Slender, adept fingers brushed over the shiny stones in proud awe. Two whole seasons of collecting and Soul finally had enough stones to last him through the summer and fall.

Battling through snow and the reemerging bugs had been awful but as he admired the twenty sorted cinch bags lined up on his shelves he suddenly didn't care anymore. Liz and Patty would be thrilled, especially since he wasn't going to run out of product halfway through selling season like last year.

He did a quick double check of inventory: the usual quartz glass, wood, and bone from border scavenges - nothing special, but also some turquoise, aventurine, and malachite. Those had his eyes nearly glowing with pride.

Soul's workshop, a simple, small box shaped compartment nestled in the branches of a stout tree, was just far enough into the outskirts of Aerialis territory that hardly anyone ever came by.

Peaceful, secluded, safe.

The secluded fairy would often horde food and other necessary supplies to minimize the amount of times he would have to come in contact with anyone else.

Unfortunately today was the day Soul's stock of forest berries finally ran out.

He poked his head out of the workshop doorway, scowling towards the east at the bright, lush land home to his fellow Aerialis.

Encouraged by the prompting of his growling stomach, Soul let out a disgruntled sigh. Wings unfurled from between his shoulder blades with a heavy woosh - white, feathery, bird like wings.

He extended them as far as they would go, flapped once.

Such a private lifestyle meant he hardly ever left his workshop, hardly ever exercised his wings. Maybe alone they were impressive, but compared to the other Aerialis fairies Soul's wings were dull gray/white, scrawny at best.

It was five minutes by air to get to Jacqueline's.

"Thought I'd be seeing you soon," she said when he showed up at the back door of her small tree hollow.

Soul made a sound of reluctant acknowledgement.

Out of all the Aerialis Jackie was probably the least… extravagant, often in a plain dress cinched at the waist, hair in a single dark french braid, and with simple, smooth off-white wings.

Jackie was actually quite pretty, Soul thought, but not in that hypnotizing, chest aching sort of way. It was more of a safe feeling.

Soul thought of the flecks of gold in Liz and Patty's feathers, and how Tsubaki's wings made his look like a plucked chicken.

"You know your brother has been asking about you," Jackie mentioned as she finished filling a burlap sack of various fruits. "Comes by almost every week. I think he's hoping he'll run into by chance."

Soul groaned. "Tell him-"

Jackie chuckled. "That you're busy?"

"Yea."

"Soul I do but it's really hard to keep asking the leader of our clan for a rain check." She handed him the bag. "For the sake of his sanity and my doorknocker please talk to him."

"Ehhhhhhhhh." Soul took the bag and began slowly edging towards the door. "Can't you just give him a couple pomegranates and tell him to check back next year?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "I should tell him you've had a change of heart. That you're sorry you haven't been in touch, and that you've actually been considering asking him to find you a girl."

Soul's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."
"A Draconis girl. To unite the valley and all."

Soul almost dropped his bag of fruits.

She was kidding of course. Jackie wasn't really one to do something like that Liz or Patty for sure.

But as he flew away his heartbeat was in his ears. The thought of marrying anyone made him want to pluck his own feathers out. But a Draconis girl?

He scoffed to himself, trying to push away the anxiety.

Maybe if he was struck by lightning.

Calloused knuckles connected with cheek and the young Draconis fairy went tumbling back. He tucked and rolled, then used the momentum to give himself a good push upwards. Tough, leathery wings opened and the fight was taken to the sky.

Mistake. Maka had always been best with her wings.

She followed the boy into the air. The currents were dull that day so speed was difficult, but with a hard enough push Maka was able to reach the boy and catch him by the ankle.

Dodge the jab. Knee to the chest. Block the kick.

A final punch to the jaw and the fight was over.

The boy fell to the ground in a daze, wings and limbs floundering as his world tilted off its axis.

Maka let herself drop and landed in a crouch next to him.

"I thought I told you to take it easy, Albarn."

"Oops," Maka gave Sid a sheepish smile as she rose, "I thought I did."

Sid rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Walk it off," he told the boy with a firm clap on the shoulder.

"He's fast," Maka noted as she dusted off her pants. "Can I put him on Message Relay?"

Sid shrugged. "Sure. You're Patrol Captain now, Maka. You make your own calls."

"Right." Maka nodded. It'd only been three days since her title upgrade, a coincidentally timed promotion with her 19th birthday last week.

Maka was thrilled about it. Her adopted brother, Black Star, was not.