The petite girl panted as the strain of the bag she carried on her back weighed her down. The climb was a long one and the further uphill she went, the steeper the slope turned out to be. Nevertheless, she must persevere in her thankless yet strangely gratifying job. Forcing her lean legs to carry her forward, she eventually reached her destination: the small village at the plane on top. Carefully, she sat down, all the while searching frantically around for any sign of the enemy. Her feet were scathed; her back aching and her eyes seemed to droop against her will, as the exhaustion threatened to overpower her.

Abruptly, the feared sounds of galloping hooves reached her ears. She rose to her feet and began to tiptoe along the edge, fervently praying they would not notice her…but of course, since when did trouble elude her? She felt like a mouse caught in a fox’s trap as their eyes zeroed in on the bag she clutched so desperately to her chest.

“No!” she cried out, beginning a full sprint towards the brink as they set chase.

As she felt them closing in on her, she had no choice but to spread her wings and fly up. She really had wanted to keep the magic of her wings intact until she could give them away...which was why she had walked miles like a barefoot Cinderella, alone in her dutiful journey.

The demons were not less the cleverer. Just as she got ready for the flight, they pulled out their fire-swords, in an attempt to isolate the bag. Anticipating their move, she slightly opened her treasured package and sadly took out a handful of star-dust, scattering it over the enemies and watching with a vindictive pleasure as they vanished from existence, with surprised looks etched on their expressions. They had not, in a thousand years, imagined she would risk her life for a stranger for it was known well and wide that fairies were not allowed to touch the parceled star-dust, except once at the chosen moment. .
Even as she floated back down to the hill, she felt an ache begin to ignite in her heart. She knew her end was near. Nonetheless, with a smiling countenance and teary eyes, she began chanting the magic words in her head. In a moment, she was transported inside the white-fenced house on top of the hill that she had been watching over for the past nine months.
She heard the mother’s agonized screams and watched the sweat trickle down her body, as her husband held her hands tightly while the mid-wife kept urging her to push…push...push.
Two more thrusts and a piercing cry rang through the room as the baby finally entered the world. The mother slumped back with a satisfied smile, the father watched with bemused eyes. The fairy took out her bag of star-dust and sprinkled it over the family, giving them her gift of blessing, good-luck and happiness. She reached into her back and caressed the wings, easily pulling them out before blowing them at the mother’s direction, where they formed a halo. Unbeknownst to the family, the mother had just been bestowed with the superpower to deal with all the coming years.

A peaceful aura resided over the atmosphere. With a serene smile, Eleanor, the fairy…the guardian angel, sank to her feet, as the punishing ache overwhelmed her. She had selflessly and unhesitatingly sacrificed her life to protect the newborn’s bag of blessings. After all, that is what mothers do, right?