Secrets and Lies

"Nope," Seren insisted as they shook their head. "No way."

They were still blushing brightly as they switched to speaking Welsh again, "I'm not sharing any secrets or making any announcements! Not in front of a couple strangers. It's way too personal!"

"I'm pretty sure they've already guessed at least one of your secrets, 'Morwenna'," Carys responded, also in Welsh. "Same as me. So you may as well go ahead and share."

Before the teen could respond one of the blonde fairies darted over towards Phoebe and I. She flitted right up in front of my face as if she wanted to get a closer look at me, and I had to force myself not to flinch or back away while she buzzed in the air a dozen centimetres from my nose. Then she did the same to Phoebe, before turning to address the teen.

"These two seem safe," the fairy stated in English. "They both have traces of magic on them, but I think the big one's ok. And the little one's harmless."

Feebs glared at the tiny person still buzzing in the air in front of her, "Oi! Who're you calling little, short stuff?!"

"You, pip-squeak!" the fairy giggled as she flitted backwards away from my partner. "I'm calling you little!"

I was almost positive the fairy was just trying rile up my partner, but I didn't want to risk things turning sour because of some simple teasing. So I suggested, "Maybe this would be a good time for introductions? My name is Trillium. And this is my associate, Phoebe."

"Sirona," the giggling blonde responded as she gestured towards herself. Then she pointed at the brunette and added, "That's my sister Treasa. And my other sister Brighid is the one over there with Morwenna."

The brunette chimed in, "Our other other sister Derdriu is watching, but she's too timid to show herself just yet."

Seren, or perhaps their real name was Morwenna, spoke up with a question for Sirona. "Hold on, can we go back a step? What do you mean there's traces of magic on them? What kind of magic?"

The tiny blonde shrugged, "Spells? I can't tell what they've been up to exactly, but they've both been around active magic recently. As in earlier today kind of recently."

"How'd you know that?" Phoebe asked as she frowned warily at the tiny flying people before us.

"We can see it," Treasa replied as she zipped in close and did a little loop around the redhead, then followed up with a tight circle around me as well.

Finally she backed off to hover in the air next to Sirona before adding, "You've both got well-developed magical meridians too. In shorty's case that seems to be a result of years of practice and training. I think blondie's newer to the arcane, but she's probably got some natural talent. Or maybe that's unnatural talent, who am I to say?"

By that point I really wasn't sure what to think of these fairies. Phoebe and I exchanged a quick glance, which was enough to tell me she was probably thinking the same thing. I couldn't even tell for sure if the tiny magical creatures were wary and distrusting of us, or if they were just messing around with us for sport.

Our teenage guide seemed to be taking their friends' words seriously though. They sounded a little anxious or worried as they warned the fairies, "Trillium and Phoebe are some kind of supernatural investigators. They wanted to meet you, so they could make sure you're safe."

"Is that so?" Brighid asked as she drifted over a little closer to Feebs and I.

She sort of looked both of us up and down before flitting back to hover next to her sisters. Then she announced, "We appreciate your concern, but you'll be pleased to know that the four of us are perfectly safe here. We've made our new home in these woods, and none of the local flora or fauna pose any sort of threat to us."

"We've also learned not to trust strange or dangerous humans," she added as her expression darkened. "We won't make that mistake again. So we're not at risk from your kind anymore either."

That last part sounded somewhat ominous, and I knew Phoebe picked up on it as well. I had a feeling it was meant to be a sort of challenge though, just like I was sure the tiny blonde deliberately misinterpreted Seren's warning. I wasn't going to let them bait us into some sort of argument though, so instead I decided to play along.

"I'm very glad to hear that the four of you are keeping safe," I responded. "Although it sounds like you've had some rough experiences with humans in the past? I'm sorry to hear that."

I continued, "We're also here to try and learn more about you, such as where you come from and how you came to be here? Carys already told us how she originally encountered you, but perhaps you'd be willing to tell us how you came to be in Oxfordshire in the first place?"

The three fairies drifted closer to each other for a quiet conversation, apparently to discuss my request. That only lasted a few seconds, before the three drifted apart again. Treasa seemed to be keeping an eye on Feebs and myself, while Brighid and Sirona were more focused on Seren and Carys.

"Before we get distracted talking to your new friends over there can we get on with the big announcement stuff first?" Brighid asked the teen.

Carys gave her sibling a compassionate look as she asked in Welsh, "Does this big announcement have something to do with these new names of yours?"

Seren's cheeks were bright red again but they nodded slowly. It took them another second or two to find the courage, and when they responded they also spoke Welsh, making it clear they meant it to be a private conversation between them and their sister.

"It's hard to admit," they grimaced, "Especially with a couple strangers right there. But um, yes. I think I might be trans? I'm um, my new name is Morwenna. I'm a girl. I'm um, your sister?"

I couldn't help smiling as Carys pulled her sister into a tight hug. The fairies were all grinning happily too, and the three of them flew a couple tight circles around the two sisters. Then I realized they'd been joined by a fourth. This one had jet-black hair, and apparently she'd finally come out of hiding so she could watch their friend share her big announcement.

"Morwenna is a beautiful name," Carys said, still speaking in Welsh. "Thank you for sharing it with me. Even if our little friends spoiled the surprise a bit. I'm happy for you, sis."

That put a wide smile on the teen's face, and she hugged Carys a little tighter. She'd obviously been afraid of rejection, so being immediately accepted and validated had to be a huge relief for her. It certainly warmed my heart.

In fact I couldn't help myself, I needed to congratulate her too. So I did, and the words came out in Welsh, "Llongyfarchiadau, Morwenna."

The two sisters' eyes widened and they both turned to stare at me in surprise, as if it just dawned on them that maybe conversing in another laguage wasn't as private as they'd assumed. Once again the teen's cheeks heated up, as she looked like she was ready to die of embarrassment. Her sister continued hugging her tightly though, almost protectively as she addressed me.

"Ydych chi'n siarad Cymraeg?" she asked the obvious question, to confirm I really could understand them.

"Yes I can," I responded in English. "Sorry? I suppose I should have mentioned that earlier."

Phoebe made a face as she complained, "Well I can't. But I can guess what I missed."

"Morwenna is a girl and her name is Morwenna!" the ravenette fairy exclaimed happily as she did a little twirl in the air.

"Hello Derdriu," Carys addressed the new arrival. "I'm glad you finally joined us, it's good to see you again."

Then she focused on her sister again and asked, "Does this mean you're going to use that spell? I think you just missed the December full moon, but the next one's only a month away."

Morwenna let out a deep sigh as she shook her head, "I can't. Ma and da would disown me, they'd kick me out of the house."

"We can't tell them any of this," she added nervously. "Please Carys, promise you won't say anything?"

My smile fell when I heard that, and it looked like the girl's sister was just as dismayed.

Carys shook her head, "What? No! I know ma and da can seem kind of backwards about things Morwenna, but they're not that bad! And you'll have me there backing you up, I won't let them do anything drastic."

The teen shook her head and sighed again, "It's not just that. Even if things did somehow work out ok at home, there's also school. The teachers, my classmates... I just can't do it."

"So what are you going to do then?" the older sister frowned. "You can't do nothing, you can't just keep your true self hidden from the world sis. I can tell you're not happy, I've known something was wrong for years. I'm sure ma and da see it too."

Morwenna grimaced then seemed to mentally brace herself before responding, "It's not that I'm doing nothing. I've got a plan. The fairies are going to help me."

"That's right!" the fourth fairy agreed with a wide grin as she did another twirl. "My sisters and I are going to help Morwenna! It's solstice eve on Friday, we're gonna do big magicks!"

That earned the ravenette fairy some exasperated looks from the other three, which made me think it was supposed to be an actual secret. At the same time it also set off some alarm bells in my mind, and apparently it did the same for Phoebe since she beat me to the punch.

"What sort of big magic?" the redhead asked warily. "What're you lot cooking up?"

Carys gave her sister and the fairies worried look, "What's going on? What are you going to do?"

After a brief hesitation Morwenna sort of straightened her back and set her shoulders then stated, "They're going to make me one of them. I've been asking them for ages if they could do that for me, and they finally agreed."

"There were originally five of us," Brighid commented in a sad serious tone. "But we lost Ethne not long after we arrived on this world."

At the mention of that fifth name the other three fairies all bowed their heads, as did Morwenna.

Meanwhile from the look on her older sister's face I was fairly sure that bit of information was news to her.

Carys sighed, "I'm sorry Brighid, I had no idea. What does that mean for Morwenna though? Are you actually going to turn her into a fairy? Then what happens to her?"

Sirona flitted over to hover next to the teen as she replied, "That's exactly what we're going to do. Morwenna will become one of us."

"We'll teach her everything she needs to know about being a fairy. Including our magic," Treasa added in a slightly defiant tone, as she also drifted closer to Morwenna.

Finally Derdriu did another happy twirl and exclaimed, "Morwenna will be our new sister! Then she can stay with us forever!"

That last word turned out to be more than a little contentious, and as soon as the fairy said it almost everyone else began talking all at the same time. Phoebe was trying to warn the two human girls of how dangerous and unpredictable the fae could be, especially when it came to their magic. Meanwhile Carys was trying to convince her sister to give their parents a chance, to try and talk to them before turning her back on her entire life.

At the same time Morwenna was telling Feebs to mind her own business while also trying to assure her sister that everything would be ok. And all four fairies were buzzing around as each of them argued a different point. Such as Phoebe and I shouldn't stick our noses in where they don't belong, Carys should trust her sister and her friends, Morwenna would be fine, the fairies would never do anything to hurt her, and so on.

It seemed like I was the only one who didn't have anything to say. Instead I just quietly watched and listened as the lot of them made a scene. Unfortunately it very soon became clear to me that with all of them arguing and nobody listening that they weren't likely to achieve a whole lot. Beyond fraying each other's nerves that is.

After another minute or so I let out a quiet sigh while voices and tempers continued rising on all sides. And while my years as a cop hadn't really prepared me for dealing with magic or the supernatural, I could actually call on some of that experience to help me here. In many ways the situation reminded me of domestic calls, so I decided to treat it as such.

I took a deep breath, then in a loud no-nonsense take-charge voice I stated, "That's enough! All of you, stop talking!"

"You two, over there," I told Carys and Morwenna as I physically began to separate the various parties. "Phoebe, over there. And you lot, stay put."

The two human sisters both went quiet and did what I said, as did Phoebe. Although my partner pouted a little at being put in the metaphorical corner. And while the four fairies didn't try and argue with me right away, they definitely looked indignant about the way I'd taken control of the situation.

Finally I pointed at one of the blonde fairies and asked, "Brighid, right? I have some questions and I'd like you to answer them."

"Everyone else will stay quiet and wait your turn!" I added as I gave them all a warning glare.

I received a curt nodd from Phoebe, followed by two more from Morwenna and her sister.

Then I focused my attention on that one blonde fairy again and asked, "Exactly what is supposed to happen in this big magic process you have planned for Friday night?"

Brighid glared a bit but she answered my question, "My sisters and I are going to transform Morwenna into a fairy like us. She'll become our newest sister."

I couldn't help feeling a little uneasy knowing that was even possible, but I kept that to myself for now. Instead my voice and expression remained all business as I asked her to clarify, "You mean just like you? An actual tiny fairy, with wings and magic?"

"Yes," the blonde fairy responded with a frown. Then she added indignantly, "And we're not tiny! We're well within the average size range for fairies."

"I assume Morwenna's transformation will also be gender-affirming?" I asked next.

Brighid bristled, "Of course it will! What do you think, we'd make her into a boy fairy? That'd be cruel and awful for her, we'd never do that!"

"I'm just being thorough ma'am," I responded calmly. "I have a few more questions for you. Are there any risks involved, is there any chance Morwenna could be harmed in the process? And if she should change her mind in the future, is this process reversible? Could she become human again?"

Those questions left the fairies looking less sure of themselves. Then the ravenette one, Derdriu, chimed in. "We've never done this before so we don't really know if it's dangerous?"

"It'll be fine!" Treasa, the brunette, insisted. "Worst case scenario it just doesn't work. It's big magic, that's why we need to do it at the solstice."

Finally Brighid answered my other question, "The transformation is permanent. If Morwenna joins us then it'll be forever, there's no going back."

By that point Carys appeared even more anxious. She looked to her sister like she was about to say something, but the younger girl beat her to it.

"Please sis," Morwenna began, "Just listen to me for a moment? I want this. I need this. I promise this isn't some impulsive last-minute decision that I haven't properly thought through. Believe me, I've been thinking about it for a couple months now."

The teen's voice was quiet but intense as she continued, "And if you think I'm throwing my life away, stop and take a closer look at what my life's really like? Because it's nothing like yours, Carys. You've got your scholarship, your studies, you have a future, your life's going great. I'm not as smart as you, I don't have those opportunities."

"Meanwhile ma and da barely have time for me," she added. "All ma cares about is her rentals business and the caravan park. And da's either helping her on that, or he's back in his garage restoring old junkers. I'm grateful for your support sis, but you're the only one who really cares about me. And I only get to see you at holidays. You know I'm not popular at school, I don't have any friends there. And coming out as trans definitely isn't going to change that."

Morwenna gestured towards the four fairies hovering in the air around her, "These are my real friends. Brighid, Sirona, Treasa, and Derdriu. They're the only people I can really count on, the ones who're always here for me. I've been asking to join them, to become part of their family for ages. And they've finally agreed. So please Carys, don't try and take this away from me?"

Carys stared quietly at her younger sister for a few long seconds, while her expression reflected several difficult emotions she was obviously dealing with.

In the end she let out a sigh then nodded, "Alright sis. You said it's happening Friday evening, right? That's only two days from now, so let's try and make the most of it until then."

"I still think you should talk to our parents," she added. "Whether you do this or not you should at least give them a chance. And if you do go ahead with this, they deserve to know what's become of you. You can't just disappear on them."

Finally Carys stated, "Also, I'll be here with you Friday night. There's no way I'm letting you do this on your own. And anyways I need to see my little sister's true form!"

That last bit put a smile on the teen's face. Meanwhile I could tell Phoebe wasn't on board with any of this, but I honestly didn't think it was our place to judge.

It definitely wasn't the sort of outcome I'd want for myself, and I wasn't sure how comfortable I was that Morwenna wanted to go ahead with it either. In the end though it was her life, her decision. On the other hand that didn't mean I wouldn't make a request or two of my own.

I looked to the fairies first and reminded them, "You all promised to answer some questions of ours after Morwenna's big announcement was out of the way. So I'm hoping we can have that conversation soon?"

"And I think Phoebe and I should be there Friday night for your transformation," I continued as I looked to the teen. "Not to interfere, but to ensure it's conducted safely. We'll also need to document the process, both to provide official confirmation of your new identity, as well as for posterity."