Astralyth Online

Chapter 70 – Fairy Guidance, Lover’s Spark

After a little snack break, it was finally time for Madelyn and Lyra to start figuring out her abilities for real.

Madelyn sat on the floor of the living room, her legs crossed as she tried to focus. The warmth of the afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting long, golden streaks across the wooden floor. Lyra hovered in front of her, her tiny wings fluttering with anticipation.

“Alright, Maddy,” Lyra said, her voice taking on a rare tone of seriousness. “I think you need to look within yourself—the feeling, the instinct, —like I told you last time. The magic is already there; it’s just not shaped in the right way yet, if that makes sense? You’re not trying to force it, you’re trying to guide it.”

Madelyn sighed, closing her eyes. “You make it sound so easy.”

“Well, it’s not hard if you stop overthinking it,” Lyra quipped, crossing her arms. “Just focus on the feeling you had when you transformed before. Not the why or when—just the feeling and how it resonated with your soul.”

Madelyn took a deep breath, trying to do as Lyra said. She concentrated on the times she had shifted into her fox form.

The memories of her last two nightmares surfaced in her mind. The first—waking up as a small fox, disoriented and trembling after a terrifying dream, only to find Sarah’s wide, shocked eyes staring at her. She remembered how Sarah had tried to calm her, her voice gentle but laced with worry. And then last night—another nightmare, just as unsettling. But this time, when she woke up, she was already in Sarah’s arms, held close, warm and safe.

She furrowed her brow. But what exactly was I feeling?

Fear and comfort? None of it felt controlled—it just happened.

Her ears twitched in frustration. “It’s really hard to focus on something if you don’t even know what it is, Lyra.”

Lyra sighed dramatically, landing on Madelyn’s knee and poking her forehead. “Because you’re thinking too much! You’re treating this like a school problem instead of your own body.”

Madelyn cracked open one eye. “Because I have no idea what I’m doing?”

Lyra fluttered up again, her tiny hands resting on her hips. “And that’s okay, Maddy! No one expects you to be an expert right away. But there has to be something within you that will help you focus your power. At least, that’s how it works for us fairies.”

Madelyn sighed, rubbing her temples. “Yeah, well, I’m not a fairy, Lyra.”

“Obviously,” Lyra said with a smirk. “But magic—real magic—isn’t just about logic or effort. It’s about feeling. About instinct. It’s like flying for me—I don’t think about flapping my wings, I just do it because it’s natural.” She twirled in the air, proving her point. “The more you try to force it, the harder it’ll be.”

Madelyn frowned. “So… I just let it happen?”

“Well, not exactly,” Lyra corrected. “You guide it, kind of like… like following a river’s current instead of trying to fight against it.”

Madelyn exhaled slowly, closing her eyes again. Guide it, don’t force it.

Madelyn kept her focus, trying to let the energy flow as Lyra had suggested. But after several long moments, nothing happened. No tingling sensation, no warmth, no shift. Just… nothing.

Her frustration bubbled up as she let out a small huff. “It’s not working,” she muttered, her ears drooping slightly, her tail flicked behind her, betraying her emotions.

Lyra tilted her head. “You’re getting frustrated,” she observed. “That’s not gonna help.”

Madelyn sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I know, but it’s hard not to be. I feel like I’m just sitting here accomplishing nothing.”

Before Lyra could respond, Madelyn’s phone chimed from where it rested on the couch. She let out another sigh and stood up, grabbing it. A small smile tugged at her lips when she saw the name on the screen—Sarah.

She unlocked her phone and read the message:

Sarah: Maddyyyyy, I miss you already. It’s SO boring without you. I might actually have to do my homework just to entertain myself. That’s how bad it is.

Madelyn felt warmth spread through her chest as she sat back down, her tail lazily swaying behind her. A second message popped up right after:

Sarah: Also, I’ll probably sleep really bad tonight without my cute girlfriend next to me… in her human OR fox form.

Madelyn’s face immediately flushed, her ears perking up as she read the words again. She groaned, covering her face with one hand. “She’s impossible,” she mumbled, though she couldn’t stop the growing smile on her lips.

Madelyn quickly typed out a response, her fingers moving faster than her brain could process.

Madelyn: You’re ridiculous. I was finally getting some peace and quiet, and now you’re making me miss you too. How dare you?

A moment later, she hesitated, then added another message.

Madelyn: Also, you’ll survive one night without me to cuddle. Probably.

She hit send and immediately regretted it, her cheeks burning. Before she could dwell on it, Lyra fluttered closer, peering over her shoulder.

“Aww, so cute,” Lyra cooed, her voice dripping with amusement.

Madelyn groaned, snapping her phone shut and shoving it under a nearby pillow. “Shut up, Lyra.”

Lyra giggled, doing an unnecessary little spin in the air. “You can pretend all you want, but I know you’re all warm and fuzzy inside. Literally and emotionally.”

Madelyn ignored her, sitting back down on the floor with renewed determination. She couldn’t let Sarah distract her—no matter how easy that was. She needed to focus.

Madelyn squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to focus. Come on, concentrate. But no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept drifting back to Sarah.

Her golden hair, always slightly messy but effortlessly beautiful. The way her green eyes sparkled with mischief whenever she teased Madelyn. That confident smirk she wore when she knew she was getting under Madelyn’s skin. The way she could switch from playful to serious in an instant, always knowing exactly when Madelyn needed reassurance instead of teasing.

Madelyn felt her heart flutter, warmth pooling in her chest. Then there was last night—the way Sarah had instinctively held her close, her warmth radiating through Madelyn’s small fox form. Being wrapped in Sarah’s arms had been comforting in a way she hadn’t expected. Safe, secure… loved.

Her ears twitched at the thought.

She groaned internally. Ugh, why is it so hard to focus? She shook her head, trying to push Sarah from her mind, but it was impossible. The more she tried not to think about her, the more her mind clung to every little detail—her voice, her scent, the feeling of her fingers running through Madelyn’s hair.

A quiet giggle pulled her from her spiraling thoughts.

“Wow,” Lyra drawled, her wings fluttering as she hovered nearby. “You’re really that far gone, huh?”

Madelyn’s eyes snapped open, heat rushing to her face. “W-what?”

Lyra smirked, crossing her arms. “Oh, don’t play dumb, Maddy. You’re totally in love.”

Madelyn sputtered. “I-I was just trying to focus!”

Lyra snorted. “Oh yeah? Looked more like you were having a romantic daydream about your girlfriend. Your ears were twitching, your tail was wagging, and you were totally blushing.” She grinned, leaning closer. “Sooo, what were you thinking about? Lemme guess… how cute you two are together? The way she smiles at you? Or maybe—”

Madelyn grabbed a pillow and launched it at Lyra with a frustrated groan. “Shut up!”

Lyra dodged easily, cackling. “Ohhh, you’re so in love, it’s adorable.”

Madelyn buried her face in her hands, her whole body burning with embarrassment. Why is she like this?!

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. “Can we just focus on training?” she muttered.

Lyra grinned knowingly but relented. “Alright, alright, lovebird… or eh, lovefox? Whatever. But hey, maybe your magic wants you to be happy.”

Madelyn peeked through her fingers, still feeling the lingering heat of embarrassment on her cheeks. “What do you mean?” she asked hesitantly.

Lyra floated down, perching on Madelyn’s shoulder. “I mean, just now, while you were lost in very distracting thoughts of Sarah, I felt a shift in your energy.” She poked Madelyn’s cheek with a tiny finger. “It was subtle, but your magic definitely reacted. Even the air around you felt warmer, more alive.”

Madelyn blinked, trying to recall the exact moment Lyra was talking about. “So… you’re saying my emotions really do influence my magic?” she asked slowly.

Lyra nodded. “Bingo! And not just the negative ones—fear, panic, sadness—they make you lose control. But happiness? Love? Those seem to strengthen it.” She smirked. “So basically, thinking about Sarah makes you stronger. Quite adorable and effective.”

Madelyn groaned, swatting at Lyra, who easily dodged. “You’re the worst.”

Lyra laughed. “Nope, I’m the best mentor ever.” She did a little twirl in the air. “But seriously, that means we’ve got a lead on controlling your magic. Instead of focusing so hard on forcing it, maybe you should try to let positive feelings fuel it instead.”

Madelyn considered that. It made sense in a weird way—her most powerful moments had all been emotionally charged, but she had always associated that with fear or distress. If she could harness the good emotions instead…

“Okay,” she said, straightening up. “I’ll try.”

Madelyn closed her eyes again, shutting out everything except the warmth in her chest. This time, she didn’t try to force it. She didn’t focus on how

The way Sarah had held her after her nightmare, her arms wrapped protectively around Madelyn’s small fox form. The gentle rise and fall of Sarah’s breathing against her fur. The warmth of her presence, the way her voice always softened when she spoke to her, the way she made Madelyn feel safe.

That feeling—the complete and utter peace of being with Sarah—was what she focused on.

A warmth spread through her body, tingling like sunlight filtering through her skin. And this time, she knew how to guide it. She didn’t fight it or try to control it with logic. She simply let it happen.

A familiar shift coursed through her, not sudden or overwhelming, but fluid. Natural.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the room from a lower perspective, her vision sharper, her senses heightened. Her ears twitched, flicking at every distant sound, and her tail swayed behind her.

She’d done it.

She had transformed into her fox form—on purpose.

Lyra fluttered in front of her, beaming. “You did it, Maddy!” she cheered, spinning in excitement. “I knew you could do it!”

Madelyn blinked, momentarily stunned. She glanced down at her small paws, lifted one hesitantly, and wiggled her tail. She had really done it. A triumphant feeling surged through her chest.

She let out a small, excited yip.

Lyra giggled. “Oh my gosh, that was adorable.”

Madelyn huffed, shaking her head, but the happiness remained. For the first time, she felt like she had a real grasp on her powers—like they weren’t just something that happened to her, but something she could control.@@novelbin@@

Now all she had to do… was change back.

But before she could even think about transforming back, she heard footsteps approaching. Before she had a chance to react, her mother stepped into the room, her eyes immediately landing on Madelyn’s small fox form.

“Awww, I knew I heard your adorable little yip,” Emily cooed, a delighted smile spreading across her face.

Madelyn’s ears perked up in alarm, but before she could do anything—anything—Emily had already scooped her up into her arms.

Madelyn let out a startled squeak, her paws flailing slightly before she gave up and went limp. There was no escaping this.

“You are so cute like this,” Emily gushed, holding Madelyn close and gently stroking her fur. “Your little paws, your big ears, and oh my gosh, your little tail—I just want to snuggle you forever.”

Madelyn buried her face in her mother’s shoulder, both flustered and mortified. This is not how I imagined this moment going.

Lyra, of course, was absolutely no help. She was rolling in the air, clutching her stomach as she giggled uncontrollably. “Pffft—Maddy, you’re doomed! Your mom’s never letting you go now.”

Madelyn huffed through her nose, flicking her tail in mild protest, but Emily just took that as an excuse to coo even more.

“I mean, you’re adorable as foxgirl too, of course,” Emily continued, gently rubbing behind Madelyn’s ears. “But like this? It’s unfair how precious you are.”

Madelyn made a small grumbling noise but couldn’t deny that the ear rubs felt really good. Her body betrayed her, and before she could stop herself, a soft, involuntary purring-like noise escaped from her throat.

Emily gasped in delight. “You purr?!”

Madelyn instantly froze, her fur bristling. Oh no.

Lyra nearly fell out of the air laughing. “Oh, this is amazing.”

Emily beamed, rubbing her ears even more. “You’re not getting out of this, sweetheart. This just made my whole week.”

Madelyn, too embarrassed to function, let out a small, defeated whine. She just had to hope that somehow she would live this down.

Somehow.