Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter! I decided to make Iya's missing spirit a little more important, since I thought it was strange that she never acted any different. Some pieces are less important than others, but love will play an important part.

Things have to get worse before they get better, unfortunately, but here we go! The first blessing! And thank you so much to all the readers!

-Tangent

"Go away, please. I'm conducting a very delicate experiment." The warlock's voice sounded throughout the room from where he was standing at the front. The man, dressed in green robes, was busy stirring a potion that was bubbling like crazy. Ean and Rye exchanged looks. After meeting up, they had walked to the schoolhouse, where they had found Professor Drake conducting an experiment.

"You don't want more swamp slime?" Gavin asked mildly, holding up a bag. The man looked up suddenly, his eyes wide.

"Oh, my boy!" He rushed around the table, grabbing the bag from him. "How may I help you?"

"It was that easy?" Rye whispered to Ean, who shrugged and spoke to Drake:

"We think there may have been a mix-up in your student's grades. What did Gretel get in her classes?" Professor Drake moved around the desk, grabbing a piece of paper as he went. The school was small, with barely fifteen desks in the classroom. The walls were slightly dirty, as was the floor.

"Let's see here… Gretel… Yes, she's an excellent student. She's got an A in everything." He looked up at them, confused. "Why do you ask?"

"We think Mimpsey Mara stole her report card so she could be an actor." Rye said. "What did Mimpsey Mara get in her classes?" The professor looked back down at his paper.

"She failed both her hexes and curses classes, so…"

"I knew it!" Rye said. "Professor, do you think you could speak to Gretel's parents and correct the grades?" The man looked at them solemnly.

"I shall, yes, but first I shall visit Ms. Mara and have a talk with her parents. The nerve!..." He moved towards the door, but Gavin stopped him.

"Thank you, Drake." He nodded and exited the classroom quickly, his footsteps heavy. They looked at each other for a moment, with Iya gazing out the window determinedly.

"Well, I guess we can wait for a little bit." Rye said as they filed out of the classroom. Neither Ean nor Iya were talking to each other, something that filled the air tension. Back outside, Rye spotted the professor walking towards a house that must have belonged to Mimpsey Mara. There was a girl outside who looked at him and smiled, but whatever he said made her face go pale with worry.

"That must be her." Rye said, and Gavin nodded.

"Now we'll see." Stepping a little bit away from the others, he whispered to Rye: "So, what are we going to do about them?" Rye knew what he meant immediately.

"We should let them figure it out by themselves. They trust each other too much not to open up to the other."

"If you say so." said Gavin.

"If I may ask, why are you so interested anyways? An old warlock like you?" At the words, something like regret crossed Gavin's face for a moment.

"I would not see them make my mistakes." Rye looked at him, remembering Gavin's reaction to the love spell cast by Helga.

"And there's the fact that they need to save the world." Rye offered with a slight smile, and Gavin nodded.

"That is true." Across the clearing, Professor Drake emerged from the house, clutching an object in his hand that looked like a card. Behind him came a loud wailing, and Rye grimaced.

"Ugh, let's get out of here." He led them back towards Gretel's house, and the crying slowly faded into the distance.

"So, what now?" Gavin asked. "Where do we go from here?"

"Back to Thais." Ean spoke quietly, making them look at him. "Free the petrified boy first, and then…" He made a hand gesture that conveyed very little. Rye nodded assent as they approached Gretel's house, only to see that the door was open, and four people were standing outside. Gretel ran over to them, holding a thin square with writing on it.

"I got it back!" Behind her, her parents were talking to Professor Drake, who was holding a piece of paper with grades written on it.

"Yes, she did. After finding out that Mimpsey switched the names on the cards, I took it back from her and gave her the failing grade she deserves." Gretel smiles, and then proffered the actor's card to Iya, who looked surprised.

"I want you to have it, lady. You need it, don't you?" Iya nodded and took the card from her.

"But, what about you?" She asked softly. "Don't you want to be an actor?" Gretel shrugged.

"Honestly? Not really, but I did want to prove that I got good grades. That's all that matters to me now." The female elf thanked her and placed the card in her pocket.

"Well, we're going now. Thank you for your help, Gretel." Rye said, and she waved to them.

"Come back and visit me sometime!" They smiled as they walked away, back towards the entrance to the village. With every step, Iya grew visibly more nervous, clutching the actor's card. As the party stopped outside of Hepatitis's house, Rye turned to her, touching her shoulder.

"Listen, you've got this. And we're all backing you up, okay?" She nodded.

"I just… don't know what's going to happen when she blesses me. Will it hurt?"

"I don't know, but we'll protect you until the end."

"Although," Gavin put in. "I'm not sure if we can actually do anything to stop her." Rye gave him a glare, but Iya let out a weak laugh.

"You're right. Let's go." She set her face in a determined way and knocked upon the door loudly. Hepatitis opened it irritably.

"What?"

"We've got your card." Iya said, and Hepatitis frowned.

"Already?" She let them in, shutting the door behind them. Her hut was small, with a large cauldron taking up the center of the room. Many different ingredients hung from the wall, and not all seemed dead. In the corner, near the foot of the bed, there lay a small chest made of wood. The nymph looked at them with a sly grin.

"Well? How'd it go? Love spell work out for you?" She spat at Iya, who reeled back visibly.

"I…"

"Stop it, Hepatitis." Ean said firmly, "We fulfilled out end, now you fulfill yours." Iya handed her the card, and she snatched it away from them with a mad cackle.

"Ha! Finally, after so long…" Her gaze was fixated upon the card, and Rye prompted her.

"Blessing?" She looked at them, and there was an undisguised hate in her green eyes.

"I promised you nothing, brats! Now get out!" The air around her began to shimmer, and the nymph disappeared before their eyes, vanishing into nothingness. A split second later, Rye's hand swiped through the spot.

"Dammit!" He had lunged at her, but had missed. He whirled on the spot, looking around. "Come out, you old hag!" Iya stood there, her eyes wide.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered.

"Search the place." Gavin said. "She must have left some sort of clue." He began rifling through the drawers, and Rye checked the walls. After a few minutes, Ean spoke.

"Iya, here." He was trying to open the chest on the floor, but it would not budge. "I think you have to open this with magic." Iya knelt down next to him, touching the chest. Her hand hovered over the lid, shaking slightly. Ean touched it with his own, steadying it. His eyes met hers, and he nodded, his faith in her clear as the light in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she flipped the latch on the chest and opened it. It was empty.

Her eyebrows contracted, but a sudden storm of inky blackness burst from the box, swirling through the air. The others leapt back and cursed, but Iya knew what it was.

"This is the blessing." She spread her arms wide, and the dark leapt down upon her in a crushing embrace. All went still, and she heard no more.

She was standing on the edge of a precipice so vast, she could not see the edges or bottom. It was filled with hatred, and she tried to step back, but the ground gave way, and she fell, fell, fell…

Iya stopped, and she looked around her. She couldn't see anything, hear anything. Suddenly, an image appeared in front of her, and she saw herself in the Snow Queen's palace, eyes blank and empty as she sat at a table. The images began to move, each capturing a moment of her life that she had been missing.

She was just nine years old, and had failed the song test for the first time. Her mother sighed, and a spark of resentment grew in her heart. The years passed, and the little elf failed over and over. One night, her mother said something to her, and she broke, screaming:

"I hate you!" The words echoed through the silence, and Iya gasped. She had… He mother flinched back, tears in her eyes. Iya ran into the darkness, the anger roaring in her veins. When Ean came to find her, she shouted at him too and left the little boy standing alone in the woods.

"No…" Iya whispered. "How could I have forgotten this?" But the pictures did not stop, and now she was getting into regular shouting matches with her mother, lashing out over her own failures. They grew further and further apart, and now Iya could see the truth. She had caused her own mother to despise her.

"Please, stop."

And now she was back in the Snow Queen's palace, where it was so cold and empty. There was nothing there for her, and remembering was too painful. Until he came, and saved her from the prison. But even then, she did not truly understand. Why? Why did he come for her? She had done nothing but hurt him, over and over.

And now the worst image was in front of her. Ean had leaned down to kiss her, but she had pushed him away. His eyes were filled with hurt and confusion, and she did the only thing she could: ran.

"Stop…" Her voice broke, and she fell to her knees.

"You even hate him." Hepatitis's wicked voice came through the darkness, cutting into her. "You rejected him even when all he has done care for you. When all he has done is l-"

"No!" Her voice cracked. She could not bear to hear it, and everything was collapsing around her. Every hurtful thing she had ever done was flashing by, tormenting her with their shouts and cries.

"Wouldn't it be easier to give up?" The nymph said. "Just let it all go. You could be free. Isn't that what you want?" It was, wasn't it? She opened her mouth to accept.

"No." Another voice rang out through the darkness, and Hepatitis vanished as though she had never been. She knew that voice, it was…

"Iya?" He was close by, she could feel it, but she was too ashamed to speak. "Iya, please!"

"Leave me." She whispered. "Please, just go. Don't get trapped here too."

"You aren't trapped, Iya." The voice was closer now, and she could hear faint footsteps. "You have to let go of it."

"I can't." She groaned. "It's too much, Ean." His name rang out louder than she expected.

"Then let me bear the burden with you." She gasped, and tears spilled from her eyes. Why did he care so much? Couldn't he just leave?

"I've already hurt you." She said, but she knew that wasn't true. Not completely.

"What do you mean?" His voice was confused, and the steps stopped. She could feel him, just a few steps away. "You haven't-"

"I hated you, Ean. Hated my family." The words were torn from her, and a piece of her went with them. But the steps resumed, coming closer.

"I…"

"Can't you see? You should hate me for how I've acted, Ean."

"I could never." His voice was low and confident, and he was so close, yet so far. She tried to reach out, but she could not move. "You are my friend, Iya, and I love you." And now the tears fell harder than ever, as Ean crossed the final barrier and stood next to her, hand intertwined with hers. Together, they faced the abyss.

"H-How can you not hate me?" She whispered, and he smiled.

"How could I? You're amazing!"

"But I-"

"Who you were doesn't matter to me, Iya. It never did. And you can make things better this time." He tugged on her hand, pulling her away from the void. "And I'm never going to leave you alone. I promise."

And now the void was fading away, retreating into her mind with the memories it had tormented her with, and it was only her and Ean standing in a starry field made of shining crystals.

"I promise." He repeated, and she emerged from her long sleep.

Her eyes flew open, and she flailed wildly.

"No! I-"

"It's okay, Iya." Where was she? Why were her cheeks wet? Ean was holding her in his arms, their hands intertwined. Nearby, Gavin and Rye were looking at her with fear on their faces. The darkness was gone, and her memories returned to her in full. Ean's eyes were wide, but she saw something else in them besides fear.

"Don't go anywhere without me." The elf whispered, and she cried until she lost consciousness.

After Iya had been placed in her bed back at the inn, Ean held a conference with Gavin and Rye, who were still quite alarmed.

"What the heck happened, Ean?" The green-haired man asked. "Iya absorbed the blessing, but then she started thrashing around, and it seemed like she was being hurt." Ean had a slightly haunted look on his face.

"I… It was very intense. She got some of her spirit back, but only the portion of wickedness. It dragged her through her worst memories, and I'd rather not say any more than that." Rye and Gavin were pale.

"I knew that witch couldn't be trusted." fumed Rye. "But it's done now, I suppose. We're leaving?"

"As soon as she is well." Ean said, turning back to look at the small figure in the bed. Did she still hate him? Or was that merely the portion of wickedness talking?

"Don't let it eat you up, Ean. She'll tell you when she's ready." Vincent advised.

"I know."

"While we're at it," Gavin said. "We should buy potions here in town before we leave. I can take care of that."

"Thank you, Gavin. Rye, can you go with him?" The two nodded and stood from their chairs. They left the room quickly, taking the purses of money with them. Ean looked down at Iya again, studying the way her hair fell over her shoulders.

"I shouldn't have tried to kiss her… I don't know what I was thinking. That love spell really messed with my brain."

"Stupid witches." Amari said angrily. "I never trusted them."

"Gavin seems alright, I suppose." offered Vincent.

"What do you think I should do?" Ean asked them.

"I don't know, kid. I was never good at romance. Wasn't married, as far as I can tell." Vincent said with a short laugh. "Amari, what about you?"

"I think… I think I had somebody, but I can no longer remember their name. I don't think I was too happy, though."

"It's not about romance! I don't think I truly feel about her that way. Not enough to kiss her, at any rate."

"So apologize, then. If you're honest, she will be too." Amari said.

"Thank you." Ean responded humbly. "You guys have really mellowed out, huh?"

"Don't push your luck." Vincent said. "The strain on your body is going to get worse, and I've got something else you need to know." Ean thought he knew what Vincent was talking about.

"The thing in the mountains? That was following us?"

"Yes." The spirit said. "I'm pretty sure it's one of us. I got an odd feeling, and I couldn't identify it until a day or two later."

"Any idea on what form it will take?"

"None, but it's probably very strong to have survived in the mountains for such a long time."

"Great. Well, it'll be awhile yet. We'll return to Thais and maybe some other places too, okay?"

"You're the boss, Ean."

Ean suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him, staring at him, and he turned to see Iya looking at him from the bed.

She had not meant to stare so much at him when she awoke, but he seemed to be concentrating on something else. As she watched, he blinked, and his gaze snapped back to her. When his eyes met hers, they widened and he jumped from the bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he retrieved a jug of water from a nearby table, pouring her a cup. Not trusting herself to speak yet, she merely drank the cup slowly, and he seemed content to watch her drink it. When she finished, he refilled it.

He must be so confused. She tried to explain, opening her mouth:

"I…" But he cut her off, saying the words quickly.

"I'm so sorry, Iya." He knelt down next to her. "Even with the love spell on us, I should never have acted as I did. You have my word it will not happen again." Her eyes widened, and she suddenly felt the need to cry again. He was sorry for what he had done?

"I'm the one who should be sorry." She said quietly, looking at her cup.

"For what?" He said. "You did me no harm." His eyes, slightly tilted at the corners, were calm and soft, not unlike the ones she had seen within the blessing of Hepatitis.

"For hating you." She said softly, and he smiled.

"You were going through tough times, Iya. I didn't mind back then, either." The female elf looked at him with something that was not quite sadness.

"Maybe you don't, but my mother? My family? What will they say? What did they truly think of me? I just can't-" Her voice broke, but she would not cry in front of him, not again. He covered her hand with his own gently, smiling.

"Listen, Iya. I don't know the answer to that, but I know that we will return to them again, and you can make things right this time. They love you, and they always will. Because that's what family does for one another. You can't change the past, but you can change what happens now. Don't let it consume you, because that's what she wants." He stressed the last words, and Iya thought about it for a moment.

"I cannot promise, but I will try." The words cost her something, but she felt a little better. "And…"

"Yes?" Ean prompted her.

"What about us?" He looked slightly hesitant at the question.

"I…"

"Because I can't bear to have this between us, Ean. You know everything now, and if you want to-" The words rushed out, but he placed a hand on her lips lightly.

"What if we start over?" She did not comprehend the words, and her mouth parted slightly.

"What?"

"You and I, why don't we start over from the beginning? We might not be able to forget, but I think I'd like to try and improve as well." Her eyes glistened, and the emotions she felt were even more jumbled together now, sadness and happiness combining together with a million other thoughts.

"I… Yes, I'd like that." She said, and Iya knew that she meant it.

"Well, then…" He said, standing up and extending an arm to her. "Let's speak no more of it. It's nice to meet you, Iya Tiki." She smiled and grasped his hand, rising from the bed.

"And you as well, Ean Okho." He gave her a kind smile as she slipped her shoes on. Suddenly, the door opened, and Rye and Gavin entered. Gavin was holding two items in his hands: a robe and a staff. The robe was dark blue, and covered in a pattern of silver stars that flowed across the garment. The staff was made of a silvery wood, with a silver star at the top of it.

"Look what I got." He said, smiling at Iya. "This should help you focus your abilities even more." He handed the items to her, and she gasped at the power she felt within them.

"Gavin, this is…" She tried to find the words to thank him, but she could not.

"It's no big deal. Besides, if I'm right, you'll need them to control your power boost."

"What do you mean?" Rye asked, and Gavin looked at him.

"Well, the reason Iya cannot face the Snow Queen is because she's missing her spirit, right? So, it makes sense that she would grow stronger with each returned portion." Iya grimaced at the mention of her missing pieces, but did not say anything.

"I suppose that makes sense." Ean said. "Iya, do you feel…"

"Stronger? I don't know yet, but I feel as though I have more energy , in a sense. I guess we can find out." The female elf said as she slipped the cloak on over her clothes. It made her look quite impressive, and the others told her as much.

"Are you well enough to walk?" Rye said, and Iya nodded firmly.

"Let's get out of here." They retrieved the rest of their bags and departed the inn, saying goodbye to the innkeeper.

"Travel safely, kid." She said roughly as they walked out.

After returning to the swamp, the party made for the teleportation room near the town, which they had activated previously.

"This is quite convenient. I can't believe I never spotted these." Gavin said.

"Well, they are easy to miss." Ean said. Iya was still somewhat silent, but she no longer had a cloud hanging over her head.

"All in time."

"I suppose that's true." The warlock said as they approached the cave at the edge of the swamp. They entered, and Gavin studied the crystal that floated in the middle of the room.

"Hmm… Very interesting." Ean placed the coins in the slot, and the crystal glowed as usual.

"We can only go to Thais from here, so I guess that's our first stop. Everybody ready?" They joined hands, and Ean touched the crystal. The light blinded them, and they were back in the cave near the Green Weed Plains.

"Hey, I have a favor to ask." Rye said suddenly. "Can we visit Ryva first?"

"Oh." Ean said, surprised. "I mean, if you really want to."

"Yeah, I just want to make sure everybody is alright. I've been thinking about it a lot lately." The man said, and Iya felt a twinge of sympathy for him.

"I haven't been to Ryva." Gavin said. "I would appreciate it as well." Ean looked at Iya, who nodded slightly.

"Ryva it is, then." Ean said, depositing coins into the box once more. With another blinding flash of light, they were returned to Oakwood.

"Ah, it worked!" Rye said, smelling the air. "It's good to be back, but…" His eyes had fallen on the path that led towards the town. "It's been freshly cut. That's new."

"The path?" Gavin asked. Rye nodded.

"Yeah, we normally re-carve the path to make sure that it stays visible, but we've already done it this year. We shouldn't have…" He trailed off as they walked to the edge of the woods. Ryva was quite different from the last time they had been there. The town still stood, but there was a large encampment in the fields to the south, made up of tents.

"What is this?" Rye said confused. Suddenly, they heard a rustling in the bushes behind them, and a child burst from the trees behind them.

"Rye! You're back!" The little boy charged in and hugged the man tightly, who blinked in surprise.

"I… Tareo? What are you doing here?"

"I was keeping an eye on the forest for the soldiers, since they're all in the camp at the moment."

"Soldiers?" Ean asked, and Tareo nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! They're nice ones, not like the ones from before!" Ean and Iya exchanged glances.

"You think they're from Thais?" He asked, and she nodded. The party accompanied the boy back to the villager, where they were met with several smiles and congratulations from the townsfolk.

"We heard you stood off the Queen's army at the gates of Thais!"

"Did you really take down the soldiers with a single wave?"

"Did you see the giant chicken?" Ean blinked at the last question.

"I did, yes." He said. "It was quite terrifying." Iya gave him a furtive look, but did not question it. Rye was speaking to several villagers nearby, evidently catching up on the news. After a while, he returned to them.

"Okay, everything seems in order. Let's go speak to the captain of the soldiers." The rest of the party followed him to the soldier's camp, where he located a man dressed in light metal armor.

"Commander?" The man looked up.

"Hey, you're the heroes we heard about. What brings you here?"

"This is my home." Rye said. "I've been checking up on it." He and the Commander exchanged words about the safety of the town among other things, while Iya and Ean were besieged by more children, who evidently wanted to hear more from them. Gavin, who was an unknown figure, merely watched with a smile as Ean answered question after question. When Rye was done, he turned to them.

"Okay, I think we can go now. Thanks for making the stop."

"It was no problem." Ean said with a smile.

A few hours later, the party was striding down a wooded path towards a gate with a familiar sign on it.

"Hey, something's different." Ean said, rushing over to the sign near Grimm's Farm. "It says that it's for sale."

"You think she found a buyer?" Rye asked, and the elf shrugged.

"Let's find out." They entered the farm, only to find that it was mostly empty, with all the pens deserted.

"What happened?" Iya asked quietly. The same woman who normally tended the fields was sitting on the porch, although she perked up when she saw the party

"You're back! Grandma is just inside!" She beckoned them inside, and they followed her to see the same elderly woman sitting near the fire.

"Oh, hello, dears. What brings you here?"

"We were in the area, and I thought we could drop by and check on you. Did you find a buyer for the farm?" Ean asked, but the elderly woman shook her head.

"No, not yet. I don't even really need the money, after selling the livestock, but I'd hate to let this place go to ruin because I up and left. Especially now that they're opening the roads again."

"I see. What price are you asking?" Ean said, and the woman named a fairly reasonable sum. "Oh, well, that's more than reasonable. I'm sure somebody from Candar will come by soon."

"I hope so, child. But enough of that. It is getting late, and you ought to stay here for tonight. I can't give much, but I've got food and beds." Ean exchanged a look with the others, who all nodded.

"In that case, we'd be honored." The grandmother smiled at them.

"Right this way." She said, standing from her chair. She showed them the two rooms in the farms, each big enough for four or more people.

"The gentlemen can have this bed, and the lady can have the other room." After they had all bathed and eaten, they retired to their rooms.

"Hey, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Rye said quietly.

"You want to buy the farm?" Gavin asked with a faint smile. "I mean… We can't exactly tend it."

"But we could hire somebody, and it'd be nice to give them a place to stay and all. We could buy more livestock too." Ean said. "Ryva has cows, does it not?" Rye nodded in confirmation, and Ean smiled.

"Well, we have more than enough money after killing so many creatures, so why not? I'm sure Iya is also on board." They stayed up late, discussing people they could hire to run the farm, and Rye suggested several people from Ryva who knew their way around plants and animals alike.

"What about the girl? Ivy, is it?" Ean said, nodding towards the door. "She certainly seems capable, and we could hire somebody from Ryva to help with the livestock."

"That sounds like a plan." Rye said. "Gavin?"

"I'm not sure I have an input in this situation." The warlock said from his own bed.

"Oh, come on," Ean said. "You're an official member of the party now. Besides, this could double as our base of sorts. We could store items and things like that here, and the farmhouse is big enough for anybody else we recruit as well."

"Well, when you put it like that, I suppose that it would be logical. Alright, I'm in." Gavin said, and Ean grinned.

"She's not going to know what hit her."

Indeed, their announcement the next morning caused such a stir that Ivy knocked her chair over as he jolted backwards from the table, staring at the male elf.

"Do… Do you really mean it?"

"Yes." Ean said. "We want you to run the farm for us, Ivy."

"And you really intend on buying it from me?" The old woman asked. "Truly?" Ean nodded, and she smiled so widely it looked fake.

"Oh, my dears, bless your kind hearts! Ever since I took Ivy in, I've been trying to figure something out for her to do, and this is perfect." Ivy was still having trouble comprehending the situation, and tears began to roll down her chest. Iya walked around to her and hugged her.

"Don't worry." She said kindly. "We'll make sure you have all the help you need, and we'll be back here quite frequently to check in on you. Do you want to take the job?" The party looked at the young girl as she dried her tears and clenched her fists.

"I can do it, Iya. I promise."

"That's the spirit!" Gavin said with a smile. "Come on, let's celebrate our new owner!" Their laughter rang out into the morning, and Ivy marveled that she had found not one new friend, but four of them.