Pest watched the happiness spread across Fanli's face as she finished gathering the last of the berries. They didn't have to carry much. He thought to help her but his mind raced in erratic bursts of panic. They arrived to an empty house. A bowl rested on the table. It was the only 'tool' fairies would use. Fanli deposited the fruit there then made her way down to Pest's room. He followed.

No, he wasn't interested in reenacting what they'd witnessed in the morning with the faun, but now with his anxiety somewhat ebbed, his mind wandered someplace similar.

Pest walked into the room to find Fanli standing with her back to him. He didn't mind.

He was smooth as he slipped his hands under her top and gripped her ample bosom.

Rather than her reacting with a moan, she leaned back at him and said, "My treasure...."

The panic. It was back and it was tangible in its ferocity.

"Let me explain—" Pest began but words failed him upon seeing it.

It glowed nearly white. He wasn't the only one impressed.

"This is amazing," Fanli breathed out. "It's shining brighter even than the one the dragons stole, and I'd thought there was nothing stronger than that one."

Pest struggled to get his mouth open to convey even a cheer, no matter how false, or a word of relief.

Instead, she gave him a kiss. She also took away his chance at protest when she walked past him. The house door opening and closing signaled his parents' return.

Fanli was already on the move, so Pest turned and gave chase. They arrived at the table to find Father already sitting down before the bounty of fruits. He looked rather pleased.

Glowing dress in hand, Fanli sat before him. Both she and Father looked up at Pest as he just stood there.

The pressure drove Pest to join them for lack of something better to do.

He found himself looking around for the second time today.

Before he could ask, his father said, "Your mother's been called away. She'll be gone for the morning."

The pit in Pest's stomach returned as he sat in his usual chair.

Fanli carried the glowing dress in her hands. She looked down at it then put it between them all on the table.

The most telling characteristic of a fairy, Pest had come to find, were the slants of their eyes. There was something different about them. As such, they almost closed whenever a fairy in human form smiled or laughed.

Pest couldn't remember the last time he saw his father amused beyond Fanli's impromptu visit now.

This morning certainly held little joy for him, too.

"Sorry for the intrusion yesterday," Fanli began. She repositioned her treasure then sat up straight. "I've come to make an offering. And I hope you accept."

Father rested his eyes on the gift in question, then cast his focus on Pest.

Upon glancing at Fanli one last time, he sat back. "Ogre," he said.

Pest gritted his teeth. "Don't...." His body nearly shook as he begged, "Please don't. Just spare us your usual colorful commentary and say no already."

Fanli regarded him in surprise, but Pest didn't return her gaze.

Father let out a sigh as he folded his arms. "So, this is your bedfellow?"

Lips parted, Fanli repeated, her voice faltering, "Bedfellow?"

Pest readied his fists.

"Ah, right," Father said and corrected himself. "Ogres say...treasure, I believe."

Fanli's face lit up. "Yes. That is correct. I—" She paused and then admitted, "I will shift my focus from this...to...to your son. If—with your permission, of course."

"My permission," he muttered, sitting up. "But won't you consider keeping the frock; it's far more useful."

Pest gritted his teeth and summoned every ounce of strength in him to not stand up and knock that smug look off his face. "I'll kill you," he warned.

It was Fanli to gasp. In time, she traced his arm downward then interlocked their fingers. The heat of her skin might have been for a myriad of reasons but when he met her gaze, finally, he saw the flattery there.

"Ah," Father said. He sat back and sighed. "At least you stuck to my first bit of advice." Upon receiving Fanli's attention, he grinned. "No phoenixes. A bedfellow you tire of might leave. Or at the very worst you can do away with, yes? But not one that keeps coming back."

He was the only one to laugh at his joke and he sobered in time.

Over the years, Pest had few fond memories of his father. Pest understood fairy ways and fairy habits. Even calling Fanli a bedfellow hadn't resonated because to a fairy, a spoon was an eating tool.

Still, Father shocked Pest by sounding apologetic. "I will not be able to accept your gift, ogre. But I do thank you for it. Especially power such as this."

Fanli gripped Pest's hand tighter.

Pest, himself, could offer little comfort. "I knew it," he growled. "I knew that you'd say this. I knew it."

Father put his forearms on the table and leaned forward. "Oh? And why?"

Rather than play his games, Pest stared through him.

He lost his chance to catch Fanli when she slipped from his grip and presented the dress better.

"Magic this strong is rare for ogres," Fanli explained.

"I know this."

She was losing ground but didn't give up. "Fairies can do a great deal with it."

"This is true also."

Finally, she ran out of steam and had nothing more to say.

Pest's right leg shook. "You bigoted, narrowed-minded...."

Father returned his glare. "You are too weak and hesitant, human child. And that is why your efforts were squandered. You should have come earlier. Now it's wasted."

"I knew you'd never approve! You're just wasting our time—"

"Approve of what?" Father bellowed. "You'd sit there as your bedfellow offered up the very thing she lives and breathes for. Even a fairy would not do this—"

"You're the one making it a waste!"

"How was I to know you'd finally muster up the two shillings of courage in your feeble human heart to approach me for this."

Pest shivered; he was so angry. "Not a day went by, day in day out, that you didn't insult me, insult all my efforts. I warn you for the last time—do not insult this."

"This? Such a strange way to refer to an ogre."

Pest shot from his chair, but two hands grabbed him and slammed him back down again.

Fenli looked pensive at least. "I'm sorry. But you cannot attack a fairy. Any injury is visited upon you tenfold. Please."

They quieted for some time. Despite her knowledgeable words and confidence in them, she didn't dare pick her head up.

Pest longed to leave. He even opened his mouth to suggest it, but Fanli kept on, never making eye contact.

"My stolen treasure was very powerful when I'd lost it. Perhaps I can keep this one a bit longer. Magic like that will not come my way again," she confessed. "And I was too weak to hold on to it—"

"Because ogre women don't have nearly as much brute strength as ogre males. Yes. I am aware of that. And I agree. But the magic in this treasure is strong and growing rather rapidly."

Fanli blinked at him. Her focus shifted to the fabric which she traced with her fingertips. What she discovered had her smiling.

But she was the only one pleased. Father warned, "You have a strong will and so much determination. I believe you underestimate your power, because this treasure will gain strength again." His eyes landed on Pest but he told Fanli, "Since it was a sincere present."

The edge on his words had Pest swallowing hard. Treasure offered from the heart grew in power. False ones rotted.

It was his father's way of telling him to beware but that was unnecessary—Pest had gifted that dress with love.

His father's gaze returned to Fanli. "Should you leave this house with this much power today, by nightfall, you will have suffered greatly in trying to keep it." Father had the nerve to say, "This is a rare opportunity. But ogre...."

He waited and Fanli risked picking her head up to meet his gaze.

"Why waste it on this human child?"

Pest's body lit up with ire, but Fanli gripped his arm.

"Because I love him."

All quieted and Pest let the warmth in his chest encompass his very being.

"But he does not walk with you."

Fanli broke his gaze to hide her embarrassment. "It's understandable."

"Understandable? How?"

"Stop it," Pest shouted. "I told you, just say no already so we can leave."

"You keep telling me that. And it feels like you want nothing more."

"It's better than seeing you toy with her."

"What is it you want, because you do not want this ogre—"

"You don't know anything!"

"I know that once again, you've failed. And despite my guidance."

Pest jumped to his feet. "What guidance, you horse's anus! You left me all alone. You didn't tell me not to choose an ogre. A decision this big and you left it up to a ten-year-old boy."

Father slammed his hands down on the table as he stood. "I left it up to chance. That is the fairy way. And so what if it's an ogre?"

"Don't...you...dare," Pest warned. "You've never had anything good to say about ogres."

"I've never had anything good to say about humans either. Or about you."

The air thinned and Pest's final exhale left his surprise to linger.

"How shallow." Father gritted his teeth. "What does it matter what I say? What anyone says. A bedfellow is the most sacred thing to a fairy."

Pest stared through him. Fanli's hand had long since slipped away, leaving him to fend on his own. "You knew what choosing an ogre would do. And you didn't care."

It was a smirk at first, then a guttural laugh. "What a foolish human child. You cast out a bedfellow for vanity. Foolish, stupid child! You deserve dust. Each breath you take should be dirt in your mouth, you stupid vermin."

"Watch what you say—"

"Or what? You'll use your feeble human hands to strike against me? I fear no one who puts so little value on his treasures. You know my loathing for this world, for you, and you know that I remain in it for your mother. That is a fairy's loyalty to a bedfellow. And so what if she was no vision? Do you think if a bear bit off her face today that I'd leave her? Fool! I'd find that blasted bear and make him bite off half of mine so that we match. That is what it means to me! So do not stand there with your shallow anger, your shallow love, and your shallow outrage. Stand with your ogre, walk out this door, and have her use the magic to wish herself to be rid of you. That is what you'd do if you loved her."

No one spoke for some time. Pest fought back tears. He wasn't sure why at first. Not until his father sat and entreated Fanli, "A fairy with a feeble heart is well on his way to become a succubus. He'll jump from one lover to the next with no satisfaction. All because he went against his original desire. I fear that is the case now." His eyes traveled up to Pest when he said to Fanli, "Because I smelled an ogre on you at the dock yesterday, but I did not smell a human on her."

Something inside Pest snapped, breaking his very will to speak.

"And should I mention the dragon?"

Pest glared at him, begging him to shut up.

Fanli still watched the table as she muttered, "Perhaps I should give you some time to think."

Father caught the dress before she could take it back. He sounded uncharacteristically gentle, the tone he used with Mother, when he said, "Hear me, ogre. I know of your intent. But why turn human and lose all the ogre's gifts to be with someone who would not do the same for you? Do this, and the next time you lament, there is no end to it."

With a deep frown, Fanli looked at him finally.

"And you know this," Father continued. "Deep down, you know it. And I know it. So no. Forgive me, ogre, but I cannot accept your gift. A treasure is treasure. He selected his, then rejected it for convenience's sake. He's slighted you. Know that should you go in any direction that leads away from him, you will sustain only good fortune. Forget my son. Forget him like he forgets you with each bed he crawls into."

Fanli flinched.

The first tear to fall had Fanli rising to her feet. She staved off the second until she picked up her offering. Her hands trembled so violently that the dress slipped.

Father caught it. With the utmost care, he put it into her grip.

There was no need for words after that. Within seconds they were outside, staring at the morning sky.

Fanli couldn't find the strength to look at Pest nor he her.

"I'll do it anyway," she promised.

Pest closed his eyes at her words. He didn't hate what she was—he didn't hate that she was an ogre. He just hated what others said about them—thought about them. But not her.

Why become human when he couldn't stomach the guilt of it?

The hollow feeling was back, and this was the first time it came in her presence.

"What did he mean?" she asked at length.

After swallowing hard, Pest opened his mouth to confess to her but he didn't know where to start. At the number of women he'd slept with? Of who he slept with yesterday? Or should he explain how he recovered her treasure and gave it away before visiting the shop of a spurned lover to buy this dress—something she now held like the biggest prize in the world?

She trembled but didn't turn to him. "Pest...?"

"I have something to tell you and you will not like it."

They both stared down at her glowing treasure.

"What did he mean?" she asked again.

He'd already confessed to the hollow feeling but somehow that shamed him the most of all.

Still, she deserved the truth, and he opened his mouth to convey just that.

A whistling sound filled the air. A ball of fire tore through the sky and slammed into the ground. It ate away at the dirt, burying itself and Pest looked from it to Fanli.

He pounced on her and the fireball exploded.

Another came and another. There was no end in sight at the destruction raining down on them.

The skies shook and stretched in all directions.

At the next balls of fire, Fanli crouched up and Pest wrapped himself around her.

Someone grabbed Pest in the back of his shirt. "Rise, human child! Don't just lie down like a moron!"

Pest couldn't think. Dragged to his feet, Pest realized something—Fanli wasn't with him.

The next ball struck his home, bringing an inferno with it.

"No!" Pest turned with the intent to search for her but saw something beyond his imagination, his father, much like Pest had himself, stood with his body shielding Fanli's.

"You must move, ogre. Or it will be your death. This is no ordinary fire!"

But Fanli ignored him, broke his hold and set off toward it. Pest saw why. The dress.

"Blast!" Pest raced through the flames to find Fanli reaching for the dress and dragging her hand back yet again, with no way of getting it. "We have to leave."

Fanli shouted back, "It's the dragons. The treasure won't burn. If we leave it, they'll take this one, too. I don't have anything else!"

Pest looked from her to the damn dress and made a hard choice. He tucked his head low and charged for it.

The next ball of fire slammed into the treasure, the force so strong that it propelled Pest back. It didn't matter. Once Pest regained his bearings, he jumped up and readied himself for another attempt.

Someone caught his arm. He followed that strong gaze to Fanli who looked haunted. She didn't watch him, but instead, watched her treasure. A treasure...that burned.

It was nearly ash by the time Father came and grabbed them both by the arm and dragged them along. Pest expected the entire forest to be burning.

Five minutes later, however, they stared at the flames of their home. The fire didn't spread, in fact, it gathered toward the house and ate through the brick walls and straw roof. Flames that had landed elsewhere, raced towards it as well.

It was more than obvious that this was an attack.

Fanli shivered and fell into a crouch.

Pest feared enough for her that he hurried to wrap his arms around her. He crouched as well, begging, "Don't cry. I'll get you another gift. I swear. But don't cry. Please." He looked up from her and stared at the burning house.

"I did this," Fanli whispered, "me and my treasure. If not for me, those dragons would not have come."

"This wasn't done by a dragon," Father drawled. His gaze settled on Pest who he told, "This was an act of revenge. You've crossed the wrong lover. This fire was meant for you."