“I’m home,” I called out as I walked into the backdoor with the basket of ingredients and Lily sitting on my left shoulder. Since Lily had introduced herself and said we were bonded, I had been feeling happier and happier.

“Are you ok?” mom asked. She spotted Lily on my shoulder and frowned. Dad frowned as well. “So, it’s true.”

“I’m fine,” I replied. Seeing their frowns and catching the meaning of mom’s words, I frowned too. “Yeah, it’s true that I have a pixie as a familiar.”

“We should have killed all those Jase played with as a child when we caught him doing so,” dad said. Lily flew up and hid behind me peaking over my shoulder at my parents. I sensed her distress and marveled at how rapidly life had changed for me. I tried to send reassuring thoughts to her.

“Robert, you know we couldn’t have done that,” mom replied.

“I know. It’s just that our son has bonded with a pixie,” dad said and seemed to deflate a little.

“What’s wrong with having a pixie for a familiar? I know people say they are pests and only good for their wings, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. Lily makes me happy, and I feel whole,” I retorted. Mom and dad exchanged a look. “What?”

“What studies that have been done on pixies state they are carefree and happy,” mom said.

“That’s obvious from all their play, pranks, and dancing,” dad replied.

“Yeah. What of it?” I asked wondering what was concerning my mother.

“You just bonded this afternoon, and it shouldn’t be possible for Lily to influence you yet. It takes 24 hours for a familiar and their bond mate to sense each other’s emotions, thoughts, and feelings,” mom explained.

“That isn’t true. Jase and I have been bonded since I accepted his promise when he was younger,” Lily blurted out.

“She can talk?” dad yelled. Lily ducked back behind me again.

“That is impossible,” mom said. Both looked nervous, worried, and excited. Rust growled and Kyra called while flapping her wings.

“Pixies are tiny, magical people, why shouldn't they be able to talk?” I asked.

“You asked the same thing when you were a child,” dad said and grinned.

“And you know pixies are not human,” mother replied. “That is why they shouldn’t be able to speak out loud.”

“Familiars speak to their partners,” I objected.

“Familiars form a telepathic bond. That is different and only their partner can understand the mental speech,” mom corrected.

“We don’t know everything about the world though.”

“That’s true,” mom agreed.

“All pixies can speak if they wish to,” Lily said quietly. “We prefer not to since we don’t need to when we communicate with each other.”

“Oh.”

“Well, don’t talk out loud when other people are around. Familiar or not, that will probably end badly,” mom warned.

“Isn’t it strange that we accept that pixies are intelligent enough to talk so easily?” dad asked.

“Honey, we live in a world where nearly everyone has a familiar,” mom replied and shrugged. “What’s one more weird thing?”

“Good point. And how did you and Jase bond when he was a small child? That is another thing that should be impossible.”

“Familiars can bond at any time they find their person,” Lily answered. “You humans just started bonding later in life two centuries ago for some reason.”

“What? Why?” Mom asked. “And how do you know that?”

Lily shrugged. “I don’t know how I know it I just do. The knowledge came to me after I accepted the bond with Jase. The reason wasn’t part of the knowledge though.”

“Mom, where do you want these?” I asked pointing to the satchel I had brought back. I had decided my familiar needed a break from my parents questions.

“Leave the satchel by the door. I’ll deal with them after supper.”

“Alright,” I replied sitting the satchel down. “May I get some of that yellow and green ribbon you have?”

“What on earth do you want ribbon for?” dad asked. Lily perked up and buzzed around me excitedly. “Oh.”

“Yes, but no more than six inches,” mom answered.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Come on Lily, let’s see if we can upgrade your clothing.”

“Yay!” the pixie replied and flew toward mom and dad’s room. My parents shook their heads while I shrugged and followed my familiar.

*

“Jase?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you cut the ribbon in half for me?”

“Sure,” I replied and cut the two six-inch pieces of ribbon into halves.

“Now, cut one green and one yellow piece into halves again please.”

“Ok,” I replied and did as Lily requested.

“Do you think your mother would get upset if we took some thread and a needle too?”

“Not as long as we returned the needle. Do you want green and yellow thread?”

“Yes.”

“Ok. I cut six inches of each color thread and grabbed a needle. “Let’s take this to my room and you can work your magic.”

“Ok!” Lily replied and zipped past me and went into my room. I followed the pixie. “Just put it down and I’ll handle the rest.”

“Alright,” I agreed and set the items on my bed. “Do you want any help?”

“Nope! I’m going to surprise you.”

*

I was reading an herbology book an hour later when Lily announced she was finished. “Are you ready to see what I’ve done?”

“Sure,” I answered putting a bookmark in the book and closing it.

“Tada!” Lily exclaimed and descended from the rafters walking on the air like she was walking down a flight of stairs. When she was head height, she spun in place and struck a pose. The pixie had turned the ribbon into a short yellow and green skirt that had an open upper back for her wings. The front covered everything and tied around her neck. The yellow ribbon had been used to form the top and covered her front down to just below her breasts. It then split and covered Lily’s sides and formed the back of the skirt. The green had been used to cover her stomach and upper thighs. She had even woven patterns into the skirt. Humans considered something that short scandalous.

“Ah Lily, isn’t that too short?”

“That’s all you have to say?” Lily pouted.

“You did a fantastic job, but it’s so short,” I replied trying to compliment her efforts. She smiled.

“Well yeah. I’m not human, so it’s ok,” Lily said while using a tiny scrap of green ribbon to tie up her long blonde hair into a ponytail. “Besides, human women used to wear stuff like this all the time.”

“How do you know that?”

“I don’t know. I just know,” Lily answered with a shrug of her small shoulders. “I’m going to use the rest of the ribbon to make a couple more outfits.”

“Do you have enough?”

“Of course! This skirt only took the two quarter pieces you cut for me, and I still have a little of it left over.”

“Part of which you used for your hair. The ribbon and ponytail look really nice too.”

“Thank you,” Lily replied and flew close enough to kiss my cheek. “I think I’ll use the rest of it to make a belt.”

“What about the other pieces?” I asked. Fashion isn’t my thing, but talking about it made Lily happy, so I went with it.

“Maybe shorts and a shirt.”

“What are shorts?”

“Basically, pants that have been cut off to allow the legs freedom,” Lily answered. She showed a couple of places on her left leg where she assured me the length of different shorts.

“Jase! You and Lily come eat,” Dad yelled from the kitchen.

“Yay! I’m starving and get to show off my new skirt!” Lily cheerfully exclaimed and buzzed out of my room.

“This is not going to go over well,” I muttered to myself.

“What is that you’re wearing?” Are you trying to corrupt my son?” mom shouted.

“Yep. Not going over well at all,” I said to myself while standing up and leaving my room.