Eighteenth

She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling a soft sigh of exasperation as she glanced down at the book in her lap.

"How am I supposed to find a 'key' when I don't even know what a 'key' is??" She huffed, feeling her irritation mounting by the second. "It just hides vague hints about what the keys do but won't explain what they are or how to find them!"

"Because you are very stupid." Mia announced helpfully from her spot atop the nightstand. She stared down at Emily with an unblinking stare, tilting her head slightly as she spoke.

"Oh." Emily looked up at her curiously, blinking owlishly at the pink cat sith.

The small, cat-sized fae fidgeted a bit as she seemed to contemplate her question further before answering it.

"Hmph. So very stupid."

"...Well, then can I ask for help finding them?" Emily leaned forward to pet the fluffy fairy gently, smiling as she squirmed slightly beneath the attention.

"Hm...help, hmm...." Mia stared blankly at her, considering her options for a moment. She contemplated the issue briefly and then nodded decisively.

"No." She stated bluntly as she glanced down at her nails and started cleaning them. "This is a test."

"What...test?!" Emily squeaked, aghast. She tossed the heavy tome aside, rising from the bed to pace anxiously across the room as she struggled to make sense of it all. "How could it possibly be a test?! Why would the fae make a Keybearer like this?!"

"...Don't blame the fae. You just don't listen very well." Mia continued to clean her tiny, pink furry paws diligently. "It's frustrating that you're so dense..."

"You can't expect me to figure things out if you don't tell me what things to figure out!" Emily protested, stomping her foot down on the plush rug beneath her feet. "What's wrong with asking for help?"

"...What's wrong is that it makes things harder for the Keybearer. Being weak will not save the world." Mia stood up, stretching languidly before leaping to the floor and padding towards her.

She rubbed against the woman's leg briefly before leaping onto the bed and settling in beside the pillow once more, curling up into a tight ball of fluffiness. "The Keys are people, human girl. Don't you know anything? The 'Keybearer' summons heroes."

She blinked at her new pet.

Er- familiar.

"...And so you can help me find those people?" She frowned, sitting on the edge of the mattress and gazing at the katsith imploringly.

"Find...or seduce, yes." The little fairy stretched out on top of the thick blanket covering the mattress, sighing happily as she did so.

"...What do you mean...seduce?" She rubbed the fairy's tiny paws tentatively as she spoke.

"In order to unlock their abilities."

Emily glanced at Mia uncertainly for several moments. "I...I thought they already had powers though...?"

The cat sith gave Emily an unimpressed look.

"Look, stupid human. These 'keys', according to the prophesy...they are powerful mages who have lost their memories. Or don't have their power. And since they can't use their magic...well, obviously you have to awaken them. Get it? Seduce them? Open their powers? Take away their virginity?"

The pink fae rolled over again, exposing her belly so Emily could pet it.

Emily laughed nervously and rubbed the pink cat sith's stomach gently with a finger. "Ha...ha! W...what are you talking about?! What 'virginity'?? How do you even know what a...a...v-word...is??"

Mia flicked her tail lightly against the fabric covering the mattress and sighed again, sounding irritated. "What do you take me for...?" She mumbled, ears flicking irritably as she settled comfortably onto the large piece of furniture. "...Stupid human."

"Wh..." She clenched her hands in her hair. "I...I have to...virginity..."

"Nyahahaha!" The cat cackled suddenly. "You really don't know anything! You actually believed me when I told you that?"

"Oh...oh, man...that was too good..." She giggled softly to herself, before continuing, "Mmhm...the prophesy said nothing about sex! That's just ridiculous! Haha. You only have to kiss them."

She curled into a tighter ball and chuckled merrily to herself as she closed her eyes. "Who would have guessed you'd take my joke seriously..."

The fairy sighed again, resting her head atop her paws as she laid there, stretched out lazily across the soft fabric.

Emily shot a glare at the pink cat. "Really...? I don't understand why you keep teasing me, but..." Her glare softened somewhat, and she reached over to pet the little katsith carefully. "You are being very helpful."

"I am not being helpful, you ignorant human! I am simply enjoying watching you struggle through this process!" The fairy stuck her tongue out childishly at her human.

"There is absolutely zero reason why I would want to help you in any way, shape, or form..." She purred quietly, clearly contented with receiving affectionate pets from the young woman.

"...Of course not." She smiled slightly before lowering herself back down and allowing her arms to encircle Mia's small, fluffy frame.

She lifted the Katsith up gently, hugging her to her chest, and let out a sigh of relief as she breathed in the scent of strawberries that seemed to emanate from the small pink creature's fur.

"It really does smell nice." She mumbled, rubbing the top of the cat fairy's head gently, scratching the base of her ears with a finger. "I hope you're not lonely anymore..."

Mia let out a disgruntled meow and batted at her hand as she stroked the little fairy's back and neck gently, purring softly while she did so.

"W-who said I was ever lonely?" She growled at Emily angrily, eyes flashing dangerously. "Are you mocking me...?"

"No, no, of course not." She assured the small, feisty Katsith soothingly as she stroked her furry body, running her fingers through the soft, silky locks of pink fuzz.

Mia's ears flicked repeatedly in agitation, though her eyes narrowed in pleasure as she curled deeper into the woman's embrace.

"Mnn...nya~h." She meowed contently as she received gentle strokes across her forehead, letting her tail wag softly in enjoyment while she rested on the human's chest.

"Don't be so prickly. We're friends, right? You've helped me out a lot, even if you weren't telling the truth..."

"...Mnf...friends..." Mia muttered under her breath as she lay there, relaxing into the embrace and nuzzling against the girl's neck.

Her breath tickled against Emily's skin, sending goosebumps running along her spine, making her shiver uncontrollably.

She kept her face buried in the cat fairy's soft coat, inhaling the sweet strawberry fragrance coming off the Katsith's fluffy fur, and held onto the smaller female's body tightly until she eventually drifted off into slumber.

Her dreams were filled with visions of colorful butterflies, dancing brightly amidst flowery fields dotted with pools of shimmering rainbow water.

As she floated amongst the beautiful creatures, a voice echoed from somewhere behind her, whispering secrets and prophecies and mysteries in her ears.

She turned around, looking for its source, but saw nothing but bright green leaves and colorful blooms swaying in the gentle breeze. A soft touch brushed against her skin, feather-light, followed by another.

Her head snapped forward sharply as something pressed into the small of her back.

Her entire body trembled involuntarily from the sensation, and she opened her eyes with a gasp.

She bolted upright in bed, panting heavily as she looked wildly about the room, searching for whatever it was that had disturbed her dreams.

"Huh? Uuu?" Mia stirred in Emily's arms, turning to regard her blearily, sleepy-eyed as she yawned widely. "You woke up so early...It's only sunrise..." She grumbled, glaring at her crossly, a slight pout on her lips.

Emily shifted slightly, pulling Mia's body against her own once more as she wrapped her arms around the little feline's torso protectively.

She nestled against the soft fluff of fur surrounding the fairy, burying her face against Mia's neck and taking a deep breath of the floral-scented perfume. "Sorry..." She whispered into the fur, giving her companion's small body a hug.

The pink cat grumbled grumpily in response and tried to move away, struggling against Emily's tight grasp around her waist, which didn't budge one iota despite her efforts.

After several moments of useless resistance, the young fairy gave up, and slumped back into the human's embrace, breathing heavily. "Fine. Whatever. Go back to sleep."

"...Right. Sure." The brunette nodded and sighed, closing her eyes.

Slowly, gradually, the pair drifted off, holding each other closely until the dawn of the next morning arrived.