Fourteen Moons

Faraine POV

 

Dim light seeps into the dark room from gaps beneath the doors. A stale, flat air permeates the space. Massive boxes stacked atop one another line the walls and decorate the shelves. The occasional chatter of enōōfen echoes through the walls and breaks the otherwise glum silence. A soft, cyan glyph shines atop a sleek, book-sized, box-like device that rests on a table in the corner of the room; the light-blue glow refracts off a nugget of ice resting idly in the center of the glyph. A black-haired figure stands frozen within the ice and, sitting in front of the device, longingly staring up at the frozen man, is a white-haired little girl with her chin plopped on her knees.

 

She’s still just sitting there. I sigh. “Evetta,” I call out as I glide down and land next to her.

 

“Faraine,” Evetta sullenly whines as she turns toward me, “The ice doesn’t look like it’s melting.”

 

I approach and calmly reply, “It will, just give it a few days.” I look at Revus’ imprisoned form, then back down at Evetta. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but slowly closes it. “What is it?” I ask.

 

She opens her mouth once more, but hesitates again. After a brief moment, she inquires, “Couldn’t I just, um… Absorb the ice?”

 

“I would normally say ‘sure’,” I answer, glancing at the glowing cyan block, “but considering how it was made and…” I return my gaze to Evetta, “your condition. I wouldn’t recommend it this time. After all, we don’t want to make you, or him,” I point at Revus, “worse.”

 

“Yeah,” Evetta replies dejectedly, lowering her head, “That’s what I thought too.” 

 

“Revus will be fine,” I state as I sit down next to the tiny fairy, “I’m more worried about you.” I lower my head and turn to peek at Evetta’s bang-covered face. “How are you holding up?”

 

“I’m fine,” she replies, her voice directed into her lap.

 

“You don’t feel anything? Cold? Hot? Nothing?” I question.

 

She looks over at me and shakes her head, “No. Just…”

 

“Just what?” I curiously pester as I raise an eyebrow.

 

“Well…” Evetta goes quiet as she leans back and looks past me.

 

I follow her gaze and see the giant door that leads into the house’s main room. I look back at Evetta, “Is it about the elves?”

 

The little fairy silently nods.

 

The enōōfen have her completely terrified now… Not that I can blame her after what happened. Poor kid. I stare down at her harmless form and sigh. I don’t even know what to say to help… 

 

“They aren’t all bad,” I comment, “There’s plenty that are… problematic, but- Oh right!” I exclaim, “There’s an entire group among the elves that treat fairies as saviors and believe that nothing is above them.”

 

“Really?” Evetta mutters.

 

“Yeah,” I quickly reply, “It’s quite a popular belief among elves.”

 

“I guess they don’t believe that then,” Evetta mopes.

 

“I actually think they do, and they don’t seem like bad people,” I suggest.

 

“But they still helped capture us!” Evetta bellows.

 

I lean back a little from her outburst, then meekly ask, “Wouldn’t you do something terrible if your loved ones were in danger?”

 

“I-” she shouts, then goes quiet. She turns toward Revus’ frozen form as she continues, “I might.” 

 

I sigh heavily. “If you don’t want to be around them I understand, but don’t let what happened control you,” I pressure, “They are helping us, and they do want to make amends for what happened.”

 

“Fine,” Evetta grumpily mutters, “but-”

 

“I’m not asking you to be friends with them,” I interject, “Just… Don’t let what happened dictate how you treat all enōōfen.” I pause for a moment, “I know what it’s like to have something like that weigh me down. It’s best to forgive and let it go. It doesn’t have to be much, start out small and go from there.”

 

“Ughm,” Evetta groans, “...I’ll try.”

 

“Good,” I smile.

 

“Can we talk about something else now,” Evetta pouts, putting her chin on her knees.

 

“Did you have anything in mind?” I inquire, leaning forward to look at the bitter fairy.

 

“Um, kind of…” Evetta starts, “A few nights ago, I asked about what fairies do for fun, and…  I’m kind of… bored.”

 

“Bored…” I mumble under my breath. Is that why you’ve just been sitting there? I glance at the Revus’ icy prison. It’s likely not the entire reason, but possibly part of it. I look back at Evetta, brush my bangs behind my left ear, and reply, “It depends.”

 

“On what?” Evetta persists.

 

“On the person. On their past,” I explain, “It’s not like there’s one thing that all fairies do for fun.”

 

“Care to elaborate?”

 

“Hmm…” I rub the tip of my ear with my finger as I sit there. “To start, you could say most fairies enjoy, for the most part, flying and learning the elements.” Evetta opens her mouth as if to reply, but before she can say anything I hastily continue, “As I said, this doesn’t apply to everyone. Some just enjoy lounging and relaxing. Maybe napping under the sun, or staying warm under the covers of their bed.”

 

A small, momentary smile, cracks Evetta’s sour mood. Yes Evetta, there are others like you. I return her smile as I shake my head.

 

“In regards to the elements,” I clarify, “those that couldn’t easily use the axioms in their past life typically enjoy using them more now.”

 

“Like me then?”

 

“Just like you,” I chuckle, “Most fairies that remember having hobbies, keep their hobbies from their previous life, but that doesn’t prevent a lot of them from picking up new ones.”

 

“What kind of hobbies?” Evetta asks.

 

“Animal riding, taming, sewing, gardening, sculpting, painting, singing, dancing, playing instruments,” I ramble,counting each activity on my fingers, “The list just goes on.”

 

“What about things to watch?”

 

Watch? Does she mean something like competitions or sports? “You already saw something similar to a duel between Revus and I.” Also hard to believe he was capable of having such control himself… I continue, “There’s also combative duels using just the elements, but there’s also duels that are strictly physical or use only weapons.”

 

“So a lot of people just watch people fight all day for entertainment?”

 

 “No, definitely not,” I deny, shaking my head with a laugh, “Sometimes, large events of Pursuit, Find the Flag, or simple races will be planned for anyone to join in.”

 

Evetta confusedly remarks, tilting her head, “Pursuit? Find the Flag? What are those?”

 

“Pursuit is a simple game where someone is picked as the leader, and everyone else gets in a line following behind the leader in front.” I explain, conjuring three small orbs of water, and one large. I twirl my finger, causing the small orbs to chase the large one as I continue, “The leader will fly around, performing different maneuvers to try and shake off the pursuers. Each pursuer must follow the leader, mimicking their maneuvers or they lose. The game is done when the leader runs out of time or there are no more pursuers.” I open my palm and the orbs gather into it. As I close my hand, I absorb the water.

 

“I see,” Evetta mumbles unenthusiastically.

 

I chuckle to myself lightly, then add, “It’s actually quite fun. Especially if there are teams. The dynamic of each leader and the pursuers and the mind games between them can make it very interesting to watch.”

 

Evetta stares at me for a bit, then blinks.

 

“Sorry,” I remark, “I got a bit excited.”

 

Evetta giggles, “It’s okay. I guess you like Pursuit.”

 

“I do,” I answer softly, turning away from her as I feel my face heat up. 

 

“And Find the Flag?”

 

“Find the Flag is fairly popular among the enōōfen as well. It’s a game where everyone searches for a hidden item and the first person to find it wins,” I describe. “It doesn’t have to be a flag, but a flag is an easy way to designate what you’re looking for.”

 

“That could be interesting,” Evetta mutters, almost as flatly as before.

 

You sound soooo interested. I sigh. “Prizes are usually offered to the winners too.”

 

“Oh,” Evetta perks up, “What kind of prizes?”

 

“Depends on who’s hosting the event,” I clarify, “It could be free meals, clothes, spyrite,” I shrug, “even massages.”

 

“Massages?” Evetta questions, furrowing her brows.

 

“Like I said, some people just want to relax, so when a good massage is offered as a prize, it gets everyone going.”

 

“Why?”

 

I smile coyly, “Well-” I choke on my words. Wait… I glance at the man within the ice, but quickly turn away from him and blush. “Well… I’ve heard they’re really good massages,” I describe, emphasizing the word really.

 

“Uh-huh…” Evetta murmurs as she stares at me suspiciously.

 

“Anyway, aside from that, there’s also the races and leaf surfing.”

 

“Oh, Revus tried explaining leaf surfing to me before,” Evetta interjects, “I… didn’t really understand everything that well though.”

 

“It’s… not easy, but if you can figure it out, it's really fun,” I remark.

 

Evetta looks up at the ball of ice and states, “Revus showed me that you just fall, while standing on a leaf.”

 

“That’s true, but there’s more to it than that,” I reply, “It’s most fun when you have strong winds or someone manipulating them. There’s also the type of leaf you choose and its shape.”

 

“It looked like fun but…” Evetta glances at her back and sighs, “I just want to fly again.”

 

I can only imagine. I smile at her sympathetically, “It won’t be long now.”

 

Knock. Knock.

 

Thumping from the door echoes through the room. Instantly, I manifest my wings, snap to my feet, and pick Evetta up.

 

“Wah!” she exclaims as I fly behind the sleek device.

 

I grip Evetta tightly and look out from around the corner to see a young, blonde, elf-girl, her head barely poking through the door. Okay, it’s just Shelara. I exhale heavily as I put Evetta down.

 

“Lady Faraine,” Shelara calls softly in Parazic.

 

I look down at Evetta and, in Zoic, state, “It looks like it’s just Shelara, but just in case, wait here while I go see what she wants.”

 

“O-okay,” Evetta stutters.

 

I smile reassuringly, rise into the air, and make my way over to Shelara. She enters the room and closes the door as I stop in front of her.

 

In Parazic, I ask, “Did something happen?”

 

“No,” Shelara meekly shakes her head, “but… um… How’s Miss Evetta doing?”

 

I tilt my head, glance back, and see Evetta looking at us. I face Shelara, her large, blue eyes locked onto me, and state, “She’s still shaken up about everything that’s happened, but otherwise, she’s doing fine.”

 

“That’s good to hear,” Shelara smiles wholly.

 

“How are things outside?” I inquire. Might as well ask while I have her here.

 

“Mom’s resting,” the seemingly giant elf glumly answers, “Her arms started hurting again.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I reply, “I wish there was something I could do.” I glance back at Revus for a moment, “Revus might be able to help once he’s free, but don’t get your hopes up.”

 

“Oh,” Shelara grimly smiles, “I understand.”

 

“What about Rhys and Rydel?” I ask.

 

“Dad went into town to buy some things and Rydel is managing the store for the moment.”

 

“So it’s just you here?” I shoot back.

 

“U-huh,” Shelara nods.

 

“Alright, thanks for the update,” I remark, “If anything happens please let us know.”

 

“Will do,” Shelara happily gestures, clenching her fists. As I turn around, Shelara exclaims, “Oh, wait, um…”

 

I look at her once more as she stammers about. “Is there something else?”

 

“Um… yes. Lady Faraine, I…” Shelara stutters as she pulls something out of her pocket and displays it atop her palms, “I wanted to give Miss Evetta this.”

 

She is holding a glass-like sculpture. It has a circular base with four prongs coming out upward along the sides. In the middle is a stem connected to a sphere that is roughly my size. A beautifully patterned glyph is inscribed throughout it, covering the base, spiraling up each prong, and dancing around the sphere. It glistens slightly from the cyan light radiating from the device.

 

“A song sphere?” I whisper, returning my gaze to Shelara and ask, “Why do you want to give her this?”

 

“Well… I don’t know if it’ll help,” Shelara murmurs, “but Mom told me to use this whenever I feel down, and… I thought it might help Miss Evetta.”

 

I smile, let out a light laugh, and glance at Evetta. If only you knew how much this little elf cried for causing your situation. “Go ahead and set it down on the table, and…” It might make Evetta uncomfortable but it won’t be often she meets enōōfen this nice and welcoming. It’s really not my place to interfere, but I’d hate to see her fear of enōōfen get any worse.

 

“Lady Faraine?” Shelara calls curiously.

 

“Sorry, I was thinking about something,” I reply, “If you want to stay and watch, I’m sure Evetta will like it.”

 

“Really?” Shelara excitedly exclaims, “I can stay?”

 

“As long as you remain calm and don’t make any quick movements,” I firmly state, “Understand?”

 

“U-huh,” Shelara nods, trying to hold back her visible excitement.

 

I fly back to the table with Shelara trailing behind me and land behind the device, near Evetta.

 

“W-what’s she want?” Evetta inquires in Zoic.

 

“She wants to show you something,” I answer.

 

“Is it that glass thing in her hands?” Evetta shoots.

 

“Yeah,” I reply, looking back at Shelara as she places the song sphere on the table in front of the device. I return my gaze to Evetta and continue, “And you’re going to touch it.”

 

“What?!” Evetta shrieks as her eyes snap to me, “Why?!”

 

“Because, you’ll like it,” I bluntly remark.

 

Evetta peers around the device and up at Shelara.

 

“Then why is she still here?”

 

“I told her she could watch.”

“But-”

 

“No buts,” I cut her off and kneel down, “Evetta, listen. That thing is called a song sphere. All you have to do is touch the sphere and it’ll turn on. It’s not dangerous, nothing bad is going to happen.” I look up at the elf-girl and add, “Shelara just wants you to feel better since you’ve been upset and feeling depressed.”

 

Evetta looks down at the floor and glumly comments, “What if I don’t want to do it?”

 

A heavy knot forms in my chest as I close my eyes. This is definitely taking advantage of her but… if she doesn’t take this step now, then when? I sigh, open my eyes, and request, “I’m not going to force you but, it would mean a lot to me if you would do this for me. Please.”

 

Evetta raises her head and sighs with a quivering lip, “You’re being unfair.”

 

“I know,” I bitterly reply.

 

“I just have to touch it?” Evetta asks as she peers around me.

 

“That’s right.” I glance back at the glass object and shift my gaze to the incomparably-giant person towering over the table, her large, glowing eyes staring down at us. I gulp then turn back to Evetta. “Would it make you more comfortable if I hold your hand?”

 

Evetta looks up at Shelara, then nods, “Y-yeah. That’d be nice.”

 

I stand up, grab the small fairy’s hand and, as we start to walk toward the song sphere, look up to scan its transparent form once more. Evetta’s steps are slow and short as she practically hides behind me. I peer down at the white-haired fairy as she cautiously approaches it. Her grip on my hand tightens as we stop in front of the lightly-glowing object. She looks up at me, then up at Shelara's massive figure.

 

Suddenly, Shelara moves, lowering herself so that her face is level with the table. Evetta quickly releases my hand, grabs my skirt, and hides behind me.

 

I sigh as I look from Evetta to Shelara, and call out to Shelara in Parazic, “Can you please hold still for a bit?”

 

“Yeah,” Shelara answers, “I didn’t want to be too scary for Miss Evetta.” She continues, frowning, “but I guess I scared her anyway. I’m sorry.”

 

I look back at Evetta and, in Zoic, state, “She’s apologizing for scaring you.”

 

Evetta pokes her head out from behind me and I see her eyes lock with Shelara’s. “I-it’s okay,” she mumbles quietly.

 

“If you’re that quiet, she won’t hear you.”

 

Evetta looks up at me and replies, “That’s fine. She doesn’t need to hear me.”

 

That’s not very nice, but if you say so. “Alright,” I comment, redirecting the conversation, “It’s going to be difficult to touch the song sphere from back there. So…” I look down at the white-haired fairy, lock eyes with her, and nod in the direction of the sphere.

 

“Nothing’s going to happen?” Evetta quivers.

 

“I promise, nothing bad is going to happen.”

 

“Okay…” Evetta takes a deep breath and exhales. She releases her grip on my skirt, steps to my side, and clutches my left hand.

 

I glance down at Evetta. Her gaze is fixed on the glass object like an animal assessing a dangerous situation. Sweat builds in our hands as Evetta’s stranglehold on mine tightens as if her life depends on it. My eyes bounce between her, the song sphere, and Shelara, before repeating as she holds steadfast like a statue made to withstand the test of time. Quietly, I wait until Evetta finally pulls her head away from the sphere’s hypnotic force. She looks up at me once more, wets her lips with her tongue, and nods hesitantly.

 

“Okay,” Evetta says. She faces the sphere, and takes a step forward.

 

Slowly, I am pulled along as the tiny fairy walks onward. We stop just in front of the song sphere, its smooth, transparent surface now an arm’s length from us.

 

“Where should I touch it?” Evetta inquires fearfully as she scans the object.

 

“You see these,” I state as I point to one of the four prongs, “If you touch one of these, it will start to play music.”

 

“O-okay,” Evetta stutters. She reaches her left arm out toward one of the prongs and places her hand against it.

 

Suddenly, a green glow fills the prong as a soft, soothing melody fills the room. The tune is a simple combination of harp and violin that lulls the soul and calms one's breathing. This is nice. And Evetta seems to like it. I quietly sway my head as the hymn goes on. It plays sweetly for about a minute before fading out. The green light slowly disappears, and silence surrounds us once more.

 

Evetta turns to face me, her face a complex mess of disbelief, confusion, and excitement. Her mouth is agape while the corners of her mouth hint at the slightest smile. Looks like she’s calmed down a bit.

 

“Faraine.”

 

“Yes?” I answer, smiling lightly.

 

“Uhm…” Evetta pauses, glances back at the song sphere, then faces me again, “Can I… touch another one?”

 

“Sure, play around with it as much as you’d like,” I respond, “Shelara brought it here for you to play with, so have fun with it.”

 

Evetta looks at Shelara and mumbles, “Right.” She releases my hand and walks leftward, to the next prong and places her hand on it.

 

Similar to the previous prong, a light radiates from the glass post. This time, however, the light is yellow and is accompanied by a catchy and quick-paced beat. Rhythmic guitar and piano blend together perfectly making it almost impossible to not tap your feet along. Oh, I like this one. I chuckle as Evetta starts to clap her hands in unison with the song. Once again, the song fades out about one minute in, the light waning with it.

 

Without hesitation, Evetta moves on to the next prong on the opposite side of the song sphere. And she’s hooked. I smile as I walk around the glass music device to get a better look at her. Evetta places her hand against the third prong and-

 

Boom! Dun dun dun dun duh. Boom!

 

Evetta jumps back, nearly falling, and places her hand on her chest at the sudden start of the loud song.

 

A red glow emanates from the prong as the fast and powerful tune continues. The heavy beat of the drums provides an intense tempo, while the guitar, unlike the previous melody, is potent and relentless, driving the piece onward.

 

I let out a single laugh as Evetta stares bewildered at the red prong, like she is just now hearing this type of music for the first time. I nod my head along with the beat, before it ends on a single chord that gradually fades out. That might be my favorite up to now.

 

“Hey Faraine, why was that one so… different?”

 

“It’s just a different type of music,” I explain as I walk over to her, “Was that your first time hearing something like that?”

 

“Y-yeah,” Evetta replies, “Kind of surprised me.”

 

“Was it bad?”

 

“No. I wouldn’t say it was bad,” she states, “But I don’t know if I’d listen to something like that too often.”

 

Really? I glance at the prong that previously shone with a vigorous, red light. I guess it might be a bit extreme if that’s your first time hearing something like that. Evetta walks past me and over to the final prong. Now I’m curious which one she’ll like the most after she’s played them all.

 

She reaches out and touches the last glass tooth. A rich, blue glow rises from within the prong. The tone matches the glow perfectly. It begins as a piano crying a deep and heavy melody, until the sharp whine of a trumpet jumps in, creating a simple, smooth chorus. Together, they create a slow, melancholic piece that seems to darken the mood, until leisurely coming to an end.

 

I take a deep breath and exhale. Geez, that probably wasn’t the best time to listen to that one. I glance at Evetta and see her eyes starting to tear up. “Well,” I fully turn to face her, “Now that you’ve listened to the four pillars of this song sphere, are you ready to start the real fun?”

 

“The-” Evetta pauses as she composes herself, “The real fun? Does this thing do something else?”

 

“Of course,” I declare as I walk over to the red prong.I touch it and, once more, the powerful tune begins.

 

“I already heard this one though?” Evetta inquires, tilting her head.

 

“Sure, but- Just watch.”

 

I then place my hand on the sphere itself. A red ribbon of light shoots out of the prong and flares away from the sphere, before spiraling around it and finally meeting its smooth surface. Instantaneously, the sphere fills with a red light as more ribbons of light shoot out from it. All the while, the intensity of the song grows louder.

 

I turn to Evetta, who has taken a step back from the sphere, and is staring awestruck at the sight before her.

 

“So, what do you think?”

 

“It’s… pretty,” she mutters, “but also loud.”

 

“It gets better,” I state as I continue toward the yellow prong.

 

I place my hand against it then, after the light and tune begin, bring my hand to the red sphere. A yellow ribbon of light blasts out and wraps around the sphere until it kisses it. Suddenly, the red sphere changes to orange and the two distinctly different songs disappear.

 

In their place, a new, energetic, and passionate tune rings out. The song is quick and fun, but at times it slows, before a powerful chorus strikes up. A flurry of sounds from a guitar are the star in this piece. Drums and a tambourine provide a solid beat to tap along with. The invigorating song plays for a few minutes as the lights dance for its audience.

 

As the song draws to a close, the melody wanes and the lights dull. When it finishes, the song sphere returns to its normal, transparent state.

 

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

 

I look over at Evetta, clapping happily. Good, that seemed to distract her. I sigh and walk over to the giddy fairy. “So, do you understand what I meant by-”

 

Evetta cuts in, “Can it play more songs depending on if there are multiple lights on at the same time?”

 

I smile, “Exactly, so have fun.”

 

Evetta's face lights up as she nods, “I will!”

 

Evetta continues to try out combination after combination of the lights and songs. She works her way through each pair, before adding in a third color. Regardless of whether Evetta appears to like it or not, she attentively focuses on each song, and listens to them from start to finish.

 

Some of the songs she plays more than once. She must really like those ones.

 

After doing all other combinations, she finally merges all four tunes. The final song is an epic orchestra of several instruments playing together. The lightshow is dynamic and beautiful, with a rainbow of lights filling the room. This final piece is the longest of them all, continuing for almost twice as long as any of the previous songs.

 

I look away from the colorful show and focus on Revus, still fully encased in the cyan block of ice. The glyph under it continues to shine, slowly absorbing the ice and dispersing cold air into the room. Sorry for pushing her into doing something uncomfortable. I’m sure you’re going to be furious when you see our situation, but… I glance back at the ice-free Evetta, leisurely enjoying the musical performance. …seeing her now… I face Revus’ icy prison again. …I’m sure you’d agree with my decision. I sigh, closing my eyes as the song begins to end. Rhys and his family have been kind up until now, but… Opening my eyes, I turn to Shelara. …if anything happens… I gulp. I get the feeling you’ll do something extreme.

 

“Faraine,” Evetta calls. I face her as she continues, “I want to listen to them again, but…”

 

I fly to her side, “But?”

 

“Would you join me, this time?”

 

“Sure,” I answer, smiling down at her.

 

We begin to play them all again one by one, watching the lights and replaying our favorite songs.

 

As the second, orchestral melody comes to a close, I sit down on the table next to Evetta. She looks at me with a huge grin on her face. I ask, “Did you have fun?”

 

“Yeah,” Evetta calmly answers, staring up at the transparent device, “Lots.” She pulls her gaze away from the silent song sphere and earnestly states, “Thanks.”

 

“It was my pleasure… princess,” I tease.

 

“Please don’t say that,” Evetta snaps.

 

“Sorry,” I chuckle, “but you shouldn’t be thanking me.” I turn to Shelara, the young, yet giant, elf-girl that has been watching us both the entire time, “You should thank her. She was the one that tried to make you feel better by letting you play with this.” I gesture to the song sphere.

 

Evetta turns to the blonde elf, her face more full of life and her body, noticeably less tense.

 

Without turning her gaze, Evetta asks, “Faraine, can you do me a favor?”

 

“Sure. What do you need?” I question.

 

“Can you ask… Was her name Shelihra?”

 

“Shelara,” I sigh. You forgot her name?

 

“Two things. Can you ask her to hold out her finger? Also, ask if it’s fine if I call her Shelly?”

 

I furrow my brows, “Why Shelly?”

 

Evetta looks down, gripping her clothes, and responds, “Because it’s difficult to say her name.”

 

“Ha,” I laugh.

 

“Don’t laugh!” Evetta barks, glaring at me, her face red.

 

“Sorry,” I apologize.

 

I turn to the young enōōfen, manifest my wings, fly over to her, and call out, “Shelara.”

 

“Yes,” Shelara replies in Parazic.

 

I continue in the same language, “Evetta wants to know if it’s okay if she calls you Shelly.”

 

Shelara stares blankly for a moment before looking over at Evetta. “Yeah… Yeah! Of course!” she happily exclaims.

 

Figured that would be the case.

 

“Shelara!” I shout, getting her attention once more.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Evetta also wanted you to hold out your finger toward her.”

 

Shelara looks at Evetta in confusion, but holds out her index finger in front of the white-haired fairy. She inquires, “Like this?”

 

“Yeah, that looks good.”

 

With my translating complete, I fly back to Evetta’s side. What are you planning? I gaze at Evetta as she breathes heavily. I land back on the table, watching and waiting for her to move. A few seconds later, she takes a step toward Shelara’s finger. One step after another, she progresses toward the enōōfen. Instead of stopping in front of the girl’s finger, Evetta walks to the middle of it. She then spreads her arms, and wraps them around Shelara’s finger. Is she?

 

Evetta holds the hug for a brief moment before pulling herself away. She stares directly into Shelara’s eyes and shouts “Thank you Shelly! I had a lot of fun!”

 

“Pfft,” I desperately try to hold back a laugh. Wasn’t expecting that… I wipe a tear from my eye. …but it looks like she’s taken that first step in dealing with her fear.

 

Evetta darts over to me and plows into my stomach, hugging me tightly. She mumbles softly, “And thank you Faraine… for helping me while Revus isn’t here.”

 

I go to place my arms around her, but I hesitate. You’re… shaking…I embrace the tiny fairy to comfort her. 

 

“Faraine,” Evetta whines as she looks up at me, tears rolling down her face.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I think I peed myself…”

 

I smile. Also wasn’t expecting that.