"Welcome to Atheia Bones and Bartleby." A nearby Atheian guard said.
"Fone!" Thorn said happily.
"Thorn!" Fone replied as he went to hug her.
"Master Fone it is wonderful to see you again." Taneal said.
"It's great to see you too." Fone replied, hugging her; he then looked around. "Wow, is this the royal palace?"
"Of course, would you and your cousins like a tour?" Grandma Ben said.
"We'd be delighted." Smiley smiled.
"And afterwards how about we show you and Thorn around Boneville?" Fone suggested. "You two have actually become famous there since we told them of our adventure."
"I'd love to see Boneville." Thorn smiled.
"Hey don't forget me!" Ted piped up.
"Of course not." Fone laughed. "Great Red Dragon, you're welcome too."
"Thank you Master Fone Bone." Red Dragon smiled. "And you can just call me Red."
"So long as you just call me Fone." Fone smiled back.
Thorn took the cousins and Bartleby on a tour of the palace and showed them how Atheia had improved since they had been there. Afterwards they went back to the platform. Thorn, Grandma Ben, Ted, Red Dragon, Taneal and Taneal's brother William was shown around Boneville by Fone and Bartleby while Phoney and Smiley went to their pie booth.
Since it was near the end of the year, Christmas was obviously in the air: decorations, goodies, and carolers. The Atheians marveled at everything, Thorn especially was delighted by all the holiday wonders. Unlike Boneville her people celebrated winter solstice in general rather than a specific holiday, so some of the traditions were new to her and the other Atheians.
The other citizens of Boneville obviously could not overlook the visitors, and upon discovering who they were the citizens acted like grateful hosts should, especially with Thorn. Storeowners allowed the Atheians to sample their goodies, kids wanted to ride Red Dragon – Red promised them a few rides in the park after they were done looking around Boneville – and carolers handed out sheet music so that the Atheians could learn the Christmas songs. They soon reached the park, and Fone showed them the statue of 'Big' Johnson Bone. Almost nearby was a pond, which now was a skating rink.
"How would you guys like to go skating?" Fone offered. "There's a shack nearby that rents ice skates."
"I think it sounds like fun." Taneal said.
"Yeah, I'd like to try." William agreed.
"Is it hard?" Thorn asked.
"Only learning how to get back up after you fall." Fone joked. "Nah, it's easy once you get the hang of it. My cousins and I used to do this all the time when we were kids. "How about you three?"
"No, I don't think I'm built for it." Red Dragon said.
"You might have a point, the skates are for two-legged folks and you're four-legged." Fone agreed.
"I'd rather not either, I might get skated on." Ted said.
"I think I'm too old for such things." Grandma Ben said.
"Like you're too old for racing?" Fone retorted good-naturedly.
"All right, you win."
They went over to rent skates, though it took a moment to figure out how to fit them on the humans, and then Fone began teaching them. Taneal and William got the hang of it pretty quickly, but Thorn and Grandma Ben still needed some practice.
"Ooh, I thought you said this wasn't hard." Thorn moaned as she fell for the fifth time.
"Actually I said that it was easy once you got the hang of it." Fone pointed out. "Here, let me help you."
Fone helped Thorn up and led her by the hand. As he instructed her on how to keep her balance, Thorn found that skating was actually fun. Grandma Ben took a break and watched, noting that Fone looked as if he still had his crush. Thorn too looked happy, as a matter of fact she was beginning to wonder if she loved Fone back.
"It's strange, but this actually feels right." Thorn thought. "It's as if we're the only ones on the rink and yet I know there are other bones here. Could I really be in love with him? I mean, he is selfless – he did risk his life to save me and even help me touch the Crown of Horns – but we are different species. And yet, he doesn't even seem to mind that. There are probably hundreds of available girls in Boneville and yet he picked me. I think I'd better talk to him about that later."
"Oh man," Fone thought. "There's that electrical feeling again, the same one I felt when Thorn and I touched hands for the first time. It's obvious that I still love her; in fact I think it's stronger than ever before. It's like were not even different species, weird. Could this mean that we belong together? I just wish that my heart would stop trying to leap out of my chest!"
Thorn and Fone continued skating, and then they stopped to join the others for some hot chocolate that was being sold at another booth. Thorn later dragged Bartleby over to one side.
"Bartleby, I really need to talk to Fone alone, could you continue the tour without us?" She asked.
"Of course," Bartleby smiled. "In fact I could take Grandma Ben and the others over to the Bone's pie booth. I'm sure Grandma Ben will be glad to discover that selling pies has prevented Phoney from pulling big scams."
"You used the recipes that Fone asked for huh?" Thorn said knowingly.
"Yeah, don't worry he asked Grandma Ben's permission first." Bartleby then turned to the others. "Hey guys how would you like to see how Grandma Ben's pies are selling?"
Everyone else agreed, though before Fone could follow Thorn stopped him.
"Hang on Fone I want to talk to you alone." Thorn said quietly.
Fone nodded nervously, and he and Thorn went in the other direction.
"Great, she's probably going to try to let me down easy." Fone thought sadly. "There's no way I could ever be let down easy, my love for Thorn is too strong."
After they had gone deeper into the park, Thorn led Fone over to a bench where they sat.
"Now Fone, I remember from our adventure that you have a crush on me." Thorn began.
"Actually, Thorn, I'm in love with you." Fone admitted.
Thorn blushed slightly, Grandma Ben was right.
"Yes…well…what I want to know is: how and why?"
"What do you mean?" Fone frowned, confused.
"Fone, we're completely different species, how could you fall in love with me? And why me? There are other girls here in Boneville."
"Thorn," Fone sighed. "Not even I know how I fell in love with you, but about the other girls…truth is I never had a crush on any of them. None of them interested me, though I did date a few who had crushes on me just to be friendly. Each one only lasted one night though. Now you…well, it just happened. Something opened up in my heart and…I don't know, I suddenly couldn't stop thinking about you. When our hands touched for the first time my heart started pounding…and it hasn't stopped. I don't know, I guess I just seem to automatically know you, your personality. Truthfully your personality is actually what I have been looking for in a girlfriend: selfless, a good leader, and, most importantly, kind."
"A good leader?" Thorn asked.
"Even though Phoney has pretty much been the 'self-appointed' leader of the three of us, I'm the only one who has been able to argue against his judgments. And considering the mistakes he's done in the past, it's a good thing. If my girlfriend was a good leader, then she would be able to help me stop Phoney from making rash decisions. Hopefully that would lead to Phoney making fewer mistakes."
"Oh. So, you falling in love with me, it just happened?"
"I didn't even see it coming. Truthfully Thorn if you ever dumped me it would break my heart."
"It would?" Thorn looked shocked.
Fone nodded with a sigh, and then rested his head against the back of the bench. His eyes suddenly widen as he started to blush.
"What's wrong?"
In response Fone pointed up. Thorn looked and saw right above them….
"Oh, mistletoe." Thorn shrugged at first before realizing: "Ohhhh…."
"Er, if you'd rather not follow tradition then that's alright…." Fone said awkwardly.
"Actually Fone, I wouldn't mind." Thorn smiled.
"You wouldn't?" Fone looked at her with surprise.
"Truthfully I don't know whether I'm in love with you or not…but I do know that being near you feels right, as if you belong with me. Actually Grandma Ben and I recently agreed that Atheia wasn't the same without you."
"You know, I actually started to feel as if I belong in Atheia too." Fone smiled. "Which is why leaving was hard, and what's worse I also belong in Boneville."
"I guess that's the purpose of the portals." Thorn smiled back.
They started to slowly grow closer as they talked, and before they knew it…they kissed. Fone couldn't believe it; he never believed that he'd ever kiss Thorn. He started to feel lighter, and yet he could feel his heart pounding harder, and then relaxing and moving to beating faster. He could feel electricity coursing though him, and right away he knew that he and Thorn were meant to be together. As for Thorn, she couldn't believe the change that was happening. Her heart actually started to pound before beating faster, and she felt herself falling in love with Fone. We're meant to be together? Thorn was stunned, she was meant to be with Fone! When they broke apart Fone could see right away that Thorn was in love with him.
"I can't believe it Fone, we're two different species and yet we're…."
"Meant to be, I know." Fone smiled, even more lovestruck than before.
They hugged and enjoyed each other's warmth for a few minutes.
"So…I guess you'll be coming back to Atheia?" Thorn smiled.
"Not permanently, I'll still want to visit Boneville now and then." Fone smiled back. "But there's no way I'm leaving Atheia now that it's obvious that I'm going to help you run it."
"Yeah." Thorn blushed. "I think we'd better find the others and tell them the good news."
Fone nodded.
When they did Grandma Ben, Ted, Taneal, William, Bartleby, and Red Dragon congratulated them. Phoney looked at them stunned but then accepted their relationship. Smiley however practically burst into emotional tears and hugged them both. They continued exploring Boneville for a few minutes, and then decided to go back to Atheia.