“Ugh…” Where am I? Argh… my head. I sit up, and place my hand on my head. I have a headache and feel slightly dizzy. I look around and see that I’m lying on a couch in the study. Orophine is sitting next to me reading a book.

“Good afternoon sweetheart,” Vestele says, “Did you enjoy your nap?”

“How are you feeling?” Orophine asks as she lowers her book and looks at me.

“Um… Yeah… I’m alright, but what happened?”

“You fainted earlier, and slept through the rest of your lesson,” Orophine states, “You do remember everything right?”

“Huh?” Ah right, she was telling me that I’m possibly the most important… “Yeah, I remember.”

“Good, then we won’t need to repeat that lesson,” Orophine says, “Now if you’re well enough, then you should head toward the lakeside, your flight lessons will be starting shortly. If you’re still not feeling well, I can cancel your remaining lessons for the day.”

“No, that’s alright,” I reply, “I’ll head over now. Thanks Orophine.”

“Of course princess.”

I get off the couch and leave the study. Waiting outside are Galatia and Faraine.

“Good afternoon princess,” Galatia and Faraine announce as I open the door.

“Hey,” I reply as I walk through the corridor. Galatia and Faraine start following behind me. “How long do I have until my flight lessons start?” I ask.

“Not long,” Galatia answers, “I believe if we continue at this pace, then you’ll be late.”

I sigh, “Alright, let’s pick up the pace then.” We start to run through the corridor. These damn pants, why are they so uncomfortable to run in? I’ll see if there are any that are more comfortable tonight. Once we reach the exit, we dash through Folian until we arrive at the lakeside where I’ve been having my flight lessons.

Over the last three days with Desela, my flight lessons have been separated into four different types of training. The first is speed training. During this, I race against Lenadrea and Galatia as we fly around Folian. The second is strength training to improve how much I can lift with my wings. During this, I grab a weight, usually a fruit or rock with a rope, and carry it from one location to another; Vallen and Faraine participate in this with me. As for my third, it’s endurance training, where I stay in the air as long as possible, while I cross over the lake. Zoelle and Orianna help me with this. Finally is my mobility training alongside Koralesca and Lyris, where I mimic specific maneuvers or flight paths to improve my fluidity in the air; almost like an obstacle course, but in the air.

Upon my arrival, I see Larina and the rest of my guards.

“Good afternoon princess,” my guards announce in unison. Jeez, I know Desela told Eude to teach them properly, but is that really necessary? 

“Hi…” I smile awkwardly, “Please don’t do that everytime, it only makes me feel awkward. I’d prefer if you all acted normally around me.”

“Thank the moons,” Lyris bellows.

“Just because the princess said so, doesn’t mean we should-” Vallen retorts.

“Vallen, I’m going to tell you now, if you don’t act more casually,” I interrupt, “I’ll have you removed as my guard.”

Vallen stares at me blankly for a moment, then sighs, “Alright, you heard the princess.”

Everyone starts laughing as Vallen turns slightly red. Well, I guess I know how to get Vallen to do what I want from now on.

Larina walks over to me. “I’m sure Desela told you this morning,” she states, “but from now on I’ll be in charge of you in the afternoon and evening, while also managing your flight lessons.” 

I nod.

“So, are you ready to get started?”

“Yeah. What do you have planned for today?”

“From my understanding, you’ve been focusing on speed, strength, endurance, and mobility for the last couple of days,” Larina declares, “Well, today, we’re going to focus on diving and stopping.”

“Huh?” I state as I tilt my head, “Like diving into water?”

“No no no, let me explain,” Larina chuckles, “You’re going to start by flying up into the sky, and once we reach a certain height, you’ll dive toward the ground as fast as you can, and just before reaching the ground, you try to stop.”

I stare at Larina for a moment. You’re joking right?

Larina turns toward my guards and asks, “Who here is confident in their diving and stopping?”

“Oh oh oh me, pick me,” Orianna starts jumping around.

“Okay, anyone else?”

“Lyris is quite skilled at that as-,” Galatia starts to say.

Lyris shoots Galaita a fierce look and quickly covers her mouth before she can finish.

“Good, this works perfectly. Orianna, Lyris, could you two show the princess an example,” Larina states, “Since you both have hindwings like the princess, this will be especially helpful.”

“Wahoo!” Orianna shouts as she bursts into the air.

Lyris lets out a defeated sigh.

“Princess Evetta… please watch carefully,” Lyris directs, “I’d rather not do this again.”

“Will do, thanks Lyris.” Damn… she’s still calling me princess…

Lyris follows after Orianna. The two continue flying up toward the sky, until they’re both nothing more than barely recognizable specks in the sky. We wait for a moment and then Orianna starts deceding rapidly, as she quickly approaches, she becomes easier to see. She is keeping her body straight, with her arms at her sides while her face is pointed at the ground.

She’s going too fast… “She’s going to crash!” I shout.

“She’s fine,” Zoelle comments.

“Pay attention princess,” Larina states.

Orianna dives toward the ground like a train that’s lost its brakes.

“Look out!” I shout just before Orianna reaches the ground.

Orianna shifts her legs, pointing them at the ground and spreads her forewings and curves her hindwings, all in a single movement. Suddenly, all of the momentum Orianna had instantly disappears as she loops in the air, just above the ground. A moment later, her slipstream blows down on us.

“Woah…” I mutter. She actually managed to stop without hitting the ground.

“Very impressive,” Larina comments, “Alright, if you didn’t catch how she did it, watch Lyris.”

After almost a minute, Lyris begins her descent and, with a similar form to Orianna,bullets toward the ground. Again, just before reaching the ground, she rotates her body and spreads her wings. Unlike Orianna who did loops to reduce her momentum, Lyris begins rapidly flapping her wings to stop just above the ground.

“Alright princess, with that, you’ve now seen two great examples of diving and stopping,” Larina states, “You ready to give it a try?”

“Huh? Ah… you know, could I see it a couple more times,” I reply reluctantly.

“It’s alright to be scared, that’s part of why we’re doing this training,” Larina comments, “And don’t worry, we’ll be doing our practice above the lake. Faraine, Lenadrea, you’ll be in charge of making sure the princess doesn’t hurt herself when she hits the water.”

What do you mean when? That makes it sound like I’m going to fail… actually, there’s a good chance that’ll happen.

“Alright, everyone except Faraine and Lenadrea will be participating. Let’s head up,” Larina announces as she grabs my hand and starts flying. I fly alongside her.

“Again?” Lyris whines.

“Ugh… I’m going to mess this up,” Koralesca comments.

“Come on, be positive,” Vallen states, “You’re going to scare the princess more than needed.”

“Hey, Larina, I’m not so sure about this,” I say hesitantly.

“Like I said princess, it’s okay to be scared,” Larina restates, “Compared to the others, this one has more of a mental aspect, and if you can’t overcome the fear of crashing, you won’t be able to succeed.”

“But do I really need to practice this?” I ask, “The others make sense, but will I ever really need to dive and stop like this?”

“You never know what might happen, that’s why we’re training you for any situation. Now stop complaining, we’ll be right by your side,” Larina smiles as she glances at everyone.

I scan everyone, seeing them all alongside me. Right… I’ll be okay, we’re just going to be flying really fast… toward the ground… nothing to worry about.

After ascending for several minutes, we stop at a height several times higher than the Vravyth. Folian and the lake look much smaller from up here.

“Alright princess. Aim for the lake, do what you can to stop, and don’t worry about messing up,” Larina explains, “This is what we’re going to work on for the entirety of this lesson, so after each attempt, we’ll fly back up here and repeat.”

“Right…” I mutter. This is actually pretty scary. 

“You can start whenever you’re ready,” Larina says.

I hover there for a bit. Okay, just like Orianna and Lyris, just dive down and stop. Nothing to-

“Come on princess, let’s go!” Orianna shouts, startling me.

“Sweetheart, don’t forget I’m always here,” Vestele comforts, “If there’s any danger, I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe.”

I let out a sigh to calm myself. “Right, okay, here goes.”

I start flying toward the ground with Orianna flying alongside me. I straighten out my body, placing my arms at my side, and I try to keep my wings straight so that they don’t catch the wind. As I quickly gain speed, Orianna and the others all zoom past me. The air surges across my body as I continue to accelerate. The faster I dive, the faster I can feel my heartbeat.

This… this is fast… but the air feels kind of nice… Ah, I can see Faraine.

I continue my descent, my speed ever-increasing. The lake rapidly grows larger as I make my descent. My heart continues to pound against my chest. I can see Orianna and the others all stop just before the lake.

Ah… I won’t make it! “Aaaaaaagh” I scream as I approach the water, my body refusing to respond. I place my hands over my face and plummet into the lake. A torrent of air slows me down, and the water rises to meet me, further softening my crash.

I squeeze my eyes shut and my whole body tenses up as a sharp cold swallows me.

Holy shit…  I open my eyes, realizing I’m underwater. I check to make sure I’m not injured. No pain… I’m... okay? Ah… crap, I messed up… I need to get out of- I can’t move! No, why… I… I can’t…

Suddenly, the water around me disappears as if it’s replaced by air.

*Cough* *Cough*

What is this? An air bubble?

Slowly, I start to float up toward the water’s surface. As I near the surface of the water, the bubble pops.

“Are you alright?” Lenadrea asks as she pulls me out of the water.

Faraine uses her spyra to remove the water from my wings, allowing me to fly on my own. 

“Princess!” Vallen and Zoelle shout.

Everyone surrounds me. I point to the shore and we fly to the lakeside.

“You okay princess?” Larina asks as she lands next to me.

“Y-yeah… I-I’m okay,” I stutter.

“You certainly don’t look okay, you’re shaking, and you look a little pale,” Koralesca remarks, “And that landing… Ow.”

“Don’t listen to her princess,” Zoelle says.

“I’m okay,” I say as I try to stand up. My legs give out beneath me and I fall back to the ground. My body trembles as a cold sweat crosses my back. I can feel my heart thumping against my chest, and my breathing is ragged and uneven.

Galatia crouches down next to me, places her arms around me, and whispers, “It’s okay to cry if you’re scared.”

Hearing Galatia’s words, I lean into her warm embrace and feel the cold chill dissipate from my body. My body still shakes, but I feel the tension start to release under her caress. I try to speak, but no words come as my lips quiver. I bite down and plant my face into her shoulder ,sobbing quietly.

“I… I was… scared…” I cry as I clench onto Galatia, “I’m sorry…” Dammit… I’m crying again… I hate this…

Galatia embraces me until I calm down. My tears fade and my body relaxes.

“Thanks Galatia…” I mutter.

She puts her arms on her shoulders as she gently pulls away from me, and smiles sweetly as she looks into my eyes, “Of course princess.”

Suddenly, Larina asks, “You ready for another attempt?”

I turn and look at Larina with a dumbstruck face. “Uh.. no.. not really…”

“Hmph, alright, well you’ve now experienced the biggest hurdle about diving. From now on, while we practice, keep that fear in mind, because that’s what you need to overcome,” Larina explains, “Now, we’ll start practicing how to transition your momentum to help you stop, and don’t worry, we’ll be doing it from a much lower height.”

So you want me to remember that traumatizing fear… great...

Larina stands me up and, once sure that I am steady, leads me into the air. This time we stop half way up one of the small trees on the island. Following Larina’s instructions, we spend the rest of the session practicing how to dive and stop to get my body used to the motion.

---

“Thank god that’s finally over…” I mutter as I sit down on the ground next to everyone, “That’s by far the worst.”

“Hey princess,” Lyris chimes, “You shouldn’t thank the gods… If you want to thank something, it should be the moons.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” I ask, tilting my head in confusion.

“You do know that gods reside in their own realm, right? For fairies, we don’t owe the gods anything, actually, the gods are thankful for us,” Lyris states, “Instead, we thank the moons for blessing us with a second life as fairies.”

“The moons?” I question, “Are they what cause us to be born as fairies?”

“Who knows,” Lyris says, “It’s just what fairies thank.”

“I see…” The moons, how strange, thank the moons… that sounds so weird. “I’ll try to get used to it.”

“You did pretty well for your first time doing any diving,” Larina declares, “But it’s weird that you’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Ah, well it’s because-” Wait, isn’t this a good time to tell them, they’re all here. “Actually, there’s something I want to tell everyone…”

“Oh, you’re going to tell them?” Vestele asks.

Everyone grows quiet at my words.

“There’s something that I’ve been lying about, and it’s been bugging me for a couple of days now,” I state, “I could keep lying, but I don’t want to, especially when you’re all being so nice to me.”

“Princess, if it’s something important then I don’t want to hear it,” Lyris comments as she stands up.

Galatia grabs her hand before she leaves and says, “Stay.”

“Galatia…” Lyris mutters as she looks at Galatia, then at me and sighs, “Fine…”

“It’s nothing drastically important, but I’d rather other people not know if possible,” I state, “So, if I tell you, could you please keep it a secret?”

“Of course,” “Absolutely,” “Sure,” “No problem,” Everyone answers positively.

“Princess, I don’t know if telling Orianna is a good idea,” Koralesca comments, “Her and her big mouth tend to let things slip.”

“Hey, I can keep a secret!” Orianna retorts.

“Oh, then what about mine or Zoelle’s?” Koralesca argues.

“I told other people on purpose because you guys were being mean,” Orianna answers blatantly.

“Why you-” Koralesca hisses.

“Not right now,” barks Lenadrea.

I chuckle, “It’s fine, it’s not the end of the world if others find out. I’m just not comfortable with telling everyone yet.”

“Well, it’s your call,” Koralesca replies.

No one else says anything and awaits my words. “It’s about how old I am… I’m not ten years old, I’m actually only seven months old,” I announce looking down, “I’m sorry for lying, but I thought I was weird, and I didn’t want everyone else thinking the same.” I close my eyes, hide my face in my knees, and grab my pants as I feel my face get warm. They think I’m weird now… 

Suddenly, I feel several people hugging me.

“It’s okay princess, so you stayed in your bud a little longer than everyone else and you're a bit bigger than the others,” Zoelle consoles, “that doesn’t make you weird.”

I sit there in their embrace for several minutes, until I feel several people let go and step back. I look up and realize that Zoelle, Lenadrea, and Galatia were the ones around me as they back away, while Faraine is still holding onto me.

“Thank you,” Faraine whispers into my ear before letting go. I smile hearing her words.

“So, that explains why everything’s so new to you?” Larina asks.

“Yeah… Again, I’m sorry for lying, but-”

“It’s fine, we all lie about things,” Larina states, “Honestly, I thought it was weirder that you were ten and were struggling so much with flying. You not even being a year old makes much more sense.”

“Then what about the elements?” Faraine asks, “And the elmite storm?”

“Honestly, I only made my soul cores a few days ago,” I answer, “That’s why I’m unable to use the elements…” I pause for a moment then continue, “As for the elmite storm, I have a… condition… and it’s because of that condition that I was able to stop the storm.” I continue, “I trust you, but I can’t explain what my condition is until I know I can fully trust you, so I hope you can be satisfied with this for now.”

“So, I’m just a condition now?” Vestele remarks.

“So, you’re a big, seven month old skryver princess, that just created their soul cores, and stopped a massive elmite storm due to your mystery condition…” Koralesca restates, “Quite the declaration princess.”

“I hate to interrupt princess, but are you making any progress with the elements?” Vallen suddenly asks.

“Nope, not really,” I answer as I look at him, “But I’m still trying to figure it out.”

Following my answer, we continue to chat about my struggles with the elements and things I can possibly do to improve until Desela, Minerva, and her pages arrive.

During the last three days under Desela’s tutelage, she explained that each soul core is independent of one another, and has to be developed on its own. To help me understand, she used an analogy that each soul core is like a plant, while spyr is like nutrients. If I water one plant, it does nothing for the others, so I have to manage all twelve of my soul cores, but the more spyr I give to develop a soul core, the stronger the spyra within that core becomes.

As for the training itself, I’ve tried to manifest an element, but nothing has happened, and I believe that this is part of the reason why Desela is having Minerva take over as my teacher, not that I understand how Minerva is going to be able to help. 

My guards all leave with Minerva’s pages to be taught how to better use their element, leaving me with Desela and Minerva.

“I’m here, great,” Minerva declares, “But why do I need to teach the princess how to do something as basic as using the elements?”

“You know I hate repeating myself, so please listen,” Desela barks, “Evetta has yet to manifest any element. She seems to gather spyr easily, but she’s unable to use the elements, so we’re going to try and stimulate her cores in hopes that we can ignite the elements within them.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, I got all that,” Minerva retorts, “but I still don’t see why you need me for this.”

“Starting today, you’re going to be teaching her,” Desela replies, “So, get used to it. Otherwise, you can get used to staying here in Folian.”

“Fine…” Minerva sighs, “What do you want me to do? Send some spyr into her soul through her wings?”

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Desela answers.

“Alright, princess. Turn around,” Minerva orders, “Let’s get this over with.”

“Desela, I think I’d rather try and figure out how to use the elements on my own,” I state.

“Look Evetta, I know she’s a pain in the ass,” Desela says.

“I’m right here,” Minerva comments.

“But she does know more about this than I do,” Desela continues, “If there’s anyone here that can help you manifest your elements, and help you develop your soul cores, it’s her.”

“Yeah, but-” I start to say.

“Look princess, I hate this just as much, if not more than you do,” Minerva exclaims, “But if you’re my ticket to the spirit realm, then dammit, you’re going to listen and learn how to use the elements. Now turn around.”

“Come on Evetta, let’s get started,” Desela adds.

I sigh, “Alright…” I turn around and point my wings toward them.

I feel something touch my wings, followed by a rush of energy flowing into them.

“Agh!” Minerva shouts from behind me.

“Well that was interesting,” Vestele comments.

“What happened?” I turn around and ask.

They are both now several steps away. Desela’s mouth is agape, and Minerva is sitting on the ground staring at me, her arms propping her up. Her body is trembling slightly. Okay… I don’t like those looks.

“Um… what happened?” I ask.

Minerva mutters something under her breath, while Desela shakes her head and says, “Well, we didn’t even start stimulating your cores.”

“You want to stimulate her cores after what just happened?” Minerva bellows, “Hell no! I’ll figure out something else, but I’m not doing that again.”

Thanks for making me sound like some kind of monster. “Um… what?”

“Well, the moment we started transferring spyr into your wings…” Desela pauses, “You started rapidly draining our spyr from us. And it wasn’t a small amount either…” 

“Give it back!” Minerva shouts as she stands up and walks toward me. She grabs my shirt and shouts, “Give my spyr back!”

Do what? “Uh… I don’t know-”

“Give it back!” Minerva yells as she throws me to the ground, tears start to flow from her eyes, “Dammit! Do you have any idea how long it took me to gather all that spyr!?”

“I- I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I mutter.

“You bitch!” Minerva barks.

“Minerva!” Desela roars, grabbing the young skryver, “I know how you feel, but if you’re going to blame anyone, then blame me. I’m the one that suggested we-”

“Let me go!” Minerva screams as she breaks free of Desela’s grasp and flies off.

Wow… “Um… Desela?” I mutter as I look at Desela, “What just happened?”

Desela sighs, “Evetta… did you do it on purpose?” Desela asks.

“Do what on purpose?”

“Like I thought, you don’t even know what you did…” Desela remarks as she places her hand on her forehead.

“What did I do?”

“Like I said… when we started giving you spyr, you started absorbing not just the spyr we were giving you, but also a lot of spyr from within our souls,” Desela explains, “The spyr we possess is finite, and if you want more, you have to absorb it, however, living here within Folian, where there’s thousands of fairies, there’s practically no spyr available to freely absorb.” She pauses, then continues, “She may seem like she can do what she wants, but in order to keep her safe, me and Nolodar rarely let her leave Folian, so most of the spyr she’s acquired, she’s had to gather while competing against thousands of other fairies.”

“Okay, but our wings were only touching for a moment,” I state, “Could it really have been that much for her to freak out like that?”

“I know what you mean, but.. in that moment... you essentially stole several years worth of spyr from her…” Desela replies, then averts her gaze and mutters, “From us…”

“Um… well, can’t I just give it back?”

“Sure, but you’d need to know how to manipulate your spyr,” Desela says, “But if you can’t use the elements, then it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to give it back to us, at least any time soon.”

“But I can give it back?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then once I learn how to manipulate spyr, I’ll be sure to give it back to both of you,” I declare.

“I appreciate the gesture,” Desela says, then sighs, “But it’ll be more useful for you, so keep it.”

“But-” I start to say.

“Think of it as a gift from your favorite cousin,” Desela smiles.

“Desela… Thank you, but-”

“Listen Evetta, my skills at using the elements have always been subpar. There’s a reason I’m not in the spirit realm, even though I’m closely related to auntie. I lack skill and ability, so you taking my spyr is fine,” Desela states, “Besides, if you could take that much in such a short time, then I can place my hopes in you, so maybe instead of a gift, think of it as an investment into your future.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s fine, a few years worth of spyr isn’t the end of the world,” Desela assures, “Now, you wait here, I’ll go talk to Minerva.” She flies off in the same direction as Minerva.

“Hey Vestele, did I do something wrong?” I ask.

“No. Surprising, but not wrong,” Vestele answers.

I stand there in silence as I wait for Desela and Minerva’s return.

“Princess!” Minerva suddenly roars as she lands next to me, her eyes still red. Desela follows behind her. “You can keep my spyr for the time being, but once you learn how to manipulate it, you’re going to give it all back, plus interest!”

“Interest? Why should I?” I ask, “I’ll give back what I took, but nothing more.”

“An apology,” Minerva mutters.

“Huh?”

“I’ll accept the interest as an apology for taking my spyr,” Minerva declares.

You? An apology? “You want an apology for me taking your spyr?” I say, raising my voice, “Fine, I’ll give you double what I took, but I want you to apologize too.”

“Oh, I’m soooo sorry,” Minerva mocks.

“Not to me,” I assert.

“Hmph, that’s all you’re getting from me.”

“Then I guess I’ll just keep your spyr.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Minerva glares.

“Try me,” I contend.

We stare at each other for a moment, before Minerva sighs, “Spoiled little bitch. Who do you want me to apologize to?”

“My guards,” I announce, “For the things you said to them.”

“Grrrrrrr….” Minerva growls, rubbing her head furiously, “Fine, but don’t forget I get double what you took from me, that’s ten years worth of spyr!”

Desela starts laughing and says, “Alright, now that that’s settled. Do you have any ideas why Evetta’s struggling with manifesting the elements?”

“Huh? Ah yeah. There’s no real issue, she just has too much spyr for her elements to fully integrate with,” Minerva replies, “Essentially, her elements are getting drowned out by her spyr.”

“So how do we fix it?” Desela asks.

“Simple, she just needs to develop her soul cores to strengthen her elements so that they can withstand her spyr,” Minerva explains, “That or she needs to learn to drastically reduce the amount of spyr she’s using when manifesting the elements, but I highly doubt that’s going to happen.”

“Okay, then what do I have to do?” I ask.

“You just have to grace your soul and start pouring your spyr into your soul cores,” Minerva answers.

I tilt my head and stare at Minerva. Do what to my soul…

“Desela, why do I have to teach this idiot?” Minerva sighs as she points at me, then says slowly, “Princess. Remember the empty white nothingness where you made your soul cores? That’s you gracing your soul…” Minerva pauses for a moment before continuing, “Really now, this is stupid. I can’t believe I have to explain things from here… Urgh! Desela you can leave, I’ll take care of the pathetic princess.”

“Pathetic?”

“Oh, did I hurt your feelings? Prove me wrong and I’ll stop.”

Desela sighs, “Evetta, again, she’s a pain in the ass,”

“Still here.”

“but she knows what she’s talking about so please follow her instructions.”

“Fine…” I sigh.

“Minerva, she’s still new to everything so properly teach her,” Desela states, “I don’t need to repeat what’ll happen if you don’t. If either of you need me, I’ll be in my office.” Desela then flies off, leaving Minerva and I alone at the lakeside.

Great, now it’s just us…

“Alright princess,” Minerva barks, “Sit down on your knees.”

“Huh?”

“Sit. On. Your. Knees,” Minerva growls behind her teeth as she pushes me onto the floor, “This is the easiest position to grace your soul from, so sit on your knees.”

“Okay, okay, just let go…” Damn, this is going to be so annoying. I sit down on my knees, close my eyes,  and wait for more instructions.

…

I open my eyes to Minerva standing directly in front of me with her arms crossed, eyes closed, and her eyebrows twitching, “What are you doing?”

“Waiting for what I’m supposed to do now.”

“Dumbass! You’re supposed to grace your soul now,” Minerva snarls, “Now hurry up.”

“But, I don’t know how to… grace my soul.” That’s such a weird thing to say.

“Really?” Minerva questions doubtfully, “Then how’d you grace your soul last time? You must’ve already graced your soul if you have soul cores.”

“Sure, but the last time I did it, I was asleep, so I don’t know how to grace my soul.”

“Heh, are you kidding me?” Minerva starts to chuckle, “You graced your soul in your sleep. What kind of bullshit… Alright, fuck it,” Minerva sighs, “Princess, I’m going to demonstrate and explain how to grace your soul, then you’re going to replicate it. If you fail, you’ll continue to repeat this until you succeed.”

Wonderful... 

Minerva walks in front of me, sits on her knees, closes her eyes, and says, “Like I said, this position is one of the easiest because it makes concentrating easy. Close your eyes to avoid distractions. Then you’re going to fill your wings with spyr, spreading it throughout every fiber of them.”

As Minerva explains what she’s doing, her wings start to change from rainbow to solely white; her wings glowing brighter as the white color spreads across the veins and membranes.

“Once you’ve completed the prayer, your wings will be entirely white. Then to grace your soul, imagine entering your soul through your wings. Personally, I believe it’s easiest if you think of your wings as a doorway that opens to your soul,” Minerva continues, “If you succeed, your body will enter a coma-like state. After you’ve finished gracing your soul, let me know, and we’ll move onto the next part.”

Minerva stands up and glares at me, then says, “Now, while you’re practicing, I’ll be gathering spyr to make up for all that was stolen from me.”

Yep, she’s not getting her spyr back… No, it’s fine, I’ll be able to focus better without her here.

Minerva flies off, staying alongside the lake's edge.

“Did you understand everything she was saying?” Vestele asks.

“Yeah I think,” I sigh, “I still don’t see why you couldn’t just explain everything to me though.”

“Ahaha, well… I’m not really good at that,” Vestele states, “For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been good at using spyra and manipulating spyr, so I’ve never been good at explaining how to do those sorts of things.”

“Then what about with the soul cores?”

“I learned how to explain that thanks to… nevermind. Anyway, you should get started.”

“Right…”

For almost three hours following Minerva’s explanation, I sat there trying to grace my soul. I continuously failed to completely fill my wings with spyr. Eventually, Minerva, her pages, and my guards all returned, everyone worn out and tired from the training.

“So in the end, you couldn’t succeed huh?” Minerva comments, “Well, you’d better get used to it, because you’re not going to do anything until you grace your soul. Come on, let’s go.”

“Hold it!” I shout before Minerva flies off. I gesture toward my guards, “Apologize, or the deal’s off.”

“Grrrr… Princess, you’re really pissing me off,” Minerva mutters, grinding her teeth.

I look at Minerva, then glance at my guards, and back to her. “Your call.”

Minerva heaves a heavy sigh. She then walks toward my guards, stopping just in front of them, bows down and says, “I’m sorry for the things I said during the feast. I hope you’ll forgive me and I hope none of you are hurt.” Minerva straightens herself, turns around, walks toward me and says, “There, don’t forget your part of the deal. Let’s get out of here!” Minerva shouts as she flies off, her pages following behind her.

“What the hell just happened?” Koralesca mutters. Everyone has their mouths slightly agape as they look at me.

*Growl* My stomach roars aloud.

I place my hands over my stomach and say, “Come on, I’ll explain it over dinner.”

Together we fly back to the Vravyth, arrive at the cafeteria, grab our meals, and sit down.

“Alright princess, spill it, how’d you get her to apologize?” Zoelle asks.

“Yeah. I’ve known Minerva for a long time,” Faraine adds, “And I don’t know if I’ve ever heard her sincerely apologize…”

I finish a bite of my food and reply, “I know I told you guys I’d explain it, but I’ve changed my mind.”

“What!?” Koralesca shouts, “You can’t do that.”

“I may not know much, but I’m certain you guys wouldn’t like the terms of our deal,” I explain, “So, I’ll keep it a secret.”

“That’s not fair princess,” Vallen states, “Leaving us in the dark like that.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to change my mind,” I respond, “Now hurry up and eat, I want to go look for some different pants after this. These ones are horrible.”

“Um… princess…” Lenadrea mutters.

“Yes?”

“Nevermind, you’ll find out in a bit,” Lenadrea chuckles.

“Hey, do you need me or Galatia after this?” Lyris asks, “If not, I’d like to relax a bit for what little time we can.”

“Sure, that’s fine,” I state, “If anyone else wants to leave too, go for it. I’d feel bad if you guys were always forced to be with me.”

“In that case, I’d like to leave for the night too,” Koralesca announces.

“Me too! I’m going to go take an extra nap before bed,” Orianna proclaims.

Isn’t that just going to sleep?

“Anyone else?” I ask as I glance at everyone else.

“I’m alright,” Faraine says.

“I’ll stay,” Lenadrea answers.

“Of course I’m going to stay by your side, princess,” Vallen declares.

“I can’t leave your side either, not if he’s around princess,” Zoelle states as she glares at Vallen, “Who knows what he’d do if I wasn’t around.”

“That almost sounds like an accusation,” Vallen retorts, glaring back at Zoelle, “If anything I’d be keeping the princess safe.”

“Oh please, the princess would be in more danger being around you,” Zoelle replies, “After all, fire is one of the more hazardous elements. Difficult to control, easy to injure others, and someone seems to have a short fuse.”

“Not as short as some,” Vallen argues.

“Okay, we get it, enough, you’re going to give me a headache,” I intrude.

While we eat, we all chat about how the day went. Once we finish, Lyris, Galatia, Koralesca, and Orianna leave. Meanwhile, Vallen, Zoelle, Lenadrea, Faraine, and I make our way to Ortis’ clothing shop to find some more comfortable pants. After a brief flight down the Vravyth, we arrive at Ortis’ shop.

“How can I help you tonight?” the elderly nymph asks.

“Ah, well, I was wondering if you had any pants that were more comfortable than the ones I’m currently wearing,” I reply.

Ortis examines my pants, rubs the back of his head, and says, “Princess, I actually just made those pants over the last few days at the request of Desela. She specified that I try to make them as comfortable as possible, so…”

“So…?” I repeat, waiting for him to continue.

He sighs, “Unfortunately, I don’t think I can make anything more comfortable. I’m sorry.”

“You can’t? Like, you don’t have the materials?” 

“No,” Ortis replies, shaking his head, “Those pants use the most comfortable material available, so if those aren’t to your liking then…”

“Then…?”

“Then I’d suggest not wearing pants.”

So… Don’t wear pants… then what… Am I supposed to wear dresses forever…

I hear a slight sound in my ears, but I can’t perceive what it is.

But… Why? Why can’t I wear pants anymore? No… Why do they feel so uncomfortable in the first place?

I feel a slight tugging against my arms, as I get pulled along.

I… I don’t like how they feel… but… I used to wear pants all the time without issue… so why now?

A light breeze brushes against my skin as I feel air passing by me.

Because I’m a girl? No… it can’t… no what if it is… Am I actually becoming a girl… No no no... I mean, I am, but I’m not?

I hear several voices talking with one another, one seems directed at me so I nod, before getting dragged around.

A girl… I do have the body of one… but is my mind changing too? The pants… the crying… the sweets too… I really am changing… No no no… I… I...

“Alright, take off her clothes and put her in the tub,” a voice states.

Huh? Wha… Desela, Faraine, Lenadrea, Zoelle, Larina, Orophine, and Avane, are all in the large bathroom with me.

“Ah, are you awake princess?” Larina asks from behind me.

“Um?” I mutter as I turn around and realize Larina’s naked. Her voluptuous figure is more enviable without any clothing on. I feel my face instantly get hot.

“What! What’s going on? How’d?” I scream as Larina finishes removing my clothes. 

“What are you doing?” I shout as I try to cover myself.

“Evetta, hurry up and get in the bath,” Desela orders.

I look back at Desela and realize she’s also nude, as are all the others. Everyone is already in the bath. I start to feel light-headed as my already warm face starts burning up.

“No way!” I shout as I try to put my clothes back on.

“You aren’t planning on going to sleep without bathing, are you?” Larina asks.

“No!” I roar, “but I can bathe on my own. And why is everyone else here?”

Desela gets out of the tub, and approaches me. Larina grabs ahold of me as Desela starts to remove my clothing again. “Get in the tub, and I’ll explain. Now stop- struggling.”

I fight against Desela and Larina, but eventually I am forced into the tub alongside everyone else.

“Jeez, I don’t see why you’re embarrassed seeing us,” Faraine comments.

“It’s not so much seeing you!” I shout, facing away from everyone, “It’s everyone else seeing me!”

“Aw, princess, you’re adorable,” Zoelle states.

“It’s true, you are. Ugh! This is so unfair,” Vestele exclaims, “I want to take a bath with you too!”

“What? Why?” I say aloud. Oops.

“Your red face is cute,” Zoelle states, “and it makes me want to…” Zoelle stops talking as she jumps to hug me.

“Nope, nuh uh, no way!” I shout as I run away from Zoelle.

Suddenly hands wrap around me, as I feel a soft sensation on my back. “Come on Evetta, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We’re all girls here.”

“Dammit Avane! Let go!” I scream, “And get your boobs off me!”

“Oh please, stop being such a wuss, you’ll have some of your own in a few years,” Desela remarks.

“It’s okay princess,” Zoelle comments, “You don’t have to worry about being small, you’ll still be beautiful.”

“Small? Sorry girls, her mother has a better figure than Larina,” Desela scoffs as she motions toward Larina, “If anything, Evetta’s going to have-”

“Shut up!” I yell as I splash water at Desela, soaking her.

“Oh, you’re no fun…” Desela comments.

“Why are you all acting so…” I start to ask, my face burning.

“You should learn to relax and enjoy your time in the bath,” Desela responds.

“Okay, but why are the others here too?” I question, pointing at Faraine, Lenadrea, and Zoelle.

Together they approach me.

“Princess, pointing is rude,” Zoelle states.

“I told you we shouldn’t be here,” Faraine mutters.

Lenadrea chuckles, “I think it’s fine. We’re just bathing.”

“They’re here because I asked them to join us,” Desela announces.

“But why?” I ask again, “I can bathe by myself.”

“Are you sure?” Desela snaps.

“What do you mean? Of course I can,” I reply.

“Then let me ask,” Desela continues, “How’d you get here?”

How… Right, the last thing I remember is I was in Ortis’ shop talking about pants, and then… 

I sink into the water, and look away from Desela and the girls.

“Exactly, you have no idea,” Desela states, “If not for your guards, you’d still be at Ortis’ shop or wandering around aimlessly.”

“What do you mean?” I ask as I come out of the water, still averting my gaze.

“Princess, you blacked-out earlier while we were at Ortis’ shop,” Faraine says.

“We weren’t sure what happened, but you just suddenly stopped responding,” Zoelle continues, “As we were bringing you to the infirmary, we ran into Orophine, who told us to take you to Desela.”

“Okay, then why are we in the bath?” I continue my interrogation.

“I was going to have Larina wash you, but she suggested we all bathe together,” Desela answers, “You did agree”

“I did?”

“While we were in my office, we asked if it was fine, and you nodded,” Desela states, “So I thought you were getting better, and here we are.”

“But can’t I just wash myself without everyone here?” I plead.

“Fine… but from now on, we’re going to do this more frequently,” Desela announces.

“Why!?” I shout.

“Talk to her,” Desela motions toward Larina.

I glance at Larina, roll my eyes, then swim across the large bath away from everyone. For a bit, everyone leaves me alone, and I’m able to start washing myself.

Faraine walks over to me. “Princess, is it alright if-” Faraine starts to ask.

“Could you just leave me alone, please,” I state, “It’s already weird enough.”

“Sure…” Faraine says glumly as she leaves.

“You know, she was just trying to help,” Larina declares, swimming up next to me. She stops and looks at me, “Do you know why I’m having you join everyone in the tub?”

“To torture me?” I comment sarcastically.

“So you become more accustomed to your body,” Larina explains, “I know how hard the transition can be, and trust me, the longer you put off getting used to things like this, the more difficult it gets going forward.”

“Oh, I remember when Larina used to be just like you princess,” Avane comments from behind me.

“Agh!” I scream, “Where’d you come from?”

“Over there?” Avane answers, “Besides you should’ve seen little Larina, she was always embarrassed about everything, even walking was weird for her. Her face was always red, you’d sometimes think it was her natural skin color.”

“Avane… please keep going,” Larina growls.

“Ah, nevermind princess,” Avane mutters.

As Avane leaves, Larina continues, “It’s true though, I used to be way worse than you… Back then, I hated everything about my body. I used to be a bull beastkin, so if there’s anything I had, it was physical strength, but comparing my old body with my new one, I despised my fate that put me in such a pathetic, useless, and weak body.” Larina pauses and glances at me, “I’m not sure what you were like previously, but I’m sure you can relate in many ways. That’s why I want you to get used to these sorts of things, even if they’re extremely embarrassing and uncomfortable, I believe you’ll become more accustomed to your new body quicker.” Larina grabs me and lifts me out of the water, exposing me to everyone, and announces, “Now who wants to wash the princess?”

“Wha!” I shout, “Larina put me down. No!”

For the next several minutes, I struggle to fight off Larina, Desela, and the girls as they try to wash me.

“There, I’m clean,” I state, “I’m getting out now.”

As I prepare to put my clothes back on, I grab my pants. These things… I really don’t want to put these back on… “Hey Desela, are there any other pants that are more comfortable than these?”

Desela makes her way toward me, looks at the pants, and asks, “Aren’t those the pants I had Ortis make for you?”

“They are!” Avane shouts, “I made sure to give them to her this morning.”

“I’m not sure,” Desela replies, “I asked him to make them as comfortable for you as possible. Do you not like them?”

I avert my gaze from Desela, my face getting warm as I say, “No not really. They were really uncomfortable… I… I don’t really want to put them back on, so… Do you have anything else I can wear?”

“Avane, can you go get Evetta something to wear,” Desela barks.

“Sure, I’ll make sure to get something nice for her,” Avane answers as she gets out of the bath.

Orophine and the others all slowly make their way out of the bath too. While everyone is getting dressed, Orophine says, “Princess, you should try to take better care of yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you fainted today.”

“What do you mean she fainted today?” Desela inquires.

“During one of her lessons, earlier, I was explaining about the state of the spirit realm, and made a comment about how she might be the most important fairy at the moment, and shortly after, she fainted, presumably from shock.”

“Pfft…” Larina starts laughing behind everyone, causing us to turn and look at her.

“What’s so funny?” I ask.

“Princess, I’m sorry, but, what’d caused you to black-out in Ortis’ shop earlier?” Larina asks.

“Ummm…” What caused me to black-out?

“The pants?” Zoelle mutters.

“Yeah, the pants,” I answer.

“Hahaha,” Larina bellows.

“What's so funny!?” I ask again.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” Larina explains between fits of giggling, “You finding out that Ortis didn’t have more comfortable pants was just as surprising as you finding out that you’re a super important fairy…” Larina starts laughing hysterically again.

Hearing Larina's words, everyone starts laughing at me. I look down as my face starts burning up. Dammit, this is stupid.

Eventually Avane returns with some loose pajamas. I quickly put them on, flee the bathroom, and take refuge in my bedroom before finally falling asleep.