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June 7th, 2004~

It has been a while... a busy time, indeed. I've now graduated from college, and Amalthea has grown up into a beautiful young lady Feien.

Some things haven't changed, of course. She's still utterly obsessed with the Lord of the Rings. Worse than I am, much worse! Two weekends ago I went to an anime convention and attempted to take her with me, hoping that she might get a little more diverse in her interests.

No dice. She sat in my backpack the whole time and whined about how it was too loud, the fanboys too smelly, the subtitles moved too fast and the speakers made her ears hurt. *sigh* Really, I think it was just sour grapes. I'm learning that despite Amalthea's curiosity, she seems hesitant to move outside her own comfort bubble. Her curious nature is not as all-encompassing as I once thought.

I've yet to get her to the Feien shop, for example. She seems to just not care, and is perfectly happy flitting around the house, practicing magic or playing with her sword or watching/reading LotR for the umpteenth time. When I ask her if she'd like to go, she just kind of shrugs, or tries to distract me away from the idea. She really doesn't seem interested at all in leaving the house.

It worries me, somewhat.

June 12th, 2004~

I snuck carefully into the house, carrying a small box that looked like it held Chinese takeout. Inside was something much different...

"Amalthea? Amal? Hey, where are you?" I called as I closed the door behind me.

"Coming!" came a muffled yell from the bedroom. I walked over and put the box on the kitchen table as Amalthea flitted in, doing lazy circles and loops in the air. "Ooh, you brought noodles?" She tugged eagerly at the top of the box.

The box moved.

"AAHHH!" Amalthea darted behind my head, and peered over my shoulder suspiciously at the wrigging box. "Noodles don't MOVE. That's NOT NOODLES."

"Very perceptive," I said wryly. "Why don't you go see what it is?"

Amal nodded, then flitted into the other room and came back with her sword. I rolled my eyes. "Foul orcish beasts, no doubt! What ho, villain!" She poked the box with the tip of her rapier, then carefully pried the lid open. "You dark servant of Saur-"

"Mew?"

The rapier fell to the table with a clatter. "It's..." Amalthea disappeared into the box, then reappeared with a surprised look in her face. "It's a KITTY!"

"Yes, it's a kitty," I said patiently. "Why don't you let him out?"

Amal grabbed her sword and zinged back into the box. A few seconds later, the plastic blade sliced through the side of the box, cutting a little door-shape. Amalthea crawled out through the door, looking pleased with herself. "Now it has a door for the house. Very good, very good."

The kitten mewed again and tottered out of the box. "His name is... MISTER CAT," Amal proclaimed, grandly.

June 19th, 2004~

Amalthea wandered around the room aimlessly, flitting from door to window and back again, bored silly. Sosiqui was out somewhere, and although the hyooman had offered to take her along, Amal had refused.

And now, here she was. Bored. She wasn't big enough to get the DVDs out of their cases and watch any movies, and none of the books she wanted to read were within easy access, either. She was tired of making orcs from chewing gum or frosting the windows, and Mister Cat was sleeping in the sun on the windowsill, resisting all her efforts to rouse him.

A rustling noise came from the hall, and she flitted out there to see what it was. "Oh, s'just you," she mumbled when she saw Kree. The dream had hir head buried in one of Sosiqui's flower vases, making the flowers jerk and sway. "You're going to get in trouble. I'll tell Sosi-hyooman and you'll be in trouuuble," she taunted, although without much spirit.

The dream pulled hirself out of the flowers and gave Amal a glare. "Because I am so very afraid of that," shi scoffed.

Amal felt herself growing angry, for no real reason. "You should be! I'll stick you with my sword, Balrog," she proclaimed, shaking one little fist at the dream.

Kree rolled hir eyes. "Have you any idea how stupid you look?"

This was unexpected. Amal flushed red, then landed on the side table next to the vase and Kree. "You're... you're STUPID," she retorted.

"Yes, of course," Kree responded with a long-suffering sigh. "My dear, for something so smart it's amazing how very foolish you are."

"W... what are you talking about? You terrible thing, I'll hit you with my sword and you'll be sorry," Amal spluttered.

The dream cocked one eye at the Feien. "You need to wake up, dear."

"Shows what you know, I AM awake."

"To the world, you silly thing," Kree replied, fluttering hir wings for emphasis. Hir legs creaked slightly as claws dug a bit into the surface of the table. "You sit in your happy bubble and squeal all day, playing with yourself, and miss everything around you. I'm amazed Sosiqui hasn't said anything to you, because I can tell she's been thinking it. Too nice for it I suppose..."

Amal felt like something inside her was burning. It was not pleasant. "Sh... SHUT UP!" she squealed, and kicked one little foot at Kree, which the dream easily dodged. Shi spread her wings and hovered just out of reach.

"Tsk. You need a good solid dose of reality. If you fell out the window you'd never make it. You are a pampered, pansy-arse, chicken, scaredy..."

"YOU SHUT UP!" Amal shrieked, and lunged into the air, feeling the tingle of magic surround her hands as she tried to invoke one of the spells she'd been working on. "Freezer burn, come on!" She curled her little fingers into claws and scratched at the dream's wings.

The magic tingled and flared...

And nothing. Kree tilted away easily, with a snort, a few icicles falling easily off of hir wings. I'm just sayin' what everyone's thinking, hon. You'll be the better for knowing later, trust me on this."

Amal shook with anger. "You.. you just GO AWAY!" she squealed, then flew as fast as she could into the other room. She snatched a protesting Mister Cat off the warm windowsill and dropped him in his Chinese food box, then followed him in and closed the top.

It smelled of vegetable chow mein. Amalthea took Mister Cat up in her lap, held him tight (to his slight dismay) and cried very, very cold tears.

July 7th, 2004~

"I will LEARN," Amal said, hands on her hips, glaring at Kree.

The Dream flipped hir wings onto hir back with an unconcerned expression. "So you will. And?"

"I'll prove to you I have the power to survive," she declared, reaching for the magic that flowed around her. The normal tingling feeling increased to a rapid buzz as she touched it, stretching her hands up above her head and then out in front of her, fingers spread. The level one spell is Chilly Spray... A post-it note with a Feien-sized version of the shop grimoire, Ice section, flapped in front of her. After reassuring herself, she closed her eyes.

First spells first. Chilly Touch was easy, it was innate... in fact, they were ALL easy, like second nature.

What wasn't second nature was this new thing. It was like trying to flex a muscle she didn't know existed. She wriggled her fingers, then tried to funnel the buzz of magic into them. The chill around her hands increased slightly as her Chilly Touch came into stronger effect, but...

A slight sound came from the Dream, and Amal's eyes flew open. "Don't start," she snapped, looking from Kree to Mister Cat, who was curled up in the sun nearby, quite unconcerned with the world beyond his cozy spot. Dratted warm, how could he stand it...

"You need teaching," Kree said, forthrightly. "And you can only get that from another Feien. Can you leave to find one?"

Amal opened her mouth as the icy hand took hold of her heart and squeezed, making the odd trembly feeling come back to the pit of her stomach. "I... I... " she said, very quietly, almost squeaking.

Kree snorted. "And that is your problem, my dear." The Dream leapt into the air and took flight in one smooth motion, leaving Amal on the windowsill, clinging to the shade on the edge of the sunlight.

"I will learn. I will," Amal said, wiping her face and nose quickly. Then she took flight herself.

For the rest of the afternoon, she worked with the ice cube trays, trying to freeze the water with Chilly Touch. After all, once she got used to water, maybe then... she would understand...

August 2nd, 2004~
backdated for your convinience!

Sosiqui was greeted enthusiastically when she entered the house, as usual - Amalthea zoomed around and flew through her hair, twirling around in a happy chorus of "home, home, home, home! What'd you bring me? I smell other fairies," she said, suspiciously, pulling out her sword.

Sosi rolled her eyes. "Yes, I went to the shop, and they're NICE there, if you'd just... fine, fine," she said, resigned, as Amalthea clapped her hands over her ears and glared. "I did bring you something, though."

"Oooh?" Amal landed on the table and stared at the small bundle Sosiqui had placed next to her. It was a smooth leather poucn, just large enough for Amalthea to lift. Her little fingers worked at the drawstring knot. "Got it! Oooh..." She pulled out a large gem, marvelling at the sparkle of it.



"What is it?"

"A Feien gem."

The gem clattered to the tabletop and Amalthea whipped out her sword, trembling a little as she pressed the plastic point to the gem's cold surface. "WHAT?!"

"Amal... listen to me."

The fairy's ears twitched, but she looked up at her bondmate obediently.

"This used to be a Feien, Air elemental, actually, but it isn't any more... he used to be called Rakuen. He belonged to a kind friend of mine, called Kamiki. When he died, she passed his gem on to me, and I am giving it to you..."

"Why?" Amalthea whispered, withdrawing her sword a little bit, her eyes now fixed on the gem.

"There is a way... that you can merge with the stone, if you'd like. Not now," she added hastily as Amalthea leapt backwards, eyeing the gem as if it'd bite her. "But if you want to. There is an elder Feien named Julius who will help, you may wish to go meet him..."

Amalthea shook her head.

"Well then.. get used to Rakuen, maybe." She laid one finger on the gem and stroked it. "He was a good Feien, Amalthea."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Amalthea looked at the gem, then dropped to her knees and crawled over to it, shaking a little. "Hello..."

Septemer 3rd, 2004~

"WHY CAN'T I DO THIS?!"

Little crashes came from inside the terra-cotta pot in Amalthea's room. Sosiqui paused by the door, made a concered face, and kept moving. It wouldn't do to bother the Feien in a mood.

"This will all end in tears," Kree muttered, flaring her wings to keep balanced on her mistress' shoulders.

"Whose? Yours, mine?"

"Hers, like as not," the dream said, giving the pot a good stare before they moved on.

....

"WHY! WHY!" Amalthea heaved a thimble at the pot wall and watched it bounce off with a satisfying CLONK. "Why can't I do this one little thing?" She whirled and stared at the gem as if expecting it to answer.

"No. I can't go get a teacher. Shut up, Rakuen." She retrieved the thimble and threw it again. "Shut up shut up shut up... no, you're different. You're not a Feien like they are, you're MINE..."

Amal flopped down on the beanbag next to the gem. "Be quiet. Please? Will you be quiet if I get a teacher? Will you be with me?"

Silence, for a moment, then - "I know I need to grow before we can be together forever... I'll try." She wiped the tears off her face with a corner of the beanbag. "I'll try, okay?"

Now how on earth to get a teacher... she gently put Rakuen's gem into the bag and flew out of the pot, carrying him with her as she always did, now.

September 20th, 2004~

"You're sure." It was a statement, not a question.

"Y-yes. I want to learn." Amalthea nodded quickly, clutching the gem in its bag to her chest. Her little knuckles were white with the force of her grip. "I-I will ride in the b-bag."

"Is it really that hard?" Kree said, lazily, from the windowsill. Shi stretched out one wing. "You're so curious, aren't you curious about... out there?" Shi flipped the wing at the open window.

Furious head-shaking. "It's... it's too hot." Her voice fell to a whisper. "Sun burns... melts... melt me..."

Kree and Sosiqui held identical "eh?!" poses for a second. "You mean... that's why you don't go outside?" Sosiqui managed, breaking the silence first.

A defensive look came into Amalthea's eyes, but she nodded, once. Sosiqui shook her head. "For heaven's sake..."

"Other Feien might be melty too," Amal muttered, twisting the bag's cloth between her hands. "The book said they had heat ones. And fire ones! That's not good, not good..."

"The Feien we're visiting are Darkness and Ice, respectively. Nothing hot, okay?" Sosiqui held out her backpack, which had several ziplock bags filled with ice nestled in the bottom. "Now. Are we going? Youko's expecting us."

Amal looked at the bag, and took a step back - then screwed up her courage and flitted in. Sosiqui zipped it up before she could change her mind, carefully putting on the backpack. "Okay in there?"

"Yeah," followed by some muttering Sosiqui couldn't make out. She rolled her eyes at Kree.

"Don't look at me," the Dream snorted. "I'm not coming."


Story continues here:
http://cluster.gaiaonline.com/forum/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=48859