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CHAPTER 22

NIGHT OF THE SIXTH DAY

Digging up Old Dirt

By now, the town had fallen well beyond the eventide hours. The sky was canopied by the glittering velvet blue of the night world above and the town had become quiet and sleepy. There were the few adults or hasty teens about, but guards of Clocktown were sure to keep things in check if any troublemakers caused a ruckus.

Within this time, Iris and the now forest of deku were on their way to leaving town. Skits was perched on Ilye's head, and Leif was doing the same atop Iko's head. The latter mentioned had been telling everyone what she'd been up to as of late. The group listened closely with interest as their new travel companion explained her recent adventures to them. Ilye of course was thrilled by the stories. Turned out Iko was from Hyrule, like Iris! Iris and Jace knew that from when they met her a year ago... Only thing was, she refused to tell the duo how she got from one world to the other... Apparently, it was a big no-no to world jump according to Iko. She and Leif were allowed so long as they didn't let any outsiders know.

Iko had her hands behind her head as she walked between Jace and Ilye. "So, that was the scoop on my recent happenings. Found my friend after that frantic goose-chase and all was well."
"Sounds like quite the adventure! Not that I'm surprised. I'm glad you found your friend!" Iris remarked. "How have things been going for you, Leif?"
The glowing orb gave a breath to begin his reply, "Nothing out of the ordinary. Days filled with peril... Others? Doing nothing of importance and lazing about. So I have been alright."
Iris gave a small smile and sigh, knowing well what Iko and Leif's days were like. Iris and Jace had seen exactly what those days could be like for the two. Moments passed and the group fell silent. They meandered around town to prepare before beginning to head out South. It wasn't until they were right outside the town gates that Jace stopped upon hearing the sound of breathing by his head...

The blond boy looked around himself. Left, right, behind, above... Nothing. He turned his firefly sights forward only to shout in shock and double back a few steps. In front of him was a grinning muzzle of silver gleam and squinted eyes. The fox was floating upside-down in front of the lad grinning still.
"Hello, Jace! I just wanted to return these!"
Jace was still staring wide eyed when Keaton levitated some rupees to him. The boy's brows fell into irritated slants as the rupees were dropped into his hand. He was given two hundred and sixty-seven worth of rupees. This made Jace groan before he answered.
"Yeah, nice timing... Where were you an hour ago when I actually needed these!?"
The fox simply booped the top of Jace's snout with a paw before giving a clear, "Hee hee ho!" before vanishing in a puff of smoke. He reappeared by Ilye snickering. The girl shook her head. "Silver, you mustn't cause so much trouble."
"I am old, what else am I to do to have fun?"
Ilye rolled her eyes at the fox. Though… She was confused how he made it back so fast… Jace and Iris stopped questioning his weirdness ages ago.

Jace angrily stuffed his rupees into his wallet and continued on with following Iris. Iko chuckled a slight before turning a grin to Jace and Iris.
"You guys have interesting friends."
The blond boy grumbled indistinctly, leaving Iris to answer. "Yeah, he's interesting alright. Leif, Iko- meet Silver Keaton."
The fox poofed in front of Iko and held out his paw to her. "How do you do, Iko Vipin...?" He snickered. He began to float off the ground like a loosed balloon. As he floated upward, Iko reached for his paw and shook in a fast pace. Keaton turned his view to Leif and spoke up, "And Leif, how are you?"

Leif was slightly puzzled by the fox's ability to float and teleport... He kept asking himself how he was doing that. Was he animal or spirit? Most interestingly, Keaton was not talking with his mouth. Rather, he used telepathy much like Leif did. This Keaton fellow was a strange individual indeed! Leif felt compelled to ask Keaton a question. "What exactly are you? You are very spirit-like, but you appear to be organic."

Silver Keaton replied with perked-up ears. "I am a keaton, of course! You are very correct. I am organic, but I am also spiritual. Which is it? What is what? Two answers, but what am I most of? The world may never know, my friend. I see you and I share some similarities. Your species puzzles me greatly, it does."
Leif liked the old fella. He was fun and polite. And he loved giving Jace a hard time- that was something Leif found humor in. The life spirit relaxed atop Iko's head once more as Keaton got in Iko's face.

"My my, came to retrieve one of those new fancy motion pictoboxes, eh?" Silver Keaton commented lowly. Iko shushed him soon after.
"I want that to be a surprise, y'know!" she replied. "They did tell me you were a mind reader. You're a spunky old fart- I like you."
Keaton did a slow twist in the air before landing. "Why, I'm glad that I could make a good impression."

He dropped his paws to the ground and sat down. He rose himself onto his bum and hind legs, crossing his front legs like they were arms. "A bird, four deku, and a unique fellow. And me of course. This group just keeps getting bigger. And then there's the dragalfos and bald scrub. I can see the deku race as a whole plays a big part in this legend, does it not?"

Ilye rubbed the back of her head. "I think the goddesses have reached the end of their rope and are grasping at straws at this point if they have to turn to a bunch of trees."

Silver Keaton, per norm, knew something that the group did not. He trotted onward, motioning for them to follow along. "Come, let us go."
Everyone looked to each other before following the fox. Keaton spoke up, "The legend of Termina began with an ill-fate. No, not the Moonfall. Before that. Generations ago, this land's capitol was not Clocktown, but rather the Kingdom of Ikana."
Upon mentioning the name, Jace felt a slight uneasy. For what reason, he couldn't pinpoint. Perhaps it was the mention of a place in Ikana? Keaton continued on.

"When the kingdom was still standing high, Ikana was a flourishing place full of life. But it had a dark history... Termina was always meant to end by the hand of fate. The Old Gods who created these lands saw disappointment in the land and wanted to wipe it away. Termina's fate is still set in stone. Only thing stopping it are the goddesses and their soldiers sent down to Termina, for the goddesses saw hope in this land. But the giants are no longer around, and the Light Spirits have been shattered apart from each other and have been forgotten as legends by most. It's only because of Iris, Jace, Ilye... And Skits-" He felt Skits staring... "Are they coming back together again. But in the ancient past, the beasts of light kept this land alive even in times of war and the giant's upheld the order between the people the best they could. The last pieces needed to save Termina from its fate was to gather a special group. This special group were individuals with something known as "The Guardian's Spirit", the leaders being, respectively, the Guardians of Spirit. The spirit bearers were hand-picked by Her Grace herself to protect the lands. To find these special spirited people, they needed the help of the Spirit Seeker. Sadly, this group never came to be for Termina..."

Those listening weren't expecting a history lesson. And while Jace, Iris, Skits didn't mind; Iko and Ilye didn't quite understand his reasoning for bringing up Termina's history. Iko found interest in it at least, seeing as she wasn't from Termina. Leif held great interest, having not known much about Termina's beginning anyway.
"I don't mean to be rude Silver, but why the history lesson?" Ilye asked. Keaton waved a paw at her to politely shush her.
"There was one spirit bearer who kept Her Grace's mortal guardians from fulfilling their goal. It wasn't until this person realized their true calling that they truly yearned to make up for their mistakes and tried to save Ikana from its final downfall. They rode in bravely to find the Spirit Seeker, take their place as one of Her Grace's mortal guardians, and was to bring light to the war on Ikana. Sadly, it was too late for redemption and the lost bearer failed in ever gaining place among the spirit bearers. It was because of this person's folly and failure to realize their place before time was up that Termina is in eternal suffering even to this day... This person and many of the others met terrible fates. Monsters to carry out Termina's destiny hunted the spirit bearers and smote them. And our one particular rogue spirit bearer... They had a unique fate. They lived their life, but they never were happy. And no matter what, they suffered even beyond their years of living... Even in the afterlife, they never rested."

All of them listened to Keaton in wonder. Iko finally had a comment to make after Keaton had paused long enough.
"So this person really screwed up, huh? Tossing and turning even in the grave because of failure- that's harsh. So Termina's forever in a limbo on whether it's going to end or not. That explains a lot. And there's no way anyone could take their places?"
As they all traveled across the field, Keaton continued with his story. It kept them occupied as they traveled at least. Silver replied to Iko after some thought. Iris and Jace watched Keaton as he did so. Jace especially was watching hard with question in his eyes. "Well... We'd have to find the Spirit Seeker to know for sure. I've been told though... One spirit bearer is currently alive... But they haven't awakened that spirit completely quite yet. I will say, it'll be a little harder for them to awaken it due to... Strained connections. They know it is there, but they tend to pretend it is not for hard-to-accept reasons. I've been searching for this person for many years now."
Ilye leaned back a bit, wondering just who Keaton was talking about. Ilye clearly wasn't one of them. Was she? Was he talking about her? Though she hadn't said anything, Keaton had told her of the spirit bearers before in her old time. Even if she was one, she wouldn't count for this timeline, so that didn't make any sense.

"I assume it'd be a struggle for them indeed, especially if they turn away from the spirit they whence knew they had. One must truly adhere it before lending its beneficial assistance." Jace spoke out. Silver gave a surprised flick of the ear at the Leavance boy, hearing a slightly off tone in his voice. It was serious and slightly deeper, though still the same. He walked on, but stared at Jace. There was a sharp, curious look in Jace's eyes, one that truly yearned for more information. As a matter of fact, he saw a sharpness in those eyes that could cut straight through paper, which was bizarre. The fox dipped his head in a rusty manner.
"Y-yes. Exactly. It's strange... But this one living bearer has pushed their spirit away for many years now. They fear it. But one day they'll learn that it is there to help, not hinder."

"So Foxy, I follow Ilye's question; why the history lesson?" Iko asked. Not that she minded the story, she was also just curious. Jace quickly added afterward. He moved his arms behind his head casually.
"Keaton loves to tell stories. Right Keaton?"
Silver Keaton flicked an ear toward Iko and looked to her. He glanced at Jace to see his eyes softened and his tone lighthearted. He seemed to pause, as if he actually had to think of why he brought it up in the first place... He then turned forward and cleared his throat. "W-well..." he seemed to think more before replying with, "Minami the South Light Spirit was going to mention all this to you. Might as well save us a bit of time and tell you what I know. I'll leave the rest for him however."

"Aw man... And I was really getting into it..." Ilye complained lowly. She hunched forward and sighed, Skits trying to keep his balance on her head as she did so. Silver Keaton snickered at Ilye and responded softly. "Do not worry, Minami has much, much more to tell you. Consider mine a preview..."

Ilye crossed her arms. "If you say so."
"This is exciting! How often do you get to meet a Light Spirit, eh Leif?" Iko commented as she looked up to her friend. The life spirit floated off of her head and flew next to her.
"It is quite the honor, Iko. Why, not many get to see the Light Spirits in Hyrule. It is the same here."
Keaton assured Leif of his response. "That is correct. As I said before, many people in these lands have written the spirits off as legends... Myths and fairytales. Yes, this land has grown that far from the light... It is sad. But after these events, they will surely come to be known again over time."

The group continued on conversing and sharing stories as they traveled throughout the field. Keaton was through telling historical stories for now, but he quietly conjured up ways to toy with the group... The merriment and laughter resinated through the field. It wasn't until the hour passed and they began reaching the Southern Swamp outer borders that they began to settle down. Within the trees now, Iris decided they'd camp out here- out of the way. If she were honest, she was paranoid about their hunters... Where Skreemin and Drigos were at the moment was unknown to them, which startled her a tad. She hadn't seen them since last night, and she hoped it stayed that way.

Night completely took over the sky by these hours and camp was being made. Jace was setting out his and Iris' sleeping mats and blankets, as was Ilye. Leif and Iko cared not for sleeping mats, for Iko preferred a tree. Iris would as well, but she didn't refuse her sleeping mat regardless. After preparations were made, Jace got down on the ground and cleared it away and began digging a small pit. He was quick with it and cleared away anything that could catch fire. Ilye brought over some leaves and twigs for kindling and tossed them into the pit once Jace was done. The boy wiped his face with his arm then turned to the group.
"Who wants to get firewood?"

Ilye jumped up and down, "Ooh, ooh! Me!"
"Why can't you just do the magic fire thingy?" Iris questioned Ilye. "Y'know, that one you di-"
"Erm, y'know, let's make a real fire!" Ilye cut Iris off, feeling Keaton glaring at her. Apparently, the fire trick was something she wasn't supposed to do in this timeline...
With a chuckle, Jace continued. "Anyone else?"
Keaton rose a tail, and soon Leif added in as well. The life spirit flicked his tail and replied, "I will go with Silver Keaton and Ilye."
Ilye slowly looked to Leif. He was a flying ball, what could he do? It wasn't until Leif began to transform that Ilye doubled back! He looked to be organic now. A type of animal perhaps? But what animal exactly was not sure. He bore on his head long antennae-like ears that were positioned back and had diamond-shaped holes at the tips. His tail, slender and long, looking much like the ears. He had a pearly white tuft atop his head, combed at an off-center part. He had soft, grey fur that was smooth to the touch. His clothes were aged and worn with a cloak around his shoulders. He stood on paws and had hands. His body was very humanoid. Most noticeable in the dark were his beautiful, sharp yellow eyes and the tiny gleam of reflected light on his little nose at the end of his short muzzle. Leif in this form stood a good foot over the deku scrubs, and Keaton when the fox was on all fours.

"D'ahh! H-how did you-!?" Ilye exclaimed while leaning away. "Y-you were- Wait... Ooohhhhh... Yeahhh..." The girl came to realize that she'd been told of Leif's transforming ability. It was so long ago she was told though! She honestly had forgotten! It was still quite bewildering! Just what WAS he? Ilye got up close and examined him. Leif was not surprised by her reaction, seeing as he was not a native creature to either Termina or Hyrule. But if not either lands, then where? Ilye felt of the fur on his arm, and it was so soft she couldn't help herself.
"What are you? I've never seen a creature like you before..." Ilye mused.
Iko leaned on Leif and crossed her arms. Before she could say much, Leif replied to Ilye's question.
"I am a Nimmyx. I do not expect you to know much about my people, as we are not from these lands."
"Clearly!" Iko popped in. "Even I'm not sure where he came from. I found him and we hung together ever since! Don't expect him to tell ya too much though, this guy's a locked safe."
Leif gave her a short glance for her response...

The time traveler waved softly at him, "Oh no, I wont pry. Though, I would like to know more about your kind... In case I were to ever meet another one."
"Somehow, I have doubts that you would. But maybe I can make an exception and tell you a bit more on the way?"
Ilye about jumped out of her boots! "Really? That'd be awesome!"

Iris sat down on her mat and drew the covers over herself a bit. A chilling north wind blew in. "Hey, uh, that's great guys. But can you please hurry? I'm feeling just a tad nippy over here."
Before anyone could say a thing, Jace found the opportunity to be a clown and did a dramatic pose by sticking his chest out with a hand to the air. Iris saw this and knew he was about to do something dumb. He commented to the sky heroically with his other hand to his chest. "You shall not freeze to death! I will sacrifice myself for you, my love!"
Her goofball fiance did a lazy leap sideways into the pit, landing on the leaves on his side. He then rolled on his back and made an over-exaggerated "Ack!" sound before flopping his arm over and playing dead. Ilye giggled and Iko played along by removing her hat and holding it to her chest. "A ray as blinding as the sun has been blotted out... May he rest in pieces..."

Iris rolled her eyes, chuckling to herself. She tried to hold back a grin but failed. Jace flopped over before sitting up and laughing, "As the crowd mourned over the hero's sacrifice, a light dawned on him! And like a phoenix, he had risen from the ashes!"
"Bravo..." Iris said nonchalantly with a few sarcastic claps. "I give the acting a negative 1 and the trophy of dweebus."
With a playful bow- still standing in the fire pit no less, he brought his hand to himself and smiled at her. "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here forever-and-always, princess."

Iko groaned and began walking off into the woods. "Ew, let's go before they start being gross and kissy."
Skits gave a gross "Bleh" through his birdy tone in agreement.

As they gathered wood, Jace and Iris stayed behind at the fire pit. The couple talked about private matters while the group was away, like wedding plans and such. As discussion was made, Jace fancied up the fire pit out of boredom by placing round rocks he found within the area around the pit. He layered the fire pit's stone wall out a bit keep the area a little safer. Plus, it looked neat!
Quite a time passed and Jace sat on one of the rocks upon finishing his work. He made extra finishes to the pit with nothing but their future on his mind at the moment- among other things.

Iris was digging through Jace's rucksack to double check supplies. She found his rope and hookshot and became flustered. She held up the sharp-hook-arrowed device and looked at Jace with cut eyes. "Why didn't you let me use this to get up the cliff wall back on the island, genius?"

With a turn of the head and a hum, he looked at Iris and quickly spotted the device in her grasp. His leaves flattened against his head and he chuckled nervously. "Oh... I... Forgot it was in there at the time, heheh. Sorry...?"
She stuffed it back in there with a shake of the head. "Good job, babe. Next time, try to remember when you have useful tools on your person..."

Jace laughed a little before going back to patting some stones closer to each other. "I'll definitely keep note of it. So... After I explained the traditional wedding to you, would you want to do that? It'll be at Woodfall Temple."
Iris leaned back on her hand and hummed thoughtfully. "I think it'd be kind of neat. The whole pricking your finger thing sounds like it'd hurt though."
With her reply, Jace grabbed a stick and drew in the dirt by his bare feet. His feet were cloven, but not many people saw him bare foot. "Nah, I've heard it doesn't even hurt. And it's so fast, you wont even know. It's all part of the bloodline-bond. Prick your finger on the swamp rose and grasp hands and say your vows. It's to represent the unity of the spirit and soul. It's beautiful, I think. And from that day, the souls of the two beloved remain intertwined as one."

Her mind ran over the imaginings of the day she married the man who was sitting right in front of her... If she were honest with herself, she never would've dreamed of having these imaginings until recent years. Getting married... And she'd have a last name! That seemed even weirder. But the whole set up of the deku kingdom's idea of marriage was poetically symbolic. Iris sat up again, looking Jace in the eyes. "I can't believe I'm getting married."
"Same. Heck, I didn't plan this far! How do you think I feel?" Jace laughed out loud. "I should be pushing up daisies right now!"
"But you're not." she answered soflty. "And you shouldn't be for a long time."
A cocky grin appeared in Jace's eyes and Iris instantly dropped her smile.
"Well, I may not be pushing up daisies..."
"Jace..." she grumbled.
He raised his eyebrows at her and gave a soft, gentle glance of affectionate suggestion. "But maybe sometime you and I could check out the lilies and roses...?"
With a groan, she reached for a pile of leaves next to herself and tossed them at Jace's face. The tunnel scrub leaned back and laughed aloud.

"You are unbelievable!"
He wiped leaves off his snout and out of his own leaves and sniggered softly. "C'mon, I was joking."
"That is all you think about!" she barked, though chuckled between her scolding. Jace just smiled at her and replied.

"No it isn't...! Just a rare thought every now and then..." he glanced off, darting a glance at his foot before looking at her again. "It's not unnatural."
"Ugh..." she simply scoffed. She knew he was just trying to get on her nerves. She found it humorous and annoying at the same time.
He let the silence sink in before he chirped quickly. "I know you think about it, too."
"Eh, shut up..." she tossed his sleeping mat at him before leaning on his rucksack. He let it sit on his head. It was annoying on his leaves, but he felt like being silly and left it anyway. It wasn't until he got too irritated by it that he pulled the sleeping mat off his head. He held onto it and sighed. "But seriously... You mean the world to me, I'm happy to be spending the rest of my life with ya. I can't imagine spending it with anyone else. And you know, that's saying lot... A deku life is a long one. My life isn't worth living if you're not in it, regardless. I just hope you don't get bored with me."
His last words were genuine, making Iris soften her sights at him.

"Believe me, you're everything but boring." she giggled. He gave her a genuine, honest smile. No smirk, no cocky 'brow. His rounded-sharp lantern eyes looked at her with endearment.
"I hope I can remain that way to you. Because... Once we're married, you're stuck with..." he motioned to himself. "This dum-dum."
"I've made my decision. It's either you or no one, so don't worry. You never say it, but I know you ask yourself how long I'd be willing to hang around- long years seem scary and foreign to you. You shouldn't have to ask yourself that, because I really am not going anywhere. You expected much less of your life than to get married, so you're worried you'll screw up. But you wont."
He ran his hand through his blond leaves with a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm still coming to terms with a lot. My life had been a bit different, it's opened up a lot of barred doors that were never even visible to me. I'm starting to see sides of myself I never knew. It's weird."
"You're finding yourself, that's what's going on." Iris replied. Jace tilted his head at her, "Finding myself?"
"Exactly what I did three years ago, and throughout the last years actually. Don't think I haven't noticed you growing up with me. You're just late."

"I guess you're right."
She leaned across to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "It'll be kind of weird for a while, but you'll settle in. Noticing is the first big step. Now, how about we get back to those plans, hm?"
"Certainly!" he chirped. "So... Who all should we invite?"
Iris hummed to herself. "How about all the people you know? Because heaven knows I ain't got anyone to invite."
Jace paused- she made a good point... Everyone Iris was close with were also friends of Jace's. And Iris didn't have any blood-related family to invite.
"Y'know, why don't we save the invites for later?" Jace added on awkwardly. Iris agreed with a gentle nod of the head.
"I think that is a good idea."

In the middle of their discussion, Ilye, Iko, Keaton, and Leif all returned. Ilye and Iko carried the small stuff, while Keaton and Leif handled the big-time firewood. Skits came flying down by Iris and he greeted her with a happy caw.
"Hey there, little buddy! Oh, thank you!" she greeted back. He dropped a twig in her hand, feeling as if it'd make a difference. Jace hopped off the rock wall, allowing Keaton to levitate some wood into the pit. Iko came over by it to lay what she had aside, and Ilye placed hers atop Iko's pile. The beanie-wearing Hyrulean scrub looked at the fire pit and gave a small, "Hm" before turning to Jace.

"Nice work Blondie!"
"Well, I know how to set up a fire-safe area." he replied with a pat on his own back. Everyone moved back away as Jace grabbed two stones and was carefully preparing to start the fire. He'd done it many, many times in his life, so he knew how to handle the flame with care. Iko especially kept her distance, having a deep dislike and fear of fire... She looked to Iris, seeing her place Jace's sleeping mat back where it goes. Ilye plopped her bum down next to Iko, and Keaton laid down behind them, his tails curled around Ilye faintly. And Leif remained in his humanoid form, sitting close to Iko away from the pit.
Jace continued clashing the stones till a spark hit the kindling and firewood. And before long, a fire was crackling and singing through the night. Iris bundled up in her sleeping bag covers and Jace sat on his.

Iko was getting hungry and pulled her messenger bag over, pulling out a smaller bag. Ilye leaned over to look into it and saw a stash of berries.
"Ooh, where'd you get those?" Ilye asked. Iko popped one into her diamond-shaped snout before answering.
"My neighbor has a whole garden just full of berries. She gave me some earlier today. Here, try some!"

Iko tossed a couple to Ilye- whom happily accepted the offer and popped them into her snout. "Thanks!"
"Not a problem! Anyone else?" Iko offered while holding out the bag. Everyone else turned down the offer, leaving Iko and Ilye to the berries themselves. After a while, Ilye decided to make conversation...
"So, I'd just like to say... This journey has been awesome. I know it's almost through, so... I just... Want to thank you guys for helping me out. It's meant a lot to me."

Leif, having said everything he's willing to say already, remained quiet, Though he wouldn't mind hearing a bit about Ilye. Little did he know for sure, she wasn't willing to say much about herself other than what Jace and Iris know. Leif did have a feeling, however... Ilye continued on while looking at a berry.
"As you all know, my family was taken from me because of the Twilight. And, I want to say this before we get too much farther... I don't really have much else to look forward to after we're all done, so don't count on me hanging around."
"Wait, what?" Iris asked in a concerned manner. "You know, you could always stay with us..."
Ilye smiled at the offer, but refused. "I'd like that very much, but... I didn't say I didn't have any place to go afterwards. Don't worry too much about it, but it'll be a while till you may possibly see me in Termina again. I got far places to go."

Keaton seemed a bit down upon hearing Ilye speak. He knew the truth, so he understood that she was trying to prepare them for her disappearance. Though in truth, nothing could prepare them for it... Ilye herself didn't want to leave, but she'd have to when the job is all done.
"And I may or may not make it out of this, so just in case... Don't get too attached to me."
"Ah geeze..." Iko began, "Look at us! We're just as involved- well... Leif and I just got here, but still... We're just as involved as you! We're all still alive, yeah?"
Ilye was going to reply, but Iris cut her off.
"I always thought the same when I lived in Hyrule, but I'm still here as well. I always thought my fate would be dying in a ditch somewhere after pick-pocketing the wrong person, haha."

Iko's eyes widened. "Wait, you used to steal?"
"... Yeah, it's not a history I'm proud of. But hey! I'm different now! so there's that!"
"And then there's my story. I know all about thinking you're not gonna make it through, Ilye." Jace began as he sat up straight. He smiled in his eyes and his leaves gleamed orange and red from the fire in front of them. "I don't tell this to a lot of people... But by now, it's not such a sore subject that I wont talk about it."

Ilye gasped to herself, leaning forward to listen. She knew what he was going to mention... Iko however, showed some genuine curiosity. The lad looked up into the stars and continued his story. "When I was born, I was born with a curse. It was the Leavance curse. Every man in my family had that curse for generations."

This poked at Iko's memory... Jace DID mention the last time they all traveled together that he knew curses, but he didn't say why. She paid close attention, wanting to hear more. Leif listened as well, but he minded his own business in silence.
"Every girl born of the Leavance name came into the world stillborn, and every boy suffered a great pain throughout their life on a timer. Three years ago when I met Iris, I was on that timer. I was dying. She was the one who helped cure me."

He poked a stick at the fire, making red ashes fly up into the sky. He watched them fade, as he himself held memories of watching his father fade, and barely his mother. To him, his father and mother being in his life was similar to the time it took for a red hot ash to fizzle away. It wasn't much time, but it was time he cherished. "Symbolizing the curse was an X-shaped curse mark on my face, right by my right eye." he replied, pointing to it's old place. "It caused me agonizing headaches once each day. The worse the headaches were, the closer I was to time running out. I was careless and stupid. Fear? What was fear!? It was a lost word for me. Difference between you and me Ilye, is that I knew I was going to die. But you know what? I placed my foot down and never let it stop me. I went on looking for the solution. You should do the same. Just live out your life, make the most of it."

The tale left everyone a tad quiet. Leif looked to Iko and flicked an ear, feeling her in a deep sense of thought. Iko had never known that about Jace. He was dying three years ago? That was hard to believe. She rubbed her back and silently thought to herself before looking at Ilye. The girl hadn't heard the tale told at an uplifting view before. It made her feel a little better! However, she was in Jace's shoes as well; she knew very well that she was soon to no longer walk the earth. But she nodded at him in understanding.

"You're right. And you guys know what? This has been the best time of my life! But I wont be sad when it ends... What matters is that we made it. And even if I don't, I'll hold onto what I had."

Jace tossed another piece of wood into the fire and nodded. "Just stay positive, and everything will fall into place. We are all going to walk out of this side-by-side."
Ilye couldn't tell him otherwise. Keaton nudged his nose against Ilye's shoulder and gave her a sad smile. Ilye simply returned the smile before looking down at the berry in her hand.

The moment was sad and Keaton- as well as Leif, could feel it. What was needed was some humor... With a sly smirk, he turned his attention toward Jace. Leif saw this from the corner of his eye and raised a white brow. What was Keaton up to? The fox looked to the fire and spoke out loud, catching everyone a bit off guard.
"You know what? You know what would go good on an open fire?" He asked, looking around at everyone.
Iris cocked her head to the side. "What?"
Keaton finally replied, giving a casual interested smile as he did so. "Mushrooms."
Jace's face went straight and his eyes widened. He soon slowly glared at Keaton. "... Keaton, no."
"Hee hee." the fox chuckled. "What? They would!"
"Of all the things, you mentioned mushrooms." Jace growled.

It was his sourness and Keaton's loudness that pulled Ilye and Iko's attention to the moment. A smirk crept onto Iko's face through her eyes and she leaned forward. "Since when did you have something against mushrooms...? You have them all over your house after all."
"... It's nothing." The lad grumbled.
Iko continued to stare at Jace when Keaton's voice intruded hers and Ilye's minds.

"Let's watch a show, shall we?"
Iko's eyes bugged for a moment and she looked at Keaton. He waved a paw at her, and she was thinking back to him- "How're you doing that?"
Ilye pitched in, "I present to you; Silver Keaton's mind-reading telepathy."
"Whoooaaaaa, this is so cool!" Iko thought in excitement. "Telepathy is awesome!"

The fox directed his gaze toward Iris. "Let's have a look into the past, hee hee..."
Ilye and Iko both remained quiet, confused as to what Silver Keaton was planning. It wasn't until they began seeing a memory within their minds... That wasn't theirs. Keaton kept a straight face to keep up his little facade. However, Iko and Ilye were watching in their minds and over time, began to hold back laughter. Iko was practically sucking in her face trying not to laugh... They were seeing the entire mushroom spore incident through Iris' memory, so they could see just how bad Jace was. The couple looked to the two girls when they heard stifled laughter. Skits cocked his head and Leif just watched. He saw Iko's expression; she looked like she'd blow of laughter any minute.

And thus, that was correct! Iko and Ilye soon began to bellow out in laughter, out of nowhere! Iris and Jace both jumped, and Skits as well. Everyone else just stared, absolutely confused by the sight... Iko was leaning over and wheezing, and Ilye was leaning back against Keaton. Leif was startled at first. Upon watching however and seeing Keaton's odd amount of coolness to this, he had something to do with it. Leif smiled a little and watched the girls laugh. Iko slapped her hand on the ground and spoke breathlessly.

"Haaahahaha! The mushrooms, t-those mushrooms! J-Jace, n-no!" Iko was dying and was near to rolling at this point. Ilye held her snout before glancing at Jace. The blond boy's face was turning red. Ilye couldn't tell if it looked that way out of realization and embarrassment or because of the fire. His eyes were wide as dinner plates and he was speechless. Iris hunkered down into her shoulders, giggling as she did so. The tunnel scrub instantly knew what was going on! He glared daggers at Keaton, and Keaton snickered.

"J-Jace, you p-p-poor thingg!" Ilye cried out in laughter. "I-I'm sorryyy...!"
"Oh my gosh, I will NEVER forget this!" Iko wheezed. Leif snickered a little himself, now as he started to somewhat see the situation. He didn't need to know the whole thing to know this was something Jace did not want them to know.
"You were flippin' high as kite!" Iko commented, crying in laughter. Jace's face puffed up and he growled before finally exclaiming out-

"Keaton, I will kill you!"
"Oh, calm down boy, we needed to lighten the mood. What better way than a good comedy show?" the fox laughed. He floated up into the tree nearby and continued to smile. Jace stood with his hands pointed skyward. They were shaking and he gave a frustrated, "Gahh! Keaton!" before he grabbed his rucksack. "I'm gonna go change into my sleep clothes, ughh...

The girls continued to laugh even as Jace walked away. After coming back dressed in his old pelt pants and green loin cloth... Thing, he was instantly met with stares. His eyes were cut at Keaton before he plopped down next to Iris.
"... Well babe, I kept my word- I didn't tell them..." Iris giggled. Jace made a small grumpy, "Ehh..." and looked away. Ilye and Iko giggled, glancing at one another.

"So Jace..." Iko began, "How exactly did this happen? Why did you jump into the mushrooms exactly?" She leaned forward, waiting for an answer. Jace grumbled before answering, "I got thrown into it by a monster."
"Ah, so it wasn't willingly? Alright then."

Ilye continued to smile and laugh. Iris simply patted Jace on the shoulder and smiled at Ilye... Iko took a deep breath and sighed, leaning back on an arm. She decided now that everyone was back, she'd tell a story of her own.
"Okay, okay, now I have a story." she began. "So when I was thirteen, I was just wandering around town and hanging around, when some clumsy guy trips and drops a sturgeon on me!" she paused and leaned forward, "If you don't know, a sturgeon is a fish. Anyway, when I finally got that thing off of me, man did it stink... No, seriously, that situation sucked. First thing I noticed was a cat standing right in front of me... Next thing I knew, I was being chased by a whole herd of them!"

Ilye smiled and listened intently, chuckling every now and then. Iris was getting tired however, though continued to listen. Jace? He was still sour, but he found enjoyment in the story regardless. Leif of course was already familiar with this story and let her carry on.

"Man, they chased me through three districts! I was able to lose them by jumping into the mote... Which was, unfortunately, the castle's own mote... The castle guards did not appreciate that very much, no they didn't, haha! Got the cats away though!"
Ilye and Iris shared some chortles, and Skits cackled a little himself. With a breath, Ilye commented on her story with a question. "So did all this really happen?"
"Yes it did! Check this out!" Iko leaned over to show Ilye some scars she had on the back of her neck. "Got these from some feisty felines!"
"Ouch..." Ilye leaned away, squinting hers eyes in pain. "That looks like it hurt!"
"Eh, it was fine, I've had worse!" Iko laughed.

Keaton finally yawned, though it wasn't genuine... Whether Keaton actually slept or not was not for sure, but he looked up to the stars before standing up. "It is getting late. I think we best save more stories for the road tomorrow. We gotta meet Minami early in the morning, so you all best get to sleep."
"Aw man... I had a story I wanted to tell..." Ilye complained.

Jace stood up and stretched. "You can always tell us tomorrow morning. Keaton's right, though."
"You still upset about the mushrooms, Sourpatch?" Iris commented as she poked one of his leaves. He shivered before pulling away from her and rolling his eyes.
"I'd rather not speak of it."
"Oh, you big baby, haha." his fiance commented. She ran her hand down Jace's arm and continued on. "Remember to clean that arm and shoulder wound you got- those were nasty."
"I will, don't worry." he replied with a tired smile. Iko got up and stretched her arms and body as she prepared to find a tree to climb. She saw Jace unwrap his bandages however and walked over to look at his wounds. His shoulder wound was scabbing over, but that chunk missing from his arm was still very evidently painful and easy to infect.

"Whoa, where'd you get these? Those are some awesome scars you've collected!" the beanie-wearing archer commented, nudging him a slight. He raised a brow before looking at her.
"Well, this shoulder one I got from a pirate. Tried to cut my arm off."
With wide eyes, Iko exclaimed, "Daannggg! That's crazy! I can't believe you guys fought pirates without me..."
"Believe me, it wasn't a picnic." Jacon scoffed. He smiled softly soon after though and took a drink of some red potion he bought in town earlier that day. He poured some water on a cloth and began cleaning his wounds. He winced when he had to press the cloth into the missing chunk on his arm. He grunted but didn't say anything about the pain. Iko stared hard at that nasty wound.

"Where'd you get that one? That one looks nasty." Iko added in interest, appreciating Jace's battle-scars. The blond boy finished cleaning it and reached for some clean bandages.
"I got this one when some bald deku assassin tried killing me with his bow and arrows. We're currently being hunted by him and a dragalfos."
"Haha, looks like they're not doing a very good job."
Jace actually was a little worried about their hunters, but didn't comment it. "They're pretty good actually. But, haven't gotten us yet!"
His friend had a cocky look, one that could rival Jace's own signature look. "And with Leif and I in the mix, I'm sure they don't stand a chance!"
"Haha, don't jinx us!" Jace joked. He put his stuff away before leaving to try and shrink the fire a little. He tossed some dirt onto it, forcing it down enough to keep them warm, though safe enough that it wouldn't catch anyone on fire. It was reduced to two half-burned logs. Within the hour or so, they'd be gone anyway.

Time would continue to ease on as everyone made their way to sleep. Iko was sleeping in a nearby tree on a huge branch, with Leif now in orb form resting in her hat. Iris and Jace were cozied into their sleeping bags, cuddled close per norm. Keaton was sleeping near the fire pit. He was probably still awake keeping watch on the fire. However, with those squinted eyes, it was hard to tell... Ilye was trying to sleep, but she was only able to find sleep for an hour till a nightmare woke her... It was actually a memory, which left her awake, depressed, and restless. After tossing and turning for a few moments, she finally couldn't handle it anymore. She got out of her sleeping bag and got to her feet. She looked to everyone's sleeping forms, making sure she was the only one awake. She then dusted herself off and began walking off into the woods farther.

Much to her ignorance, Leif was not asleep. And being a life spirit, he could sense her unease. Her negative emotions caused him some discomfort. He poked himself out of Iko's hat to watch the one waking deku walk away. He found this as a good opportunity to catch her alone, for he had questions for her- one's he could not ask in front of the others. This unique creature was wise and knew something was simply not as it seemed. Upon leaving Iko's hat, he had woken his archer friend. Iko had a maple-scented bubble easing in and out of her snout before it popped upon her awakening.
Pop!
"Ah-Eh-? Leif, where ya going?" Iko said lowly, her voice waking up.
Leif shushed her softly before flicking his tail in Ilye's direction. Iko watched the blurred image of Ilye walk away in the shadows. Leif was soon to fly after her, leaving Iko by herself in the tree for a few moments. Once she realized this, she began climbing down and running after her friend. Keaton flicked an ear and brought his head up... He had a feeling that Leif would try to get Ilye alone. From what Keaton could see within Leif, the Nimmyx was troubled by the secrets Ilye obviously had... Keaton did not stop them however. He knew Leif could be trusted with the sacred information that Ilye held...

The girl stopped once she reached the shore of the swamp's water and she sat down, rubbing her face sadly and bowing her head in mourning. Leif didn't have to try hard to find Ilye, for her intense emotions were leading enough. Ilye sat and took a deep breath. Upon the still water of the swamp, the velvet sky's stars and moon danced along the water's surface along with the surrounding woods from the little wind which blew through. Memories danced in the raging hurricane that was her mind and she got lost looking at a beloved few faces she knew. Two of them were with her in this present time. But one? He was lost forever, and she'd never see him again.

She was startled from her thoughts when a blue light surrounded the area and she quickly turned her head toward the source. Leif eerily floated in the air over the trail which she had previously walked. The life spirit stared her down, and Ilye looked as if she were troubled by his presence. She became even more so by Iko showing up behind him.
"D-did I wake you?" She asked, wiping her face again. She had been crying, but she was doing good to hide it in her voice. Leif approached Ilye and stopped at her side. And in a flash, he'd zipped into his alternate form. His plush, dark-furred appearance stood and towered next to Ilye. His yellow eyes pierced the darkness above. To make himself seem a bit less intimidating, he brought himself to kneel next to her.

"No, you did not wake us." he replied. Ilye would be startled by the fact that his mouth doesn't move when he speaks if she wasn't used to Keaton doing it. Iko sat down by Leif and looked over to Ilye. Iko as well had questions, but she'd leave this to Leif. Iko's wise friend looked out into the night before beginning his query at a slow pace.

"I can feel your despair. It is painful." he began. Ilye gave a silent apology. Leif had explained to her how his people worked while they were in the woods when they went to get fire-starter. Life spirits are very emotion-sensitive creatures. They're made up of pure energy, and are actually nothing but spirit. Extreme negative emotions can hurt for them as well. Leif flicked an ear and continued on with his words.
"Since Iko and I met you, I have been bothered by something. Do not think you can hide it from me."
Ilye was startled by Leif's previous words. She turned to him with haste and leaned away. She feared what he may say next... They just met her today, what on earth could Leif had learned about her from such little time of knowing her? She truly didn't know the extent of his instincts and just how deeply he sees into her peculiar actions.

"You share connections with Iris and Jace, do you not?"

The tragedy-torn girl hesitated, but nodded in a rusty manner. It wasn't hard to see for someone with a good eye. Iko had a particular archer's eye- she could just see something strikingly similar in Ilye. And Leif? He was more on the money than Ilye would have expected.

"Tell me, Ilye... Are you a time traveler?" his question was serious and stern. She feared answering him, and she showed visual fear on her face in her glassy eyes. His question gave her the vibe that it was a bad thing.
"... Y... Yes."

The life spirit turned his gaze to her. Iko reeled back a little. She had suspicions about something, but not THAT.
"... Are you a Leavance?" he continued to question sternly. She no longer hesitated. Her head drooped slightly, knowing well that Leif had her cornered. "Yes, I am."
"I thought maybe a long-lost cousin or something, but you look like Jace or Iris, and you do that weird head-scratch habit that Jace does! You also look similar in the face!" Iko exclaimed. Leif and Ilye both went wide eyed before telling Iko to shush.
"Please, don't tell them! T-they mustn't know! W-why, I-I'd doom all of Termina's existence if they learned I was their daughter...!" Ilye begged. "You and no one else were supposed to know-! I screwed up, I screwed up so bad-!" she began to break down and held her face. "What have I done-"

"Calm down, your secret is safe with us..." Leif assured. "But I must ask... Are you fully aware of just how bad this could end? Why are you here? You have no business messing with time. How did you even get here?"
Iko stood up and crossed her arms, also waiting for an answer. She was pumped up now, wanting very eagerly to know a why and reason. Ilye's leaves were flattened against her head and she sighed.

"... Twilight attacking Termina, it... It was a prophecy that was not supposed to come for many, many years. I come from a future where Twilight devoured Termina, and probably lands beyond. Mom and dad failed to stop it..."

Both Iko and Leif stopped in their questioning stares. Leif seemed troubled by this news... Ilye had her bag with her and she reached into it. She soon pulled out a lovely chunk of shining blue stone. She held it out for them to see. "I was given this and was told to use it to come back in time and stop Twilight. I was the one who was supposed to save Termina in the original prophecy. The Goddess of Time gave me permission to use this chunk of Timeshift Stone- which Keaton gave to me in the ruined future. That is why I am here."

"So Her Grace sent you..." Leif replied in relief. He was calmed knowing it wasn't a foolishly done action. "... That clears things up. My, I hope she knows what she's doing. In my culture, time travel is prohibited and should never be tampered with..."
Iko was thinking back on what Ilye told them about her past before. She raised a brow and came her question- "You said your family was taken from you. Was that all a ruse to keep up the facade? I mean, I can't see Jace and Iris allowing themselves to be taken away by some monsters."
"No... I lived in the village of Yuriko. It is guarded by Minami's light. My mom and dad lived there for many years. What caused me to come back in time for sure to fulfill my duty was theirs and a... Loved one's death."

Iko took in a breath and leaned back a little. Jace and Iris die? That's even worse than being taken... She looked to Leif with an angered expression. This was more serious than they thought. There was some terrible things about, and behind this attack must've been someone of much power if they were able to break the prophecy.
"Do you know who is behind this mess?" Iko asked, genuinely curious. She gripped one of her arrows and glared. Ilye shook her head no.

"Not at all. This stone allows me to enter the Twilight. You see, a friend and I were able to leave into the Twilight using it. We came close to finding something, but he was poisoned by a Twili Parasite and... I lost him. Shortly after he was taken, my parents and many other Yuriko residents were slaughtered when I was away trying to find out more. I'm afraid I made no headway."

"This is horrible... No wonder the goddesses are so desperate right now, none of this was supposed to happen." Leif sighed. "This friend of yours... Were they around in this time?"
"No, he was around my age. His name was Olivier Oleander. I know his father should be within this time, but I don't know where. His father never spoke much..."

"Hmm... I take it this person was more than a friend to you." the life spirit queried. It wasn't hard to see, and Ilye did not deny it.
She gazed out into the swamplands with saddened eyes. "I've seen things that no one should see. Olivier and I really only wanted to save Termina so our families could be whole again. Heh, he was family to me, I did love him. But I think we were way in over our heads with our dreams- it was all just a little too big for us. But maybe if I save this timeline, my father and mother can at least be given a second chance at life? I've seen how they are here. They never... Were... Confident in the old time. It's been very strange seeing them so strong and confident, and close."

"Time can change people." Leif responded. Iko added on right after.
"I can't see them any other way than confident and strong. I mean, those guys would take on a charging bull if it came down to it. That future must've been bad."
"My dad was very depressed. My mom and I was all he had. He lost his arm, and he constantly blamed Termina's destruction on himself. But they just weren't cut out for the job, it wasn't their fault. At least here, we're getting somewhere... We're almost there, we just need that last spirit."

Wind hit the swamp waters and blew across Leif's face. He gazed into air before pointing his golden gaze to Ilye. "... With all you have said tonight... You are aware that you will cease to exist after all this is over...?"
Iko's eyes grew and she looked to Ilye. She just met her, so... She was going to disappear? Ilye scanned both of their faces. She could see them waiting for answers.
"I am fully aware. But I'll sacrifice everything for a new world. I have nothing else to live for anyway, I'd be proud to give my life for the sake of everyone else's."

Silence fell on them all and the night air was filled with songs to make up for it. Frogs croaked, crickets chirped, the wind whistled, and the foliage of the swamp shook and danced. It was a solemn yet soothing melody.
Iko placed a hand on Ilye's shoulder, surprising her. Ilye turned to them both and looked up, seeing as Iko was standing now.
The Hyrulean archer nodded and smiled. "Your secret is safe with us. Good thing we showed up! We've got your back. Right?"
Her ending question was directed at Leif. The life spirit dipped his head in response.
"Indeed. If it is the goddesses will and it is the only way, we will help you carry out your mission."

"Thank you, guys." Ilye smiled weakly up to the two...

Over the time they spent by the swamp waters, Ilye remained deathly quiet- for she felt ashamed for telling them her secret. And while Leif was able to wrap his head around, Iko was still trying to process the information. And she probably would be for a couple days... 'Man,' she thought, 'Things really are messed up here right now.'

As the night fell deeper, Ilye decided it was finally time she went to bed... They all left and went back to camping grounds with more than just rest on their minds. Upon returning, Ilye checked up on those who were there before leaving for her sleeping bag. Iko and Leif were not far behind her in returning to the camping area. Ilye was just sitting down, sighing as she did so. Leif could still feel her emotions- sharply. Though he could understand why she remained as such, for she didn't have many reasons to be happy anymore. The Hyrulean archer quirked a brow at Ilye, before Jace moving caught her eyes. He tossed over and threw his arm floppily over Iris before going still once more. Iko continued to stare for only a moment before a grin crept up in her eyes.

"Hey Braidy," Iko began- now introducing her new nickname for Ilye. "Got a minute?"
It took the saddened girl a little while to process that Braidy was her! She turned to Iko and gave a curious, "Wha?" before adding- "Uh- sure?"
With her little feet crunching leaves on the way over, Iko stopped next to Ilye and the previously mentioned got back to her feet.
"What is it?" Ilye asked with a flick of a leaf. Iko looked up at Ilye and leaned close with herself facing Jace and Iris.
"You have full chance to completely toy these two. You wanna mess with Jace?"
She was a bit surprised by what Iko had to say and she glanced over at her sleeping "parents" and hummed in thought. She then turned to Iko and replied lowly. "I'm not sure if I should..."
Iko leaned in closer with squinted eyes. "You wont get in trouble..."
It was then Ilye remembered that she is just a friend to them right now... She cracked a small smile and looked to them both. "Well, perhaapppss..."
Iko gave a devious chuckle. "C'mon, it'll be fun. Whatta ya say, Leif? ... Leif?"
As Iko tried to catch his attention, Leif simply stared in Jace's direction as if he were listening hard for something. He squinted and craned his neck out a little before answering finally. "Do you... Do you hear that?"
The girls were silent, looking at each other before putting their view back on Leif. Ilye responded with, "Hear what?"

He walked away from them and quietly stopped half toward Jace and Iris. He didn't even have to be near to hear the sound- he just wanted to be sure. He had a dumbfounded look on his face as he moved even closer. He stopped by Jace's side and stared at him. Jace was hugging Iris with his head down and his forehead resting against her back and leaves. His leaves were out of the ponytail and sprawled behind himself. Leif continued listening, hearing a very, very silent sound emitting from him. It was a... Soft rumbling sound. Was something wrong? Was he having trouble breathing? Was Leif losing it? He scratched his ear and snarled one side of his face with a "What the heck?" expression. He clearly did not seem to be distressed- actually, the tunnel scrub looked quite content.

Iko and Ilye walked over next to Leif and looked at Leif in wonder.
"What?" Iko asked lowly. The life spirit finally turned to Iko and answered her.
"He is purring." he said simply. Iko had to hear that twice- he was what? She answered with confusion and he repeated himself. "Jace is purring..."

Iko leaned down and listened, and sure enough- Jace was purring. Iko's eyes bugged out and she moved away before she could start laughing in his ears- where ever those were. She held her snout and started to stifle her cackling. Ilye giggled a little herself. She knew he did it, but apparently Iko had never heard it. Though not many do.
"H-he's purring-!" she muttered through her laughter. She was sitting on her bum on the ground snickering.
"Alright." Leif sighed, "I am going back to the tree, Iko."

Upon leaning down, Ilye spoke. "You've never heard him do that?"
"No-!" she replied with a muffled cackle. "That's not normal-!"
Ilye waved a hand at Iko. "Oh, tunnel deku do that all the time. Though, father always was quiet about it..."

"I now have yet another thing to use against him." Iko muttered. She got up, though was still leaning over and looking at Jace. "So this is normal? Oh my gosh, my friend is a cat. I know deku are not dog-people, but this is ridiculous."
"Tunnel deku are very vocally communicative." Ilye commented. Iko replied with a quick, "Heh, clearly."

Now that Iko wasn't cackling uncontrollably, she was reminded of her original plan. Though she definitely noted down Jace's purring mentally.
"Heh heh, watch this..." Iko leaned over near Jace, leaving Ilye to watch in confusion. She saw her reaching for one of his leaves, and Ilye scrunched up her face. That was a no-touch zone... Iko ever so quickly and gently poked one of them. He stopped his sound of contentment long enough to groan lowly and tightened himself into a ball, bringing his legs up closer to himself. His leaves all fluttered quickly downward in a wave with a rustling sound. His leaves were so sensitive, they responded to the smallest touch- especially when asleep. Ilye would've been sucking in her face if she could have.

Iko's cheeks puffed up and she chuckled. "I've always wanted to do that since Iris showed me last year..."
As soon as he got comfortable again, he started up that quiet noise once more. It was easy to miss if you weren't close or listening for it. Ilye had her hands clasped over her snout and she was giggling madly. "I've never seen him do that..."

"Hehe, wanna try?" Iko snickered. Ilye leaned over, questioning whether she should do it or not. Though Jace was sleeping very deeply, so it shouldn't bother him too much. Ilye finally made her decision and poked one of his leaves. Once touched, they all twitched and fluttered downward in silly wave once more and he grunted irritably in his sleep. Ilye snorted a small snicker with Iko and they leaned back away from him.
"Heheheh..." They both cackled. Ilye reached and did it again, finding amusement in his leave's irritation. Jace finally began to stir a little and the girls instantly quit.

"Oops, he nearly woke up..." Ilye took a deep breath and leaned away. "I think it's time for us to stop.
Iko got to her feet and snickered lowly. "Unfortunately. Don't you feel better though?"
The girl was giggling and answered a small, "Yes." then sighed. "I'm ready to get to sleep though, we got a long day tomorrow."
"Ugh, how early we getting up?" Iko groaned. They were walking away from the sleeping couple so not to wake them.
"Crack of dawn, pretty much." Ilye replied right away. Iko gave a disgusted groan.
"Ah man... Welp... I'd rather someone just drag me." Iko replied, half joking.
Leif replied from the tree right away, "I am not carrying you in the morning!"
"Ehh, shut up, ya grouchy furball." Iko replied with a swipe of a hand through the air at him.
Ilye was getting back in her sleeping bag and Iko began walking away. Ilye called to Iko however, and Iko turned back to her. "Wha?"
"Please... Promise me... Promise me you'll keep your word and not tell a soul what I told you tonight..." Ilye asked sincerely. Iko was very fast to respond.
"Don't worry, we don't break promises. Your secret is very safe with us." she smiled big at Ilye, the sureness on her face putting Ilye to ease.

To Be Continued...

Olivier and his father (mentioned) belong to HolIiewood on DeviantART.
Iko and Leif belong to BlazingStarOfTime on DeviantART.
Skreemin (mentioned) belongs to sgtpieman on DevientART.