June 2015

Hello readers! I'm very glad you're all still enjoying my little brain droppings. I've updated my profile with the latest on my fanfic writing, and some new links to my other nooks around the 'Net. Please check it out and thanks for reading!

When last we left our intrepid heroes, Tabby had just wished everyone out of the prison. Has she lost her mind?

FOP doesn't belong to me.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, the anti-fairies erupted in a very loud cheer.

"FREE!" they cried as they threw their arms up happily, relishing the fresh night air and open space of the outside. "WE'RE FREE!"

"Tabby, what have you done?!" Wanda cried as she and Cosmo ran to their goddaughter. "Why in the world would you make a wish like that?"

"LITTLE GIRL, YOU WILL LOSE YOUR GODPARENTS FOR THIS!" Jorgen boomed as he stomped closer, Binky following closely at his superior's heels.

"How come they're not flying away?" Tabby suddenly asked as she pointed to the still grounded anti-fairies. The startled Head Fairy paused for a second before answering.

"Those red suits they are wearing prevent them from flying or performing any magic."

"So magic works out here, right?"

Jorgen nodded. "Yes, it does."

"So they can't fly, or do magic out here, but you can?"

Another nod from the large fairy. "Yes."

"Then I wish Jorgen had his wand," she said to her equally startled godparents, who began to raise their arms before remembering their wands were still tucked in Anti-Binky's belt.

"Having access to our magic again does no good if we don't have any wands to—" Wanda began just as a wand appeared in her hand. Cosmo found one in his just as Binky uttered a surprised "OH!" when his reappeared as well. "What the . . .?"

"As my wife so cleverly pointed out," Anti-Cosmo said as he and Anti-Wanda approached the group, the glow of his wand slowly dimming. "Anti-Binky is no genius. I merely relieved him of the stolen wands when we had our scuffle in the prison. The fool never even noticed their disappearance."

"Ain't he smart?" his wife asked before planting a tender kiss on his cheek. Anti-Cosmo smiled and returned the kiss, just as Wanda and Cosmo raised their wands to grant Tabby's wish.

"You can catch them, right?" Tabby asked as Jorgen's mighty wand appeared in his curled fist.

The Head Fairy smiled.

"It will be like shooting fish in a barrel," he said as he turned and faced the still rejoicing anti-fairies. "Only without the barrel. And with anti-fairies instead of fish. And with much more PAIN!" Jorgen raised his large wand and shot the sky above them, creating thick, dark clouds.

A mighty thunderclap exploded overhead and the anti-fairies quieted, looking nervously at the building storm. Their attention was so focused on the sky that they never heard the large Head Fairy as he approached from behind.

"So many anti-bones," he said with a smile, his voice low. "So little time."

A collective gasp rose from the huddled group of anti-fairies, which was quickly followed by a collective scream. Then the 'collective' part of the group shattered as anti-fairies ran in every direction, trying to avoid the business end of Jorgen's wand.

"Ha HA!" the mighty fairy laughed as he shot anti-fairy after anti-fairy, trapping them in individual nets. "Who is laughing NOW, puny anti-fairies? BINKY! Keep track of them!"

"Yessir!" the little bald fairy chirped as he conjured a clipboard and began checking off names.

"YOU TWO!" Jorgen barked at the still confused fairy guards. "Keep them from scattering!" The two fairies at the front gate jumped, and tossed their boss a stiff salute before hurrying toward the panicked crowd.

One by one the anti-fairies dropped, trapped in a small mesh net, and Binky's hand moved frantically to check off the names of the captured ones. The prison guards flanked Jorgen, and the three of them formed a rough triangle around the ever-shrinking group of anti-fairies, their wands moving almost constantly.

A short distance away stood two more anti-fairies and their fairy counterparts. They watched the scene silently, the screams of the captured anti-fairies ringing in their ears.

Cosmo moved closer to his wife, and took her hand gently. The cries of the anti-fairies were full of fear and sorrow, and they unnerved the little green haired fairy.

Wanda, while happy the trouble-making anti-fairies were being contained once again, couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of regret. Dealing with Anti-Cosmo—and Anti-Wanda, although to a somewhat lesser extent—had shown her that anti-fairies WERE capable of actual feelings, sometimes of the positive variety. It seemed almost cruel to lock them away again, when all they truly wanted was to be free.

But, then again, they hadn't exactly behaved in an overly friendly or apathetic manner in the prison, either. Under the influence of certain leadership, the anti-fairies could be darn dangerous. There was no sense letting them all out simply because two had acted in a more 'fairy-like' manner.

Wanda glanced over at the aforementioned two and the pang in her heart multiplied. Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda were watching the recapture of their brethren, their hands intertwined. A sorrow haunted their eyes that Wanda thought might have as much to do with their own situation as it did with that of their former comrades.

Turning your backs on your own kind was never an easy—or in all honesty, smart—thing to do, yet they had. They were traitors and they knew it.

"Well," the pink haired fairy said softly after another agonizing few seconds of silence. "I think you guys had better get out of here before Jorgen comes looking for you."

Anti-Cosmo smiled, curling an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Of course, you're right," he said, casting one more quick glance at the shrinking crowd. "We thank you for all you've done."

Anti-Wanda nodded. "Yeah, it was really nice of you to help us after . . . well, you know," she said, her cheeks darkening as a blush surfaced.

Cosmo smiled. "Yeah, we know," he said, looking straight at his double. "Just don't do it again, okay?"

Anti-Cosmo laughed. "You have my word. No hard feelings?" he asked as he offered his hand. After a moment's hesitation, Cosmo took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Nah, it's okay."

Wanda nodded. "It was incredibly . . . 'frustrating' in the beginning, but I think it all turned out okay in the end," she said with a slight shrug. "Besides, you didn't hurt Tabby, and she seems to like you so . . ." She stopped, looking around with mounting panic. "Where IS Tabby?"

"She was right here!" Cosmo cried as he spun around, searching the area. "She wouldn't wander off, would she?"

Wanda shook her head as she continued to scan the area. "Unlikely. We've gotta find her!"

"It will go quicker if we split up," Anti-Cosmo said, drawing a confused look from Wanda.

"'We'? But aren't you going to leave while you can?"

The dark fairy offered her a half smile.

"The sooner we find her, the sooner we'll leave," he said with a wink. "You go that way, we'll go this."

The fairies nodded and sped off in their assigned direction.

"C'mon sweetie," Anti-Wanda said as she hurried in the other direction. "We gotta find the little sugar!"

"In a moment, darling," her husband said, pulling her to a halt. "First let's get that horrid suit off you." His wand flashed and her red suit disappeared, replaced with her normal attire. "Much better. Now you need your wand." Another flash and Anti-Wanda's wand was seated comfortably in her hand. "There. A vision of beauty!"

"But sweetie," his wife said as she became airborne. "Shouldn't we be looking for Tabby?"

Anti-Cosmo waved a dismissive hand as he cupped her cheek with the other.

"Why rush when I already know where she is?"

"You do?" Anti-Cosmo nodded. "Well then, why didn't you tell them?"

"Because, my darling wife," he said as he lead her towards the back of the prison. "There are some things that must be dealt with in certain ways. And there are some situations that only certain people are capable of dealing with."

They reached the back corner of the prison, and Anti-Cosmo pulled his wife near the wall. They peeked around the corner and found Tabby, struggling fiercely in the arms of Anti-Binky.

"And there are some issues that still require resolution," he whispered before placing a loving kiss on her cheek. "Stay here. When he releases the girl, I will poof her next to you. And please darling, do not interfere, under any circumstances. This is something I must do."

"What are you . . ." Anti-Wanda started, but could go no further because her husband had zipped around the corner.

"You," Anti-Binky practically spat once he saw his rival. "Come to turn me in, traitor?"

Anti-Cosmo laughed good-naturedly. "I see my little ruse was successful," he snickered. "I'm quite the convincing thespian when I choose to be."

"What are you talking about?" Anti-Binky snapped as he roughly yanked the struggling child in his arms to the left. "Do you expect me to believe that all this was just some act?"

Anti-Cosmo sighed, shaking his head slightly. "What I expected to happen is precisely what has happened, my dear Anti-Binky. It has all gone according to my master plan, which worked out—quite frankly—much better than I could have ever hoped. For here we are."

The other anti-fairy offered him a confused look.

"And where would that be, exactly?"

"At the dawn of a new age for anti-fairies," Anti-Cosmo said with a sly smile. "The purpose of this entire ordeal was to find someone to help me lead our people. I've been away from leadership for so long, I confess I'm a might out of touch with things. I needed someone who has gone through what the rest of them have, someone who could assume leadership if the opportunity presented itself. Someone like you."

Anti-Binky was silent for a long moment, and Anti-Cosmo fought the urge to ask of he needed it explained in smaller words.

"You're not making any sense," Anti-Binky said, quickly yanking his arm out of the reach of Tabby's snapping teeth. "Not this time you little brat."

"Perhaps you'd have an easier time understanding if you weren't so preoccupied," Anti-Cosmo offered, floating slightly closer. "Release the girl. She has played her part and is no longer required."

Anti-Binky uttered a sharp laugh. "I don't think so."

"We will never be able to evade capture with her. Release her now and we can escape before the fairies even notice our absence."

"'We'?" Anti-Binky asked, an eyebrow raised. "Are you seriously suggesting that you and I escape together?"

Anti-Cosmo sighed heavily. "I thought that was painfully clear."

"What about her?"

"Sadly, my wife has already been recaptured," Anti-Cosmo said, placing a hand on his chest for added effect.

Anti-Binky laughed. "Doesn't surprise me, actually," he snickered. "The 'slow' ones usually are the first to be captured."

"Yes, well," Anti-Cosmo said through gritted teeth. "At any rate, our time is passing quickly. We must hurry if we are to escape without notice."

Anti-Binky studied his one-time rival and possible new refugee-buddy with narrowed eyes. Anti-Cosmo was a smooth one, always quick with a lie or scheme to get what he wanted. But why go through such a song-and-dance if all he wanted was the kid? He had his wand, all he had to do was poof her away. It was quick, it was simple, and it was easier than trying to buffalo someone.

And, admittedly, what Anti-Cosmo said did make sense. Maybe the whole reason he had been acting so strange is because of his separation from the rest of the anti-fairies. People do tend to behave strangely when they're all alone.

"So, lemme get this straight," Anti-Binky said, shaking his head slightly. "You planned everything that happened? And it was all an attempt to find a second-in-command, so to speak?"

"My dear Anti-Binky," Anti-Cosmo said with a slight laugh. "It is virtually impossible to plan everything, but yes, I theorized a good portion of it."

A silent moment passed between them, the only sounds being the struggles of the little girl.

"I don't trust you," Anti-Binky finally said quietly as he reluctantly released his hostage. "But I believe you."

"Excellent!" Anti-Cosmo cried as he poofed Tabby away. "Let's be off, then!"

"Get me out of this stinkin' suit first," Anti-Binky said, yanking at the stretchy red fabric.

"In due time, in due time," Anti-Cosmo said as he raised his wand. "We must be off before we are spotted."

Anti-Cosmo's wand flashed, and he, Anti-Binky, Anti-Wanda and Tabby all disappeared.

-X-X-X-

"Binky, is that all of them?" Jorgen asked as the sky cleared. Before him were dozens of large mesh bags, each filled with individually wrapped anti-fairies.

"Well, let's see," the little bald fairy answered as he flipped through the pages on his clipboard. "Looks like . . . uh . . ."

"DON'T MUMBLE!"

"Yessir! I mean, no sir! I mean . . ." Binky quickly flipped through the pages again, or at least as quickly as his trembling hands would allow. "It looks like we've got everyone except for Anti-Cosmo, Anti-Wanda, and Anti-Binky."

"BLAST!" Jorgen bellowed and did just that to the bag of captured anti-fairies in front of him. "Now we will have to find them again!"

"Can we start with a little girl?" Cosmo asked as he and Wanda slowly floated up to their superior. "We kinda lost ours."

"Oh for the love of someone I do not know named Pete," Jorgen muttered as he rubbed his eyes with his muscular thumb and forefinger. "You two should put a leash on that kid. Seriously. Think about it."

Before Cosmo or Wanda could respond, a loud poof sounded behind them, and Tabby and Anti-Wanda appeared. Next to them was a very confused Anti-Binky securely restrained in the strong grip of Anti-Cosmo.

"Wha . . .?" Anti-Binky squeaked, and Wanda thought he took the word right out of her mouth.

"Before I hand you over to our friend Mr. Von Strangle, I have a few things to say to you," Anti-Cosmo whispered to his captive. "Number one, you seem to have forgotten that I am an evil genius, and as such, am completely capable of making anyone believe anything I wish them to. This was your first mistake. Your second mistake, of course, was thinking you could outsmart me in any way shape or form. It's quite impossible, I assure you."

He glanced to his left, and met the gaze of his loving wife, bringing a smile to his lips.

"Lastly, it was your own actions that have condemned you. I may have let you go had you not slapped my beautiful wife."

With that, Anti-Cosmo pushed Anti-Binky toward Jorgen, who wasted no time in encasing him within a small mesh net.

"Traitor!" Anti-Binky cried as a guard picked him up. "I'll get out someday and make you pay for what you've done! You and your little wife, too! TRAITORS!"

His screams were muffled as he was tossed into the larger bag, on top of his fellow anti-fairies.

"And now for the last two," Jorgen said as he leveled his large wand at Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda. The couple clasped hands and lowered their heads, ready for their capture.

"WAIT!" Wanda cried as she, Tabby and Cosmo leapt between the anti-fairies and the tip of Jorgen's wand.

"Eh? Move aside puny fairies! I shall deal with you later!"

"You don't have to capture them! They won't cause any trouble, I'm sure of it!"

"Do you not remember that THEY are the ones who started this whole mess?" Jorgen asked, pointing between the fairies. "They kidnapped your godchild!"

"But they didn't hurt her!" Cosmo added, and Wanda nodded beside him. "AND they brought you Anti-Binky too. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Not really," the Head Fairy shrugged. "Anti-fairies are not known for their loyalty. Or their honesty. Now STAND ASIDE!"

Jorgen reached forward and shoved the fairies and child out of the way, just as a slightly acrid smell assaulted his nostrils. A puff of dark smoke slowly dissipated from the spot Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda had occupied only a second before.

"THEY ARE GONE!" he bellowed, before turning and blasting the closest bag of captured anti-fairies. "Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda have escaped!"

"Isn't this where we came in?" Cosmo asked his wife, who shrugged slightly. Jorgen turned on the green haired fairy, zeroing his large wand in on Cosmo's forehead.

"What was that?"

Cosmo, too terrified to speak, simply offered his commander a crooked smile.

"He's right," Wanda said, her arms crossed. "Those two particular anti-fairies were on the loose when we first came to see you after Tabby was taken. Seems to me that you're not exactly any worse off than when we started. The only difference is we've got Tabby back."

The next minute comprised of Jorgen making little huffing and puffing noises, the vein on his forehead giving the one on his neck a run for its money. They were right, and he knew it. Things had resolved themselves, for the most part, and there seemed to be nothing wrong that wasn't wrong to begin with—ie, Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda's frustrating 'un-captured' status.

"That does not answer the question of just why you two helped Anti-Cosmo free his wife in the first place," he said after some thorough thought. Cosmo and Wanda exchanged a quick glance.

"She wished for it," they said in unison, pointing down at their goddaughter. The little girl in question blushed furiously before flashing the large fairy a wide smile.

"Ugh, kids," Jorgen said with a roll of his eyes. He turned toward the two guards and slammed the foot of his wand against the ground. "Let's get the Fail Safe reset and these prisoners back into their cells. NOW!"

The tip of Jorgen's wand flashed, leaving Cosmo, Wanda and Tabby alone.

"We are never playing hide and seek again," Wanda said, taking hold of Tabby's hand.

Cosmo nodded. "Agreed."

The pink haired fairy raised her wand and poofed the trio home.

~X~X~X~

Epilogue

"Uncle Acie! Auntie!" Tabby called happily as the anti-fairies poofed into her room a week later. The little girl sat at her craft table, coloring with her godparents.

"Hey Tabby," Anti-Wanda called, offering the little girl a small wave. "How ya doin' sugar?"

"Great!" she cried as she leapt up and ran to Anti-Wanda. "C'mon and color with us!" The little girl almost yanked the anti-fairy out of the air and dragged her toward the little table.

"Wanda, may I have a word please?" Anti-Cosmo asked as he motioned to the far side of the room. The pink haired fairy exchanged a glance with her husband, who shrugged before turning back to color with his goddaughter and wife's dark duplicate.

"What's on your mind, AC?" Wanda asked once they were out of earshot.

"I just wanted to thank you again for all you've done," he said quietly, glancing periodically at his wife. "I sincerely appreciate your assistance and hope you didn't get into too much trouble because of it."

Wanda waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, don't worry about that," she said with a slight laugh. "Considering how much trouble a few of our past godchildren have caused, this was nothing!"

"It was by no means 'nothing', Wanda," Anti-Cosmo said, his voice soft and serious. "This entire experience has made me face myself and the changes that have taken place within me. You three have helped me to accept those changes instead of wasting time resisting them. So again, I thank you."

He bent into a deep bow, before taking Wanda's hand and placing a soft kiss on the back. Her cheeks burning, the pink haired fairy offered an embarrassed smile.

"Y-you're welcome, Anti-Cosmo," she said, gently pulling her hand back. "Really. I was glad to help. So . . . what have you two been up to?"

Anti-Cosmo straightened and offered her a small shrug.

"Ah, just out causing a little bad luck," he said as they floated back toward the table. "There are so many ways to summon an anti-fairy, and you'd be surprised how often they happen all over the world! A broken mirror here, a little spilled salt there, you know. Why, we've been so busy this past week, we've barely had time to think!"

"Not that I have that problem, mind ya," Anti-Wanda chimed in as her husband and duplicate sat in freshly poofed chairs. "I let my sweetie do the thinkin' for both of us! He's got all the brains, ya know!"

"Yes, darling, but that's simply because you have all the beauty," he said with a smile.

Anti-Wanda smiled herself and primped her hair. "Yeah, I know. It's tough being this beautiful, but we just have to manage somehow, right Wanda?"

The pink haired fairy laughed and primped her hair just like her counterpart.

"Yes, it's a terrible burden, but we must struggle on!"

"Boy, it's sure getting deep in here," Cosmo said sarcastically. "We'll need a shovel soon!" He laughed as a barrage of crayons rained down upon him.

"You'd better be nice," Wanda said with a smirk. "I can make your life very difficult with a minimum of effort."

Cosmo threw his hands up, still giggling. "All right, all right, I give," he said, scooting closer to his wife. "You know I'm only kidding anyway, right beautiful?"

Wanda smiled and leaned in for a kiss.

"EW!" Tabby cried suddenly, drawing their attention. "No kissing! It's gross! Only coloring at the table, no kissing!"

"What if we color people kissing?" Cosmo teased. "Is that allowed?"

"Nope," came the immediate reply as Tabby's crayon never wavered. "This is a No-Kissing Table. Coloring and drawing only."

"Well then," Anti-Cosmo said as he picked up a crayon. "You can't argue with such iron clad logic. We'd best do as she says, darling, else we'll be in genuine trouble."

His wife giggled as she returned her attention to her own paper. "I guess so. We'd better get to colorin' then!"

The rest of the evening consisted of coloring, drawing and laughs as they filled page after page of crayon drawings. Later that night, once the anti-fairies had gone, Tabby was tucked in her bed, and Cosmo and Wanda were safely hidden away in the dollhouse, Tabby's parents silently crept into her room to check on her.

"Hey Allie," Tabby's father whispered as he stood over the little craft table. "Come take a look at this."

Allie tiptoed over and took the crayon-coated pages her husband offered her. "What are they? Pixies or something?"

"Could be," Tom shrugged, flipping through a handful. "The ones with the pink and green hair seem to crop up a lot. What do you suppose it means?"

It was his wife's turn to shrug. "Imaginary friends, maybe? There are a couple more in here that look almost exactly like those two, but with blue skin."

"Huh, that's kind of weird. Should we talk to someone about this?"

His wife shook her head as she stacked the pages back on the table.

"Nah, I think she's just expressing her creativity and imagination," she said as Tom returned his pages to the table. "I don't think there's anything to worry about. She seems like a perfectly normal six-year-old."

Her husband nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's true," he said as they headed toward the door. "She's a good girl. Seems like most kids her age can be pretty bratty."

"Yep," his wife said as they pulled the door closed. "But you know what they say, 'It takes great parents to make a great kid'." There was a soft 'click' as the door closed behind them.

In the top window of the large Victorian dollhouse standing in the corner of Tabby's room, two small faces peered out into the darkness. Each wore a wide smile and turned to face each other before kissing gently on the lips.

~fini

There you go, kind readers! I hope you enjoyed this romp with our favorite fairies and anti's. Thanks for reading! :)