HoloJourneys

by vanderblast

A fateful encounter with a fluffy sheep inside a castle dungeon, begins a journey that will change the world. In a world of magic, swords, magical spirits and endless possibilities, Anon, sets forth on a journey with his friend Watame to see everything this world has to offer and to find their origins. The journey won't always be easy, but together, they can always make it through.

20. A Fae in Need is a Friend Indeed, Maybe

"Y-You're Pomu?" You ask with a half raised finger pointed at the blond who stands pridefully in front of the wooden dining table. "And a Pomu is…a forest fairy?"

"That's me!" Pomu replies with a wide smile. "Welcome to my forest! It's been a while since I had anyone to play with."

"Play?" You repeat aloud. "So that WAS you earlier! Those were your eyes looking at me and Watame from those trees and bushes! And all those times we got tripped and hit with sticks! AND you made me read that degenerate book for you!"

"Yup!" The fairy snorts out a giggle. "And I gotta say, you're really quite the reader when you let yourself get into it. I could tell you were having fun~"

"There's no way I had fun reading that trash!" You snap. "And what's with all that other stuff you pulled on us?! The thing with the eyes really freaked us out "

"Yeah that one was pretty good huh?" Pomu giggled while she had turned to her kitchen about halfway through your yelling and started rummaging through cabinets for plates and cups. "Making those googly eyes took a lot of time ya know. Nothing like seeing your work pay off."

A flurry of conflicting emotions is raging within your very being. You have finally found a forest fairy, but at the same time, she was pulling those annoying pranks on you all. Everything tells you should be furious at this girl who seemed to thoroughly enjoy your discomfort, but you also are incredibly curious about her. Maybe you can pose your own questions that could somehow satisfy both sets of emotions.

"Do you just play tricks like that on everyone who wanders into this forest?" You ask as you watch the perky fairy come out of her kitchen and begin to set the plates she had collected on the table.

"If I think they would be fun, you betcha! Have you never met a fairy before? Tricks and pranks are kinda our thing." Pomu gladly answers. "You get surprised, you get a little mad, and then you laugh! It's a great way to make friends."

"You got a funny idea on how to make friends." Flare scoffs with her arms crossed.

"Some of those things were kinda funny." Polka snickers.

"The googly eyes were kinda cute on the tree…" Watame adds, almost embarrassed.

"See?!" The fairy beams. "Those two know a good joke when they see one! Hey! Either of you want a snack?!"

Before you can question the fae any further on her previous behavior, she twirls one of her fingers in the air with a light green magical flourish.

From the kitchen, came floating an assortment of scones, cupcakes, and even bags of potato chips. The assorted junk foods are actually being carried by a wind spell! It's faint, but your eyes just barely make out the thin streams of air that gently guide the foodstuffs through the living room and down onto the small dining table.

"That's…" You begin, slightly in awe of the mischievous girl's practical and casual use of magic.

"Chips!" Watame bursts from behind you, as she almost shoves you out of the way to take one of the four seats at the small wooden table.

"Nene likes snacks!" Nene exclaims as she skips past you to take the next open seat.

"There's plenty to go around!" Pomu cheers. "It's been so long since I've had guests! Everyone, find a seat! Make yourself comfortable! All are welcome in Pomu's tree."

While you are somewhat reluctant to just become this fairy's polite houseguest, Polka seems to have no qualms with it, she shrugs and walks over to take the third seat at the table, leaving one left. You watch the blond fairy smile widely as she looks to be counting the seats and placements in her head along the number of bodies in her home.

"Ah geez!" Pomu suddenly gasps. "My table just isn't big enough for all of you. Woweee! It's a real party today. No worries! We can make this work. You! With the fashionably pointy ears!"

"Do you mean me?" Flare asks with a finger held to point up at herself.

"I don't see any another pretty lady with ears like mine here~ Isn't it true? Back me up on this, big guy! We got pretty good lookin' ears right?!" Pomu grins happily as she looks at you to back up her statement, in which you immediately tense up and begin to blush as well.

"W-Well..I.." You babble, rubbing the back of your head. You look to your side and Flare's gaze meets yours; those orange eyes look at you widely, while a faint tinge emerges on her cheeks. She then brushes her hair on the one side to further reveal more of one of those pointy ears you've come to adore, making your situation just that much harder to manage.

"T-They are pretty nice." You say as you try to stave off the building heat in your face by scratching your cheek with a single finger.

"Thought so!" Pomu chirps as she beckons Flare over to the circular wooden table. "Now you can sit over here. And I'll share the couch with my newest shy friend. Come on! We got loads to talk about!"

Like a whirlwind, the excitable fairy takes a still blushing Flare by the hand and sits her down at the last empty seat at the table. Watame and Nene had already started munching on the snacks provided to them, which seems to please your host.

Pomu then bounces back to the kitchen and comes back out not a second later with another set of plates and cups in her arms, and a large matching tea kettle and more pastries bobbing in the air behind her. You find yourself taking one of the plates and cups meant for you from her and sitting yourself down on the end of the couch.

"Oh yeah! I didn't forget about you!" Pomu says as she looks directly at Undine who floats near the staircase. "It looks like you don't really need to sit though. Free floating is choice for taking the load off. My wings get tired after a while though. If you get tired too, feel free to take the seat on the other end!"

The fairy then happily plops herself down beside you, her wings furling downwards behind her. You have so many questions right now that you're not even sure where to begin, or how to. Pomu extrovertedness seems to be nonstop and endless.

"So!" She chirps before you can even open your mouth. "You already know I'm Pomu. What about you? What're your names?"

This girl is completely brazen. First she plays those nerve wracking tricks on you in the forest, and then makes you read that horrific book passage, and now she wants to get acquainted and friendly? You try to gauge everyone else's reaction to this pesky forest sprite, but everyone else seems to be happily enjoying the girl's food and hospitality. Not exactly hard to win them over when they have empty stomachs…oh well. You wanted to find a forest fairy after all. It certainly can't hurt to be civil, despite how much you'd like to give her a real piece of your mind.

You take a breath to calm yourself before you start the introductions.

"Well I'm Anon. My friends over there are Watame, Flare, Polka, and Nene." You say as you point to each girl in question as they continue to eat. "And beside us is-"

"You all got such cute names!" Pomu squeals while she holds the bottoms of her wrists up to her chin. "And so many neat features too! I've never seen anyone with sheep horns or a fox tail before! Did you all come from far far away?!"

"Some of us did." You answer before she can think of more questions to throw at you. "We are from across the sea. Except Nene, she's from a place a few days walk from here. And Undine I guess is from anywhere there's water? I guess since we met in the ocean we might consider you from there, huh Undine?"

"I would say that is an accurate way to put it, summoner." Undine nods with a smile, no doubt recollecting the moment she awoke into this world again by your call.

"Wait?! Are you the Undine I think you are?!" Pomu gasps as she leans forward to better look at the water spirit behind you. "I-I heard you call her that before, but I figured there was no way it could be THAT Undine."

"Wait! You actually know who Undine is!? The one that watches over our waters? One of the nicest people you'll ever meet? That's the one you're thinking of right?" You gasp yourself at the fairy next to you. Your own excitement and pride as a summoner erases your previous resentment for the fairy.

"Yeah yeah!" Pomu practically yells as she springs from her seat and her wings start to flutter behind her. "Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! I didn't think this day would come! But here it is! Here you are! Here she is!"

"Pomu!" You exclaim as you rise from your own seat and stand in front of the bouncing fairy. "Do you actually know Undine's sister?! Do you know the wind spirit?"

"Yeah! I know her!" Pomu squeals to match your own excitement. "Every rainpuff knows who she is! She made my grandma's grandma's grandma's….grandma. I…think?"

The way Pomu sounds so unsure of where her own lineage and ultimately, her existence begins, causes you pause. You look back to Undine who can only offer you a neutral expression; she is just as clueless as you are about this as you are.

"Pomu. What did you mean when you said 'you didn't think this day would come'?" You ask as you try to get the fae's undivided attention as she keeps trying to count generations on her fingers while whispering the names of supposed fairy's in her ancestry to herself. She looks back at you searchingly, as if trying to remember specific instructions.

"I-I didn't think I would ever meet one of the great spirits." Pomu replies, a little nervously. "They've all been gone for so long, and no one had any idea when they might be back. Oh wait! Are you one of those summoners Grandma told me about?!"

"Sure am!" You exclaim. "Undine and I have a pact, which is how she is back in our world! I promised Undine I would make pacts with all her sisters. To help them all come back and watch over this world like they used to. We're looking for anything that could connect me to the wind spirit."

"Okay, deep breaths Pomu." The forest fairy says to herself as she looks to be processing everything you just told her, her eyes pointed toward the ground as she wills herself to take big, calming breaths. "The day your grandma always said you needed to be ready for is here…and you're not at all ready…"

This started out as potentially better than you could have hoped, but the panicked expression on the fae's face is quickly making you think otherwise. Pomu then looks back to your likely expectant expression, then to Undine, then she turns to look at your friends whose ears and eyes have been glued to your entire conversation thus far.

"Uhhhh. WIll you excuse me for a few?" Pomu says with a forced smile. "I gotta…uhhh check something in my room!"

Before you can ask if the fairy was okay, she scurries past you and sprints up the stairs while yelling "Raid the kitchen if you want! I'll be right back!", leaving your group to themselves in the living room of her treehouse.

After you hear a door close upstairs, an awkward silence fills the air. That conversation definitely took a nosedive. That is not exactly how you thought a conversation with another spirit's servants would go. You would think they would be happy to see you; the person with the potential to bring their parent of sorts back into this world.

"So now what?" Flare breaks the silence. "Do you really think that little troublemaker is a servant of the wind spirit?"

"She IS a fairy." You argue. "And she can do wind magic pretty easily. She also knew who Undine was. That's gotta mean something."

While Flare does not seem entirely convinced by your reasoning, Watame looks deep in thought while she munches on the final few potato chips from the bag in front of her. The sheep then looks to the water spirit now floating at your side before swallowing.

"What about you, Undine? Does she feel like anyone you've met before?" Watame asks.

"I cannot be certain." Undine answers with her arms folded over each other in thought. "I am not sure if I would ever know the creations of my sisters from just appearance or name. I'm afraid I would not feel a similar connection like the one I have with Uisce with a servant not directly made by myself. However, if this Pomu can help lead us in the right direction, so that my summoner can further his connection with my sister, I am more than willing to encourage asking for her aid."

"I feel the same way." You say. "I'll even forgive her for all the crap she pulled on me if she can actually help me get closer to waking your sister up."

"She probably feels a little silly after all that now." Polka says as she pushes her seat back from the table and stands up. "Imagine how you would feel if you just spent the last couple hours playing tricks on the guy who shares a soul with the sister of your big boss."

"Some of the things she did made me feel a little nervous, but I don't think she was trying to be mean." Watame voices as she gets up from her own chair alongside Polka. "You're not actually mad at her though, right Anon?"

While you absolutely loathe the fact that she made you read that smut earlier, and are still a little upset by how scared Watame was earlier because of the fairy's pranks, if the sheep could let that go, you suppose you could too.

"I guess not." You sigh. "She did mention that playing practical jokes on people is a part of being a fairy, and it's not like we actually got hurt. I could have done without the sticks flying into my face, and the tripping, but I can forgive her."

"You should go let her know, Anon." Polka then says as she and Watame are already in the kitchen helping themselves to whatever they can find in the pantries. "She might be having a small freakout still for all we know."

"Fine. Her mood did kinda do a complete one-eighty didn't it?" You say as you turn to approach the wooden staircase. "Alright. I'll go check on her…it might be a good idea if you stay down here for now, Undine."

"I was going to suggest the same, summoner." Undine nods to you. "I fear my sudden appearance to a servant of my sister has put some pressure on the girl. She may have an easier time talking to you, summoner. She seems to have taken a liking to you. If the amount of pranks she played on you is of any indication."

"Undine's right. She really had her eyes on you earlier." Polka triumphantly remarks on her way back to the table with plated pastry in each hand.

"Lucky me…" You grumble as you head up the stairs before anyone else can show you how painfully witty they are.

Once you reach the top of the stairs you stand outside the closed door to what you have to assume is Pomu's bedroom. Your hand hovers in front of the wooden door, unsure if you really want to invite more conversation with the mischievous forest fairy.

"Oh no no no." You hear her mutter from beyond the door. "Where is it!? It's gotta be around here somewhere!"

Part of you suddenly hopes that Pomu can direct you to a hopefully more knowledgeable servant of the wind spirit. That actually sounds like a good plan. That way she doesn't have to feel pressured to be the one who helps you.

Nodding to yourself, you give the door two sturdy knocks, which are answered by a frightened yelp, and the sound of objects falling over onto the wooden floor.

"You alright in there, Pomu?" You say to the closed door. "It's Anon. I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Oh. Yeah I'm great!" Pomu's muffled voice replies. "Why wouldn't I be!? Just one of the great spirits hanging out in my living room! The kind that hasn't been around in forever! I'm gonna be the coolest fairy in the forest after today….and still the only one…"

You couldn't quite catch that last part, but you can't help but feel the little energetic fae is anything but "great".

"Look. I'll come help you find whatever it is you're looking for." You say as you place your hand on the doorknob and begin to turn it. "Just so you know, I'm not mad about any of that stuff from earlier either anymore."

As Pomu begins to voice a slight protest, you already have the door wide open to reveal the fairy sitting on her knees in the middle of a pile of books, clothes, and various other random objects and trinkets that litter the floor next to the closet on the side of the room opposite of her bed. She looks at you with a twist of shock and nervousness.

"I'm so sorry!" Pomu then cries as she crawls over to you and lowers her hands and head to the floor. "I didn't know you were a summoner! And I didn't know that was the great Lady Undine. I'm sorry I did all that stuff to you guys earlier. I-I, I just thought it would be fun. I haven't gotten to play with anyone in so long. And when someone friendly finally stepped into my forest I-"

"Hey calm down, Pomu." You try to say calmly as you interrupt her. "It's not a big deal, okay?"

"B-B-But I disrespected you both!" Pomu looks up at you, tears starting to swell in those pale rubies of hers. "Grandma would be soooo disappointed in me right now."

"A few of my friends play jokes on me almost every day. You're certainly not the first to have a laugh or two at my expense." You say truthfully. In fact, the type of teasing Flare and Polka do to you daily is worse than a few spooks from the trees and a trashy novel. You're starting to feel bad about being so upset about the fairy's pranks at first.

"You're really not mad?" Pomu asks, her eyes look up at you pleadingly.

"Nah. I'm not mad. I am a little concerned though. About you. Did seeing Undine really freak you out that much?" You say, squatting down to be on Pomu's eye level.

"A little…" The fairy admits as she wipes her eyes from one of her forearms. "It's a lot more than I was expecting today…"

"Tell me about it." You chuckle. "I was hoping I would get to meet a forest fairy today, and it certainly didn't go like I was expecting it to. The fact that you even know who Undine AND her sister is also more than I could have hoped for today."

"So here's the thing." Pomu begins as she straightens herself so that she is sitting on her knees, the tips of her wide wings barely touching the floor. "I don't know if I can actually help you, Anon."

"I'm not sure I follow." You say as you adjust yourself to match her posture. "If your ancestors were made by the wind spirit herself, surely you all have a strong connection to her. You all can teach me more about her. That way, I can wake her up and bring her back. It would be the first time I actually do that intentionally, but I promised I would do it, so I will."

"But that's what I'm trying to say…I don't know if I can help you reach Lady Sylph….I never met her…and I can't find the book that has the history of the Rainpuffs in it…." Pomu sulks as she evades your gaze.

"So why don't we ask someone else for help? Like your grandma?" You propose.

Pomu only shakes her head slowly, her eyes trail to the floor in front of her before closing, as if to keep something in.

"What about other fairies? You're not the only one here right?"

"I have been for a while…" Pomu almost whispers, her words laced with sadness, as she tries to keep herself from crying.

The words on the sign in the back of Pomu's tree come back to you. Disappeared like the rest of my friends. You also turn to look at the blank picture frames along the wall.

"Did everyone…disappear? Pomu?" You ask, to which she only nods slowly.

Well this is certainly unwelcome news, but it also lines up with what Elder Ruumal told you as well; about the forest itself becoming more "quiet" over the past few years.

"When did they start disappearing?" You follow up. This can't be easy for the happy go lucky fae, but if you want any chance at helping her, you need to have all the facts.

"Almost five flower petals ago…" Pomu answers, the pain of the recollection clear in her voice. "At first only a couple went away, which wasn't super unusual….sometimes a fairy just wants to go and find a new forest ya know? Upsize their tree, find a nice spot near the beach, that kinda stuff…or even just visit big cities or towns. That's always fun too once in a while…"

"And flower petals means…years?" You feel the need to clarify.

"Mhmm. Some of us also thought the others went out to look for Lady Sylph, but as more and more of the Rainpuff fairies left, the smaller the safe part of the forest got. There used to be fairy homes all over the forest…now mine is the only one left…"

"How long ago did the last one disappear?" You ask next.

"About six months ago…it was my grandma. She went into the foggy part of the forest to find some of the other fairies that walked into there earlier in the year. She said if she didn't make it back, that….that I would have to be the Rainpuff that stays and helps the summoner bring back Lady Sylph…but I didn't believe that she wouldn't come back. I waited and waited, but the fog only grew into more of the forest. I had to move my home before it got me too….So I've just been here…waiting."

"Are you sure they're not just somewhere else? Or maybe just trapped?" You offer, trying to find some small bit of hope for the poor girl to latch on to.

"You saw my pictures, didn't you?" Pomu says through forming tears, her hands clenching the frills of her skirt. "Our very existence is tied to magic. If our magic dwindles or runs out completely…we go too, pictures and all. I probably only lasted this long because just enough people out there still believe that fairies exist."

To have to watch your friends, your family, all disappear one by one, for some unknown reason, sounds just awful. It's no wonder this girl went full throttle into what she thinks of as friendly play with you all.

"I'm sorry I'm not a very good Rainpuff. I'm sorry I can't really help you bring back Lady Sylph. If you want to leave, I'll understand." Pomu begins to sob..

"And why would I do that?" You say without thinking, causing the blond fairy to look back at you in surprise.

"I don't know what your grandma or books said about what this summoner would be like, but I can guarantee that it wasn't about a guy like me. I'm learning all of this as I go, Undine too. She doesn't really remember much from before she fell asleep, so we're learning together. You can learn with us too, Pomu. Some good friends of mine taught me that it's okay to not have all the answers right away. We can take things one step at a time. So what do you say? Let's work together to bring Sylph back to this world."

As you watch the forest fairy take in your words and her eyes widen with a hope she might not have had for months, you can't help but feel like THIS is the reason you were drawn to this forest. Not only does it hold a connection to the Undine's sister; Sylph, but someone she had a hand in creating, needed your help.

"You really think we can do it?" Pomu asks, before shaking her head in response to her own question. "Of course we can! You're the summoner of Lady Undine! I bet you can do anything!"

Just like that, that perky fairy from earlier is back. It was as if sunflowers and rainbows were sporting out of her head, her demeanor was so bright. While you are happy to bring some light back to that smile, you might have quite the task laid out before you, what else is new?

"Hey now. There's a lot I can't do." You nervously smile, being called a summoner by anyone besides Undine still makes you feel a tad uncomfortable. To someone who knows, the title apparently carries a lot of weight, one that you are not confident you can carry just yet. "I wouldn't have even made it this far if it weren't for my friends. We'll all work together on this, alright?"

"Your friends aren't mad at me either? What about Lady Undine?" Pomu then asks with a twinge of guilt.

"I'm pretty sure they forgave you the second you decided to give them snacks." You smirk as you rise to a stand. "We all kinda get that playing tricks must just be a thing you fairies do with each other, so it's all good. Just promise to not play any more until AFTER we bring Sylph back, okay?"

Pomu looks up at you with an appreciative smile. She actually is quite cute when you aren't steaming mad at her. You offer your hand to her, and take that small gloved hand in yours to lift the fairy back to her feet.

"It's a deal!" She chirps as she lets go of your hand to put it over her heart. "No more tricks until Sylph is back. That's a fairy's promise. Cross my wings and everything! I'm gonna do whatever I can to help you, Anon. Just tell me what I gotta do, and I'll give it my Pomu best!"

"Speaking of tricks. I gotta ask. How did you manage to make that green haired girl look so lifelike, and then just make her disappear? You really had me thinking I was losing it with that one." You say, thinking back on the earlier encounter with the almost higher presence you felt that no one else got to see.

"Green haired girl?" Pomu tilts her head to the side at your question.

"Yeah, she had this kinda stringy viney looking hair. She looked right at me in the middle of the forest, smiled, and then when everyone else came to look, she was gone. We couldn't find any trace of her afterward. That was you right?"

"Sorry, Anon." Pomu shakes her head. "Don't know what you're talking about. You guys are the only ones I sensed in my forest today too."

Great…so I am starting to lose it. Or Pomu is just pulling my leg to get one last prank in….I think I'll choose to believe that for now. I got more important things to worry about anyway.

"That's alright then." You say to brush off the topic. "My sleep's been a little off lately, so it probably was just my head playing tricks on me. Why don't we head back down to the others and we can try to explain what we know so far about the great spirits."

"Okay! But first I gotta clean my room. Grandma would hate it if I left it like this. Especially with Lady Undine in the house." Pomu says as she turns to the mess of books, clothes, and random objects scattered on the ground in front of her open closet.

"Let me help then." You say as you walk past her and begin to bend forward to collect books that you place under your other arm.

"You don't have to-" The fairy starts before noticing your expression sour from the sight of the various book titles that look face up at you.

"A Solid Liquid Love, What a Thrill, and…Fuck With This Senator?" You read off the titles in question as you pick them up, not making an effort to hide your discomfort. To think that instead of these, there could have been a book that would have outlined how EXACTLY to best summon Sylph back…You can feel your anger rising again.

Pomu's face is a bright red as she kneels down in front of you to help pick up more books. Just like that, you can feel your temper cool again. She's allowed to like whatever she wants, at least she's not making you read them this time. As dangerous a thought it is, these books might have been the closest thing she's had to company for a while. You can kinda relate. Not with the type of stories these books likely tell! But with using stories as a form of companionship.

"You really like to read don't you?" You break the awkward silence, as you rise to place the stack of books on one of the wooden shelves that hang from the wall inside the unexpectedly spacious closet.

"Mhmm. Ever since I was a little Pomu." The fairy answers, her embarrassment staved off a little by the inviting conversation. "It was always so fun to read about adventures, stopping bad guys, and uhh…other stuff…."

"Where did you even find so many books about…other stuff?" You ask as you gather a small assortment of trinkets next; A pink flower made of glass, a golden acorn, some hair clips, and an eyepatch?

"I got a place. Why? You lookin' for something specific? I can't go revealing my sources to just anybody ya know?" The fairy asks eagerly as she hangs up a few hangers worth of the same green dress she wears, and what looks to be a maid's outfit.

"I don't think we got the same tastes in literature, Pomu." You say flatly.

"I could find you something extra spicy that includes a girl with pointy ears though!. Or maybe you don't need a book~? I saw how your friend looked at you earlier. Oh! What about the sheep? You two seemed extra close when you walked through my forest, she's cute too!" Pomu then asks as she shoves the rest of the scattered items into a pile within the closet before closing its door.

"That's none of your business." You snap to try and shoot down the fae's proding into your preferences.

"A gentleman who doesn't kiss and tell~ I respect that." Pomu grins at you slyly.

"Alright. Your room is clean. Time to head back downstairs." You say with an outstretched arm and finger pointing toward the door.

"Yes summoner~" Pomu almost mockingly answers as she skips out of her bedroom and begins to go down the stairs. While you're glad she's not on the verge of tears anymore, you're not sure how ready you are for extended interaction with this girl. Like it or not, she's your best shot at awakening the wind spirit. If she can stay focused that is.

You slowly make your way out of the bedroom and downstairs. As you descend the steps, the thought of where the rest of Pomu's fellow fairies have gone to, weighs on your mind. You only have Uisce as an example so far, but you have the impression that a servant of one of Undine's sisters would not stray far from their sacred ground for long. It might be best to try and focus on getting Pomu up to speed with everything you know about spirits for now. Hopefully she can provide even the smallest clue on where or how you can connect to Sylph.

You enter the main living space of the woodland abode behind Pomu and are immediately met with the welcoming faces of your friends. The reassuring smile you purposely try to flash seems to put any lingering concerns to rest.

"So good news." You start off as you walk past Pomu to be in the middle of the room. "Pomu said she's willing to help me find a way to connect to the wind spirit, Sylph."

"That's right!" Pomu adds with an enthusiastic cheer. "I may not know everything I probably should to help Anon, but I'm still gonna try. I won't give up until you bring Lady Sylph back to us."

"This is so exciting!" Watame claps her hands from her seat at the dining room table. "I can't wait to meet one of Undine's sisters!"

"Thank you very much for offering your aid to my summoner, and myself." Undine says to Pomu with a soft bow of her head. "I will also do all that I can to support you both."

"O-Of course Lady Undine!" Pomu returns nervously. "I'll make my grandma proud and help you both!"

"I told Pomu that since we're all kinda new to this, we would go through it together. Why don't we start with how you and I met and formed our pact, Undine?" You say to move the conversation in a meaningful direction.

"Ohh! Tell me over some snacks!" Pomu chirps. "You haven't gotten to eat anything yet. A summoner probably needs their strength to do summoning."

You couldn't deny your growling stomach at this point, so you happily take the forest fairy up on her offer and tell the tale of your chance meeting with the ancient water spirit while you enjoy some sweet pastries and apples. This was the first time you really tried to go into detail about how exactly you and Undine came to meet; you nearly losing consciousness in the ocean, the feeling of landing into what she called "A world in between", and forming the pact itself. Pomu seemed to hang onto your every word. Her eyes widened as you explained how a possessed you managed to thwart an evil wizard and cause his dark castle to crumble into nothing. While the fairy looked to be enjoying your story, it doesn't come close to how much joy you feel from what that fateful night gave you.

From there, you quickly talk about how the next steps were to increase your own mana, and understanding of the spirits and water. Things the next two friends you would meet, helped with greatly. You explained to the enamored forest fairy how the pieces of a broken shrine dedicated to Undine, helped you find the words and feelings that feel second-nature now, to bring the water spirit back to your world again. The fact that your life was on the line seemed to help too…you really hope that isn't a condition for the others.

Next, was what you learned about spirits in Bjornholm; the fact that spirits could have what are essentially children of their own was certainly a learning experience, and how as a summoner, you fit into that whole concept of a family is interesting to say the least. Nene was particularly excited to hear this part since by her own words; "Nene was there for this part!", which does bring a small smile to your face. That bubbly girl is easily growing on you by the day. Wrapping up with how by meeting and interacting with Uisce, you and Undine both got a little further along on what it means to be a bonded summoner and spirit. The entire experience brought you closer to everyone as a matter of fact.

"And that's kinda the most we know for sure so far." You say to end your tale.

"Gotcha!" Pomu chirps. "Let me see if I got this right. The things that helped you summon Lady Undine were; being able to use water spells and understand them, understanding a little about her, and almost falling into a watery grave."

"Pretty much." Polka answers happily from her seat with the other girls at the table near the kitchen. "Anon seems to be starting to get wind spells, so he just needs to know a little more about the windy girl herself. Then, we just gotta push him off a cliff."

"We are not doing that last part." You say sternly before sighing. "But that's pretty much it. Pomu, if there's anything at all you can tell me about Sylph, even if it's the smallest detail, that can be a big help."

"And if she has any shrines or favorite places!" Watame chimes in.

"That's right. Are there any places like that in your forest, Pomu?" You ask, hopeful that a well placed statue with a meaningful description of the wind spirit could be all you need to spark a connection.

"Well…there is a special field that was special to all the other fairies…but it's…" Pomu starts, her inner conflict clear as day on her face as she battles to decide if to divulge its location.

"Deeper in the forest?" You finish for her, having a hunch why the fae might be reluctant to say it herself.

"Yeah…in the foggy part of the forest." She sighs. "You can't go there though! You might never come back out!"

"Anon?" Flare calls with a look that tells you she knows that you know something she doesn't yet, and that you better spill it. You look back at Pomu, her eyes are begging, pleading you not to press the subject any further, and you can't exactly blame her. How long can you really avoid talking about it though? Surely one of the girls will be curious as to why Pomu is the only fairy around for miles. Maybe you can tell a few of them what you know so far, without having to make the poor fairy relive the facts, especially after you just managed to get that smile back on her face.

"I can explain on the way." You say, getting up from your seat on the couch. "Flare, Polka, come on. We're going to go check something out real quick."

The half-elf and fennec don't even hesitate to rise from their seats and meet you toward the front door. Watame and Nene get up as well, looking ready to come along with you.

"Could you both do me a favor and stay with Pomu?" You whisper between both girls behind you. "Undine is gonna stay too. She just really needs some company, and I can't think of two brighter friends than the two of you."

Nene immediately beams at the compliment and nods her head vigorously, while Watame looks into your eyes searchingly for a few seconds, before a smile spreads across her own face as she nods at you.

"Leave it to us, Anon!" Watame whispers back confidently.

"You two are the best. Be back in a flash." You say, as you follow Flare and Polka out the front door, and back into the open grassy knoll that Pomu's home stands on.

Motioning for Flare and Polka to follow, you lead them around the tree and begin heading towards the edge of trees straight ahead.

"So what's up Anon?" Polka asks as she strolls beside you with her hands laced behind her head.

"Is this about what Pomu was so freaked out over earlier?" Flare follows up.

"She has a good reason." You begin while you keep walking. "Turns out she's the only fairy in this forest who hasn't disappeared."

"And she's certain they didn't just leave because they got fed with her pranks?" Flare asks coldly.

"Pomu doesn't strike me as the type who keeps going after you ask her to stop." You argue. "I think she only came at us so hard because she's been lonely. We know how that can be better than most, Flare."

"It's still a funny way to try and make friends." Flare huffs.

"So all the other fairies have just been vanishing? How come she's not gone yet either?" Polka asks next.

"She doesn't seem to have any idea. I've got a guess though based on a few things she said. The last fairy to disappear was her grandma, about six months ago. Pomu said she went into the part of the forest that is apparently more foggy than the rest of it. Then she never saw her again." You explain, the idea of it all still tugs are your heartstrings.

Polka whistles. "That is rough. I'm guessing some of these other fairies might have given you more to go on for summoning Sylph huh?"

"Most likely." You sigh. "But if there's really a field that was special to the wind spirit in that part of the forest, hopefully we can do two things at once."

"Wait! You want the three of us to go into a foggy forest to look for lost fairies?! Now?!" Flare chokes.

What? No, not now." You scoff. "I just want to get a little closer to the unsafe part of the forest, as Pomu calls it. Maybe we can get a feel for something strange that's going on with it. Geez Flare. You sure are jumpy today."

"She was tossing and turning all night, Anon. I think she's going through Anon cuddling withdrawal." Polka says teasingly.

"Polka!" Flare whines. You can't help but chuckle at the fennec innocently grin at the half-elf who looks down at her with such fiery anger and embarrassment.

"I'm an exceptional body pillow. What can I say?" You shrug while you bask in your own pride. "That was a low blow though, Polka. Should I help Flare even the score?"

"Wha?!" Polka gasps as she turns to you, unsure of what you meant at first, but then the dots connect in her head. "Don't you dare!"

"Don't dare he, what? Polka?" Flare coos, her mood instantly changed to a smug interest.

"Nothing! Anons just making things up!" The fennec begins to panic.

"What does he know? Did you two do something in secret I don't know about? Does Watame know?!" Flare continues to prod.

"It's nothing!"

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

While you are thoroughly enjoying the pair going back and forth with each other, it is time to get back to business.

"Guys. We're here." You say causally to snap the two out of their little spat.

At the edge of the clearing, it looks just like the rest of the forest you've walked through, at first. While you thought it was a mere trick of the light at first glance, when you stop your eyes to focus on the tree in front of you, its bark looks…faded. You give the grown sapling a gentle touch with your hand; even its exterior feels soft and fragile.

"Polka." You say in a low voice. "Can you see further in? What color are the trees?"

Polka nods and moves her head forward slightly as she holds a hand over her brow while she squints. Meanwhile, Flare puts a tentative hand on the same tree as you, her expression wears a similar unease to your own.

"Somethings definitely different the further it goes." Polka finally answers. "It starts getting real foggy. But what I can see, the trees look in rough shape. The plants and leaves aren't doing so hot either. Like they're all fading away."

"I can't shake the feeling that something is very wrong here." You say remorsefully. The life of nature here should be not fleeting like it appears to be…it's just plain wrong. Could the fairies also be affected in the same way? I feel so…helpless. If only I had some sort of clue…Harold might have seen something similar on one of his adventures. I could really use your help right now, old man.

Flare looks over at Anon's pained face while her own spirits begin to dip.

Look at him. He's heartbroken. We can't even tell if something magical is causing all this, but the cause doesn't seem to matter at all. All that matters to him is that something he cares about is hurting…he's hurting. What can I do? Can magic even bring life back into things like trees? It can be used to heal people, so why not? What would such magic even look like…Come on Flare! You're better than this! The second you can't picture what the spell might look like you get stumped. Anon never let that get in his way, and you shouldn't either. If you can help this one tree, even just a little, it might just give him the hope he needs right now.

You stare intensely at the fading bark in front of you, looking for some way to help, hoping that something will just reach out and tell you what to do. Flare's gloved fingers then graze the sides of your pressed palm, causing you to turn your head to her. The half-elf gives you a supportive smile while her eyes shift between looking at you and her own hand. Shifting your gaze, you notice her hand next to yours is emitting a glow of deep blue mana. The tree bark around her palm begins to darken and dampen, as the once proud timber takes in all the wet sustenance Flare can produce.

Your eyes and smile widen as you begin to understand what the half-elf is trying to do. With renewed purpose, you begin to channel your own mana into your palm. You think of all the things you want your waters to be for this tree; renewal, life, hope. The feelings spur something new, but not unfamiliar within your own magic. You recognize the feeling from when you felt Harold's own magic heal your wounds, could this be close to what healing water magic is?!

The mana emanating from your hand begins to pulse and shift its color to a more sky blue hue. Water begins to appear and seep into the brittle wood under your palm and trickle downward. Where the light azure flows and is absorbed by the timber, color and life begin to come back to the surface. Your heart leaps at the sight of what you are doing, so you double your efforts; urging your own mana to even further heal the withering tower of nature. It takes all your focus to keep your mana that same shade of blue that seems to be the most effective, but you keep pressing onward.

You can't be sure how long you stood there feeding your waters into the tree in front of you. Only when the gentle touch of Flare's hand on your shoulder, do you stop your casting and become aware of your surroundings again.

"Anon, I think you did it." Flare says proudly to you. "Look."

The tree whose bark was frayed, fragile, and breaking, is now back to its vibrant brown color much like the trees in the first part of the forest. Even the fading leaves at its peak seem to have regained some of the verdant color.

"It actually worked?" You ask in disbelief.

"Sure did! That was genuine healing magic you just did, Anon!" Polka congratulates you. "You did more than just give this tree a much needed drink, you helped it from the inside!"

"I did? I really did!? I came up with a new spell!?" You point to yourself, feeling more than a little giddy. "With this, I bet I can start healing the entire forest!"

"Slow down, Anon!" Flare almost scolds you. "I don't know if you noticed, but using a spell on something that big isn't something you can just keep doing over and over."

While you don't want to admit it, the half-elf is right. You got so excited over the good you did, that you didn't acknowledge how taxing a spell like that was on you. Your breathing almost feels heavy, and your mana is easily stretched thin. Unfortunately, you don't think you can heal an entire forest this way…

"Hey, hey. It's gonna be alright." Flare says as she places her hands on your arms when she notices your frown form. "I know you want to see this forest thriving like it's supposed to be, but you need to worry about yourself too. The fact that you were able to bring some life back into the tree with magic also shows us that something not natural is causing the forest to change. Do you know what we need to do next?"

"Investigate, find the source, and kick its butt?" Polka answers as she comes beside you and wraps her arm around your shoulder to drag you closer to her. "Would kicking the butt of whatever made the forest strange like this make you feel better, Anon?"

"It would…" You mumble, it is hard to stay upset when these two know exactly how you make you feel like yourself again.

"Know what else, Anon~" Polka says playfully. "You learned a new kind of spell before Flare could~"

That perks you up immediately, as you look at the half-elf in front of you with a growing smile. She was trying to smile back at you supportively, but you could tell that competitive nature of hers, was dying to come out and rebuttal your accomplishment in some way. You are also suddenly reminded of something else you need to try tonight that might further cement the fact that you are improving at a rate that Flare herself might not be prepared for. Your future in magic is starting to look a lot brighter.

"Healing spells don't really suit me." Flare then scoffs as she lets go of you. "I'll stick to using my spells, which I know more than double the number Anon does, to blast our enemies away and protect our friends."

"I think this new one suits him perfectly" Polka beams as she tightens her hold on you. "It's also a relief to know I'm not the only one who can patch one of us up anymore. Now I can go all out more often. Just so long as this guy's around to put me back into tip top shape afterward."

A spell that uses the waters to heal. That does suit you now that you think about it. There will be times you can't prevent your friends from getting hurt, but with this new knowledge, you can take some of that pain away from them…much like they've taken so much pain away from you.

"You bet Polka!" You cheer as you wrap your own arm around Polka's bare shoulder and pull, earning a muffled squeak from the fennec. "We know what we gotta do next now. Let's head back to the others and come up with a plan."

Letting go of one another, you and Polka begin to walk alongside Flare back towards Pomu's treehouse. You didn't have anything concrete that told you that her fellow fairies might still be somewhere within that mysterious part of the forest, but you at least had further cause to go look now.

"So how do you plan to break this to Pomu?" Flare asks while you continue to walk. "She didn't seem thrilled about the idea of us, or more specifically, you, going into that part of the forest."

"Well that's easy." You shrug. "I'll just ask her to come with us. Only reason she never went looking for her friends and family was because her grandma told her she had to be the one who would end up helping me."

"Potentially getting lost in a foggy forest with a friend sounds better than just staying all by your lonesome anyway." Polka adds.

"You're really sure about this, Anon?" Flare asks as you reach the base of the treehouse. "Are you really sure about Pomu?"

"What do you mean?" You ask skeptically.

Flare sighs before continuing. "I mean can we really trust her? She doesn't seem malicious or anything, but she started off doing nothing but playing tricks on us. We don't have any proof she even is connected to the wind spirit in any way. All we have is her word. If she's really been alone for a while, she might say anything to have some company for a little longer."

"She knew about Undine though." You bring up.

"After you mentioned her by name and specifically said she came from the ocean." Flare retorts as she crosses her arms. "It's not that I don't want to trust her, it's just that…that I'm trying to be careful. I don't want you getting hurt, Anon."

The half-elf looks straight into your eyes. Those orange jewels show you how she has nothing but concern for your well-being, and your happiness. You act on your compulsion and give her a tight hug. She gasps a little from the surprise contact, but quickly exhales and wraps her arms softly around your back to return the embrace.

"Thanks Flare. That means a lot to me, really. I just think that giving Pomu a chance is the right thing to do here though. I don't really have anything more than just a gut feeling, so you'll just have to take my word for it. Sorry."

"Well, if it's your word, I think I can work with that, for now." Flare chirps.

"I take back what I said yesterday." Polka suddenly says to bring both yours and Flare's attention to her as she sits at the nearby outdoor grass woven table with a very smug and pleased look on her face. "That mountain climb DEFINITELY changed you both. Not that I'm complaining. This is pretty sweet to watch. Just don't go giving each other any souvenirs again."

The audience to your heartfelt public display, and the mention of the thankfully now faded mark you gave one another the other night, makes you and Flare detach yourselves from each other like lightning, as both your faces redden slightly.

As the fennec giggles at what she caused, you give her a very stern look. You make a light tapping gesture over your heart to let her know that you still hold a very incriminating fact about the circus fox that she doesn't want getting around. Polka practically freezes up as her face contorts to a nervous smile, and she ceases her giggling.

"Well, with that out of the way." You say as you regain your composure. "Let's see how everyone else is doing."

Flare leads the way with you and Polka trailing behind to the door of Pomu's home. With a soft knock followed by a twist of the wooden knob, the half-elf opens the door to let you all inside.

"We're back." She announces, as she walks in enough to give you and Polka space to enter from both her sides.

The sight of Watame, Nene, and Pomu seated on the plush couch in the main living space greets you. Undine is still contently floating in her spirit form next to the end of the couch her favorite little sheep sits at. You can't wait to tell Watame and Undine that you created a new kind of water spell for yourself.

"Hey guys!" Pomu chirps at your arrival, obviously back to her cheery self.

"Greetings, summoner. Pomu was just telling us about what her clan was like at their full splendor. It sounds quite energetic and fun." Undine says.

This news brings a small smile to your face. It is good to hear that Pomu is able to still talk about her friends and family, even though they've been missing for a while. You also silently hope that something within that conversation holds a clue or key to finding out more about the wind spirit.

Before you can form any sort of response, Nene and Watame both rocket out of their seats and come right up to you; their eyes sparkle with a fierce determination and hopefulness.

"Anon! Nene and I want to help find Pomu's lost fairy friends!" Watame practically shouts at you in her excitement.

"Nene knows how sad she would be if everyone in Bjornholm disappeared! So Nene will help find Pomu's family." Nene adds with fierce resolve.

"I know we all want to meet Undine's sister, but can we try to find all the fairies meanwhile, Anon?" Watame pleads, those purple saucers of hers breaking down any sort of defense you would have wished to mount against this request.

"Pleaaaassseee!" Nene and Watame say in unison.

"I'm kinda glad you both asked." You say with a sly smile. "I know just where to start looking too."

"You do!?" Watame exclaims at you as her smile widens.

"Nene told Pomu Nene's husband always knows what to do!" Nene cheers, not seemingly to notice or care about her slip of the tongue in using her old name for you.

You look past them both with a slightly nervous look, not exactly eager to explain to the forest fairy why one of your friends just called you their husband. Pomu only looks back at you with an appreciative smile before winking. Better just let it go for now.

"I do." You sigh as you recollect yourself. "The three of us checked out the edge of the forest further ahead. The one with the weird fog in it. Something is definitely not right. If your friends and family really went in there Pomu, there's a good chance that if we fix what's going on, we can find them."

"You really think so?" Pomu asks hopeful.

"He isn't certain." Flare interjects, as her expression begins to soften when she looks back at you. "But that's never stopped him before. He's also not going to stop until he knows for sure anyway."

"Thanks. I think." You chuckle. "Couldn't have said it better myself though. I want to explore that part of the forest, find out what's taking life away from the trees and plants, and then put a stop to it."

"Eh? What's wrong with the trees, Anon? " Watame asks, the glee on her face quickly traded for concern.

"I wish I knew, Watame." You shake your head. "They are in rough shape though. Polka was able to look a little deeper, she might be able to explain a little better."

"I could only see so far before the fog got too thick, but the deeper in I looked, the more the trees and plants looked to have lost their color. Like they were barely hanging on…" Polka explains, the sight of which seemed to have gotten to her as well.

The news was definitely troubling to those hearing it for the first time, and while you assume Pomu already knew about it, it certainly didn't make hearing it again any easier. The fairy looked downcast onto the floor, the tips of her bow seemed to droop to match her mood.

"But hey! Listen to this next part!" Polka shifts gears into her ringleader voice, brimming with enthusiasm and excitement. "Anon here learned a new spell all on his own! He can use water healing magic now! It brought the tree back to life!"

All eyes turn back to you as Polka gestures toward your person with her hands outstretched and wiggling back and forth for a dramatic flair.

"You were able to help one of the trees feel better?" Pomu asks first.

"You learned a new spell?!" Watame gasps.

"Anon loves nature! Nene think it make sense for him to use magic to make it happy again!" Nene cheers.

"Yes." You say. "To all three of you. It took a lot of mana and effort though. I wish I could do it for the whole forest, but that doesn't seem possible."

"Well chechyeaa! Only someone like Lady Sylph could heal an entire forest." Pomu says proudly. "But the fact you helped even one of my trees, makes me really happy. Thank you Anon. I'm glad you broke into my home and read my personal belongings."

As you scowl at that last comment, Pomu's face scrunches to contain her snickering. It wasn't exactly a trick or practical joke, so you guess she's in the clear for now. You let your face muscles relax as you focus back on what you have accomplished. Undine is practically bursting with pride. You don't need words to know how pleased she is that you are continuing to take your mastery of water even further. It will ultimately make both of you stronger after all.

"So now that we inflated Anon's ego enough for one day, how about we come up with a plan for what to do next." Flare remarks.

"I guess we should get an idea for how big that part of the forest actually is first." Polka suggests as she takes one of the open chairs from the nearby table and turns it to sit with her arms resting atop its frame.

"It can kinda go on for miles." Pomu answers. "It's easily twice or maybe even three times the size of what you guys went through to get here."

"Guess that means we should wait till tomorrow to check it out then." Flare states as she stares at you directly. "I know you've been thinking that we should go right away, but it's already late afternoon. That's not the type of place I want to be in when the sun goes down. We will head out first thing in the morning."

"Yes, your highness." You mockingly bow to the half-elf, who rolls her eyes at you. "We haven't had magic practice today anyway. We might as well get that in while we still got daylight. And maybe a certain someone wouldn't mind joining us?"

"Who? Me?" Pomu asks when she sees that your question was directed at her.

"With how you made the things carry things for you earlier, you could probably really help Flare and I get better at wind magic. We only just learned how to do wind spells, and if I want to reach Sylph, I'll need to get better with them." You answer.

"Oh that? I-I was just showing off a little…" The fae says while bashfully looking away. "But if you think it can help you summon Lady Sylph, I'll try my best."

"That alright with you, Flare?" You ask to be sure, you did just invite a third party to your usual one on one session without consulting her first, but you know she won't turn down the opportunity to learn from someone more experienced.

"Yup. Having someone who actually knows what they're doing besides me will be a welcome change of pace." Flare says smugly.

"Oh I'm sorry. Who just figured out how to perform a new type of spell all on their own? Oh that's right. Me. And I was completely aware of what I was trying to do too." You retort.

"Only because you needed to be stitched back together by healing magic so much." Flare scoffs. "It would be hard not to grasp it after all the times you've been knocked around so bad that you needed it."

"I'll remember that the next time you're knocked on your butt and need someone to help patch you up!" You bark, the half-elf quickly raising your temper with her attitude.

"HA! Unlike you, my track record is practically flawless. I don't make silly mistakes that result in me getting a pounding." Flare ends with another laugh.

"So I like to be in the thick of things! Hello!? I use a sword! It's only natural to get a few scrapes when you're at the front!"

"Skilled warriors don't keep getting scrapes." The half-elf jabs.

"Are they always like this?" Pomu bends down and whispers to Polka.

"About half the time, but don't worry." Polka looks up at the concerned fairy with a big grin. "This is just how they show each other they care. They're closer than they like to admit out loud. Feel free to use that if you need to whip em' back into shape. Here watch."

"Oi! If you two want to make this a private lesson, maybe you should let Pomu know. I'm sure she has a cozy little room just for the two of you." The fennec shouts to immediately halt whatever insults and arguments you and Flare were flinging at each other.

Both yours and Flare's eyes widen at how Polka'a words pulled you both back into reality out of the enclosed battle arena you two seem to form for yourselves when you both get heated. Part of you entertains the idea of having some more alone time with the half-elf. Being worked up seems to make those lips of hers even more enticing. Maybe Pomu has an extra bedroom, or even just a small closet…down boy, you have more important things to accomplish.

"How cozy?" Flare asks immediately before catching herself. "I-It might be better to practice magic somewhere comfortable. A-All three of us, that is."

"R-Right!" You say as you reel your desires back. "Wherever you think is best!"

"Well if it's wind magic, it's gotta be outside sillys." Pomu snorts. "You two are a hoot! Come on!"

With both of you trying to mask your shame and cool yourselves down, you follow a happy Pomu out of her home and to a spacious spot not too far from the front door. The three of you sit in a triangle upon the soft grass, and your heated desires from earlier seem to finally diminish as you take a deep breath to ready and center yourself.

"So how does this usually work?" Pomu asks excitedly. "I never practiced magic before! How do we start?"

"What do you mean you've never practiced?" Flare asks, a little shocked. "How did you learn to do all your magic?"

"Fairies are magic silly. How do you practice being yourself?" The fae tilts her head and laughs at the question.

Flare looks at you with a frown in which you can only return with a shrug and a forced smile. So Pomu may not have had formal practice to learn the skills she knows, that doesn't mean you still can't make this productive. You better find a way to make it productive anyway, or else you would have given up a potential hour in a closet with Flare practicing whatever magic you wanted for nothing.

"There's still a lot to learn about ourselves." You start. "We're growing all the time, Pomu. I've been learning new things about myself almost every day. Don't you think there are new ways you can use your magic that you haven't thought of yet?"

"Hmmm I guess I never thought about it like that." Pomu says. "My magics just always been able to do what I need it for, fun things."

"Is all your magic done with wind?" Flare asks next.

"Sorta? Some fairy magic uses the wind, but others are well, just Pomu." The forest fae tries to explain.

"So! How can I do something like carry plates and cups with wind magic?" You ask, trying to steer the conversation back to something more clear.

"Oh that's easy! You just make a little woosh from your fingers, imagining you're picking up what you need, and just slide it along where you want it to go." Pomu says matter of factly.

"Just a little 'woosh' huh?" Flare says sarcastically.

"Uh huh!" The fairy beams at her. "Here watch."

Pomu then straightens her back, lifts a single pointer finger next to her face, and the green glow of mana begins to appear ever so slightly from its tip. With a quick twirl of her upward digit, a small stream of wind leaves her finger and looks to travel to the grass woven table that rests at least a good fifteen feet away. You hear the rattle of one of the tea cups and saucers that are placed upon it, before seeing the pair begin to float upward into the air. You turn to look at Pomu who only looks back at you with a sure smile.

The air that carries the porcelain drinkware seems to follow Pomu's direction and desire exactly, as it completes its delivery by flying right overhead, and lowering its charge gently into one of the fairy's flat open hands. You still can't make heads or tails of how she made her magic behave in such a way, but it was still wondrous to watch.

"See?" Pomu chirps. "Nothing to it."

"Yeah…Nothing at all…" You sigh. "But maybe you should explain it a little more so Flare can hopefully get it."

Flare puffs her cheeks at you for that one. How is she so cute when she's mad? While you could get drunk off the way she looked at you earlier with such pride, the way she contests you and how she reacts to being teased is a close second.

Not seeming to notice the silent exchange you and Flare are having, Pomu begins to try and better explain how she guides the wind she creates to act so precisely. It took a lot of back and forth between the three of you, but you finally managed to pull a comparison out of the simple forest fairy that made sense to you and Flare. When Pomu casts a spell of her own, even when the mana leaves her body, she has a full connection and control over it. That fact alone gives you a new tangible goal to work towards. In your battle against Iroha and Chloe, you were able to fully control a water spell to obey your command after it had left your body, but you were just in the moment when you did that, you weren't actually thinking of that connection. Like a sword, or any weapon, spells should feel like an extension of your body. That was a good comparison to draw. This you can work with.

The rest of the hour is spent trying to create a solid connection with a wind spell after you cast it. While you are not met with much success, simply practicing spells of wind over and over helps to increase your understanding of this unseen part of nature. Flare, not willing not to come out on top, manages to create a whole new spell of her own before the hour is done.

A gathering of mana into her hand, a flick of her wrist with her fingers stretching toward you, and you suddenly feel yourself being pulled forward until you are face first into the ground. The half-elf's stifled giggling fills your ears as you groan.

"Really?" You mutter into the earth.

"Hey that was pretty good!" Pomu praises. "It looked like your actual hand was pulling him! Great job, Flare!"

"There really is nothing to it once you figure it out." Flare says smugly.

"I could do that too if I didn't spend most of my mana earlier." You argue as you push yourself back up to a sitting position.

"Sorry Anon. That excuse isn't gonna fly for either of us. We've practiced enough together that I know you aren't spent just yet." The half-elf says in assurance.

"So do you two really practice every day?" Pomu then asks before you can meet Flare with a rebuttal.

"We try to." Flare answers. "There's a lot about magic we still don't know yet. We need to keep getting better if we want to be ready for whatever is out there waiting for us too."

"It's really great that you two can always count on each other for that…I miss getting to play with my friends using magic." Pomu says, the reminder of what she has lost lowers her mood once again.

"You'll get to again soon, Pomu." You say comfortingly. "That's a promise."

"I still can hardly believe it. Lady Undine's summoner. In my front yard, promising to help me. I wish I could say I feel like the luckiest fairy alive, but…ya know."

"You can just call me Anon, you know. I'm still not entirely used to other people calling me a summoner. I'm just me after all."

"Now there's a loaded statement." Flare chuckles.

"I'm just going to choose to take that as a compliment." You say as you rise to your feet and give your legs a stretch and wriggle. "Oh yeah, Pomu. Since we're going to check out the rest of the forest tomorrow, is it alright if we set up camp next to your house?"

"Mmmm. No way." Pomu says happily as she springs to a stand.

"But-"

"You're gonna camp outside when I got a great big tree for all of you to sleep in? I haven't gotten to have a sleepover in forever! Don't try to take this from me, Anon." The fae says almost sternly.

"Well if you have room for us…" You begin to say, how the forest sprite seems to go from one extreme to the other as she talks to you is amusing to say the least.

"Living inside a tree." Flare almost says to herself before her smile widens while her eyes sparkle with an almost childlike excitement. "We'd love to!"

For a person who has deep ancestral roots tied to the forest, it makes sense that the half-elf would find spending the night inside a tree enticing. You'd be lying if you try to say you didn't want to try it either.

"That settles it!" Pomu declares in triumph. "We're going to have the best fairy sleepover ever! And it starts right now!"

Pomu's excitement literally lifts her off the ground, as her wings flutter to hover the forest fairy back towards her front door.

"See? She's not so bad, right?" You say to Flare as you both begin to make your way back to the treehouse after Pomu had already burst back inside, no doubt eager to tell the others about tonight's plans.

"I'm fine taking your word for it, Anon. I'm still just a little worried about what we don't have answers to. Can fairies with maybe even more power and magic than her really just disappear because of a little fog in the woods?" Flare says with concern in her tone.

"We already know something isn't right about that forest. You felt it yourself."

"And things like that don't just happen with no reason or warning. Pomu had to have seen something at the start of it all. I just can't help but wonder if there's something we're missing, or that she's not telling us."

The idea that Pomu would purposely withhold something from you is not exactly an outlandish one. You don't think she would, but Flare is right that the possibility IS there. Whether intentional or not, she might be keeping something she knows to herself. Why do you trust her almost unconditionally though? It would be helpful if you or Undine could actually sense if Pomu has some connection to the wind spirit, that way you could know for sure. Even so, would all servants be willing to help you? What if they don't think you're worthy? What if Pomu has been testing you this whole time?

"I hear ya, Flare. If it makes you feel better, I'll keep my eye out just a little more then. If I feel like Pomu is hiding something, I'll call her out on it. Deal?"

"Deal. Thanks Anon. I am a little curious about what makes a fairy sleepover different from a regular one." Flare smiles at you as you both approach the front door of Pomu's home; the excited squeals of Nene, Pomu, and Watame can already be heard.

With what can only be described as organized chaos, you walk into the fairy's home to find Watame, Nene, and Pomu scurrying about the living room, moving furniture around, placing pillows and blankets on the ground, and even making a pile in the middle comprised of all manner of bagged snacks. How does Pomu have so much food!? Where does she even get all this stuff you would only find in civilization!?

"Hey Anon! Flare!" Watame chirps as she places another two bags of chips with a little reluctance into the pile. "We're having a sleepover!"

"Pomu going to show Nene and friends how fairies do traditional sleepover!" Nene beams as she finishes placing the wooden dining table in the kitchen as she comes back to do the same with the chairs.

"I see…Wait, where are Polka and Undine?" You ask as you don't spot the fennec or water spirit anywhere on the first floor.

"Yo!" Polka's voice comes from the staircase as she enters the room carrying a small wooden box, with Undine following behind her, now tangible and also carrying a similar container.

"Hello summoner, Flare. Pomu told us your magic lessons regarding wind spells went quite well. You both are vastly improving your control and creation of mana." Undine says warmly as her and Polka set the boxes down next to the snack horde.

Your own curiosity gets the better of you as you step and lean forward to get a better look at what the two just brought down which you have to believe is essential to a fairy sleepover. Both boxes contain what looks to be self-care products; brushes, jars of who knows what, hair accessories. All of which don't really apply to you…you hope.

"It looks like you guys have everything pretty under control. Is there anything else I can get or help with?" You ask, almost feeling anxious over what the mischievous forest fairy might have planned for tonight.

"Nope!" Pomu says happily. "Just gotta finish setting up down here, and wait for the sun to go down. Then we can get started!"

"Are we all going to sleep down here?" Flare asks, counting with her finger the number of blankets and pillows scattered around the room. "We might need an extra set of sheets or two."

"There's more in a chest at the very top floor! Would you go get them Anon?" Pomu asks while making cutesy eyes at you.

"Oh!" Watame suddenly gasps as she helps Nene move the couch a little to the left to free up more room in the main living space. "Who gets to sleep with Anon tonight!? We should make sure one spot has enough blankets for both of them!"

"The who what now?" Pomu immediately does a double take at the sheep.

"I'll be right back with those things you asked me for!" You exclaim nervously as you bolt for the stairs. "Do me a favor, Undine? Explain to Pomu what Watame means by that…when I'm not in earshot…thanks!"

With heated embarrassment, you briskly walk past Polka and Undine and race up the stairs as soon as your foot touches the first step. While Watame's enthusiasm toward helping you get a good night's sleep makes your heart aflutter, you really wish she would be just a tiny bit more subtle and careful with her phrasing. Maybe you should work out a weekly schedule just so it's not up for debate each night…that also feels kinda weird. It also feels almost cowardly to ask Undine to explain your situation for you, but you really don't want to get into how a psychotic coyote has left you mentally scared. Would anyone who wasn't there at the time really understand anyway? Maybe that's what you're afraid of.

As you reach the top of the stairs while you rack your own brain, you look down the small hallway to see the bottom of a wooden ladder stretching upward through a hole in the ceiling. Walking up to it, you grab a hold of its sturdy bars and begin to climb. There looks to be at least more floors above this one.

Damn that Koyori. Damn HoloX. What if they're the cause of what's going on in this forest? That fog could be some kind of weird gas that hurts the trees. It could all be to harness fairy magic! Wait. Anon. Stop, you're spiraling. The timelines don't match up. Koyori isn't the type to leave something half done to move onto something else anyway…Why do you know that? Stupid pink coyote with her stupid pointy ears…Damn. I'm gonna have to see her again too, if I want to talk to Sana again. How did sleeping get so complicated?

Reaching the top floor of the treehouse, you step onto the wooden floor and look ahead. A wicker chest that likely contained what you came for lies at the end of the hallway, along with the doors to two rooms on both sides of the wall. Before you reach it, you pry open one of the hallway doors to reveal a spacious viewing room. The outline of a circular wooden hatch is seen on the opposite side of the room. You can't keep yourself from walking up to it and pushing it open to reveal a perfect view of the setting sun that begins to paint the sky a relaxing orange. With a view like this, you can probably confirm Sana's claim about that constellation she showed you, it should be a clear night after all.

The setting sun over the trees of the forest compels you to take a seat within the large windowsill with one of your legs dangling over the edge and your back against its curve. The woodland you traveled through to get here was perfectly healthy and vibrant, but the idea that the other side of it is suffering, still fills you with worry. Your mind goes back to that green haired girl from earlier, the one that Pomu claims she didn't conjure as part of one of her tricks. The fairy mentioned she didn't even sense another presence besides the ones of yours and your friends, but how is that possible? When that woman of nature looked at you with those golden eyes, it was almost like a pressure of sort upon your very soul, like you were standing in the presence of something much greater than yourself, greater than anything else you've ever seen before. How could Pomu not detect such a force within her own lands? Could that be something she's holding back? Or did you simply just imagine the girl entirely? Great…another mystery within your own head to solve.

"Hey slowpoke! What cha doing up here still?!" Pomu's voice comes from the doorway to snap your attention to the fairy who walks slowly into the viewing room.

"Oh. Hey Pomu." You reply, still wrestling with the unanswered questions in your head. "Sorry. I was about to get those blankets, but I just kinda stumbled in here, couldn't resist the view."

"Yeah. This is where I like to look at the sunrise. The way the winds make the top of the trees dance is really something from here, but it hasn't been too windy here in a while…ya know, no fairy magic and all that." Pomu says as she takes the side of the windowsill opposite you, letting both her legs dangle in the air in front of her as she kicks gently.

"I was actually thinking of checking out the stars here when they come out." You shift the conversation slightly. "I'm hoping to find something specific tonight."

"Ooooo~ Gonna share a view of the sky lights with one of your lady friends?~" Pomu's interest peaks. "I gotta say, I knew the summoner of the great spirits would be cool, but I didn't expect him to be such a ladies man. You got three girls fighting over who gets to be your cuddle buddy tonight."

"I'm not a ladies man…" You grumble as you try to tone down your own blushing. "What kinda ladies man needs help not getting nightmares?"

"A guy brave enough to talk about his problems. That kind." The fairy says with an encouraging smile. "What you went through sounded pretty rough. I didn't ask for the details, but Lady Undine sure seemed sad when she talked about how someone apparently tortured you. That would give anybody nightmares for a while."

"You don't think it's unfitting for a summoner? Having nightmares about an old enemy? Letting them get so bad they seem to have a mind of their own?"

"You're asking the wrong fairy." Pomu snorts. "I got no idea what a summoner is even supposed to be like. I think you should just always be you. The kind of summoner who seems to just want to help people…to help Lady Undine, Lady Sylph, and…me. I think a summoner like that is pretty cool."

"Thanks Pomu." You say, the compliment genuinely lifting your spirits a little. "So, they're actually fighting down there?"

"I'd say it's more like…enthusiastic planning." Pomu chuckles. "Basically, they want to set some expectations for who gets the night after this one, and then the night after that. That kinda thing. It was a little funny to see Watame's face almost expand in shock when Nene told her she shouldn't get you two nights in a row. She kept saying 'There is nothing wrong with that! I'm not doing anything wrong!' Both girls seem to have a thing for you."

"Which is why I think it's best to let them sort this out themselves…" You sigh, before letting yourself wear a prideful smirk. "This won't be against any fairy sleepover rules though, right? Boy and a girl sharing a sleeping space?"

"Maybe if we were thirteen year olds." Pomu laughs. "We don't have any chaperones either…wait. Is Lady Undine a chaperone?!"

"Nope, and she is very vocal to me about how she does not want to be seen as a hindrance to this sort of thing."

"Woweeee. Lady Undine is your wingman? Wingspirit? That's so cool! Oh oh! Should I be your wingfairy? I can help you too! Which one do you want to kiss? Have you kissed any of them yet!? Tell me!?" Pomu starts to bounce slightly in excitement as she looks at you wide eyed while her own imagination starts to run wild.

"Wata-" You start to say in reflex before catching yourself and putting your hand over your mouth.

"I knew you had it bad for the sheep~" Pomu squints her eyes at her with a large grin. "The way you stood next to her in the forest, like you were her own personal knight. Very cute and romantic."

"Stop it Pomu." You snap. "I don't want you or anyone else meddling in this! I'm very happy to just let things happen as they should. It's like a flowing stream you see."

"Sounds like some kinda water metaphor. I'm a wind fairy, Anon." Pomu remarks, as if that somehow invalidates your request.

"If I tell you that I'm planning to show Watame something in the stars tonight if I can find it, will that show you I am capable of handling these things myself?"

"Only if it works, big guy." Pomu shrugs with a smile. "Why do you sound like you're not going to be able to find it though?"

"You already know I have crazy dreams, so what's the harm? There's another person in my dreams that has made repeat appearances. She claims she's not a figment of my imagination and can help teach me things, but until I can see for myself if what she told me is real, I really have no idea. That's why I'm going to try and find a specific constellation she showed me. If she knows stuff I didn't know about myself, I guess I have some magical space girl invading my dreams….which sounds almost concerning when I say it out loud."

"I see. I see." The fairy nods purposefully at you. "Well! You can count on your pal Pomu to give you the perfect opening you need then. Wait for my signal later, and take Watame up here with you."

"Hold on. I want to make sure I can even find the right constellation first-"

"Oh who cares!? Even if you don't find it, it's a beautiful view of the stars with her favorite person! She's gonna love it, constellation or not. Now come on, we should head back. The party is ready to start! This is gonna be so much fun!"

This fairy has been an absolute whirlwind of emotions the entire day, but you have to admit, seeing her happy does fill you with a sense of calm and joy of your own. You just hope you can help that smile stay where it belongs. Leaving your perches on the windowsill, you both close the wooden shutters and make your way back into the top floor hallway. This time, you actually get what you came here for; three more thick quilted blankets and two more soft white pillows.

By the time you and Pomu descend back down to the first floor, everyone else is sitting in various styles in a circle on the living room floor, happily conversing until the sound of your boots on the wooden steps announce your arrival.

"Hi Anon!" Watame beams. "We're going to have a contest! Whoever can stay awake the longest will be the one who helps you sleep tonight!"

"I see…that's one way to decide it I suppose." You smile slightly as you try to think of ways to maybe help a certain someone win, not that you're playing favorites. "There should probably be some ground rules though."

"We thought of that already, Anon." Flare says. "No using magic to try and keep yourself awake. We still got a job to do in the morning. It would be foolish to walk into the forest exhausted."

"With the rules set, let's begin your first ever fairy slumber party!" Pomu exclaims in uncontained excitement.

The first step in an authentic forest fairy sleepover is to engorge yourself on snacks and other tasty food. Between using a healing spell for the first time earlier, and the magic practice that followed soon after, you were definitely ready to refuel with some food. Again, you are impressed and also surprised by the sheer volume and quantity of bagged and fresh foods Pomu had at her disposal. In addition to even more bags of potato chips, there were crackers, chocolate bars, cookies, and even loaves of sweet bread.

"So traditionally." Pomu starts with one of the chocolate bars in her hand. "You're supposed to pick a snack, and then shrink down, and you try to finish your snack before anyone else, but I don't think you guys can do that."

"Wait, fairies can shrink? You can shrink?" You ask as you pick up one of the bags of crackers and begin to feed yourself.

"Of course we can! We can swap between tiny fairy size, or fun size as we call it, and normal people size. It takes a bit of magic to be able to do that though, so I haven't done it in a while." Pomu answers before crunching into her candy bar.

You begin to tune out the giddy girlish exchanges between your friends while you ponder about how strange but wondrous forest fairies apparently are. Would Sylph be like Pomu but even in overdrive? You can only hope that by being an ancient spirit, she is just a bit more tempered than her chosen servants.

Before you know it, almost all the food is gone and the light of the moon and stars peeks into the woodland home through the windows. Your anticipation to confirm Sana's teachings makes it almost hard to sit still, but you at least owe your host your full attention until she gives you this "signal" she mentioned, whatever that actually is.

"Now's the perfect time for scary stories!" Pomu says almost deviously after a break in the current conversations.

"No offense Pomu, but after what most of us have seen and lived through, you might need to try pretty hard to scare us with just a story." You say with an air of satisfaction.

"Oh don't you worry. I got a really good one that's been passed down from every generation of Pomu. Better hold onto your pants for this one." The fairy snickers.

Pomu reaches into one of the wooden boxes and pulls out a single candle stick. The confused look in her face tells you that she forgot to get something to light it with. Flare then reaches over with one of her hands to the fairy that sits next to her, snaps her fingers, and a small flame dances upon her finger too to light the wax cylinder. Giving the half-elf an appreciative smile, Pomu takes a small breath before beginning her story.

"Long ago, when the world was just a little sprout, terrifying beasts soared the skies, rampaged through the lands, and tore through the seas. All with razor sharp teeth! Claws that can cut through even the strongest tree like butter. Skin stronger than mountains. And maybe even the most frightening; a hatred of everything happy, fun, and loving."

"One of them, particularly hates fairies. They say he is a giant! With claws big enough to scoop ten fairies and then gobble them up! You could try to fly away, but he will catch you. When he takes off into the sky, his wings; darker than the blackest night, can even eclipse the sun. You could try to fight this terrifying beast, but it's golden skin protects it from almost all magic, and those who touch him are said to be cursed!"

While the idea of a creature impervious to magic does make you feel the slightest bit afraid, Pomu's delivery combined with the low candle light shining below her face is what's really selling it for you. Watame has been inching closer and closer to you as the fairy told her story. Flare and Polka seemed more interested than frightened of the fae folklore, and Nene seems to be having fun with it. Undine is listening rather intently from her seat next to you, her eyes and ears completely focused on the descriptions Pomu gives.

"This tyrant of the skies slayed hundreds of heroes who thought to stand against him! This monster was so bloodthirsty and cruel, that he was given the title: Demonic Beast. He is named, Demonic Beast, Grendel"

"What happened to this demon beast?" Polka asks curiously.

"I'm so glad you asked." Pomu grins. "Nobody knows~ Some say he finally ate his fill of fairies and other magical things and went to sleep. Others say he simply disappeared. This girl believes the third option though. That he's still out there, watching, waiting. If you're a bad fairy, he comes out at night and when you least expect it…"

You find yourself leaning closer as Pomu's voice drops to a whisper. Watame holds onto your sleeve with both her trembling hands.

"And he eats you!" Pomu suddenly shouts as her hair is blown upwards by a magical gust of wind, which causes the small flame in front of her to roar; casting a menacing shadow along the wall behind her.

Frightened shrieks fill the room, as you find yourself jolting from the sudden ending to Pomu's tale. She actually managed to make her own shadow look like some sort of monster thanks to her flowing curls and a little help from the wind. The grip around your arm also tightens to almost pressuring degrees as you try to catch your breath. Watame's face is buried into your arm as she shivers. You can just barely hear her mumbling "I don't want to be eaten. I'm a good sheep."

Pomu cackles, delighted at the effect her story had on you all. She gives you a quick wink when she catches you looking in her direction. Why that tricky little fae.

"Hey, Watame." You whisper to the shaking sheep beside you. "Want to see something that will help make the scary stuff go away?"

Watame can only nod into your sleeve at your proposal, which gives you the okay to gently help the sheep up to her feet alongside you, and take her by the hand to bring her up the nearby stairs. If anyone noticed you both leave, they didn't seem to care enough to say anything. Flare was more caught up in how it would be impossible for something to be completely impervious to magic. Nene had a similar mindset and began telling Pomu that no beast's claws could be more powerful than Ursol's.

Only when the two of you reached the ladder going up did Watame let go of your hand. She was trembling a lot less now, but you can tell the story still got to her a little bit. Going first, you climb up the wooden ladder once again with Watame closely behind. After reaching the top floor, you step out into its hallway and lower your hand down to the sheep to help her up the last few steps.

You open the door to the simple viewing room and let go of Watame's hand to walk over to the shut window. The sheep's eyes look at you in curiosity as you grab ahold of the wooden shutters and pull both ends open at once to reveal to the twinkling skyline that hangs over the moonlit forest.

"Not bad huh?" You say proudly, as you lift one leg over the windowsill and pat the space beside you. "Join me for a little stargazing? We haven't gotten to do this together since we sailed to Bjornholm."

"I'd love to!" Watame beams as she skips over to you and lifts herself up to the large open window, choosing to sit herself with both her legs hanging off the edge.

You bring your other leg over so that you are sitting the same way as the sheep who shuffled herself to be a little closer to you. As you take in the sparkling sky scape, you feel your entire body relax itself. A soft sigh from Watame brings your face to hers; the fear and anxiety she was trying her hardest to stave off has just about vanished. It was time to try something to really turn that fear into joy.

Remembering that feeling from your last dream, you push the mana within your closed hand to the surface as it begins to glow a dim silver-white. The shape of what you want to create is clear in your mind, you will your magic to take its form. With a final soft pulse from within your hand, your spell is complete. You can feel its success from under your fingertips which causes you smile.

"Remember how close the stars looked in Bjornholm when they were in the lake's reflection." You ask the girl sitting beside you.

"I don't think I could ever forget." Watame says as she continues to gaze towards the glittering horizon. "You were so happy to see them up close like that."

"Want to see a star even closer?" You ask, grinning.

"What do you mean-" Watame begins to say as she turns to you, but you can't keep your newest gift a secret any longer.

Your open hand rests in between you both, just below your upper chest, and within it; a sparkling five pronged star floats gently.

"Anon!" Watame gasps, unable to take her eyes off your bright creation. "Where did you?! How did?! You made that?!"

"Sure did! I managed to make an actual shape with a spell."

"Does Flare know?!"

"Nah. You're the first person I wanted to show this to." You smile as you let the small twinkling star leave your palm and float slowly overhead.

"It's so beautiful…" Watame says, a bit starstruck by the display as she watches the celestial body sparkle.

And that's just the beginning. Now where can this constellation be? I can't be sure how long that little spell of mine will last, so I need to find Aries fast.

Your eyes scan the cosmos for the starting or end point of that simple collection of stars. Part of you worries about how if you find it, it will confirm that Sana is not some fabrication of your psyche, but an actual individual who can somehow invade your dreams, which is slightly concerning, even with her good intentions.

Soon, your eyes come across that single bright start that you remember as the starting point to the ram's heavenly body. One, two, three…and four. It's there. It's really there and it's the exact pattern that Sana showed you!

In just a nick of time too, the small star you created just started to disappear; the bright mana that created it speckles into the night sky.

"That was so pretty Anon!" Watame cheers as she turns to look at you again. The joy coloring her eyes and cheeks makes your own heart skip a beat.

"Thanks Watame." You say simply, as you can feel the butterflies in your stomach roar to their full speed. "I got another cool thing I want to show you."

"There's even more?!" She asks as her two balled hands move up and down in front of her in excitement.

"I think you'll really like this one. Look over there." You chuckle as you point in Aries' direction.

Watame squints while struggling to follow your instruction and imagine what she should be looking for. You realize that even in your own dream and being next to the stars themselves, you needed a fair amount of guidance. With a burst of courage, you wrap your arm around the sheep's waist and pull her so that you two are shoulder to shoulder, and hip to hip. She is so fluffy and gives ever so slightly under your fingers, it's almost getting hard to concentrate.

"Follow where my fingers point to, Watame. Way up there. Tell me when you think you see the star I'm pointing to." You say as you bring your hand into Watame's field of vision and point to Aries' top most star.

Watame nods and scans the direction you point in, her cute face narrows in focus to do what you ask. After a few more seconds of searching, she gives you an affirming nod.

"Good. Now we just follow that a little downward and to your right. Do you see another star?"

"Mhmm!"

"Now there's just two more. Almost in a line going straight down."

"I see them Anon!"

"And that's the constellation of Aries, the ram." You finish proudly.

"There's a constellation just for sheep?!" Watame turns to you, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"Yup! And it's the first one I learned. What do you think?"

"The stars have their own sheep…just like you have me." Watame says with a heavy blush in her cheeks.

"I think I have the better sheep if you ask me." You smoothly say. "The constellation is pretty and all, but it doesn't quite measure up to the real deal."

"If there's a constellation out there somewhere for you too, I'd also prefer the original." Watame says softly while rubbing her hands together slightly in nervousness.

You and Watame stare into each other's eyes. So many powerful emotions and urges start to burst their way through your body, you don't even know where to start in addressing them. The sight of Watame's face; cheeks tinged a slight pink, is simply radiating beauty in the moonlight. The curls of her blond hair glow perfectly down her head, and are practically begging to have your fingers comb through them. Those magnificent and powerful horns are both her pride, and just another part of what makes her breathtaking. You can't forget those cute sheep ears that poke out below them either…you almost hate the idea of confirming the preference that Pomu teased you for earlier, but…who cares? You love them on this sheep.

As you get further entranced by Watame's beauty, your other hand finds its way atop her own across her lap. It welcomes your presence and wraps its fingers around your own. Although you touch this very hand so often now, it is often with purpose; to either guide the gentle sheep, or to confirm to her that she is under your protection against anything that would hope to harm her. Now, your connection is for the sole reason that you both wish for it. To revel in the pleasant shock that you feel throughout your body the second your skin makes contact with hers.

A lot of things have weighed heavily on your mind today; Sana, the mysterious forest girl, Pomu and her missing kin, the forest you are bound to explore tomorrow, and even Koyori still secures a place in the back of your mind. All those things however, become insignificant when that sparkling and trusting gaze from Watame's deep eyes looks back at you. You know what you want, what you yearn for right now.

A soft wind then blows in the night, the bristling of leaves and branches echoes in the air. Too late do you notice the pressure of air against the back of your head as you are pushed into Watame as she is guided forward towards you as well.

What feels like a flash of lightning surging through all your senses; yours and Watame's lips connect.

A soft muffle escapes both your lungs at the sudden joining, but the look in Watame's eyes tells you that this is a very welcome development. Hers and yours begin to close as you let yourselves lean into one another just a little more. You steady your hold around the sheep's waist and keep both of you balanced on the windowsill.

Neither of you moves, simply happy to enjoy a type of touch you both might have been waiting very patiently for. Another blow of the wind against your hair causes you both to part with a very light pop of your lips. Watame's face glows with a mix of happiness and longing, as she struggles to keep her breaths controlled.

Sliding your hand from around her plush waist, you trail up her shape and stop at her cheek. You indulge yourself to something you've wanted to try yourself for a while now; you give that adorable sheep's ear a few light scratches from underneath.

Watame's eyes widen as the sudden touch overwhelms her senses before her face relaxes into pure bliss, the red in her cheeks approaching the hue of a tomato. Her head leans into your hand as she starts to coo in a way that is akin to a small sheep's baa.

The pleasure on Watame's face fills you with a satisfaction like no other. When you decide to give the sheep a brief reprieve from your fingers, she looks at you half hooded with the biggest goofy smile on her face. She suddenly lets go of your intertwined hand, only to wrap both her arms around your neck and land a big, wet, forceful kiss upon your lips.

She pulls you further into her, her ample bosom pressing against your chest. The soft clothed globes send shivers down your spine as you further relax into Watame's embrace.

You both part to better look at the other again. Watame's features with the moon and starlight are almost too much to take in. You can't be sure what exactly the sheep is thinking at this moment, but the way her eyes trail up and down and focus on you, makes you want to believe that she is trying to take in every single detail about this moment, to burn it into her memory.

She bites her lower lip slightly at you, seemingly ready to continue, but as you are about to oblige, you hear voices from down below that freeze you and the sheep in your tracks.

"They've been gone a while? What did Anon want to show her up there anyway?" Polka's voice comes clearly from the first floor of the treehouse. If you had to make a guess, someone opened one of the windows of the main living area; where everyone else still thankfully was.

"I don't know~" Pomu's voice comes next. "If they stay up there much longer, they're gonna miss the rest of the party. You don't think Anon would help Watame cheat in the contest though do you?! She could be getting a power nap up there to help her stay awake!"

"The contest!" Watame gasps in a whisper. "W-We should go back downstairs, Anon."

While you are extremely reluctant to do so, you nod to your friend. It also helps that now you are aware that a certain meddling fairy has an exact idea of what you've been up to…and that she likely had a direct hand in it. You are going to let yourself have just a last bit of fun before leaving though.

With a quick rearrangement of your arms around Watame's soft body, you cradle her in your arms princess style and slide down from the windowsill onto the wooden floor. As the sheep looks up at you with affection, you lean your head down and land one last soft peck on her lips. With both of you now wearing wide smiles, you set Watame down, and take her by the hand out of the viewing room. It might have been the emotional high you were on, but as you left the room, you could have sworn you heard the wooden shutters closing behind you.

By the time you arrive downstairs, you and Watame have cooled down considerably, but she still beams with a smile that could put the sun to shame.

"There you guys are." Flare remarks at your rejoining of the party. "We were starting to worry that you got lost or something."

"Just doing some stargazing." You say cooly. "Pomu's got a really nice view of the sky and forest from a room on the top floor."

"Mhmm mhmm!" Watame nods. "It was so handsom-I mean, beautiful!"

"Hey if you think stars can be handsome, I'm not gonna judge." Pomu snorts. "Come on, Watame! Everyone already told me stories about their own kinds of magic. I wanna hear about this musical magic you have next!"

The rest of the night is spent pretty much talking about Watame's unique form of magic, and some of the places you've seen so far. Pomu promises to teach Watame an old Rainpuff tune after we finish investigating the forest tomorrow. You have to say you are starting to get eager to find what lies within there.

Undine can't seem to help but sneak smug glances your way as you both sit next to one another. She no doubt has some idea of what you were up to earlier….her even knowing when that sort of thing starts is going to take some getting used to.

The night continues to wind down, and yawns are uttered and exchanged. The fact you can't go to bed until a "winner" is decided, is actually a little inconvenient. Soon enough though, Flare is the first to concede as she lays down with the pillow you specifically set aside for yourself.

Nene and Watame both sit across from each other on their knees and stare each other down. You can only watch their battle of endurance and wills with each other, alongside Polka with interest.

"I got five gold on Nene." Polka says to you from across the circle of blankets and pillows.

"Since when do you have money?" You chuckle.

"Since always. How was I supposed to travel without any money?" The fennec shrugs.

"How come you've never offered to pay for anything?" You cross your arms.

"We haven't had to pay for much so far. Plus, you are quick to be such a gentleman and pay first anyways."

"Well if you aren't going to use your money, I'll just have to win it and use it that way." You grin. "I'll take that bet. I've had a good streak with bets so far."

"You tied the one bet I know you've made so far, Anon." Polka says with almost a bored tone. "But if you're eager to lose your coins, I won't stop you."

With another wager set, you and Polka eagerly watch the two girls try to outlast one another in the face of fatigue.

Watame and Nene continue to eyeball each other as they let out periodic exhausted groans. It almost feels cruel to make them continue like this, you could just declare both of them the winner right? One could sleep behind you, and the other in front of you…but then you couldn't win Polka's money…you can wait a few more minutes and see where this goes.

Then, in an unexpected turn of events, both blonds fall backwards onto their blankets and begin to snore softly.

"Looks like you tied again, Anon." Polka says a little dumbfounded.

"But where does that leave me…" You whine a little, now having no partner to help you sleep through the night.

"What you talking about?" Pomu asks. "Polka, Undine and I are still in this race."

"Eh?!" You and the fennec say together.

"If there is a contest and a prize to be won at a fairy sleepover, everyone at the sleepover is automatically entered and must participate. These are basic fairy sleepover rules guys." Pomu says with a playful smile.

"But!" You begin. The idea of potentially having to share a bed with Pomu is not a welcome thought.

"Oh mannnn" Pomu then yawns to interrupt you. "I'm beat. I'm gonna have to forfeit this one. It's just between Polka and Undine now."

While the forest fairy lowers herself to her green and white blankets along the floor and tucks herself in, Undine flashes a cunning grin at you and Polka as she begins her own stretching and yawning motion.

"I'm afraid I must concede as well. This has been quite an eventful day, and I simply can't stay awake any longer. You win Polka. Congratulations." The water spirit says before quickly laying down and covering herself with a set of blankets that were a wonderful shade of blue.

You and Polka just stare at one another for a moment. This was definitely not how either of you were planning to end the evening. While you know the circus fennec would help you if you asked, you still remember how she does not want to be tempted to snack on your soul.

"Look Polka, you don't have to do this. I can just roll up in between Nene and Watame and hope for the best." You say as you rub the back of your head.

"I-It's fine." Polka mutters. "I did say you can always count on me to help you smile. I can do this. For you."

"Well alright…what spoon do you-"

"You're going to have to hold me, Anon." The fennec answers before you can finish. "It will be easier if you're behind me…I won't have your soul right in front of me."

"R-Right. So…shall we get some shuteye?"

"Y-Yeah. Big day tomorrow after all."

After arranging your blankets to be comfortable and wide enough for you both, Polka slides down into one end with her back facing you; her fluffy tail running upward along her body. You lift the blankets up enough so that you can lay down beside her before covering yourself.

"So it's alright to just…"

"Mhmm. Just hang on to what you got to, Anon. If you keep me close, I can probably keep that crazy coyote away for you. Just mind the tail though."

While that fluffy tail looks particularly inviting to just rub your face in and use it as a pillow, that might just be a little more intimate than what you and Polka are ready for. You'll just have to settle for how plush and warm it feels against your chest. Being the "big spoon", definitely has its perks already. You can't help but feel more in control, powerful, even manly, being on this side of things. Your body pressed against the backside of your sleep mate feels a lot more natural then the reverse, that's for sure.

After you successfully drape one of your arms over the fennec's body, you feel yourself relax considerably.

"Doing alright over there?" You whisper. "No crazy cravings?"

"Nah. Not anymore than when we usually just touch. It's completely manageable though. I'm not gonna turn around and make you into a midnight snack or anything."

"I know you don't want to make a habit of it, but just so you know, if you ever need to, I'm willing. I'm more than willing to help you whenever, Polka. It's the least I can do."

"Thanks Anon. Careful though, I just might take you up on that someday."

"What are firsts for right?!" You chuckle.

"Oi!" Polka hisses as she jabs your ribs with her elbow. "That is NOT something you hold over a lady. One more crack like that, and you're on the couch the rest of the night, buster."

"Sorry sorry! Couldn't resist. You're just too fun sometimes."

"Damn right I'm fun." Polka half huffs. "Good night Anon. Fun dreams."

"Night Polka."

In a darkened room where thick tomes, vials, and other magical artifacts line the shelves of the bookcases pushed against the stone walls, a woman wearing all black clacks her heels as she traverses what might be a sorceress' study. Once at the large wooden desk at the other end, she places a single thorny black rose upon it.

"Where have you been?" A sharp, deep guttural voice jumps out at her from a small wooden stand near the other wall of the room, where a small orb sits upon a metal stand fashioned to be the shape of a long clawed hand.

"None of your business." The woman scoffs, not at all startled or even intimidated by the voice coming from the magical sphere that now swirls with an unsettling fog as dark red eyes shine within it.

"It is my business when your end of our agreement is still yet to be fulfilled. It is also my business when the minions I sent to rout out the followers of that loathsome eagle, have not heeded my call in days!" The voice snaps back with venom.

"What are you whining about? Are you sure the little pets you had me summon didn't just kill each other? They seemed mindless enough for that. Did you even bother to check?" The woman retorts, clearly unappreciative of the tone being used with her.

"They were brought back into this world by YOUR hand! Through MY tutelage! If they were weak enough to be beaten, it is YOUR fault! Now how do you plan to make up for this failure!?" The voice roars as objects along the shelves shake slightly.

"I only promised to bring you all the disgusting fae you could get your claws on. I only agreed to help you summon those rabid dogs you call demons because you said they would rip the last fairy to shreds on their way to devour some insignificant nomads." The woman scoffs again as she walks up to the orb the voice emanates from. "If you want to know how I'll make up for it, not that I think I even have to, I cast the luring spell a few days ago when I sensed a burst of pure wind magic from this region. It seems like that pesky sprite finally slipped up.

"I felt it too…but whatever it was I sensed, it WASN'T the fae. I sensed the last fairy's magic being used multiple times today. She is still out there, and not coming closer. Your spell did not reach her at all."

"I still don't see why I can't just wring the abomination's neck. You have more than enough by now, and I would finally get what I want."

"Those were NOT my terms. The fae must be devoured by my jaws, or the jaws of my brethren! There is also one more thing you should know. While you were wasting time, someone began healing the damage done to the forest."

"Really?" The sorceress' interest peaks. "How? Or do you not have anything more than 'I sensed it', like usual?"

"It happened near the edge of the influence of our magic, but I am certain that life was brought back to that which was dying…by water." The voice says with an air of tension and foreboding.

"Someone using water healing magic is not special or impressive. They probably just doused the useless chunk of wood. I don't see why you're so upset. The fog will spread and decay it all over again."

"No more delays! We must find the last of the fae before any new developments arise."

The woman holds a thumb to her chin in thought as she turns her back to the orb and walks back to her desk. Dead demons, a new source of wind magic, AND reversing the draining effects of the fog. Well well, it looks like her luring spell caught something after all…or someone. Someone that will probably bring the last, elusive, godforsaken fairy right to her. It's been a while since the sorceress has had guests.