The fairies of Gensokyo belong to a different ontological class than most of the other creatures that flourish on the mystic land. They do not perish until their associated domain perishes. For instance, Cirno is, until Cold is not. The domain of fairies are aspects of nature either being substances or qualities. Furthermore, the fairies are not associated with a particular cold thing or a particular insect, etc. On the other hand, they are associated with the cold itself and the insect itself. Hence, they are caused by the essence and not the particulars. It does not matter whether the specific domain is a substance or a quality, since substance includes qualities, and qualities must be of a substance. Therefore, the fairies are posterior to but co-eternal with the essences, since the essences, being eternal, are the sufficient and necessary causes of the fairies.
	However, having established that the fairies are eternal, the fact that they seem to die suggests otherwise. A phenomenon that includes some insight into this contradiction is that when a fairy dies, she reappears later somewhere. There are parallels for this even in ordinary objects. Suppose that a car is destroyed in an accident so that the owner buys a new car, the new car is of the same make and model, and can be said to be the same car. In this case, the two cars are many in number, but one in form. The same can be said of the fairies, that when they die and regenerate, they become many yet remains one. The many figures of fairies would perish and be created. Yet, the fairies themselves, which is their essence and form, remain the same and persist through the changes.
	Perhaps this is no surprise, since being substantial particulars, the fairies are form-matter compounds, and the formal elements are eternal, while the matter is subject to change and metamorphosis. The particular compounds would be destroyed, when the matter no longer has the form. The unique aspect of the fairies is that in the common settings, the form is a universal over the many particulars in respect to both time and place. For instance, the form of a pen is the one over the many pens now and the many pens that had existed and will have existed. Furthermore, all forms or most of the forms are not contemplative, for the form of the pen lacks a will. In contrary, the form of the fairies are ones over many in respect to time alone. There have never been or for the most part never been multiple instances of a fairy at a given time. The form of the fairy also has a will, since Cirno, in an unconditional sense, decides, regardless of which particular Cirno.
	The two unique aspects of the fairies create an interesting situation with respect to oneness. Take Cirno for example, the genus of Cirno is one with the particular Cirno in respect to place, but is simply in the many Cirnos with respect to time. The same can be said for all or most fairies such as Daiyousei, the Three Fairies of Light, etc. Furthermore, suppose that fairies are a normal species of animal like humans, then there would simply be a genus of fairies over the particular fairies. Yet, there would be a genus of Cirno, a genus of Daiyousei, a genus for each of the Three Fairies of Light, etc. Overall, there would be a genus for each particular fairies in the conventional sense. This special ontological structure of the fairies is due to their co-eternality with the aspects of nature, as suggested before.
	Therefore, the apparent difficulties regarding the fairies, such as the wide range of appearance between the well-known fairies and the fairy maids, the occurrence of fairies and their lifespan, and the size and height mysteries are not counter-intuitive. In fact, they can be explained by the status of the fairies as forms. Since the fairies insofar as forms are eternal, each fairy is a one unconditionally. By the virtual of being one and eternal, they do not exist in time, place, partake in changes or processes, and have no beginning, middle, or ends. Therefore, the appearances of the fairies are simply accidents separate from their intrinsic nature. Hence, it does not matter whether the fairies look young or old, or always appear in the same attire, since by virtue of being accidental attributes, nothing can be known or said substantively regarding them. Consequently, it is nonsense to talk of their age, especially from their appearance, since they are eternal in essence. However, regardless, in an account of the fairies, their appearance in a universal sense should be included since the material aspect is part of the fairies insofar as substantial compounds.
	The occurrence of the fairies across the natural phenomenons is also explainable by virtue of their special ontological situation. Since the fairies as we know them are substantial particulars, they require an efficient cause for their worldly figures. Just as a sculptor causes the form of Hermes to be in the marble, so do temporal natural phenomenons instantiate the fairies into the temporal world. For instance, the three fairies of light once said to Cirno that “for your season, when spring arrives, you would then become out of season.” This gives insight into the generation of the fairies as substantial particulars. It is well known that the celestial globe casts immense power into the sub-lunary realm. The celestial heaven both moves in a circular motion around Earth, and also in periodic oscillation, shown by the fact that the trajectory of the stars shifts up and down over time. During the change of seasons, there is a change in the acceleration of the periodic motion in the heaven, which aligns with the ability of the fairies to act. This suggests that being of the fairies as substantial particulars may be related to, or be caused by the periodic motion of the heaven. However, the specific details may escape the notice with the current knowledge at hand, and further discussions may be more fitted to those in closer contact with the fairies, or the fairies themselves.
	Closely related to the occurrence of the fairies is their “going out of commission,” or disappearance. It is said that the state of going out of commission is similar to the state of death for humans. Furthermore, Sunny Milk has replied to the human state of death with “Haha, how peaceful. We'd only be dead until sunrise, though.” This can be explained by their intrinsic nature as eternal substances, which is in contrary to humans. Since they are eternal, they are intrinsically in no place, no time, and simply are. Hence, it is similar to the state of death where they no longer are present in the temporal world and acting. The use of the word “dead” is an interesting choice, since the state of being eternal is foreign to humans, and thus beyond our understanding. Our language is unlikely to have a word that adequately captures the full sense of the state. Thus, a full account of their state of being “out of commission” may remain a mystery to us, insofar as we are humans.
	Similarly, the difficulties regarding the sizes of fairies at different times can also be resolved by appealing to their nature. Since the perceptible bodies are simply accidents, there are no theoretical difficulties that need to be resolved with respect to the change in size. However, it can be said that the material part of the fairies as particulars is not ordinary flesh, for it does not have the capability to perform a change in size on that magnitude. Any further substantial results regarding their material nature would require an understanding of their generation process, and would be suited to the individuals who can observe the fairies closely as mentioned before.
	Finally, words of veneration must be said of the fairies, for they are eternal substances clothed by matter descending into our tangible sub-lunary world. By virtue of being eternal, the fairies are in fact divine. Yet, even though they are divine, they come to be in physical form, and in fact are the physical embodiment at any given time. This gives an opportunity for us, the dwellers of the sub-lunary realm, to behold, talk to, and even touch the divine. Therefore, let us accept the fairies with our eyes, touch the fairies with our hands, and wholeheartedly embrace them. Let us join the form of humanity with them, so we may be in contact with the eternal and the divine. Let us hold the icons of the fairies, and accept them into our minds, for even if we are out of reach to touch them, we may still hold their essence in us. Let us remember them, so that the divine may remain in us.