119. Practice with the Power Tools

A/N: I would like daddy donations, please! I have a Donate a Daddy page set up where you can comment with the daddy’s download link and information. Or you can do that at the forum thread.

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Zoey and I did something normal – train the kids up.  We had to rush through it a bit because I’d been asleep so long that Faye and Junior’s birthdays were right around the corner.

“Wheee-ooo!” Lana cried from the nursery.

“It’s ‘whoa’,” Tamia said.  “Can I have a turn?”

“I knooow,” said Lana.  “I’m giving it a ghostie spin.”

“Oookay,” said Tamia.  “Can I have a turn?”

“Not yet!” said Lana.  “Wait till I catch the unicorn!”

“Whoa!” yelped Tamia as she almost fell off on her turn.

Lana giggled.  “Not as easy as it looked?”

“No, I got it!” Tamia said, clapping her hands.  “I can do it!”

Lana sighed.  “But I want to catch more unicorns!”

“You can have it again later.  It’s my turn!” said Tamia.

Lana found a book in the sitting area and sat down.  “Black Beauty is so pretty!” she said of the book cover.  “I bet he’s good at catching unicorns.”

Huh, maybe I should’ve checked the books on that shelf.  Black Beauty might be a bit sad for her.

As for Holly, she spent a lot of time teaching herself alchemy.  Watching her, I was  freaked out.  I wished she hadn’t brought that alchemy stuff into my new house.

“Holly, is there any chance you could do your alchemy research somewhere else?” I asked.  “Like, at the library?”

“Why?” she asked..

“Well, um…I get scared when I’m watching you mix potions or practice magic,” I admitted.  “Could you practice your magic somewhere else too?”

“You’re still scared of magic?” Holly said.

“Don’t be silly.  I just don’t want you accidentally hurting the kids or – ”

“I would never!” Holly said.  “I’m not Nana, and I’m always careful!  I think you’re just scared cause Nana’s made you paranoid.  You need to learn to accept your magic.  That’s what’s really scaring you, isn’t it?  It’s not my magic, it’s yours.”

“That’s not – ” I said, but she interrupted.

“Don’t lie to me, I know that’s what the problem is.  Look, I can help you, but you have to let me.  I can help you to learn to use your aura.  I’ve been reading up on it in my book.  If you use it, you’ll realize it’s like I’ve been saying.  Magic’s just a tool.”

“Yeah, a power tool,” I said.

“Power’s not hard to control!  You just have to know what you want.  Look, there’s this really easy and simple aura you can project.  And it might even make you feel better.  I can tell you what to do.”

“I don’t know…” I said.

“How are you going to protect yourself and the kids if you never practice?” Holly asked.  “Better to do it while I’m here and able to help you than when I move out.”

I knew that, of course.  But it was hard knowing one thing and actually doing something that was the problem.  I just wasn’t good at trusting magic.  But I knew that there were lots of good magic-wielders out there.  There was Cameron’s mother Jenna, my children Alice and Jacob, and Holly.  I could only name one person who abused magic, and that was Yori.

“Okay,” I said.

“Excellent!” said Holly.  “Now relax, and think of the most soothing memory you can.”

I remembered giving Curly baths while telling him all about my problems, and how doing that always made me feel better.

“Whoa, what’s happening?” I yelped.

“Calm down, it’s your aura.  Just relax!”

“Ow!  Is this supposed to hurt?” I asked.

“No, you hit your head on the light,” Holly giggled.

“Well?  How do you feel?” Holly asked when I’d finished levitating.

“Pretty good, actually,” I said.  “I don’t know what I was so worried about.”

“Great!” said Holly.  “That was called the aura of soothing..  You just calmed yourself down.”

“Using magic?  That’s so cool!” I said.

“I know, and you definitely needed some soothing.  Let’s go out so you can practice flying.”

“Okay,” I said.  I wondered later why I didn’t argue.  It was probably the aura I’d summoned.

Holly flew to a park on her broom.  I, however, don’t remember how I get there.  I just remember being in the house, then a blur of images, then I was hovering in front of Holly.

“Wow, you’re a real natural at this flying thing!” she said.  “I didn’t even have to teach you!”

I looked down.  Her feet seemed bigger than before.  “Wha – ” I said.  Then I realized just how wide her face was.  “What’s happening?” I shrieked.

“You shrank and flew here,” said Holly.

“I – what – how!”

“It’s just something fairies do naturally.  Calm down, you’re weakening your aura.”

“But how do I…make myself bigger again?”

“Just relax.  That’s how you shrank in the first place.  You relaxed and just did it instinctively.”

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and did my best not to think about how very tiny I was.  Some of that aura must still have been lingering – relaxing was still easier than usual.

“Wow, that was – why am I upside-down?”

“You’re flying,” said Holly patiently.  “I didn’t have to teach you, you’re a natural at this!”

Somehow I managed to get right side-up and plant my feet firmly on the ground.  “I’m really good?” I asked.

“Yes, Grandma.  You’re really good.”

I put my arms around her.  “Thank you, Holly.”

“Don’t thank me,” said Holly.  “You did most of it on your own.”