Currently, I’m standing on a pool of water wishing I could sink into it, yet the one I asked a rather embarrassing question of is keeping me afloat.

  “In regards to your query, there are errors within the inquiry itself.”

  At least Aquia seems to be finally giving me an answer.I hope.

  “Sadly, while it may be more efficient to provide a demonstration, I believe Capria’s circle was exhausted during your creation. Oh, but mine may soon be at sufficient strength! If you would accompany me, I could show you-”

  “No!! I don’t need to see! Simply telling me will suffice. Please!”

  Merely asking about this topic is embarrassing.I certainly do not need to be shown how fairies are made!Especially, if her demonstration would be in any way simir to her st one!With her behavior, entering her home might just be the end of me!

  After my interruption, Aquia peers at me with a perplexed expression.

  “For one whose vortex holds such a trivial amount of fire essence and whose wings remain in bance, you are extremely excitable. I suspect your personality has yet to become fully defined by your magic. You may wish to soon increase your experience with the energies that you are cking if you wish to retain it.”

  What?Is she saying that I might change because I don’t have enough of something?Yet before I can ask, she continues.

  “However, I digress. Returning to your question, first, there are no ‘baby’ fairies, as you put it. Fairies begin their existence with all of their faculties fully avaible to them. The only major difference between a newly-formed and a fledgling, one who has begun utilizing essence with celerity, is how much they have experienced in their lifetime.”

  Well, that expins why they all appear to be the same age, with the exception of this one.Also, if Nibi began her life as intelligent as she is now, the age Aquia mentioned seems much more reasonable.

  “Second, fairies are not born. They may form wherever an immense amount of pure essence converges in any one pce. For many years, this occurred randomly as magic roamed across the nd, typically of only a single element at any given time but occasionally in its fully wild state. However, the days of such freely roaming magic have ceased, and currently, fairies coalesce within the circles once sufficient energy has gathered.”

  “They coalesce?”

  While I understand most of her words, some are beyond my knowledge, even with this strange aid I seem to be receiving.

  “Pure, overflowing essences will occasionally swirl together and mysteriously fashion a vortex, which then in turn gathers a magically symbiotic form about itself with the aid of said essence. Once the entire construct binds together as portions of a single, self-perpetuating entity, a new fairy has been fashioned.”

  “So they simply appear? There are no, um, parents involved?”

  “Correct. As beings of pure magic, fairies are created by the essence of magic itself. While it is possible to encourage our circles to form another fairy, they do so of their own accord, often with no exterior influence. Creating a fairy on one’s own is nigh impossible considering the apparent contradictions involved in their construction, and I have failed in that regard many times. Even your own creation was an ingenious use of the circle’s natural tendencies, not a direct formation by another fairy.”

  So fairies aren’t truly involved when it comes to making more of themselves.They simply come into existence, with a, somewhat, adult mind even.All on their own, no parents to care for them.

  Then a thought strikes me.This means…This means that I’ll never be able to have children.

  Yeah, sure, that is quite far from being one of my priorities right this moment, and considering my ck of the usual equipment, I understood that new fairies likely came about in a different manner.Perhaps by mingling magic in a certain way, physical changes that occurred at some point, or some other process I hadn’t thought of.Yet I had hoped that, at some point far in the future, I might still be able to have kids of my own, even if they would be fairies.But now, knowing without a doubt that such a thing can never happen…*Sigh*I’ll need to consider this ter, for the time being, I ought to focus on the rest of my questions while I can.

  Seemingly noticing that I’m finished with this topic, Aquia lets the watery shelter fall into the pond.An instant ter, my footing vanishes, but I’m able to catch myself with my wings before I sink beyond my knees and hover above the surface once more.A swift gnce at Aquia reveals a hint of a smirk before she turns away.

  Ugh, even the ancient fairies are pranksters at heart.With some tricks being more outrageous than others.Honestly, who casually cuts a person and seemingly finds no issue with it!?These stupid fairies are all lunatics!Hopefully, I’ll be able to bear her company long enough to learn the rest of what I need to know, as I still have my greatest concern to address.

  Nibi, of course, comes to my side when she sees the water return to the ke.This three year old fairy…Will she one day do something like that as well?As a water fairy, is that how she can be expected to act in the future?Certainly, she made me into a fairy, but ever since then, she’s never harmed me.Yet is that only because I’m her focus?Would she be as bad as all the rest were she to change colors?Or even simply change her focus?

  Perhaps it’s because of how they’re born?Or formed, rather?They simply appear without any connection to another.Hence, Nibi had no parents, no family, and as far as I’m aware, no friends.I’ve no idea if she can even comprehend such things, but she may have even made me a fairy because she was lonely, or it was at least part of the reason?

  Which brings me to the greatest reason I have for coming to this pce.What if I’m not a safe fairy to be around either?I’ve been doing my best not to allow the essences I take in to cause me to harm anyone, but what if my mere existence is a hazard to humans?I would never be able to return home, never be able to see my family again…

  But I’ve stalled long enough with less urgent questions.I need to know if I’m safe for people to be around me.

  Quickly refilling myself with the wind and water essence nearby, I then purposefully overfill, pushing out a bit of water energy and causing blue dust to fall from my hands and feet.Yet before it strikes the surface of the pond, I catch some with both of my hands together.Some time ago, I attempted to grasp this substance with my fingers, but it instantly slipped away.With Talia, the dust stuck to her skin and clothes quite readily, yet for me, holding it is more difficult than gripping onto a shard of ice.It constantly slides over my unnaturally smooth skin, even in my cupped hands, and I have to be careful that it doesn’t blow away in the breeze.

  Cautiously holding out what I caught, I turn to Aquia who is still standing nearby, watching me.

  “Could you tell me what this is?”

  “Fairy dust, obviously.”

  Duh!

  “Yes, dust from a fairy, I knew that! But what exactly is it? I’m aware that it isn’t normal dust, yet I can’t feel any magic from it.”

  “And you will continue to be unable to, unless you first contact it with energy that is still under your control. This particur detritus is pure water essence given a physical form. Magic is capable of passing through nearly everything, allowing us to sense the minute amounts of essence being released from all that attempts to contain it. However, in this state, the energy is perfectly isoted within, which hides its existence from our senses. Moreover, even if its containment were to fail, its material form still bears the mark of your own unique essence, causing it to be exceedingly difficult for your senses to differentiate it from yourself.”

  So Talia was right.It is magical.

  “How do I get the essence out again?”

  “Simply force some magic into it while retaining your control. You will then be able to sense the crystalized essence within, even absorb it, if you so desire.”

  Following her instruction, I do so, focusing some of my water energies and pushing them into the dust.Immediately afterwards, an utterly bizarre sensation of holding pieces of myself in my hands comes over me, followed by the sense of a tiny bit of water essence.Yet, something feels off about the energy inside the dust.Just a little…different.Wishing to learn why, I attempt to reabsorb the magic.

  Abruptly, all of my senses scream at me at once!Ugh!A scent worse than I could ever have conceived of assaults my nose, while a simirly foul taste besets my tongue.Putrid colors swirl and dance across my vision, tuneless screeching grates in my ears, and worst of all, the most disgusting, slimy sensation imaginable begins flowing up the inside of my arms.

  Gah!It’s revolting!Utterly horrid!!

  “Ewww!!!”

  Not caring what happens to it, I hastily push the essence-filled dust from me, shaking and filing my hands in an attempt to cast it away all the quicker.A moment ter, a small spsh occurs in the pond below.*ditiditi*ditiditi*Instantly followed, of course, by the two fairies chuckling at me.

  While I’m trying to regain my composure, Aquia address me again.

  “I may have neglected to mention that the process by which the magic is solidified also renders it wholly repulsive to fairies while in that state. *diti*”

  *Sigh*No, Akari, you cannot punch the crazy fairy when she likely has enough magic to level my hometown.Ugh, if I didn’t need her knowledge, I’d leave immediately.I’m not certain how much longer I can stomach her.Even if I no longer have one!At least when I took in life essence yesterday, it simply felt like it didn’t belong.But this, this stuff was vile!

  Suddenly, an intense magical presence comes from above, followed by a voice.

  “Aquia, if you remain here much longer, you’ll…Oh, I see you’ve found the newest addition to my gde.”

  Looking up, I see another rge fairy.Though not quite the size of Aquia, she’s still significantly bigger than I.Yet, what immediately seizes my attention is her colors.Unlike all the other fairies I’ve seen thus far, she’s dispying patterns in a multitude of hues!Red, blue, green, purple, cyan...so many different colors!Some of which I’ve never even seen before on my own wings.I was beginning to suspect that I would be the only fairy that carried more than one, but it would seem that is not the case.

  Simir to Aquia, she too is wearing a shimmering gown formed from pure essence, yet hers appears as if she formed a rainbow into some grand garment, all of her colors dispyed in shifting patterns throughout the beautiful dress, which in turn seems to be slowly changing from one style of dress to another.Currently, it appears as a dancing gown the wealthy would wear at a ball, but even as I watch, it’s gradually slimming into something else.Strangely, while her wings and hair match her clothes, her eyes, which also contain all of those wondrous colors, appear to have an overbearing excess of purple within them.

  As I stare in wonder, Aquia responds to her.

  “Yes, she is quite the fascinating specimen. I have been having a lovely time with her! Your idea to remake a living creature into a fairy was simply marvelous!”

  Huh?Hold on.Did she say, her idea?

  “I’m gd you’re enjoying your stay, but your presence is destabilizing my gde, so I would appreciate it if you departed soon.”

  “Certainly, Capria, as soon as I have finished with this one.”

  At Aquia’s words, the other fairy appears to be readying herself to fly away, but I hastily call out.

  “Please wait!”

  As soon as I do so, she turns her focus to me, and the true strength of her magic becomes apparent.Roughly the same intensity as Aquia, this fairy’s magic is also absurdly powerful, but rather than being all one essence, it’s comprised of many.Meaning she’s likely capable of doing nearly anything she desires, albeit with lesser strength.Yet, despite receiving the same unusual feeling from her that I get from Aquia, that she’s different from other fairies, I’ve learned my lesson.She’s surely no saner than any of the others here.So as I’ve been struggling to be towards Aquia, it probably would be for the best if I remain polite.

  “May I ask a question?”

  “I believe you just did.”

  With that irritated reply, she begins to leave, but before I can make another sound, she pauses and turns back to me.

  “But you may ask another if you’re quick about it.”

  Strange, but as she’s obviously a bit impatient, I’ll ignore her sudden change of mind.Thankfully, this should only require a moment.

  “Wasn’t making me into a fairy Nibi’s idea? That’s what I was told.”

  I still clearly remember that on my very first day after I was forced to become one of these creatures, they informed me that it was Nibi who wanted this.So why am I now hearing a different story?

  “Nibi?”

  “Miep!”

  “Ah, I see. You named her then. Well, it was her idea, but also mine. Do you truly believe one as young as she could even fathom the intricacies of doing such a thing? Especially, a lone water fairy? Without numerous fairies coordinating together with the circle, which requires my particur magic, the task of creating a fairy would be unthinkable, not to mention forging a living creature into one. Such an act has never been done before, likely never even considered before. So tell me, who do you suppose such an idea belongs to? They who provide the basis for imagination, the one who merely proposes the impossible, or she who works out how to actually perform it?”

  What is she saying?From her words, it seems as if Nibi did in fact come up with the idea, perhaps with help, but she wouldn’t have known how to do it.Of course she wouldn’t have, she’s too young!But then this fairy produced an idea of her own to pair with Nibi’s.A way to make the impossible a reality.To make me a fairy.

  So one who is, for all intents and purposes, a child, came up to one that is who knows how old with such a crazy idea, and her response was: Oh, I’ve an idea how we can do that!Instead of telling her how cruel it would be, she magically made it happen!Which means…this colorful fairy above me is the one responsible for changing me!She’s the reason I am like this now!If it weren’t for her, I may have been left alone!All of the hardships I’ve been through recently because I became a fairy…They’re all her fault!!

  “So you did this to me!!!”

  As I yell, my wings carry me closer, and I naturally move to point at her.But when I do so, fire and wind energy pour through my arm and out through my hand, and strange blue fmes roar forth.However, before I can even react to my own magic, the target of my anger instantly absorbs the essence from the fmes without even lifting a finger, causing them to abruptly vanish.Moreover, her powerful magical presence suddenly surrounds me, coming not just from where she’s hovering, but from every portion of the gde as well, as if all the essence in this pce is merely awaiting her command.

  Oh shit!!I just attacked her!Yes, I’m angry at her, furious even, but she is far, far more powerful and experienced than I, and now I can feel that this entire gde truly belongs to this queen.Even with my temper, as a human I would have at least thought twice about attacking a soldier, no matter how angry they made me.Much more so with a visiting senator!But as I am now, my magic simply unleashed itself!I knew it was going to get me into trouble!

  And while I seem to have an immunity to magic, I don’t believe it will help me against such a fairy.It has a limit, judging by the strain I feel when it activates, and she may very well be about to show me just what that limit is.I feel as if I’ve just accidentally struck one of the veteran Aeterians my pa often spoke about.Against her, I don’t stand a chance!

  So I hastily do the only thing that I can.Apologize.

  “I’m sorry! I didn’t do…that wasn’t…I-I didn’t mean to!”

  Fortunately, instead of anger on her face, I see only mirth at my stammering attempt to beg for my life.

  *diti* “You’re-quite-amusing-It’s-been-a-long-time-since-a-young-one-has-tried-to-py-with-me. If my fme were dominant, I might have taken you up on the offer, but as it is, I am rather busy at the moment. My name is Capria. I understand you have a name as well?”

  As she speaks, I notice her eyes flicker oddly from green to cyan, and back to the purple I saw originally.But I’ve no time to question that.The extremely powerful being in front of me, who I would have just accidentally begun a fight with if she were human, is expecting an answer, and I prefer that she continues to talk peacefully for the time being.

  “A-Akari.”

  “Akari? Such a name, in these nds? I suppose it has been some time since I surveyed my gde’s surroundings. Well, Akari, please do come find me at another time. We might be able to have a bit of fun together. I look forward to seeing you in the future.”

  With those words, she departs, and her presence fades.

  *Phew*If I was still bodily able to, I would be covered in sweat right now, heart pounding, yet the only physical indication of my recent fright is the slight trembling in my wings.

  That was not one of my proudest moments.I’ve only truly just met her, but I’ve already succeeded in further drawing the personal attention of the awful, and immensely powerful, fairy queen who apparently made me this way, long before I’m able to meaningfully confront her.*Sigh*Just what I needed…

  And to top it all off, even she thought my name was strange!