I awake within a fluffy ocean.
Well, I suppose this would be a given when your own bed exceeds you this severely.
Contrary to my fears, I was eventually able to make myself comfortable in it.
The blanket was indeed a little difficult to use, as it’s not only far too large, but also comes up to my waist when it’s lying flat.
Regardless, I managed to slip partly under it.
Also, these wings are quite cumbersome in regards to this, getting stuck in unpleasant ways, but I discovered that I could lay on my side and fold them flat behind me.
Yeah, sure, I likely didn’t need the blanket as the cold doesn’t seem to bother me anymore, but I wanted to sleep as I used to.

Yet, there was still a third point that made sleeping difficult.
A certain fairy who could not be dissuaded from joining me in my immense bed.
When I finally managed to get Nibi to lie an arm’s length away from me instead of on top of me, I let myself drift off.
I was under no illusion that she would remain where she was, but as I wished to get some sleep, I decided to worry about that in the morning.
However, bearing all this in mind, there was really only one way that she could sleep while clinging to me as she seems to enjoy.
On her side with her head against my belly and her arms wrapped around me.
Which is what I found in the morning when I awoke to a shrill squeal.

“Kyaah! So cuuute!”

Looking toward the voice, I see my sister with her hand holding up the blanket.

“T-Talia? What are y- Huh? Nibi! Get off of me!”

“M-Miep?”

She just slowly looks up at me, bleary eyed.
What a nuisance!

“Aww, you two looked so adorable while asleep! Maybe mum was on to something yesterday.”

“Talia!”

“Seeing you both laying there with Nibi almost entirely buried in the blanket, snuggled against you, I might believe you two were related. With a set of wings on either side, it was a lovely view! I bet a painting of this scene would sell well.”

I’m getting the feeling she’s more interested in teasing than listening.
If only I had a proper bed, then I would have a chance to keep Nibi from climbing into it.
It worked with Talia, at least…
Occasionally.

“I want a bed my own size!”

“And abandon your new little sister? Pfft!”

“Aaaaahhhh! Nibi, get up! I need to strangle Talia!”

“Hahahaha!”

“Nibi!”

“Miep?”

“Oh, sorry, was I wrong? Is it true that I’m an aunt now? Hahahahaha!”

Before I completely lose my mind and actually attempt to carry out my threat, I finally succeed in prying Nibi off and fly over to the wash pan, which is still filled with water.
I’m rather certain that, aside from perhaps dust, there is nothing to scrub off, especially since I still fail to see or smell any sweat or grime on this strange, perfectly flat layer I call my skin.
I reach into the water to splash some on my face, and it strangely forms into balls that fit in the palm of my hands.
Apparently, another thing to get used to at my new size.
After closing my eyes and splashing it on myself, I reach in again to rins-

Uh.
It’s gone.
The water pan is empty!
A quick glance at the expanded blue in the hair hanging beside my face tells me where it went.
At least my face is also dry now.
I would perhaps freak out a little more if not for the calming effect linked with this type of energy.
Although this disturbs me in another way.

“Ugh, fine. A clear head can’t be that bad.”

“What’s wrong, sis?”

“Nothing. Just some essence messing with my mind!”

“I’m not sure what I should say to that.”

“Yeah, sure, no need.”

Checking my wings, I can see that my energy drained a bit since I filled them last, with the deep blue being predominant now.
Since I could use something nice, I fly to my window, which Talia must have opened before waking me, and take in several shallow rays of sunlight.
Even with only a meagre amount, I feel lighter, and a hint of gold once again borders the respective places.
However, I’m quite careful how much of this stuff I absorb, as it’s apparently some kind of happiness essence, and I was warned it would cause the extreme opposite once the sun went down if I took too much.
Which, ironically, makes me sad again, as it prevents me from getting my old hair color back.
So some time passes as I sit on my windowsill and attempt to enjoy the sun.

“They’re so pretty!”

Talia suddenly exclaims from behind me.
The surprise causes me to accidently hop into the air slightly due to my wings flinching.
Once I’ve finished floating back down, I turn to her.

“Sis?”

“Your wings! After you sat in the window, they changed. Now, they look like ponds shimmering with golden light. They make me truly wish I actually could paint.”

“Oh.”

While being a fairy has been troublesome, to say the least, I can’t argue that these wings are often beautiful to look at.

“Um… Thank you, Talia.”

She can be nice occasionally.
Leave it to her to find a silver lining.
Or golden?

“Girls! Come get breakfast! Aki, I know you don’t have to eat, but still!”

It’s nice that mum still thinks about me, and family time is quite welcome.
Also, I have an experiment in mind.

“Coming!” “Coming!”

“Miep? Miep!”

As we leave the room, Nibi finally leaves the bed and chases after us.

It isn’t long before all four of us are at the table again.
The food is simple, and tastes similar to what I had yesterday, but this time I decide to eat.
And eat and eat and eat.
As much as I can!
A mountain of food!
Okay, relative to me.
I consume a slice of bread with cheese, then finish off a sunmarble fruit, which are nearly as large as I am, then a bit of milk from a spoon to wash it down.
I make sure to eat some of everything for confirmation.

I’m getting strange looks now.
The reason is obvious.
I already ate twice my own size in food!
More than I could possibly fit!
Yet, I don’t feel full.
Not that I was hungry either.

This proves my theory.
Something must happen to the food I eat, otherwise I’d be a ball by now
Just like the water from this morning, food seemed to vanish.
But if it vanished, where did it go?
The water went into my wings as magic.
So what magic might eating food produce?

Hence, I paid close attention to my energy while eating and noticed two things.
First, I gained a tiny amount of green nature magic.
But more importantly, my original white coloring reappeared, spreading across my wings and overpowering the other elements in comparison.

But what is it?
I don’t feel any weaker, and my collected essences are all still there.
However, I can’t understand it.
It feels like nothing.
There’s no effect on my mind that I can tell, and it doesn’t seem to mingle with my other colors.
Same as the usual energy, there are clear white patterns and boundaries, so it can’t be nothing.
It’s just so…neutral?
Like it’s simply waiting for something to happen.
What am I to do with that?
What is it waiting for?

I have an idea.
I try to concentrate on the water energy, then I also think about the white.
There is a faint reaction, but nothing to the degree I was hoping for.
So then I completely focus on the feeling of water, how it affects my emotions and thoughts.
So much so that I believe I actually get into the according mood.
After some fiddling, it truly happens.
Some of the white transforms into blue!
I can convert white energy into others!

“I did it! I figured it out!”

“You figured out something by eating, sis?”

“I think I can gain energy from the food!”

“Yes, Aki, isn’t that what eating is for?”

“No, mum! I mean magic! Water and fire and stuff!”

“Please, don’t burn down the house!”

“I won’t, I’ve never even tried fire. I believe I need to have some of the original energy in me or at least know exactly what I want, which means I wouldn’t be able to burn anything.”

“Okay, just be careful. It’s not as if I can help you with this very much. There have been no mages in our family for several generations.”

Not that I have any extended family living nearby even if there were any mages.
Too be honest, I’m not entirely sure if I have any other family.
Mum moved here to live with my pa many years ago, and he never introduced me to any.

Talia smirks at me for a moment before speaking.

“We have a fairy now though!”

“Yeah, sure, sis. Very funny.”

“Don’t be so grumpy, dear. We all have to adjust to this. Why don’t you and your sister run an errand for me today?”

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. Sounds like an invitation for problems I’d like to avoid.”

“Yet surely you need something better to wear? Or do you intend to only wear what you have now? I must say that sack you have there is not very fashionable.”

“My apologies, but all I had at hand were the clothes a certain exploding human left in the fairy ring!”

“I just wanted to say that you and your sister should go and buy something for you to wear. We currently have enough money for something so important.”

“And where would we go? I don’t think Miss Delia has a mini child section that would fit me.”

“Ehm, sis. I think I know, but you’re not going to like it.”

“What are you implying..? No. No! You can’t be serious!”

“I guess she figured it out.”

“Mum, you don’t seriously intend to buy me clothes made for dolls at the toymaker!?”

Has she lost it completely?

“That would be the only place nearby to get things in your size, dear.”

“Yes, but-”

“Also, sis, you said that you wanted a bed. Where else would we find one for you?”

“I don’t care! I’m not a doll!”

“Please, Aki. Even if it was intended for a doll, that doesn’t mean we will treat you as one. But we have no other real choice if we don’t want to talk with anyone about your…condition, and I don’t want to leave you without any decent clothes.”

“But…but that would be so embarrassing, mum!”

“No one will find out, sis. I’ll act as if I want to buy something for myself while you look for something that is to your liking.”

Ugh.
I may not like it, but I can understand their reasoning.
While it might be possible to make something myself, I don’t have the tools here to do so.
The needle I used before, I forgot back at the fairy glade, and the tools that I need I would normally borrow from Miss Delia.
I may be able to convince Talia to ask for tools later, but I’d want to create proper clothes, which will take time.
So something already prepared would be convenient.
Also, I’m pretty sure I won’t find a bed my size in any other shop.
And mum’s suggestion of sleeping in a basket sounds much too similar to being a pet!

“Okay, fine! But no one else can ever hear about this! Also, both of you will promise to never bring this topic up ever again!”

“Alright.”

“No promises!”

Shit, Talia!

“You know I now have many ways to get back at you? Would you like to wake up tied to your bed with vines?”

“Akari! Do we really need to set a rule not to use magic against family?”

“That’s up to Talia!”

While I try to sound intimidating, there is a rather large hindrance to this with my tinkling crystal voice.
It may be perceived as a child spouting threats.
In other words, ridiculous.

Well, as long as Talia doesn’t make me, I won’t have to show her how ridiculous fairy magic can be.