An Offer To Stay

The smell of something sweet filled the house in the early morning. It smelled of warm honey and sweetened flour. The scent drifted into the bedroom and roused one of the sleeping inhabitants. Bleary amber eyes slowly opened as they gazed around the room, as if expecting the source of the smell to be coming from within the room. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, Pouf made the judgement that one of the parents must be preparing the morning meal in the kitchen.

Groggily, Pouf sat up and rubbed his tiny hands over his eyes. He gave a shake of his head as if to shake away the last remaining bits of sleep. His gaze drifted over to the bed to see that Katie had not started to wake up yet. If she didn't wake up soon then one of her parents would probably come to fetch her. Slowly, Pouf stood up and decided to see if he could wake the sleeping child.

Looking out over the room Pouf realized that he would have to fly over to the bed if he wanted to reach her. Testing out his wings, he tried to lift into the air. He began to rise in the air but after a few moments he could feel himself start to tire out. Cursing under his breath, he lowered back to the ground. 'Still too weak' thought Pouf bitterly. 'They must still be in a weakened state considering the damage that was done to them before death' he thought to himself. He decided to look around the area he was able to access and wait for either the parents to come wake up Katie or if she would wake before that.

Walking around on the small table Pouf saw there wasn't much in the small room. Katie had some stuffed toys sitting on a shelf, a few books, laying around in odd places, her clothes, and a bed. There was a dark wooden dresser with a few pictures on the top and a mirror. There was a book shelf that looked to have about eight books carelessly tossed onto the shelves. A hook by the door to the bedroom that held some kind of pink bag with two straps on it. The floors were a worn-out wooden floor that looked like the child never swept it.

Pouf frowned at the sight of the room. It was just bare and not the best maintained. He would have to teach the child how to clean up better. He couldn't live in such filth after all. Pouf looked over to Katie and noticed that she was sleeping with her stuffed butterfly nestled safely in her arms. As if it would protect her from nightmares and monsters.

'Monsters' thought Pouf bitterly as the memories of his Chimera Ant kin flooded through him. Amber eyes gazed out over the mostly empty room and began to tear up. 'It's so empty and alone here' thought Pouf mournfully as he longed to be back at the palace with Youpi, Pitou, and Meruem.

Tears streamed down Pouf's cheeks as he struggled to accept that he had in fact woken up in this strange new world alone. It wasn't some bizarre dream. This was his new reality. A quiet sob escaped his lips as he muffled his mouth with his hands. Weak, alone, and at the mercy of a human child.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen" said Pouf in a quiet voice. He sat down on the edge of the desk and held his head in his hands as he continued to cry.

The words 'Useless Pouf' echoing in his head as if to insult him further. He couldn't even think of a way to be useful to a human child. Pouf's nature as a Royal Guard was to serve and protect a king. However, his king had abandoned him and left him to die. What good was he now?

That though alone brought another sob out of Pouf. Not only was he weak and all alone in this new world, he had been abandoned by the one he trusted the most in his other world. No kindness towards him at all.

The memories of yesterday came back to Pouf as he remembered Katie and her desperation to help him. Pouf thought about how she saved him from the cat, cleaned him up, fed him, and gave him a warm and safe place to rest. That was kindness. Kindness from a species that mercilessly killed his own.

But Katie seemed different. There was this maternal instinct within her that made her want to care for something weaker than her. In stark contrast to Pouf, who viewed the weak as food or trash. He knew if the situation had been reversed that he would not have thought to show mercy. Katie wouldn't have even made a good candidate to be a chimera ant.

Despite his cruel ant-like nature, he was shown mercy. Pouf quieted his sobbing and thought about the situation more. Kindness, that was something he had craved from his king and never received. Not even a simple 'Thank You' was ever offered to him. Pouf sniffled and wiped the tears and snot from his face.

Slowly he began to stand back up on the desk. Again, the thoughts of kindness and mercy flooded into his mind as he looked over to Katie. She was willing to help him at his weakest and ask for nothing in return. There was no malicious agenda or conspiracy to use him as a weapon or experimental specimen.

Pouf thought to himself more about Katie's benevolent nature. So, she wasn't as physically strong as an ant or as smart and cunning. However, she was selfless and caring. Willing to save an apex predator that could turn on her in a second. Willing to risk her life for someone else. That's something that made her stronger than an ant, even his king, in a different way.

'Maybe I could give this a try' thought Pouf as he weighed his options. It's not like he had many choices. Pouf decided to try to get along with the child. It would take time because he would be fighting against his very nature, which is to be a predator.

A small sigh escaped from Pouf as he realized that he truly had a human child to depend on until he was stronger. This was not an ideal situation by any means. He was a Royal Guard after all, not a baby sitter. With another sigh, Pouf walked to the edge of the table and jumped off it. Using his wings, he was able to glide down to the ground without hurting himself.

He looked up at the bed and decided to climb up the blanket to get to Katie. Feeling better since drinking blood, Pouf set his mind on the task ahead of him and tightly gripped onto the green blanket that was hanging over the edge of the bed. Steadily putting one hand in front of the other, Pouf managed to climb up the blanket and make his way onto the bed.

Katie was still sleeping motionless on the bed with the stuffed butterfly nestled in her arms. Her back was facing Pouf so he had to get to her head so he could wake her up. Carefully, Pouf climbed over to Katie's pillow and made his way up the pillow to get to her face. He looked at her soft brown hair and how it was fanned out against the pillow.

Curiously, Pouf reached out and grabbed some strands of hair. He let the silky strands fall through his fingers as he marveled at how soft it felt. He did notice that her hair was a bit dirty, as if she needed a good bath. He decided to continue climbing up the pillow and make his way over to her face.

Soon he was standing on the pillow and staring at her sleeping face. Her eyes were closed and she had a peaceful expression on her pale face as she slept. She was very cute for a young girl but her face was very gaunt. She looked severely under fed. Pouf frowned at that as he looked over her features with more scrutiny. 'She's so weak. Obviously, someone needs to care for her better' Pouf thought as he continued to look over her thin form.

"Katie" called Pouf as he gently poked her cheek. The girl did not stir. Pouf let out a huff as he tried again but this time with more force. "Katie" he called again as he tapped on her cheek.

Katie groaned a bit and cracked open her eyes. Tired green eyes stared into curious amber ones. Katie moved her hands up torub the sleep from her eyes as she sat up on the bed, trying to be careful to not shake the pillow and cause Pouf to fall.

Katie looked over at Pouf for a minute confused about why there was a tiny fairy on her pillow. Then her memories of the day before came crashing into her as she realized that the tiny fairy she saved from Mr. Sprinkles was real and it wasn't a bizarre dream. Katie smiled at Pouf as she realized she had a new friend that stayed with her and didn't disappear during the night.

"Good morning Puff" said Katie as she turned to face him. A small smile stretched across Pouf's face at the nickname. He sat down on the pillow and watched Katie.

"Good morning" answered Pouf in a polite voice. Katie stifled a tired yawn with her hand as she turned away from Pouf and got up from the bed. She set down her stuffed butterfly on the bed as she made her way over to her dresser to get some clothes.

Pouf realized that the child intended to get dressed. He didn't want to seem rude or perverted so he turned around and faced the wall so that Katie could have some privacy. Katie noticed that Pouf had turned around. She silently thanked him and went ahead and got changed quickly. She threw her sleeping clothes on the floor with the rest of them.

"Okay, I'm changed" said Katie so that Pouf could turn back towards her. Amber eyes set their gaze on Katie once more. "Th-thank you for not looking" said Katie in a small voice.

"No need. It would be highly rude of me to gaze at a young lady while in a vulnerable state" said Pouf in a dismissive voice. He stood up from the pillow and walked to the edge of the bed.

Thinking about what she should do to continue caring for Pouf, Katie thought that she should probably feed him breakfast since he was quite hungry yesterday. The smell from the kitchen made itself known and Katie knew that her mother was up early preparing a Sunday morning breakfast of pancakes.

Katie gave Pouf a small smile before coming and sitting on the bed. "Momma will have breakfast ready soon. Do you want a pancake?" asked Katie excitedly. Pouf scrunched up his nose at the thought of eating sub-par human food.

"Fairies don't eat that kind of food, remember?" said Pouf as he looked up at Katie. He watched as her excited demeanor deflated a bit at his words. "However, I suppose I could try it" relented Pouf as he mentally kicked himself at giving in to a child.

"It's yummy!" exclaimed Katie as she was happy once again. Pouf cringed, highly doubting the pancake was going to be good. She bounced slightly on the bed and ignored the glare she was receiving from Pouf as she bounced him around with her.

He fell forward on the bed and shot out his hands to brace against the fall. Katie stopped bouncing when she looked down and noticed Pouf glaring up at her while on his hands and knees. Slowly, he stood back up and huffed at her.

"So-sorry…" said Katie in a sheepish voice as she scratched the back of her head nervously. She let out a shy giggle as she saw Pouf's cheeks puff out on his small form.

At that moment an older female voice called for Katie to come to the table for breakfast. Katie stood up from the bed and turned to Pouf, "I'm going to get you a pancake. Just wait here please Puff" asked Katie. Pouf nodded at Katie and with that, she ran out of the room in all her childish excitement.

Rushing out of the room, Katie made her way to the kitchen where her parents were finishing up making the last few pancakes. The rich smell of pancakes, syrup, coffee, and the love of a mother cooking for her family filled the kitchen. There was a subtle increase in heat in the kitchen due to the wood fire stove burning away in the kitchen. Small feet padded into the kitchen as Katie greeted her parents.

"Morning Momma! Morning Daddy!" greeted Katie as she sat down at the table. She grabbed a plate and piled on three large pancakes.

"Good morning Dear" greeted her mother. Her mother was a woman around thirty-five years of age with light blonde hair, hazel colored eyes, pale skin dotted with freckles, and was on the thinner side. She wore a simple white apron over a blouse and skirt.

Katie spread a generous amount of syrup on her pancakes and grabbed a fork. "Momma, can I have breakfast in my room? I want to start on some homework while I eat" requested Katie as she thought of a sneaky way to bring the pancakes to her room to feed Pouf.

"Only if you don't make a mess" answered her father in a stern voice. He was a man about forty years of age. He wore thick rimmed glasses with black frames that made his green eyes stand out. He had short black hair and tanned skin. He was tall with a bit of muscle on him but not that much.

"I promise I won't!" said Katie in a happy voice as she grabbed the food and fork and trotted off to her room. Katie hummed happily to herself as she thought 'I hope Pouf likes the food this time since he didn't like the cookie'.

In the room, Pouf put his hand on his face in exasperation at the child's antics as he waited for her to return. He needed more information on his whereabouts and this child was supplying no information at all. But that would have to come later, Pouf felt his stomach ache with hunger. The smell of the pancakes was starting to get to him. Pouf grimaced at the thought of having to eat lowly human food.

He waited patiently on the bed for Katie to come back. It didn't take too long as she came bouncing back in the room with a plate full of something… covered in something. Pouf turned up his nose as he looked at the contents of the plate. It was some sort of flat cake covered in a sticky liquid.

"Okay Puff! I got you a pancake!" cheered Katie as she went over to the desk. She set down the plate and went over to her toy chest and started to rummage through it for a bit.

Soon Katie found what she was looking for. A pink plastic plate and fork. It looked like a child's playset for pretending to eat. "Pink?!" exclaimed Pouf in annoyance as he looked over the plate and fork. 'How dare this child treat me like a toy' thought Pouf as he glared at her.

"I'm sorry. I wanted blue but Momma got me pink…. Cause I'm a girl" explained Katie as she looked down at the offensive plastic plate and fork. She looked helplessly between the plate and Pouf, knowing he was highly displeased with what she had to offer.

Pouf sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "It's fine. I should be grateful you even want to share with me" said Pouf as he relented. "I'm sorry. Pink isn't that bad of a color I guess" continued Pouf as he agreed to use it.

Katie gave him a toothy smile and trotted over to the desk and wiped the plate off with her shirt and then placed down the plate and fork. Carefully, Katie cut a piece of the pancake and put it on the plate for Pouf. She cut up the pancake on his plate to make it easier for him to eat.

"Okay, I'm done Puff!" announced Katie as she skipped over to the bed and scooped up Pouf in her hands carefully. She held him close to her chest while she carried him over to the desk.

"Hey! Ask before you grab me!" scolded Pouf as he grabbed onto one of Katie's fingers to steady himself.

"Oh okay" said Katie as she set him on the desk. "You're a grumpy fairy" commented Katie as she eyed him.

"Hmmph" huffed Pouf as he walked over to his plate and looked at the soggy pancake. 'What the hell is this mess?' thought Pouf in disgust as he walked around the plate like he was a scientist walking around a specimen.

"Try it! It's sweet" urged Katie as she tried to get Pouf to try the pancake.

"You'll regret this child if I don't like this" warned Pouf as he picked up the fork. Frowning he realized the fork was too big for his small hands to use. He silently cursed his small size as he realized the undignified way he was going to have to eat….. with his hands like some uncivilized cretin.

Sensing his dilemma, Katie realized that her toy fork was too big for Pouf to use. She decided that she would need to feed him since there was no way he'd be able to hold the fork and eat off of it. Katie felt a maternal instinct in her rise up as she decided to feed Pouf, like a mother feeding a toddler.

Before Pouf could do anything, the fork was pulled out of his hands. Pouf watched as Katie used the fork to stab a piece of the pancake and hold it up for Pouf to eat it. "I think the fork is too big for you Puff. I'll help you" said Katie happily as she tried to feed Pouf.

A dark purple blush spread across Pouf's face as he watched the child try to feed him. Seeing this as the better alternative to eating with his hands, Pouf gave in and let the child feed him. Slowly, he opened his mouth and bit the pancake off the fork.

The syrup-glazed pancake coated his mouth in a sugary sweetness. Pouf's eyes lit up at the taste. It was like eating soft sugar. The taste of the maple syrup brought a certain richness that Pouf couldn't describe. He chewed the soft pancake and swallowed and licked the bits of syrup off his lips and looked up to Katie expectantly.

"Well human, don't keep me waiting. Feed me" demanded Pouf as he waited for another bite. Katie grinned excitedly and got Pouf another bite of pancake.

"You like it Puff?" asked Katie eagerly as she held out the fork for him to eat more. He ignored her question and stuffed the sweet treat in his mouth.

Katie beamed at Pouf as he ate. She thought he was adorable as he sat there eating with his tiny cheeks puffed out. Despite being grumpy all the time, Katie enjoyed his company. She felt an urge to take care of him because he was so small and vulnerable.

Pouf finished the bite and swallowed it. "It's okay because it's sweet" muttered Pouf as he waited for more. A slight purple blush was dusting his cheeks.

"Momma makes the best pancakes!" said Katie as she continued to feed Pouf. For such a little body he managed to eat an entire pancake before he was too full.

'Maybe I can give him sweets and blood now' thought Katie to herself as she was beginning to understand how she can care for Pouf. Once she realized that Pouf had eaten all his small belly was able to hold she decided to eat her own pancakes now that Pouf was taken care of.

Katie took that opportunity to eat her pancakes while Pouf was content to try to discretely lick the remaining syrup off the plate. He would swipe his finger across the plate and then place it in his mouth and suck the syrup off it when he thought Katie wasn't looking. Katie giggled at Pouf which caused him to huff in annoyance at being caught.

Pouf marveled at how much he liked the sugar. 'I guess it's fitting. Like nectar to a butterfly' thought Pouf as he continued to try and get as much sugar into his body as he could. He could feel the sugar giving him energy. Not nearly as much as flesh or blood would, but still he could supplement his diet with sugar so that he could recover his strength as fast as possible.

Katie sat there quietly humming to herself as she finished off the last of the pancake. She noticed how sticky both she and Pouf were and frowned. She grabbed both plates, much to Pouf's displeasure, and brought them into the kitchen for her mother to wash.

Soon Katie returned, as came back over to the desk where Pouf was being nosy and trying to look around and see what he could find. He was rummaging through her pictures on the desk and looking at the pictures displaying her and her family members. Katie approached Pouf and stood by the desk.

"Umm Puff? We need to wash up from breakfast" said Katie as she tried to get his attention. Pouf continued to look at the pictures. One was of Katie smiling with the cat that tried to eat him. Another picture was of Katie with her mother and father. There was one more picture of Katie with a small boy.

"Who is this other child?" asked Pouf as he turned around to face Katie. A sad look came over Katie's face as she looked over at the picture.

It was of Katie at seven years old hugging her three year old brother. He had short blond hair, light brown eyes, pale skin, and was wearing black and white cow themed one-piece pajamas. Katie had short brown hair and was wearing black kitten themed pajamas. The two kids were smiling and looking up at the camera with their cheeks pressed together.

Katie felt her heart beat painfully as she looked at the picture of her brother and her. He was so young when the last breath left his body and air never returned into his lungs. She missed her brother dearly. Her parents were never the same after he passed away.

"That's my brother John. We called him Little J" said Katie quietly as she looked down to the ground.

A confused look came over Pouf's face as he thought over her words, "Called?" questioned Pouf. Katie gave a slow nod as she continued to look down.

"Momma said he went to Heaven because he wouldn't wake up" answered Katie. Her teary green eyes shifted upwards to look into widened amber ones. "Momma said that he was sick because his body was weak" explained Katie as best she could. A slow tear slid down Katie's cheek as she sniffled.

Katie knew the truth. Little J passed away because her parents were too poor to afford to get him medical help when he contracted a sickness that could have been treated. He had to lay in that bed for weeks as his body slowly withered away. There was no way that he would have been able to overcome the illness because they were barely able to afford food to eat. So, he was sick and starved. All anyone could do was try to comfort him the best they could until he stopped suffering.

Pouf looked again at the picture and noticed how thin both of the children were. Despite them smiling at the camera, it was obvious to see that the children were malnourished. The clothes hung loosely on their forms. 'Either he died from malnutrition or he was sick and the body was too weak to fight off the illness. Either way, it's obvious to see that the parents are struggling to raise kids' thought Pouf as he mulled over the new information regarding his caretaker.

"I'm sorry Katie, I didn't mean to pry and upset you" said Pouf genuinely as he felt a bit of guilt for causing the girl to cry. As mean and nasty as he could be, he didn't mean to hurt the child on purpose. After all, she was feeding and caring for him.

Katie wiped her eyes and shook her head. "It's okay Puff. Momma said he's a beautiful angel watching over us now" said Katie as she tried to make herself calm down. It's been a few years since her brother was buried but the pain is still there whenever she looks at their picture or she talks about him.

Pouf frowned at seeing her cry when she's been nothing but nice to him. He didn't know why but he felt the urge to try to comfort the child. He tried to fly but was still too weak to do it. Pouf cursed under his breath at his continued weakened state. He slowly approached the edge of the desk and looked up at Katie, who was still quietly wiping away her tears.

"Katie" Pouf called out softly to her in an attempt to get her attention. Katie regarded Pouf with slightly reddened eyes and a small sniffle.

Pouf lifted his small hands up in the air, indicating that he wanted her to pick him up. Slowly, Katie reached for Pouf and gently held out her hands to him. Pouf wasted no time in climbing into her hands and allowing her to lift him off the desk. She gave him a questioning look as another tear slid down her face when Pouf raised up his arms again towards her face.

"Closer child" requested Pouf as Katie brought Pouf up to her face. Once Pouf was able to reach out and touch Katie, he gently wiped away a tear.

"What are you doing Puff?" asked Katie quietly. Pouf continued to gently wipe away the wetness on Katie's face with his little hand.

"There is no need to cry" said Pouf in a gentle voice. He watched as teary green eyes settled on his small form. "Your brother is gone, yes. But he's not hurt or sick anymore" continued Pouf as he looked at Katie with a serious look.

"Momma said he's high up above the clouds now. I want to go up there" said Katie in a sad voice. "But I can't get up that high" she continued in a defeated voice.

Pouf didn't know why he said it but, he felt he wanted to return some sort of kindness back to the child for saving his life. "I'll take you above the clouds one day" said Pouf as he declared his promise to her.

Katie looked down at him and a smile spread across her lips. 'He's so tiny! He can't carry me' thought Katie as she looked at him.

A giggle escaped Katie as she looked at him, "Silly Puff! You're so small!" she said as she giggled more. A smile tugged at Pouf's lips as he felt his face soften. 'That's right, she doesn't know what kind of monster I really am' thought Pouf.

"For now I am. But one day, I'll carry you above the clouds and you will soar through the sky" said Pouf as he wiped away the last remaining evidence of tears on Katie's face.

Katie gave Pouf a large smile and then quickly hugged his small body into her shoulder and rocked back and forth. She was careful not to squish him. Pouf was shocked by the action. Nobody had ever shown him an ounce of affection. It was quite the opposite. He only ever received a smack in the face or a threatening tail stinger aimed at him.

Pouf sat there highly confused and unsure of what to do. Slowly his mind was able to function again and he began to rest his head down on Katie's shoulder and allow her to hug him for comfort. He could feel his resistance to the child melting away. With each kind gesture she showed to him, it made his cruel and manipulative demeanor towards her melt away. He knew that sooner or later he was going to have a bond with this child whether he wanted it or not.

'He's so sweet sometimes. I hope we can be friends forever' thought Katie as she cuddled Pouf. He just allowed himself to be hugged and Katie was glad to have any comfort that anyone was willing to give her.

"Puff, we have to get cleaned up" said Katie as she turned to leave the room. Pouf panicked a bit at the thought of having a child bathe him. He couldn't let himself be seen in such an indignant manner, to a little girl no less.

"You will not undress me!" said Pouf as he struggled against Katie's hold but was not able to break free.

"Silly Puff, we just have to wash our hands" said Katie cheerily as she walked off to the bathroom, completely ignoring the struggling butterfly in her grip.

Pouf calmed down at that. 'I just have to wash my hands?' thought Pouf as he mulled over the weirdness that humans exhibit. Pouf wasn't sure why he needed to wash his hands but he would do so anyway.

Once they entered the bathroom and the door was closed, Katie gently set Pouf down on the counter. She hummed to herself as she turned on the sink and made the water warm. Pouf watched with mild interest as Katie set about getting everything ready to clean both of them up.

"I like strawberry!" announced Katie as she picked up a pink colored bar and rubbed it on her hands. Katie hummed to herself as she inhaled the scent of the sweet soap. The smell of sweet strawberries filled Pouf's nose as she lathered up soap in her hands. "Here Puff, grab some soap" said Katie happily as she gave Pouf a smile and offered her soapy hands out to him.

Pouf ran his hands through the lathered-up soap in her hands to get some for myself and began to rub his hands together. He could feel the stickiness of the syrup melt away off his hands the more he scrubbed. Katie had finished her task and washed off the soap from her hands. She walked away from the sink and grabbed a small towel and an even smaller towel. Both looked like a soft purple color.

'He has syrup on his cheeks' thought Katie as she glanced over at Pouf and noticed that there was a stickiness to his skin. 'I'll have to wipe that off' she determined as she resolved herself to clean off the little fairy.

"What are you doing?" asked Pouf as she held up the smaller of the two towels. She dried off her hands and then carefully picked up Pouf and held him up to the running water so he could rinse off the soap.

Pouf rinsed all the soap off his hands and Katie set him back on the counter. Gently, she used one of the towels to dry off his hands. She put the other smaller towel under the running water and made it damp. Ringing out the excess water, Katie got the wash cloth ready to wipe off Pouf's face.

"Puff, you have syrup on your face. I'm going to wipe it off" explained Katie as she reached for Pouf to gently hold him still.

Pouf's small antenna twitched in slight annoyance at being treated like a child…. By a child. "I can do it myself. I'm not completely helpless" responded Pouf in a clipped tone.

Katie was slightly taken aback by his harshness and frowned. 'Always so mad. I don't know why' thought Katie as she tried to make sense of Pouf's constant mood swings. He's nice one minute and then irritated in the next.

Katie held out the wash cloth for Pouf to wash his face with, "Okay Puff" said Katie as she continued to offer it him.

Pouf grabbed the edge of the wash cloth and roughly rubbed it against his face. Cleaning off any remaining bits from the pancakes. Pouf was finally satisfied with his skin and looked back up Katie, "I'm done now" announced Pouf.

"Okay!" said Katie as she rinsed the wash cloth under the water and then put it on the drying rack for later use. "Now that we are all cleaned up, I don't know what to do for the rest of the day" said Katie as she tried to decide what she wanted to do for the rest of the morning.

Pouf had wanted to look for ways to replenish his energy as fast as possible. He was already weakened when he healed the King, then he died, and now he's stuck in his smallest form and can't even summon other Beelzebub in order to scout around the new territory. Hell, he can't even fly yet.

"I want to scout out this new place. I have no idea where I am or where anything is" said Pouf as he looked up at Katie with a gaze that almost dared her to deny his request.

His Ant-like nature was making him agitated and nervous. He was made to serve and protect. How could he protect if he didn't even know his surroundings? He couldn't relax or feel safe in such an unfamiliar setting. Between him and Pitou they always made sure that they knew everything going on in the palace to ensure the King's safety. Maybe there weren't other Ants or skilled Hunters here, but humans always attacked other humans and there were still animals. He had to know what was around him.

"We can go on an adventure!" said Katie in an excited tone as she looked to Pouf for approval at her suggestion. Katie beamed at Pouf as she watched the sternness in his gaze start to soften.

"Sure, an 'adventure' would be a great idea" agreed Pouf. If he had to call it an adventure to patrol the territory and get Katie to escort him around until he could do it on his own then he would happily agree to that.

"Okay! Let's go see what we can find!" said Katie as she gently held her hands out to Pouf so he could decide if he wanted to be carried or not.

"It's important not to let your parents see me or know about me, understand?" said Pouf in a serious voice as he climbed into Katie's hands.

"Okay! It's a secret adventure" said Katie as she carefully held Pouf so he wouldn't fall.

"Good girl, it's our little secret" confirmed Pouf as he was carried back into Katie's room.

Katie hummed happily to herself as she got dressed in warmer clothes. It was still chilly outside in the mornings. She put on her socks and shoes and a simple coat that was dark brown in color and had a lighter brown fluffy inside. She slipped on a hat to cover her ears and the top of her head. It was pink and purple with little butterflies on it.

"Puff? Are you going to be warm?" questioned Katie as she glanced down at his thin white shirt and black pants. Pouf regarded his attire for a moment and then remembered how awfully cold he was the other day when he woke up in this strange place. Apparently, his body was susceptible to the environment when he was weak.

"I'll be fine, there is no need to worry" answered Pouf. He would be damned if he was going to appear any weaker than he already was.

Katie didn't believe Pouf at all considering how much he was shivering when she rescued him. She grabbed a small rag from the pile on her desk and stuffed it in her pocket just in case. Once she was ready she offered her hands to Pouf, who accepted them, and allowed her to gently slip him inside her coat. Pouf would be hidden from view of Katie's parents this way while she made her way outside.

Pouf felt his face heat up a bit at the situation he found himself in. Here he was, clinging onto Katie's shirt while inside her clothes to avoid detection. He was able to feel the heat from her body as it seeped into him and making him feel warm. Pouf allowed himself a moment to enjoy the body heat that Katie was giving off while he felt her moving.

Katie didn't think much about hiding Pouf under her coat. In her mind, Pouf was just a small fairy. Katie had no idea that Pouf's real form was a fully grown male. She only regarded him as a grumpy, but adorable, little fairy.

Seeing that her parents were milling about the house doing chores and idly sitting around watching TV, Katie was able to quickly make her way outside and to the back yard. "Okay Puff, we made it" said Katie as she lifted up her shirt and allowed Pouf to come out from under her coat.

The cool morning air drifted over Pouf and caused him to shiver very slightly. He cursed his weakened state knowing that if he was at his full power then he could stand in a blizzard and not be affected by it. But a small chill in the air left him shivering.

Katie noticed that Pouf was feeling cold so she slid him into a pocket that was on her chest. Pouf didn't say anything as he was carried around in her coat pocket. He silently thanked her for not making him feel more pathetic than he already was.

Pouf took in his surroundings. Katie lived in a simple wooden house surrounded by trees. The yard was large and filled with flowers and thick grass. There was a large wooden back deck that Katie was currently standing on. The sky was a gloomy gray color but a pleasant scent of dirt, grass, and flowers drifted on the subtle wind. It was peaceful here.

"Where is this place? It's so different then where I'm from…." Asked Pouf in a quiet voice. He was lost in his thoughts at the idea of the word "peaceful". He was a species bred for killing and hunting and dominating. He never thought about peace and simple things.

"Oh we're in Ireland!" answered Katie happily as she began to walk across the wooden deck and into the yard. "Where are fairies from if not here?" asked Katie in a very intrigued voice. She was very eager to get to learn more about her new friend.

Her father and grandpa always told her stories about the Fae folk. She was warned that they were not these cute little people with wings and magic. They were often mischievous being with ill intent and that crossing them could bring very bad consequences. That was part of the reason Katie was so eager to please Pouf.

"East Gorteau is where I came from. My species was setting up an empire there" responded Pouf as he tried to think about where in the hell "Ireland" is. In all the geographical books he read while the King played Gungi with Komugi, he didn't recall a country named Ireland.

"Whoa! There were more fairies?" asked Katie as she started to walk towards the woods. She wanted to show Pouf one of her favorite places to play in the woods.

Pouf let out a small chuckle at her child-like fascination, "Of course. There were tens of thousands of us" replied Pouf as he intently watched the landscape. He noticed that the grass and dirt were damp. 'Most likely a humid or rainy environment' thought Pouf as he took note of the gray sky.

"There were?" questioned Katie with a frown as the words started to sink in. "What happened to them?" asked Katie, feeling rather sad that an entire empire of faeries was gone.

"We lost to a stronger species" said Pouf bitterly. He hung his head in shame as the memories of their defeat once again raced through his mind.

"That's horrible! Who would do such a horrible thing?!" said Katie, outraged on Pouf's behalf. She had no idea about the Chimera Ants trying to wipe out humanity. She thought that they were just a simple small species of fairies that frolicked in the flowers peacefully.

Pouf regarded Katie for a minute before deciding that it wouldn't do any good to tell her that humans were responsible for the death of his species. "It doesn't matter. I'm the only one left now" said Pouf quietly.

A tear slid down Pouf's face. Soon another one followed. Snot started to drip from his nose as more tears leaked from his eyes. Pouf was completely overcome with emotions. He was completely alone and in a new world. Talking about it with Katie only served to open up the fresh wounds and Pouf, being the emotional creature that he is, was still grieving for the loss of his old life.

Katie stopped walking as her brain processed the information that Pouf had just shared. 'Pouf is all alone' thought Katie as she heard a soft sob coming from her coat pocket. She felt her heart ache for Little Pouf. He was all alone and afraid, no wonder he was having mood swings all the time. Katie tried to imagine how Pouf felt, she tried to imagine being the only human left on the planet. It made her heart ache more that this was a reality for him and imagination for her.

"You're not alone Puff" said Katie in a gentle voice. She brought up her hand and gently pet Pouf's hair in an attempt to comfort him. "I'm not a fairy but you can stay with me. At least you will have someone" offered Katie as she continued to pet Pouf.

His quiet sobbing intensified at her offer. She truly was kind and innocent. Willing to share her home and her life with him, a predator that was eating her species. More tears ran down Pouf's cheeks as he allowed Katie to stroke his blond mane.

"Why? Why would you be so kind to me? Knowing that fairies eat flesh and blood and that we are dangerous. It doesn't make sense that you would shelter a predator" said Pouf as he tried to accept that someone was showing him kindness and mercy. He wasn't used to it at all. It's not within an ant's nature to be kind or show any mercy for those weaker. That's part of why his King's actions baffled him so much.

"What good would being mean do? It's not going to fix anything with either of us. Besides, I like you Puff! You're grumpy sometimes but I still like you" explained Katie as she pulled her hand away from Pouf and began to walk through the woods again.

Pouf felt his chest tighten at her words. She liked him? Pouf didn't know why those words affected him so much. Never in his short life had he wanted someone to like him, except his King, so badly until now. He wiped his eyes and nose with the sleeve of his shirt. A small smile appeared on his face as he thought over the words. It was a different feeling, to be regarded in a good way. It felt relieving to have someone treat him with kindness.

Pouf felt like something negative and heavy was beginning to lift off his soul. "Thank you" he said meekly as he continued to wipe at his eyes and nose.

"You're welcome Puff!" said Katie as she continued to happily trot down the path to the small clearing in the woods that she loved to lay in.

"How old are you?" asked Pouf. He found it hard to believe this kid was so young despite her mental maturity.

"I'm ten" answered Katie as she saw the clearing up ahead. She picked up her pace so that she could reach it faster.

"Ten? I thought you were seven. You seem small for a ten year old" commented Pouf as he took in her smaller form. She looked like the size of a six or seven year old. Her parents must really be struggling to provide food for her.

"Yea, Momma is worried about be being on the small side a lot" said Katie nonchalantly, not understanding that her lack of food and nutrients was stunting her growth.

Pouf frowned at the thought. She didn't have enough food to sustain her own body and here she was giving her blood to him so he could sustain his own body. An act that won't go unnoticed. Pouf silently vowed that he would return her kindness. He felt a bit disgusted that he owed a debt to a human, but if it was Katie then he would make an exception.

"We're here!" announced Katie as she stepped into the clearing. Pouf glanced around at the place that Katie decided to take them to.

The trees were tall and thick with branches that reached into the clouds. The leaves were an orange-red color as the coldness of the Earth sucked the vibrant green away. The grass was yellow with brown patches here and there. It wasn't a big clearing but with enough imagination a child's mind could run wild here.

There was a small dirt path farther up ahead that lead further into the woods. Pouf made a mental note to go further up the path later so he could scout out up there. Paths are formed because creatures walk through there and wear out the grass. So, it only stands to reason that it is a high trafficked area.

"What is this place" asked Pouf as he took in the bland place that Katie was so excited about. There really wasn't anything spectacular about it.

"Well because it's Autumn right now, it doesn't look as nice as it usually does" explained Katie as she walked over to some bushes that appeared to be dying. "What I really like about this place are these berry bushes!" continued Katie as she pointed to the bushes.

"Ahh so you like to forage" commented Pouf as she realized that Katie liked to come here to snack on the berries. Well, it makes sense considering that she's not being fed properly at home.

"Yea I love foraging but I don't really know a lot of edible things I could pick" said Katie as she looked down at the bushes.

Pouf perked up at this. If he could read some foraging books then they could go foraging and he could point out things that are safe to eat. It lets him patrol more and lets her get more food. It's a win-win situation.

"Do you have any books on foraging? Plants and fungi here are different from East Gorteau so I would need a book to study for the local plants and fungi here" said Pouf as he inquired about study materials.

"My mother has a few books about herbal medicines and guides to foraging in Ireland" answered Katie. Pouf hummed in approval as a shiver ran through him.

Katie noticed and pulled out the little rag that she had brought with her. She put it in her chest pocket and tried to wrap it around Pouf to shield his little body from the cool breeze. To Katie's surprise, Pouf accepted the rag without a protest or snide comment.

"Bring me the books when we get back. I'll study them and then we can go foraging together. I will point out what is safe and what is not" said Pouf as he wrapped the rag around him tightly.

"Ohh this is going to be so much fun! Nobody goes out with me anymore" said Katie excitedly. She was grateful that Pouf was agreeing to forage with her. Truth be told, Katie tried to read the books but she had a hard time understanding them and learning what each different plant and mushroom looked like.

"Well I would be happy to accompany you on your adventures" said Pouf in a genuine tone. He decided that he would accept Katie's offer to stay with her.

Pouf and Katie spent the rest of the morning walking around in the woods. Every now and then Pouf would request that Katie go to a certain place or in a certain direction because he was curious about something. His antenna would twitch every so often as he used them to feel for changes in the air.

The more Katie walked around with Pouf the more relaxed he started to become. He was beginning to understand his new environment and feel for other threats or dangers. So far all he was able to pick up on where some large birds, a deer, and a fox. Nothing alarming yet.

Around the afternoon Katie decided it was time to head back home for lunch. She told Pouf that she would leave him in the room and give him some blood later when she returned. Pouf happily agreed to the arrangement since blood was the most nutrient rich thing he could consume right now.

It wouldn't take long for Pouf to regain his strength and be able to take care of himself and Katie at the rate his recovery was going. Pouf was very pleased to think of the ways he could be useful to Katie in this new world. It was better than being slapped around and treated like shit in his old world. Pouf could feel his ant instincts to serve beginning to surge through him. Maybe he could serve again, but he would be the stronger one this time.

'Yes, the child is quite weak and not well taken care of' thought Pouf as he waited for Katie to come back into the room and offer him more blood. Pouf decided that he was going to provide for this child and make sure that she becomes the best version of herself that she can be.