Breaks:

[L1,2 or 3] represents the beginning of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives. There is more than one past life, which is why I have put up the numbers. Though, these memories are usually told as she sleeps and Elena herself cannot remember them.

[/L1,2 or 3] represents the end of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives.

[P] represents the beginning of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

[/P] represents the end of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

~3~ is just a time skip

Something was up with Moon. Ever since his abrupt crying session in Botan's hut he clung to me like how a newborn clung to their mother. While I enjoyed Moon's presence and we often spent days on end together, it wasn't quite like... this.

Moon wouldn't let me put him down, not even so he could go fetch his hammer. If I somehow managed to get him off my shoulders or out of my arms, he never went far enough to be out of sight from me.

Most distressing of all, when my monkey friend looked into my eyes for too long, his would get misty and then he'd be clinging to me once more. To be honest, it made me uneasy. It felt like Moon was anticipating something inevitably horrible to happen to me and was drinking in every moment he had with me in response.

That evening, after more time spent in the village than I was comfortable with, I showed the party where the fruit grove was like I had with Yugo that morning. Evangeline and Dally had rejoined the group sometime after the midday meal and they'd all stayed within Botan's hut to talk about boat building when Botan had returned with the book on boats. With the topic of end of day meals on my mind and the need of a quick bathe also taken into account, I told the others that I could go fetch some fish and that I'd meet them up at the Summit Tree later.

With that, I went off towards the ocean through my portals, glad that I could used them again after so much walking around on foot. Moon joined me of course, not wanting to leave me alone, and only waited by the shore because he didn't like swimming in the ocean. That I could understand with how different the ocean waters are compared to the freshwater of the island.

There was always a time limit to how long I could swim in freshwater, my fingers and toes often shriveled up as consequence, painfully so if I tried to stretch it. Ocean water didn't seem to have that though as I could swim for however long I wanted without getting shriveled fingers. If there was a time limit to how long I can swim in the ocean, I haven't found it yet.

Of course, to Moon, he was probably more weary of the dangers of the ocean than any dangers that freshwater can bring. On the island there was only the one spot with the current that could suck you under the mountain and it could easily be avoided because of how slow it was to pull one in from afar. In the ocean however, there were several dangerous currents to watch out for; ones that smashed unlucky fish against stone in storms, that dragged you out to the deep depths of the water if you weren't careful and ones that pulled things into the sand at the ocean bottom.

If none of that caught you then it was the life in the ocean that you need be weary of next. In fresh water, the biggest thing that swam were the snakes but they could live on land too. As for the ocean, there were several moments where I came across creatures just as big as me in there, and creatures even bigger. Sometimes they surfaced for a moment in the distance, well away from shore, while other times smaller- and perhaps younger- creatures might chase prey until both have wound up too close to land and unable to return to their home.

As I swam in the ocean today though, it was for a smaller variety of sea creature.

With the sun slowly setting overhead the water became darker under the surface nearest the bottom, but it would still provide just enough light to spot the sea floor. To avoid how the warm water pushed up against me, I swam with several medium sized stones in my arms.

The trick to catching this creature I was after was to get close to the sea floor, but to never touch it, as it liked to lie in wait just under the sand. Although much calmer below the surface, the ocean still constantly rolled the sand, which made any difference in it's surface that much harder to spot. For a creature that laid in wait for it's pray to step on it before it stuck with it's long barbed tail, it was a brilliant move.

Usually I wouldn't try to go after such a large and difficult to catch creature. It would be much too big for me to finish all alone. But there were guests staying at the Summit Tree with me tonight and I had a good idea as to how to get it out of hiding.

It wasn't too often that I ventured under the water, but when I did, I could hold my breath for quite a decent amount of time. I was nearly out of air however, when I finally spotted a suspiciously long dark spot in the sand that clearly wasn't just another jagged stone or broken piece of sunken ship. Excited that I'd finally found my creature some few feet beneath me, I picked out one of the lightest stones in my arms while balancing the rest in my other arm as best as I could, and aimed. Throwing something in water wasn't exactly the same as throwing something out of it. With the water being denser than air, twice the amount of effort needed to be made to throw something under water the same distance you would above it. That effort was enough to spin myself partially around before I'd even let go of the stone, which left me scrambling at the water to face the right way again. By the time that I managed to turn myself around again a large cloud of sand had already been dredged up, murking up the water.

For a moment I was incredibly disappointed, knowing that the large and flat creature could be very quick in the water, until I managed to spot it through the slowly dispersing sand. It looked almost like a snake with how quickly it's thin tail disappeared behind a giant pink leaf-like coral that was larger than two of me stood side by side. I wasn't nearly as quick in the water as I was with my portals in the air, but without stones weighing me down I was still pretty fast.

With just a few kicks I managed to skirt around the edge of the sand to avoid as much of it going into my eyes as possible and reached the large underwater plant life. Not wanting to alarm the creature much more than I already have, I poked my head around one of the large petal like portions of the coral and looked around. There was a second spot of lifted sand just ahead, between another leaf-like coral and a bright red branch-like coral, where I could just spot the deep blue and white spotted back of the creature. For a moment I almost grinned at the find- the creature was well large enough to feed the entire party of adventurers and myself, especially with all the fruit I'd left them to gather- but stopped myself short of opening my mouth to avoid loosing precious air.

Not wanting to get too close I lifted a hand and prepared to cast a portal in front of the creature, ready to catch it for when it darted in surprise at the portal's sudden appearance. Casting a portal in the water was different than casting one in the air, something I hadn't understood until the very first time I tried to catch a fish using said magic. Even casting a portal in the ocean water was different to casting it in land water, just as it was difficult to cast portals in stone or trees or small plants. For each instance I needed to first take the time to feel the natural magic that flowed in each area and match the magic of my portal to the natural magic already there. If I didn't do that then I'd get the awful unnatural portals that had magic that tore and ripped and clashed against itself; the first portals that I was ever able to make- that I still made on occasion.

Luckily though, the natural magic in the water- ocean water especially- was the easiest that I could feel. After many years of practice it required very little thought to cast portals in the air. I didn't venture into the water too often, nor did I spend much time practicing to cast portals in it, but when I did reach out with my senses and open them to the natural magic in the water it always felt soothing and welcoming and, well, like healing. There were no worries when in the water. No troubles. I loved it.

At least, until there were water-related troubles.

Before I could make my portal there was a soft current brushed over my shoulders and across the back of my neck. At that moment my eyes caught a large, elongated shadow cast upon the leaf-like coral beside me from the little light left from above and I felt my heart trip over itself in my chest at the cold surprise that rose within me at the sight of it. Carefully I turned my head so that I could spot the monster-like creature that had swum up behind me, probably called to the area by the same prey that I had tried to hunt.

It's scales were bright yellow to blend with many of the corals down here, with fins that turned sunset orange towards the tips, and matching orange stripes. The body was narrow and sharp, much like an arrow or dart, with a thick but short tail. One of it's black eyes looked to be a little bigger than my very own, set in a sharply pointed skull that had a mouth filled with razor sharp needle-like teeth that were each a little bigger around as my thumb. As for the length, if two adult villagers stood one on the shoulder of the other, that just might match it.

There was a long moment that seemed to pass, which was most probably only a few seconds, where this creature's eye locked with my gaze. It had been swimming slowly, sedately, but I knew just how fast it's lithe body could cut through the water within just a moment. Much faster than I could ever hope to swim. And suddenly, I was very aware of my need for air in that moment.

As though it could sense what I was feeling the arrow fish snapped it's jaw closed in one quick motion, then slowly opened it again as it turned to fully face me. Without thinking I rushed to turn and open a portal between it and me. The hasty movement caused me to move back in the water, the skin of my side scraping painfully against the rough coral that was now behind me and distracting me enough to not be able to fully create a portal. I was lucky enough that the arrow fish didn't want to ram into the coral itself, as it turned it's head away from taking a bite out of me in order to correct it's trajectory through the water.

This gave me the exact opening that I needed to gain back my concentration. Ignoring the pain that had faded to a smarting sting in my side and the way that my lungs burned for air, I quickly circled both my hands in front of me while keeping a good eye on the predator. Movements that were quick and darting were hard to track, much less predict in order to place a portal perfectly to catch it. Several times I missed, the arrow fish dodging at the last moment as it felt the displacement in the water while the portal formed with just enough time for it to move away, but I managed to keep it from getting too close to me.

My head was starting to feel light, I'd almost opened my mouth to take in a much needed breath several times before I caught myself. Then the arrow fish made a turn, it's dark eye catching my gaze once more, and I simply knew that it would be charging directly at me next. In almost slow motion I watched as it approached. My arm came up, it's weight felt doubled in the water, the limb dragging. A flash of fear wrenched through me as the very real possibility of moving too slow came to mind. The teeth of the arrow fish seemed to be an inch before my nose before I managed to finally create my portal in front of me, immediately absorbing the creature as it swam straight through. I quickly followed after it and tumbled to my hands and knees upon the sandy shore of the island.

Somewhere ahead I could hear how the arrow fish tried to flop about as the very same muscles and lungs that gave it an advantage in the water became it's downfall upon the land. For a long time I simply coughed and heaved great lungfuls of air into my deprived lungs, unable to stop my limbs from shaking and feeling all together too heavy after so long in a practically weightless environment.

At some point Moon appeared before me, my hat dragged through the sand behind him with his hammer, and whimpered and cooed at me while rubbing his face on my arms in worry. When i got my breath back, I sat back on my haunches, grabbed my hat lightly and noted how the sun had fully set over the ocean.

"Hey Moon," I greeted the little monkey, giving him a light scritch under his chin. Absently I made another portal and reached for my clothes from where I had left them. My skin was already dry from any sea water, only sand on my person was left, which was easily brushed off before I redressed. Then I turned my attention to the giant arrow fish that had eventually suffocated on the beach, deep lines in the sand telling me just how strongly it fought before it eventually gave in.

With a frown I walked up to arrow fish's head and put a hand on it's temple. My eyes closed as I first apologized, then remembered part of a saying that was said to the animals the villagers hunted or butchered. "I'm sorry you're death was so painful. May the body left behind become nourishment for the plants, the animals, and the people of this island." I promised. Moon had solemnly cooed beside me, seemingly in agreement. After a customary moment of silence passed, Moon went off to gather some large waxy leaves from the nearby trees.

As he did so, I went about cleaning the fish. The head, fins, and innards were put onto the leaves that Moon eventually brought over, after I used my portals to help separate them from the rest of the arrow fish's flesh. To the best of my abilities the spine and numerous ribs came out next, but I was sure that at least some of the smaller bones had been left behind. With that done, the bulk of the meat was cut up into sizeable slabs, wrapped in more waxy leaves, and stacked into my bag carefully. Moon had dug a hole in the sand near the trees, deep enough to deposit the brittle bones where animals prone to choke on them wouldn't bother to dig them back out.

Into the hole went the head and bones, only to be covered up with sandy dirt a moment later with two conveniently placed portals. The innards would be given to the carnivores of the island that I knew would have little ones to look after around this time of year. With Moon settled on my shoulder once more, I took the rest with me back to the Summit Tree where it would be cooked over the fire or dried in the sun for later.

~3~

[L1]

With a happy skip to my step, I closed the door to the house which belonged to Tehanu and I, and shouldered the large pack strapped on my back. In the back of my mind I felt Tehanu send me a warm feeling and I knew it was her way of apology for not being here in person to say 'goodbye for now'. I sent her back a calm feeling, knowing that she would interoperate it as my 'it's okay' in return. We had already made sure to spend the previous evening together playing games and catching up for the days to come in which we couldn't. I'd miss her, and she'd miss me, but when my trip was over Tehanu would have either already joined up with me (if she was rejected) or be happily mated. And either way, when I got back to the village, we could always spend another evening together.

This would just be the first time in forever in which we have been apart for such a long amount of time.

A prospect that was both terrifying and thrilling.

I took in a deep breath of the early morning air, and slowly let it out. My soft soled shoes brushed the early morning dew in the grass and absorbed some of the moisture with every step I took towards the East side of the village. By the time I had arrived at the meet up spot, I could feel a small chill make it's way up my spine and it caused my arms to form goosebumps under my warm cloak. I couldn't have been more happier for the decision of fur on the inside of my cap at the moment though, as it kept my ears warm against the cool mountain air.

"Elena?"

Turned towards the sound of my name, I was pleasantly surprised to see Qilby walking towards me. Despite most of my face being covered by my cloak for warmth, I sent him a warm smile as he stopped in front of me.

"Morning Qilby!" I greeted happily, then noticed his attire. Thinking he was slightly crazy I asked him, "where the heck is your cloak!" and shivered at the mere thought of not wearing mine at the moment. Another chilled breeze blew by and his long hair was cast behind him.

"I was on my way to my workshop." he stated and pointed up towards the Eastern tower that we now stood at the base of. His house wasn't more than a few feet away from us. Internally, I rebuked myself for not noticing sooner.

Then he pointed to the pack on my back and asked with a furrowed brow, "were you going somewhere for a while?"

Surprised, I nodded my head. "Yeah, didn't I mention-?"

"No."

"Oh." I paused, suddenly feeling bad. I honestly thought I did. Then I tilted my head up at him with a frown. "Well, there's a special herb that I need to collect in the East. So that's where I'm going."

"By yourself? I thought all the Dragon's were busy this month."

"Yeah, Tehanu is." I said with a nod of my head, "though she might be joining up with me later too. It depends on how things go for her. But no, I'll not be going by myself."

Qilby rose an eyebrow at me, and gave a small smile. "If you were waiting here to ask me to come with you, I regret to say that I was unprepared and will have to ask you to wait as I gather my things."

My eyes widened in surprise and I quickly shook my head, both appalled to have him think I would not inform others of a trip with enough time to prepare for it and humbled to think he would stop whatever he had been doing to join me. But I knew he was very busy person and didn't like to leave his work for long, especially when he got a new idea.

"No, no, nothing like that!" I quickly reassured and rambled on, "I wouldn't just drop a long trip like this on you- or anyone- like that! I've already asked Yugo to accompany me." With how quickly I could feel Qilby's mood drop, I scrambled to make sure he didn't feel like his offer wasn't appreciated. "It's really kind of you to offer to come like that, and so suddenly too!- but you really shouldn't. I know just how busy you can get, and staying away from your inventions for too long without working on something or writing down a new idea- or blueprint!- can be very difficult for you! So thank you! But- it's... not needed?"

Heavy silence fell between us, and my heart pounded in worry. Had I explained my reasons properly enough? I couldn't think of any other way to say it. Did he understand me? Oh gosh, what if he didn't want to be friends anymore because he thought that I didn't want to be friends because he couldn't come?! The thought made me want to tug on the ends of my hair in worry. I wasn't even sure if he spoke to anyone other than me and Nora- who had hatched again a few years ago, a day or so after Glip and his twin Baltazar did.

"Erm... sorry...?" I asked quietly, then, when the silence became too much for me.

A soft sigh escaped him, and I felt myself tense. Then I relaxed somewhat when I noticed the slight upturn to his lips. "It's alright, Elena. Though I am sad to hear that you think I wouldn't be able to stay away from my work for too long. I'm not that much of a workaholic."

'Yes, you so are!' I couldn't help but think, as I remembered how restless he became whenever we happened to cross paths after I left the village. 'You'd stop talking in the middle of a sentence to write an idea down in your journal! And you couldn't even hear me say your own name when you drew a blueprint!'

Instead, I gave him a confused frown, and asked aloud, "y- your not?"

He shook his head, clear amusement on his face- but was I imagining it or did the expression look slightly strained? "I'm not." he then let out another sigh, and this one sounded disappointed, as he looked away to glance at the the tower's long shadow. It had steadily become shorter as we spoke. "Unfortunately, if you are not here to invite me to join you, then I must get going. The sun has risen and there is work to be done."

I nodded my head, "yeah, I shouldn't keep you like this. You'll end up hating me for it!" I joked, in effort to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

He snapped his head towards me so quickly, I was sure he had just gained whiplash. Expression troubled and eyes wide, "I would never." it was a statement.

A little stunned, I blinked, then gave him a reassuring smile. "I was just kidding. But, that's good to know."

Then my eyes slid away from Qilby's face to look over his shoulder, and I could feel the bright smile that wanted to make itself known when I spotted Yugo coming my way. There was a pack similar to my own strapped to his back. The rabble of butterflies took off again inside me, and I waved my friend over.

"Morning Yugo!" I called happily, and Qilby stepped aside, towards the East tower doors.

"Safe travels, then, Elena." Qilby said as he began to walk away.

I gave him a nod of thanks. "Bye Qilby, I'll visit you and Shinonome when I come back!" I stated, but I'm not sure if he heard me as the tower doors closed behind him.

Yugo stopped beside me, and when I looked over at him, he had a confused look on his face as he gazed over to the tower doors. "Qilby was out in this weather without his cloak?" he asked incredulously.

As though to emphasize the point a cold wind blew across us both in that moment, catching our cloaks and tugging at the hems. Before I could stop myself a giggle had already left my lips, my own thoughts on Qilby's state of dress brought back to mind, even as we both huddled in our clothes a little more. The cold season was fast approaching.

"Sorry I'm late, Elena. I didn't mean to make you wait." Yugo spoke then and when my eyes met his I could see how his brown hues were impossibly soft.

The smile I gave him in return had all the affection I felt for him, and only him. "Thank you, Yugo." I accepted sincerely, then turned my smile playful as we began our trek out of the village towards the east. "But...! I can't just let you get away with this, you know?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, but I could see that he had caught my playful mood. With a raised brow, "what did you have in mind?"

"Well, your beauty sleep cost us all of five minutes of travel you know!" the exclamation was made with all the faux anger I could muster despite the smile that didn't want to be wiped off my face. "So! I see it only fitting for you to take up all of after meal chores as recompense."

"Even washing the dishes?" he asked me curiously, "your favorite chore, Waterdancer?"

But I shook my head at him, straining not to smile at the use of the nickname. "You can't get out of it! Even if my strength is with water, I won't be helping you, Lightwarrior." We shared a stare for all of three seconds before our grins broke out. Together we let out our laughs, knowing how none of what I said was serious.

Eventually our laughter died and with a happy sigh I turned my attention to Yugo once more, a light feeling in my chest not too unlike flying. "So, what actually held you up?" I inquired.

"Ad had a rough sleep." Yugo admitted, "he stayed up all night with his head full of worry. He almost didn't go at all."

My smile turned sad then as I felt my mood shift with the reminder of our dragon siblings. "Tehanu left last night to avoid just that," I replied in turn. "Excused it with the need to find the very best place to build a nest before all the other females arrived."

Yugo gave me a grin. "They'll both be fine."

[L2]

By mid morning the sun had already cast it's promise for the heatwave the day would be provided. Yet the temperature below the tree's canopy was not due to be touched by the warmth of the sun for quite some time.

A shiver went up my arms when I crossed the tree line and entered the forest, my skin immediately cooled by the shadows. Not a moment later did I hear Yugo's approach and I glanced back at him curiously. There was a happy gait to his walk and a wide excited smile on his face.

"So how are we doing this?" he asked eagerly, practically bouncing to my side as though the temperature difference from beach to forest hadn't bothered him in the least. All morning it seemed that he was eager to learn as he had watched me closely for how I used my portals while preparing breakfast. "Will it be like how you sliced those kokonuts, but less messy?"

There were kokonuts again for breakfast, only the sweet water from inside of them had gotten almost everywhere when Moon had come out of nowhere and slammed into me when I had been opening them. Though I supposed I should have been expecting something like that to happen- given how Moon had been acting oddly- when I had left Moon sleeping after I had woken up this morning.

"I guess..." I glanced sideways at him. His eyes were already on me. Then he tripped for not paying attention to the forest floor instead. Amusement bubbled up within me, much like when Moon and I played games, and I looked away before he could spot the emotion in my eyes. "That'll depend on how you manage it."

"What do you mean?"

My gaze caught on a particularly straight tree, it's trunk thick enough to be cut into four separate planks of the size we needed to fix up the ship. I went over to it and placed my palm upon it's bark as I gazed up at it. From my spot at it's roots the tree looked as though it tilted towards me, about to fall and crush me despite how steady it felt under my hand.

"This one should do." I announced and beckoned my companion over.

From around my shoulders Moon let out a sigh. From the way his arms fell lax against my forehead and the weight of his body against my head, I figured the little monkey had finally fallen asleep while he held on to me. Despite his state of consciousness I wasn't worried about him falling; his grip on the sides of my mask was still strong and his tail was still coiled around his hammer tightly. It was the odd state monkeys took when they were resting but were awake just enough to keep hanging on to what they needed to, a skill I observed that they learned when they were just babies.

When Yugo stopped at my side he too looked up at the tree, gaze curious. Then he looked over to me and I could see that he was ready to learn. So I held out a hand for him to take. There was no hesitation in his movements as he gave me his hand. I turned it so his palm faced out and put it against the tree's bark beside my other hand.

"I found it easier to concentrate when my eyes were closed," I told him first. He blinked then did just that. For a moment I wondered how to explain it, then decided that showing him would just be easier. "Do you feel that?"

With my hand still atop his I had gathered just a little of my magic there, as though I was about to create a portal. I could tell with the way he relaxed that he felt it even before he nodded his head.

"Good." I took my hand away from his and gooseflesh rose up his arm from the sudden cold. He moved to open his eyes, "with your eyes still closed, I want you to concentrate on the tree this time and tell me if you feel anything."

For a moment I watched as his nose scrunched and his mouth fell flat and how his brow pulled together. Somehow the expression was familiar to me- like I'd seen it a hundred thousand times before- and endearing all at once. Moon let out another quiet sigh from atop my head and brought me back to the present. I mentally gave my head a shake, wondering why I blanked out. Physically I gave an actual shake of my hands before I placed them both on the tree's trunk.

Like the magic that lived in me, the tree had some of it's own. The first time I found out about it was also the day that I met Moon.

[P]

Something soft thumped to the ground beside me, jolting me awake. Wide eyed, I glanced about, uncertain. Then my eyes fell to the soft yellow fruit that was on the snow covered ground before me and the gnawing hunger in my gut came back full force. In an instant I snatched up the fruit, desperate to eat it. It was a lot softer than the other fruits that I found and I felt grateful.

I had tried to smash a stone against the outside of a fruit but it was the stone that broke apart in shards rather than the fruit and I soon found myself with a profusely bleeding injury right beside my right knee. Bloody injuries were dangerous in this cold weather, villagers had died from this sort of thing before. There was nothing that I could use except for my hat to stop the bleeding. The leaves that covered my body would rip if I tried to use them, and with no Mommy near to keep the leaves fresh they would soon wither and crumble away.

Desperately I wished to be back in the village, that my mask hadn't been burnt. At least then I could have simply gone to the healer and had a cloth wrapped around the injury. Unsure what else to do, I had dug my hands into the frozen earth and pulled up as much of it as my fingers could scrape away. Pressing the frozen earth to the wound, hot tears had rolled down my cheeks at the terrible sting the injury gave me for the effort. I didn't let up however. My leg had long gone numb from the cold by the time I was sure the bleeding had stopped, the skin around the area both muddy red with dried blood and blue purple from the cold. Then I'd passed out.

Licking my lips for any remnants of the fruit I glanced down at my leg now. The side of my knee was still covered in discolored mud but it looked like it had frozen over during my time asleep. Carefully I poked at the lump of dirt on my knee, only to breath a sigh of relief when it simply crumbled away without any fuss.

Then I looked around the area, remembering how the citronana had thumped to the ground before I grabbed it. Maybe there would be more?

That's when I'd spotted it. High in a tree was a little brown furred monkey. Brown eyes stared down curiously at me from a round and chubby face. It was only when I'd spotted the hammer waving about behind it, a tail wrapped around it's handle, that I realized who it was.

"Moon," I whispered, awed. He was the deity that visited the village once every full moon. With each offering of food we gave him, he would look after us for the next moon cycle. At least, that's what Mommy had told me. Only when I'd spotted another cirtonana in the monkey's hand did I realize how he was the one who had thrown down the first one. Unbidden tears began to build up in the corners of my eyes, my heart fluttering.

"Y- you're h- hel- leping me?" the hitch in my voice was involuntary but it had made itself known anyways. There was a soft coo and a cautious Moon was making his way down the tree he was in. He stopped when he was at the base of the tree and stared at me, movements uncertain. Then he tossed me his citronana.

This time I reached out for it carefully, watching Moon as he watched me. When I held the fruit in my hands, it was warm, just like the previous one. Tears fell earnestly now.

"Wh-why?" I asked him, desperate to know but also knowing that he would never respond. At least not in a language I could understand. Instead I clutched the citronana close to me, not wanting it to be taken away and dreading that it was just a dream. "I... m- my mask wa- as b- bur- burned. I'm an- an out- cast. N- not part of t- the vill- llage anymore."

Slowly Moon approached me more. He stopped when he was only a few inches away and sat in front of me, between my spread legs. His gaze jumped between the citronana in my hands and my face. I hiccuped and cried some more, overwhelmed and confused. Surely the village's protector would know to stay away from me. Yet here he was before me, and somehow I could feel how worried he was.

Hesitantly the deity reached out towards me, towards my hands. I flinched at his touch and Moon jerked his arm back. It felt like his hand was on fire. After a moment I realized that it was actually that I was just extremely cold. When a few moments past and I didn't make any other movements except to watch Moon and cry, he reached forwards again. Quicker than I had ever seen anything move, the monkey peeled the cironana for me. With part of the peel in one hand, Moon used the other to move my hands towards my face in a clear gesture for me to eat the fruit. Then he looked down at my knee, cooing again softly and pressing the inside of the peel to the injury in a patting motion.

For a long time I simply sat there and stared. Stunned.

Eventually Moon turned to look at me again. I got the distinct feeling of annoyance from him the moment that his eyes dropped to the still uneaten fruit in my hands. A low chirp of a growl left him. I ate the citronana.

Appeased, Moon went back to petting my injury. At first I had expected it to hurt- he wasn't exactly being careful despite his clear intentions- but I could barely feel anything from how cold I was. As though reminded of the fact, a violent shiver went through my body then. I couldn't really feel anything right now. My eyes closed as something overwhelmingly sad reared it's head in my chest. I would die out here, in the cold, wouldn't I? I just wanted to be warm again...

That's when I realized something rather... odd. I could feel how something warm pulsed in my chest. I wasn't my heart, though I was sure the organ was still warm enough. This... something, seemed to be beside my heart... or surrounding it? It was hard for me to tell. Mentally I probed at this something like how I could mentally check for aches and pains on my body. It seemed to respond eagerly almost like how the gobballs ran towards their feeding troughs when they were filled. As though moving a limb that had fallen asleep I prodded at the warm something some more. I wanted it to-

A sigh left me as the something jumped to do as I wanted. It spread out from my chest, reaching out to each of my limbs and willingly giving out it's warmth.

When I felt sufficiently warmed I opened my eyes slowly and started back with surprise. There were glowing lines all around me! Rivers of it in the ground, small veins of it reaching up into the plants, many of which had roots that reached out to touch and feed off the rivers in the ground. Even animals seemed to have the glow within them, though in even smaller amounts than the plants. Then I looked at myself. There were no small veins of the glow that went through me like the plants and animals.

It looked like my entire body was on fire with the stuff.

[/P]

Concentrating on the magic of the tree wasn't an easy task to do. It wasn't as though the magic inside the tree had a color that I could associate with it; all magic was blue. Simply blue. What made the magic different from, say, the magic in the ground I wasn't entirely sure. Maybe it had to do with the way it was used. Perhaps it was because it was housed in a different entity. Either way, I needed to search for a little bit before I could find that distinct signature of magic that was all plant.

Remembering what I had asked of Yugo, I decided to help a little. Feeling for the magic was easier to do with both hands, but he could only use one at the moment.

Changing my own magic to match the signature for plants was difficult. Other than with water, my magic didn't like changing it's signature. It took a moment before I had managed it. Magic altered, I pushed it into the tree, inflating the magic already there until it would be impossible to not feel it for someone who was looking for it.

Yugo's eyes flew open with surprise, his hand still on the tree like me. "Woah." He stared at the tree like he'd never seen one before. "What... what is that?"

I grinned behind my mask while he looked over to me for his answer. "Magic." I answered simply, tilting my head to one side happily. "If you look for it... well, the magic is all around us. In you. In me... Everywhere."

Silence followed as he seemed to take that in. Then he let out a near silent breath, blinked and looked back to the tree. I hadn't even noticed that we'd both been staring until that moment.

"Alright," Yugo started and craned his head back to look up at the tree. "What do we do with it?"

"Well... this." Bent low to the ground I dragged by palm across the bark of the tree while I circled around it. As I went I drew the magic that I had sent into the tree to my palm, coaxing a portal into existence just within the tree's structure. Just before I completed the circle I looked up at Yugo's stunned expression, "step back. We're going to have to move fast."

Eyes widening, Yugo moved back. I could feel more than see how he moved in a ready stance, magic on stand by for the moment he'd need his portals. I completed the circle and sprung back myself, then kept on moving backwards.

Within an instant the tree began to fall. It didn't tilt sideways or make any noises of protests. The tree went straight down into the portal that had opened up just wide enough to fit the entirety of the trunk. Leaves hissed as they fell with increasing speed, only to rattle as the branches they were on were sheered off when the trunk they grew from disappeared without the rest of the limb, leaving them to thump to the ground in heavy heaps as the wood snapped and groaned at the point of separation.

When I deemed myself far enough back to not get hit by any stay bouncing branches I quickly opened a portal for the tree to shoot out of sideways. Out the tree went of the portal, making a noise much like air rushing by my ears when I was falling from somewhere up high, only to fall to the earth with a heavy clunk clunk and come to an uneasy stop as it lost it's momentum. It's bark had been completely stripped, leaving smooth wood behind with only the markings of knots left behind to show where it's many branches used to be.

Almost frantically Yugo looked between the fallen tree that had appeared out of the portal and the pile of branches on the ground that still had yet to settle. There was a giddy air about him now as he continued to bounce between the two spots with excitement in his gaze. I spotted how he kept fisting and unfisting his hand, how he kept bouncing from one foot to the next. A pleased feeling fluttered in my gut; I could practically feel what he felt as though the emotions were my own.

I knew I didn't really need to ask. "Ready then?"

And I knew his answer even before he turned his eager gaze to me. "Absolutely."

~3~

As soon as a portal is made it becomes a fixed point. There was no chance of the thing moving around. If an object for the portal was too big, but went in anyways, well what didn't fit would get sheered off the sides and simply not follow through with the rest of the object. It's what made cutting something, like a kokonut so much easier. Without much effort on my part at all, I could simply sever a kokonut's hard shell by opening a portal just big enough for the fruit to fit, and close the portal when it's part way through. Whatever had entered the portal will stay within it until I opened another one. And I've found no limit to how much a portal would allow to go through it.

The trees that we cut needed to be made into long thin boards to suit the boat. If the villagers actually had the right tools, they might be able to get one tree done every few days. But even with our portals in fixed points, I knew that Yugo and I could cut the trees in the planks that were needed in under a few seconds. It just needed to be timed right.

When an object left it's portal, it often shot out like an arrow from a bow. The longer the object was left in the portal without a way out, the more forcefully it left from the exit portal. We were going to use this effect the portals had to our advantage. As soon as the felled tree started to exit it's portal, two more could be opened just inside of the tree at a side angle. The momentum the tree had gathered while in the portal would keep it moving at a steady rate over the side portals, effectively cutting the wood into planks.

Of course, with only being able to create two portals at once- an opening and an exit- this would have been an impossible feat all on my own.

I had expected a lot more blown up trees than just the first one I had felled. Yugo had walked up and down the tree's length, practicing. Parts of the tree blew up with angry not right portals that disappeared almost as soon as they were made. Every time he asked I demonstrated to him how I adjusted my magic to match the tree's all over again. By the time he managed to get the adjustment right five times in a row, there wasn't much left of the tree anymore but it still looked better than when I had practiced the same thing a long time ago.

With the sun at it's peak in the sky, we decided to break for lunch. We opened our portals and went up in the trees, where I showed Yugo the area that the village was in.

"What's wrong?" I asked when Yugo didn't immediately head out. There was a strange look in his eyes as he quickly looked between the spot I pointed and me.

"Where are you going?" Yugo asked instead, making me pause. I stayed silent, unsure what to say as I tried to figure out why that mattered to him. That's when I caught the steely determination in his eyes and in the way he'd straightened his shoulders. He didn't intend to leave me alone.

Wondering if my conclusion was right and dreading if it was wrong, I simply opened some portals big enough for us both in silent invitation. It felt like something fluttered around in my gut as Yugo stepped closer without any hesitation, ready to follow.

We went to the same fruit grove that I had shown Yugo and the others the previous evening. As soon as we arrived Moon hopped off me and happily went to gather things to eat. While we ate Yugo told me of how they had won the boat that had crashed, describing a game played with gobballs that were bred for that very purpose. It fascinated me and made me want to try the game too. There were no games like that in the village, the gobballs were bread as food, with their shed fur used to pad beds.

Then, when his story was done, "Elena..." The call of my name was gentle but cautious. It had me give Yugo my undivided attention immediately. It even had Moon look up curiously from his very important meal. There was a look in his eyes as he stared steadily back that made me uneasy. Yugo's hand began to curl into a fist over his knee, the material bunching under his fingers. "Why..." he swallowed like something got caught in his throat. "Why do they treat you that way?"

Unbidden, I felt how my ears fell back against my head. My gaze dropped and landed on the mask that I had taken off while we ate. Like with Moon, I felt at ease with Yugo. But I didn't know what to tell him other than-

I took a fortifying breath. "I don't think it's me... that they don't like." I stated quietly, unable to bring my gaze back up to meet his. His question was one that I had asked myself, many times, over the moon cycles. When Botan Ficus lived with Moon and I in the Summit Tree, that question had often been on the tip of my tongue. I still wasn't sure if I actually wanted it answered. I didn't even know what I'd do with that knowledge. But I had my guess.

"I think..." Carefully I held out a hand with my palm up and I let my magic manifest itself into a portal there in the air above it. "They're scared of this. What it can do. What I could do with it." My hand went back to my lap and I fiddled with the hem of my trousers. My voice became impossibly soft. It was a struggle to get the words out of my mouth. "It didn't help... that there were many villagers who... disappeared around the time my magic showed itself... and that they stopped soon after... the village... the village cast me out."

It hurt more than I could say when it was finally said out loud. With my eyes closed, I worked to even out my breathing again. Something in my chest hurt painfully from the words I let out, the truth of it cutting into me despite how long ago it had occurred. A soft brush against my arm caught my attention, startling me. But when my eyes flew open I only found Yugo beside me instead of across, his free hand palm up offered to me. While confused at the gesture, I could see the earnesty in his eyes and read from his posture how he meant no harm.

When I placed my hand in his, Yugo slowly guided me closer letting my hand go when it was near his ribs before he slowly curled his arm around my waist. Closer I was pulled until I could comfortably rest my head on his shoulder, like he did on mine. I had been tucked against his side in a way that wouldn't bother his injured shoulder.

"Wh... what are you doing?" I asked softly in my awareness to how close we suddenly were, completely stiff and unsure what to do with myself. At the question Yugo's grip around my waist tightened but not uncomfortably. If anything, the longer we stayed like this, I couldn't shake off the growing feeling of safety it gave me.

A heavy breath left him that I could feel brush against the back of my neck and shoulder. It sounded rough with emotion, angry and sad all at once. "A hug." Yugo said, his voice in my ear was just as soft as mine had been. "It's better with two arms but... this'll have to do for now."

I tried to remember all the times that I'd gotten physical contact like this before. All I could recall were the times when Moon clung to me when I moved or patted me when I wasn't feeling happy. Maybe a pet if Moon was feeling especially affectionate. Being given a hug... I don't recall it being done before. Did the villagers even do anything like this? But it felt nice, just being held- startlingly so. And I didn't want to stop either.

Still, "w..why?" I had to ask. The question came out quieter than I had intended it to be, it was somehow difficult to force out of me. And for a moment, I thought Yugo hadn't heard.

"Because you need it." The answer was resolute.

Something in me sung at that.

Even stronger came a relief of tears that had so many emotions mixed in that I wasn't entirely sure where it had originated from. All I did know was to be careful of Yugo's injured shoulder as I wrapped both my arms around him in turn and clung tight as the feelings washed over me.

For the first time since I could remember I cried knowing that someone was there with me. And when I was exhausted from the emotions, weak from their rampage through me, I trusted that it wouldn't be used against me.

A/N: Welp... I started this chapter thinking 'bonding moments!' and 'they finally get to leave the island!'. Then this was what came of it.

Also, thank you to everyone to wrote me a review! 3