It was a dead-silent night. So quiet, that one would hear a spirit's sobs in the velvet sky. The ghosts on the winds howled outside, easing through the bald-limbed trees. From a distance, they looked dead and sad... Barren and lifeless, empty of vigor and faith. But if one looked close enough on some of these saddened trees, they would spot dots of green dabbing the branches where new leaves tried hard to poke through- proof that life was sprouting anew. It was New Year's Eve, and everyone was feeling joyful and excited! The new year brought wonderful changes and promises.
New year's wishes hung high in the stars. But among those whom were celebrating, there were also those who suffered. For two individuals, their wish for the new year was one quickly suffocated. Like the temporary hot ashes flying from the flames of their love, it was here and gone before they could even grasp the chance- lost in the night sky to vanish into the sparkling, velvet celestial ocean. It felt for each failure, a star would die in their eyes... By now, not a single star remained. It had been four months of straight trial-and-error, and not a single glimmer of hope for their effort. At this point, it was no longer a fight worth fighting. And tonight may very well be the night they drop their swords and admit defeat- for this monster was unlike any other. No, it wasn't a wolfos here to take away their world. It wasn't a cozy flower rimmed with teeth to shred their backsides. Nor was it a demon of great age to steal away their joy... But rather, barren luck. And one shattered heart considered herself the monster, for it was an error of her own. But she was not blamed by anyone but herself.
The tunnel scrub sat silently in the den on his favorite chair as he rubbed a cloth over one of his swords to wipe it of dust. While it was a chore, it was a chore the male didn't mind. He blond scrub was dressed for the night in a brown pelt loincloth. He seemed to alternate between the brown and green every now and then... He seemed fine at a glance, but his silence was the proof of otherwise. For one, he did not wear a smile in his eyes. He studied his mellow visage in the reflection of the sword. His leaves hung low and his sharp eyes were weary and through. His hope was gone, but it had been gone for quite some time now. All he wanted now was to move on. But it wasn't in his nature to give up on anything, but that was doing him more damage than good now. He brought his eyes up when he saw his wife sitting on the couch across from him, staring blankly at the table with thoughts of blame nailing themselves into her mind. He knew they were both thinking it, but he was waiting to see who would have to say it first. There was a New Year's wish in both their minds, but giving up was the other.
She took a deep breath then released it sadly with her hands under the chin of her snout. The acid spitter rocked very vaguely before looking down again. She held the same look as her spouse. She was defeated and through, tired of the fight. The amount of praying she had done had been all for nothing- for not a single one was answered. Even now, her silence was her praying to Hylia herself that something would change... That she wouldn't have to be the one to say "I give up..."
Her eyes tightened with nothing to focus on and a snarl appeared above her snout. She was deeply depressed. Typically, she felt angry. But... Destroyed at the same time.
"Iris...?" her spouse's voice chirped. She brought her head up to look at him, and they met gazes. She knew what he was thinking, and this scared her.
"Jace..." she merely replied, hoping maybe he had some words of encouragement for her... She did not want to try anymore. But yet, she feared giving in.
He finally placed the sword down on the table, leaning over toward her. He was hurting, because he watched her beat nails into herself everyday, calling herself a problem and a cause. Countless times, she's apologized for being defective- she felt incomplete. There was just something missing, and she'd never have it. He sighed as he pushed his hand through his leaves, bowing his head as he did. Her depression was making him depressed- and that was hard to do! He didn't care about having children as much anymore, he just wanted his wife back. Sure, he did care, but was it worth their happiness? He didn't think so. They'd sacrificed that happiness for four months now...
Iris holed herself away in the burrow, even when Jace left to do things usually. She was quiet and hollow. He'd find her waking in the night from insomnia, or crying in the baby's unfinished room's doorway. He feared where this side of her will take her. And when she wasn't quiet and sad, she was angry- beating the lights out of a training board outside. He could joke, tease, and be all-out silly, and she'd show little response. Nowadays, personal time together always lead back to reminders, regardless of the situation. Jace missed it when they could just cuddle in an intimate embrace and just enjoy each other' company. There was nothing happy about it anymore... Those moments merely attested to their infertile situation.
It got to the point that Jace couldn't sit in the silence any longer. He rubbed his hands together and gave a shaky breath. "I'm getting tired... We can't keep doing this..."
Iris began shakily- "But... But... Jace, what are-"
"What kind of husband am I by sitting here and allowing you to destroy yourself?" he added, cutting her off in the middle of her aimless reply. "What more can there be?"
"... I'm sorry..." she chirped. He gave a loud sigh before looking at her.
"Quit apologizing, you haven't done anything wrong..."
She stiffened as if he'd just snapped at her- though he didn't. It was very unorthodox to hear any tone in his voice that didn't sound sunny and positive however, and his voice right now was low and weary.
Both did not know what to say or how to say it, but something needed to be said. Iris glared angrily at the table, and she suddenly pounded her fist to the wooden surface, legitimately startling her spouse. His leaves stood and he shot his attention toward her.
"This is my fault..." she growled. "Everything is my fault!"
"Iris, don't do this... Please..." he began, coming to stand from his chair.
She growled lowly. It wasn't a vocal growl either, it was a natural acid spitter's growl. She had the top of her snout snarled in wrinkles and she looked down. "We'll never have a legacy- not by our own blood, and it's my fault!"
He sat down next to her and placed his hand over her fist- which was pressed down tightly against the table. "Iris... C'mon now..."
"If it hadn't been for those stupid wolfos, I'd be normal! I'd be capable of all the things I can't do! But no, I was born this way!" she exclaimed angrily. She was so pushed that she wasn't hearing Jace at all. She had her back against the wall by the mention of giving up. She wanted to, but she didn't want to at the same time. So with herself inches from the edge, she did what instinct told her naturally to do when cornered; fight back, even if she really didn't want to.
Jace angled his eyebrows at this and finally exclaimed, "Iris, listen to me!"
This caused her to jump and stare at him, her snarl fading and the flare of her eyes softening. Now that he had her attention, he inhaled in relief... "... Stop this, just stop this." he begged. "Enough of this nonsense, how many times must I tell you? You are not at fault, this wasn't something you could help. Things happen, and sometimes the only thing you can do is accept that not everything can be changed, stopped, or helped."
She pulled her hands to herself and shook her head. "W-what do we do...? I'm getting so fed up. It's an endless routine that never stops. I want to be able to move on, I want to get passed this phase."
"Then let it stop." he solemnly replied. She began to tremble and she just stared. He added after a few moments. "... Do you think I don't feel your pain? What do you think I sit over here and do? Just say, 'Oh! Another failed one, let's try again!'? It's not that easy! I feel just as at fault as you because I... I can't do anything to help you! You feel like a failure? I feel like a failure! I'm letting you do this to yourself... That's not good of me... It makes me look like I don't care, but I cry too. But it's not because of the lack of luck anymore, it's just..." he put his face in his hands, wanting desperately for his words to get through to her. "I want my wife back. I want us back. It's not the same anymore. For four months now, I've watched us crumble. You wont go out and do things with me, and I can't get you out of the house. We can stare at that room as much as we want, but it's not going to change a single thing. What about your parents? Your own mother blames herself for our difficulty! Don't you think she needs reassurance too? Us staying away is probably making things worse..."
He finally looked up at her again, unsure if everything he was saying was actually reaching her or if she was blindly listening to him talk again. "I miss when we went out and did things. I don't like this whole hiding away thing. We have a family already, must we sit and try for this anymore? I miss when you and I could just be together- casually with friends, or alone and intimately, and not have the image of a child that'll never be at the front of our minds. Don't you remember when we'd just go outside and sit on the hammock? Watch the stars and talk and laugh without a care? Or how about those mud fights? Or rough housing and tackling each other on the grass? Tease and have fun with Iko and them? Or you trying to teach me to read Hylian? What about Acacia and the royals? Acacia's been worried sick about you..."
She sniffled and nodded. His eyes were getting glassy, and that was hurting her. "I-I remember... I-I k-know..."
He grabbed her hand... "... These are words I don't normally say, but... I give up. This broken dream isn't worth our happiness. Let's go back to how we were. I don't care about having a baby anymore, I just want us back."
She inhaled sharply and started to cry quietly. She didn't want to say it, but she wanted what they had before. Four months of this was far too much, and that was apparent. Was this a fight they really had to give up? For their sanity and joy, it probably was. She leaned down and hung an arm over one of her legs, holding the other hand to her face and she finally replied. "I'm done... I give up... I can't do this anymore!"
Jace leaned over and hugged her, resting his head on her shoulder and taking in a shaky breath of his own. He ran his hand down her head and across her leaves. It was a sad moment, but at the same time? He felt lighter. Was it over? It certainly looked as though this was a first step to acceptance. He looked up, thanking on high that they were through.
He nudged his snout to the side of her face and he said, "We'll be okay... We'll be alright..."
She sniffled again and brought her spirit-lit eyes to look at him. "... What do we do now?"
"... I think... A good first step would be to go and visit your parents tomorrow." Jace suggested, "Time with family is sure to prod us all in the right direction. I would like to see Alo and Aster again, it's been a while. At least, since October. It's January now, so they're probably very worried about us. And we can visit Iko while we're at it."
The ex-hyrulean deku scrub nodded softly at her mate. She did miss her mother, so that sounded like a good idea. Though, she was still shaken... They threw in the towel tonight. The white flag was up. No more trying, and no more planning. With a sigh, she stood from her seat, leaving Jace to watch her in confusion. She wiped her hands down her torn up human-size night shirt. "... I'm heading to bed..."
"Okay..." he softly answered, his eyes focused on her form. She hadn't said a thing else before walking away. He knew she wasn't going to be fine overnight. The decision was made, but the idea was still fresh in her mind. The fellow went to stand to finish his work on the sword, but he watched his wife's mellow movement as she made her way down the dark hallway toward their bedroom. He caught her giving the baby's room one final glance before turning left into the bedroom. His eyes fell sad when he saw this and he rubbed the back of his head.
"Iris..." he uttered lowly. Moving back to his favorite chair, he sat down and picked up the sword again and began rubbing it clean. He felt so sad and he hated the feeling with a passion. He continued to study his face in the reflection. He had some scuffs he'd gained over the years, but nothing too horrible. His sideburns clawed over his cheeks, framing his face nicely. He found himself looking at a long scar over the bridge of his snout that ran somewhat down toward his cheek that he'd gained back during an adventure in Hyrule a few years back. He actually smiled at the memory... Man, were those hectic times, but so full of adventure! Maybe they'd get to start traveling again? Granted, with less life-threatening dangers.
Upon finishing the blade, he set it up on the wall where it always sat displayed and he looked over it for a short while. He cleaned his blades and antiques a lot more lately to rid himself of stress. If he cleaned them anymore, they'd blind you! His expression then fell, now having nothing else to do. Maybe it was time for him to call it a night as well?
He packed away his cleaning supplies in the storage room before heading toward the bedroom hall. On the way, he stopped to look into the empty, unfinished room across from theirs. He had a blank, solemn look in his sharpened eyes. He lowered his eyes then before walking back to the den. There was a folded sheet on the side of the couch that had been placed there earlier that day. He proceeded to grab some nails and a hammer, then took them all back to the room. Jace began pounding a nail into two corners of the sheet above the door, and he covered the room. It'd remain this way till he found a chance some time in the future to fill the room back in or find some other use for it. For now however, it was best not focused on.
Once he stepped into their bedroom, Iris was already in bed and laying on her side. He was not tired, but he'd lay down anyway in hopes that he may get some sleep himself. Jace sat down on his side of the bed and crawled under the cozy vine canopy to rest his head down on his pillow. The pelt blanket was pulled up over himself and he stared a hole into the wall with thoughts flying through his mind. What pulled him from his thoughts was a tiny vibration in the bed that mostly was sensed in his leaves. The male turned over to stare at Iris' back, seeing as it was pointed toward him. His eyes adjusted through the dark of the bedroom burrow and he noticed Iris shaking.
That's right! It was still winter after all... Jace tended to forget just how cold it was, given he adapted to the weather changes pretty well. Iris was wide awake and cold. He sat up to look at her, and she could feel this. Iris never moved, though. She kept her back facing toward him and continued to shiver. This made Jace a little concerned. His leaves lowered, thinking to himself. Back when they were kids and on their travels through Termina, this is when they'd bundle up together as they camped out at some unknown territory and tell stories or joke around. He smiled at the thought, then returned to now to see his wife laying cold next to himself... So what he would've done a long time ago was exactly what he was about to do.
She jumped when she felt an extra blanket fly over her, then felt the blanket be pressed tightly around her by an arm, and her wild hyrulean spirits looked back to see Jace smile at her.
"You looked cold." he said.
She blinked a few times before words found their way through her voice. "Thank you...~"
He heard a smile in her tone, and that was good enough for him. He managed to make her smile, and that was a win on his part.
"Iris, I-... I really miss spending time with you. You've been so distant, and I miss you." He paused, feeling hearing him say these things may mean something to her, as they were honest. "Can you stay awake and enjoy the night with me a little longer? Clearly you're not tired either."
"Uh-..." Iris wasn't expecting him to ask. She turned over toward him a little and she just looked him over.
"I-If not, I understand." He looked a bit sheepish and laid his head down, his snout laying across her arm- much like a sad puppy. He was purposely being silly, and he was aiming for a chuckle. She did, and his spirits lifted a bit more. He himself laughed a little at his antic.
She sighed, then answered. "... I'll stay up with you a little longer."
Jace's leaves flicked and he raised his head a bit. He placed his hand on hers and laid his head back down against her arm lightly.
"I was hoping you'd say that." he was thinking mission accomplished. "It's a beautiful night- too nice to spend sleeping." he then added, "Would be a nice night to spend out on the hammock. Just you, me, and a big warm blanket, yeah?"
She just sighed and rested where she was. "I'm pretty content where I am... But, maybe we can stargaze tomorrow night?"
"That's fine with me." he replied lowly. "Then you, me, and a big warm blanket underground it is."
She smiled at him through her eyes at this. She still seemed weary in the eyes, but she was enjoying his attempts at cheering her up. He moved his hand away from hers and brought his arms up to wrap around her chest and shoulder and he fell quiet. He just hugged her with his shoulder pressed against his cheek. "If you listen hard enough, you can hear the wind sing outside."
"Yeah..." She responded.
Jace cuddled his snout against her leaves and he continued to hold her. He allowed the room to fall silent till they could hear the golden-oldie Terminian clock tick on the wall. It wasn't a new sound to them, so it was easily ignored. They stared into nothing as the time ticked on the wall... Iris found herself counting vines on the canopy while Jace just thought of things to do. He then began to casually sing, catching Iris' attention. She just listened and snuggled into the blanket.
"Steal me away... Like those tides at midday..." he lulled, "Upon golden shores, my love waits for me..."
Iris smiled at him, and he studied the tiny lights of the mushrooms growing throughout the room. They were so small, they looked like stars in the ceiling. He'd been meaning to pull those so they wouldn't get too big... But right now, they seemed to serve some convenience. "With silver wings, you swept me near... You have my heart, that much is clear."
After a pause in the song, Jace hummed with his eyes closed. Iris rested and allowed his voice to sooth her. Of course, he was singing an Indigo-Go's song... But regardless, she did not care. He brought his humming to a close, but she beat him to the lyrical continuation, although quietly.
"Beloved, take me away... I needn't nothing more but your time..." she kept her eyes closed and sang on, "Darling, take all of me- for I am yours... Upon rising seas, you'll find me holding so fervently-"
After he listened to her soft voice, he sang with her. They both looked to each other and he rocked his head slowly from side-to-side. "to a time when gales blew soft... The sails of my vessel will always lead me to where you are..."
Iris gave a tiny chuckle at him rocking his head side-to-side slowly, seeing as he still had it laid against her arm and shoulder. "So honey, do not worry for me... Steal away my heart... And hold it close, so that you'll always have me. Time ne'er stop for us, but we'll flow with the waves and meet again on those shimmering sands."
He tightened his embrace- though not too much of course... "Steal me away... Like those tides at midday... Upon golden shores, my love waits for me." She brought her hand up against his cheek and she smiled. Her hand rested on one of his sideburns, and this instigated a smile from him. "With silver wings, you swept me near. You have my heart, that much is clear..."
They finished, and Jace smiled at their duet. It was quiet and soothing, and it made him feel a little better. They were having fun, and he just noticed that. Clearly, evident by Iris' leaves and low tone, she was still deeply bothered. And he was too, but he tried hard not to hang on it. He looked to the clock on the wall, noticing that it was minutes to midnight. He laid his head down beside hers and just stared at the wall with her. They watched the hands and counted the minutes down quietly. The moment it hit midnight, Jace nestled his cheek to hers and said, "Well... Happy New Year...~"
"Happy New Year~" she returned. It really was a new year, with new decisions and a new path. For sure, their last path hadn't been paved far, so they'd have to pave a new one from there. It was sad leaving behind what they had planned however, they knew it was for the best to just not hang on it anymore. So from this moment forth, this was their new road.
"Any New Year's resolutions...?" Iris asked.
Jace pondered for a moment before answering her. "Well... Getting ourselves out of this rut for one... Have a little fun, enjoy our friends and family. Enjoy each other's company per usual... Not really worried about getting a job anymore, so I'm gonna toss that. But hey, it means I can be home more. What more is there?"
"Those are pretty goods ones." she hummed. "Can't think of much else..."
Jace flicked a leaf and he held a solemn sincerity on his face. He kissed the side of Iris' face and he hummed a tune some more. She just hummed quietly with him, still watching the clock given they had nothing better to do.
"Iris...?" he whispered. She perked up a few leaves and she turned her head to him.
"Yes?"
He was going to ask something, but he found himself stopping and he moved away a slight. Would it upset her? He remained quiet until she tried to encourage an answer by repeating her question.
"... It's... It's been a long time..." he continued to reply and pause over and over, as if he were a broken record. "Since... We've had nights like these."
"It has..." she agreed. "Why do you point this out?"
He squinted his eyes sadly sideways, glancing at a mushroom in the wall... His mind was momentarily derailed long enough to think, "That one's getting a little big... Gonna have to pull that one soon..." before mentally bapping his brain to get back to his reply to her. "Can we...- and I-I ask this with quality time in mind, rather than the norm..."
"... Can't we just rest here?" her tone fell, not even letting him finish.
"I understand... I'm asking a lot right now..." he said softly. "Don't think about all that's made you feel sad. Let this be the first in quite some time without a goal in mind. It's not a chore anymore. Only thing to be kept in mind is our time together, right?"
"It's easier said than done." She replied as she turned to look at him again.
He nodded. "I know, but... It never stopped us from enjoying each other's company before. I don't want you beating yourself up over the things we can't do, but be thankful for the things we can. Let's celebrate our family of two! Sure, I don't have a nice dinner set up, and I can't take you out somewhere nice to see New Year's fireworks. It's a little late to leave for anything right now without arriving too late. But does that matter?"
He moved one of her bangs out of her face so he could see her eyes. "Let's just make the most of the start with fresh minds and togetherness. We'll laugh, joke, and have fun like we used to. You can tell me how cheesy and stupid I am, and I'll try to remember every silly song I know. And even if our time doesn't lead us anywhere beyond a bit a cuddling, I seriously do not care. We'll fall asleep in each other's arms and greet tomorrow with vim and vigor."
She stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head with a small chuckle. "I hate it when you go on inspirational tangents."
"There you are!" he exclaimed. "What fun is it to just sit and stare at walls? Let's spend some time together- not drown in yucky depressing thoughts. Those just make you feel gross- we should be feeling happy and joyful. I'm not saying we have to pollinate or anything... Let's just see where our New Year's hours take us. I'm not tired, so let's have a little fun. Maybe we'll be a one-night band, or you can try to hit me with a pillow and be the audience that boos me off the stage. I don't even care."
Iris was quiet as a mouse, then looked at Jace. He looked her right in the eyes, and his expression screamed for his wife back and nothing else at this point. Honestly, she wanted herself back as well. She smiled weakly at him through her spirit-lit eyes, answering his question with just a glance, and her response seemed difficult but honest. She'd try to forget their troubles for tonight and hang out with her husband. Jace nudged his snout to hers to kiss, in a manner to assure her that things would be okay from here on out. Though, he prayed tomorrow would be the same as tonight and that she'd start to recover from her deeply depressed state. This was the most recovery he'd seen so far, so he was hopeful. At the moment, though, they were focused on now rather than tomorrow.
He nudged his snout behind her leaves and she laughed at him since it tickled. He grabbed her and rolled over to his side of the bed. He laid down on his back with her resting on her back on him with her legs coiled to herself and her arms out.
"Haha, what're you doing!?" she guffawed.
He gave a clear- "PFFFTT-" noise and replied, "I have no idea!"
They laughed together and Jace sat up with her and tickled her, and the half-acid spitter just leaned over laughing while sitting on his lap with her back against his chest. "S-stop t-that! Hahahaha- t-this is ridiculous-!"
"Surrender!" he exclaimed, "I have you now!"
She leaned back against him, laughing uncontrollably. Her hands fidgeted over his as she tried to fight back against his tickle-attack. She finally managed to pry his hands off her belly and she twisted around to tackle him to his side. "N-now I have you!"
"Oh crap, don't hurt me!" he chortled, "I'm too young and beautiful to die!"
She looked up, continuing to get lost in giggles. Iris playfully ran her fingers through his leaves and he shrieked- "Hey! D-don't do t-that-!"
He sat up, pushing her off. He attempted to grab her again, but that didn't quite work out for him. Iris just laid a hand over his face, keeping him away from her, "It was revenge!"
Jace moved back and tossed himself at her, "You fiend! No one touches the hair and gets away with it!"
"That's a load of bull!" she replied with bubbled cheeks.
"... NORMALLY, no one touches the hair and gets away with it! You are no exception tonight!" he added, overdoing his offended, heroic tone of voice.
They sat and joked and jested, and it lead to a fun time. This filled them with hope and passion, and gave them a good first-look at their new year. It was a joyous time for them both, and they played and sang the night away, and one thing lead to another. Of course, not a single moment in or in between was spent thinking about their failures and sorrows... They just enjoyed each other's company, just as Jace had aimed for, and Iris truly needed this.
The night had eased through and over time, silence filled the burrow-home- with no sound but the crickets and early birds chirping outside. The sky was still washed in the night's blue coat, with only a vague shine of light on the horizon and the speckled lights that remained of stars. Though, given the swamp jungle's overgrown greenery, such a horizon could not be seen. Not many were even up right now, as they were sleeping.
The Leavance home was empty of movement as expected. Not a soul was awake at the moment in this dark morning. They were sound asleep in each other's arms and bundled together in a mound of messy blankets. He fell asleep with his head against Iris', and he looked as if nothing could've woken him if it tried. The silence was soon broken by the sound of a knock. About six or seven knock sounds in, Jace's eyes cracked open.
"What in the name of..." He uttered. He looked at the clock, it being four twenty-five A.M. He glared daggers at the clock for a moment, before the knock sound came again, making his droopy-sleepy leaves flick. He tried to take in the sound in his sleepy mind, before realizing someone was knocking on the door... At four in the morning... Out in the middle of the forest. Seriously, their home was far from the Deku village, who would come out this far? It came to his attention that he had slept for only, roughly, an hour. With this in mind, he shut his eyes again. He hoped maybe- just maybe, if he didn't show that he was awake, that who ever it was would go away. But a few minutes in, and the knocking continued.
He sighed as he sat up. A red rose petal landed on his snout, and he shook his head of the rest. He had no desire for getting up this early and wanted to go back to sleep. He was tempted to leave them there knocking again, but he knew it wouldn't stop at this point. After a while, he finally prepared to go answer the door. He walked through the den and up the stairs and to the hatch door. He opened it, glaring up and out of the horizontal hole in the ground. He saw one of the short deku palace staff standing there, eagerly awaiting someone to answer. Jace stepped outside and looked to the palace staff with a tired glare. His sharp eyes gleamed out from under his leaves, his very expression saying, "Can you please get off my territory and come back later..."- of course, he didn't actually SAY this. The only thing that made it hard to take Jace seriously were the few red petals still stuck in his leaves... He clearly did not care.
"I hope you have a good reason for being down here at this time." he grumbled tiredly.
"I'm not intruding, am I?" the palace staff asked... Though, he felt it was an obvious stupid question, given Jace had clearly just woken up.
"No, I'm always wide awake and around at four." Jace answered sarcastically. "I'm gonna hope this is an emergency, otherwise I'm going back to bed."
The nameless scrub glanced away... Jace was very crabby. The scrub's leaves bounced and he nodded, "King Auran needs you at the palace right away. He specifically requested for your presence, Mr. Leavance."
Jace rubbed his face and murmured "Oh, gods..." before adding "Fine... I'll head over right away to see what the Royal Hiney wants."
The palace staff bowed a bit, before scurrying off. Jace was left to walk back inside and get ready to leave. He got dressed up and slipped his gear on, then put his boots on. He walked back to their room and grabbed his ponytail and fastened his feather grass leaves up as usual. He turned when he saw a light hit the wall, and it was Iris tiredly peeking her eyes open at Jace. She squinted, noticing Jace looking like he was about to go somewhere.
"Jace?" She asked.
"Sorry for waking you... Auran's called me to the palace for who knows what." he said that with a grumpy growl in his tone.
"At this time?" She seemed surprised. Jace nodded lightly, then walked over.
"I'll be home soon I hope." He leaned down and pressed his snout to her forehead, then continued. "You get some sleep. Later today, we'll head over to your parents if you still want to?"
"Sure...~ Love you..." She laid her head back down and rested it in the comfort of her soft pillow and petals and shut her eyes. Jace whispered a small "I love you, too." then left.
Jace walked out and into the morning air, wiping his hands along his head to rid himself of remaining petals. He was still tired, but knew he couldn't go against king's orders. If he was requested presence, he had to go. Each step through the forest and to the village felt long and heavy. He passed through the village silently, and made the usual trip till he reached the main swamp. He hopped across the water- occasionally landing on a lily pad, then made it to the palace gates. Instantly, he was allowed entry by the gate guards. He sighed, glad he was finally here. The rest of the way was a straight walk through the hall and into the throne room. Auran stood over a table in the middle of the room, looking over a map with the staff he sent to fetch Jace. The king smiled as he took notice to his surrogate brother.
"Jace! Glad you're here!"
"Auran, what fantastic reason do you have for dragging me out this far and so early?" Jace asked, actually very curious about Auran's reasons.
Auran responded, "I have a very important package that needs to be delivered to the Clocktown Mayor. It was supposed to be delivered yesterday..."
"Why couldn't the errand boy do it?" Jace cut his eyes.
"He's come down very sick, and this package has to be delivered today- it cannot be any later. You're the only other person I could think of who could make it to town and back quickly. I mean, you're amazing with shortcuts."
The blond scrub looked at the map, then at the package. He'd ask what's in the package, but he wasn't really too concerned. He looked down at the map, willingly showing an example of knowing shortcuts. "I know a path right through here-" he pointed at an area on the map near the palace. "that leads straight to the Swamp Tour Guide. It's quicker than taking a boat or lily pad across the swamp, it's just dangerous because of babas. Though, they're not much of a concern to me so long as I avoid them. From then on, it's just a straight walk... I could probably get to Clocktown in pretty short time."
Auran laughed a bit. "I see I was right to choose you for the job." he looked up at Jace, seeing a small petal on his shoulder. He puffed up his face and snickered. "You got a little something on your shoulder."
Jace looked puzzled, then put his hand up on his shoulder and pulled the red petal off and tossed it down.
"Last I checked, it wasn't spring." The young king smirked, making Jace roll his eyes. Auran continued, "Petal dancing...?"
"That's not really any of your concern, Auran." Jace replied straight-forwardly.
"Just a brother-to-brother question." Auran laughed, making a joke out of it. "You might end up with more than just a bud if you're not careful! I don't think the world's ready for mini-Leavances yet."
This made Jace's eyes widen before he shot his head up to glare at Auran sharply. He placed his hand down on the map loudly and barked, "I saidit's none of your business! That's my way of telling you to shut your snout-!"
Another guard came up as he heard Jace's tone. He stopped at the table, scolding Jace. "You wont be talking that way to his highness! That kind of behavior is not tolerated!"
"Go back to your post." both Auran and Jace ordered at the same time.
"Jacon is a brother of mine, he can speak however he pleases." Auran responded. The guard rudely rose his snout at Jace, then walked off back to his post. Jace hated the hoity-toity guards here and he snarled at the guard as he walked away...
"Now then." Auran looked at Jace. "You're... Very crabby... What's up? You don't usually lose your cool like that."
Jace had been visiting the palace from time-to-time to speak with the retired queen about Iris for the past month, given that Acacia was a mother figure to Jace. He'd been coming to her hoping for advice on the whole depression thing. He was surprised she'd never mentioned anything to Auran. But, she always was good at keeping private matters between herself and others.
"You know I was just playing." Auran laughed lowly. For a king, he was still obnoxious.
"Didn't you ever come to think that maybe that warning doesn't apply to us at the moment, hmm...?" Jace sounded as if he said something obvious. "Besides, not like I have to worry about anything happening..." he glared down at the map to overlook it for quicker routes to Clocktown if possible. The warning not applying to him and Iris for two reasons; One being that they wanted kids. The second being that they couldn't have any anyway.
Auran's eyes scanned over Jace for a moment, missing the last of Jace's reply. "You mean... Wait, wait, wait... Are you guys considering kids!?"
"Well, we were-"
Auran slapped Jace on the back and laughed, cutting Jace off in the process. "Haha! I figured it'd be sooner or later! Man, I'm going to be an uncle. Half uncle... Whatever, we're not related, but still."
Jace angled his eyes down at the map before glancing up at Auran. So much for forgetting about the children thing. Now he'd be thinking about it all morning... "No, Auran, you're not going to be an uncle..." Jace corrected. "Iris is sterile, so she'll never conceive. Therefor, we're giving up... We've been trying for four months now. We're through."
His highness slowly moved away from Jace, his expression falling to one of pity. Had he known earlier their issue, he wouldn't have made a joke on it. "Ohh... I'm real sorry to hear that, I had no idea."
"Well now you do." Jace sighed as he scratched his head. "Let's just not talk about this now, okay? I've been trying to keep it out of mind..."
Auran gave a nod... "Sure, I understand."
The frustrated tunnel scrub snatched up the package, before realizing what he did. He hoped it wasn't fragile... Oops... "Anyway, I'm gonna go deliver this thing."
"Hey, when you get back to the swamp, stop by here before heading home." Auran said. Jace stopped to look at Auran, then nodded with a small "Okay.", then walked out.
Jace followed the jungle path, and over some time it lead out near the tour guide. It was a long walk through Termina field and to Clocktown. By the time he got there, the sun was up completely over the horizon. He did as told and delivered the package safe and sound to the mayor. He left the mayor's office and got himself a drink at the Stockpot Inn, then headed out southward again. As he returned to the swamp, he stopped by the palace again- tired and sleepy. He realized it was a stupid idea staying up so late last night... But at the same time, he would have regretted it had he not since he managed to cheer Iris up. Had he known he'd be woken up for an urgent run to Clocktown, he'd have gone to sleep early... By the time he returned to the swamp, it was nearly twelve pm! He didn't realize how much time he'd wasted in Clocktown.
But his work was worth it. He was paid for it, and it was a lot, too! After a thank you from Auran, he hopped the swamp water, crossed through the village, and made his way home. Instead of returning home down and tired, he walked in smiling. There were some things moved in the house, so he knew Iris was up by now.
"Iris! Guess what? I got paid today for running an errand for Auran!" he called out. He chuckled as he laid the little sack of rupees down on the table in the den so he could take off his boots. Though, Iris was awfully quiet... He grabbed the rupees again and slowly looked around. "Iris...?" he called her name hoping she would answer, but she didn't. He was a little concerned now, and his deku smile vanished.
He quietly stepped down through the hall and peeked into their room. He sighed a breath of relief when he saw her standing at the old scuffed mirror. She looked to be focused heavily on something, to the point she didn't even notice Jace.
"Iris, are you okay...?" he could see her expression somewhat in the mirror, but he couldn't tell if it was a look of sadness or not. Her leaves twitched as she finally noticed him. She turned to him shakily. "J-Jace... I think... I think I..."
Jace's eyes went wide at what he saw and he dropped the sack of rupees by his bare feet. His heart started racing, and his eyes fixated deeply on Iris' leaves. Or, more specifically, a closed flower in Iris' hair that was still alive, that sat right on the side of her head. He was like a deer in headlights and he just gawked as his heart jumped into his throat. He finally began to step toward her slowly. When he stood right in front of her, he reached up to feel the flower- as if feeling if it was actually real. Because, he wasn't sure if his eyes were bluffing or not, or if his lack of sleep was making him see things. Maybe he fell asleep on the couch when he stopped at the Inn in Clocktown and was dreaming? But... It was real. It was fastened tightly between her leaves, so it was very alive.
Iris was trembling and she focused on his shocked eyes. "A f-flower lived over night... J-Jace, I think... I think I'm with bud..."
When Jace tried to talk, all he did was choke on his word and he went quiet. His chest puffed out with a deep breath he'd taken in, before releasing it in a rusty manner. "It... It's alive... Iris, Iris! W-we did it! We found a fertile one!"
She looked down, trying really hard to find something to say without crying. Jace knew that though it lived overnight, doesn't necessarily mean it'll stay. But the fact it made it this far was good news. Maybe- just maybe, this one will be that answer to their prayers?
She stumbled forward and crashed against her spouse, crying against his chest. He embraced her, running a hand along her head. He squinted his eyes shut and rested his snout on her head by the bud, and a single tear rolled down his face. "I'm so happy for you, baby... Iris, I'm so proud of you... By the gods' will, we did it-!"
The moment felt a bit overwhelming for them both, in ways they didn't know how to grasp. For something so small, it felt really... Huge. After such an emotional struggle, this was a lot to suddenly take in, but they couldn't be happier... What a happy new year this had begun to be…