Sylphiel woke. She wasn't exactly sure what had awoken her, but she was awake now. Outside, the storm had not abated, but she'd been sleeping through the thunder all night thus far. Rolling over, she looked at her clock and frowned. Midnight? It felt later for some reason. Slowly, she slid her feet to the floor and pushed the blankets off, shivering in the cool air of the room. Licking her lips, she cocked her head to the side, listening for any sign of life outside of her room.
Nothing except the thunder and rain. Getting to her feet, Sylphiel paced across the room to the door and slowly opened it. There was no one in the hall, only the door to Flagoon's room was visible, by a flash of lighting that lit the hall from the window at the end, and the windows in Flagoon's room, showing the door to be slightly ajar as she'd left it.
Opening her door wider, Sylphiel slipped out into the hall and across it, placing her hand on the door lightly, and pushed it open. Within, the room was dark, the lamp having gone out. And it was a little chilly. Poor Flagoon, he was curled on his side on the bed- as she saw in a flash of lightning. Slipping in, Sylphiel pushed the door mostly closed behind her- all but a crack and stepped over to the bed.
Reaching out a hand, she came a hair's breadth from touching him, when he suddenly rolled over, eyes wide and staring at her... in fear? Sylphiel started, pulling her hand back, "I- I'm sorry, Flagoon. I-"
Abruptly, he sat up and grabbed her hand, closed his eyes as he pulled her wrist down to his mouth and took a breath. What odd behavior, but that seemed to calm him, for his shoulders relaxed. "Forgive me. I don't like the storm," he said softly. "I didn't mean to awaken you."
Slowly, Sylphiel's heart returned to a normal pace and she sank to the edge of the bed, hand unfolding to touch his face, "No, it's alright," she murmured. "I guess... it makes sense. Lightning would have been the only threat to you- other than Zanafaar..." Deep in her heart something within her stirred; slowly seeping out into the rest of her body. It was a warmth that made her blush and pulse flutter faster even as she swayed towards him. His thumb was gently rubbing across her wrist, and with him sitting up, they were now quite close, Flagoon gazing at her with his eyes half lidded, storm utterly forgotten now.
Abruptly, Flagoon blushed and looked away, dropping her hand as if it burned and turned, dropping onto his side with his back towards her. "I'm fine now, you can go," he told her, sounding anxious.
Confused, Sylphiel lingered, gazing down at him for a long time in which he did not move except to breathe and wince at every other flash of lightning. Finally sighing, she stood, feeling uncomfortable in her own skin, her heart still throbbing in her chest. What had that been? She couldn't tell, couldn't know unless Flagoon told her, and she had a feeling he wasn't going to. It was odd, but so was the whole situation.
In any case, she crept out of the room and closed the door behind her, returning to her own room as thunder growled outside and rain lashed the roof with a vengeance. Lightning flashed almost constantly, making it impossible to tell which peal of thunder went with which bolt. It was in that chaos Kopii closed his eyes and curled tighter, clutching his pillow. It really wasn't he who was afraid, but Flagoon.
Stupid tree.
Sighing, he rolled over onto his back and sat up, pulling his knees up as he gave in and admitted he wasn't going to get any more sleep this night and just stared at the window blankly.
Morning brought thin and gray light through the windows and it seemed as if the world had shrunken to just the island of warmth that was Sylphiel's cottage. The sky above was nothing but a solid wall of nearly black bottomed clouds and occasionally thunder rumbled in the distance, promising to be a day full of intermittent rain.
Kopii wandered down the stairs, drawn towards the kitchen by his nose and the scents that tickled it, awakening his stomach even when his brain wasn't fully functioning. Flagoon felt this was because he hadn't gotten enough sun and Kopii was simply too cotton-headed to disagree and point out that it was Flagoon's keeping him up all night that had made him tired. His body was far too old for sleeping on the ground then not sleeping at all.
Maybe breakfast and a long hot bath would help loosen his muscles? Definitely breakfast though.
Sylphiel was standing at the stove, making a feast for her guests and Kopii meandered over to the table and slid into the chair that faced her so he could stare at the body he'd denied himself the night before. Inaudibly, he sighed. If he hadn't known that as soon as she found out that he was there, inhabiting the body with Flagoon, she would throw a fit, he knew, and likely only the fact that Flagoon had control over her would stop her from killing him again with her bare hands.
That wouldn't stop Lina though.
So in short, Sylphiel was off-limits till he could prove that he was really a lot better now than he'd been back when they'd first met. After all, what he'd done could be blamed as much on Eris as on him. It wasn't easy being told he had to replace someone but could never be as good as that person- on top of that, Eris had had a skewed image of what Rezo was in her mind and if he acted on what she thought Rezo acted like, it would strike her as off and she would punish him, but if he acted like the real Rezo, she would be upset and punish him.
Damned if I did, damned if I didn't, and I'm stuck right back in the same situation with Sylphiel, only... this time I can't just destroy the controlling gem.
Softly, Flagoon inserted a thought, And you actually WANT to please her.
Scowling darkly, Kopii turned his face away from the shrine maiden's direction and looked towards the rain-splattered window. I never asked for YOUR input, Flagoon.
The tree had said its piece, though, and subsided into the humming flow of whatever trees thought of. Oddly enough, Flagoon was delighted in the intricacies of the human body's workings and was currently trying to figure out how kidneys filtered blood. Kopii could have just told the tree, but on third thought, decided to let Flagoon amuse itself. If it kept the bloody tree silent and left Kopii to think of his own gloomy thoughts, then all to the good.
"Is something wrong, Flagoon?" Sylphiel asked, turning with a plate filled with his breakfast, which she brought around to his side of the table. Today, apparently, he'd graduated up to eggs and grits with bacon bits.
Blinking and dragging his eyes from the plate, Kopii briefly pulled his lips into a smile and replied, "Tired," he admitted honestly, "The fever is gone," he added, "It was probably a one-day thing, brought on from sleeping on the ground."
Sylphiel smiled at him and set the plate in front of him with a spoon, "I'm glad," she said.
Her words made him smile briefly, heart lightening at the idea that anyone would be glad of his health. But if she knew... Swiftly, he pushed that thought away and picked up the spoon she'd given him to tend his gnawing hunger before Lina and Gourry showed up to ruin his appetite. Sylphiel set a mug of hot tea in front of him as well, and he ignored it until he finished breakfast, then settled back in his chair with his hands wrapped around the mug, absorbing the warmth from it as best he could.
"I've started working on some new pants for you," Sylphiel said conversationally, "I finally found something in the attic that was closer to your height. The waist just needs taking in."
Kopii snorted, "Keep feeding me this well, and I just might fit them soon enough."
This brought Sylphiel's head around and she blinked at him, then laughed, apparently amazed that a tree could actually make a joke. Her eyes sparkled, her smile dazzled him, and Kopii tried to hide his growing infatuation by sipping his tea.
Maybe someday... he could tell her. But not now.
I disagree, Flagoon put in with, apparently interested enough in Kopii's thoughts to speak to him again. Perhaps she would be even more upset later.
Turning his eyes away from Sylphiel, Kopii stared out the window blankly as he directed his thoughts towards the Holy Tree, No. I'm giving you to her right now. Her knowing I'm here would only make her think I'm taking you from her again, or tainting you. Let her think I'm you for now. It doesn't matter.
It does, Flagoon objected, though not overly strongly for the moment, I have seeds I must sew.
Brows lowering to make a line between them over his nose, Kopii frowned behind his mug, Once again, I'm nothing but a convenient tool. If it is that important, then let it be. Like your Chaotic Balance, it'll happen if it's meant to, so just leave it.
Still, Flagoon wasn't convinced, but also wasn't strongly against it, just stubborn, but the Holy Tree said nothing more on the subject, which was well since Lina and Gourry had just made their appearances. Sylphiel put the rest of the feast she'd made on the table and her friends devoured it. Kopii was very glad he'd woken up early enough to get some before those two had gotten up.
A peal of thunder rattled the dishes- either that or it was Lina banging Gourry's head down onto the table that had. Either way, there was another flash of lightning outside, and Kopii sighed, slowly getting to his feet and taking himself out of the kitchen and into the living room where he chose a seat near the fire to sink into and bask in the heat. He was hoping for the chance to get a little more rest before things got overly loud in the house.
It was nice not having to please anyone, not having to be anywhere on time or look appropriately Rezo-like. Hell, it was nice just living without fear for once. He slouched back in the chair, eyes half lidded as he stared at the fire, aware that Flagoon was vaguely disturbed by being so close to it, but taking Kopii's lack of fear as a sign that there was no danger.
Sylphiel smiled as she pulled a blanket over Flagoon, having found him in the living room asleep in a chair. He truly looked handsome, and she was taken with the urge to kiss his cheek as she'd used to kiss Flagoon's trunk. And in truth, Rezo hadn't been that bad when she'd first met him- she'd had a whole three weeks of white magic lessons with him that, while chaperoned by Eris, had been quite one-on-one and enlightening. Alas, considering the body he was in and her other guests, Sylphiel refrained from such familiar gestures as kisses and simply tucked the blanket around his shoulders. He stirred slightly, and Sylphiel felt a pulse of energy along her link to Flagoon, felt the Holy Tree recognize her, then slip deeper into slumber. That was fine, he needed the rest as he still looked haggard.
Turning, Sylphiel went back to the kitchen to find Lina ... Lina standing at the sink with her arms up to the elbow in soapy water as she did the dishes. Gourry was helping by drying them off and stacking them. "Oh!" Sylphiel breathed, "You two don't have to-"
"What?" Lina looked back, "We got them dirty, and we want to!" she defended.
Unable to argue with that explanation- as arguing with Lina wasn't beneficial to her health or integrity of her home- Sylphiel sank into a chair at the table with a sigh, feeling useless. Gourry grinned at her and added, "Yeah, it's fun. I used to help mom all the time. Lina says she used to work as a dishwasher in her parents' restaurant."
Nodding agreement to that, Lina replied, "Yep, that's right! I was the fastest dish washer in town, too! No one could get them clean as quick as me! Of course, that was just so that I'd have more time to do what I wanted..." ...Not to forget her sister Luna...
A smile crept to her lips again, and Sylphiel folded her arms on the table, listening. Lina glanced back once more and added, "Actually, we figured we'd help you out, what with the fact that you're feeding us and we really don't want to go out in that mess," she jerked her chin towards the window just as a flash of lighting seared across the sky. "We'll head out when it blows over, okay?"
"You can stay as long as you like, Mrs. Lina," Sylphiel replied, sitting up once more, "Don't feel you have to earn your place here. You're my friends."
Opening her mouth to speak, Lina was interrupted by frantic banging. Their heads swung around to the kitchen door, and Flagoon shuffled into view, trailing the blanket, heading to answer it. Getting to her feet, Sylphiel swiftly strode to catch up with the Holy Tree, but didn't make it before the door opened.
The man standing there was taken aback at first, but when Sylphiel stepped up, he blubbered, "Ms. Sylphiel, please- you have to hurry!" The man, who happed to be Karl Dosswig from the rebuilt Sairaag, reached towards her as if he intended to drag her to whatever destination he had in mind.
"Wait-!" Sylphiel protested, and found Karl's reach blocked by Flagoon's tight grip on his wrist. "What's going on?" Sylphiel asked, moving to get her cloak and shoes.
Startled, the townsman pulled his hand back just as Flagoon released it, nearly staggering, but the tall clone of Rezo stood imposingly next to the door, his demeanor suggesting that Karl not reach for Sylphiel like that again. "Lightning struck a tree and it fell on the Thomson house, the fire's out, but the Thomson's are hurt and so's James and his boys. They ran in to get Mick and his out before the whole building collapsed!"
Sylphiel darted away into the kitchen to grab her bag of emergency supplies, checked for the things she needed, and dashed for the door. Reaching out, Flagoon caught her shoulder and brought her close to whisper, "If you need it, my power is yours to call on," he told her.
Eyes wide, she nodded and turned, "Mrs. Lina, Gourry Dear- I'll be back as soon as I can!" With that, Sylphiel cast a smile at Flagoon and turned, dashing through the rain to Karl's soggy swaybacked plow mare and climbed on behind him as he took off.
Closing the door reluctantly- and only because the cold damp air that was blowing in was making his joints hurt- Kopii sighed. Lina chuckled, slapping her wet hands together and rubbing them, "Now!" she announced, "I get you all to myself!"
Turning to look at her, Kopii nearly paled with fear. Seeing that demented greed in her eyes made him shiver inside and he locked his face into a blank expression before his terror of her could tip her off as to what else he was. Turning, he picked the blanket off the floor and wrapped it around his shoulders as he shuffled back to his chair. "And what would you be doing with me?" Kopii asked blandly, as if he could care less.
Lina flopped to the floor in front of him, "Grill you on that Chaotic Balance thing and any other magic you might happen to know that you could teach me."
He should have known.
Although, having her sitting at his feet, avidly listening was a sudden turn in the power structure that lifted his spirits, he was still trapped by the situation, but at least he could convince her covertly that he was okay. "I won't demonstrate," he replied, "I have to save my energy for Sylphiel's use, should she need it." He inwardly winced, but watched to see if Lina would buy that half-lie. She did, with an accepting nod, and he stretched to cover his sigh of relief. If she'd forced him to use his magic, he knew that it would taste and feel like his magic and not Flagoon's, since he would be the one controlling Flagoon's power. The Holy Tree itself couldn't cast spells, after all, but he could tell her about some of Flagoon's memories of the past and about some of the ancient white magic spells it had seen performed.
And that was what he proceeded to do.