“You both mean to say I should’ve acted more like a fairy?”

  Tricking, confusing, misleading; these are actions that fairies often do in the stories.Considering what happened to me, I would say those stories are accurate.Yet, now I’m being told that it may have been better for me to have acted simirly, which leads to some rather conflicting feelings.Naturally, I have to bear in mind that I can’t do things in the same manner as I did before.My new size makes that abundantly clear.However, my body being what it is, I am already too fairy-like for comfort!Just because I was forcibly turned into one, doesn’t mean that I wish to imitate those bastards!

  My thoughts must be reflected on my face quite clearly, because Garen tries to calm me down.

  “I didn’t mean that you had to be cruel like them or act exactly as they do. It’s just, well, if you continue with your usual approach to problems with, um, how you are now, I’m afraid that you’ll get hurt. You said yourself that you don’t want to be seen by people, for a few good reasons, and provoking someone to their face kind of goes against that. So it may be for the best if you use slightly different methods. Maybe quite different. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Fairies aren’t the only ones who act that way, as evidenced by this little brat.”

  He affectionately nudges my little sister, who smirks back at him.

  “And you can’t tell me that you don’t enjoy a good prank once in a while, especially if it would benefit someone.”

  Yeah, sure, I would be lying if I said I never did those type of things before.Oftentimes, with Garen.But now, as a fairy, my options are much more limited than I’d prefer.Especially, as he said, if I want to stay concealed.It’s quite irritating that doing small tricks may now be much safer for me than simply speaking to a person.

  “I know, but how fairies act is a bit of a sore spot for me, as I’m sure you understand. Yet, I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

  Judging by Nibi’s recent magic show, I may be able to utilize methods more preferable to me in the future.Perhaps, if my magic becomes strong enough, I eventually won’t have to hide.For the time being though, I may very well have to resort to some “fairy tactics” to keep Sinora away from me and my family, and possibly help Emira.As long as no innocents are harmed, diversions are honorable enough when one is protecting those they care about.Something I remember from my pa.Yet I heard he would only use them as a st resort.Perhaps that’s why Talia is more prone to trickery while I prefer a direct approach?She doesn’t remember him as much as I do?

  While I’m contempting, Mum breaks the silence.

  “Garen, when was the st time you were home?”

  “Erm, a few days ago.”

  “That’s what I thought. Why don’t you head home and get some rest before you keel over. Aki is okay for the time being.”

  “I suppose I probably should return before my folks worry too much.”

  Oh!I forgot something!

  “Could you wait one moment, Garen? There is something I wish to show you. I’ll be right back!”

  I fly towards my room as I speak.Quickly going to my drawers, the topmost of which has been left slightly ajar, I retrieve my silver needle from where I stashed it.When nothing out of the ordinary occurs, I return to Garen.

  “Could you tell me anything about this? I carried your gift with me to the fairy gde, and when I searched my clothes for it afterwards, its appearance had changed.”

  “So this is your magic needle?”

  “Perhaps?”

  He peers at it curiously, and when he holds out his hand, I y it in his palm.After a short time of turning it about, hefting it in his hand, and lightly attempting to bend it, he speaks.

  “Interesting. The needle I made you was too small to put my mark on, but this looks the same as it. In shape, I mean, as the color is obviously different. But this can’t possibly be it. The one I gave you was iron, and while I can’t say what metal this one is made of, it’s far heavier.”

  What?That doesn’t sound right.

  “Well I found it in pce of the one you gave me, so I can only assume the fairies did something to yours in order to make it this way. But you say it’s heavier? Even though it’s as light as a feather?”

  Though, I haven’t tried picking up a feather recently.

  “Heh, you’re exaggerating quite a bit. While it is only a small needle, it’s not quite that light, and it’s much heavier than it would be if it were iron. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s probably purified silver, but I’ve never seen silver look quite like this, nor be this durable. Although, I will admit that I haven’t had much opportunity to handle that particur metal.”

  I don’t think he understood what I meant.That needle is nigh weightless in my grasp.

  “Sis, may I hold it?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I don’t see any reason to not let Talia do so.She gazes at it intently once Garen passes it over to her.

  “It’s pretty, the way it shimmers like that. Hmm, honestly, I’d say it weighs a little more than you do, Sis.”

  Strange.That doesn’t sound correct either.I’m fairly certain that it would be quite awkward to carry while flying if it matched my weight.As I’ve discovered, my wings aren’t really all that strong.I’m merely very light.

  “Miep.”

  Evidently, the object of everyone’s attention didn’t go unnoticed by Nibi, who glides down from Talia’s shoulder to take a closer look for herself.Sis holds her hand still in order to allow Nibi to safely pick it up, who begins slowly turning and studying it.Oddly enough, it appears to be fairly weighty for her, and she’s constantly using both hands to keep it steady.

  “Miep?”

  Yet she doesn’t seem to notice anything special about it either.After a few moments, she puts it down and flies back to her perch.Once Talia returns it to Garen, he asks me a question.

  “Would you like me to take this to my Pa and ask if he knows what it’s made of?”

  While I would appreciate any help regarding this strange needle, I do have one worry.

  “Wouldn’t he ask you where you got it from?”

  “I’ll simply say I found it on the ground. People lose small items like these all of the time, though typically not ones quite as valuable as this.”

  “Then please do. It would be nice to know exactly what it is.”

  Perhaps then I’ll be able to know why it sometimes feels so oddly when I hold it.

  “Before I do that though, what makes you think it’s magical?”

  Well, I suppose a demonstration is in order.Might as well show off the most obvious point.At least, the one I can dispy without cutting something.

  “Could you hold still a moment?”

  With that, I fly onto his hand and pick up the needle in question.Then I proceed to easily, but carefully, wave it around with one hand before finally bancing it effortlessly on merely a single finger.

  “First, it gets oddly sharp when I want it to, but also entirely dull when I wish. Second, Talia said a moment ago that this weighs about the same as me, yet as you can see, I can lift this as if it had no weight at all, even at my…as I am now.”

  “Huh. Could you put it down again for a moment?”

  Once I do so, he promptly asks me to pick it up once more.After which, he looks at me with confusion.

  “When it’s in my hand, I can feel it, and I can feel you standing there. Yet when you pick it up, its weight disappears. Unless you’re flying, that shouldn’t be possible. But I can feel it. That’s incredible!”

  Welcome to my world.I seem to be surrounded by the impossible tely.Speaking of which.

  “Besides this weightlessness that, apparently, is only for me, it also seems to show up whenever I need it. I suppose I should tell you to not be surprised if it disappears.”

  “You mean to say it simply appears wherever you are?”

  “Yes. So far, it’s done that twice, so I expect that it will continue doing so. Maybe if I know what it’s made of I’ll be able to determine how it’s doing it.”

  “Okay… To think my needle would become magical, hehe. Well, if there’s nothing else, I ought to be going. I’ll let you know what my old man says about this metal.”

  “Thank you, Garen.”

  After saying a quick farewell, he exits the house.*Bawk*Leaving me free to wonder why Mum brought a hen home.Yet she addresses me first.

  “I would ask which of you was responsible for the way my table now appears, but I’m fairly certain I already know the answer. Akari?”

  Green vines growing directly from the floor and tightly wrapping the four legs.Pretty, brilliant blue flowers sprouting from said vines with no sign of wilting.Smooth wood surfaces without any obvious cracks.And now a shiny, nigh sparkling, polished top.This may now be the most beautiful piece of furniture Mum has ever owned.She enjoyed the flowers, perhaps she’ll let me off easy?

  “It was an accident, but don’t you think it looks prettier now?”

  “Aki, the flowers I could cim to have brought back from the forest and was able to somehow grow them, even if that would be a bit of a stretch, but everyone knows we can’t afford polished furniture such as this.”

  Yeah, sure, the table that looks as if it ought to be in a patrician’s mansion kind of stands out in our poor home.

  “Sorry. I tried using magic but found that particur spell to be too difficult, and it sort of slipped away from me. Luckily, it only had the effect you see there. And before you say anything, I don’t intend to try magic that complex inside our home again.”

  *Bawk*

  “Well, I suppose we could find something to use as a tablecloth to cover it up, but first, why don’t we see to this chicken? I have an idea I want to tell you.”

  Mum then goes on to expin that she received the hen from Naia, the eldest sister of Varia, one of Talia’s friends.Since it no longer ys eggs, she had brought it to town with her, along with some crops, to our vilge’s small marketpce.Which is mostly a few farmer’s stalls near the shops in the eastern pza.When Mum had gone to sell her gathered, edible goods, Naia called out to her.Due to recent events, also known as my presumed death, she insisted on trading it to Mum for a paltry amount of her freshly gathered goods.At this point in Mum’s story, Talia interrupts.

  “Um, s-sis? I know that you’d rather people not be aware that you became a fairy, but you told Garen. What about Varia? Or Lulu? I wouldn’t know what to do if they tried to comfort me about what happened to you.”

  Lucia, or Lulu as her father nicknamed her, is Maline’s younger sister.Considering Mum’s vocation, we often see the alchemist family and grew close over the years.But as for Talia’s question, I have to mull it over for a bit.Obviously, the more people that know about me, the more likely my presence will become widely known.Moreover, Garen, I trust, but Talia’s friends are quite a bit younger, and Varia, at least, I don’t know very well.Yet, can I really put my sister through what I just experienced?Having to expin at some point why she kept such significant news a secret from her friends?Not to mention, lying to them in the meantime.And who knows how far in the future that would be?I don’t believe that would be fair to her, especially not when I also intend to tell Maline.

  “Do you believe we can trust them not to tell anyone else?”

  “If Lulu agrees to it, most definitely. Varia, on the other hand, um, probably? Honestly, if she were to tell anyone she saw a fairy, nobody would ever believe her. She really likes to tell stories.”

  I suppose it can’t be any worse than Emira knowing about me.

  “Then if you can find a way to speak to them privately, you may tell them.”

  “Sis! You know they’ll never believe me if you don’t come along as well!”

  “Yeah, sure, we’ll both have to pay a visit to friends tomorrow. Probably better to do that sooner rather than ter.”

  Although, I’ll still need to be careful not to do anything strange that may harm someone accidently.Yet as long as nothing unexpected happens, I ought to be able to manage that for a short time.

  “Aki, are you sure about this?”

  “Yes, Mum. After today, I decided that I don’t want to hide from my friends forever, and it’s not fair to force you and Talia to lie to your friends for me. Although, I think we should be careful about how exactly we tell Maline and her family about me. I don’t suppose you know if they have any fairy traps, do you?”

  “Sorry, but I have no idea. However, speaking to them will have to wait, as aside from Narissa, they are still away from town.”

  Maline had told me she was going on another trip, but that was some time ago.

  “Really? I thought they would have returned by now.”

  “Loca decided to take both of his daughters with him on his test journey to the capital. Since it’s the first time Lucia has been there, I would wager that he decided to show her around. Their return being several days ter than usual is no surprise.”

  Considering how much Lucia takes after her pa, I would most certainly expect him to have taken the opportunity to introduce her to his mercantile contacts in Regia, our capital city.I don’t remember ever going there, but my parents apparently went when I was a young girl.From what I understand, the city is massive, and it would take some time to travel around to pces.As Mum said, a few days te is no reason to worry.Also, even if they return tomorrow, they’ll likely need time to unload goods and settle down after their trip, so we shouldn’t pn to see them immediately.

  “Then why don’t we visit Varia’s family farm tomorrow, and afterwards, I can practice my magic in the hidden gde? I would like to visit the fairies soon, and I ought to get more comfortable with my magic before doing so.”

  “You three will have to find the gde by yourselves. I’ll need to tend to some chores in the afternoon, but I can come along in the morning.”

  Sounds like a pn.*bu-bawk*Though, Mum still hasn’t said what she wants to do with this chicken.