Her True Form

Yvette stared at the creature. A pixie. An actual pixie. She didn’t think she’d ever actually met one before. Now one was talking to her. The mage side of her wanted to squeal with excitement and glee. An opportunity to speak with an actual pixie. She wondered how it would compare to a dryad.

“Well? May I have your name?” the pixie asked.

“Oh, right! Yes, my name is Yvette,” Yvette said quickly.

“Don’t!” Gervas said, but it was too late.

The pixie flashed gold for a moment before giggling. “Hee hee. Thank you, I’ll-- ew. Ew. Ewwwww. What’s this? EW!”

“W-what?” Yvette asked. “What’d I do? What?”

“It’s a fae,” Gervas said. “A pixie. It’s a trick of some kind. Think carefully before you answer them.”

“It’s all dead and rotten and icky!” the pixie said, buzzing around. “Take it back, take it back!”

“What? What’s going on?” Yvette asked.

“Your NAME! TAKE IT BACK!” the pixie yelled.

“Uhhhhh,” Yvette said softly, just staring at the creature. “I can’t?”

“It’s DEAD!” the pixie shrieked. “You tricked me!”

“What is it talking about?” Nautia asked.

“I have no idea,” Yvette said. “Gervas? What’s wrong with Yvette?”

“Your name isn’t Yvette!” the pixie screamed. Two more flashes of light dove out from the trees, circling the fae.

“Ohhhhh, it’s rotten,” the second voice said.

“That was a nasty little trick they played, wasn’t it?” the third asked.

“What are you talking about?” Yvette asked.

“Yvette,” Gervas said. “What was your name?”

“My name?” Yvette asked. “Uhhh, Yvette?”

“No, before. What Betan called you,” Gervas said. “Your parents name for you?”

Yvette had to pause. She couldn’t remember. What had her name been? It was… it… she didn’t have one. She tried to come up with an answer, but nothing came. She remembered a lot, but she couldn’t remember what anyone called her.

‘May I have your name’. It wasn’t just a saying. The pixie had literally stolen her name. She couldn’t help but stare for a few moments before bursting into a fit of giggles. “Oh, your friend is right. That was a nasty little trick,” Yvette said. “Wow. I wish I’d known what you were doing. I could have warned you that you wouldn’t want it.”

“Take it back!” the pixie yowled.

“Nope, it’s your problem now,” Yvette said. “I haven’t wanted it in years. Maybe you’ll think twice before trying to prank someone with something like that.”

The other two pixies just flew around their distressed friend, giggling gleefully at its misery. It couldn’t be that bad, could it? She’d had it for years.

Then again, she couldn’t just steal someone’s name. Maybe it was something else about it that affected them in a way they didn’t humans. Yvette supposed she had been pretty lucky she’d fallen for it, not the others. They likely cared about their names. Still, even if the creature was fairly nasty for tricking her like that, she couldn’t help feeling guilty watching it suffer. Even the phoenix part of her felt a tiny bit bad watching it whine while the other pixie’s teased it. She finally glanced towards Gervas. “Think I should take it back?”

“YES!” the pixie yelled.

“It’s your choice,” Gervas said. “Just choose your words carefully. When dealing with fae like this, there’s no telling what tricks they’ll try. They aren’t like the dryad.”

“Very well,” Yvette said before glancing towards the pixie. “If I take it back, will you answer some of my questions honestly?”

“Perhaps,” the fae said.

“Nevermind,” Yvette said before giving Gervas’ hand another light squeeze and starting to walk down the river. “Enjoy the name. I certainly didn’t.”

“WAIT!” the pixie yelled before diving in front of her. “I will answer what I can honestly! Just take it back!”

Yvette sighed before giving a nod. “Fine. Is it possible to enter the fae realm from these woods?”

“No,” the pixie said.

“What?” Yvette asked. “Then why are--” She quickly went silent, trying to stop herself from saying something she shouldn’t. She just hoped she could come up with the proper--

“Are we already in the fae realm?” Nautia asked.

“Yes,” the pixie said.

Yvette blinked before glancing towards Nautia. She supposed her friends could help. “Wait, that doesn’t make sense. How did we get in the fae realm? We didn’t go through any portals or anything.”

“You were invited,” the pixie said. “The Lord of this forest allows any who wish entry to come. The moment you stepped into the forest you were inside.”

“Who is the lord of this forest?” Gervas asked.

“His name is--” the pixie said before one of the other pixie’s slammed into it.

“Shush! You can’t say his name!” the second pixie said.

“Do you want to get us in trouble?” the third asked.

“I wasn’t going to tell them his real name!” the first pixie said.

“You all know we can hear you, right?” Yvette asked.

The three pixie’s went still for a moment before the second and third one flew off.

“Wait! Come back!” the first yelled.

“You’re on your own!” the second yelled.

“I’m not getting in trouble for you!” the third yelled.

“Come back here!” the first yelled, flying after them. However, it stopped after a few moments before, very slowly, coming back. “Take back your name!”

“Not until you’re done answering our questions,” Yvette said. “Why can’t you say his name?”

“Names have power,” the pixie said. “At least, to the fae. An old power that most creatures fail to understand. Few fae will tell their true name, fewer will give even a fake name. Some of the most powerful are said to not have a name at all. I can only give you his title. The Collector.”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound ominous or anything,” Yvette said before she could stop herself.

“Yvette,” Gervas said.

“Sorry,” Yvette said. At least this meant they were in the right place. “If we’re already in the Fae Realm, is it possible for us to leave? Back to our world? Well, in a different place than we came in?”

“Easily,” the fae said. “If our Lord allows you to.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Yvette asked. “How do we leave?”

“Silly creature,” the pixie said. “You can’t.”

Yvette gave a groan before shaking her head. “Who’s idea was it to come here again?”

“Yours,” Gervas said.

“Entirely yours,” Nautia said.

“Why did you listen to me?” Yvette asked. “My ideas almost always end in disaster. I have a terrible history of just awful ideas.”

“Because it was the only plan we had,” Gervas said with a shrug. “What are the chances your Lord will let us leave?”

“Mmmmmm…” the pixie said, buzzing around from side to side. “If you really want to? Quite high. It’ll probably cost you, though. What the Collector will take, however, I don’t know. Is that it?”

“I think so,” Yvette said. “Anything else we need to know?”

“I think that’s enough,” Gervas said.

“Just ask them for help, I said,” Nautia said. “She’s a mage, surely she’d be better than risking them harnessing the phoenix’s power, I said. This is what Wurindir would have expected of me, I said. How could it go wrong?”

“I guess that’s it, then,” Yvette said, ignoring Nautia. “How do I take back my name?”

The pixie gave a high pitched, excited squeal. “Finally! Yes! Ahem. May I have your attention, please?”

“No,” Yvette said. “I fell for that once, I’m not falling for it again. May I have my name back?”

“Tebaud,” the pixie said, before flying off.

Yvette shuddered and stumbled back, only managing to stay standing by Gervas holding her hand. “Yvette? Are you okay?”

“Y-yes,” Yvette said softly, though she didn’t feel it. Oh, she was so tired of discovering new and horrible ways that dysphoria could hit. The pixie wasn’t wrong, it did feel absolutely horrible and rotten. Diseased. Every time someone called her that name it just felt… cursed. Her name was Yvette, now. But that name was still a part of her past, even if she refused to acknowledge it anymore. Now it felt like all of those little aches it had caused her over the years had been stabbed, or worse. Only to have the blade finally removed without her realizing it. Yet now it was back again. No wonder the pixie didn’t want it. “I really, really hate that name.”

“Oh yeah,” Gervas said. “That was your name, wasn’t it?”

“I hate it,” Yvette said.

“Your name is Tebaud now?” Nautia asked. “Anot--”

“DON’T EVER CALL ME THAT!” Yvette screamed with such anger and ferocity it surprised even her. Worse, Gervas had to pull away when small flames jumped off her. She took a slow, deep breath and tried to calm herself. “Sorry. Please. Don’t ever call me that.” She turned back to the mermaid only to see her backed up against a tree, her eyes wide.

“W-whatever you say,” Nautia said quickly. “Yvette it is. My apologies. Please don’t do that again.”

“Don’t call me that and I won’t,” Yvette said before giving another sigh. She glanced towards Gervas f0r a moment. “Am I--” Before she could finish the sentence he reached out and took her hand again, lightly pulling her along.

“Come on,” Gervas said. “We’ve still got to find a way to convince this Collector to help us get out of here.”

Yvette nodded, though she couldn’t help smiling none the less. For a few moments she’d begun to wonder if, honestly, she was becoming scary. If she even frightened Gervas. But seeing how quickly he took her hand again once she calmed down, not even hesitating, cast all those doubts away. “You really are the best guardian a phoenix could have,” she said softly.

“What?” Gervas asked.

“I-I mean a mage,” Yvette said quickly.

“I try,” Gervas said.

“I’m sorry I got us into this mess,” Yvette said. “Or, well. The mage side of me did.”

“Yvette,” Gervas said before glancing back to look at her. “Remember what I said before?”

“You say a lot of things,” Yvette said. “I’m still kind of struggling to remember all of them. Something about fire and lighting myself? Which I can do now, by the way.”

“Trust me, I noticed,” Gervas said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Well, which thing?”

“You always try to leave places better than you found them,” Gervas said. “It’s one of the things I love about you. One of the reasons I’m still here. I knew what I was getting into when I decided to keep protecting you. So even if what happened got us into this position, I don’t mind. I’d definitely prefer we weren’t. But if I had to choose you still being you, or being somewhere else? I’d still be here with you.”

“Even if I’m all… weird now?” Yvette asked.

“We’ll find out a way to fix this,” Gervas said.

“If we can’t?” Yvette asked.

“We’ll at least find out how you can be smaller and I can get you a little bird stand,” Gervas said with a small smirk.

Yvette glared at him before giving a light huff. “I’ll have you know I’ll take only the finest of bird stands. The highest quality wood. Fire proof, as well. As a noble phoenix I demand nothing less.”

Gervas gave a light snort and squeezed her hand. “Keep talking like that and I’ll start your weapon lessons up again. It might be interesting to see how a phoenix wields a dagger.”

“Normal wood is fine,” Yvette said quickly, though she felt warmth spreading through her that had little to do with his actual hand holding hers. Or, in a way, everything to do with it.

“If we manage to get out of this I’ll get you one myself,” Nautia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Are you two like this all the time? I thought it would wear off after the first day.”

“Not really,” Yvette said. “We’re a lot worse now. We’re actually holding hands! And we even kissed a few times! Sometimes he’ll even hold me. Not when I sleep, though. Ohhhhh. If I manage to get a human form again, do you think you’ll… you’ll…?” She trailed off, looking up. She wasn’t sure, but she swore she heard crying. “Do you hear that?”

“It’s a trap,” Gervas said.

“Definitely a trap,” Nautia said.

Yes. Definitely crying. Worse, something about that crying was familiar. “Probably,” Yvette said. However, after a few more moments she glanced off into the forest. “What if it isn’t, though?”

“Yvette,” Gervas said. “We’re in the Realm of the Fae. Why would there be random crying like that if it WASN’T a trap?”

“Maybe someone’s hurt?” Yvette asked.

“How in the world has she survived this long?” Nautia asked.

“I haven’t,” Yvette said. “I died, remember? Phoenix now? Ohhhhh. Wait, didn’t you say that once, Gervas?”

“That you’d become a phoenix?” Gervas asked.

“That I’d find new ways to get myself killed that most mages never dreamed of,” Yvette said proudly. “I bet I could write a whole tome on this.”

“Your mage is weird, are you sure she’s not defective?” Nautia asked.

“I’ve yet to meet one who isn’t,” Gervas said.

“Fair enough,” Nautia said.

“What if they need our help?” Yvette asked.

Gervas gave a soft, exhausted sigh. “Right, so we’re going straight into this trap then?”

“Oh by the stars I pledged my life to this suicidal mage,” Nautia said with a groan.

“You know, you can leave at any time,” Yvette said. “I’m not going to hold you to that. It’s bad enough I risk Gervas’ life and he… well. Actually, what do you get out of this?” she asked, looking to Gervas.

“Reminders that no matter how reckless I live, I could always be worse,” Gervas said. “Besides, if we manage to live through all of this I’m sure I’ll find a way to make you pay me back.”

“Right, I’m an investment,” Yvette said. “You don’t need to risk your life for me.”

“You didn’t for me either,” Nautia said. “I’m not leaving that debt unpaid. At least that debt will likely be paid back quickly at this rate.”

“Probably,” Yvette said. “I should probably turn back into a phoenix first, though. I don’t think I have much time left like this.”

“Maybe stay as human for now,” Gervas said. “There’s no telling what we’re going to run into and, if it comes down to it, you being able to explode into a bird of lightning and fire might be useful.”

Together, the three headed towards the crying. Trap or not.