Rosemary: I just wasn't in the mood at the time, that's all

Helga: Could you please apologize to him then?

Rosemary: (Looks over at him) ... Sorry

Henry only forced a smile at her and nodded softly.

Helga: That's my little girl! Thank thee.

Flynn suddenly came around the corner of the room, unexpectedly taking a seat on the other side of Helga.

Helga: Oh, hello there. Why were you in my room?
Flynn: *blinks* H-How'd you know?
Helga: I could smell you from down here.
Flynn: *changes the subject* Where's Wiezen?

Helga blinked for a moment and tilted her head in confusion. But then she recognized the name and smiled gracefully at Flynn.

Helga: Ahh, Wiezen! Yes, I believe he's off doing his own thing.
Flynn: Last time I checked you said you were going to accompany him in his journey to find your kids, Weiss and Emma.
Helga: ...I did? Oh, but Weiss and Emma are dead.
Flynn: *his eyes widened* w-what? You... *he interlocked his eyes with Helga's* Oh no... Oh Helga, this isn't the way.
Helga: What way? *keeps her smile*
Flynn: U-Uhh... That way! *points his finger to a certain direction, making Helga turn away for a few seconds, giving him enough time to drop some of the memory potion into her tea and hide it once he was done*
Helga: hm? *looks back* You humans are weird.... *shrugs softly* There's some tea for you if you'd like. *raises the cup to her lips*

Rosemary: Wait, Helga (Hands her a cup of sugar) Would you like some sugar for your tea

Wiezen stood there for a moment as he now held a bucket of silver and gold for what he now found out was a woman who had been playing the instrument, which surprised him for the most part. Well, not as much as having a dagger put to his throat and blandly "interrogated" and asked who sent him to follow her. His neck still hurt some from being kicked, which happened while he had to keep explaining that he only was enjoying the music that she had been playing AND defend himself. Which is how he got around to figuring out that she was a woman to begin with. stringy curls of pale blonde shoulder length hair, fiery hazel eyes, and a fair skin tone with a few scars marking them. Nnnngh... He growled to himself in thought as he now was receiving a lecture about what he was doing wrong. Because apparently, there was a right and wrong way to being "poor". All because he asked her if there were any places that she knew of that would hire. Though, he had to admit that some of what she had to say made sense, so he listened to her while she dug through her bag.

"And another thing, if you're really trying to make a living then find the right spot to do it. Which is why I was moving from place to place, and now we're in the center of town. Why? Because there's more of a chance that I can earn something from people that aren't selfish crabs. Not only that, but you really need to do something about those rags you're in, and that depressed look o your face. That's not going to get you anywhere out here to be honest. Been there, done that. Trust me, I've been at this for a while now. Oh, and you're one of the unfortunate, so it's not so smart to spend your money on something like listening to music. The best way to make something of yourself is to find what you're good at and smile while you're doing it. That's called self accomplishment."

"But you sure didn't have any problem with taking my money did you? And that last part is quite rich coming from someone who had a towel over their head the entire time, no?" Wiezen said with a dry humor.

The woman turned her head from what she was doing and looked at him with a squint. "Is that so? Well that remark holds no weight Barefoot." She shot back in response. "I enjoy my music because I put effort into it, and even if my situation may seem a bit unfortunate, I'm not planning on being here forever. I just move on and keep going. I've been traveling a lot, and I've been hearing about this big Ball dance thing that's suppose to be happening for some special occasion or something like that. Anyways, I figure that if I can get there then that's my chance in a nutshell. Probably going to be filled with a bunch of cruddy crumb crabbing crumpet swallowing nobles, so it's worth a shot. But for now, this is where I'm at. Luckily there's still time for me to scratch together a bit more earning before it starts raining."

"A ball..." Wiezen thought for a moment. Dancing...it made him think back to when he and Helga had danced with one another outside the shelter of the large rock. But he shook his head to cast the thought away, furrowing his brow in agitation. "And my name isn't "Barefoot", Towel Head. It's Wiezen." Plain, but that was the best he could come up with at the moment. "Also...what is that stringy instrument, and how does something so small emit such a sound?"

"Meh, Barefoot's better. It's called a charango dummy, that's....sort of what instruments do. Make noises louder than they're made out to. Which is why this instrument is what I use. It reminds me that the smallest things in life can be enjoyed can make a big impact. " The woman said while taking the bucket from him to dump her earnings into a pouch within her bag. "What, never seen one before?"

"Well, no...but I've heard one before long ago." He said, scratching his head. "I...was wondering if perhaps you wouldn't mind teaching me how to use it."

"Huh? No freakin way I'm gonna let you still my gig. Not many people in this country play it and one extra person means more competition." She replied while sitting down.

"Then why the hell did you call me a dummy if it's a rare thing is this country?!" Wiezen exclaimed.

"Because mostly everyone's a dummy to me, Barefoot. Makes me seem smarter when I know about something that someone else doesn't. And now you're not as much of a dummy as you were before, because now you know something new." She said, beaming up at him.

Enricho: (Continues to follow the strange man) you know, this is taking longer than needed

Helga: *pauses to look at her daughter* Hm? Ah, well I guess a little more sugar wouldn't hurt, thank you my love.
Flynn: *blinks and looks at Rosemary, giving her the "what are you doing?!" look*

(As Helga is prepared to take a sip, the Nithloraul begins to move in Flynn's bag, getting her attention)

Helga paused from her drink again, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at Flynn's bag in confusion.

Helga: Umm... Do you have a cat you haven't told me about? What's in your bag?
Flynn: *hits the top of his bag to make the artifact stop moving*

"And why is that human? Is it because of your impatient nature or your arrogance? Humans..all of them are the same, destructive children with fragile minds." The man said in a matter-of-fact tone. "We're heading towards a gateway that will transport us both to a new area, closer to our destination."

Flynn: N-Nothing, ignore it.. Just drink your tea...
Helga: I asked thee what is in your bag. If it's dangerous I don't want it around my children.
Flynn: It's not dangerous!
Helga: Then what is it?
Flynn: I'll tell you once you're done with the tea-party.

Helga furrowed her eyebrows and set down the teacup on the table, crossing her arms angrily at Flynn.

Helga: Flynn Emmett Schnitzel. Are you hiding something from me?
Flynn: Hey! I thought we agreed you wouldn't say my actual last names out loud!
Helga: Flynn. *raises her eyebrows and scrunches up her nose*
Flynn: *sighs softly* ...I'm sorry Helga... It's for the best.

The alchemist suddenly stood up and tackled the witch to the ground, putting each knee on either sides of her body. Helga squirmed and gasped in complete surprise at the attack, and Flynn forcedly held Helga's mouth opened as he reached for the teacup. Helga's head began to shake side to side, denying the tea and hissing. Flynn just sighed and decided to pour the tea all over her face, hoping some of it would drain down her throat, and luckily, it did. Helga quickly coughed and threw Flynn to the side, crawling backwards and leaning her back against the couch. She coughed repeatedly and licked her lips, looking at the tea that trickled down her chest and drenched her dress. But then her eyes suddenly shot opened and they glowed a pure white, memories flashing through her eyes and giving her a headache before the witch unexpectedly collapsed on the ground.

Wiezen blinked at her answer as he sat down beside her on the other side of the bucket. "Your logic...frightens me." He said in an attempt at a joke, though his voice sort of dragged, making it seem more so like sarcasm. He watched her lightly string the first three strings as if she were testing the sound of them, then twisting one of the three small knobs that were at the end of the instrument's neck. He became curious. "What are you doing?"

"Tuning the sound. Playing a song that sounds exactly like the last one really isn't my thing if I can help it. So if I'm able to, I usually avoid using the same melody more than twice. And when I can't I just come up with something new. It keeps doing these types of things interesting in my opinion. Mostly to keep my skill fresh and everything about my music pure. Keeps me free instead of chained to one or two simple things. Because when you repeat something to many times, you start to dislike it, and it becomes dull and worthless in your heart." She strummed the third string of the instrument, a deeper hymn emitting from it compared to the previous as it vibrated.

Wiezen thought about her words while watching her tune the instrument, his ears twitching in a perk that wouldn't be as noticeable as it usually would, being that his ears weren't as long as they were before. The deep pitch of the tune made him think back to when he has listened to a similar instrument in his childhood, and how he would whistle to the highs and lows of the music. When woman began to play, he watched her fingers move along the strings and immediately noticed the differentiation between what came from the instrument now compared to before. This melody was slower...sadder. Or perhaps bitter sweet. To him...hurt. As minutes passed, he watched as people traveled by them, some stopping to enjoy the sound of the music, few actually donating a few coins into the empty bucket. And as he listened and watched, he thought of it as a story. He thought that maybe...maybe he could contribute to it. And slowly, he started whistling along with the tune loudly, switching between pitches and searching for a way to match the melody of the charango. He cupped his hands over his mouth, opening and closing them to allow a variety to his whistling, his eyes closing to focus on the sound of the instrument rather than what was around him.
And before either of them knew what happened, a crowd slowly built itself to listen to them, the barefooted man in rags and the cloaked woman. Some came to them with clothes, and even a small boy was allowed to give apples to both of them. The bucket in between them began to fill with each few people that came to surround them, a few drops of rain began to fall. Not just from the sky, but from some of the eyes that watched them as the pair continued on.

Flynn: Uh oh... That.... That didn't go how I planned...

Wiezen Jr. gasped and quickly ran over to his mother, tugging at her hair to make her get up. His whimpers turned into growls before he looked back at Flynn, his blue eyes shifting to a dark purple as he aimed his stubby arm at him and gurgled what appeared to be a force of magic that sent Flynn crashing through the window. Jr. licked at his mother's cheek in attempt to wake her up and snuggled close to keep her warm, followed by her other siblings. Henry didn't know whether he should aid Helga or the man. But he made a decision and ran over to the nymph to check for a pulse, and luckily he felt one. He released a sigh of relief and without meaning to, he hugged the unconscious witch and with all his strength helped her get in the couch for a more comfortable form of resting.

Meanwhile Flynn trembled as he struggled to stand up, immediately falling on the floor again. He painfully pricked out the shards of glass stuck to his clothes and skin, resting on the ground for a moment before he finally found the strength to stand up again, breathing heavily as he did so. He leaned against the house's wall to catch his breath. Flynn held onto his shoulder in pain as he walked around the perimeter of the house and entered it once more, holding his hands in the air for the witch's children not to hurt him again.

Flynn: L-Listen, I didn't mean to do that. She'll be fine, it shouldn't last long.

The triplets all kept their eyes glued to Flynn, their noses scrunched up as they growled like angry little dogs, revealing their sharp fangs. Henry on the other hand got up to check if the human was alright. He sort of.. Well, trusted the man even after what he'd done. Flynn found his way around the angry children and took a seat on the other side of the couch where the beautiful nymph rested.

The unconscious witch's eyes were closed and her plump lips slightly opened as she breathed softly, but her eyebrows were slightly furrowed as she began to sweat as if she was having a nightmare. She tensed where she laid, her body becoming cold as more sweat trickled down her spine. Helga remained unconscious for quite a while, making Flynn having to check on her every thirty minutes. Hours passed and she had still not awaken. The kids were put to bed for their evening naps, but Henry had decided to wait for the woman to wake up. So instead he waited patiently on a chair that was across from the sleeping nymph, slowly drifting off to sleep himself too. Flynn on the other hand didn't sleep at all. Instead he went to prepare warm water to soak a towel in and place it over Helga's head.

In the time of thirty minutes, the crowd had grown larger than it had been before, and both Wiezen and the woman stood to their feet and took a bow as they were applauded for their performance. It was there that it all had gone away in the thunderous applaud as his eyes looked over the crowd people who clapped their hands together. The frustration, the sorrow, the grieving. For a moment, he felt as if he had distracted himself and accomplished something. The applauding from the folks around him slowly brought a small genuineness to the forced smile on his face, and he bowed once more. His attention was shifted to the grey clouds in the sky when he heard the low rumble of thunder. He could smell the rain coming, and for the first time in a long time, that very smell was more pleasant to him than anything else. At the feeling of a tug at his hand, his head turned.

"Come on Barefoot, the rains not going to wait for us to move!" The woman exclaimed. But little did she know that it was going to be coming sooner than later. A louder clap of thunder coming into account only seconds after her words. She hurried and began to pack as many apples inside as she could before tossing some in the bucket.. "Grab the bucket and follow me!" She said, hoisting the bag onto her shoulders.

Wiezen was watching the crowd disperse after the first rumble of thunder, and after the second he shook himself out of his thoughts at the sound woman's voice and grabbed the bucket. He followed after the woman as quickly as he could while they ran through town. Wiezen ended up stopping though when he saw the man and the child from earlier, and this time, he didn't hesitate. He gave them all of the coins that he had gotten from the elderly man, and snuck an extra few to them from the bucket before continuing on.

But despite their efforts, they were still caught in the rain. But that didn't bother the woman, and it didn't bother him either. In fact, they laughed as they raced against the heavier rain that was to come. And within the next thirty minutes, they were under a bridge like structure in front of a fire they had built using the wood from that the woman carried around in her bag for traveling. Their clothes were soaked from the rain, but they kept warm. The woman letting out a shocked chuckle of a huff with widened eyes as she stared at all that she had gathered. "How the hell did you do that?!" She exclaimed, numerous droplets of water dripping from her hair before looking at Wiezen, who sat across from her.

Wiezen raised his eyebrows in surprise, his gaze turning from the rain and to the woman. "I...don't know what you mean. Whistling? It was nothing really, It's actually very simple. You just purse your lips slightly and--"

"No no no, not that!" The woman interrupted, a few strands of tangled hair in front of her eyes. "That!" She pointed to the numerous pieces of gold, silver, and copper coins that were enough to fill the medium sized bucket to a little passed the halfway mark. "That's more than I've ever managed to earn in weeks, let alone one day. This could last for months! Ooooh no, you're good luck, good luck is what you are!"

A small blush came to Wiezen's face for a moment and he scratched his fingers through his wet air. "Really..it was nothing. I just wanted to contribute to your melody ad do something good for once."

"And good you did, Barefoot! No, GREAT!" The woman laughed taking a few apples from her bag and passing some to WIezen before happily munching on her own. But then she paused and looked at him. "Hey, what's the matter? You don't seem to happy about our success. Come on, crack a smile, today has been a good day! You should be laughing and darn near singing! You look like you haven't had a good day since birth, be free man!"

Wiezen managed to smile a little and gave a shrug. "Perhaps you're right. This does feel like a victory compared to..." Everything else. He finished that sentence in his mind. "Most things I've accomplished so far."

The woman gave him a puzzled expression as she stared at him for a few seconds. "Hey, even the small ones count! After all, we're only human, we all make mistakes. Let those mistakes become lessons and move forward!" She grinned. "People like you and I, we've to make the most of what we can in life. And you, my friend, were one hell of a good luck charm for me today Barefoot. We made a pretty good team did we not?"

Wiezen bit into his apple, more of a smile coming to his face as he nodded. "I agree, we did." He looked back out at the rain. This...was good. He felt...good about himself. Distracted.

"Ah, I found it!" The woman said, pulling two bottles of ale from her bag. "A little something to keep us warm. I was saving these for an occasion, but it's bitter to drink alone." She said, opening the bottles and handing one of the bottles to him. "Cheers love, to the small things in life. To music, to rain, to ale, and to the kind that helped us on this day...and uh...to your bare feet!" She said, bursting out in laughte, raising her bottle.

Wiezen shook his head, unable to stop a chuckle from rising. And it felt...good. He clanked his bottle against hers. "Cheers..."

Rosemary: (Sits next to Helga, waiting for her to wake up, refusing to leave her side)

Enricho: (Sighs as he allows the man to lead the way, just remaining in silence as he does so)

When Flynn walked over to place the warm towel above Helga's forehead, he noticed a small shift of movement in her body that was covered with blankets he had brought her. His eyes squinted as he walked closer to get a better look at the nymph, and what he saw shocked him.

There was Helga, her dim eyes opened a little with tears streaming down her face. She had been awake for quite a while. Her radiant smile was no more. The glow in her body had faded, and the curls of her hair flattened. She used the blanket as a shield to hide herself from her children... From everyone... She didn't want to be seen by this. But she sensed Flynn standing besides her. And with that, her sorrowful eyes slowly lifted at him, and she spoke in a very low voice.

Helga: ....why.... why did you return my misery and despair.... I had forgotten them... I had even forgotten my own sister... I no longer grieved for my dead children... I no longer mourned because of an unrequited love... I was strong... I was able to take care of my children... To get up in the morning and be happy to be alive... but now... Now I have to deal with all of it once more... I wasn't even able to be happy for a full day...
Flynn: *he pulls a chair to sit besides her and sighs* Strong? I beg to differ... I did this for you to be strong in the real way. You shouldn't consult to magic to help your problems...
Helga: ...I turned to it because I couldn't live without him....
Flynn: I know... But you need to get ahold of yourse-
Helga: And now I must look for him once more. He said he would come back for the children... But it is almost their bedtime...
Flynn: Does he want you to look for him?
Helga: *softly shakes her head* But I must...
Flynn: ...Don't... Respect his decision... You've gone back for him too many times... Each ending catastrophically. Let it be... If he wants to come he will come... But if he doesn't... Then let it go...
Helga: I-I can't... My children died.... One of them not even knowing who I was... His only memories of me torturing his soul... The other hating me to the core... And it was all my fault... Wiezen is no longer with me because of me... Because of me.... Because... of... me... Everything... is my fault... and it hurts... It hurts I can sometimes not breathe... I only stare and contemplate... I hate myself... Oh how much I hate myself... I miss the other life... When the hunter had sliced off my head... I felt so much relief... I was dead, no longer able to cause trouble... Soon to be forgotten for all the sins I've committed... I was so happy that I no longer had to kill myself for someone had done it for me... And... I can't raise five children on my own.... *sniffles* I was shedding. I was going to disappear for a while. And for some reason I stopped midway... and here I am...
Flynn: It's alright.... Let it all out if you have to... But for now, rest... You need it...

Let it out? Helga's head slowly shifted to Flynn's. Let it out.... Something she hadn't done in forever. She would always hold her breath. Her words. Her beliefs. Her opinions. With almost every relationship she was afraid to speak. She was loved every man and woman she had been in a relationship with that she buried her pride just to be together with them. But now... She was alone. Again. Letting it out didn't seem so bad... She looked at the ground as she spoke softly to Flynn.


Helga: ....I....I lost two children that could’ve grown up to be good people and have a life.... Two extraordinary beings that could’ve loved us till the end of time. *sniffs* ..A-And I’ve apologized over and over again! But when have they done so? Only when I am in the verge of death they confess and express how you really feel. Because when you die you are dead, and all the things you said would be taken to the grave with me.

Her eyes slowly began to twitch as they dilated, her mind now lost with millions of thoughts she wished to confess. They remained glued to the floor as she spoke.

Helga: Remember when I ate poisoned food, and you apologized for not being able to sniff it out earlier? Well guess what? The pain I felt swallowing the food was the pain I felt with everything you’ve ever said to me. When will you realize that you too have part in this situation?! I’ve tried to be better ever since you returned! I've tried making our relationship work!!! I've tried being so much more better! I’m tired of fighting... I'm so tired, Wiezen and I bet you are too... I have never sought so low to remove my ring and throw you away as if you never mattered to me!! Rosemary’s abduction was at matter but you just had to turn it to yourself, didn’t you Wiezen?! I had two abortions and all you could talk about were fucking cookies!!! *begins to breathe heavily as she trembles* ...There were times... Where all you need to do was be my anchor... my companion... And I’ve told you millions of times that I don’t care who you are... Or rather, what you are... I don’t see that beast when I look at you. I don't see an ugly creature. Instead, I see someone who I love.. Someone who is generous and kind to others. Someone who is loving and caring. ..You are the first man to ever made me feel loved. To make me feel proud of myself. To feel beautiful and worthy.. And I hate myself for still loving you. I should hate you... I’ve cried over and over again for you. I needed you in a way that you didn't need me. I needed you so much that I’ve made clone after clone of you, because I can’t forget you. I can’t pretend that what we have never existed. I need you to love and need me back the way I love and need you!!! You think I'm a pain in the neck for coming back to you. Am I really? For caring? For wanting to be there for you? ...You almost killed me... And our children... You made me drop them to the ground and suffocated me. And I still came back to you...
Flynn: H-Helga, I think you’re hallucinat-
Helga: NO! BE QUIET! LET ME TALK!! *as she yelled, the thunder roared outside, seemingly connected to her emotions* I’ve never gotten the chance to tell you about how I feel. It’s always been about you!! I've had to shut my mouth constantly just to see you again!!! I.. I know you could’ve controlled it, I believed in you!! I had no spellbooks or potions. I had no home or money. But I was okay with that because I still had you! I STILL HAD YOU AND YOU LEFT!!! YOU LEFT WHEN YOU WERE ALL I HAD!!! *her hands clutch her hair while wiping the tears off her face roughly* I can’t stop crying! I’m so tired of it! I look so weak and vulnerable! I know I screwed up but I am not perfect, and neither are you! But in my eyes.. You are.. *falls to her knees as she stares up at Flynn who just stood there, confused, sad, and stunned by her words.* We were finally coming back together... And you ripped my heart out and threw it on the ground... I... I do not understand you.. But I want to.. Why don’t you just listen to me.. Just for once shut up and understand what I am trying to express.. You are a good man, Wiezen.. I know you are.. You are humble and kind and thoughtful.. Why don’t you realize that? You say all I do is sit there and cry.. And you’re right.. My tears are forms of my emotions, and if being sad about my love departing makes me weak, then so be it. You say you’re tired of being in square one. How do you think I feel about it? I’m tired of it as well but I never complained because I believed we could fight through it! I ALWAYS DID! Macross wanted us to be happy! She wanted us to finally settle down and find peace!!! And now, hah, and now I don't even know who she is!!! Rosemary was kidnapped and starved! And now.. And now she’s witness things that an eight-year old shouldn't have.. And I am the parent whom must take care of that. I am the mother of five children... Two of whom you refuse to be a father of... And all I’m asking.. Is for you to come back.. Please.. I don’t want you to leave.. We were suppose to get married.. And.. and.. And see the trains.. And the waters.. And explore the beauties of the world... I learned how to dance so that I could be able to dance with you every morning... To learn new steps with you.... To perhaps participate in a dancing festival for a second try of a date... I learned how to bake cookies so that we could spend more time together instead of going to the bakery... *lowers her ears* I know I’m suppose to let you go.. But I doubt I’ll ever will… I begged you not to go, and you did.. Now I’m begging you to come back to me.. *chuckles painfully* Look at me... I'm such a mess... I'm sorry...

Helga remained quiet for the next few moments until she realized that Flynn was actually the one standing before her. Not only that but she noticed Henry in the corner crying at her words. The witch shook her head and sobbed violently as she looked up at Flynn with begging eyes.

Helga: P-Please let me take the potion.. I can't live with myself like this...
Flynn: I-I'm sorry, but no... Th-This is good, you letting it all out... You may feel more freedom now, and perhaps more confident. You'll get through this...

The sad witch sniffled at Flynn's words and she remained on the couch there. Her eyes went to Rosemary, then to Henry.

Helga: ..I-I'm sorry you two had to witness that...

A soft desperate sigh escaped her chest as she buried herself in the blanket and turned the other way. She didn't feel like doing anything at this point. But she knew Flynn was right, she had to get things together. But for now... A small rest would do.

The man continued walking, and eventually, they traveled deeper into thicker trees where the soil was mush. "Our gateway is ahead."

~

Wiezen felt as if chain after chain was being cut away from him at a time as he sat around the fire, talking with the woman while they drunk from their bottles. The bitter taste of it was refreshing, and all he wanted to do was force himself to remain distracted. An as he laughed with her, he began to feel something within him that made him feel...like a bird. A bird who was able to sore against the wind high in the sky with an oversight of the land features and everything beneath. The mountains, the lakes, ponds, the forests and grasses. He felt as if he could go and dance in the rain without a care of getting sick, or a sore throat or anything of that nature. He felt like he had been climbing tall hill after tall hill, only for it to be more than just hills, but mountains that he had finally made it to the top of. He felt what he felt when he was able to meditate in the freedom of nature without disturbance, As if he could move through the deepest parts of oceans without drowning. He started to feel....freedom. Freedom. He had never imagined anything feeling like what he felt now. But deep down inside, he knew that if he were to leave, then there was a chance that this feeling...this unimaginable feeling of peace...after such a long time...peace...would disappear. This feeling of comfort, and being able to talk to someone who wasn't seeking to hawk over his shoulders with every move he made. Someone who...who could understand where he was coming from. He told her who he was, what he was, the things he'd had to do, and someone...someone was finally able to see his side of things.

"It sounds like your life has been...sorta catastrophic. And...majorly..depressing. To speak honestly, if that's what we're doing here, I probably would've either dropped into insanity or killed myself. But someone once told me that when you find that you don't have anything else to live for, and your life is shit, live for someone else. Live to make someone else happy because once you've done that, you'll have something greater accomplished than things what you would do with yourself. But that's a lie. Because when you're putting your all into something that you know deep within your heart and mind is dead, then you're not truly alive yourself. And at the same time, I believe that you have to love what you can until it dies. We've all got something that we hang onto, because not all distractions are a bad thing. But we can't always rely on people to see what we see, or to help us crawl out of the pits that we've been dropped into. Because they will never see how hard you try. So you just bottle the majority of it up and only let the minor things slip. Free yourself. As one who plays music, I am a listener."

"And I try..." Wiezen said. "I've tried. All of my life I've tried and I've fought through worse and worse for the sake of other people, to protect them even if it meant that I had to do something that I didn't want to. And where is my appreciation....where is it when I've been the one busting my ass to try and be everywhere and once?! To try to please everyone around me, taking beating after beating, forgiving to be betrayed again and again!! I've had so many fucking things forced onto my shoulders and never has anyone ever told me that it was okay to let it go and drop it! Never has anyone ever told me that I've been doing well when I was giving it everything I had! They waited until I died...time after time for their sake and still every time I've come back it's the same as it was before!! I don't want pity!! Pity gets no where! I've tried being considerate, I've tried to care!! But the most peaceful I've ever been is when I've died and I can't even feel that anymore!! I've forgiven so many things but how does one ever expect me to continue to forgive betrayal?! To be there to listen when one has never listened to anything I've said!?! My trust has been crushed time and time again, but I've still been the fool that remained!! My patience constantly pushed to a breaking point, I've been tortured down to my very soul and scarred in a sense that I can never unsee nor take back!! I've tried to change for EVERYONE!!! And I'm tired...I'm fucking tired...I'm passed tired...but it never ends...they're never fucking satisfied!! Everything I do, they want more!! I've spilled my heart out and I've tried to relay what I've felt but it's just swiped aside like it never happened! And when I finally give up, they still want more of what I don't have!! My compassion was torn from my chest and what I perceived as love for something set ablaze and stomped out into ash...and yet...I've given chance after chance after chance...I've torn myself to shreds...and I've watched all that I felt close suffer. And when all I've wanted to do is be left alone...I'm always bothered. And now I search to find a new way that's lost to me..."

The woman was silent for a long moment. "Have you tried being selfish? Not doing things for others but doing them for yourself. Because you know its right, not because of what they would think is right or wrong. But I can tell that you want to be free. I saw it when you asked me to play my music again because it reached out to you, did it not? You seemed...peaceful. And though it may be hard...though it may seem that you are not in the place to forgive for the wrongs done to you...you must. In order to be free, you must. In order to heal, then you must. Not for them, but for yourself. We may not be exactly the same, and I know that I won't be able to understand everything, but we have much in common. You've done better than I ever could have in your position, and today you've helped me. Thank you." She pulled a pillow stuffed with cotton and feathers from her bag and a blanket and handed it to him. "Rest...rest and remember that you only can work towards, not backwards."

Enricho: (Continued to follow behind the man, noticing the change in the forests, hoping to arrive soon)

The spiders that in front of them had seemed to become less and less as they crossed an unseen threshold, that appeared only as narrowing trees. And as they walked passed two trees that were covered and web, they appeared somewhere where they were not seconds ago. But before this could be realized, the gateway that they had entered was already gone. The man stood in front of a large cave opening where the small spiders scurried inside, clicking sounds beginning to emit from them. "We...are here." The man threw his head back, his mouth wide open as his jaw broke itself to widen it. Two long, prickly and slender spider legs stretched out of the his mouth. A wide lump moved up the man's stomach and passed his chest, his throat splitting open as large spider began to climb from his body, blood spraying onto the ground. The spider landed on the ground as the body fell over and it turned to Enricho, clicking furiously at him before turning and entering the cave.

Silence fell upon the warm house, where Flynn had returned to his chair across from Franziska, tapping his finer impatiently.

Helga: ...If thou wants to leave Henry, you can....

The witch spoke softly, ad at her words, Henry's prickled eyes shifted to the storm outside.

Helga: I'm sorry but I'm afraid it will be raining for a while...
Henry: ..I-It's alright... Y-You know what they talk, you can't have a rainbow without a little rain.. *smiles very gently at the witch*

Helga remained still. That saying.... You can't have a rainbow without a little rain.... She found it cute, making a small faint smile appear at the corner of her cheeks. She really didn't have much people to talk to, just her children, and sometimes, they ended up saying things that she longed to hear. Flynn was right... She needed to grab ahold of herself for the sake of her children. And she would. She would try giving off real smiles this time. Now that she confessed what she held in... She felt free. And she would do her best to keep feeling like that starting tomorrow morning. She told Franziska and Flynn that they could stay in the empty room of her house with a guest bed for the night, then ensured Rosemary could go to sleep and that she was fine. But with Henry, she offered him to sleep next to her on the couch. She snuggled closely to him as they shared warmth from the blanket, and she twitched her ears to his heavy snores. She placed a kiss on her forehead and closed her eyes in attempt to rest.

Enricho: *God, I hate spiders* (Follows the spider in silence, keeping to himself and trying his best to ignore the corpse)

Franziska: (Remained still, unable to look up from the ground that she constantly starred at)

Helga snored softly as she cradled Henry who had drifted off into a deep sleep. Meanwhile Flynn wandered around some more and went over to Franziska.

Flynn: So.. Are you stable enough to sleep with me?

Franziska: I.... I don't think I can sleep with anyone right now, Flynn

Flynn: Right... I forgot you were still comparing me to them when it comes to the things we do in bed, like, I don't know.. Sleep... *sighs in frustration and turns away to head upstairs*

Franziska: (Remains sitting in the chair, lifting her feet onto the chair so they aren't touching the ground)

Flynn returned to his given room and just threw himself on the bed, groaning in frustration as he covered his face with a pillow to force him to sleep.

Nithloraul: Ah, someone's frustrated. Is it your human urges getting the better of you?

Flynn: I thought I told you to shut up. *turns the other way and sighs heavily*

Nithloraul: You seem upset about something. Mind talking about it

Flynn: No. You are an artifact, not my counselor. Now let me sleep. Tomorrow we can talk.

Within the mouth of the cave, the floors were laced with web, and the pathway that it lead down was as deep as deep tunnel that would end where what seemed to be a constructed cavern began, where thick spider webs hung from everywhere around. Hundreds of large egg sacks were everywhere in sight, and larger than average spiders crawled about. But at sensing the hunter, they crowded around him as if they were going to attack, but allowed him to continue through. Though they stayed close to where they could at any point.

Enricho: (Already feeling his skin crawling at the sight of them, and continued to follow the spider in front)

Nithloraul: My my, always so hostile. I guess those sexual urges have left you frustrated

Flynn: What? ...WHAT?! Do you really think at a time like this I should be thinking about sex?! With a woman that has been raped?! Geez, what's wrong with you?! I asked her if she wanted to join me for company. *puts his pillow above his head again and sighs in frustration* Good night.

Nithloraul: I don't know. You humans have very bizarre subconscious.

(The Nithloraul is the ultimate troll)

The spider that lead Enricho came to a stop when it reached a certain voice, for the voice of it's "mother" spoke to it. But this time, she could be heard by Enricho as well, her voice ringing throughout the cavern. "Now now children....leave our guest be...we don't want to make the human...uncomfortable, now do we?" She spoke in a lustfully spiteful tone, yet gentle and soft. A lure. "Nianthral...leave the poor man on his way on his own."

The large spider that guided Enricho shuffled off to the side, the other spiders that were following him backing away very slowly at the command of their mother.

The woman spoke again. "Come, human....I'm waiting for you. I desire...your presence."

Enricho: (Hesitates for a moment, but begins to step forward, following the sound of the woman's voice)

The woman began to sing softly within Enricho's head, encouraging him to draw nearer and neared. She sung, but there were no words. "Your getting...closer..." She cooed. Spiders crawled along the ceiling on the cavern, following after the human for a while silently but keeping their distance.

Enricho: (Continued to follow her voice, nearing closer and closer toward the voice)

"Tell me human...why have you come? Come into my woven webs?" He voice rung out to him. "A human...that has willingly come within the territory of I? I'm flattered..." She chuckled. "You're oh...so..very close." As Enricho ventured further, the sightings of thousands of body sized cocoons hung from the ceiling by web. Some were bodies that had decayed there for hundreds of years, others fresher to be feasted upon.

Flynn suddenly grabbed Nithloraul from his stand and threw it across the room in complete agitation before he threw himself back to bed, covering his face with the pillow and his body with the blanket so that he could no longer be disturbed as he went to bed.

~~

Helga was the first to greet the first few rays of the pale sun. It was still raining outside, and a big part of it had to do because of the nymph. But this time, Helga felt like doing something productive. Something to take her mind off things. Something that would make her smile some like she had done so yesterday. She made sure not to wake up Henry as she got up from the couch, placing a kiss on his head before she started off her day by doing a few exercises. There was no need for her to do it, she had the ideal body. But she did it anyway. She started with a few abdominals, working on her slim waist and thick thighs by doing a few sit-ups and lunges. She then began to work on her gluteus, working on a few squats to furthermore plump her cheeks and make them even rounder. After a while, the nymph bored herself with the exercises outside, so she decided to go outside where the rain softly poured. She carefully floated herself up the roof of her cabin and looked around, her hair flattening as it got soaked. What exercise should she do next? Dancing was an exercise too, was it not? Unfortunately she no longer had her gramophone, which angered her because besides chocolate, that was her favorite human invention. Nonetheless she didn't pay much attention to it. Instead she inhaled deeply, breathing in the nature that surrounded her. The nymph took a step forward, then one backwards, holding her hands freely to the side as she spun smoothly, the raindrops dripping from her long hair. She swayed her hips side to side and she spun again against the slick rooftop, almost as if she was skating on ice. Her rhythm was the sound of the beautiful rain. Her elbows jerked outwards as her waist curved to the side vivaciously. For a moment, as she danced in twirls, she had almost slipped but played it off with a very soft giggle. Her steps were flexible and comely as she spun in circles and swung her arms gracefully.

Enricho: I've come here because I am looking for someone named Macross. This is the only lead I had at the moment, and I took it

Nithloraul: (Bounces off the wall and falls onto the floor) You're very rude, you know that? (Finally silences himself as he retracts his tentacles and closes his eye)

"Macross?" The woman's tone became one of amusement. "And what do you hope you will accomplish by finding her. human? What is sought is not always what is expected..."

~

Wiezen had awakened in the early hours in the morning and found that the woman had already been up with a breakfast that she must have went out and retrieved while he was sleeping. Sleeping...he had dreamed of what he had previously, floating within nothingness. And then falling at an alarming speed only to land in a bottomless ocean of black, the chains around him just as tight as they were before. But as he floated downwards, he didn't hold his breath this time. He decided to let go willingly. And the chains around him broke away little by little, loosening around him. This time, he didn't float for eternity. He landed at the bottom and stared up towards a sliver of light that beamed down on him through the thick darkness that...no longer seemed as dark as it had been before. And now that he was awake, he had started to feel better. Better than he had in a long time. In days...weeks...months. When he was offered breakfast. He didn't decline it. He accepted it. "Thank you."

The woman smiled herself before smirking playfully. "Someone seems less like a dead man now." She commented before her expression softened. "Have you had enough sleep?"

Wiezen gave a nod as he ate. But what the woman asked him next caused him to stop and look at her for a moment.

"Have you found a way to the top of your ocean perhaps?" The woman asked him, handing him an apple. "It's just...you seemed like you were drowning yesterday. And you were sort of...stirring and speaking in your sleep."

Wiezen was silent for a few minutes while thinking to himself. And when he looked at her, he smiled. "No, not yet. I knew how to walk...but now I may have learned how to swim. So I've started." He looked out into the rain in thought, finishing his breakfast before he stood to his feet, stretching. He felt like he could breathe with more ease than before. Like the air was fresher for him. "There's something that I need to do." He said while grabbing his bag.

"What?! Y-you're leaving already?" The woman paused before letting out a sigh. "I mean, well, of course you are. It'll probably be raining for a while, so I'll probably just wait it out here. But...will you be--" She was caught off when Wiezen hugged her.

"Yes..." Wiezen answered before pulling away. He smiled. "As I've said before...I enjoy your music." He turned to walk away, but was stopped again.

"Hey...you're forgetting something." The woman said, handing him three decent sized pouches that contained half of the earnings that they had gotten all together. "Insurance that you'll make your way back Barefoot. I couldn't have earned this alone, so it's only right that you get some of it too. And besides, I saw what you did yesterday, and I'm pretty sure that you're out of money. So take this."

"Thank you again. But there's something else that you could've given me that was more important than this you know..." Wiezen said, taking the pouches of money and storing them away.

"What? My instrument? If that's what you're talking about then no way I'd ever give that up!" The woman said, crossing her arms and putting more weight on her right leg.

"What? No! What could I possibly do with that? I can't even play it." Wiezen said with a chuckle. "I was talking about your name. I never got your name..."

The woman squinted at him in silence for a few seconds as if she were debating something."Hm...I'll admit, charming." She smiled and stuck out her hand. "I'm Kelsa Literz (Pronounced Lee-ters). A pleasure to be acquainted with you Barefoot."

Wiezen shook her hand, her smooth and delicate skin soft against his when he did so. He wouldn't even try to correct her on his name because he knew that she knew what it was. And that was all that mattered. "Likewise." Their eyes met for a moment, and there was a silence between them as the rain fell.

"You be careful out there..." She said softly before she patted his shoulder. "Work hard...do what you have to." A gentle grin came to her face. "Don't need my good luck charm getting lost."

Wiezen laughed a little with a small nod. "I'll try my best." He said before turning and leaving out into the rain.

Enricho: Whatever happens, I don't care. I just wish to find her and hope she's alive. That's all that matters to me

The woman's voice only chuckled. The path was lit only by the dim source of light that came from crystal runes that glowed at the top of the cavern. The path then immediately became a downwards slope that lead to what seemed to be a cliff like structure. "Oh...how foolish humans are..." A breathe of luke warm air was whispered into Enricho's ear before he was shoved off of the cliff and down into the enormous web that waited below.

Enricho: Shit! I knew something was off (Takes his sword and stabs it into the wall, barely stopping himself from getting trapped in the web)

Helga ran down the slippery roof, almost slipping multiple times before she was able to catch herself. She seemed to be skating on the surface of her house, moving gracefully and peacefully as her dress and her hair were both soaked in the rain. She moved her body painfully slow yet at the same time fast, her movements hypnotizing like a snake’s. Her hair swung freely in the cold breeze with her steps, and her giggles seemed to awaken what appeared to be an owl that was sleeping soundly. But at the sigh of the nymph, the creature couldn't help but join the beautiful woman. And so he flew toward her and spun with her in a way of inviting himself in the dance. Helga didn't mind at all as she grabbed ahold of one of his wings for a moment and pretended that the owl was an actual person; more specifically a prince of some sort, perhaps prince charming from the tales she read. She happily danced with the owl as she chuckled, her smile radiating beautifully. And then that's when she began to spin and spin consecutively, twirling twelve times like a graceful ballerina on her toes. And when she finally stopped, her arm shot to the sky and a beam of magic shot from it, the sky rippling at the action before the rain slowly stopped and created a beautiful rainbow. Helga smiled proudly at her creation, holding back her tears of happiness as she giggled. She looked back at the owl and bowed at him as if it were a proper dance, thanking him for his time before he flew off. Helga stared at the beautiful sky before she sighed happily, humming a delightful tune before she decided to slide of her roof.

Hundreds of spiders began to crawl down the side of the cliff and towards the hunter as he hung there. Their eyes had a faint glow of red to them as they went for the hunter, varying in numerous different sizes, most being almost half the size of the human. Some a bit larger. And soon, they surrounded him hungrily and didn't back off this time until the woman's voice spoke again. But this time, it was her. "Oh? Did you now?" The web large web began to tremble lightly, and she began to walk into view. With long black webbby hair that swayed at the curves of her hips, piercing red irises and plump black lips that complemented her pale, pale skin. She walked across the web gracefully, the small hairs at the bottom of her feet allowing her to move as she pleased. "A hunter that has found his way into my lair...how unfortunate."

~

Besides the small stops that he made on the way, it didn't take but a few minutes of time for Wiezen to come across the path that lead to the place that he had wanted nothing to do with before. But while that fact had only altered itself in the slightest, he had a purpose to fulfill. Oddly enough, his had never returned, and only smelled heavily of rain. He was drenched from head to toe, for he had already went through the thick of it, and he had ever experienced the cold without being able to regulate his body heat to keep himself warm. Something else that he had noticed was that with his regression from divinity, some of his deepest wounds returned to mark his body as scars. And he knew that they would never heal again. Though he possessed a few pairs of clothing now, he hadn't changed the torn rags that he'd had on just yet, and carried his bag with him along with something wrapped within a cloth. The water from the rain dripped from the ends of his hair, and his bare feet left their prints in the mud as he continued on. And soon, he walked through the trees and found himself coming to the sight of witch's cabin. The one that he had put most of the last amount of energy in to fix. But there, he stopped as he spotted the witch.

Helga's back faced Wiezen as she squeezed the excess of water from her hair on the ground, shaking it wildly like a dog. The nymph hadn't sensed Wiezen was behind her, mostly because he no longer smlled like himself. And so she stretched without looking back before she climbed up the stairs of her porch, checking her mailbox. Not that she ever got anything anyways, but she always checked just in case. And today was her lucky day. Within the mailbox was revealed that there were a total of four bouquets of flowers waiting for her. One of sunflowers, the other of roses, another of orchids, and the last of tulips. Helga gasped and touched her chest in a surprising matter, giggling softly as she grabbed ahold of the flowers that all carried a note on them. She knew that these flowers were from no one else but the warlocks who had so kindly helped her the other day. And with that she took all the bundles of flowers inside the warm house, sniffing them in delight as she twitched her ears. She read all the notecards.

Sunflowers to express the shine in your smile, darling.

Roses to represent thy wonderful and enthralling scent.

Orchids to symbolize your elegance and beauty.

Tulips to conquer thine heart my love.

The nymph couldn't help but show the slightest sign of affection as red stung her cheeks. But she rolled her eyes gently with a chuckle and a snort. She decorated her home with the flowers and locked away the notes given to her within her vortex of personal items. Her emerald eyes fell upon Henry who was still soundly asleep on the couch. She stroked his hair gently before placing a kiss on his head and humming as she skipped to the kitchen, singing lowly as she showed some effort of dance while preparing breakfast. She preheated the cauldron to boil some corn and eggs and stocked a few papayas on the table for her to cut later. For now, before she went to take a bath as the water heated up, she opened the door and exited her house with a barrel and a thick stick. Outside she began to churn the butter to add extra flavor to the corn and wished not to do it within her home for it not to smell weird. She shook her hips to the rhythm of her humming and she churned the butter, but then she suddenly stopped and twitched her ears in confusion as she looked a certain direction. Her eyes became slits and she hissed lowly as she tried to recognize the figure behind the few trees. But as she sniffed, she caught a very vague scent of her lover, and with that, her eyes went back to normal and she tilted her head softly. She stopped stirring the cream within the barrel to walk a little more forward to get a better view. And then she recognized it was Wiezen. Surprisingly, her smile didn't falter. It remained as radiant as the sun, but curiosity and confusion was revealed in her emerald eyes.

Helga: Have you come for the children? Oh, sorry, but they're not up yet! But thou can come back in an hour or so and I'll have them ready to go. I'm serving breakfast in a while, so you can stay if you'd like! That'll give you time to fix yourself up to greet Eli, Zealia, and Jr! *goes back to humming and churning the butter*

Wiezen didn't say anything as she spoke. Instead, he removed his bag and tossed it off to the side. He exhaled lightly, his trained mind locking itself and a little mist coming from his lips as he took what was within the cloth and began to unwrap it. And while doing so, he spoke. "You've got a decent amount of skill in swordsmanship." He said as he unfolded the folds from around them and pulled out two wooden sword like poles with iron guards and a steady handle. He tossed one of them across the air and it landed at her feet. "I've had a lot of time to think, and a lot of things that I've learned. I'm not here to stay. What I'm here to do is find my answer." He said simply, rotating the wooden stick sword in his grasp before he smiled for himself. "By word to ear I've heard that the best way for a warrior to be understood is through the actions of his blade. Therefore, I challenge you to a simple duel with one request. Do your absolute best." His grip around his hilt tightened for a moment, but then he relaxed. His entire posture was one of calmness.