced upwards, away from a shaking Foster, and smiled fearsomely. "Oh, a little fairy warrior. I'm so scared." He swung a huge, taloned hand at Shade, narrowly missing him. He nimbly moved aside, and laughed triumphantly at Danny's infuriated yell as he soared away. "Catch me if you can, big guy!"