[b]The Evertree, Part II – A D2 Short Story[/b] [spoiler]*sighs wistfully* I really liked writing this two-parter. Enjoy![/spoiler] [i]Tetra[/i] Rys led me—by the hand, no less—to a small, beautiful garden close to his home. No doubt his family owned this land; I could see the Buern crest engraved on a wooden bench. “My father bought this place for my mother when they were married,” Rys explains. “They’re rarely been here since I and my sister were born. I like to come here, though. It’s quiet, perfect for a blossoming Warlock.” He grins stupidly as he glances at a cherry tree. I roll my eyes. “Your jokes are worse than your Ghost's.” “What, Damian? He’s a funny guy! Maybe Hunters just don’t have a sense of humor.” I shrug and run my hand along the wood of the cherry tree. “Maybe so. At least we don’t brag about it.” I smirk as his jaw drops. “So did you bring me here just to wallow in my presence, or…?” He nods. “That, and to show you the sunset.” “Pretty sure I’ve seen the sunset before, Rys.” “Not like this. Come.” Again, he took my hand and led me through the paths of the garden. - - [u]Rys[/u] Play it cool, I think to myself as I lead Tetra to the Prism Orchard. Don’t mess this up, one part of me said. The other part, the sane part, replied with the fact that if I had messed it up she wouldn’t have pledged herself to me. That silenced any doubt I had about our relationship. Eventually I push open a door and stifle a grin when Tetra gasps at the crystalline trees. They shimmered with the light of the dying sun, and it was bright enough to appear beautiful but dark enough that it wouldn’t blind us. “Great Traveler…” Tetra whispers. “How long has this been here?” “Before I was born. Before my parents were born, actually. Stories say these trees were planted by the Traveler itself.” I could feel her gaze on my neck. “Tell me.” I turn to face her and sit down on the grass, plucking a few blades before I begin. She does the same, cross-legged, her back perfectly straight in true Hunter fashion. “They say after the Traveler came to Earth, during the Golden Age, it would release tiny pockets of Light and distribute it throughout the world. They fired from the Traveler like rockets and couldn’t be tracked. Eventually, years later, one man found this place, and deduced that the crystal trees were the result of the Traveler's Light.” “Like the shard of the Traveler in the EDZ…and Io's healing,” Tetra observed. “Right, except there was nothing to heal. Only grow. And live.” “Who discovered the trees?” “Lord Grimoire.” Tetra's eyes widened. “The author of the anthologies in the library?!” I smile at her surprise. “Yep. Same guy. Tons of legends about him, too.” Tetra scooted closer, facing the sunset and laid her head on my shoulder. “Tell me.” My heart raced faster than when I trained in Survival. Slowly—very slowly—I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “Do you have time?” She chuckled quietly. “I have all the time in the world, Rys.” So I tell her stories of before the Collapse, before the Dark Ages, before lives and after deaths. Stories that were terrifying, incredible, and just weird and stupid. I speak for hours, until the last light of the sun faded and night began her reign. Stars dance across the pitch black sky. Suddenly I notice that Tetra had fallen asleep on my shoulder. Her breathing was almost completely silent. Typically Hunter, I think with a chuckle. I didn’t want to wake her, but I didn’t think staying outside the entire night was ideal for either of us. Multiple people would kill us when we returned to our respective homes. But we didn’t have to leave quite yet. So I gently retracted my shoulder, removed my robe, and wrapped it around her instead. “Aren't you cold?” she asks without opening her eyes. I reply by summoning a swirling net of solar energy in my hand and hold it close. “Typical Warlock,” Tetra chuckles sleepily. I smile, and my eyelids start to droop. - - [i]Trinity[/i] I watch Tetra and Rys cuddle from a distance. “They are SOOOO CUUUTTTEE.” Damian, Rys' Ghost rolls his big fat eye. “Ugh. You’re such a teeny-bopper.” “And you’re a snob! Ha! Beat that, Warlock Ghost.” “Knife hugger.” “Fancy pants.” “Cloak hogger.” “Robe sniffer.” “Serious face.” “Potato sack.” “What?” “I couldn’t think of anything else.” “Oh.” We continue to watch in silence. “Do you think they’ll ACTUALLY get married and whatever?” “Why not? The Traveler has bound them, and statistically, those who bind themselves to each other are more likely to unionize in the future.” “I heard ‘bound’ and ‘future.’” Again, Damian rolls his eye. “Fine, let me speak Hunter. If Rys is the knife, and Tetra is a Dreg, the knife will hit the Dreg in the face faster than most think possible.” I blink. “Wow. As the Ghost of a Hunter, I find that EXTREMELY offensive. And it’s also the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.” “Oy vey…” [i]-Rys and Tetra, bound by Light[/i] [spoiler]Thoughts?? What was good? What could have been better?[/spoiler]