Ep. 5 Water Whispers

September 15th, 2023

A week had flew by in Equality, and the Hunters began to feel comfortable about Freedom. They liked the way he treated Nature. As for her, she was doing better. The two of them had built a strong trustful bond.

However, Nature's family did not discover what she had done to herself. Freedom had promised to keep it a secret as long as she did not attempt it again.

Today was Friday, so Nature did not have work to do. She doesn't have work on Fridays and Saturdays. She was free to do what she wished.

There were two ways she wanted to spend it. One, spend time with Freedom, or two, go to a secret location only she knows of. Either or sounded lovely, but she could only choose one. Therefore, she choose Freedom.

   She peered over her bed, giggling like a little girl up to no good. Freedom was still asleep. She found it that she has learned to wake up earlier with him around.

   Five seconds of scheming later, she pounced onto him, making him wake up immediately.

   "Good morning," she grinned.

   "You are bad," he grinned back.

   "Yes, I am." She got off of him. "I don't have any work today, so we could do some exploring if you want."

   "Oh, that's right. Foxy was telling me about it yesterday. I guess I forgot," he sat up and stretched.

   "We should really set up something more comfortable for you to sleep on. I think the floor might be getting old, eh?" 

   "I don't really mind it. Though I do kinda miss my bed."

   After that, they did their normal morning routines. Freedom does his things first, then followed by Nature. Since it was deeper into September, they were both wearing hoodies and pants today. Nature put her difficult hair up into a low ponytail.

   "What do you want to do today?" Freedom asked, putting his black sneakers on.

   They were in her room again.

   Nature also put her white sneakers on. "What do you want to do today? There's much to do."

   "I asked you first."

   "I asked you second."

   "Okay, smart aleck," Freedom smiled. "No, but seriously. You know all."

   "Hm, well, I know a place we could go after breakfast."

   "Is it a surprise?"

   "Maybe."

   They giggled. Then, they left the room to the living room. Foxy sat on the couch waiting for them. He wore a huge grin.

   "Freedom, I beat your high score!" He pointed to the tv that had a video game on it.

   "What? No! How could you do this to me?" Freedom jokingly exaggerated.

   "Because you out smarted me yesterday! No one out smarts the out smarter and gets away with it!" Foxy laughed.

   Nature shook her head at the two boys and continued to the kitchen. They had developed a kind of "brother bond". Foxy doesn't have a brother, so Freedom is everything he hoped one would be like.

   "Morning, mom," Nature greeted, instantly helping prepare breakfast.

   "Good morning, Nature. I see you're full of energy today. Happy to have a day off?"

   "Something like that," Nature said, thinking of Freedom's reaction to the place she planned.

After breakfast was ready and everyone sat down, Nature thought back to the dream she had last night. She thought it was strange, and she had felt unusual when she had woken up at first. She wondered why.

Since she could find no answer, she chose to listen to everyone else. They had all kinds of things to share. Some were going hunting, others hiking, others going to meet with friends, and Ignite shared the ceremony was going to be at night.

Nature's dream...

Nature was a child again, maybe two or three years old. She ran up to her parents' farm house. It was old and grey and so was the sky. Everything was grey.

The Sun only shed so much light. She could only see the house, the fields, herself, and the grass.

The grass.

The grass looked to be burnt terribly. Had something happened? It was quickly dying around her and the house.

She breathed heavily, pounding on the door to be let in. No one opened. Had they forgotten about her? A clock struck two o' clock somewhere in the house.

Everything went silent after the clock stopped. The grass had fully died, and the only thing she could hear was her breathing. She began counting.

'1...2...3...4...5...6," she squinted her eyes. She no longer wished to see.

Suddenly, she heard a loud noise behind her. She opened her eyes and turned around. A few hundred kilometers in front of her was a dead forest. She felt the hair on her neck stand up. Something was not right.

Then, one by one, twenty five stars appeared in the sky. Their luminosity was grand compared to the Sun. In fact, it was so grand, the Sun shriveled up and died.

Nature fell to her knees and started crying. She felt hopeless but couldn't understand why. Was it the loss of the Sun? She pounded the ground with her fist, and the ground collapsed from under her.

She was falling through a black void. The only thing left to see were the twenty five stars. Finally, she landed softly on pillows.

Nature was now her current age, but her body ached all over. She noticed Freedom smiling in his sleep. They were lying down next to each other. That feeling of worry was gone now. She felt calm.

But then, she felt ice cold. She sat up from the sudden change. Then, she saw her. The demon that bugs her whenever she could. Nature was filled with fear. The demon was coming to them.

Nature tried to wake Freedom up, but he wouldn't. She hated to leave him, but she got up and ran off of the pillows to the hard, black concrete, floor.

The demon's pace got faster and faster until she stopped at Freedom. Nature turned around to look what she was doing. In fear she would hurt Freedom, Nature dashed back to them. On the way, she tripped over a pillow, forgetting they were there.

The demon cackled at her and continued to get closer to touching Freedom. Nature reached out a hand to stop her, but she felt too weak. In the distance, she could hear a siren singing.

When she thought there was nothing left she could do to stop the demon, an arrow shot past them. It had missed the demon on purpose. Its purpose was to get the demon's attention, and it did.

The demon looked behind herself. There was a glowing figure there with a bow and more arrows. Nature couldn't make out a face, but the siren's singing was getting louder.

At that moment, Princess Guardians stood over her. The young princess offered a hand out to her. But before she could accept it, she blacked out.

Her eyes fluttered open as she sat up. Nature's vision was slightly blurry, but it quickly recovered. Freedom and Princess Guardians stood in front her. They looked caringly at her.

Once again, Princess Guardians offered her hand, but Freedom did too. Nature took both of them and helped her up. She found she couldn't walk well, but they helped her.

The surroundings were beautiful. There was fresh green grass, towering mountains, a village, autumn trees, and a dirt road. It was nighttime and the stars were glittering across the sky. There was a full moon too.

Nature smiled. She loved the night, and she was relieved to be safe. They started to move on the path. Children were playing and their parents were calling them in for supper.

Unexpectedly, Nature fell. The two had not dropped her, so they turned around looking confused. She started to cough up blood and her chest hurt terribly.

There was a bright light, but then, nothing.

September 15th, 2023

After breakfast was over, Nature and Freedom helped clean up. Then, she guided him outside to a path with cherry trees. They strolled through it, gazing at the blossoms falling.

"These are great! Definitely one of my favorite places now," he commented.

"I know. It's so relaxing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

They walked some more until Freedom noticed a curve in the path they were coming up to. Nature had her eyes closed, listening to the sweet birds chirping.

"Nature, watch out-!" He began.

But it was too late.

Before she realized why he said that, she had fell down a steep ledge. It was darker here than up there. She landed with a thud. Luckily, she hadn't broke anything. Freedom looked over the ledge.

"Nature, are you okay?" He called down.

She looked around herself. "Yeah, I'm alright. I've never seen this place before, so I don't know how to get out."

"Hang on, I'll go get help, okay?"

Nature did not want to be left alone, but she let him go. She instead looked at the area behind her.

The reason it had gotten darker was because this area was a place no light got in. Any light actually came from the trees and flowers glowing. The light made everything look like it had a dark blue tint.

"Woah," Nature said in awe.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two objects glimmering on the ground. She picked them up to analyze them. They were two rings, but one had a pink sapphire and the other had a purple sapphire on them.

Nature found it strange because her birthstone was sapphire. Call it a hunch, but she had an odd feeling about them. She shrugged it off and got curious if they would fit on her fingers.

She put the pink ring on her left index finger. Then, she put the purple ring on her right index finger. They fit perfectly.

"Huh," Nature said to herself. She tried to take them off, but they wouldn't budge. "Hey, what gives?" She gave up after a few tries, and ventured into the new area to look for water.

As she walked past the flowers, she realized they were half the height and size of her. They were also moving as if they were whispering to the other beside them. Whatever language they were speaking, she did not know it.

A few minutes later, she found a stream that glowed light blue like the trees and flowers. She dipped her hands in. The water was cool but not freezing. She again tried to pry the rings off, but they still wouldn't let go.

She tried again and again and again, letting a bit of her arm get in the water. Nothing worked! The bandages Freedom had put on her a week ago got wet and started to try to come off.

"Come on! Seriously?" She said annoyed.

"They're not going to come off," a voice said behind her. Nature gasped and whirled around.

"W-Who are you?" Nature said, frightened.

The woman before her was not on her list. The woman had dark blue hair, wings, eyes, and eye shadow. She definitely looked like she belonged here. She wore a long dark purple cloak, and her skin was light brown. But the most chilling thing Nature noticed was the woman's diamond pupils.

"Do not be afraid, little one," the woman held up a hand for a motion to stop. "My name is Lady."

"I-I...I'm Na-."

"I know who you are."

"How?"

"The Guardians like to talk about you. Besides, the amulets were waiting for you."

"The Guardians? Amulets?"

Lady calmly approached the confused teen. Lady was much taller than Nature by a long shot. For some reason, she reminded Nature of Princess Moon, Queen Sun's sister.

   "I need you to trust me. I know you don't know me, but believe me, I can help you."

   "Help?"

   Lady gently reached for Nature's bandaged arm. Nature was not sure what the woman was going to do, but if she wanted to be trusted, a chance needed to be given. Lady removed the bandages.

   The cuts were gone.

   Not even a scar was left behind.

   "What? How in the world-!" Nature began.

   "The water," Lady motioned to it, putting Nature's arm down. "The water is extraordinary. It can heal just about anything, but it cannot bring the dead back to life."

   "Why...Why are you telling me all this?"

   "The Fellan Flowers haven't seen someone like you in years."

   "The flowers?"

   "Yes, and I've been waiting for you. You may not see it now, but we have a similarity. That is why I can help you. As for the amulets, they are a different story."

   "You mean the rings?"

   "They are amulets. Shall we talk about it over tea?"

   "Uhh, sure?"

   "Follow me."

   Nature thought she must of been dreaming! Flowers that could talk, healing water, a woman named Lady, a place where no natural light got in? It all seemed rather silly to her. Then again, just remember all she can do.

   As they made their way towards a castle, Nature had even more questions, but she decided to keep quiet. The castle's outside walls were dark blue bricks, and the roofs of the towers were black. Granted, it was not as big as Settle Sun's, but it was just as intimidating.

   Lady opened one half of a big dark oak door, and they entered. Nature heard the boom from the door echo across the long hallway. The hallway was painted gold, and stained glass were built into them.

   As the two walked past, Nature didn't recognize the symbols on the stained glass windows. Well, she did one. There were light blue and yellow flowers, monstrous black things that resembled animals, and dark blue diamonds. Nature wondered if this place was a forgotten part of Equality.

   'That's impossible,' she thought. 'I'm the queen's scribe! I know everything there is to know about Equality!'

   At the end of the hall, there was another door in front of them. To their right were stairs though. Lady guided Nature up the wooden steps to an area that looked like a library. Then, Lady had Nature sit at one of the four lounge areas in the library.

   Sitting alone, Nature then thought about the mystery behind this new place in more detail. It made no sense to her Queen Sun was unaware of a dark place filled with talking flowers. But then, she thought about the Hunters' Territory. Queen Sun had no idea that place existed before Nature either.

   And how did Lady know Nature? Why in the world would the Guardians' words be enough to tell Lady about her? But most importantly, does Lady stay here...alone?

   After a few minutes, Lady returned with a tray with a pot and two tea cups on it. She sat down across from Nature and sighed pleasantly. Lady positioned the tray so one cup would face Nature and the other towards her.

   "It may be a bit hot," Lady informed her.

   "Oh...thanks," Nature replied awkwardly. She gently lifted the cup in front of her but retreated when she noticed Lady was right. It was hot.

   "Welcome to Aqua Fell."

   "Hm?" Nature looked up from her cup.

   "This "area" as you call it is called Aqua Fell, and this kingdom is one of the last buildings from the Fellan people."

   "Fellan people? Never heard of them."

   "That's because the records are lost to even beyond time itself. Just ask Phoebe."

   "Tsk, like I'd talk to them if I even had to."

   "You know, they're very nice people."

   "Yeah, from Hell."

   "Now, now. It's not right to insult someone without them being able to defend themself. Although, they are listening."

   Nature spit her tea out, "What?"

   "You heard me. What? You haven't noticed? Well, my dear, they are always watching you. Especially dear Phoebe."

   "Why?"

   "You wanted to know about the amulets?"

   "Yes, but-!"

   "They may look like innocent rings, but I assure you, they are far from innocent."

   Nature knew she was not going to get an answer. However, it did not matter because now she was suspicious of the rings on her fingers.

   "Go on."

   "You're not the first to have them. There were three people before you."

   "So?"

   "The amulets choose their next vessel, Nature. The three before you had died long ago. Just about anyone can choose to wear them, but once they come upon a worthy vessel, they will not come off until death."

"What do you mean by vessel?"

"Your...spirit is rich in what they look for. But I warn you, they can be a blessing or curse. Take care of them."

"I'm still so confused! One second, I meet you! The other, my fate depends on some kind of weird rings!"

At the end of those words, Nature's index fingers felt like they flared up.

"Ow! What the heck?"

"I don't think they appreciated that insult.... I see you struggle with self expectance too, which is fine. I can fix that."

"Am I broken now?" Nature mumbled in annoyance. She stood up and put the cup down. "Look, it was great meeting you, but I should really get back to the spot I came from. Freedom is going to freak out if he sees I'm not there."

   Lady stood up to and walked to Nature's side of the table. She glared into Nature's eyes. It felt horrifying for Nature, so, out of impulse, she ran out of the library and down the stairs.

   She could no longer gaze at the golden glow of the hallway in awe. All she knew is she needed to find somewhere safe.

   But after she got outside, she realized she had no idea which direction they came from. Nature took a guess and ran into the forest looking for water. Lady was chasing from right behind her.

   Luckily, it was simple to find water, but it branched off into several directions. Still, she ran and ran and ran until her lungs hurt and she collapsed. She breathed heavily in panic as Lady arrived close enough to stand over her.

   "Aaa! Don't kill me!" Nature jumped up and grabbed a twig off of the ground and pointed at Lady.

   "You're going to defend yourself with a twig?" Lady asked. Nature blushed and continued on running. "Wait!"

   So the chase continued deeper and deeper into the whirl of dark blue hideaways, and with both of them not giving up too. Eventually, Nature did loose Lady. She rested against a tree for a moment.

   "Now look what you've got yourself into, Nature! You're in danger and you're lost!" Nature said to herself.

   The flowers swayed and looked happy to see her. Again, they spoke in a language she didn't know. She sighed.

   "Nature, yako uoy era?" One said to her.

   "You can say my name, huh? What strange creatures," she kneeled down to it.

   "Reh ekil kool uoy," it continued.

   "I can't understand you."

   "Noos ereh eb lliw ebeohP!" Another one chanted.

   "Neht yawa og Nature dluohs?"

   "On, s'ehs yako."

   "T'ndluow I."

   The large group of flowers all looked at her. "What?"

   "Su dantsrednu uoy t'nac yhw?"

   "I'm sorry. I really can't understand what you're saying."

   They looked at one another and started having a collective conversation. Then, they turned back to her.

   "Hhhhoooww aaboouut nnooww?"

   "Yes, that's better."

   "Gggooooooddd."

   "Su tuoba reh llet!" One yelled at the now English speaking flower.

   "Thgirla! Thgirla! Wwweeee aaaarrreee Fffeeelllannn flllooowwerrrs. Myyy nnnaamme isss Xaorht. Errr, III mmmeannn Thhhoorrraaaxxx."

   "Nice to meet you Thorax."

   "Connecting well?" Lady said behind Nature. Nature jumped and began to get up to scurry away.

   "Ddoonnn'ttt goooo! Lady isss nniiccee!"

   "I think we got off on the wrong foot," Lady apologized. "I don't get a lot of social interaction."

   "Why should I trust you?"

   Lady gasped at something in the distance. "Because of now!" She grabbed Nature's wrist and they hid behind a tree.

   "Hey!"

   "Shhh! Watch!" She pointed back to the flowers.

Guardian Phoebe skipped her feet against the midnight blue grass with a basket in her hands. She wore a smile as bright as a child on Christmas morning. Nature was shocked, for the expression was extremely rare to see on the usual gloomy Guardian.

'What is she so happy about?' Nature thought.

"It seems she's going to be talking to them, so I'll translate for you," Lady whispered.

Soon enough, they were laughing about something she said. Lady said it was a kind of greeting Guardian Phoebe treats them with.

"Ereh attuo teg ew lliw nehw?" One flower asked the still beaming Guardian. 'When will we get outta here.'

"Noos, I epoh," Guardian Phoebe replied. 'Soon, I hope.'

"Regnol hcum tiaw nac ew erus ton er'ew!" Another replied. 'We're not sure we can wait much longer!'

Guardian Phoebe's smile faltered, "Regnol elttil a tsuj, esaelp." 'Please, just a little longer.'

"Reh nees ev'ew," another flower from across stated. 'We've seen her.'

"Lla retfa emit tuoba si ti. Esnes sekam." 'Makes sense. It is about time after all.'

"Tahw rof?" 'For what?'

Guardian Phoebe only smiled gently. "A new beginning," she whispered.

"Hhhhooowww mmmuuucch lllooonggeerr?"

"Less than a month."

"Yyyoouu'llll goooo eaaaassyy oooon heeeerr, woooon't youuuu?"

"I would never disappoint Psithurism."

Nature let out a small gasp. 'How does she know that word? Who is Psithurism? What's going to happen in less than a month? Should I warn Queen Sun?' Nature's head spun with questions as the flowers giggled.

"Whhhaaat wwwiilll youuuuu dooo ifff Nature isss aaa faiiill?"

Nature froze.

What was the flower talking about?

"She won't be."

"Howww cannnn youuu beee sooo surrre?"

"I will not let her be a fail. Besides, I triple checked everything before we put this plan into action. There is not even a single flaw to her design."

'Plan? Design?' Nature thought, even more freaked out now.

"Everything is falling into place."

Nature was trembling with fear washing her inside and out. If she was not afraid of the Guardians before, she certainly was now. In fact, she was worried she was in danger.

"I don't want to hear any more," Nature whispered to Lady.

Carefully, Lady grabbed Nature's right hand and led her away from the mysterious Guardian. Because Lady knew her way across Aqua Fell, they were back to the Fellan castle within minutes. She let go of Nature.

Still in a slight shock, Nature hugged herself and slumped against the castle wall.

"I...have wondered what...they've wanted from me for years."

"I know what she was talking about. Trust me, it's not what you're thinking. They have no intention on hurting you."

"But-!"

"Silence! You must learn to have patience. I must tell you a bit about myself."

"I want to go home," Nature shook her head.

"I cannot let you go yet. It's too dangerous for Aqua Fell. Do you still not believe in my trust? Well, what if I told you I know your deepest darkest most hidden secret?"

"Huh?" She shot up to look at Lady. She had her attention now. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do because I'm like you. I see the fear bleeding from your face. Relax, I'm not able to tell anyone. I can see it brings you a ton of mixed emotions. It can hard having such a secret."

"Why can't I go?"

"I need you to make a promise."

   "What?" Nature sighed.

   "Promise me you will never ever speak of this place!"

   "Why?"

   "...The water and flowers must be protected. Please, listen to me."

   Nature was surprised she was being begged, but she could see the sincerity in Lady's eyes. She could not say no. It made sense to her to keep the place to herself anyway.

   "Okay, I promise."

   "Do you swear on your life?"

   "Of course. I can see this place to important to you."

   Lady loosened up and smiled. "Thank you."

"Blah blah blah!" A voice a voice in the trees mocked. Nature groaned, for she sadly knew it.

A female demon emerged with a wide grin. She had curly hair, black voided eyes, and her body and clothes were fully black.

   "Who are you?" Lady demanded.

   "I'm Nature's worst nightmare!" The demon cackled.

   "I call her Nemon," Nature groaned.

   "Nemon? What a strange name."

   "Yawn! Nature, lets ditch this hag and go home! I want to stalk your boyfriend some more."

   "He's not my boyfriend," she blushed.

   "Don't you have something better to do?" Lady scowled at Nemon.

   "Nope! I love to torture Nature!"

"Your kind is not welcomed here."

"Boo hoo!"

"Leave Lady out of this," Nature whispered.

"I can't hear you when you're mumbling," Nemon rolled her eyes.

"Leave Lady out of this," she repeated louder.

"Or what? What are you going to do, Nature? Bake me a cupcake?" Nemon teased.

"Just leave her alone."

Nemon moved closer to Lady. "Who's stopping me?"

"No."

"Aren't you gonna fight me, Nature?"

"No!"

"That's right! You won't! Those "guards lessons" did you no good! You cannot protect anyone! You can't even protect yourself from yourself! You know why? Because you're a joke!"

   An arrow suddenly shot in front of the demon, but she caught it. The demon observed it and looked to her right. Guardian Phoebe was standing within the trees with a white bow and another arrow.

"We're hunting demons tonight!" Guardian Hannah exclaimed, appearing next to Guardian Phoebe.

"Good luck catching me!" The demon laughed. "You two looking for a fight?"

"No, but you two should spend sometime apart," Guardian Hannah coldly replied, pulling a sword out. Nature noticed it had a yin and yang symbol on it.

"Oh~, a sword! I'm so~ scared! Whatever shall I do?" The demon teased.

"If you're smart, you'll leave," Guardian Phoebe warned.

"Is that a threat? Ha! You're not worth my time! I'll leave for now, but I'll be back!"

Nemon faded away, and Guardian Hannah turned to her partner. She put a hand on Guardian Phoebe's shoulder.

"Come on," she smiled. "She can't be too far away."

Guardian Phoebe nodded, so her partner left in the blink of an eye. She was going to leave too, but she turned back to Lady and Nature. Her grip tightened on her bow. She made eye contact with Nature and left.

"I should get you back to the spot you came from," Lady sighed.

Nature could only nod. She felt sick from even looking at the Guardians. The questions only kept coming. What in the world did they want with her? Why did they help her? Were they really watching her?

Twenty minutes later, they were back where Nature had fell from. Her uneasiness had faded, but she wouldn't forget what she heard.

   "Your friend is near," Lady said, looking up. "If you ever need anything like guidance, I'm here."

   Nature stood agape at her. In the distance, the Fellan flowers could be heard singing a faint tune. Who was this woman?

   "Why are you alone here?" She asked.

   "I cannot answer that. Nature, may I invite you to return later?"

   "Later? Well, the only time I could sneak out is late. There's going to be a ceremony tonight. I might get tuckered out...."

   "Please, try. There are things I can only say after midnight," Lady whispered.

   "Why?"

   "Because of the Midnight Guardian."

   "There's a third Guardian? Who's the Midnight Guardian?"

   "Naaaaature! Are you still down there?" Freedom called down.

   "I have to go, but I'll be watching from a distance. And one last thing, you may tell him and only him if you choose."

   With a flick of her wrist, she disappeared. A shadow cast over her, so she looked up to see Freedom flying down. He seemed worried.

   "Why didn't you answer me?" He saddened.

   "Sorry, I...was lost in thought," she lied.

   "Oh, it's okay. Sorry it took all day for me to return. I couldn't find your family for awhile. When I did, they reminded me I have wings."

   "Wow, so my dad's not gonna shoot you for carrying me?"

   "It was Fit and Foxy I talked to."

   "Oh."

   "Besides, he can't if he doesn't find out."

   "Ooo, you're bad," she giggled.

   "Okay, enough fooling around. We should get back up there. Are you afraid of heights?"

   "No. You're forgetting I occasionally visit the Daycarers."

   "Right. Okay, I've never done this before."

   "You've picked me up at least twice!"

   "Yeah, but I haven't flown."

   "Don't worry! I'm light!"

   "Hehe, I can't argue with that."

   He scooped her up bridal style and spread his grey wings. "Don't drop me," Nature squeaked.

   "I won't."

   His wings flapped and up they went. Up, up, up! Nature shielded her eyes from the brightness of the sunset sky. Aqua Fell really was dark. He put her down onto her feet on the path.

"That wasn't so hard," Freedom rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thank you for bringing me back up. Looks like the ceremony will be soon."

   "Didn't you say it was for welcoming the season?"

   "Well, and the Guardians," Nature saddened.

   "What's wrong?"

   "...Freedom, can I tell you something? You cannot open your mouth to no one about it."

   "Yeah, sure, anything."

   "While I was down there, I saw one of the Guardians," she lowered her voice, considering they could be listening.

   "Really? What happened?"

   Nature felt uneasy again. "They were talking about...if I was going to be a fail and some kind of plan...."

   "Nature, are you okay? You're trembling!"

   "I...What do they want from me? Freedom, I'm scared! They also mentioned the word 'psithurism' as if it was a person!"

   Nature was feeling cold by replaying the moment in her head. She hugged herself. Freedom stood there for a second because he wasn't sure what to say.

   "Nature, I don't think they mean any harm," he gently reassured her.

   "But they said 'everything is falling into place'! What does it mean?"

   "...I don't know. Hey, you know what? If something bad happens, I'll be there to protect you!" He hugged her.

   A hug.

   It had been something she hadn't had in a long time. Not because her family would not, she just didn't let anyone close enough to her to get the chance.

   A feeling of relief covered her like a blanket. Freedom was toasty and she didn't want him to let go. Sadly, all good things must come to an end.

   "Come on, they're waiting for us. Besides, what do we even wear to one of these?"

   "Formal attire."

   "I didn't bring anything like that."

   "I'm sure I can improvise."

Fit was outside, in the back of the house, with Foxy doing some chores here and there. There's a well out there, so Foxy was collecting water from it. Fit was busy piling more wood onto the woodpile that was dwindling on the side of the house. He stacked the last of the wood and checked on Foxy. He had also just finished with a full bucket of water in his hands.

"Eh, heavy?" Fit asked, noting his struggle.

"A bit, but it's fine," he nodded. "What time is it?"

"Seven something I think. Why?"

"Just keeping track of time."

"Let me help you," Fit chuckled. Foxy gratefully handed the bucket to him.

"Thanks."

They went around the right side of the house and had just turned the corner when Nature and Freedom emerged from the trees. They watched the two enter the house before daring a word.

"How long do you think he'll be here?" Fit asked.

"No idea," Foxy shook his head. "Based on the situation he's in, I doubt it will be much longer."

Fit huffed and continued up the path towards where the ceremony would be. Foxy caught up to him.

"You good?"

"For a Human, he's not bad I suppose."

"You don't want him to leave?" Foxy grinned.

"Not sure to be honest. But here's what I am sure of," he stopped to face the shorter Hunter.

"What?"

"I think it's important Nature and him knows one another."

"How come?"

Fit continued walking. "We've tried to understand Nature for years, but she won't talk to us about her problems anymore. They get each other though whether Speedy likes it or not."

"...I can't lie, I like him too. You can admit it!"

"Fine, I do like him. He's not like other Humans, that's for sure."

"What are you trying to say anyway?"

"I don't know. There's just something different about him."

   "Are you sure about this?" Freedom asked Nature while he walked out of the bathroom.

   "Yeah, you look great!" She answered.

   Freedom felt embarrassed wearing a suit. It's not really his thing. "I don't know..."

   "Oh, stop it! What are you worried about? Afraid you'll show off your Humaness?"

   "Very funny," he brightened up a bit.

   "Hang in there, Sir Freedom. I'll be out in a few minutes." Nature entered the bathroom and shut the door.

   Rose came down the stairs wearing a purple dress. She also wore a pink choker and bells around her wolf ears.

   "Oh, good, it fits you. Emos takes good care of his suits. Hmm, but something's missing though," she stated. She took a red rose out of the vase on a table against the wall. Then, she attached it to the suit. "That's better. See you two later."

   Freedom was left alone as she headed out the door. He put his hands in the pockets of his pants.

   After a minute or two, Nature came out. She was wearing a light blue and purple dress. It had matching light purple shoes and a star necklace. She had brushed her bangs out, so they kind of covered her eyes. The dress had cold shoulder sleeves.

   "So, what do you think?" She asked.

   "You, uh, look amazing," Freedom blushed.

   'You look too good,' he thought.

   "I like it better when I can see you though." He pushed her bangs to the left side of her face. It was Nature's turn to blush from the gesture. When he noticed she was, he retreated his hand.

   'Did I just accidentally flirt?' His thoughts continued.

   "Uh, s-sorry," he apologized.

   Nature was unsure what to say. If he apologized, he didn't mean anything,... right? She blinked and looked away.

"We should get going," she broke the awkwardness.

"Yeah," Freedom sighed, kind of relieved she didn't say anything.

   "Deep within the trees, the Hunters had a special meeting point. Some elder Hunters say it was the place where their civilization began in the beginning of Autumn. Once upon a time ago, two mysterious women led their ancestors to safety. It was at the particular point they thanked the women and began to live in peace.

   Centuries later, the Hunters made it a tradition to celebrate the incoming season and the Guardians who helped them survive.

   Hunters use to be able to perform magic, but, over time, their survival skills improved to such an extent, the only magic they needed was their animal side. Magic, curses, and sorcery was forgotten.

   Though their magic past was forgotten, the luminosity of the special meeting place remained. The trees and grass glowed of red, purple, and dark blue. It was a constant reminder of the Guardians," Nature read from a book to a huddle of Hunter children. "That was the case until one day, the Hunters found another civilization.

   The second civilization was much more advanced than them. They had spears, shields, and shining armor. Some were similar to Hunters by having wings. They called themselves Humans.

   A selected few spied and studied the Humans, and learned there was a tree branched with three different abilities. Some Humans were fliers and tamed the sky, others worked fields and grew crops, and the last surprised the Hunters greatly. The last performed magic."

   "Children! Can you come help us quick?" A Hunter called to them. They groaned, for they wanted Nature to continue the story.

   "Go on. We can finish later," she reassured them. They scrambled along, going to help set a last late table.

   Freedom leaned back from the log he sat on to the right of Nature. "So this is like a religious place?" He asked.

   "You could call it that," she nodded.

   "If Hunters know about magic, why does Foxy not believe in it?"

   "He thinks everything is related to science. I've tried to convince him otherwise for years."

   An hour later, the moon was fully in the sky. It was finally dark enough for the trees and grass to light up the area like a dance at a High school. The Hunters treated it as if it were one too.

   Freedom sat at a table on the sidelines. He is not a party person because of his introverted ways. To his surprise, Nature didn't seem to want to either.

   "Why aren't you dancing?" He elbowed her.

   "I can't dance," she answered.

   "Really? Is that the truth, or is it you don't like to dance?"

   "I stumble a lot," Nature shrugged. "Besides, I would rather watch."

   "That's kinda creepy."

   She giggled. "I like to see them happy."

   "Oh..." He thought for a moment before getting up and extending a hand to her. "Just one, Lady Nature?"

   "No, I couldn't," she blushed.

   "I think I can handle a few steps on my feet," he smiled, determined.

   "Hm, maybe just one."

   Nature accepted his hand gratefully. However, as they reached the dancing Hunters, Nature became restless.

   "I-I can't do it! They're doing the waltz! It's too complicated for me!" She tried to break free from Freedom.

   "Something too complicated for you? Never heard of it!" He teased.

   "Freedom, please!" She begged him. He stopped, acknowledging she was serious.

   "Why is it too complicated for you?"

   Nature blushed and put her head down.

   "Oh~, are you shy?"

   "N-No!"

   "You sure about that?"

   "I'm not going to dance!" She refused.

   "So your stubbornness kicks in, huh? Alright, I won't make you." 

   Suddenly, the trees and grasses' glow turned orange. The Hunters stopped dead in their tracks and looked around in confusion. Nature looked up at Freedom.

   "This has never happened before," she said.

   "Hello~ Hunters!" A male voice called out from an unknown point.

   A male jumped down from a pine tree. His hair was light blond and cut short into a crew cut with faded sides, and he had cadet blue eyes. He wore an orange guard uniform with red armor for his shoulders and knees. His sword was newly sharpened too. The knight also had a red cape.

   "Who is that?" Freedom whispered.

   "I have no idea," Nature shook her head.

   "Who are you?" Speedy asked the knight.

   "Ah, my name is Jason. Sir Guardian Jason of Sarcasm and Fire," he explained.

   "Guardian?" Freedom and Nature silently freaked out together.

   "I'm a bit lost," he continued.

   "You bet you are!" An anger voice stormed from somewhere behind him. In a matter of seconds, the Guardians showed up.

   "Aye, there you two are!"

   "Give me ONE good reason why I shouldn't tear you LIMB from LIMB!" Guardian Phoebe yelled.

   "Because there's a crowd?" Guardian Jason said uneasily.

   Before she exploded, she stopped, breathed, and grabbed him by the ear. "You are in serious trouble!" She hissed.

   "What did I do?"

   But instead of answering, she drug him away from the Hunters' ceremony. Guardian Hannah waved to Nature and Freedom and left.

   "Well, that was weird," Freedom said to Nature.

   "Yeah, how about it?"

   Pretending like nothing happened, the Hunters continued dancing. Freedom requested Nature to dance again, but she wouldn't budge. After a few minutes, he finally gave up.

"Freedom?" Nature began after a few short minutes.

   "Yeah?"

   "I need to ask you something."

   Nature's tone was more serious than Freedom had ever heard it. He turned to her, wondering what this change of emotion was about.

   "I'm listening."

   "What do you think Jack is doing right now?"

   "...Well, I hope either guarding at his post, going home, or is already in bed. Why are you asking?"

   "I really hope it's not him," she slowly looked up at Freedom. "Because I'm afraid I'll be the one dealing with it."

   "What are you talking about?"

   "The conversation I heard from the Guardians today, I wasn't alone. While you were gone, I left the spot I was at. I meant a woman named Lady. I've never seen her before, I had no idea that place existed, and I'm the queen's scribe! How could I not know?"

   "What's so special about this place?"

   "Haven't you noticed?"

   "Noticed what?"

   She held her arm out to him where the cuts should of been. He looked at her in astonishment. Then, he noticed the ring with a purple sapphire on it.

"What happened?"

"The water can heal things. I found it out by trying on these rings, only I couldn't take them off. So I found water, and tried to slip them off. In the process, the bandages fell off instead. Now my arm is healed."

"Why are you still wearing the rings?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet. Lady told me they were like...glued to me now. Something about a blessing or curse. It was all so fast and confusing."

"What does it have to do with the Guardians and my brother?"

"The conversation I heard and that moment with another Guardian got me thinking. What if they're waiting for something?"

"Go on."

"Why are we now just talking and hanging around each other? Is it fate, or is there something else going on? And the word 'Psithurism', why haven't I saw it? Now it could be a person they want to please! I'm so confused!"

"Again, what about my brother?"

"Whoever killed Tyler had a strategy!"

   "Why do you say that?"

   "No one's caught them yet! Why does it bother me so much? Jack is a good guy! He's a guard for goodness sake, but he hurt you! What if it's all a distraction? But if it's not, I'm worried that whatever the Guardians want with me is why I'm suspicious of Jack."

Freedom chuckled, "I think you worry too much. Seriously, learn to relax."

"I can't!"

"Do you take days off from your scribe work?"

"No."

"That would explain your paranoid ness."

"Would you give me a serious reply?" Nature demanded, a little annoyed.

"Okay, sorry. Look, I don't have all the answers in the Universe, but if I were you, I would try to process all of this slowly. All you're going to do is give yourself a headache. Believe me, I know."

"What if I don't have a lot of time-!"

He put his right pointer finger on her lips to shush her.

"This is exactly what I mean. You're freaking out about it! Take a breather." Nature blushed as he removed his finger. "When I was younger, I use to struggle with my homework. I over thought it a lot. My father told me to think it through slowly until I understood it."

"This isn't homework," she sighed.

"That's not the point, Nature, and you know it. Just don't let me catch you up in the middle of the night conspiracy theorizing."

She laughed and playfully punched him on the shoulder.

"You're so funny," she giggled. "I wouldn't do that!"

"Yes, you would!" Freedom laughed too.

   "Well, anyway, I'm going back tonight," she calmed herself.

   "Why?"

   "Lady asked me to. She needs to tell me something."

   "I can't stop you so be careful."

   "I always am."

   '1:35a.m.'

   Nature felt like an owl in the night as she swiftly moved silently through the trees. The most quietest birds who flap their wings are owls. The nocturnal animal needs a way to catch prey, right?

   This time she was careful to look before she leaped down to the dark dark Aqua Fell. She landed on her stomach but got up. As she looked around, Lady leaned against a tree. Lady waved her over.

   "I made it," Nature nervously said, noticing Aqua Fell hadn't changed a bit.

   "Yes, thank you," Lady smiled. "Was the fall a bit softer this time?"

   "Could of been better."

   "Understood. Really, I'm glad you returned. I won't take much of your time, but this is important."

   "What is it then?"

   "Nature, I want to be your mentor. I believe I can help you."

"Mentor? For what?"

"You don't know it yet, but you're part of something extraordinary! For now, I can help with emotional support."

"I don't need emotional support."

"You have a demon."

"...So, maybe you're right," Nature looked down.

"The Guardians are taking care of her though. I want to help with that deepest darkest secret of yours."

"What makes you think you can help me, or that I'll believe you know?"

"Because I'm like you, but not completely. You're far greater."

"Lady, I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Don't try to fool me, child. I know you're aware of your blend. They have no name."

"What? How did you-?" Nature reacted in shock.

"Do you know what fusion is?"

   The next few days later, Nature received news that school would be beginning again soon. The murderer had been reported that they must of fled the Equalian boarders by Jewel. The murder was no longer Equality's problem.

   The information was good, but on another hand, it wasn't. Freedom would have to go home before school began. The Hunters were unsure if they wanted him to leave. Would Nature go back to her old ways?

   To be honest, Freedom was unsure if he wanted to leave himself. He had grown so attached, especially to Nature. In the end, he reasoned it would be for the best.

   Freedom stepped over the Hunter boarder and back into the Humans'. It felt odd. It felt wrong. He felt like a traitor to the Hunters. Nature stayed on the Hunters' side.

   "I guess this is it, huh?" Freedom saddened.

   "Until school," Nature sighed.

   "No, until we meet again, Lady Nature."

   Nature was still sad, but she smiled for him. "Until we meet again, Sir Freedom."

   They bowed, turned around, and started towards their homes. Freedom stopped after a few steps and looked back. He didn't want to go but he had to. He had to face his brother some day.

   "Nature!" He yelled.

   She stopped and turned around.

   "Take care of yourself."

   She smiled and nodded.

   Both feeling a bit of relief from another word, they went their separate ways. There was no telling what school would bring. However, they were sure there was nothing in there way of staying friends.