She was at the top of the world, queen of the forest and lord of the trees. Her hair rippled like waves lapping at the shore, navy standing strong against the fading oranges and pinks of the sky. Her wings were a blur, making a faint buzz as she hovered in place, looking over her dominion, the patch of trees and mess of bushes generously referred to as Umitori Forest. 

Saeki Reiko took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stretched happily. Life was good.

[color=Lemonchiffon]"I believe you are forgetting something, Young Mistress."[/color] A formal tone made a futile attempt to mask annoyance as the fairy Tsubame flitted in front of her charge's face for the umpteenth time.

[color=Deepskyblue]"Eh...?"[/color] Keiko tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully, almost swatting the bird-winged fairy away in the process.

[color=lemonchiffon]"Your mother and father are not coming home for the next few weeks, remember? They trusted you to stock the kitchen, and there is not much in the way of supper foods, currently."[/color] Tsubame sighed as she righted her wingbeat. She was used to this by now.

[color=deepskyblue]"There's plenty of cereal and milk, and even some ramen in the back of the pantry Keiko stashed away just in case."[/color] Keiko smiled, waving to a crow who veered off its flight course in the opposite direction. 

Tsubame found herself wishing she'd actually been hit so she could satisfy the urge to facepalm in a slightly dignifiable manner. She envied the crow. [color=lemonchiffon]"That is not a responsible course of action,"[/color] she folded her arms as if she were explaining to a...well, she was explaining to a child, [color=lemonchiffon]"not only are they unhealthy and unsuitable options, but you are close to running out of food in the house altogether."[/color] How had this child managed to to survive a year like this, much less [i]eleven?[/i]

[color=deepskyblue]"If you say so, Tsubame-san. You're very smart about these things."[/color] With a resigned sigh, the blue-haired magical girl shifted her wings to a more conventional, soaring-bird form and flew off in the direction of urban Umitori before Tsubame could say another word.

[color=lemonchiffon]"Wait a second!"[/color] Tsubame was rather quick for a fairy, but wings to rival an albatross and the energy of an elementary schooler were difficult to catch even for her. Luckily, Keiko took notice of her fairy's plight and halted before she'd cleared the forest. [color=lemonchiffon] You're going out like [i]that?[/i]"[/color]

[color=Deepskyblue]"I've fought a Negari before, and some people saw. This isn't very different, right?"[/color] Keiko's large, innocent blue eyes betrayed no sarcasm or malice, and Tsubame once more reminded herself she was dealing with a child.

[color=lemonchiffon]"Still, it's better to stay in your civilian--normal form as much as possible, especially in public."[/color] Saeki Reiko's parents had done a shoddy job of teaching her societal conventions, the avian fairy thought. Furthermore, had they taught her anything but how to care for herself and the house? The more Tsubame thought about it, the less Keiko's parents seemed like parents.

[color=deepskyblue]"Like a secret identity! I'm sorry, Tsubame-san, I forgot about that."[/color] Keiko's apology abruptly interrupted her fairy's musings. The elementary schooler's lip quivered, and for a moment Tsubame was terrified that she would have to comfort a crying child. Luckily, Keiko swallowed, nodded, and swooped down, alighting close to the dirt road that lead to town. [color=deepskyblue]"Is it alright to do this? Flying is nicer than walking, and makes Keiko less tired."[/color]

The girl's smile was so earnest, and practically [i]shone[/i] when Tsubame nodded her approval. As the pair headed to town, the avian fairy found she too was grinning. Try as she might, her face would not return to an appropriate level of neutrality.

Somehow, she wasn't entirely upset.