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Description
The next day was Tuesday. Early in the morning, the swimming pool was almost deserted, with most potential visitors either at work, or in school. Tammana felt a bit uneasy walking the empty corridors, hoping the people running the place had something more interesting to do than paying attention to a 20-so girl loitering about. At five to nine she entrered the changing room. As she expected - it was empty. The enigmatic message did not state the exact meeting place, but Nastia's assumption that it had to be the changing room made most sense. There were no cameras there, and even if there were other people around, it offered a relatively good spot for a discreet conversation. Or an exchange.

Passing the very same locker she was given the day she met Mari would normally make Tammana chuckle. But she was absolutely not in the mood. She put her bag down on a bench and unzipped it. Ardis' head popped out, eager and anxious.

"Lemme out! No one's here, I can be outside!"

"No!" Tammana hushed, pushing the fairy back. "Rememeber the plan! If your sister comes, she must think I'm alone!"

"But she's my sis! I can talk with Sa, she'll under-"

"She kidnapped Ai! If she did that-"

"Oh, hi Tammy!"

Startled, Tammana turned towards the newcomer's voice. A new girl entered the changing room, tying her long, brown hair into an improvised braid. Her almond eyes seemed to have a smile on their own.

"Hi Nat!" The Indian girl quickly zipped the bag up, standing up to greet her friend. "Didn't expect to see you here!"

"Neither did I!" Natalie hugged Tammana tight, giving her a kiss in the cheek. "So, are we swimming together today? Like we did back in high school?"

Faced with Natalie's radiant smile, Tammana desperately tried to come up with a credible excuse to leave. Luckily, her phone provided one just in time.

Shit hit the fan, read a message from Nastia.

* * *

Being a place of early afternoon activities, the dojo was locked shut in the morning. Luckily, this was far from being troublesome for a resourceful girl Nastia considered herself to be. And with a pouch of potions at hand, it actually became even less than a tiny nuisance.

Getting small enough to fit through a keyhole was always an extreme experience, but she was slowly getting more used to it with every attempt. The hardest part was getting the timing right - aiming for the moment she was large enough to reach the rim but also small enough to get a firm grip. Nevertheless, a few whiles and a sip of antidote later, she landed inside the corridor, her size back to normal. Her converses made almost no sound against the polished floor as she sneaked across the empty building, keeping away from windows and listening for any sign of activity. Finally, she heard something from within the shooting range. Steps, silent enough to be considered sneaky, but rapid and audibly impatient to be noticed, if one was listening.

She took a careful peek inside. A girl, barely taller than Ayumi, was pacing the chamber. Her tall, laced sandals tapped softly against the floor, and the plain, teal dress she wore would give her a typical girl-next-door look, if it wasn't for her hair. Bluish, somewhere between azure and turquoise, they looked as natural, as Ardis' vibrant violet. Suddenly, the girl turned towards the entrance, gazing directly into Nastia's eye. She rose her brow, a complex tattoo surrounding her left eye shimmering with violet in Nastia's vision. This didn't look good.

"Greetings" the girl started walking towards Nastia, a crooked grin on her face. "No use hiding. I see you too"

"The pleasure is all mine" returning the smirk, Nastia entered the chamber, potion pouch at the ready. Up close, the whole person facing her was clearly surrounded by the magical aura. And it felt exactly like the one back in the changing room.

What an arrogant prick of a fairy, she thought to herself.

"Where is Ayumi?" she spoke aloud instead.

"I didn't say I would bring her today" the other girl said mockingly. "Also, I hope your other friend has a nice time at the swimming pool?"

Correction: an arrogant bitch of a fairy.

"I have no time for that" Nastia hissed through her teeth. "You better tell me where's Ayumi, or-"

"Or what?" The other girl stopped at some distance and started circling Nastia like some kind of a predator. "Maybe I do have your wingless friend here? You know my poor sis' powers, don't you? Maybe she's right here, in some hidden pocket I have under this dress? Maybe she's right here?" she shuffled her hair, exposing an ear too long and pointy for a human one, adorned with a silver earring with an opal stone. "There are many ways I can put ya all in check, no need to get cocky and arrogant"

"Look who's talking" Nastia was almost sure the other girl was bluffing. But if she indeed had powers like Ardis... all options remained on the table.

"Anyway, let's get down to business" the girl took a step forward, snapping her fingers in a way all too familiar for anyone dealing with Ardis. Blue sparks zapped between the digits, a sudden pulse of violet emanated from them...

Surprised, Nastia saw a narrow, almost ethereal thread appear out of thin air between them. The silk snapped around her ankles, the other end tying itself to the girl's wrist. A short jerk was enough to make ground sweep from underneath Nastia's feet. She slammed to the floor face-forward, the rusty taste of blood filling her mouth.

"Tsk tsk" Ai's kidnapper stepped on Nastia's back, forcefully pinning her to the floor "You are such a nice girl if somebody pulls you in the right direction"

"Get off, suka!" Nastia spat some blood, trying to reach for the assaulter's leg. The girl was surprisingly strong for her build - it felt like a hydraulic press pushing into her back. With the corner of her eye, she noticed a small vial collecting the red liquid from the floor.

"A bit dusty, but will do" the kidnapper completely ignored her demands, looking back only after she secured the vial somewhere underneath the dress. "And as for you... It's time to say farewell"

Another snap followed, filling Nastia with the all too familliar sense of her body contracting. The sandal's pressure was gradually getting stronger and stronger, as the difference in sizes rose. A flash of terror spread through Nastia's mind, but was quickly contained.

That bitch was arrogant enough to think Anastasia Dybich would come unprepared!

Quickly reaching for the pouch, Nastia didn't even bother opening it; instead she pressed hard against a tiny container sewn into the bag's interior. She felt it crack, a warm, dry liquid spilling out, seeping into her fingers, evaporating...

...and everything ended in a blink of an eye.

She was still laying on the floor, her back almost broken, but at least restored in size. The other girl disappeared - instead, an empty dress lied on the floor just next to Nastia. A naked fairy made her way from underneath the layers of tangled fabric, clutching tightly a shrunken, blood-filled vial. Dragonfly wings fluttered, as she rose high into the air, easily avoiding Nastia's half-blind attempt to catch her. Eyes raging with fury, she shot a final, hateful glare at the blonde girl and bursted out of the chamber.

It took Nastia longer than she'd wish to slowly crawl to the nearest wall and prop herself up on a bench. She pulled out her phone, cursing the fall that gave its screen a brand new spiderweb of cracks.

Shit hit the fan, she typed carefully and sent the message to Tammana.

Description
The next day was Tuesday. Early in the morning, the swimming pool was almost deserted, with most potential visitors either at work, or in school. Tammana felt a bit uneasy walking the empty corridors, hoping the people running the place had something more interesting to do than paying attention to a 20-so girl loitering about. At five to nine she entrered the changing room. As she expected - it was empty. The enigmatic message did not state the exact meeting place, but Nastia's assumption that it had to be the changing room made most sense. There were no cameras there, and even if there were other people around, it offered a relatively good spot for a discreet conversation. Or an exchange.

Passing the very same locker she was given the day she met Mari would normally make Tammana chuckle. But she was absolutely not in the mood. She put her bag down on a bench and unzipped it. Ardis' head popped out, eager and anxious.

"Lemme out! No one's here, I can be outside!"

"No!" Tammana hushed, pushing the fairy back. "Rememeber the plan! If your sister comes, she must think I'm alone!"

"But she's my sis! I can talk with Sa, she'll under-"

"She kidnapped Ai! If she did that-"

"Oh, hi Tammy!"

Startled, Tammana turned towards the newcomer's voice. A new girl entered the changing room, tying her long, brown hair into an improvised braid. Her almond eyes seemed to have a smile on their own.

"Hi Nat!" The Indian girl quickly zipped the bag up, standing up to greet her friend. "Didn't expect to see you here!"

"Neither did I!" Natalie hugged Tammana tight, giving her a kiss in the cheek. "So, are we swimming together today? Like we did back in high school?"

Faced with Natalie's radiant smile, Tammana desperately tried to come up with a credible excuse to leave. Luckily, her phone provided one just in time.

Shit hit the fan, read a message from Nastia.

* * *

Being a place of early afternoon activities, the dojo was locked shut in the morning. Luckily, this was far from being troublesome for a resourceful girl Nastia considered herself to be. And with a pouch of potions at hand, it actually became even less than a tiny nuisance.

Getting small enough to fit through a keyhole was always an extreme experience, but she was slowly getting more used to it with every attempt. The hardest part was getting the timing right - aiming for the moment she was large enough to reach the rim but also small enough to get a firm grip. Nevertheless, a few whiles and a sip of antidote later, she landed inside the corridor, her size back to normal. Her converses made almost no sound against the polished floor as she sneaked across the empty building, keeping away from windows and listening for any sign of activity. Finally, she heard something from within the shooting range. Steps, silent enough to be considered sneaky, but rapid and audibly impatient to be noticed, if one was listening.

She took a careful peek inside. A girl, barely taller than Ayumi, was pacing the chamber. Her tall, laced sandals tapped softly against the floor, and the plain, teal dress she wore would give her a typical girl-next-door look, if it wasn't for her hair. Bluish, somewhere between azure and turquoise, they looked as natural, as Ardis' vibrant violet. Suddenly, the girl turned towards the entrance, gazing directly into Nastia's eye. She rose her brow, a complex tattoo surrounding her left eye shimmering with violet in Nastia's vision. This didn't look good.

"Greetings" the girl started walking towards Nastia, a crooked grin on her face. "No use hiding. I see you too"

"The pleasure is all mine" returning the smirk, Nastia entered the chamber, potion pouch at the ready. Up close, the whole person facing her was clearly surrounded by the magical aura. And it felt exactly like the one back in the changing room.

What an arrogant prick of a fairy, she thought to herself.

"Where is Ayumi?" she spoke aloud instead.

"I didn't say I would bring her today" the other girl said mockingly. "Also, I hope your other friend has a nice time at the swimming pool?"

Correction: an arrogant bitch of a fairy.

"I have no time for that" Nastia hissed through her teeth. "You better tell me where's Ayumi, or-"

"Or what?" The other girl stopped at some distance and started circling Nastia like some kind of a predator. "Maybe I do have your wingless friend here? You know my poor sis' powers, don't you? Maybe she's right here, in some hidden pocket I have under this dress? Maybe she's right here?" she shuffled her hair, exposing an ear too long and pointy for a human one, adorned with a silver earring with an opal stone. "There are many ways I can put ya all in check, no need to get cocky and arrogant"

"Look who's talking" Nastia was almost sure the other girl was bluffing. But if she indeed had powers like Ardis... all options remained on the table.

"Anyway, let's get down to business" the girl took a step forward, snapping her fingers in a way all too familiar for anyone dealing with Ardis. Blue sparks zapped between the digits, a sudden pulse of violet emanated from them...

Surprised, Nastia saw a narrow, almost ethereal thread appear out of thin air between them. The silk snapped around her ankles, the other end tying itself to the girl's wrist. A short jerk was enough to make ground sweep from underneath Nastia's feet. She slammed to the floor face-forward, the rusty taste of blood filling her mouth.

"Tsk tsk" Ai's kidnapper stepped on Nastia's back, forcefully pinning her to the floor "You are such a nice girl if somebody pulls you in the right direction"

"Get off, suka!" Nastia spat some blood, trying to reach for the assaulter's leg. The girl was surprisingly strong for her build - it felt like a hydraulic press pushing into her back. With the corner of her eye, she noticed a small vial collecting the red liquid from the floor.

"A bit dusty, but will do" the kidnapper completely ignored her demands, looking back only after she secured the vial somewhere underneath the dress. "And as for you... It's time to say farewell"

Another snap followed, filling Nastia with the all too familliar sense of her body contracting. The sandal's pressure was gradually getting stronger and stronger, as the difference in sizes rose. A flash of terror spread through Nastia's mind, but was quickly contained.

That bitch was arrogant enough to think Anastasia Dybich would come unprepared!

Quickly reaching for the pouch, Nastia didn't even bother opening it; instead she pressed hard against a tiny container sewn into the bag's interior. She felt it crack, a warm, dry liquid spilling out, seeping into her fingers, evaporating...

...and everything ended in a blink of an eye.

She was still laying on the floor, her back almost broken, but at least restored in size. The other girl disappeared - instead, an empty dress lied on the floor just next to Nastia. A naked fairy made her way from underneath the layers of tangled fabric, clutching tightly a shrunken, blood-filled vial. Dragonfly wings fluttered, as she rose high into the air, easily avoiding Nastia's half-blind attempt to catch her. Eyes raging with fury, she shot a final, hateful glare at the blonde girl and bursted out of the chamber.

It took Nastia longer than she'd wish to slowly crawl to the nearest wall and prop herself up on a bench. She pulled out her phone, cursing the fall that gave its screen a brand new spiderweb of cracks.

Shit hit the fan, she typed carefully and sent the message to Tammana.