The next morning I went to the guild myself. Rose and Meira were sleeping so peacefully that I just couldn't disturb them. 

I summoned Yukio and he was more than willing to let me ride him to the guild. He was careful, trying to see if I could hold on to him all the time. He really is a good friend. 

At the guild he disappeared so my mana could recharge. Karra gave me another message from home and I was lucky to see her, she was about to go home after working throughout the night.

This is the letter I received. And thankfully Karra opened the envelope for me, that was a big help.
"Rescue team delayed. Expect arrival within two weeks. Violet sends her best wishes, hoping you'll be home before your birthday. Hope to have you in my arms soon, Mom."

Aww....now I'm getting homesick. Violet, I miss you too. But my birthday? I can't reply and ask about the date of my own birthday.

This is my reply for today. "Understood. We're fine and met even more friends. Can't wait to be back, mom, I'm getting homesick. Give Violet a hug for me. Miss you all. See you soon."

On our way back to the Elven village, Yukio suddenly stopped, making me fall down to the forest floor.
I'm scratching my head, still dazed from the fall when I'm startled to see other foxes around me, but then they just run away. Except for one. I quickly hide behind Yukio.

"Sorry about that, Daisy, are you fine?" Yukio asks me with concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm good. But what's going on?" I asked. Then I peek at the fox and see it lying down. It appears to be injured.

"Can you help him, Daisy?"

It took a few moments for my brain to reboot, but this is a regular fox. A wild brown reddish fox. Will it bite me?

I slowly walk towards him and he wants to back off, so not about to attack me. But I also hear him making soft noises, I guess he really is injured.

"Hello there, are you hurt?" I ask. I bet he can't even understand.

"Yes, I am hurt. I was chasing a squirrel, but he beat me by jumping over these tree roots. Then I strained my paw."

"Eh...you can understand me?" Did this fox actually talk to me?

"Yes, of course I can. You even look like a fox, well, sort of?" The fox makes a good argument.

"Okay, that works for me. Please hold still, I will heal you."

The fox nods carefully and I invoke the goddess's name to ask for a healing.

A few seconds later the fox is already standing on four paws. "Thank you! You really helped me there!"

"Don't mention it. It's my job to help. Better find that squirrel while you still can."

"Ha ha ha, sure thing. Oh, if you ever need shelter, you'll always be welcome in my den. Or if you're hungry, I'll hunt something small for you."

I bow to the fox to show him that I appreciate the gesture, even though I'm not interested in raw meat. But it's always best to stay polite. "Thank you and see you!"

The fox then nods and I could swear it just smiled at me, then it runs off into the forest.

Wow, helping people...eh...animals always feels good. It gives me that special feeling...
"Daisy...Daisyyyy...are you listening?" Yukio is trying to get my attention.

"Huh? Oh sorry, I guess I was.."

"Daydreaming? Yeah, I thought as much. I have to go now, time's up. Will you be fine?"

"Aww...already? Okay, see you later, buddy." 

Flash!

And there I was...all alone again. 

I decided to use the opportunity and go explore some more, even though I'm all by myself.

After flying for a few minutes, heading towards the Elves, I already feel bored.

I'm bored...so bored. Maybe this is a good thing...being all alone. I have several interesting sounding skills, but can't really test them out with people near me. How about.....purification? If this forest can use one thing, it's purification alright!

It says "wide area" on the box, so exactly what the doctor ordered. Perhaps this skill is more like a small nuke, instantly healing the whole area instead of branch by branch. Yeah....that's the one I'm gonna try!

I keep flying until I'm about half an hour away from the Elves. It should be safe here, don't you agree?

Okay...breathe in....breathe out....
Then I shout "Purification!" and the whole area lights up for a second.

"Huh? That's...all? Meh...not what I had expected. Bummer. Maybe it just needs to level up?" 

I fly to a nearby tree and see that it has healed somewhat...but still doesn't look all too healthy. So...perhaps a wide area coverage means lower effective healing? That would be disappointing.

But then without warning, a very welcome and perfectly timed popup appears "Purification skill --level up to (lv.2)"

"Aha!! See? I Knew it..it was just a starter skill. Of course! It's designed for people who wouldn't go through all the trouble of practicing in the middle of nowhere."

Okay. Again......."Purification!" 

But nothing happens, except for a bit more glow in the immediate area. When I look at my status screen, I can see that the skill is currently grayed out. Ohhhh.....already out of mana I guess.

Mmm......what would happen if I keep calling for it anyway? Does it have a failsafe mechanism? Won't it even work? I mean.....I have to try, don't I? You never know when you need the skill.

"Purification!" A soft glow illuminated the area for a second. Not very impressive. I do feel tired suddenly, but not so bad.

"Purification!" This time around nothing happened at all. I guess the gray color simply means that it won't work at all. Oh my god, I feel so tired suddenly. Better stop now...this feels....bad.... but I think I'm okay...I just need to rest a bit.

* Warning *
Excessive use of mana detected. Core life functions impaired. Activating emergency solar mana retrieval. 

Then, without warning, my body takes over and I can't move at all! I shoot up all the way into the sky above the trees. The second I see sunlight, another pop-up message appears. 

 

* Warning *
Emergency solar mana retrieval higher than core systems can process. Ejecting excess mana.

 

At this point I start shining like a sun myself, probably blinding everything nearby.
And then....then I started falling. Even though I have regained control, I keep spiraling down. 
First through the treetops, then hitting a few branches and finally crashing onto the forest floor.

"Ouch.......OUCH....that....was.....so...painful!"

* Warning *
Self healing activated. You are locked in this form for 24 hours until mana pathways have recovered.

 

"Huh? What form?"

I look at my clothes....all normal...except...."no.....are you KIDDING me?"
A few birds fly away, startled by my sudden outburst.

Wait....did my voice...just sound like a kid's voice?

I check my status screen, and sure enough.....this is everything I get:

 

 

"NO....no no no no...This can't be happening! How? Why? This doesn't make any sense at all!"

I sit down on a tree root and contemplate my current situation. I look around and things seem even bigger than they should. For some reason I'm now a three year old! 

"Well....could have been worse, right? I might have exploded a minute ago. My god, that was intense!"

But then another popup appears, probably trying to mock me for jinxing the situation.

 

*Critical warning *
unexpected side effect: neural overload detected. Your brain cannot handle the current level of awareness. Seek shelter immediately! Energy levels, memory retrieval and thought processes are limited for 24 hours.   5.....4....3.....2.....1....

"Eh.....mommy? Where are you?" Is all I can say now. Somehow I still seem to be able to understand most of what's going on. But my behavior and most of my thoughts are that of a...well...three year old.

I start crying, because that's the only thing I can think of at the moment. 

"Ohhh! See? I already thought I heard someone! Are you alright, little one?" A woman, seemingly in her early twenties, lands right in front of me and gives me a hug.

She's a fairy, just like I am. But her ears and tail appear cat-like. This must be what Rose told me about. Huh? What did I just think? Rose? No, I'm Daisy!

"Mommy....." I replied to her with teary eyes. 

"Awww.....how about you coming back with me, huh? We'll find your mommy soon enough. Is that okay?"

She releases the embrace and I just know that I can trust her. She's so kind to me that I don't have a single reason to deny her suggestion.

"O....okaay." 

"Come here, little one, let's get you to safety."

She picks me up and pushes my head to her shoulder, after which I feel her flying between the trees at high speeds.

Before I even noticed her slowing down, I could see we had already arrived in a village. But not like those of the Elves, no...this place is something different. The kind lady slows down and lands in front of a tree where other fairies are chatting happily. This place seems to be located right outside of the forest, next to a meadow where wildflowers are blooming beautifully. It truly is breathtakingly beautiful. Nature around here is as healthy as it can be.

The lady walks over to another other fairy and says "hi Iris, look what I found near the spring. Isn't she adorable?"

"Awww.....she's cute alright, Fern. Those white ears and fluffy tail. She's a fox-kin alright. I wonder where her mother is. Didn't you see anyone nearby?"

"No, I made sure to check thoroughly. Should we send out a search party?"

"Mmmmm......that might be a good idea. I don't think she's of our Clan. Perhaps she's from the River Clan? I know they visit that part of the forest, foraging for nuts. Okay, I'll talk to Rocky. I'm sure he won't mind looking around that area."

"Great, thanks Iris. I'll take her inside for now. I bet she's hungry."

"Of course, see you later."

 

Fern picks me up and flies towards the treetops where I can see many little hut-like structures.
She hops onto a branch and we're inside before I even noticed how she pulled that off.

Fern then lets me sit down on a carpet or cloth of some kind, right on the floor. This place has no real windows, just the hole on the front that seems to double as a window.

But, my god, this place looks so incredibly cozy! It's small, but it feels like home already. If this were my home, I would never want to move out. I cannot possibly describe how comforting this place is. It's like going back in time to a much simpler era when all people were nice to each other and you were happy with the very few little things you had.

Fern notices me looking around and sits down next to me. She then brushes her hand against my cheek for a moment, to get my attention. "What's your name, little one?"

"Dai.....sy."

"Oh, what a lovely name. Do you know why you were alone?"

I shake my head, I can't remember why I was alone. "Where's my mommy?"

Fern embraces me and says "oh honey, I don't know that. We're looking for her right now. But you are safe here, I promise. Okay?"

I smile and reply "Uh huh. Thank you, Fern."

"Oh ho! You heard my name? How smart of you!" 

She nuzzled my hair, which made me giggle.

"Are you hungry, Daisy?"

I nod. I can't even remember when I had my last meal!

Fern walks away and returns only a moment later with a basket, filled with big flowers, but they appear freshly picked. She sits down in front of me and shoves the basket towards me.

I instinctively take a flower and put it in my mouth.."Blechh!" 

"Oh! No no no! Don't put it in your mouth, honey! Come, let me help you."
She then helped me get the flower petals out of my mouth and gave me a bit of water to drink.

"There, it's better now, right?"  She sees me nod in agreement, then says "you were supposed to....mmm, I guess that's too difficult for you to understand. Look, like I'm doing now. Hold it close to you and think....yummie!"

I see the flower glow for a moment, then it loses all petals. Okay...that's weird. 

"Do you understand?"

I shake my head. "No...but I'm hungry..."

Fern looks at me for a moment....like she's staring right through me.
"Ah! I see what's wrong. You don't have your class yet! That's why you can't absorb the mana. 
Wait here for a minute, I'll be right back, I promise!" 

Fern waits for me to nod and leaves this...house I guess it is, and I'm all alone.

A few minutes later Fern returns with another fairy, a man.

"See? There she is, Badger. She doesn't have her class yet, but she's hungry. Should we give her the class or give her something else to eat?"

"Yes, you are right, how odd. Why would anyone choose not to have her class ceremony? She's old enough for it. I don't want to send out more people into the forest right now, and she has to receive the class to survive anyway. So yes, I will give her the class right now. If anyone complains, I will take full responsibility for that. But she has to eat."

"Thank you Badger, I fully agree. They are still looking for her mom, but I don't think we should wait for her. But still...why didn't they give her the class? Oh, perhaps her Clan's mage is....well, let's not talk about that here."

"I fully agree, Fern. Now let's help the little one. Daisy, sweetie. I know you are very young, but I will give you your class now. It will help you eat. Is that okay for you? It won't hurt you."

I nod to Badger. These are nice people! I'm sure they will help me...and I really am hungry!
"I'm hungry, mister."

"Aww...don't worry, it will only take a moment. Now, Fern, embrace her for a moment, will you? I don't want her to move."

Fern nods and embraces me, sitting right behind me. She keeps giving me that warm, gentle smile, reassuring that all is well.

Badger gently puts his right hand on top of my head and says: "May the goddess smile upon you and grant you your class as she has given it to us. May you grow strong and healthy. May her blessing offer you protection and fill your heart with kindness. May you always return home safely to your Clan. So be it."  

I feel a tingling sensation through my body and I feel very warm suddenly, then I feel normal again.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Badger asks with a smile.

I shake my head. "No....warm....but okay."

"Good, as it should be. Fern, can you handle it from here?"

"Yes, of course. And...thank you, Badger."

Badger smiles and leaves us again. And once more the flower basket is placed in front of me.

"Now take a flower and hold it....yes! Well done, Daisy! Now think about eating yummy yummy into your tummy."

I giggled and closed my eyes while holding the flower in front of me. These flowers are pretty big when you are as small as I am! I think about eating it....feeling it going into my tummy....and.....I felt it!

"Very good, Daisy! Are you feeling better already?"

I nod and she gives me another flower to absorb the mana from.

After helping me eat....and pee, she lets me take a nap on her bed. 

 

At nightfall Fern brings me outside to join the other fairies. They have assembled on the forest floor and seem to be chatting excitedly.

Fern explains that this is normal in this Clan and that I should enjoy the show. Of course she can't use any more difficult words, because I can't understand anyway.

As soon as the first stars appear, each fairy starts to glow, making me gaze at all of them. Each fairy seems to have their own color. My god, this is so amazing! Like little lanterns, everyone is glowing. Red ones, purple ones, green ones....every color of the rainbow is gathered here.

It is difficult to see, but I think Badger is walking in front and every fairy gathered here is following him like in a procession. Someone starts playing the flute, but in such a humble way that it just gives me goosebumps.

"Do you like it, Daisy?"

"Uh huh! Pretty!"

Fern nuzzles me while I'm still in her arms. "If you want....you can try to glow as well. But don't worry if it doesn't work."

I think about glowing like the others....and suddenly I start to glow as well! A very soft green light is surrounding me.

"Awww, well done, Daisy! Did you know that the goddess is smiling now? When we glow, she's happy and will bless us."

I giggled and already forgot about the blessing part. Instead, I'm focused on my own pretty glowing color.

Badger walks through the meadow and gives thanks to their goddess. At one point another nice lady approaches Fern and me and she says "Hi there, you two. Look what I made for you, Daisy. It's yours now."

She gives me something fluffy and cuddly and I instantly grab hold of it and cuddle it in my arms.

"Thank you...." I said shyly.

"Aww....my pleasure, Daisy. Bye bye!" She waves goodbye.

"Thanks, Ivy. Your creations always seem to be appreciated by the little ones." Fern said with kindness in her voice.

"Yep, it's a gift, I know. See ya!"

Fern smiles and focuses on the group in front of us.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing I notice is waking up in Fern's bed, with the cuddly thing lying next to me. She must have left already, and the door is closed. A bit of morning light is seeping through some cracks here and there.

Then, after cuddling my plushie for a while, lying comfortably warm in bed, I hear the door opening.

Fern speaks in a gentle tone:  "Good morning, Daisy. Sleep well?"

"Uh huh! Comfy!"

"Mmm, I see. Very good. Look, Daisy, I brought fresh flowers for you."

After enjoying "breakfast" someone knocks on the already open door and I see another fairy entering. This one is familiar. I know her....

"Excuse me, is.....Daisy! There you are! What...what happened to you?" Rose exclaims.

But before Fern can reply, I already shout "mommy!"

Rose enters the room and speaks to Fern. "Oh, I'm sorry for barging in like this."

"It's okay, you are most welcome here. I'm actually glad you're here. Did Rocky's team find you?" Fern asks.
At this point I'm already embracing the life out of Rose.

"Yes, that's right. My spirit animal tracked her mana to this region and Rocky and his buddies found us. My Wolf scared them at first, but they're friends now. Thank you for taking care of her!"

"Oh, I see. And it was my pleasure! She's so cute and well behaved. Just like her mommy."

"Ah...I have to be honest with you. Oh, wait...I'm Rose by the way. Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Fern. Very nice to meet you too."

Rose whispers to Fern: "Okay...ah...I'm not actually her mommy. She's my age and something must have happened to her."

Fern looks at Rose with amazement. "Oh? Ahhh....I think I understand. Tell me, did she perhaps recently use a new skill?"

Rose looks at me for a second, then back to Fern. "Now that you mention it, I guess so. We received a blessing from the goddess."

"Ah..a blessing even. Yes, that explains it. Daisy here most likely experienced a mana overload by using a skill too frequently. That happens to most of our young ones after they first start using their skills. I guess it's a matter of falling down and standing up. Just learning how to be more careful."

"That....that's the first time I have ever heard of this. But then again, I'm still in school. Probably a topic for next year, if we ever get home that is."

Fern tilts her head and frowns for a moment. "I see. Are you far from home then? You can stay here if you like? Plenty of room and we're always in need of extra helping hands."

"That's very kind of you, but we arrived here by accident. Our home is far up north. Her parents sent a rescue team to find us, so they should be here in a week or so."

"Of course, Rose. Just know that you are welcome here."

Rose just smiles and takes my necklace from me. It must have magically changed size just like my clothes. 

"Please, Fern, look at her stats. It seems you were right, she needs a few more hours to recover. But....what's that? She has a class now?" 

 

 

"Yes, we gave it to her yesterday afternoon. She was hungry and we didn't have anything for her to eat. Our little ones always receive the class when they turn 2, so we figured something must have happened in her Clan that prevented her from receiving the gift. Was this wrong of us?"

"Honestly....I don't know. My people choose their class when they reach the age of 18 after finishing  school. But the class name seems appropriate for her. Daisy can be a bit..wild..now and then. Ha ha ha."

I look up at Rose and say "meanie!"

"Awww...I didn't mean it like that. We are best friends. But you do have this tendency to just follow your heart instead of your brain."

Rose returns the necklace to its rightful place around my neck.

Fern smiles and says "I can see you both are best friends."

"Mommy!" I raise my arms, I want Rose to pick me up.

Rose picks me up carefully and embraces me. "Awww, I think I like you better this way, you little cutie.
Oh, Fern, before I leave. May I ask why you live here in a Clan? Far away from our capital?"

"We have lived here undisturbed for countless generations. We're not part of cities, governments or anything like that. It's just our Clan. While our young ones seek adventure, they still return home at the end of the day. This place is simply...home. Wherever we would go...we would just be away from home. And there are several Clans nearby. The River Clan is just up north."

Ferns points to the location, presumably north.

Rose nods. "Oh, I think I can relate to that. And I have to admit, this area is beautiful. Unlike near the Elves where we stay for now. Don't get me wrong, they are very kind to us, but nature isn't doing so well. Daisy and I have been trying to heal the forest, but it's just too much for the two of us."

"Of course it is! That's why there are Clans! Our skills benefit ourselves, but also nature and the races next door. They in return provide things we need, like small pieces of metal. It has been like this for a very, very long time. And as you can see, nature around our home is just as beautiful as it can be! We feel welcomed here by nature and return our love to give our thanks."

"Wow, you make it sound so poetic. But I see your point. Might we come back here? I'm sure that little Daisy here will have many questions for you once she's back to her normal self."

"By all means! It's just that we can't share any food with you, just flowers. It's our way, you see?"

"That won't be a problem. But Daisy can...eh...eat those flowers now, can she?"

"Of course, she has our class. If they hadn't found you, we would have taken her in as one of our own."

"You really are kind people. I will tell my people about you. The way you keep nature so beautiful with so little people must be of interest to them. Anyway, Daisy, say goodbye to Fern for now."

"Bye bye!" I waved her goodbye.

Fern smiles and moves a few stray hairs which were dangling before my eyes. "Goodbye my little one. Come back to us when you're ready. Oh! Don't forget her cuddle critter."

"Her what? Oh her plushie? Awww, you really have a way with kids. Thank you."

Fern smiles and gives me my plushie. I embrace it and cuddle it while still in Rose's arms.

We say our goodbyes and Rose takes me back to the Elven village.

Back in the Elven village, in her room, Meira asks "how much longer before she returns to her normal self?"

"She should be back any minute now. Her remaining time now shows 0 hours. Could be any moment."

"Awww......it's a pity, because she really looks cute that way." 

FLASH

"Heeey! Look who's back!" Rose said.

I smile,  "thank you Rose, for bringing me back. And hi Meira, sorry for making you worry. I wasn't exactly myself."

"Don't worry about it. All is well, and that's what's important, right?" Meira said.

I nod and notice that my tail can't remain still, it just keeps moving.

"Daisy, do you remember what happened?" Rose asked.

"Yep...I remember every embarrassing detail. But Rose, what about that Class? I'm really worried about that."

"Yep, that's Daisy alright. Back to worrying about everything." Meira said in a teasing tone of voice.

"I'm sorry if it seems like worrying, but I'm supposed to be a Princess and lately things haven't been going according to plan. And now this Class. I'm worried that this shouldn't have happened."

"If you don't mind, Rose, I will explain." Rose nodded and motioned for Meira to continue.
"A Class is chosen when you are ready for it. Some races however make the choice for their children, like what happened to you, Daisy. But most races wait until their children are mature enough to decide for themselves. A Class should complement who you truly are.
A young one aspiring to become a soldier would go for the Warmaster Class. There are many classes, like Archer, Mage, Summoner....so many classes. That's why we educate our children..so they may choose wisely."

"I see. But what about me then? I didn't actually volunteer for this Class. I was three years old when this happened. Can I change it?"

"Like Meira said. Some races choose for their children, that's what happened to you. And no, changing can only be done by a goddess. So....not that easy."

"Well....I could ask....we know two of them, don't we?"

"Please, Daisy, don't consider requesting that yet. We Elves believe that sometimes events are set in motion that put you on a certain path. Perhaps it's the goddess herself who guided you onto this path. Asking to find a different path might be.....impolite...to say the least."

"Oh....I hadn't thought about that. Maybe it isn't so bad?"

"Daisy, can you show us your stats? I'm curious to see the Class skills for myself." Rose asked.

I removed the necklace for a moment until they had the time to study my stats.

 

"Wow...those skills are impressive! Daisy, I don't think you have to worry about that!" Rose seems impressed. I guess they really are pretty useful.

"I have to agree with Rose. That is one impressive list. I'm a bit jealous, but then again, I'm an Elf, not a fairy."

"Thank you, guys. I....I hope you're right And they do sound interesting...except for nest building....I don't think I'm into that stuff."

"Ha ha ha.....it probably means making a home in a tree, like Fern's home. Didn't you like it there?"

I look at my plushie on the bed for a moment, then answer Rose. "Are you kidding me? I loved it! It felt just like home." I'm having one huge smile on my face now.

Meira looks at Rose with a teasing smile. "She's a wild one alright. The Class matches perfectly with her."

"Be quiet you two, or I will try the nest-building skill right here, right now."

Suffice to say that I won the argument.