To Vanilla- Thank you! I'm not so sure about this chapter, I can't get it right no matter what I try! But I'm glad I could help! I used to do index cards, but I kept losing them so, yeah :P And none of your guesses are right, I'm afraid! That doesn't come in until later! Again, I have no idea what I can do with this chapter- I wanted to write more Melsie, but my brain hurts and I need the story to move along but I need to develop them more and I'm tttiiiirrreeeddd.

Bibi arrived at the border first. She didn't have a hamper like Lody's, but Ward had given her a clean blanket that doubled as something to sit on. She set everything up, just a skin of water, some fruit, half a dozen biscuits and some leftover cake. Nidas had insisted she take it- he seemed more excited for the date than Bibi was. Isa sent him over to Ward's to calm down, much to Ward's pleasure. Char told Bibi to take the flowers he had picked that morning- except, in his delight, however, he set them on fire.

"Oops!" He said, wide-eyed at the charred remains. "Want one?" He offered them anyway. Bibi didn't have the heart to turn him down. She carried the blackened flowers to the border as carefully as she could. Some of them crumbled into nothing, another smeared her hand with a fine coating of ash. She had one left by the time she got to the meeting point. She put the husk down carefully on the blanket, crossing her legs as she sat.

The sunlight rippled through the leaves overhead, a cool breeze tickled her arms and face. Birds chirped and sang, rustling amongst the branches. She pushed the toes of her boots into the dirt, pushing gently at twigs, moss and leafy mush. A ladybug rested on her foot, taking flight again in an instant.

Half a shift passed.

Bibi had grown restless in this time and was hopping about, walking around the trees. She drew in the dirt with fallen twigs. She collected pinecones and found some interesting shaped leaves amongst the tree roots. She arranged these into concentric circles, swapping bits about. Soon enough, that was boring too. Bibi continued walking around. She found a caterpillar wiggling on a leaf of a bush. She watched its progress along a branch and into the foliage until her legs cramped.

She sighed, standing and stretching her arms overhead. Looking up at the sky, she saw the shift was nearly complete. She looked back to the blanket. The charcoaled flower was just a pile of ash now. Her pinecone-leafy circles had been disturbed by the breeze, a robin sat on one of the pinecones. It watched her, cocking its head this way and that. Bibi stuck her tongue out at it and it chirped, spreading its wings. She followed its ascent until it disappeared into the trees.

A feeling had begun in her stomach when she first clocked the caterpillar, but she had tried to ignore it. Now, it was nibbling through her chest.

Lody wasn't coming.

Another look at the sky. She would wait a little while longer.

Biting her thumbnail, Bibi sat back down. She set her back against the trunk of the nearest tree, a twig in her hand. She twisted it between her fingers, humming distractedly. A butterfly flapped about her head. She lifted her hand carefully, and it alighted on her twig. Blue and purple patterns adorned its wings.

She wasn't sure how long she watched that butterfly. At some point, a gentle buzzing sound filled her ears. She looked up. A sunset orange-pink orb weaved its way over, rustling leaves as it passed in its haste. It landed on the blanket, glowing brightly. Seconds later, Lody stood there, doubling over to catch her breath, hands on her knees. The butterfly flapped away.

"Whoa, you OK?" Bibi stood, reaching out. Her hands fell on Lody's shoulders.

"I'm… sorry… I'm late…" Lody wheezed. Her wings drooped, her hair was a mess. Her lilac dress was dishevelled and the skirt rumpled with smudges of dirt. Lody gripped Bibi's forearms, straightening. She pointed at herself, gasping, motioned at something behind her. Her mouth moved, but no words came out.

Bibi helped her sit down, pressing the skin of water in her hand. She guzzled the liquid, choking as it went down her airway. Bibi flicked her fingers, dispelling the blockage. Lody inhaled deeply, taking small sips instead. She rested her head on Bibi's shoulder as she handed the skin back, her breathing evening out. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I'm so late, I… everyone's on edge since you crossed and… and security has… doubled, my father… he didn't want me leaving the house… I was… the Guard spotted me trying to sneak out… but I got away. Had to go the long way though." She motioned, drawing a wide semi-circle at parts of the forest Bibi couldn't see.

"Are you hurt?" She asked. Lody shook her head, wiping at her face.

"I was so worried you wouldn't be here." She looked up, finally meeting Bibi's eyes. Her sky blue gaze melted Bibi's witty retort and she flushed.

"Saw a caterpillar." She mumbled. "And… pinecones." She picked one up, dropping it in Lody's lap. She caught it, stunned.

Lody ran her thumb over the ridges, a smile slowly dawning.

"Time well spent." She teased. "Is that cake?" Bibi nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She was mentally kicking herself in the face. First the 'I can food' and now pinecones? By the moon, why was Lody so happy to see her?

She cut the leftover cake in two. Lody ate with her fingers, taking big bites and smearing topping over her cheeks. Bibi picked at hers, squishing each bit of cake into a ball and eating it that way. If Lody thought anything was off, she didn't make a mention of it. Bibi figured it was the best way not to say something stupid.

Instead, she simply waited for Lody to relax a little, to regain some of her energy, waited for her to start the conversation instead. Lody polished off the last of her cake, wiping at the mess on her face with her fingers. She looked around bemusedly, humming to herself in a way that didn't help Bibi's thoughts or heartrate settle down. "Oh." She said, eyes widening a fraction. "I'm on your side."

"Say what?" Bibi looked up. In her bid to help Lody sit, get her fed and watered, she hadn't noticed that she had crossed the border. It was three feet away, not far, not noticeable, not at first.

"What did you say would happen if a fairy crossed?"

"Um… well, you… you'd either get pushed back or… or would go mad." She furrowed her brow, examining Lody carefully. "You didn't get pushed…"

"And I don't think I've gone mad. Not anymore than usual."

"And there wasn't a warning thing- not like when I crossed to your side."

"How strange." Lody considered the border, sighing. "That's a shame, I'm quite comfortable where I am." She still sat with her head on Bibi's shoulder. Bibi didn't mind, but now they had realised the fiasco…

Sensing her unease, Lody smiled at her, a little sadly. "I'll move back to my side. Just to be on the safe side." Bibi nodded, biting the inside of her cheek to stop a protest. When Lody moved away, her stomach twisted a little. No warnings were fired, there was no ripple of magic, as Lody returned to her side. The only difference was a little extra colour shimmering over her wings.

"You OK?"

"Yes, I think so." She spread her wings, examining them carefully over her shoulder. Bibi admired the swirls of iridescence, the sparkling diamonds interwoven in the pattern; they seemed to glitter in the sunlight dappling through the tree tops. "Oh, I'm sorry I was so late. I was really looking forward to meeting you today and most of our time is gone." She pouted.

"It's OK. I'm just… worried you risked the Fae Guard catching you, or your father being mad."

"Oh, he's always mad." Lody muttered. She folded her wings neatly against her back and sat down. "If it's not Council-related, he shows no emotion. Not unless you count complete and utter disdain for everything and everyone to cross his path." She pouted, plonking her chin on her fist, her elbow on her knee. "I wish there was a way we could get messages to each other, in case we can't meet up." Bibi started, a pondering smile brightening her eyes. "What?" Lody asked. "What is it?"

"I don't know about messages, but I might know someone that does."

"Really? Who? I mean, not that I'd know, I've never met anyone your side, but- yeah, carry on. Sorry." She rolled her hand in a 'go on' gesture. Bibi considered the biscuit selection, wrinkling her nose when she realised they had gone stale. She picked up an apple instead.

"Papi." She answered. "And Ward. Ward seems to have an answer for everything. Literally, everything." Lody raised her brows at this, intrigued, but stayed quiet. "And Papi likes inventing things. Before… before he was banished, he and his papi, they used to invent all kinds of things. He tells me about them sometimes, tries to remake them with what he's got to work with. If not, he'll draw up the plans." She smiled wistfully. "We didn't always get bedtime stories with Papi when we were little. He liked explaining his inventions to us, teaching us what he knew. Mama used to tell him off for it, but I don't think she minded, not really."

"What sort of things did he invent then?"

"Well, he and his papi ran a blacksmith. They custom made weapons, but they would… they would see a situation. Say, for example, a wagon wheel fell off. Sure, you could fix the wheel back on and it'd last for a little longer, but… Papi and Abuelo, they would look at it and they would come up with a dozen different ways to make the cart stronger, the wheel stay on, the axles to withstand journeys longer than anything anyone else could come up with... and I'm pretty sure Papi liked to work in things that were… mildly explosive."

"That's fire imps for you." Lody shrugged, laughing. "So, do you think he could invent something for messages then?"

"It's worth an ask." Bibi nodded. "He said he also invented a… oh, what did he call it?" Bibi rubbed at her chin, racking her brain. "It was some stupid name he came up with, but it was… this musical instrument, but rather than playing like a regular instrument, you had to… be honest with it? And it would play so beautifully. Mama told us this one, she said she's not heard music like it before or ever since. I honestly can't think what he called it. He also had it so you could rig it with sparkles and fire and stuff once you'd finished playing."

"I don't know what it is, but I want one?" Lody wrinkled her nose. "Is that safe?"

"Probably not." Bibi rocked her head side to side and Lody smiled.

"Your family sounds like fun."

"They're mad, I'm telling you now."

"That's why they sound like fun." She shifted, crossing her legs. "Mum's lovely, we do our music together, she helps me practise my spellcasting and we make dresses together." She plucked at her skirts. "We sell these, but what we do- and don't say I said this- is we can weave or sew charms into the clothing." She showed Bibi the hem of her skirt. To Bibi, it looked like a squiggly line that looped and curved with reckless abandon. "Sometimes we get requests for charms that bring good luck or protection charms, sometimes they're just simply to make the clothes last a little longer. We can even sew charms into baby clothing, help clean it, make it grow with the baby until the charm wears off."

"How long does that take?"

"Depending on the charm and the size of the clothes- anywhere between one and six moons."

"But… how do you transfer your spells into sewing?"

"Um… it's… OK, a lot of our spells do require some form of music. Or dance. Generally dance. But some spells, it was just too complicated, it was too time-consuming. If you missed a step, the spell could drastically backfire. So, we came up with a new way of spellcasting. Imagine you were drawing a line between each step you took for the spell's dance." Bibi nodded. "We translated that into what we now call Old Fae Tongue. There's a modernised version of it that still works, combined with wand motions and sometimes rune stones or gems or even mushrooms, but those are for more advanced spells my mother insists I'm not ready for." She made a face. "Don't tell her, but I've actually tried a few of those spells." She smiled proudly.

"How'd they turn out?"

"Rather well actually! I didn't kill myself for starters! And the snail turned purple instead of pink. You can make all the faces you want, colour-changing is very important our side."

"Why?"

"Different colours and object combinations are key ingredients in some spells."

"OK?"

"Say I wanted to cast a protection spell for example, something really basic. Beginner's level. There's three things you need- a red maple leaf, a blue aquatic lifeform and a black feather. A leaf for the earth you want to guard, a fish for the waters you want to drink from and a feather, to protect the air around you."

"Seems a bit complicated." Bibi raised a brow. "We just see our nature and use it however we can."

"That's just lazy and uninventive."

"Oh, bite me."

"Ooh, don't go there. My grandfather had a nasty run in with a vampire when he was… twenty or so summers old?" Bibi blinked in surprise. "He thought it was just a nasty legend this village had made up to deter strangers. Turns out, it was real and kind of hungry."

"How'd he get away?"

"He turned the vampire's cloak into garlic."

"Oddly specific spell."

"No, no." Lody laughed. "It is an advanced spell, but it's not necessarily a cloak into garlic. It's something personal, something worn, into something deadly or terrifying for that individual. Like, if I wanted to attack my mum for whatever reason, I'd turn her necklaces into mushrooms."

"I don't think I'd get away with attacking Mama. She does this look-"

"Oh, the you stop that look?"

"Sort of. It's more of a don't make me come over there look." Bibi tapped a finger on her chin. "Except Papi likes to challenge that."

"I'm scared to ask."

"You need to see it to… better appreciate it."

"Riiight?" Lody tipped her head to one side, nose scrunching slightly confusedly. By the moon, she's adorable, Bibi thought.

A sharp whistle caught in her hearing and she looked over her shoulder. "You OK?" Lody asked. Bibi listened for a moment. The whistle came again, a two-tone signal she knew well.

"Mama's calling me back."

"Again, how keen is your hearing?" Lody tried to hear whatever Bibi had, but she could only hear the life within the forest. Bibi's ears twitched, shoulders tensing.

"I have to go." She said quietly.

"Is everything OK?"

"I… don't know." A fourth whistle. Bibi stood. The two-tone whistle was urgent, a warning. "I have to get back." She said. "Meet me here… tomorrow?"

"I'll do my best, usual time?"

"OK." Bibi nodded. "Be careful."

"You too." Lody smiled. Bibi hesitated for a moment, wishing she had something else to say. Lody had to shoo her away to get her moving.

Bibi sprinted flat out all the way home. She made it to the outskirts of her village when she realised why her mother had called her back. Isa stood with Ward and Ferd, by Ward's doorstep, glaring at the forbidden path. Nidas was sat on the doorstep of their home, Char nestled in his lap and hiding behind his father's arms. Bibi saw Okia at the well, taking her time to fill the buckets just so she could glower at the path for longer.

On the path, the reason why Isa had called her back, a small battalion of Guard. Bibi stopped between Isa and Ward, trying not to look like she had raced back from a date with a fairy. Isa glanced at her, biting her lip. Ward took a step forward, shielding Bibi from view of the Guard.

They filed in, making three lines of twelve at the opening of the village. They blocked the path, they blocked the well, shoving Okia back into the square. They wore bronzed helmets and chest plates, greaves and knee high armoured boots, carried spears and shields, swords hung at their belts.

Okia huffed at them. Isa held her hand out and Okia stomped over to her. Isa kept an arm around each of her daughters, stubbornly clenching her jaw. She tipped her chin up defiantly as one of the Guard stepped forward. He had a purple plume on his helmet, the others had blue.

The Guard said nothing. He didn't look at them, slowly looking around the village as though it were his own. Bibi saw that, under his armour, he was kind of scrawny and pale.

"Mama, what's going on?" She breathed.

"Apparently an Imp snuck over to the Fae side." Isa raised a brow at her. "Not sure."

"Bold claims." Okia muttered, clenching her fists. The ground cracked under her feet. Isa pulled her closer, resting her chin on her head. She shook her head a fraction. Okia sighed, shaking tension from her hands. "Fine."

"Mama-"

"Not now, Bibi."

"But-"

"Not now, Bibi." Isa cut her a warning look. Bibi bowed her head. She didn't regret crossing, she wouldn't change the circumstances. But… the Guard being here, it was her fault. She crossed over, she faced the Fae Guard and the Fae Queen, she agreed to meet Lody and she didn't want to stop seeing Lody either. Her hands trembled and she focused on a pebble just between her feet.

Isa watched her carefully. The purple-plumed Guard was too close to speak. She passed a hand through Bibi's hair, staring the Guard down.

"Hello, Isa." He said curtly. He half-turned at the waist, hands behind his back. "Nidas."

"Tavian." Nidas retorted coldly. "Who'd you bribe for the promotion?" Scarlet furiously blotched Tavian's face and he snatched his helmet off, revealing thin, scraggly blond hair and icy blue eyes.

"I worked my way up, Exiled."

"I'm sure you did." Nidas smirked.

"Remember your place." Tavian hissed. His eyes snapped back to Isa. She had been making faces at him, sticking her tongue out, going cross-eyed, blah blah blah-ing. She became completely straight-faced when his attention was back on her, raising his suspicions tenfold. "We've heard rumours of an Imp crossing into Fae Land."

"Good for you." Isa replied lightly. "I also heard a rumour that Ward ate a beetle ta win a bit of limestone."

"Not true." Ward clarified. "It was a millipede for slate."

"I heard that Ferd wore his underwear on his head for a quarter." Okia chimed in. "Just because he can."

"It was a three quarters." Ferd corrected. "I heard-"

"Enough!" Tavian snapped, throwing his hands out to shush them. The trio of adults shared bemused looks. Bibi and Okia were staring at him- was he serious? "I do not come under rumours, but allegations!"

"Then why'd ya say rumours?"

"Be quiet! One of you crossed into Fae Land, so one of you must come with us!"

"Why?" Nidas asked, examining a patch of dirt on the back of his hand. "We're already Exiled, what more can you do?"

"Pray you don't find out." Tavian smiled a twisted smile, his eyes glittered with delight and malice. Isa stepped forward, pushing her daughters behind her simultaneously. She was a little shorter than Tavian, squaring her shoulders, hands on her hips. She stepped right up to him, almost nose to nose. Visible, conscience effort riddled Tavian as he forced himself not to take a step back. He met her gaze, prepared to stare her down.

"Why would one of us cross inta Fae Land?" Isa asked. Her voice was soft, quiet. Ready for ambush.

"Maybe it was you." Tavian sneered. "Finish what you started."

"Maybe you just want another reason ta kick us down. Will it make ya look better, Tavian? Will it get ya more victims- sorry, followers? More fame? More money?"

"Doesn't matter what I get from it; you won't ever see anything like it in your life." He jabbed her in the chest sharply. Deep crimson flames crackled in Nidas's hair. Char twisted in his arms, hiding his face in his chest.

Isa considered Tavian, expression unreadable. "Stand down, Isa." He advised tauntingly. "You don't want to lose anymore children. Search the village." He told his battalion over his shoulder. He turned back to Isa, opening his mouth to speak. She reacted faster than any of them could compute. She grabbed the back of his neck, yanking him down. She brought her knee up at the same time and there was a sickly crack.