Having swiftly flown into a nearby flower for privacy, I’m attempting to recall my own thoughts during the time I was full of fire energy.However, they don’t make any sense!

  With all the other essences, except perhaps moonlight, I’m able to follow my thoughts when I attempt to remember the reasons for my actions, even if I find myself disagreeing with them once that energy is no longer affecting me.Yet with fire, my memories feel the slightest bit blurred, and even more confusing, my thoughts seem fragmented.I remember being angry, then incredibly joyous, then angry again, followed by the worst feeling of embarrassment in my entire life.Which somehow became an overflowing gratitude towards…Nibi?I think?Then a bnket of absolute rage blurs everything.Truly, there is so much that I can’t recall.

  If I were to imagine my recent thoughts as a book, it would be as if someone stole from it all the pages that depicted a conclusion or a change.I’ve no idea how I came to be doing the things I remember, nor how I finished my previous thoughts and actions.Apparently, I simply did one thing, then was suddenly doing another, and another, with no beginning or end to each subject, till Nibi provided me with water.It’s incredibly confusing!Which is only made worse by the fact that nearly all that I remember are feelings!Incredibly potent emotions that seem to be entirely unreted to one another.This makes it extremely difficult to determine what exactly the essence changed about my thoughts.

  Gah!So many of my thoughts seem to abruptly end!Could I not focus on anything for more than a few moments!?

  Wait…focus?That may be it.If water is capable of providing crity of thought on a single subject, then perhaps fire is capable of messing with my mind in an opposite manner?By making me scatterbrained?Erratic?…That seems to fit what I can remember.

  But why are my emotions so easy to recall?It’s almost as if they became more important to me, I guess?I don’t believe I would normally feel as strongly as I did.In fact, I know I wouldn’t, because I can remember at least a portion of my actions.And I don’t think I’ve ever been so giddy as to merrily dance in front of a crowd of strangers from simply beating one at a game!Though maybe that was why I was so embarrassed for a time?

  Well, I’m not likely to arrive at a better conclusion about fire’s effect without Mum’s aid, and I’m not certain if I’ll ever request that of her.In the same manner as all the other essences, I’m fairly certain that I didn’t find its effects bothersome when filled with fire, but now, just the thought of being utterly unable to focus on a task...Ugh!I’d never be able to finish a dress!So no, I still do not intend to routinely carry a rge portion of this energy, though a little in my wings may be useful at some point.One never knows when a small fme may be needed.

  But now that I have a thought as to what happened to me, I wonder when I absorbed all of that energy?I’m fairly certain I remained unaffected during the game, so it must have been shortly after that…Oh, that’s it!When I was flung into the sky, my concentration must have been broken.That would have surely allowed the incredible pressure of the essence surrounding me to rush in.Even if I hadn’t been distracted, as saturated as the va was with red essence, being inside that much of it may very well have forced the energy past my guard.Which also expins why I’m now hiding in a flower.My dress must have instantly turned to cinders!

  “Akari. Miep.”

  “Ah, thank you, Nibi.”

  She brought me a green petal dress to wear, which I quickly don.I’m extremely gd she’s willing to help with clothing, even though she clearly doesn’t understand why I want it.Although now, more than ever, I look as all the other fairies do.

  Once I’ve finished putting on the outfit, Nibi speaks once more, though a little worriedly and unusually timid.

  “Miep…A-Akari? N-Nibi?”

  Judging by her expression, she seems afraid that I’m going to be angry with her.But for what?From what I remember, I only felt good emotions towards her.Well, till she began pressuring me into taking some water.Could that be it?Perhaps pushing an element on another is considered offensive amongst fairies?That would be understandable, as I would despise anyone who would force me to, essentially, alter my mind against my will.Which, now that I think about it, is precisely what Nibi did.However, I had previously told her that I didn’t wish to be a fire fairy, and so gave her permission to do as she did.At least, as far as I am concerned, and I’m very gd she didn’t leave me in that state.

  “I’m not angry, Nibi. Quite the opposite, in fact. You were only helping me out, and who knows how long I would have stayed that way if you hadn’t. So, thank you.”

  “Miep! *ditiditi*”

  At my words, she returns to her cheerful self and promptly clings to me.Since she’s now so close, I can’t help but notice that her wings are transparent in several pces.Moreover, her blue coloring appears a little paler than usual.I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her this low on essence before, as she always absorbed whatever she wanted from the water barrel at home.This must be due to how much energy she gave me.

  “How about we go to the water pools? You look like you could use some.”

  “Yes!”

  “Then lead the way.”

  “No. Akari.”

  “Uh, you want me to go first?”

  “Yes.”

  Odd.She does tend to follow me, but she knows this gde better than I.Wonder why she wants me to fly ahead?But, no matter.

  With Nibi trailing behind, I fly towards the springs.Shortly afterwards, they become visible under the flowers, and I set down near a pool.Nibi, on the other hand, glides directly into the water instead of nding beside me.Her wings swiftly fill once more, and her color returns to the deep blue I’m accustomed to seeing.Yet while she’s doing so, a voice calls out from nearby.

  “Would you mind helping us a moment? Or are you both still setting up the fiery game?”

  Turning towards the voice, I see two fairies, one gold and one green, hovering near a seedling.The nature fairy is the one who spoke, but both are obviously expecting me to answer.

  “Um, no. The game finished a short time ago. But now I’m looking for someone who might be able to answer some questions.”

  “We’ll offer an answer each if we know it in return for your aid. This should only take a few moments of your time.”

  “Well, I can try, but if it involves magic, know that I’m not very skilled with it yet.”

  “Truly? You don’t appear that young, though I can’t recall seeing you here before, and I would recognize one with such variety of colors. Were you an earth fairy for a great length of time?”

  Her golden friend interrupts.

  “Oh, I know! I know! She’s the one we all made together! The one that appeared after we made that thing go psshooo! I was awake far too long that day in order to help, so I remember!”

  “Ah, that expins it. I wasn’t here for that. Wish I could have seen it, as I was told it was an impressive sight.”

  Seriously!?To them, I was just a thing they exploded!?Or a spectacle to be witnessed!?Argh!

  No.Calm down, Akari.Remember the mess you were in only a short time ago.I knew the fairies were like this before I returned.Just focus on getting answers.

  “So as I said, I’m not skilled with magic, but I could ask Nibi if you’d like?”

  “Certainly.”

  As Nibi finished drawing in water essence while we were speaking, I turn to her.

  “Would you mind helping them for me?”

  “Yeah, sure!”

  After the two expin to her what they need, something about increasing the amount of magic in the water near the roots, a thing I didn’t even know was possible, the three fairies turn to the sapling.A few moments ter, a fully grown pnt with flowers of simir size as all the others stands in front of me, joining them in forming a colorful pattern.This particur one has golden petals, and judging by their talk, will lightly glow even at night, aiding the sunlight fairy during the hours of gloom.

  The golden fairy swiftly flutters about, inspecting it, while the nature fairy turns back to me.

  “So what would you like to know?”

  I suppose I should begin with something easy, a question that came up only recently at this gde itself.

  “Well, for starters, do you know why fire fairies would use earth and even water in their games? I was expecting them to use only, you know, fire.”

  “Indeed, if you go to any other gde, that is what you would find. However, most who dwell here enjoy combining the elements with each other, or at least switching between them often. Even those with currently opposing elements will often work together, to a limited degree, if it creates something enjoyable. Capria’s gde is quite unique in that aspect.”

  A fairy with a name?Besides me and Nibi?

  “Who is Capria?”

  “The fairy who created this circle and controls its magic.”

  One of them created this pce?Well, I guess it stands to reason that this gde was made by fairies, but I thought it would have been a group effort, not merely accomplished by a single one.However, before I can ask another question, the sunlight fairy returns and the green fairy continues speaking.

  “Well, it seems I am finished here. Time for me to go. Farewell.”

  “Please wait! I have more questions. Questions about fairies!”

  “But I fulfilled what was offered for the both of us, and I am rather busy, as you can see.”

  When she offered answers a short time ago, did she truly specify how many?I thought she would at least reply to several!Stupid fairies!

  Thankfully, though they begin flying away, the golden one hurriedly replies.

  “I saw one you could ask! In fact, I think she’s looking for you! *ditiditi* Simply fly in that direction, and you’ll surely find her!”

  A fairy is looking for me?Why?Of what special interest could I possibly be to any fairy other than Nibi?