It was quiet in the forest. Ash lay on his back, his hand on his belly, knees bent.
A blue spirit orb floated down from the treetops, and from it came Breena's voice. "Ash. Ash, please wake up." The orb stopped beside him. Like Sky on Emilee and Jesse's island, it took the form of a young fairy who was not the age she was when she died. Like her brother, she had aged, but in spirit form.
The spirit had long blonde hair and blue eyes. Like Ash's, her ears were long and pointy. She was dressed in a white, medieval-style dress with a gold band under her breasts, gold wristbands, and brown, medieval-style, strappy shoes. A blue diadem rested over her forehead. Silvery-white fairy wings glistened behind her.
Breena sank to her knees and took Ash's arm. "Please, little brother."
Finally, Ash stirred. Very slowly, he opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Breena's blurry face.
"Ash," she repeated. "Can you hear me?"
"Breena?" he feebly asked.
Her blurry head nodded.
Ash immediately felt around for his glasses. Feeling them, he picked them up and slipped them on. His eyes widened at the now-clear vision of his beautiful sister hovering over him. "Breena."
She weakly smiled and grasped his hand, helping him sit. She then knelt, and Ash slowly rose to one knee. Closing his eyes, he reached for his head again.
Makenna and Silvey soon appeared at the top of a sandy hill, and their mouths dropped at the sight of the spirit.
Glaring, Makenna started forward, but Silvey stopped her.
Makenna peered down, but then she looked at Ash and Breena again.
Ash removed his hand from his head and opened his eyes. He looked Breena straight in the face.
"Oh, Ash, I'm so sorry," she apologized, lowering her ghostly head. "I wasn't with ya when ya got this concussion. I couldn't help ya. I'm such a rotten sister. Ah dinnae kin who I am anymore."
Makenna and Silvey kept their distance.
Breena kept trying to apologize, but Ash interrupted. "Breena. It's not your fault. It's mine. I should have been more careful. I really appreciate ya staying with me during this struggle, though. It proves I'm not alone." He was trying not to tear up.
"It's not just that," Breena spoke in a choked voice. Lifting her hand, she took Ash's hood and pulled it off his head. A zephyr blew his long sideburns, and he listened carefully. "You have grown into such a handsome, young man, and I haven't been with ya during your whole journey, from annoying little brother to brave warrior. Please forgive me, Ash! Please!"
Ash stared gloomily into her face, but said nothing. Hearing his sister was depressed felt like a knife had just stabbed his heart.
Spirit tears ran down Breena's cheeks, and she yelled, "I just left you to die with broken wings! I wish I were here with you!" With that, she burst out sobbing and fell into Ash's arms.
He rubbed her back and hugged her. "It's okay, Breena. I wish you were here, too."
Where Makenna and Silvey stood, Makenna rubbed a tear from her eye and whispered, "Gee, they remind me of Caleb and me." As soon as she got there, though, Breena had to leave.
Another zephyr blew a group of flowers in her direction and started to circle her, and Ash and Breena were forced to let go.
Ash's sister floated toward the treetops, but he refused to let her go.
Jumping up, he grabbed her hand and tried to pull her back down. "No!" By then, he was crying, too. "Don't leave me again! I can't succeed in this mission without you, Breena! Please don't leave me!"
"I'm sorry," she choked out, tears continuing to run down her cheeks.
"Breena, no!" Ash forced himself to float toward the treetops with her. Under his grip, though, his sister's hand vanished, and she turned back into a spirit orb. Ash fell, crashing into the sand and grass.
Makenna and Silvey wasted no time. They hurried to him, and Makenna gripped his arm.
With tears streaming down his cheeks, Ash yelled at the spirit orb that soon vanished, "No!" He collapsed back onto the ground and landed face-first.
Makenna helped him up and patted his shoulder.
Ash reached into his pocket and drew his sister's slingshot, hugging it to his chest.
Makenna soon took his shoulders and hugged him, but was nervous he wouldn't hug her back. He did, though.
Ash wrapped his arms around Makenna and buried his face in her shoulder.
Silvey tied her feelers around his arm and rubbed against him.
"Shh, it's okay, Ash," Makenna told him comfortably. "You still have Silvey, Harmony, Tracey, and me." She and Silvey closed their eyes and shared the moment with Ash.
Makenna's words helped Ash regain control, and he hugged her tighter. "Thank you, Makenn."
Makenna nodded and released him. Pulling him to his feet, she said, "For now on, Ash, we are not going to get separated. Do you have the instructions?"
Entire face red, Ash rubbed his eyes and pointed at the letter in the grass. "They're right there, but I can't look at them. Something happens when I do." He watched Makenna approach the paper and pick it up. She brushed sand off it with the help of Silvey's feelers.
Behind, Ash grabbed his hood and pulled it back up.
After brushing the sand off, Makenna faced him and examined the paper. "There's nothing here about where to find that scroll. What sort of cheap trick is this? Right, Ash?" When she looked up, she saw that he stared at something beyond her. "What are you staring at this time?"
Ash gestured with his chin for her to turn around.
Intrigued, Makenna did. She smiled.
It turned out that Makenna and Ash had stumbled upon a stream with a pool, rocks, and a small waterfall.
Makenna's fairy instincts pulled her toward the stream. Something told her it was where she and Ash would find the scroll. Makenna reached for her friend's arm. She pulled him to the stream.
Ash ended up on his knees when his head began bothering him again. The waterfall wasn't the only thing they found at the stream, though. There was also a stone path outlined with shells. The path wound around the waterfall and led to two larger pools behind it. At the ends of the pools, up a small flight of stone stairs, was a fairy sculpture/fountain surrounded by two minute waterfalls. The sculpture depicted a sprite leaning against the stems of concrete flowers. Palm trees danced in the breeze above her, casting her in shade.
"Wow," Makenna whispered, peering over the first waterfall. "Just how much more is this island hiding? Ash, I feel that fountain is where we'll find the scroll." She jumped at a tiny cough behind her and turned.
Ash still rested on his knees on the ground. Drawing Crusader, he leaned against her, but quickly fell again.
Just seeing her friend, Makenna decided to move forward and retrieve the scroll herself, but Ash refused when she approached him and told him what she thought was best.
To stop him from standing, Makenna took Crusader and shook her head.
Ash reached for her, yelling, "Crusader!" but Makenna slapped his fingerless glove.
"No, Ash!" she sternly announced. "You're not coming with me! I'm sure your sister is thinking the same thing. You need to sit for a bit while I take care of the scroll. You're going to hurt yourself even more if you try to help. I honestly have no idea why we didn't wait until after the doctor checked on you. You haven't even taken your medicine yet! No wonder you're in such pain!"
Ash didn't say a word. He went mute for a while.
Makenna sighed and returned his sword. "Now I'm going to run ahead and get the scroll. You, on the other hand... I expect you to sit here until I return. Just watch. You're going to feel a lot better if you rest for just five minutes. Five minutes is all I'm asking from you." Makenna huffed and turned on her heel.
Just as he had with Breena in the Highlands all those years back, Ash stood and followed her. With the hope that Makenna wouldn't notice him, he remained quiet.
She didn't see him, but knew he was following her.
Makenna growled and clenched her fists. Turning, she snapped at Ash, "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Ash stopped, but waited until Makenna was moving again before following.
Makenna sighed and turned to him again. Assuming there was nothing she could do, she finally let him tag along and gestured with her head.
He smiled and immediately joined her. The two stood side-by-side and headed for the stone path that led to the fairy sculpture and the scroll.
While they walked, Makenna glanced at her friend and asked, "Promise me you'll rest after we find the scroll?"
Ash nodded and sauntered in perfect sync with her.
Makenna glanced at him again. "Thank you."
They stepped onto the path.