Now to figure out what to do with this tagalong.
First, I try gesturing to her to return into the forest, but then she pulls me by the hand to go back with her.
When I refuse to budge, she looks back at me in confusion.
So I point at her and then towards the fairy glade, followed by myself and then my home.
She just adamantly shakes her head.
Yeah, sure, I didn’t think that would work, but I had to try.
I again point at myself, then towards my village, this time without gesturing at her.
After a moment, she points at herself with one hand, then at me with the other, and then with both hands in the direction I indicated.
Seems she’s determined to come along wherever I go.
As things stand, I really have no way to ban her from following me.
Looks like I’m bringing a self-invited guest home.

Having lost some time, dawn arrives before I completely exit the woods, with blue light in tow.
Wait!
Fairies shine!
Am I glowing?
This may be a problem as people may be waking up in the village, and I don’t want to be seen by anyone for now.
I look down at myself and don’t see any light, but then again, I never have so far.
It’s possible I can’t normally see my own.
With the sun rising, Nibi’s blue light appears to be dimming rapidly, so hopefully, we won’t stand out too much.
Surely, most people are still sleeping, though not for much longer.
I know my family normally would be, but I’m not sure if they could sleep well after I went missing.

Seeing that I approached my village from the north-west, I fly to the east under cover of the sparse trees until I pass the gate.
Once there, I approach the walls.
Quickly flying over the palisade, I move towards the buildings and try to stay as close to the roofs as possible.
Relying on my memory of the town, I do my best to follow the streets from above towards my home.
Thankfully, I shouldn’t have to deal with any encounters, as long as the early risers don’t look up, and my home isn’t far from the eastern walls.

Now that I’m getting close, my greatest fear comes to the front of my thoughts.
I’m terrified that my family will simply think I’m a normal fairy.
Yeah, sure, I know how ironic that status sounds in and of itself.
Nonetheless, regarding my current condition, this is a pretty valid concern.
My only chance will be to talk to them, as I’m rather sure they won’t draw close enough to my face to confirm that it’s me.
With my voice, it will be difficult to get them to hear, and I don’t feel nearly experienced enough with magic yet to attempt adjusting how I sound.
However, speaking is still my best chance.
All I can do is wish that they will listen to my tiny bell-like voice and desperately hope they believe a word I say.
Conceivably, mum’s fairy obsession may be a problem.

There!
I can see my home!
My window!
I first land on the edge of the wooden window into my room, and peer inside through one of the gaps, which are now large enough for me to walk through.
Nothing has changed, which is what I expected when I was only away for two days.
Yet when I look close, there is a lump in my bed.

“Talia?”

Naturally, she can’t hear me.
I’m standing in the window and my voice…small bell, remember?
I don’t see anything amiss and it’s my room, so I squeeze past the window.
Now what do I do?

Keeping my new size in mind, I don’t really want to try shaking her awake.
I might get crushed like a bug!
Just saying, having my little sister be a hundred times larger than me is rather weird and upsetting.
It’s putting me at a bit of a loss.
Yet, I would prefer to wake her up first, and then mum.
Hopefully, if I convince her, she’ll then help me face mother before some old anti-fairy recipes are used on me.
Which may just even work!

So, waking up my sister...
With a body that’s, at best, nine centimeters tall…
Ah hah!
I have an idea!
This blue fairy following me is good for something.

I fly above my sis to what I hope is a safe distance, and concentrate on the water essence inside of me.
Carefully, I will it to gather between my hands, and form it into shape.
Upon its release, a waterball flies right at her face!
Which is followed closely by a second one, since it seems Nibi decided to join this, apparently, very fun game.
*Splash*Splash*

“Kyaahh!”

“That’s not your bed, Talia!”

“Wh-wha-what?”

I shouted as loud as I could, and judging by her reaction, it seems she heard me.
Nonetheless, I need to keep in mind that my voice isn’t normal anymore, not to mention that it doesn’t even resemble my old one.
I try to make her aware of my presence with some crude aerial manoeuvers.
Oh, I think she found me.

“What is that!?”

“You know, this is really not the best way to welcome your sister after she finally managed to find her way back home!”

“I-is that, a voice? It said something? What is going on?”

Shit, at this rate, if mother is here, she’ll hear this ruckus and come in.
That would be too much for me to deal with at once.
However, it’s not like I have the capabilities to control the situation or force a discussion.
I’m tiny, remember?
And the way Nibi is flying around, she may soon decide this game needs more water.
I’ll just have to keep trying to get Talia to hear me.
Flying a little closer, I try shouting again.

“Talia! Would you be quiet and listen to me for a moment!? If you could sit still for just a bit, I’ll explain everything!”

“What a-are you?”

“Your sis, and I’m currently having a rather tough time!”

“Sis? My sis is… What are you saying? Did you do something to her!? Where is she!?”

It seems I’m still not close enough for her to hear me clearly.
Talia becomes upset and storms towards me, falling soaking wet and miserable from the bed.
I take a moment to fly a little higher, just to be safe.
She quickly rises up again and tries to get me, but can’t jump high enough to even come close and stops after a single try.

“Give her back! Give me back my big sister right now!”

Talia is now, clearly, extremely distressed.
She’s crying, sobbing, and still occasionally trying to grab me.
I desperately wish I could comfort her, but if she were to grab me, I fear that would be my end.
Also, I just noticed something more urgent.

“Nibi, no! Talia! Please, stop this! She doesn’t like it!”

She must’ve heard at least some of my words because she looks where I’m pointing.
There she sees Nibi.
With five icicles already formed.
And they’re starting to spin!
For all I know, these things might pierce completely through her!
I can’t let them hit my sister!

Quickly, I fly in between Nibi and Talia, knowing full well that this body does not cover enough to be an effective shield.
She likely can just shoot around me and still hit her target.
Nevertheless, it seems she understood that I don’t want Talia hurt.
The icicles slow down and turn to water, which flows back towards Nibi before vanishing.
My sister seems to be scared stiff and isn’t moving any more.
The one positive thing is that now I can move a little closer without having to expect too much danger.

“Talia, can we please talk now!?”

“W-w-what do you want from me!?”

She drops to her rear and tucks herself into the corner of the room where she quivers on the ground.
I hate to frighten her, but I have to be close if I wish to be heard.
So I slowly follow her.

“Is there really no way I can convince you that I’m your sis?”

“S-s-sis? But…What happened to her? You’re, you’re saying you know?”

“Talia, you aren’t listening! I said I, am, your, sister! As for what happened, let’s say the fairies finally caught me! More precisely, they trapped me in a fairy ring and somehow made me become one!”

“What are you saying? You are, I don’t know…a fairy? A real, live fairy? But this is… this is impossible. What..?”

“Aarrg, Talia! This is hard enough for me as it is! It’s not like I had much say in being just as big as your hand! I’m your big sis, Akari! You know how much I hate this name! As well as the stupid nickname mother gave me! Aki! You’d think she could at least give me one decent name to use, but no, she just gave me more of the same! And do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to rant like this while my voice will only come out in this tone!?”

“A-ka-ri?”

She looks seriously confused now, but I think I can turn this in my favor.

“Yep, not like I intended to be in this situation! I just wanted to clear my head and then it turned out like this! Did you hear how I lost my job and my boyfriend at the same time!? I’d guess that hellion, Sinora, couldn’t stop smiling when she heard that I didn’t come back! Maybe you heard that asshole Thomas cheated on me behind my back out of ‘consideration’!? How nice of him, right!? Not like it matters anymore as it seems my love life is now completely down the river! To top it all off, I’m now going to have to concede to mum that all her stupid stories about stupid fairies are true, and they are just waiting to turn your whole stupid life into a huge stupid mess!!!”

“Akari!”

Really?
That’s what does the trick for her?
That I simply ranted like I used to?
She lunges and tries to embrace me, but I manage to dodge and gain a bit of distance.

“Huh?”

“Before you start hugging me full force, please remember that I’m only this big and rather limited in my durability!”

“Oh…Ooohh. Sorry, I didn’t think…I don’t know what to think. I’m so confused!”

“Welcome to my world! That’s been my permanent state for the last two days, but I’m glad I’m finally back here! Back together with you.”

I fly down to her and hug her, if you can call it that, under her collarbone.
She is startled for a moment, but then slowly raises her hands and presses me softly against herself.
A moment later, I get drenched.
Looking upwards, I notice she’s completely broken down sobbing, and I have to deal with the resulting flood.
I could tell her to stop, but I think she needs this right now, and I should try to comfort my little sis who overwhelmingly surpasses me in height.

“There, there. It was hard on you too, huh?”

“Sis, I thought you were dead!”
*Sob*

“Urgh, no squishing please! It hurts!”

“O-oh, I’m sorry.”

“I-it’s fine. I can handle this much, probably.”

So I continue holding her like this, and in consideration, Talia loosens her grasp a bit.
For the next couple of minutes, I do what I can to soothe my sister.