Mmmmm.
A normal morning.
The sun streaming into my room through gaps around the window.
A familiar ceiling safely sheltering me.
My own bed to gently wake in.
My sister’s warmth beside me.
The chirping of the birds sounding outside.
Peace and quiet.

Hmm.
Wait…
I haven’t shared a bed with Talia in…

Looking down, I see Nibi at the edge of my bed once again gripping my arm in her sleep.
The sight of which quickly reminds me of recent events.
Yeah, sure, I’m still a fairy.
Since I was able to move this blanket properly, last night I found a way to sleep on my back as I used to, although now with my wings spread under me.
But why is this stupid fairy here!
I suppose I was expecting too much from her when she nodded to-

Belatedly, I notice her pink bed is pressed directly against mine.
And Nibi has both feet solidly in it while she is laying next to me.

My anger deflates with a sigh.
I should’ve expected something like this from the little prankster.
She did technically keep her word, so I’ll let her sleep.
Gingerly slipping out of her grasp, while also getting my wings from under the blanket, is no easy task.
Eventually I manage it, put my pillow in her hands as a replacement, and start getting ready for the day.

Morning preparations are rather simple.
My current wardrobe is limited to this dress I have on, and I still have yet to see any dirt or filth stick to my skin, or grime in my hair.
From what mum said, even that ink was rapidly disappearing on its own accord.
In addition, the scent of Luicidae has greeted me every morning since that day I woke in the glade.
A clear, refreshing fragrance that makes it seem as if I’m permanently wearing an expensive perfume and cleansing my breath.
And as I learned yesterday, my hair seemingly refuses to tangle, staying kempt and neat.
Even a morning visit to the privy outside is unnecessary now.
That merely leaves adjusting my energy.

While lying in bed, I already absorbed some of the morning rays, assuredly contributing to my pleasant awakening.
But the balance of my essences is somewhat skewed from where I would like it to be.
I have a veritable rainbow of colors, however, green still outweighs the rest by a respectable margin.

At first, I believed it only made me feel more alive, and it does, but I’ve noticed it affects me in another way as well.
Nature essence appears to increase my attachment to all life, not just my own, boosting my desire to nurture life around me.
The influence seems especially powerful around children.
And I don’t need my essence urging me to pamper my sister!
Luckily, I don’t believe Nibi counts as being alive.
I didn’t notice myself acting abnormally towards her, at least.

Finding it easier than opening the window, I slip out through a gap in the frame.
Talia keeps a garden outside to help put food on our table.
Not nearly enough for us to live off alone, but it supplements what we manage to acquire otherwise.
There should be enough plants here for my needs.
All I have to do is use a portion of my nature magic to make this greenery healthier, and it should bring my energy back into balance.
Conveniently, also allowing me to train with my magic and help out my family.

So I begin by focusing on what I want the state of the plants to become.
Nice green leaves, no dead spots, no bugs or worms, and tasty fruits and vegetables.
Then I will my energy to push my desires into reality.
Carefully.

Nature essence spills from behind me, and a green mist seems to rise from my arms and join it between my hands.
I form it.
Adjust it.
Then release.

Immediately, all the plants perk up.
Every spot of decay or disease vanishes, while the growing fruits and vegetables look more delicious than ever.
I’d say a resounding success.
If not for the fact that it only used a figurative drop of my nature essence.
Again, it seems I’ve overestimated how much I need for a task.
Healing light injuries appears to only require a small amount, no matter if it’s on plants or people.
My fear of growing monstrous plants near my family if I attempt to magically boost their growth beyond simple healing still gnaws at the back of my mind.
Hence, I’ll leave these plants be for the time being and speak with mum before going further.
Instead, I’ll try a different method to balance myself.

I float down to the ground and gently land in the shade of one of Talia’s bushes, hidden from anyone who may be looking.
This garden may be behind our home, but the fence around it isn’t high enough to block the vision of anyone who walks by.
Though, we have more land around our home than most people in this village, so it’s unlikely anyone will walk near enough to notice me.

A quick glance at my wings shows that my air essence has gradually increased from my breathing, but earth has shrunk in comparison.
Pulling in energy from below myself, I watch my wings slowly fill with brown, until I get the feeling that I’m completely full once more.
Then I focus on what I want to do.
Namely, release nature magic.

When I once again start to absorb earth essence, green sparkles begin dropping from my hands and feet and float to the ground.
Once my energy is nearly balanced, I stop.

For some reason, this much earth energy doesn’t seem quite right anymore.
It almost feels itchy.
Like wearing a poorly made wool sweater directly over skin.
Better than the cold, but not the best choice.
For now, I’m able to ignore it without trouble, but I may want to rebalance my mix in the future.
Currently, I have green, brown, cyan, and blue, all in equal amounts, with a large amount of white and a little bit of gold, in nice, orderly patterns.
No matter what the day will bring, I’m ready.

I return to my room the same way I came, then fly into the common area, my door being left open the night before.
There I find mum preparing breakfast.

“Good morning, mum!”

“Morning, Aki. Sleep well?”

“Very much so. I admit, the bed was much easier to sleep in, even if I still don’t appreciate where we got them from.”

“Your welcome. Now, why don’t you go wake your sister, it’s almost time to eat.”

“Yes, mum.”

After a moment hovering in front of Talia’s door, I locate and squeeze through one of the gaps.
I may not be able to open it, but it’s obviously not fairy proof.
Now, how do I wake her?
It might be a bit mean to use water again, so I ought to attempt something else.
Perhaps the straightforward approach?

I simply land on her forehead and give it a couple of kicks.

“Nnngh.”

Not enough, huh?
What else could I try?
If it’s ticklish, maybe she’ll wake?
Perhaps there?

I walk down her face till I come to her nose.
Then I bounce!
Jumping up and down, I find the slight springiness to be somewhat fun.

“Hey sleepyhead! It’s time to get up already!”

Oh, playing around a little seems to have done the trick.

“Ungh. Aahh.”

A giant hand comes flying down at me!
I take off, and in my urgency, a sudden burst of wind energy leaves my wings and a gust speeds me away.
Yet, now the hand lands directly on her face.
Rather forcefully.

“Waaahhh!”

“Are you awake now?”

“Huh… what? Fairy? Sis? Something was on my face…Akari!”

This time a pillow comes flying at me, but I don’t have much of an issue dodging it.
My flying experience has been building the past couple days.

“Isn’t that a little much? I’m more fragile than you might think.”

“You were on my face! You absolutely deserved it!”

“Well you hardly felt a thing, and I was told to wake you! I had to use my whole body if I wanted it to work!”

“Don’t walk on my face!”

“Would you rather I use magic next time!?”

If that’s what she wants, I don’t mind.

“Argh! Stupid fairy!”

“Hey, don’t lump me in with all of them!”

“Get out!”

Well, she’s awake, so I’d better leave her.

Before long, she’s ready and joins us at the table.
The noise also woke Nibi, who sped towards me once she noticed I was missing.
So we start breakfast.

Mum put a little bit of everything in a small bowl and placed it on the table for me.
This is a really nice accommodation as I don’t have to roam to get what I want.
My arm length is rather short to be able to easily reach everything and bring it to my place.
She also placed a bowl for Nibi right next to mine, but only put the sweeter food in there.

All things considered, we seem to have returned to a semblance of a normal routine, which I am extremely grateful for.
Yet, I’m still uncertain of what I ought to be doing.
I don’t want to be merely a burden.
Perhaps mum has some idea?

“So now that we’ve gotten through the most difficult problem concerning me, could we think about the best way for me to contribute, mum? I mean, I can use genuine magic! It’s literally a part of me now, occasionally more so than I’d prefer, so I want to discover a way to effectively use it. Also, I wish to help out again. You know I’m not the type to do nothing.”

“Well, things outside the house would be troublesome. If you’re discovered, it would cause a commotion.”

“But there must be something. For example, I could grow more crops. It might be a bit complicated, and I’ve never done it on purpose before, but I don’t think it would be too difficult.”

I hope.

“You’re talking about fairy magic. What if you suddenly grow a tree in the middle of the house as you did these flowers?”

“I could go out at night and plant them towards the far edge of the garden. And I’ll be careful?”

“That sounds very much like a question. And even more concerning, how would we explain the abundance of growth?”

“Then maybe some herbs to sell instead? You often enter the forest, so it wouldn’t be unusual for me to accompany you and grow them there. It should be a sufficient cover.”

“At some point, someone would become suspicious of us gathering rare herbs in such quantities.”

“Maybe just a little bit then? Or I could try my hand at sewing again, I have a needle-”

Wait!
I left it back with Emira!

“-I know where to get a needle if you could obtain the thread and such.”

“We’ll see, Aki. Don’t try rushing things, alright? I already thought I’d lost you once. Please, don’t make me go through that again! I don’t want anything more to happen to you after all this.”

“Ugh, fine mum. I’ll be careful, but I can’t stay confined in here forever. There’s no way for me to fully utilize my magic while restricted to being inside these walls, as I don’t wish to damage the house. And I don’t precisely control Nibi either. I’m not certain how long it will be till she gets bored.”

And I don’t believe I want to even consider what sort of mischief that blue fairy will cause when she begins searching for things to entertain herself with.

“Hmm… Well, the way I see it, you need somewhere to practice, away from prying eyes. I know of such a place, and we can take an outing there today if you wish. As long as you promise me you will take it slow. Considering what occurred yesterday, you need to familiarize yourself more with what that magic does to you first. Only after you do so, will we see what you can accomplish with it. Fair enough?”

“Yes, mum. Today, I’ll try to be cautious with my magic, I promise.”

“While we’re away, we should also try to acquire anything else you may still need right this moment. Though it looks lovely on you, I’m certain only having that one dress to wear will become tiresome quickly. I understand that you likely don’t want to return to the toyshop, but I could attempt to find something for you there.”

Yes, that is now certainly a shop I plan to avoid.
Possibly, for the rest of my life!
But now that I have a proper dress, I’m no longer in such a hurry to find clothes.
Yeah, sure, I will need a change of clothes soon, but at least I’m not wearing rags.
I’ll have some time to sew new ones.
And if there is one benefit to being this size, it’s that the materials should be quite affordable.

“If you could acquire one of the larger fabric scraps from Miss Delia, along with matching thread, buttons, and my usual tools, I should be able to create another outfit to wear, starting with a simple dress for when I want to wash this or when I go to bed.”

“Very well. I’m certain she won’t ask for much for that. Once we’re done for the day, I’ll stop at her shop and see what she has.”

“Miep!”

“Oh, if available, could you ensure that you obtain enough for multiple outfits? Nibi will want one too.”

“Of course. She’s certainly learning rapidly, isn’t she? Do you think she’ll speak soon?”

“I’m not sure. The other fairies could speak and told me Nibi would eventually as well. She seems to already understand nearly everything I say.”

“And I thought you grew up quickly.”

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing.”