Bibi found the lake by accident. She had wandered too far into the forest in search of her sister's favourite flowers- Okia had not been well as of the last six nights and needed some cheering up. Unfortunately, her favourite flowers grew on the edges of Imp territory, were their natures conflicted with the magics of beyond that. Bibi had strayed, lost and confused. Normally she found her way through the forest as though it shaped itself for her convenience, the dryads were often very helpful considering her water nature. But now…

Everything seemed to turn around on itself, moving so subtly, she almost didn't notice until she passed the same lightning-struck tree six times. Sighing, she swivelled on her heel and tried another route. The air bristled over her skin, dappled sunlight fluttering shadows over her face. She scratched at her arm, stepping her way through gnarled roots as long as she was tall. The tree's bough creaked overhead, a leaf brushing her shoulder. Bibi tapped her knuckles on the bark, mumbling an apology.

The shrubbery grew thicker as she twisted her way through. Why the dryads decided to build themselves into a maze around her, she didn't know. Any questions their way were all ignored, annoyance ticking over heatedly in her chest.

Distracted, her foot snagged on a rock and she fell head first, tumbling down a slope and into a clump of bushes, the leaves and twigs curiously entangling themselves in her hair as its spirit inspected the intruder. She mumbled hasty apologies and made to rise; the bush would not let her, pulling on her arms and hair to keep her down. "No, I'm sorry. I tripped, I-"

"Ssh." An airy voice came, like wind through leaves. To her left, a wispy silhouette of a tiny creature- the dryad. Her features were indiscernible from her home seen through her, but Bibi could see a tiny gesture of a point.

Peering through the leaves, she could see she had come further than initially thought. Sitting by the edge of the lake, weaving together the very flowers she had come searching for, was a fairy. Blonde, legs tucked neatly beneath her, skirts flowing in an iridescent shimmer of colours. Bibi had not seen a fairy at full-size before, they often travelled as coloured, gently glowing orbs. This one was petite, seemingly no taller than Bibi's shoulder. Her soft singing travelled across the waters; Bibi clamped her hands over her ears. Fairy music was said to lead any imp astray, drive them to madness or sleep for a thousand of years.

But the dryad was shaking her head, her leaves ruffling on Bibi's skin. She moved her hands to her ears and away, shaking her head once more. "It's safe." She breathed. Bibi hesitated. "I live here, it's safe, I promise." A dryad's promise. Strong, like their nature.

So Bibi listened. She did not feel tired, she did not fly into a rage. She felt calm, almost at home in this bush, scraped and banged up from her fall, but comfortable. The dryad hummed along, swaying slowly to the tune.

The fairy lifted her creation, examining the swirls of petals and stems. Her nose, slightly upturned, dashed with freckles that splayed over her cheeks. Her hair, as golden as the summer sunshine, was impossibly long- how it did not entangle in her wings upon flight, Bibi did not understand. But fairies were like that- they loved their long hair. She wore it in a high ponytail, curls tumbling down almost endlessly, around her ears, pointed like an imp's but longer, the tips decorated with silver that gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. Fairies loved their shiny things, but that seemed to be the only jewellery this one wore. A shawl was over her shoulders, light and creamy, tied with a ribbon over her heart, a pale green shirt tucked into her skirt. The skirt itself, why, it seemed it was made purely of a flower, petals of pinks and greens and oranges bleeding into each other, a strange but intoxicating blend of colours.

The singing changed tone, lifting into the air. The flowers in her hands, so soft and delicate, were trailing into life, twisting together, the floral attributes seeming to perk up, glittering almost with a magic Bibi had not seen before. The creation became a crown and it settled nicely on her blonde hair. She seemed pleased with it, stretching her wings. They glimmered with rainbows, spirals and diamonds and swirls of all sorts decorating them. No two fairies' wings were the same.

The dryad hissed, pulling on Bibi's hair.

"What?"

"Look!" She pointed down, seemingly more solid now. Bibi's heart skipped a beat. On the inside of her wrist, a new mark was appearing. Imps were covered in marks, all respective to their nature. Being a water imp, Bibi was covered in pale blue waves and spirals and flowing patterns, every inch of her skin covered. As she grew older, more marks appeared, clamouring for space. Her mother assured her that once she hit seventeen winters, no more would show, the rest would simply adjust to match her abilities.

But this new mark… it was not a water mark.

It didn't even look like an imp mark.

There was a shocked gasp from across the water, the singing abruptly cut off. Looking up, the fairy was on her feet, scanning the area frantically. Her wings slowly buzzed into life, she searched and searched, pale as the moon. The dryad wound her home around Bibi, keeping her charge covered. They stayed quiet and still until the fairy took off, hurrying back to her home town, holding onto her arm.

Bibi scrambled back, tearing off her sleeve to hurriedly wrap around her wrist. The dryad fluttered before her face, squeaking in panic.

"The rules, the rules!" She kept saying. Bibi shushed her, listening for more dryads. Most were asleep or otherwise occupied during the day, they liked to take the time to bask in the sun's rays. "What are you going to do?"

"I… I don't know. I need to go home and figure this out."

"But-"

"I know. Please, please don't tell anyone."

"No, of course not! It's far too dangerous! You must go, quickly!" Bibi nodded, hurriedly threw some thanks to the dryad and started running. Her route home was faster, the forest complied once more. She didn't stop until she stumbled over the threshold of her home, slamming the door behind her.

"Bibi, ssh! Okia's resting!"

"Sorry, Papi." She gasped, leaning against the door as she caught her breath. Nidas stood, brow raised.

"Everything OK, mija? What happened to your wrist, why are you all scratched up?"

"I… got lost. And fell. I'm fine, honest."

"Why were you running?"

"I was… racing a dryad. She wasn't happy with me winning." Nidas laughed.

"They never are. Go and get yourself cleaned up, before your mama comes home." Bibi nodded, sticking to the edges of the room. She ducked under the curtain, in the lean-to that served as their bathroom. Their home was of a generic build, despite her father's best attempts. They were settled to the outskirts of their village, a mish-mash of these buildings. Simple huts of stone and woven roofs, any additional rooms later added on rather slap-hazard. Their bathroom, a simple tub their mother filled for them each evening, a make-shift sink and toilet Nidas had upgraded as best he could with their current situation. They had running water, as long as the tank outside remained filled and the irrigation Nidas had installed remained intact. Like all the homes of this village, it was sparsely decorated, except for the height chart they had on the inner wall, by the curtain. It dated back to even when she was little, fifteen winters ago, lines upon lines, different colours for each child. It was their one simple addition that meant a lot to all of them. It had been updated shy of three nights ago, Char standing on his tiptoes until his mother tapped him on the head with the charcoal.

Looking in the buffed metal above their sink, her reflection rippled and grimaced back at her. She had far more scratches than she initially thought, a bruise on her chin. Pulling the chain overhead, the sink began to fill. She let it splash in until a third, releasing the chain. Water dripped from the pipe and she sighed.

Extending her hands, the water came alive, sliding over her fingers, across her knuckles. It glanced over her skin, washing away any existence of the injuries acquired on her latest excursion. Each imp relied on their element for healing, but it was an equal exchange. Each element relied on their imps to keep their magic alive. To deny your nature was to deny your world, to destroy it.

The bruise on her chin faded into nothingness and she sighed. Back to normal.

Well… almost.

Ripping away the torn sleeve before she could chicken out, Bibi huffed at the new mark.

No, she hadn't imagined it. These kind of marks came in pairs, but she had not seen this one before. It was round, filled with symbols she did not recognise and the shadows of branches dappled with sunlight and a single flower. The very flower that started all this trouble; a moon-coral. These were hardy plants, they grew in certain, magically amplified areas. They grew like sea coral, but sprouted stems and buds that blossomed over the summer, five petals, black as the night sky. The white centre was the interesting part- it mirrored the phases of the moon. Ones left unpicked for the entire season were said to also mirror constellations, but it was considered bad luck to leave them unpicked if found, particularly by a water imp. The moon was their ally in the movements of their power.

"Bibi!" Pounding on the door startled her from her thoughts. She rewrapped the marking, cursing under her breath. "Bibi, quick! I need a wee!"

"Char, we talked about this." She opened the door, frowning down at her brother. He pouted up at her for a split second, darting between her legs to kick her out. "Char!" She protested, patting down her trouser leg. Her brother was a fire imp, his hair often encased in flames. Young imps could not always contain their elements; Char's emotions and thoughts could be tracked via these displays. Unfortunately, it meant when he did dart between someone's legs, he charred the inside of their trousers.

The front door swung open and Isa returned, huffing and fed-up.

"Mama!" Bibi smiled. Isa glanced up and smiled, weary but pleased to see her daughter. Nidas materialised from their make-shift stove, kissing his wife's cheek. Flames curled in his hair as she pinched his cheek playfully.

"Aw, did ya miss me?"

"Like a hole in the head." He confirmed, making her laugh. "Find anything interesting?"

"Just a few squirrels. Sorry." Her shoulders slumped defeatedly. "They've set up new perimeters." She swore under her breath. Nidas smiled and kissed her cheek again.

"They'll go well in a stew. Well done, chica." She smiled feebly. Nidas squeezed her hand, taking her satchel back to his stove. It was more of an indoor fire pit with a set-up for cooking over it, but he loved it. Besides his inventive hobbies and (sometimes) disasters, cooking he thoroughly enjoyed. And Isa could not cook. The last time she had tried, they were inches from losing their home altogether.

"Mama?"

"Mm? Alright, Bibi?" Isa stretched, rubbing at her neck.

"Are you?"

"Mm?"

"Are you alright?"

"I'll feel better if I could get a hold of those Guards 'n' give 'em what for, but apparently that's illegal or somethin'? I dunno."

"Very illegal." Nidas called from his fire. Isa blew a raspberry.

"But more perimeters?" Bibi worried. Isa considered her for a moment, expression softening. She smiled and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Nothin' we can't handle, Bibi. Don't stress."

"Mama!" Char re-emerged, bouncing eagerly for his mother to pick him up.

"There's my bubba boy! Aw, look, pink flames today! That means ya've been up to somethin'."

"No! Just happy!" Char smiled sweetly, hugging his mother around the neck. She was undisturbed by his flames. They did not often burn hot, quite cool and pleasant, ticklish. If they turned red or purple, there was trouble, but that had only happened once. "Okia is asleep, she won't play." He pouted.

"She's not feelin' well, remember?"

"But she's not been feeling well for aaaaages." He groaned, pulling at his face. Isa laughed.

"She will soon, bubba. She just needs ta rest." Char pouted but nodded all the same. "Why don't ya go 'n' draw her a picture for when she wakes up?" He brightened, flames turning orange. "Attaboy." Isa grinned, setting him down. His feet were pedalling to run off before his feet even touched the floor. "Too much energy, that one."

"Gee, I wonder why." Bibi remarked. Isa eyed her sidelong.

"Didn't get the flowers, did ya?" She smirked, a cheeky gleam dancing in her eyes as her daughter's expression deadpanned. "Go 'n' draw a picture with Char, make sure he doesn't burn all the sheets again."

"No promises." Bibi muttered, sulking off. Isa went and joined her husband, being his dutiful taste tester.

Char was sat in the bedroom, beside their sister's bed. He had his charcoal and sheets spread around him already, chewing on his thumbnail as he considered what he should draw. Bibi stepped carefully over his mess, taking a seat on the edge of Okia's bed. Her little sister, only two winters between them, had come over ill just short of a quarter ago. It was unlike earth imps to be stricken with such ailments, they were far too sturdy to be hit with such things. But she burned up like a fire imp in temper, breaths short and laboured. Her eyes were tight shut, brow furrowed as she murmured restlessly, a thin layer of perspiration glistening on her skin.

"Hey, Okia." Bibi smiled gently, brushing her sister's hair back from her head. Okia stirred, eyes opening to blearily squint at Bibi. She tried to speak, lips moving soundlessly. Bibi reached to the stool set up beside the bed, filling a beaker with water. She helped her sister sit up and drink. Char bounced up, recovering Okia's comb.

Of the two sisters, Okia's hair was the longest. Bibi had hers cut short, not even shoulder-length, always had done, but she did love to tidy her sister's hair. Char sat in Okia's lap, keeping her upright as he babbled about his various adventures of the day as Bibi combed out her sister's hair.

Brushing some of it over Okia's shoulder, Bibi sighed. Her sister's markings were coming through, building on the back of her neck and down her back, disappearing under the old shirt she wore. It was four sizes too big, but that did not stop it being her favourite thing to wear once the night fell.

Unlike Bibi and Char, who had inherited their elements from their parents, Okia had gone one further and received abilities from their mother's family. Isa was the only water imp in a family of earth imps, having received her abilities from a grandparent she had never met. Nidas had some earth heritage too, but more distant than his wife's.

It wasn't unheard of for imps to pair up out of their elements, considering those elements corresponded with each other. For example, earth and water, fire and air, air and water, earth and fire. Each combination came with its own set of extra abilities.

But water and fire.

That was not heard of.

Isa had met Nidas while restocking her arrows in the market. He was struggling to find someone to help him in regards to his research project, or at the very least give him directions to where he needed to go. Due to his nature in an earth town, he was immediately shunned. Except for Isa- she had offered to help him. Fire imps weren't allowed in the town, that was true. But, there was an exception- permission granted by the Lower Council of the District.

She was surprised to find this 'dashingly handsome devil' kind and cheeky, yet also scared of the forest. It was a new environment for him; his people too destructive to maintain any kind of nature of this degree. They parted ways at the library he had been searching for, but that night, their Marks appeared. Isa confided in one friend to begin with, an attraction and deception imp the kids knew simply as Pip. Even though they had never met this Pip, they had already been warned off her pies. If not for her intervention, Isa and Nidas may not have come together of their own accord- their pairing was out of Correspondence.

Their story always turned hazy at this point and they would often skip to the day they were exiled here. From what Bibi and Okia could sniff out, there may have been some altercation with their families, but they were never given answers when they asked. They knew their parents would write home on occasion, but by the time the heavy censorship of the Guards had crossed their sheets, it really wasn't worth it.

Upon their exile, they were forced to live in this village far from the main towns, both in distance and progress. Nidas's projects fell into nothingness, Isa's hunting was limited; it was a strict environment out here. They were the only family out here- the dozen or so other huts were filled with those exiled for various crimes too great for regular prison. This didn't bother Isa and she often popped round to see Ward, the fire imp exiled for burning down the Lower Council's chairman where he stood. His reasons were a mystery, but he was a close family friend, he loved the children like they were his own. Nidas, like all fire imps, felt a natural distrust of the man. Fire imps were the most territorial of all the Imps, but he had come to tolerate Ward and vice-a-versa. They settled for a mostly-friendly competitive relationship. Plus, Ward's tea, despite it's sickly smell and colour, was the most wonderful thing any of them had ever tasted. Sometimes, he would swear blind that was the only reason they kept him around.

When Bibi was born, everyone had been astounded. She, and later on her siblings, were physically impossible. Their parents' clashing energies, as long recorded as history itself, would have made children a wistful, far off dream. But Bibi had been born anyway. As had Okia, two winters later, and then Char, six winters after her. At Bibi's arrival, Nidas had been hoping for a fire imp like him, but was amused when her blue water markings started to appear at only three moons old. Isa was extremely proud, boasting to their neighbours about her wonderful, odds-defying water baby.

Okia came along, born with an earth mark on her shoulder. Nidas was not impressed again, wondering if his fire had been dampened by her water. She told him to shut up and when Char was born, his hair burst into pink flames five minutes after she had him. Nidas was extremely pleased with this, bouncing and flailing and whooping, now his turn to boast about his fire baby, darting about the village, while his two daughters sat on the threshold, booing him cheekily.

Now, they were a family of five, the only family in the village. Every imp here took it upon themselves to look after these children, always passing them food or coins or extra sheets and charcoal, talking to each of them, always checking in on them. Hearing the news of Okia's sickness, they were distraught, imploring as to how they could help. They came by with anything they thought that could help, from medicines to spells to the rock Ward's mother had insisted kept evil spirits at bay, (it didn't, but no-one had the heart to tell him it was just a rock).

Tying the last braid, Bibi sighed again. She moved to lay her sister back down, rolling her onto her side. Char pulled the blankets up to her shoulder and then sat heavily on the floor to draw her a series of random pictures that only he knew what they were. Isa popped her head in, shoulders slumping upon seeing her daughter sleeping once more.

"Dinner's nearly ready." She told them. "Let Okia rest now." Char began to protest, waving his sheets around. Isa raised a brow and his flames went from orange to timid blue.

"Yes Mama." He smiled, shoulders hunching innocently.

"Coward." Bibi teased.

"He's seven."

"Yeah, I this many!" He threw his charcoal at her, cackling wickedly. Isa cleared her throat and they filed out quickly. She went in to check on Okia while they sat with their father, holding their bowls ready for his squirrel and vegetable stew.

"Is your wrist OK, Bibi?"

"Mm? Oh. Oh, yeah, yeah it's fine."

"Then why is it still wrapped?"

"I'm trying a new look."

"Right…" Nidas quirked a brow. Bibi smiled, heart thudding against her ribs. Char laughed suddenly, blowing a raspberry and dunking his spoon in his stew. "Char, that's for eating!" Nidas shook his head, setting his bowl aside to help his son. Isa returned, looking sullen. "This is your son." Nidas claimed, not looking round. Char giggled, spraying stew and then laughing some more. "Oh, you're disgusting."

"Mama do it!" He insisted, kicking his feet.

"Fine. You butthead." Nidas passed Char's bowl and spoon to Isa, sitting back to sulkily eat his own.

"Aw, Papi, don't be like that. You know Char's always liked Mama feeding him."

"Big baby."

"He is not!" Isa protested.

"Totally is." Nidas muttered, making a face at his next spoonful. Isa glowered, using the water in his stew to send it up his nose. Nidas choked and spluttered, startling backwards as his eyes watered. He shook his head frantically, coughing violently. He managed to hack out a few choice words until she relented and cleared the water from his airways. "I… am going off you." He decided eventually, rubbing at his nose and eyes. "That hurt."

"Again!" Char insisted.

"No, not again!"

"I'm considerin' it."

"Well don't. No considering it. I could've died."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"You knew that when you married me." Isa laughed. Nidas stuck his tongue out.

"Are we ever going to have a normal dinner time?" Bibi mused aloud.

"Define 'normal'."

"Not this."

"Then no."

A partially thought-out WIP- any questions, feel free to ask! I'm posting this ahead of schedule, so don't expect updates on this as often as my other new one, Twins of Neptune! (In which I'm rewriting most of HoO, just so I can add Lou in, I was bored). Let me know what you think in the reviews! :D I do have parts of the Leoisa version written, if anyone's interested, but I'm aaalllwwayys writing Leoisa!