Sparks Ch. 04

Something woke Finn up, he wasn't sure what. He expected to see Aoife, but he looked around and didn't see her. Half asleep, he looked at the clock and saw it would be light soon, so he went downstairs and started the coffee. He sat at the table for a minute, until he decided he should probably not be sitting there naked with his morning wood when Erin got back. He went upstairs and splashed cold water on his face and chest, then he put on a pair of shorts and went back down to the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee, and went and sat down in the porch swing to wake up.

Just about the time the sun came up, he heard the back door open. Remembering his own attire at the meadow, he sat quietly and let Erin have her privacy. He heard her go upstairs, and a while later, come back down. Shortly she appeared at the front door.

"Good morning," she said. He looked at her, and his first thought was how beautiful she was. She had on a long, loose t-shirt and shorts that barely showed past the shirt. Her toned and tanned legs were perfect, and her hair was in slight disarray. 'She's my sister!' he reminded himself. She stepped onto the porch and sat down next to him on the swing, her coffee mug in one hand, a red envelope in the other.

"Good morning," he replied. "Another envelope, I see. They just keep appearing."

"I noticed," she said. "I stopped being surprised at most anything last night."

"Oh?" He remembered his own time at the meadow, and felt himself blush. Looking at her, he could see she had the same reaction.

She handed him the envelope. "It's addressed to both of us."

Finn opened the envelope and extracted the letter inside.

Erin & Finn; since you are reading this, you have now both regained your Sight. However, it is still very weak in both of you. Erin, your Sight will be a little stronger than Finn's, because you had it fairly strong as a child -- it will also take less training for you to understand and use your abilities. Finn, as a man, your Sight will take more effort to achieve its full strength. Most men have weaker Sight than women. This morning will be rest and reflection. You are free to tell each other as much or as little of your experiences the past two nights as you wish, there is no more need of any secrets between you. As time goes on, if things go as I expect, it will become harder and harder to keep secrets from each other, even if you wanted to do so. You have an appointment at noon today with the attorney. Go back to my closet, open the copper box, and take out the two white dice -- you must take these to the attorney. Don't be late. You will learn something that will change the trajectory of your life. You have made it this far -- continue to Believe! ~ Maeve

At first, they just looked at each other. Sitting nervously next to each other, they both sipped their coffee until Erin couldn't take the suspense any longer. "You go first. What happened to you?"

His face still red, Finn thought for a moment. Finally, he said, "well, first of all, there as this chest in my closet. I would swear it wasn't there before. In it was this gown, silk I think, and these leather shoes. And, honestly, I don't really know if it was silk or not, it felt, I don't know, different? It was almost see-through." He couldn't think of how to describe it without his mind going back to how it felt against his cock. "There was this really soft blanket, might have been some sort of wool. I carried it back to our little meadow, and spread it out next to the Ash tree."

Finn paused. He began to feel this strange compulsion to tell her everything, no matter how graphic, but he managed to tamp it down, just. Erin briefly interrupted his thoughts. "So far, the same as mine. Go on."

"Okay, so, I met this little person with wings. I thought she looked like a fairy, but she said she's a 'Spark', and her name is Aoife. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I guess you met someone too?"

"Yes, I did. Same thing, his name is 'Aengus'."

Finn continued. "So, she, um, used her magic, and helped me gain my Sight. And here I am." He felt almost guilty leaving the rest of it out.

Erin looked at him with an odd expression, but she nodded. "Yeah, that's pretty much what happened to me too." She wasn't ready to divulge the rest of the night, either.

"I don't know what any of this means," he admitted. "It's like some fantasy tale."

"I know, right? Maybe the lawyer will clear some things up, but I have a feeling the Sparks are more important somehow." She looked at him, not sure what else to say. "Let's get some breakfast."

The rest of the morning went by quickly. They didn't talk much, and there was a distinct tension, but not directed at each other -- it was almost as if the pressure was external.

A little before noon, dice in hand, they got in Erin's Jeep; before long they were parked in front of the door marked "Patrick Brady, Attorney at Law". With no reason to wait, they went inside. They walked to the inner door to his office, and he looked up from his desk.

"Come in, come in! Have a seat. Good to see you again! Do you have something for me?"

Finn set the two dice on the desk in front of the attorney. "We have these, but we have no idea what it signifies."

Patrick steepled his fingers in front of his face. "Ah, yes, well -- I know a little of what it signifies, but not all. What little I do know, that I am allowed to divulge, is this:" He folded his hands on placed them on his desk.

"First, the two of you have partially completed what Maeve had intended you to do, whatever that was. And not only am I not supposed to know, I don't want to know, so please, don't try to tell me! It's all a little too mysterious for this old man. What that means is, you are well on your way fulfilling the tasks she set before you, and are on your way to a substantial inheritance."

Finn and Erin looked at each other, then back at the lawyer.

"Second, I have some news that I hope will not distress you. When you brought those two red dice to me, I was instructed to tell you a little more about your respective histories. Do either of you remember anything at all before you came here years ago?"

Once again they looked at each other. Finn shook his head, and Erin answered for the both of them. "No, we were very young. A blur, if anything. We have no real memories of anything before living with Granny."

"Well then, this will come as a surprise to you, I suppose. You knew she was fostering you, but what you did not know, is that you two are not actually siblings. Your families were from opposite ends of the country."

"What!?" They both exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other.

"It's true. I have your original birth certificates, and all the legal paperwork from when she changed your names. It is yours, now." He slid a manila folder across the desk to them. "I'm afraid Maeve kept that information from you for her own purposes. She also seemed to be big on leaving letters in colorful envelopes," he said with a snicker. He held a bright green envelope in his arm, outstretched across the desk. Erin took the green envelope, while Finn picked up the manila folder.

"You're not to open that green envelope until you get home. I have one other thing for your today." He handed each of them a plain white envelope with the logo of the local bank on it. "Inside you will find account information and a debit card, in your names. I must emphasize that this is not your full inheritance, this is just a little something to see you through the next little bit. Be careful, as, unless you fulfill all of Maeve's wishes, this is all you will get. These accounts will not be replenished. I am not at liberty to disclose how much, but you should know that your full inheritance will be significantly larger than this stipend."

Each taking an envelope, they opened them up. As promised, inside each was a debit card, plus a bank statement. Each account held $50,000.

Erin's face paled. "My goodness."

"A little something?" Finn was clearly taken aback. "$50,000 is a stipend?" He looked at Erin, who was still in shock. He returned his gaze to the lawyer. "I suppose thanks are in order?"

"Don't thank me yet. If and when you get the full inheritance, then you can thank me. Now. Do you have any questions?"

They were still clearly in shock. Erin finally answered, "We have so many questions, but I don't think you're going to be able to answer any of them. In fact, I'm sure of it. I don't even know what to say." She felt tears starting, but managed to hold them off, for the moment.

The attorney stood up, and they reflexively stood as well. "Well, then, I hope to see you again soon, and I hope to be able to fulfill her last wish, that you have your full inheritance. Until then, please enjoy your day!"

Clearly dismissed, they said goodbye, and walked outside. "Now what?" Erin's question held an inkling of worry.

"Let's discuss it over lunch," he replied.

Minutes later, they were sitting in the little diner at the other edge of town. It was the only restaurant within many miles. It wasn't fancy, and it didn't have a big menu, but it did have clean red and white checked tablecloths on the dozen or so tables and booths, friendly staff that knew everyone, and decent food.

Erin and Finn sat at a booth in the corner, as far away from the few other patrons as they could. Jenny, the lone waitress, brought them their drinks, took their orders, and was quickly gone. There were not many people here today, but she was alone, and therefore busy.

"First of all," said Finn, "this money is very welcome. Both of us are just getting by. I like my job, but it doesn't pay great, and you just graduated a few weeks ago. Have you been looking for a job?"

Erin fidgeted with her napkin. "Yes, but not very hard, to be honest. I was going to try and take off a month or so, get my head out of college mode."

"I understand. I wanted to do the same a y ear ago, but rent was due, and the bills never take a break. I had no idea Granny had this kind of money. I mean, we never wanted for food or anything, but this was unexpected to say the least. I wonder what the 'full' inheritance might be."

She shook her head. "Yeah, that crossed my mind too. I mean, I don't want to sound greedy or anything, but it does make you wonder."

"It's definitely enough to take a few months off." Finn liked his job okay, but not having to work definitely had an appeal.

Erin nodded in agreement. "Okay, that was the easy discussion. Now, the hard ones. So you're not my brother, eh?" The way she looked at him, the way the light hit her, he was reminded how beautiful she was.

"Apparently not. You know, whenever Granny said something about you to me, it was always 'your sister' this, and 'your sister' that. I never had any idea."

"Me neither. Completely blindsided. I'm not sure where that leaves us." A thought of how handsome he was popped into her head, but she banished that line of thought without even realizing she had done it.

They sat quietly for a bit, then their food came. They were both ravenous, and conversation took a back seat.

Once their food was finished, and the bill paid (Finn mischievously waving his new debit card at Erin and saying "I got this"), they rode back to the house. They sat on what was becoming their favorite spot, the swing on the front porch, the green envelope in Erin's hand.

"I wonder what's next," she said, and opened the envelope.

Erin & Finn; I know this is probably very confusing to you, but be patient. A brief explanation is in order. I wrote these letters while you were still children, once it was realized you both had the ability to gain, or in Erin's case, regain, your Sight. They have been in the keeping of a woodland friend you have not yet met -- that will be later, as you continue to progress. She is the one responsible for providing your chests, and these letters, and will ultimately be involved in your training. I wrote many letters, most of them dependent on a set of conditions. Once the conditions for a letter are no longer possible, that letter ceases to exist. Similarly, once the conditions are fulfilled, the next letter will become available to you. As you are reading this letter, things are going well, but we need to continue to unlock the powers of your Sight.

You have now learned your are not brother and sister. This was an intentional deception, to allow you to grow and develop a unique closeness. I sincerely hope you are not upset by this, it was done out of necessity and not malice. You must continue to love and care for each other, but in the coming days you must also force yourself to no longer think of yourselves as siblings. As you have also learned, the Sight is a manifestation of nature, in that it allows you to see, and in small ways alter, the course of nature, both good and ill. To use it, you must become in tune with nature, far more than almost everyone can comprehend. Another thing to consider is that humans, for all their mistakes, are part of nature as well, even if their machines are not. Your innate human nature will be a significant part of your upcoming training. Your powers in the Sight have awakened, but they must grow -- even I do not know how strong you can become. That is up to you. Tonight, you will begin to train together -- this is the strongest and surest way. At 8 tonight, go to your respective rooms and open the chests in your closet. Follow the instructions therein. Believe! ~ Maeve

Finn couldn't help but chuckle. "Answers that don't answer the questions, and questions that lead out of the answers."

They had several hours before the night's activities, whatever those might be. Erin got her Kindle and sat down to check email; she had been out of contact with her roommate Rachel since she left. She heard Finn walk off to make a phone call. After wading through the usual spam, she found an email from Rachel. After reading it, she sat staring out into the trees.

She hadn't moved when Finn walked back to the porch and sat next to her. Looking at her, he could see she was upset. "Are you okay?"

"My roommate emailed. She said she had a family emergency, and she had to move back to Wisconsin suddenly."

"I'm sorry to hear that -- you seem pretty upset, is there something else?"

"Well, yes. Maybe. Our rent was month-to-month, it was a good deal, but I can't afford that without a job."

"What about the money we just got?"

"I could use that, yes, but without a job that will be gone quickly. Between rent, and utilities, and everything. I mean, It won't be hard to move out, I don't have much of anything." She looked back out to the trees.

Finn took her hand. "It will be fine. We'll figure it out. Plus, whatever all this means," he pointed at the letter that was still sitting there. "It looks like I'm going to be here a while, too. I told my boss I was going to need to stay at least an extra week -- I asked if I could take a leave of absence, but he said that's not going to happen. He said he could find someone to replace me, and if I wasn't back Monday, he was going to let me go."

She squeezed his hand. "It looks like events have conspired against us. Or maybe for us, if Granny's letters can be believed."

He smiled back at her. "I think we'll be all right. I have a strange feeling that this is all for the best. You know, my lease is up at the end of the month anyway. I don't have much at the apartment anyway -- a few clothes is about it. I brought my laptop, I didn't really have furniture to speak of."

She giggled at him. "Still sleeping on a mattress on the floor?"

"Yeah, pretty much. To be honest, I won't miss it. I won't miss any of it. They can have it!"

She laughed. It was the first time he'd seen her actually laugh since they had been here.

They sat in silence for quite a while after that, still holding hands. Around 6 they ate a light supper, then went and sat on the porch again. They sat in companionable silence until the sun went down, then they walked up to their rooms. Erin said, "I guess we're going to find out a little more. See you in a few minutes?"

"Yes, hopefully more answer than questions," he answered with a smile.

They each went into their respective rooms and closed the door. Opening their chests, they both found the same note.

Wear only what is in this chest. No jewelry, no makeup. Go together to the meadow at dusk. ~ Maeve

Erin looked in her chest. "Oh, my word."

Finn's response was similar. "You're kidding."

A few minutes later they emerged from the bedrooms, each one holding the soft woolen blanket awkwardly in front of them. With her face red, Erin asked Finn, "is yours as brief as I think it is?"

He was equally embarrassed. "Probably."

They stood there for a few moments until Erin said, "we should probably go." Neither of them moved. Finally, she said, "you first."

Feeling very self-conscious, Finn moved to go down the stairs, Erin following. He was wearing what could only be described as a thong. It appeared to be a similar material as the gowns from previously -- not quite transparent -- and there was very little of it in the back. She felt a flush of excitement at the view of his butt. A twinge of guilt hit her, but then she reminded herself, 'he's not my brother!' She continued to blush as she considered her outfit was no more concealing than his.

Leaving the house, she moved beside him, and they made their way to the meadow once more.

They arrived at the meadow after the sun was down; the twilight was a pleasant respite from the harsh sun of the day. When they got there, they stopped in stunned silence. All around the meadow were small groups of fireflies, a dozen or so in each group. They looked to be arranged like lanterns, completely circling the glade.

At the base of the Ash tree stood the two Sparks, Aengus and Aoife holding hands, in all their naked glory. Aengus raised his hands and said, "come, lay your blankets down and sit!"

They walked up to the tree and stood there holding their blankets, but neither moved to set theirs down.

Aengus smiled at them. "Come, come, don't be so bashful. You are both beautiful, you should not be ashamed of your bodies. Please, spread out the blankets. And before you have a seat, I insist you look at each other."

Still feeling shy, Erin and Finn finally lowered their blankets to the ground, and then turned and faced each other.

Objectively, they were both beautiful.

Finn was perhaps 6 feet tall. His was a swimmer's physique -- slender, toned muscles, his tan marred by the whiteness where his shorts had shaded the skin. The garment he was wearing, in front, was almost like a pair of Speedos the same as he had worn when on the swim team. At the back, however, was a tiny strip of cloth that dipped between his cheeks. The front was just barely large enough to contain his endowment, which, while certainly not overly huge, was maybe just above average size. The fading light was probably the only thing keeping his modesty intact.

Erin was half a foot shorter than him, her womanly curves showing no fat, just lean and toned. Her breasts were on the small size, but still a beautiful pair of mounds. The bottom of her outfit was the same as his, a thong, although the covering in front was much smaller than his. Her top was a bandeau, made of the same material, tight enough that her nipples were quite prominent and visible.

They looked at each other, seeing each other differently than ever before.

The Spark spoke to get their attention, "please, sit. We have things to discuss."

Finally breaking their gaze apart, the two sat on their respective blankets.

"Finn, we have not met. I am Aengus -- and Erin, this is Aoife. We are partners here in this glade, and in life. Although, you will find that partnerships for us are far different than for your kind. Our tasks, among others, are to guide you in gaining the full measure of power in your Sight. This power is dependent on your ability to sense the world around you, visually, physically, audibly, and even at a deeper level than those."

"You have both gained, or in Erin's case, regained, your Sight." At that comment Finn glanced questioningly at Erin, but she didn't respond. Aengus continued. "We awakened the seed in your minds for the Sight, and it will grow with use. The next step is to prepare your bodies. While your bodies are in exceptionally good condition, structurally, there are two slight, shall we say, aesthetic adjustments that we need to make."

At this point the Spark moved closer to them, and Aoife moved to stand beside him. "Look at us and tell us what you see that is different than you." They held their arms outstretched, the legs apart, as in the Vitruvian Man sketch.

Finn was the first to speak. "I'm not sure what you mean. You're both very small, winged creatures, there is really no comparison."

Aengus spoke again. "Yes, that is true about the size and the wings. If you discount those two, what do you see?"

They both looked closer, but it wasn't obvious to them what he meant. Erin finally posed a question. "You're humanoid, but what else?"

Aoife looked at Aengus and spoke for the first time. "I told you they wouldn't be able to do this. You expect too much too soon, and it's almost dark -- their Sight isn't strong enough yet to see. The morning will be soon enough." She turned back to Erin and Finn. "Don't trouble yourselves, it will be clearer in the morning, and in any event, we can't really do anything about it until then, anyway. Sleep here tonight, and we will continue in the morning."

Erin said, "wait, sleep here?" She had distinct memories of last night, and with Finn here, she suddenly had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Yes, here. You must try to eschew the unnatural, especially during training. There is too much of the machine world in your house for this. You will be fine, and I promise, it's just sleep." She put an odd emphasis on the last word.

Aoife took Aengus' hand, pulled him into the air, and flew with him into the Ash tree.

Still feeling very much exposed, they both lay down on their blankets next to each other. At some point, without really realizing it, they grasped hands. They were asleep before they even had the chance to think about it.

When they awoke the sun was starting to peek over the hills. They were surprised to find a breakfast of berries and nuts next to them, and two Sparks engrossed in a heavy kiss, their hands exploring one another freely, sitting on the edge of the blankets.

Finn politely coughed, and Aoife broke their kiss and with a grin, said, "go ahead, eat," and went back to their amorous activities.

They ate -- it was quite good -- and once finished, this time Erin cleared her throat to again get the Sparks' attention.

Aengus look back and forth at Finn and Erin. "Does this embarrass you? It need not. It is perfectly natural." He turned to face them. "I apologize for last night. It has been a long time indeed since I trained someone in the Sight. I sometimes forget what it is like to have just gained it." The two Sparks stood again side by side so that the sun was behind Erin and Finn, and resumed their spread eagle stance. "Let us resume from last night. Now that the light is better, please, look carefully."

The two young humans looked at them very closely, but neither could ascertain what specifically they were supposed to see. After a minute or two, Erin shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, but we obviously don't see what it is you want us to see."

The Sparks lowered their arms and relaxed. Aoife held her hands in front of her chest, and theatrically lowered her hands to her feet. "We lack one thing you two have, and you two lack one thing we have. What we lack is body hair. From the neck down, we have not a single follicle of hair. And what you two lack, is a full body tan. You will achieve both of those today, along with much more."

"What is the reasoning behind this?" Like Erin, Finn was unsure of this whole process.

Aengus said, "the reasons are threefold. First, hair is an insulator. Removing it will allow you to feel the air and water better, without it interfering. Second, the tanning process is so that you are protected from the sun -- it will make it virtually impossible for you to burn. And third -- well -- it just looks good." It was the first time he had made any suggestive comments.

Erin was clearly the more concerned of the two. "Wait a minute. We're just supposed to shave everywhere?" She blushed furiously -- she did shave, although she was rather proud of her carefully manicured landing strip that no one had ever seen, and she hadn't any intention of showing. "And as for the tan, we can't possibly get a tan in one day, much less the hazards of a sunburn."

Aengus raised his hands to placate her. "No, neither of you will not have to shave -- there is a more natural method, quicker, easier, and far more effective. And you will not need to worry about a sunburn, we have something for that as well." He looked in the direction of the sun, and back at them. "The sun is up enough, we may begin. Please, come to the pool."

The two Sparks flew low over the ground. Aengus landed where the stream flowed into the large pool, and Aoife went to the other end, near where the pool fed the stream going outward. Reaching under a bush, Aengus pulled out a small leather bag. Aoife motioned to the two, "please, come here." She had a strangely mischievous grin on her face. "If you two will step into the deepest part of the pool, up to your necks, he will sprinkle the water with something that will cause all the finer hairs on your bodies to dissolve. You won't feel a thing, I promise. It shouldn't affect the hair on your heads, but I would keep your head above water just to be safe."

Not sure what to say, Erin and Finn grabbed each other's hand and stepped into the pool. It was very cool, and he could see her nipples making a pleasing pattern on her top before it disappeared beneath the water. It was far too cold for his body to react, thankfully. Erin held her ponytail up and out of the water with her other hand.

They looked expectantly at Aengus. He nodded, then shook the bag over the water. A yellowish orange powder came out of the bag, and almost instantly disappeared as it blended with the water. After a few moments, they thought there was a faint smell of turmeric, although it wasn't exactly the same, and it soon passed.

Aoife hovered over the water in front of them. "It takes a few minutes, so be patient. I know the water is chill." She hung in the air, watching them intently. They stood holding hands, and as time passed they began to shiver. Before too long, however, Aoife said, "okay, you can get out. I believe you'll find all the hair is dissolved." Once again, the strange emphasis on the single word 'all'.

Moving quickly, Finn and Erin moved to the bank and stepped out. It wasn't until they were completely out of the water before they both realized they had not a stitch of clothes on. Their garments from the chests were gone. Erin quickly hunched over and covered herself, and Finn also had his hands in front of his crotch. "You said you were going to dissolve our hair, not our clothes! What happened to our clothes?"

Before Erin could say anything else, Aoife and Aengus were hovering in front of them. Aengus held his hands up. "Be at peace. You have nothing to be ashamed of, you are both beautiful specimens. Please, stand and uncover yourselves that you may look at each other." Neither of them moved, and again, Aengus said, quieter this time, "please?"

Reluctantly, they stood straight, and slowly moved their hands to their sides, both of them trying not to look at each other.

It was Aoife who spoke next, saying "please, turn, and look at each other. Look!"

They gradually raised their eyes, and turned. Finn saw a gorgeous woman, hairless below the neck, as he assumed he was. Her breasts were small and firm, the nipples strongly erect from the cool water, droplets of which were slowly evaporating off her body. She had a narrow waist, and a flat stomach. Her hips were not very wide, but definitely feminine. She had beautiful long legs, with a slight gap at the top where her womanhood showed. Her hairless labia were pulled up tight.

Likewise, Erin saw a handsome man. He was slender, but with clearly defined muscles that perfectly fit his frame. She blushed bright red as she made herself look at his manhood. He was circumcised, and the cold water had done its best to do what it normally does, but the situation was causing him to fill back to normal size quickly, maybe slightly larger than average, if any. The lack of hair made it look even larger.

Erin looked at the Sparks. "What happened to our clothes?"

Aoife zoomed a circle in the air happily. "It was made out of Vicuna hair. Very fine. Also, it dissolves as easily as your hair, with the correct treatment."

"Quickly now, you said you didn't want sunburn. Come over to the shade of the tree," Aengus said, and flew that way, Aoife following. Next to the tree was an earthenware jug with a honey ladle sticking out of it.

"Honey? That won't stop a sunburn," said Finn.

The male Spark replied, "it has honey in it, yes, that is mostly to make it stick where we put it. But that is not the import part of it. It contains magical elements too, that only my kind know of. It has two functions -- first, after a short while, it gives your skin a deep, golden tan when you lay in the sun. Second, once you are tanned, it protects you from sunburn. The effects last many months, you only need to reapply it once or twice a year. "

"It is kind of messy, although that can be kind of fun, too." The female Spark always seemed happiest when she could inject the tiniest sexual innuendo into any conversation.

Resigned to the circumstances, Finn asked, "so what are we to do?"

"First, take your blankets out of the shade, into the direct sun light. Then, apply the honey mixture to each other. I recommend starting with your backs -- apply it to the back, top to bottom, everywhere you have no wish to be sunburned. Which, I assume is everywhere? That includes your scalp, between your legs, under your arms -- literally everywhere." Aoife seemed particularly happy giving the instructions. "Then, you lay in the sun for a while, on your stomach. We will keep watch, and let you know when it is enough. Once your back is done, you can go into the pool and rinse each other off, and we will repeat the process on your fronts."

"This is supposed to be fun?" Erin was still suspicious of the whole process.

"Why, don't you think it will be fun rubbing that into Finn? I know I would enjoy it!" The little Spark clapped her hands excitedly.

Erin looked at Finn and saw he had turned a deep shade of red. Then she recalled her own actions the previous night, and joined him in the flush.

Erin joined Finn at the base of the tree, and said, "let's get this over with." She turned her back to him, lifted up her pony tail, stood waiting.

Finn picked up the pot and tried to use the ladle, but he quickly realized it would take forever this way, so he began scooping it out with his hands and rubbing it up and down her back and into her hair. The honey was warm, and it felt wonderful to be massaging it into her skin. He worked it carefully into her hair, down her neck and back, over and under her arms, and began going down her butt and the back of her legs. For her part, she enjoyed the sensation, and when he began massaging her ass, she spread her legs for him. By this time he was as hard as he had ever been. He rubbed the mixture down her legs, and then, as briefly as he could, between them.

He stopped, and turned his back to her. "I think I got everywhere," he said -- this was well beyond anything he had ever experienced.

She turned around and returned the favor. Her hands felt wonderful on his skin, even if the mixture was a sticky mess. She worked her hands thoroughly down his back and arms, then down his sides. When she got to his butt, she hesitated only for an instant, then she rubbed the substance over both his cheeks and down his legs -- she even moved her hand between his legs and got the back of his balls, which ensured her nipples were as sharp as pencils, and he was dripping precum and trying to do math in his head.

That done, the Sparks directed them to lay face down on their blankets in the sun. "Just lay there and enjoy the sun," said Aoife. "We'll let you know when it's time to do the other side. A short nap would be fine, if you wish."

They laid down on their respective blankets, chest to the ground, watching each other -- their blankets were touching, and they were very close together. After 15 minutes or so had passed, Finn reached over and grasped Erin's hand. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly. There was genuine concern in his voice. "This is way beyond how I thought this week was going to go."

She smiled back at him. "No joke. Yes, I'm okay, I guess. Just a little overwhelmed. I never in a million years thought I'd say this, but I'm glad the first man's butt I touched was yours."

Finn's dick had deflated during the time they'd been laying there, but her comment once again had him uncomfortable laying on his stomach. "You've never touched a guy's butt before?"

She turned her head to look away. "No, I haven't. Not bare, at least." She turned back and looked at him. "It was nice," she said with a soft smile.

"Well, since we're opening up -- I'm glad yours was the first woman's butt I've touched. Bare or otherwise." He was blushing furiously, but he didn't break eye contact with her. "I'm still trying to process the fact that you're not my sister. I almost feel guilty that I'm not as upset about it as I thought I would be."

She giggled. "So, here we are, two virgins, naked in a meadow together, surrounded by naked faeries."

He laughed with her -- it did seem a little ludicrous when she put it that way.

They lay there quietly for a while -- they both dozed off at some point, because the next thing they knew, the two Sparks were waking them up, and the sun was high in the sky. Aengus merely touched Erin's hand, but Aoife, in her characteristic exuberance, thought the best way to wake up Finn was to slap him on his ass as hard as she could and shout, in her tiny voice, "wake up!"

They sat up -- Finn was thankful that his hard on was gone, at least for now. He suspected it wouldn't stay gone.

Aengus said, "head back to the pool and help each other rinse off your back sides. You can leave it in your hair for now. Then we'll get your fronts done."

They stepped into the water up to their thighs and began rinsing. It became apparent that they would need to help each other, so Finn gently turned her back to him and began cupping water in his hands and pouring it over her back. It didn't take long to rinse her off, and he turned his back to her so she could return the favor.

In short order they had finished, and they stepped back out of the water. They couldn't help but look at each other -- their back halves were clearly deeply tanned, and their fronts by comparison looked white as the snow in comparison. Whatever was in the honey mixture definitely worked.

Aoife said, "okay, you two that's enough ogling -- for now. Let's finish this up!"

They moved back to their blankets and the pot of salve. Facing each other, they each took handfuls of the mixture and began rubbing it across each other's shoulders and down their front. Her nipples felt delicious hardening under his palms, and his cock followed suit. He continued downward, Finn eventually squatting down in front of her, his face directly in front of her hairless pussy. He massaged the mixture into her, all the way to her feet, then suddenly feeling a little braver, he scooped the mixture into his hand and covered her pussy with it. The sound of her sudden intake of breath was unmistakable.

His task complete, he stood back up. With a glint in her eye, Erin did the same, scooping the salve into her hands and massaging it into his body. He was surprised at the thrill that went through him when her palms passed over his nipples -- he had no idea his body would react as it did. Her hands spread the salve up and down his sides, over his hips, and down his legs. The insides of his thighs were sensitive, as well. She had to steel herself to coat his fully erect cock and balls, and she didn't linger, but she managed to do it with less hesitation than she expected of herself.

They both took a deep breath, looking in each other's eyes, and sat down on their blankets. Taking one last handful each, they covered each other's face and neck, then once again holding hands, they laid back and enjoyed the heat of the sun. Gradually, Finn softened, and once they had both calmed down a bit, they once again dozed off. It didn't seem like very long, but they were awakened by the Sparks and sent back to the pond again to bathe. This time they took a little longer, washing it out of each other's hair -- they were beginning to enjoy each other's touch -- and even playfully splashed each other a few times. They also took their blankets and rinsed them; the honey mixture seemed to wash off quickly and completely. Once they were done, they both had an all-over golden tan -- no more tan lines of any sort. They stepped back out of the water, and the heat and sun began to quickly dry them off -- they spread their blankets in the sun to dry as well.

By now it was several hours past noon. Aengus and Aoife flew down and sat in front of them. Aengus said, "you two look beautiful. How do you feel?"

"I feel refreshed," said Erin. "And hungry."

Finn echoed in agreement.

"I'm sure you are hungry. Please, go back to your house, eat, and relax, but please be back here at least an hour before dark. Leave your blankets, you will be spending the night here again."

Their sandals were next to the tree, and they put them on. Erin looked around and said, "our clothes are gone. What are we going to wear?"

Aoife smiled at her and said, "why would you want to wear anything? Go as you are, and come back the same way! You will find, as you grow in the Sight, that clothing tends to dull the senses, and even can become uncomfortable. Eventually your feet will toughen, and even the sandals will seem cumbersome."

They both blushed slightly, but they were nowhere near as embarrassed in their own nudity as they had felt earlier. Erin asked, "what about when it gets cold?"

Aengus answered, "yes, when it gets cold, something to keep you warm will be appropriate, but you will find you need less of it. We will discuss this, and much more, as your training progresses. Now, go, feed yourselves, you will need the energy. Go!"

Somewhat self-consciously, they began to walk naked back to the house. They were holding hands after only a few steps.

As they passed out of the meadow and into the path through the trees, Finn said, "this is so far out from what I expected this week to be, I don't know what to think."

She squeezed his hand. "Me too." She glanced at him, then looked back forward. "You look nice."

He looked at her, and said, "you too. You have always been beautiful." If she blushed, he couldn't see it through her newly-acquired tan.

They were silent the rest of the walk. The first place they went was to their respective rooms, and more out of habit than anything else, put on clothes. Finn threw on a pair of shorts, and thought about a t-shirt, but with no air conditioning in the house, he decided against it. Erin put on the lightest, thinnest sun dress she had. Neither of them bothered with undergarments. Rejoining in the kitchen, they cooked chicken breasts and some vegetables, made garlic toast, and a simple strawberry shortcake for dessert. She couldn't help but steal glances at his chest while they moved about the kitchen, and watching her breasts move beneath the sun dress was a constant, but enjoyable, distraction.

They sat and ate without much conversation. They were both far hungrier than usual, and it didn't take long to finish off the food. After they cleaned up, they decided they deserved a glass of wine, so they each took one out and sat on the porch swing. It was nice, sitting next to each other. Erin eventually laid her head against his bare shoulder -- she had snuggled when they were younger, especially when there was a storm, or a scary movie, but it felt nothing like this. He was acutely aware that she smelled clean, like the meadow. Her hair, still in its ponytail, tickled the back of his neck, and he could feel her breast pushed against his arm as it was trapped between them.

With no preamble, Erin looked at Finn and asked, "did Aoife make you orgasm to reawaken your Sight?"

To say he was shocked was an understatement. His mouth hung open for a few seconds before he caught himself. He certainly didn't expect to get that question from Erin. "Wow. That was out of the blue." He thought she might be blushing, but with the new tan is was difficult to tell for sure.

"Well? Did she? Or is that too personal a question?"

He couldn't help but chuckle a little. "I'd say that question is a little personal," he teased with a smile, and hesitated briefly. "But, yes, she did. Why would you ask that? Is that what happened to you too?"

She looked away toward the trees, and answered, "yes, as a matter of fact. It was... intense. Unusually so."

"When you say 'unusually so,'" he started, but before he could finish she said, "yes, of course -- a girl has urges -- I'm sure men do to, if you're halfway normal." Despite the tan, he could now tell she was blushing, and felt his own was probably equally visible.

He turned to face her, and took her hand. "Look. I know this is completely weird for both of us. Yesterday morning we both thought we were brother and sister. It's probably going to take us a while to get used to that. And the, well, the nudity and sexuality of all of this is far above and beyond what I think either of us is used to. Am I right?" She nodded in affirmation. "So, I think we both like where this might be going, but it's okay if we're both a little wigged out by all of it." He shook his head. "Wait. I shouldn't presume. Do you like where this seems to be going?"

She took his hand and squeezed it. "Yes, I do. Or, at least, I think I do. You're right, it's all so sudden, and frankly just bizarre. But Granny always took care of us, and it seems she's still doing it, even after she's gone. So let's try not to judge it quite yet. I'm okay with seeing what's next. Are you?"

He nodded, and said, "yes, I believe I am. I haven't run screaming yet." He laughed softly. "We should probably be heading back to the meadow soon."

They took their wine glasses back to the kitchen, and looked at each other. Finn said, "you ready?"

"Let's go," she answered, and they started out the back door. "Oh, wait," she said.

"What?"

"I think we're overdressed."

"Oh, right." Going back inside, they went up the stairs and into their rooms. They both started to close their doors, but then he looked at her and said, "I don't think there's much point, do you?" He left the door wide, slid off his shorts, and stepped into the hallway, his arms spread wide. "Ready when you are."

She pushed her own door open, deliberately turned to face him, and looked him up and down slowly. His toned arms, his abs, his legs -- she saved his manhood for a longer, lingering look. Then she slipped the dress off over her head. Moving outside her room, she posed for him, allowing him the chance to do the same. Her similarly toned body, slightly small perfectly proportioned breasts, flat stomach, fit legs, and finally her now bare slit. He was entranced. She took his hand. "Okay, now let's go." Clad only in their sandals, they started down the stairs together. In a few moments, the house was silent.

When they arrived at the meadow the sun was just starting to disappear over the horizon -- their shadows were long upon the ground. The two Sparks were on one of the blankets, kissing enthusiastically. Erin politely cleared her throat. The small creatures paused their activities, and Aoife said, "you can join us, if you like!"

Aengus stood, and said, "perhaps later. For now, please, have a seat." He waved his small hand at the blankets spread beneath the tree. Erin and Finn sat cross-legged next to each other, holding hands.

The male Spark continued. "As we noted before, your Sight has been fully awakened. However, 'awakened' does not mean you have achieved any significant strength in it. Aoife and I helped each of you to awaken your Sight." At this comment, both humans blushed slightly, although not nearly as much as they might have in the previous days. "Beyond the awakening, we do not have sufficient abilities to enhance your powers directly. There are ways that we may... assist... or guide... but the rest is going to be up to the two of you, both while practicing the use of the Sight you have gained, but also performing exercises that will assist your Sight in unlocking more and deeper power. For both methods, it is a matter of focusing your awareness, both internally and externally."

Aoife stood up and moved next to Aengus. "Both of you needed our assistance in focusing enough to regain your Sight, and Finn was able to use his Sight, briefly and weakly, in the spring house. Erin, we know your Sight awakened because you could see Aengus when he cloaked himself from the view of the un-Sighted."

Erin looked at Finn, then back at the Sparks. She said, "you did that by having sex with us."

Aengus quickly raised his hand. "No, no, we did not technically have sex with either of you. Our kind are unable to have sex with your kind, for obvious size reasons. We helped both of you achieve a state of total self-focus, which coincidentally is just before an orgasm. This, as we have mentioned, is merely the pleasurable side benefit of the activity. It is possible to achieve that state without the orgasm, but that will likely be many years down the road for the two of you. However, tonight, we would like to try to achieve it merely through meditation and concentration. It is slightly more effective this way -- the orgasm tends to stifle additional training for some reason." Both Sparks had mischievous looks on their faces.

Aoife abruptly flew to the knot in the Ash tree, and returned moments later with long black strips of cloth; it was apparent she was barely able to fly holding them. She dropped one at the feat of each human, then rejoined Aengus a short distance away.

Aengus said, "The reason you are here in this meadow, tonight, and previously for your awakening, is due to this meadow being a natural source for the powers you access using your Sight. The best way to describe it that you can understand, is to think of this meadow as a well for Sight, just as you would use a well for water. As with any source of water, the farther you get from it, the dryer the land becomes."

"Unlike water, however, the power behind the Sight never completely dries up, no matter how far away you are from one of the wells -- it just becomes more difficult to access. With your current abilities, you probably won't be able to access the Sight more than 4 or 500 fertach away from here."

Finn blinked, and said "fertach? What is a fertach?"

Aoife spoke up, "A fertach is a little under 10 of your feet. 500 fertach is just a little under a mile, the way you measure it."

Aengus continued, "for this exercise, we want you to sit as you are, facing our tree, and blindfold yourselves using these cloths. Aoife and I are going to sit next to our tree, and hold out our hands. Using your Sight, we want you to tell us how many fingers we are holding up." The two Sparks flew to the base of the Ash tree and took their places.

Erin and Finn picked up their blindfolds. They were extremely light weight, but completely opaque. From the texture, they seemed to be made from the same material as their recently dissolved clothing.

They each wrapped the strips across their eyes and tied them with a loose knot. Despite it not being fully dark yet, the cloth did an unnaturally good job of rendering them completely blind.

The voice of Aengus drifted from the direction of the tree. "Please, relax, settle your mind, and try to open your senses to us. There is no rush, take your time -- you are merely trying to achieve a level of calmness. Let us know when either of you feel you are ready."

Erin set her hands on the ground to her sides, almost in a yoga lotus pose, and attempted to slow her breathing. Finn, meanwhile, folded his hands in his lap, and concentrated on lowering his heart rate, as he did before swim meets when he felt himself getting nervous. Minutes went by in silence. At one point, Erin realized she was listening for Finn's breathing, and she had to concentrate on herself again.

Eventually, Finn thought he sensed a faint outline of the Sparks, and said quietly, "I would like to try."

He heard Aoife's voice say, "very well. How many fingers am I holding up?"

Finn concentrated, but couldn't discern any change. He sighed, and said, "I'm sorry. I thought maybe there was something there, but... I guess not."

Aoife's voice was kind. "Relax, focus, and try again. There is no hurry."

In the meantime, Erin also thought she saw movement from in front of her. Moments after Finn tried, she said, "now, me."

She heard Aengus' voice from the darkness. "How many?"

After a moment's pause, she said, "I don't think I can see fingers. But, did you raise your left arm?"

"Yes! Excellent!" Aengus' reply sent an unexpected excitement through her, which undid all her concentration, and her senses once more snuffed out like a candle.

"Oh. It's gone," she lamented.

"Focus. Try not to be aware of the two of us so much as yourself. Reach for your senses from within." An hour went by, both of them trying and failing to achieve anything. It was now fully dark, though neither of them could tell with their blindfolds.

Finn finally lost patience. "I'm sorry, I don't think it's working. I was able to see a little bit in the spring house with Aoife, but it's like there's a wall between me and the Sight. I can almost feel it, but I just can't break through"

Erin added, "it's almost the same for me. I can almost reach through a veil, and I think I can touch it, but as soon as I do, my focus breaks, and that veil becomes almost opaque. I have to start all over."

Finn asked, "You said you can't enhance our powers, but you can assist and guide? Is that what you said? What does that mean, you can't enhance, but you can assist? That seems contradictory."

Aengus answered, "yes, that is what I said. We can guide you in what you must do, and we can assist in subtle ways, but you must do it yourselves. By yourself it will take a very long time, I'm afraid. To do it with any efficiency at all, you must do it together."

"So, how is it different than when we awakened our Sight? And, can we take these blindfolds off please?" Erin was getting tired of the cloth over her eyes.

Aoife replied, "it's not so very much different, other than the participants. And no, please don't remove the blindfolds, they help your focus. Perhaps, after you clear this hurdle, you can leave them off."

The reality of what the Sparks were saying finally became clear in Erin's thoughts. She said, "Aengus, Aoife, can we have a moment please?"

"Certainly," said Aengus. "Let us know when you are ready, we won't be too far."

They could hear the faint flutter of their wings as my moved away, and then silence.

Erin felt to the side until she found Finn's hand, and she leaned over towards him. Speaking softly, almost in a whisper, she said, "you do understand what they are suggesting, right?"

She felt him squeeze her hand. Finn said, "yes, I believe I do. I think they want us to orgasm -- or almost orgasm -- which basically means orgasm. Based on their words, with each other?"

She squeezed him back. "I think it's more than with each other. I think they want us to, you know, help each other." Then, in a louder voice, "Aengus? Aoife?" She felt Finn's hand tense, but she didn't let go.

The sound of their wings grew louder, then went quiet again. They heard Aoife say, "yes?"

Erin continued, "are we hearing this right? In order for us to be able to improve our Sight, we have to, um, make each other orgasm?"

Aengus said, "no, not necessarily. As we have said, it is in that split second just before the orgasm that your focus is most completely on yourself, which opens you up, and lets the power behind the Sight push aside the walls closing it off from your awareness."

Finn asked, "is this what need to do to fully use our Sight?"

They heard Aengus clear his throat. "Well, yes and no. Yes, push aside those walls will allow you to use your Sight, and this is the quickest way to do it. But, no, doing this won't allow you the full use of your Sight, not exactly."

Aoife chimed in, "what he means is, it takes time to force those walls down. Every time you open those walls up a little further, they will stay open a little further. But doing it just once only opens the walls up a little bit. I mean, it varies from human to human, but think of it the way ice breaks down a rock wall. It doesn't turn it to sand all at once, the ice finds a small crack, and causes a small piece of that wall to flake off. It may not be much weaker, but it is a little bit, and over time, the wall succumbs."

Aengus added, "and the reason we say you must do it together, is because doing it by yourself, you focus too much on the mechanical aspects. You need to let go of that."

Erin gulped. "So, you mean that, um, masturbation won't help."

Aoife said, "no, not much help at all. And not nearly as much fun, either." The little tinkle of her laughter sounded quietly through the air."

Finn said, "you realize that we just discovered we're not brother and sister, right? We're still trying to adjust to this."

"Do you like her?"

"Of course!"

"And Erin, do you like him?"

"Yes, very much."

"And do you think he's handsome? Does he have a nice body?"

Erin was a little flustered, being put on the spot. "Yes, he does. But I've just started looking at him that way, it's always been platonic."

"Finn, do you like her? Is she pleasing to your eye?"

"She's beautiful!"

"Well then, what are you waiting for?"

Finn replied, "humans generally court before sex. Yes, I like her, yes, she's beautiful, but we're just now getting used to the idea we're not related. Our bodies may respond," and indeed, his had been 'responding' for some time now, "but we prefer there to be an emotional connection, more than what we had before when we thought we were brother and sister."

Erin added, "do this have to happen tonight? Can we have a little bit of time?" She reached up and pulled off her blindfold, and pulled Finn's off as well. "Look. We're not saying we're not going to do this." She looked at Finn apologetically. "And, we're not saying we are, but at least let us talk about this."

Aengus held up his hands placatiingly. "Certainly, you may take some time. We apologize if we seem... what is the human term? Pushy? Relationships among our kind are similar in many ways, but dissimilar in others."

Erin and Finn began to calm down, and Erin continued, "tell us about your relationships. Maybe it will help if we learn about each other a little more. You certainly know more about us than we do about you, we hardly know anything at all about you."

Finn said, "for starters, what exactly are you? Apart from the wings, and the size, you look human."

Aengus sat down and began speaking. "We are an ancient race. We live far longer than humans, but there are few of us, in comparison. Many thousands, but not the billions that humans have. We do not have a written history, but we pass our knowledge along over time. We originated in what you humans call 'Ireland'. Few of us write, although we can read, if we wish. Those things are not important, there is a lack of interest for us. What is important to us is the land, and everything in it. That includes humans. We have small powers, and can manipulate the senses of other creatures, to a small extent. That is why we can make ourselves invisible to those without the Sight. Wild animals, and the more intelligent birds, can see us, but to them we are neither prey nor predator -- we just 'are'."

Aoife continued, "we try to use our small powers to better the world around us, but we are not that powerful. When you become skilled in your use of the Sight, you will be far more powerful than us."

Erin asked, "better the world how?"

Aoife said, "we try to keep the wild things healthy. Plants and animals. One of the few true powers we have is the ability to control insects. Or, maybe not 'control', but guide them as we will. You have noticed there are no insects troubling us here?"

Finn said, "yes, it's nice not being bothered by mosquitoes."

"And yet, mosquitoes are necessary," said Aengus. "They are food for many creatures, and in death they nurture other plants and animals. Despite that, it harms none of them for us to suggest that their time would be better spent elsewhere, so they leave us be. As for the plants and animals, we use our small healing skills not necessarily to heal, exactly, but to empower things to heal themselves. We guide them in their own healing. It is very difficult to explain, as we do not truly understand it ourselves. And to a very small degree, the earth itself -- the non-living things are almost completely closed off to us."

They sat contemplating the Sparks' words for a few moments. "What did you mean about your relationships being similar but not? In what ways?" Erin was beginning to finally feel comfortable talking with them, despite her nudity.

"We too take partners, frequently for long periods. And we are monogamous with that partner, if you only take into account direct intercourse. With other forms of sexual pleasure we are, shall we say, a little less strict, for our sex drive is much stronger than humans. We will sometimes change partners after a period of time, or one of us will get the urge to wander and go somewhere else. We love each other, one and all, and we do not have the same longing to stay with that one special partner for life, as humans do, so we do not feel the same sense of loss when a partner moves on."

"The biggest difference between us is in our sexuality, although there are some things we do have in common. As I said, our sex drive is stronger than humans. Of course, it is stronger for some than for others." He glanced meaningfully at Aoife, then continued. "For humans, sex serves two main purposes: procreation, and pleasure. For us, those are two purposes as well, but there is a third purpose behind it. We use sex and arousal as a way to provide a healing and sustaining energy to life around us. As a very simple example, if we sit in a bush and kiss, the energy from our arousal acts almost as a fertilizer of sorts for that bush, and any other plant in the vicinity, although the effect is not great. It is for those reasons you will catch us being intimate with each other frequently, if you remain around us for long"

"For animals, our sexual energy has a tendency to propagate to them, when it is that particular species' mating season, or if it is the females' fertile period. The exception is humans -- your arousal doesn't tend to depend on fertility cycles. When our sexual energy is in the area, it has the effect of making humans to be, in your words, horny. If we happen to make physical contact with a human when we are aroused, the effect is magnified significantly." Aengus closed his hands in his lap and went silent.

Erin said, "we need to talk."

Aoife stood up. "We understand, and again we apologize for our haste. Perhaps we should continue this tomorrow. Rest for now. We will speak in the morning." With that, the two Sparks flew into the Ash tree and disappeared.