It seems that Nibi decided join my sister who’s preparing dinner in the other room, though judging by what I heard from Talia, she’s not exactly helping.

  “Um, please wait here a moment, Mum. I’ll be right back.”

  Yeah, sure, she knows Talia is up to something, but I don’t believe Mum would attempt to ruin it unless she thought it was harmful in some way.She’ll likely wait unless we cause too great a cmor.

  Once I pass through the doorway, I see Sis has almost finished setting food on the table, with the sweetice fruit cut into portions in the center.However, several of the portions appear to already be missing, with the obvious culprit hovering just above Talia’s reach, holding a blue slice from the fruit’s interior.As I fly closer, Talia tries talking to her.

  “Nibi, give that back! You may have some when everything is ready.”

  “No! *ditiditi*”

  “Nibi!”

  Well, it would seem Nibi doesn’t intend to listen to her this time.While it is somewhat amusing to see Talia get teased for a change, spoiling her surprise is too much.I suppose this is as good a time as any to begin teaching this fairy.Or, at least, attempt to.

  “Nibi! What are you doing? That isn’t yours.”

  “Ak’ri! Py. Ta.”

  “I’m not pying, Nibi!”

  As expected, my sister disagrees.

  In order to speak more comfortably, I hover beside Nibi.When I do so, I can’t help but notice the scent of the fruit she’s holding.It smells lovely!It’s no wonder she wanted to eat it as soon as possible.Perhaps I should try a bite myself…No, Akari!If I do that, she’ll find it even more difficult to understand what I’m about to say.

  “Pying? But it looks like your stealing from her.”

  “Miep?”

  She tilts her head, confused.But then she begins making a new sound.

  “Sss, ssst, ss”

  I’m uncertain precisely how she’s learning to speak so quickly, but it would seem she’s trying to pronounce a word she doesn’t yet know how to.

  “Stealing?”

  “Yes!”

  How she understands me so well now, I also don’t know, but perhaps this is a word she still doesn’t yet know what it means?

  “Stealing is when you take something that belongs to someone else without permission.”

  She considers my words for a few moments before replying.

  “Miep. Yes! Nibi. Ta.”

  However, even after recognizing what I meant, she shows no remorse about being called a thief.A mere moment ago, she even referred to what she did as simply pying.So how do I teach a fairy that stealing is wrong?

  Theft is not even a concept that is unique to humans.Almost every creature despises having their things taken from them.Yeah, sure, some will py at stealing and then return the item, but Nibi already ate some of what she took.Perhaps she truly doesn’t care how Talia feels?That seems quite unlikely, as Nibi appears to enjoy her company and even worries for her.Then again, is it possible that she never had something stolen from her before?Also unlikely, considering the kind of bastards she was living with at the gde.

  Well, what if I thought about this from a fairy’s point of view?Which should be simple enough for me to imagine now.What would a fairy do if I stole, say, a petal dress from one?Yes, she would catch me and steal it back, as most are likely much more proficient than I at flying and magic.But what if I got away?Would she be saddened..?No, she would merely grow a pnt with the petal shape she wanted and have her dress back within moments.

  Ah!I think I understand now.Fairies can shape the world as they wish, and from what I saw, everything they have comes from nature.Therefore, all of their belongings could be taken from them, and it would be no more trouble than if I were to have a few hairs taken from my head.An incredibly minor inconvenience, but nothing more than that.They would have to lose something truly unique for theft to be anything other than, well, pying and teasing.And as young as Nibi is, she may very well have never experienced such a thing.For all I know, none of the fairies have.

  “Akari, make her give it back!”

  It seems Talia has gotten impatient while I was thinking.Yet, I believe I have a pn now.

  “Nibi, humans don’t enjoy it when you take their things.”

  “Miep! *ditiditi*”

  “It’s more than just mere teasing to her. She can’t simply get more of what you took. How would you feel if someone stole honey you were given, so you weren’t able to eat any?”

  Based on Nibi’s reaction when I saw her first consume it, I’m guessing honey is not something fairies can magically create.

  At my words, she settles, and begins contempting.As Mum pointed out, Nibi does seem to at least consider everything I say to her, even if she may decide to ignore my wishes.I would wager the cause of that is the water essence she carries, judging by my own experience with it, yet she appears to enjoy being this way.And if it aids me in teaching this self-invited fairy, I certainly won’t compin about it.

  “Miep!”

  She points at the fruit she’s holding and then towards the back of the house.I suppose I’ll have to guess as to what she means.

  “Yes, it came from outside.”

  “No. Miep!”

  Again, the same gestures.What is she trying to say?If it’s a reply to my words…

  “No, there isn’t any more in the garden.”

  “Ak’ri, yes!”

  “There are young pnts growing there, but how would Talia get fruit from them? She has no magic, Nibi.”

  Once more, she goes quiet and begins thinking.Now I ought to continue with my pn.

  “Imagine Talia took the dress you’re currently wearing and wouldn’t return it. Or all the honey. How do you think you would feel?”

  Unlike the petal dress, I doubt she can simply grow another simir to that blue outfit.Especially not with her water magic.

  “Miep.”

  However, she merely replies with an indifferent tone.It seems that while she enjoys the things I mentioned, she doesn’t particurly care whether or not she has them.Yet, there must be something I know of that she cares deeply about.Other than her fixation on me, of course.Wait…That’s it!

  “Then what if she were to steal your nightgown?”

  “No!”

  As I expected, that drew an instant response from her.When water essence affected me, it didn’t remove my emotions.No, it simply muted any that weren’t immediately important to whatever my focus was.Yet Nibi obviously ughs at and teases more than just me.My guess is that since she’s been a water fairy for so long, her focus has expanded to include everything directly reted to me.Which means that the closer in retion to me something is, the more invested Nibi is likely to be, no matter if it’s a person or object.Such as with the simple dress that me and her made together.

  “You couldn’t simply repce that, now could you? It’s the same when you take from humans. They can’t easily obtain new things like you can.”

  I’ve got her thinking again.However, if I continue down this chain of thought, I may have another argument.My sister clearly qualifies as being close to me.

  “Talia also enjoys sharing things with you. If you steal from her, she’ll hide them all away and you’ll never get anything else from her.”

  At that, Nibi looks at me, to Talia, and then back at the fruit in her hands.

  “Miep.”

  Apparently having come to a decision, she glides down to the table and returns the remaining slice of fruit back to where she stole it from.

  Yes!It seems I got through to her.Even though her expression shows no shame or guilt, I believe she understood my points.Thankfully, while she’s young and, obviously, a fairy, she’s certainly not stupid.Which makes me all the more curious about her reasoning behind turning me into a fairy.Was it a purely selfish motive, a harmful one, an effort to reward me, or something else?With how rapidly she’s learning, hopefully, I’ll soon be able to hear her tale.Yet for now, there’s one other thing I should tell her.

  “Please, don’t steal anything from people anymore, Nibi. Especially, not food. Humans need to eat to survive, they can’t simply take in essence like you can.”

  My family has been short on food enough times that I know how it feels to not have enough.It’s one of the reasons I tried to get a tailoring job.However, my words have an effect on Nibi that I didn’t intend.

  “Miep! Ta!”

  I struggle to contain my ughter as, in a panic, Nibi carries a slice of fruit up to Talia and tries to feed it to her.After all, it wouldn’t do to ugh at her efforts when she tries to follow my advice.

  “Nibi, I don’t need to eat it right this moment! Put it on the pte, we’ll be eating together soon. And Akari, could you wait a little, and then tell Mum to come eat?”

  Due to the nature of cooking, Sis was continuing to prepare dinner while I spoke with Nibi.Hence, it now appears to be finished.I fly back to my room where Mum is waiting, and she speaks with a small grin as soon as I squeeze past the door.

  “So is my home still in one piece? I don’t smell a fire, but perhaps my tableware is silver now?”

  She could, of course, hear Talia’s shouts from here, and may suspect Nibi of throwing a tantrum when I attempted to lecture her.Yet Nibi’s magic is water…Hey, I’m not that irresponsible with my magic!Am I?Perhaps I ought to ignore her teasing for now.

  “Everything is fine, Mum. Honestly, Nibi listened surprisingly well. There wasn’t any magic let loose whatsoever.”

  After a quick expnation of what occurred, I tell her that dinner is ready, and we both exit my room together.Obviously, the first thing she notices is the glistening blue and white fruit in the center of the table, with other food from Talia’s garden arrayed around it.

  “Sweetice!? Talia, how did you come by something like this!?”

  “From my garden, of course! Although, truthfully, Akari helped me grow it.”

  As Talia tells the story, the four of us enjoy our dinner together.I’m gd she had fun surprising Mum, but my focus is on the fruit.While Nibi and I only take a few bites of the other foods, we both proceed to devour the fruit at our pces and then collect more.While it’s not as good as honey, it’s still incredibly delicious.Moreover, since I don’t need food for sustenance anymore, I’ll leave the heartier foods, such as the hen, to my family.Which means more fruit for me!

  However, partway through our meal I suddenly feel a familiar sensation.I’m full!Immediately, I cease eating, as I don’t want to cause any more trouble for my family.Yet, I believe I can correct this issue.

  Excusing myself for a bit, I take one of the seeds Talia set aside and fly to the garden where the white vine was growing previously.With a small bit of earth magic, I pnt the seed, then convert the white energy I acquired during dinner to nature magic.Shortly afterwards, I proceed to focus on what I want, a vine just like the others growing nearby, and soon a green orb forms in front of me.Thankfully, everything goes exactly as I imagined.A small green shoot springs forth and quickly stretches into a vine simir to the others.Now, no one should be able to notice that anything strange occurred here.And I can go back to eating!I’m no longer full, and I shouldn’t be anywhere near my absolute limit either.

  Sadly, not much remains of the fruit by the time I return.Both Mum and Talia eat far more in a bite than I can, so their additional portions quickly cause it to vanish.As soon as the fruit is entirely gone, Nibi and I stop eating, and Mum shortly does as well, yet Talia continues for a time.It seems she’s determined to enjoy this rare feast of ours, but eventually, she finishes.

  With the sun setting, soon it will be time for bed, yet before that, I wish to have Mum help me with an idea I thought of st night.So after she finishes clearing the table, I ask her to bring a basket out to the garden.Talia, meanwhile, is still seated at her chair, with a hand on her belly.I’m quite certain she ate too much.However, she gets up and follows Mum when she exits the house.Once they circle our home to the garden, I fly out of my window and nd in the basket Mum carried outside.Of course, with Nibi following closely.

  Now all I need to do is wait for the sun to set.As it does so, I feel how the light essence begins to fade, and the gloom grows stronger and stronger.Shortly afterwards, I feel it pushing against my wings, trying to squirm its way into them.Yet before it becomes strong enough to do so, I hear Mum gently call out.

  “Talia…Talia.”

  “Hmm…”

  With a slight hop, I grab onto the edge of the basket and look out.There I see Talia with her eyes shut and her head nodding.Between the feast she just consumed and her nightmare st night, not to mention me waking her, she must be tired.Mum gently shakes her awake.

  “Talia.”

  “Huh?”

  “If you’re that sleepy, I think it’s time for you to get to bed.”

  “But I want to watch too.”

  “You won’t see anything with your eyes closed. Now get to bed.”

  “Aww. Yes, Mum.”

  “Goodnight, dear.”

  A bit begrudgingly, she leaves and returns inside our home.

  Meanwhile, the gloom has progressed to the point that it’s beginning to seep into my wings, so I drop down inside the basket.Stirring up my energy, I hold it at bay, then look to Mum.She speaks before I even say a word.

  “You’re correct, Aki. Both of you are glowing quite brightly. Almost blindingly so in this dark.”

  While looking at Mum, I see her squinting her eyes when peering down at me.I had a suspicion, and it seems I was right.Whatever it is that keeps the gloom out of me also causes a bright light, which is why I opted to sit in this basket.I shouldn’t be able to be noticed from quite so far away like this.Beside me, Nibi is glowing like a blue firebug, but I have no trouble looking at her.Apparently, no matter how bright, her light doesn’t bother my eyes.

  With my question answered, I let Mum carry us back into the house, and then I begin preparing to sleep.After retrieving Nibi’s nightgown, I y it on her bed, and then return to the drawer to change into mine.There I take the ribbon out of my hair that I ended up leaving in much longer than I intended, then proceed to undress.However, halfway through the process, a noise causes me to turn around.There I find Nibi also changing her clothes!

  “Nibi! Get out!”

  “Ak’ri? Miep?”

  She points at her dress and then the drawer around us.

  “Yes, I know that I said this is where we change our clothes, but you’re supposed to wait till I’m finished!”

  At that, her gaze goes to her clothes on the floor.

  “Miep?”

  *Sigh*“Go ahead and finish putting your nightgown on. But next time, wait till I come back out before entering.”

  “Miep?”

  No.It’s not happening tonight.I’m not expining to a fairy child why I want to change my clothes in private.Especially, since I no longer have much in the way of reasonable arguments to support my wishes.I’ll have to simply ask her for this.

  “Because that’s what humans do, and it’s what I still want to do. So could you please do this for me?”

  She looks utterly confused, but she consents.

  “Yah, sur.”

  I cover myself till she finishes, pcing her own ribbon near mine, and leaves the drawer, then I proceed to put my own clothes on.Yes, there’s nothing to really see, but that doesn’t mean I want her watching me change!

  Shortly afterwards, both of us are ready to sleep.While Nibi listened to me quite well this evening, it’s now time for the real test.

  “Nibi, you said you’d let me sleep on my own. Could you help me move this bed?”

  “No.”

  I suppose that’s still too much to ask, yet I think I can press her a little further.Grabbing onto her bed, I push it a short distance away from mine, but unexpectedly, she doesn’t compin.She appears to be a bit down, but isn’t throwing a tantrum as she did before.Perhaps she’ll do as she said?

  “Look, you won’t be far away, but I want my bed to myself tonight, okay?”

  “Miep.”

  Although she certainly doesn’t seem happy with my request, she walks over and climbs into her own bed.

  “Thank you, Nibi.”

  “Miep.”

  At st, I should finally be able to get a full night to myself.