CHAPTER#84

Over the fountain, a flurry of glittering lights danced with the birds. Each light was a different color that emitted its own sound, and the red light broke off from the pack to hover in front of Yuki.

"You're red like me!" The light burst into a tiny woman with dragonfly wings. "Ooh, and your ears are so pretty."

"Um... yeah." Yuki blushed as the other fairies hovered in front of her, each one taking turns touching her ears. Each tap of a fairy hand send shivers down her spine, her ears extremely sensitive to being touched.

"Off. Off with you." Emily waved a hand through the cloud of fairies and they scattered with a series of giggles. "Leave her alone, let her get settled. They're a little excited, it's been a while since they met someone new."

"Uh huh." Yuki looked over her shoulder, still half expecting a trap to be sprung.

"This is Naia." Emily took her to the large fountain in the back, a wide smile on her face. "She's kind of the heart and soul of the house, and a good person to talk to if you have any questions."

From the water, a figure emerged, fat droplets running down her skin and splashing into the water beneath. Her features solidified when she moved across the fountain, dancing quietly along the surface until she appeared to be a normal human, albeit one of the most beautiful ones Yuki had ever seen.

She approached the nymph carefully, her hands tucked away in her jacket. Naia's curly hair was a mixture of green and blue, and once she saw the two of them, she sat cross-legged on a stool made of water. Tiny birds circled her, singing their songs while landing in the fountain for a quick drink or a bath. The fairies had left for parts unknown.

"It's so nice to meet you, Yuki." Naia gave the fox a wink. "We're all so excited to have you here."

"We truly are." Emily took Yuki by the hand. "This place is your home now, for as long as you want it to be. Don't be afraid to ask for anything if you need it."

Looking back and forth between Emily and Naia, Yuki now realized where Emily's magic came from. The woman had persistently hunted her down and convinced her to flee her homeland, and she had half expected to be led into a trap by a witch. Even if it had been a trap, her situation could only improve, but so far everything was as Emily had claimed. The other creatures she had met on her way through the house had all seemed so happy.

Happy. A word that had eluded her for quite some time now. The past faded away, and she was back in the present, staring at the same fountain she had spent countless days and nights by. The nymph had been her confidante, her accomplice, her best friend. She wondered how Naia would react upon seeing her again, wondered if she would have the answers Yuki needed to help her move on, to let go of the past.

Now, all these years later, would those things still be the same? Standing in the light of the present, she watched the nymph contemplating some flowers that had been moved close to the fountain, her fingers caressing an unopened bud with a sphere of mist around them.

Yuki cleared her throat.

"Oh!" Naia jumped, her breasts bouncing beneath her gown. She turned to see who was there, the water of the fountain swirling protectively around her like a cloak. Her mouth became a partial frown. "Who are you?"

"It's me, Naia. Yuki. Don't you remember?" She stepped closer to the fountain and pointed at her ears. "I might look a little different, but the ears never change, right? My hair used to be a lot darker, but I'm still me. How have you been?"

Naia's face twisted up as she became deep in thought. "No, I'm afraid we've never met."

Yuki laughed. "Is this supposed to be a joke? Yeah, I know my hair is different, but c'mon. I came to live here in the eighties. Tink used to play us movies on that old movie projector. We watched Star Wars on that wall over there." She pointed to the blank spot next to the door of the garage.

"Um..." Naia shook her head. "No, sorry."

"I know you have Emily's memories, just take a look."

Naia's eyes flashed several times, but she shook her head. "I'm not sure how you know about that, but there's nothing in there about you. Wait, have you met Mike? Once he sees you, I'll be able to remember."

Yuki snorted. "Yes, I met Mike. The geas shouldn't be blocking any of my memories."

"You've met him? Where?"

"Really? I've been locked away for decades and all you can ask about is that... is that man?" The chill in her belly extended up through her breasts and radiated along her arms. Was she really so easy to forget? The surrounding temperature dropped rapidly, and she pointed a clawed finger at Naia. "What about me? Did you ever even ask Emily about me, about where I went?"

"I have no idea who you are." Naia looked apologetic. "I can't go back in time and ask a woman who's never met you where you went."

"It's me, Yuki!" A blast of frigid air caused frost to creep up the windows of the home. "You used to call me your little fox, you cleaned brambles out of my fur the time the Mandragora and I got into a fight over a steak I had been saving in the fridge, you showed me how to swim properly, and sometimes we would..." she couldn't bear to say it aloud. A tear formed in Yuki's eye and slid free, freezing to her cheek. "How can you not remember me?"

"Settle down, there are lots of reasons not to remember. This is a magic house, after all. If you just wait, I bet Mike can help you."