Archive of Our Own

The family trip was supposed to be fun. It was supposed to be staying in cool places, and eating yummy food, and long hikes Zoey's dad would end up complaining about but still agree to carry her on his shoulders when her little legs finally got tired. That was the vacation Zoey had been promised. The holy grail she'd been excited about for the weeks leading up to their departure.

A trip away from their home in the city… and all the tension she was used to there.

But the tension had followed them instead.

It started small, just little things she could ignore as they made the flight and began the tourist circuit around Jeju Island. From the moment they reached the first big city getting off the plane. Her dad made little comments while they walked the museum. The tension only grew as they visited Jeolmul Forest and Mini Mini Land next, both her parents disagreed about which was the better use of their time.

By the third day, when she'd spent another hour in the car feeling suffocated by heated silence, Zoey was at her limit.

She thought she'd done pretty well for an eight year old. And one to whom sitting still in silence came that much harder. But by the time they'd gotten to the campsite just outside of Yeongnam-Dong she was jumping out of the car.

What could her parents possibly fight about in a calm, quiet place with nothing but nature around?

A lot, it turned out.

About how they could be spending their days at the resort by Sanghyo-Dong or down on the coast in Seogwipo proper. Rather than camping in the woods. About the budget for the trip. About wasting that budget shopping. About what was for dinner. On and on and on.

Until Zoey just gave up.

“I'm going for a walk,” she said, purposefully loud to see if they would care.

The arguing didn't stop to indicate they did. And Zoey stubbornly tried not to cry as she stomped off through the trees and brush to explore before dark.

When she'd be stuck in a tent with more of the same.

And her brave exploring had led to one of the lava tubes she'd heard about!

This one was not lit up or cordoned off like the ones to the northeast of the island that the kids at school talked about, when they returned from break with tales of amazing family vacations. The ones her parents decided weren't interesting enough to stop and see on their route around the island.

“It's only rocks,” her father told her. “Wouldn't you rather see more interesting things?”

“Eomma isn't comfortable going underground, kkoma,” her mother explained. “We'll see plenty of beautiful scenery while driving.”

The one thing it seemed her parents could agree on.

So it seemed a huge stroke of luck to find a little lava tube all for her own enjoyment. One she could explore without putting her parents out of their way, without disturbing the trip or them at all… To at least give herself one fun experience to tell the other kids at school about when she went back home.

Or at least it seemed like luck.

It seemed a lot less lucky once she was lost.

Turned around in the similar looking tunnels until her trusty little flashlight ran out of battery and left her scared to tears in the dark. The tension suffocating her in the car felt like nothing compared to the stagnant silence of rock all around her. The tunnel walls devoured the sounds of her sobs as the air smelled flat and dusty.

No wonder her parents argued. No wonder she didn't get to have a fun vacation with them. Unlucky, misbehaving children didn't get nice things.

I wish we'd never come at all--

“What are you doing?”

The new voice startled Zoey into deeper panic in the dark. Her lungs constricted and her eyes widened like they could be bigger than the darkness she'd been stewing in for what felt like hours. The rock wall dug into the back of her shirt as an anchor to remind her she wasn't adrift in nothing with whatever that was, but the fear had other images of terror to fill her brain.

Until one of those electric lanterns clicked on and shined her right in the eyes. She ducked behind her arms to block it and blink to let her vision adjust. It was only bright enough to imply the batteries were low but going from pitch black to anything was a shock.

“Hel~lo?” The voice lilted with attitude, followed by an amused chuckle. “What. Are. You. Doing?”

It was right in front of Zoey now. Or, she. She was right in front of Zoey. Leaned over with one hand on her knee and the other holding the lantern out to the side to not blind her quite so badly. A purple braid that looked like whoever did it was still learning how draped over her shoulder… and something a little off about her eyes.

But Zoey was being rude. The girl had asked her a question.

“I um…” she started off strong. “L-lost. I got lost and--”

“Oh, you don't know how to find the way out?”

Zoey slowly shook her head, eyes drawn to the bright grin that filled as much of the girl's face as she could make out in the dimness.

“You're super lucky then,” she stood back and flexed one arm. “My eomma is a park ranger and taught me how to find my way in a bunch of places!”

She dropped to squat in front of Zoey and set the lantern on the ground, taking on a more serious air as she held up her finger to list facts about their situation.

“First step, remain calm. You did good to sit in one spot, but crying won’t fix it. Deep breath, okay?”

It was matter of fact, but not unkind. She even tried to demonstrate with a couple slow breathes for Zoey to follow. Waiting patiently until her sobbing had subsided before helping her to her feet and moving on in her checklist of knowledge.

“If you really end up having no idea where you are, best to stay put and wait for someone to find you,” she stood back with her lantern and started scanning around their feet for something. “Buuuut, if you can assess your surroundings you can look for signs of which way you came from. Ah! Here--”

She scooped something off the ground and came back to press it into Zoey's hand. It was a long, flat piece of rock that was more pointy on one end.

“Use this to mark our way as we go, that way if we hit a dead end we can backtrack,” the girl gave a nod and took Zoey's other hand to start leading their way. “And look for your original footprints or anything familiar.”

It didn't occur to Zoey that the girl seemed to already know where to go. She was too enthralled by the new information she was being given, filing it away like it was ancient knowledge only few were allowed to know. The rock in her hand quickly became a precious accessory to this building adventure as she carefully put a mark on the wall beside them every few feet while they casually walked what had been an impossible path just moments before.

“Just keep marking the way, okay?”

Zoey nodded. They moved slowly at the girl's direction, watching the ground for signs of passing through and making sure they didn't trip. Even though they weren't finding anything, Zoey found she didn't feel scared anymore.

“Oh!”

The girl stopped suddenly and ushered Zoey forward, lifting their hands to reach up into the air.

“Feel that?”

Zoey did after a brief pause: a faint breeze against the lingering warmth between their palms. Not stagnant like it had been.

“Oh… fresh air?”

“Right! That could mean a way out. You can test the direction by throwing a little rock dust, but it feels like it's blowing back the way we came… So we'll keep going this way.”

“Okay!”

All distress was quickly forgotten as Zoey followed the girl along. Hands held and swinging gently between them as she remembered to keep marking their way. First with arrows pointing the way they were going, then with silly little doodles that made both of them giggle before continuing on. Eventually leading to Zoey trying to teach her the theme song to her favorite cartoon, and finding her English was pretty good.

“Mikey is the best one,” Zoey gushed while they walked. “He's got these awesome nunchucks and he can eat the most pizza--”

“Why do they eat pizza?” The girl asked. “Aren't they turtles? Turtles eat vegetables.”

“Well… technically they're tortoises I think, cause they didn't have flippers before they mutated,” Zoey rambled. “Sea turtles do eat jellyfish, so they're not um… herbivores. They eat both.”

“But you said they're not turtles? But they're called turtles?”

“Well they mutated,” Zoey said. “They're teenage mutant ninja turtles… so maybe their diet can be different. Anyway! Mikey also skateboards and--”

“Oh, sorry,” the girl pulled her to a stop and pointed at the wall. “Look.”

Zoey followed her lantern light and saw a big lizard skittering over the wall beside them.

“If there's more animals we're closer to an exit.”

“Wow… you really know a lot about caves,” Zoey squeezed her hand. “That's really cool.”

The girl shrugged and pulled her to keep going, but did hold her hand a little tighter.

“You know a lot about turtles… You said there's a purple one?”

“Yeah! Donnie! He's super smart and he uses a staff! And they fight this guy called Shredder, and the Foot Clan.”

“Then go for pizza after~” the girl chuckled. “And they live in the sewer? With--?”

Some distant shouting interrupted their discussion and they shuffled to a stop to listen.

“--ey!”

“Zoey!”

“That's my eomma!”

Zoey was so relieved to hear both her parents yelling for her rather than at each other she took off running. Hand to the wall as she left the lantern's reach and rounded a bend into the golden light of sunset. Into the open air of the forest and right past a tree to find herself scooped up into her father's arms as he hugged her.

“Zoey! I've got her!” He called while turning to take her away. “I found her!”

“Appa wait. My…”

Zoey squirmed up over his shoulder to look back to the cave.

“Oh my goodness,” her mother was practically in hysterics as she ran up and started fussing over her. “Baby we were so worried. You can't wander so far out here.”

Zoey's eyes were trained on the mouth of the cave quickly vanishing through the trees as they carried her away. Squinting to get a better look, unable to get a word in with all their light scolding and promises of a treat the next time they passed through a bigger city.

But all she really cared about was the fuzzy sight of her new friend waving goodbye.

And the crushing realization she'd never even asked her name.

---

Mira never considered herself a model early riser. Sure she did it a lot, out of necessity because college liked to torment undergrads any way it could, but it wasn't like it came easily or was enjoyable. So the constant shifting from the other bed in the room waking her prior even to bright and early drew her kicking and groaning into consciousness.

“... god you're lucky you're cute,” she muttered as she sat up and slumped forward to rub her face.

One good thing about her college experience--probably the best thing if she were honest--was meeting Zoey.

Third year. In the food court of all places. Zoey had come right over to her table while she was eating lunch and doing her best to put forth an aura of ‘talk to me and die’ and immediately asked her name.

One meal led to regular lunches led to chatting about majors then hobbies led to regular hangouts led to a full blown friendship. Possibly more if Mira played her cards right… and she'd been trying to build her hand for the better part of the last year.

So when Zoey mentioned finally saving up for the trip to Jeju Island during one of their regular bouldering sessions at a local gym, Mira was quick to offer to come.

“If you're planning a climb you really shouldn't go alone,” she'd made the excuse casually. Acting aloof as usual. “I could--”

“You wanna come along?” Zoey had smiled as bright as always. “It's a mission more than for fun honestly… but I'd love the company.”

And Mira had agreed, y'know, she had a free summer from classes and all. Zoey had mentioned the story of her mysterious childhood friend and cave savior a few times before. The first being after a restless dream like the one Mira was getting up to wake her from.

“Zo…” she said, yawning and moving over to the side of her bed to gently shake her shoulder. “Zoey… c'mon, wake up.”

Mira couldn't see her face in the dark anyway, so she didn't bother putting her glasses on. The flinch and gasp from her friend was telling enough that she was awake, and Mira folded her arms to squat down and rest over them as she gave Zoey a minute to fully come around.

“Same dream?” She asked.

“Mm…” Zoey sounded as tired as she was. “What time is it?”

Mira smirked, “Prior to the asscrack of dawn.”

Zoey flopped back over whining.

“Uuuuugh… please let this place have coffee.”

They went ahead and got ready for the day since they were already awake. The inn did indeed have vending machines with cans of coffee, but the ajumma who ran the front was kind enough to pause setting up for the day to speak with them. She must have thought they looked rough--or just insane to be awake so early--because she made a recommendation while they were mulling over the options.

“Head up the street and turn left at the first intersection,” she said warmly as she was passing by. “Look for the line of workers, you can't miss it. Just to-go, but much better for you.”

They shared a look before thanking her--very gratefully--then gathered up their packs of climbing gear and followed her directions. Out onto the street, shivering in the morning chill that lingered just before the sun came up properly to bathe the world in warmth. When night sounds transitioned to the daytime bird calls and distant dogs barking for their own breakfast.

The little town was peaceful and remote on an island so stacked for drawing business from visitors. North of Seogwipo without quite reaching Hallasan National Park. Just close enough for the rangers to stay there, live there, or just take a break and find a good meal. Zoey's itinerary for her trip had brought them.

Or, more accurately, ended them up there as a last hope for answers.

Mira was glad for some trail to follow, because watching Zoey starting to lose her momentum and her hopes was difficult to bear. No matter how many times her friend said it was a long shot from the start with a smile that wasn't quite right. Wasn't as open as Mira had come to admire about her… Today they would just relax and enjoy their climb.

“What are you getting?” She yawned.

They were almost to the front of the line. Through the door of the little building at least. Tables stacked with already prepared take away boxes in clear plastic were in sight and carafes of hot coffee behind the register were ready to be poured on demand. The smells alone were helping wake them up as they patiently waited their turn.

“Mmmm,” Zoey hummed, trying to stand on her toes to lean around the people in front of them for a better look. “Maybe fried rice… or pajeon--? Oh! Hell yeah, they have dakjuk! That, for sure. What're you getting?”

Some of her usual energy returned, and Mira was glad for it. She folded her arms as they kept waiting.

“Street toast,” she said immediately.

They stepped forward as the line moved and Zoey nudged her in the side with her elbow.

“Why not just add some gochugaru to your coffee, spice queen?”

Mira lazily grabbed the top of Zoey's head and tried to shove her down, grinning as she struggled through laughter to avoid it.

“Nerd.”

“Quit it, Mimi,” Zoey weakly protested.

It was all in good fun. Passing the time as the line continued to move. Other patrons were chatting to do the same.

“Another one of those weird flash fires popped up the other day,” a man behind them sighed. “Fifth one this month.”

“Don't remind me. I've had to do so much paperwork…”

The guy beside them seemed equally enthused about the topic. Mira tried to divide her attention between Zoey chatting about their route to the cliff they planned to climb and eavesdropping.

“Pft, well the ‘spirit sightings'--”

Mira could hear the air quotes in his amused tone.

“--have been a fun consolation at least.”

“Haha yeah. Way cuter and nothing for me to fill out~”

“Cute my foot. Hearing gran go off about ‘no respect for the nature of things these days’ has been--”

“Mir?” Zoey said her name and pulled her attention. “You're up. Street toast and a coffee, right?”

Mira perked up and nodded. Focused forward and quickly scooping up a wrapped package of egg, veggies, and ham between two thick slices of bread toasted in gochujang butter before giving the cashier her coffee order. Zoey already had her own meal bagged and ready to go, sipping her coffee with a look of satisfaction.

“Oh yeah, that's the stuff,” she sighed. “Sweet, sweet caffeine~”

Mira tasted hers as they left, to similar effect. The rangers she'd been listening in on had moved on from rumors to breakfast options. It was just as well, they'd already heard the rumors on their way down.

Spirits and fires and upset balance. One of the more hole in the wall tourist traps they passed through on their way down had a huge banner about some local salamander creature. Milking the fires as it being active further down south for one reason or another. She hadn’t paid it much mind. It all sounded fishy. The ‘spirits’ naturally just a little blue light glimpsed by visitors around the area for a second, then gone. While the fires always seemed to start just before a storm passed through to quench them away.

“You're not worried are you?” Zoey asked as they walked. “About that stuff?”

“Pft, nah,” Mira waved it off. “It's probably just negligent hikers, and I didn't even pack matches so we're not starting anything.”

All of it kept popping up suddenly then vanishing just as quickly, so she could see why people would let their imaginations run wild. Half the rumors chalked it up to divine misfortune the other to the fickle hand of nature.

“Still weird,” Zoey narrowed her eyes. “How much luck could it be for sudden weather to put out a fire right after it starts that many times?”

Mira unwrapped her sandwich once they found a little rest area to sit and eat at. The first slivers of sunlight were breaking in the east and the town was waking with it.

“Could be the storm strikes and starts the fire,” she reasoned. “Then the rain puts it right out.”

Zoey hummed past a spoonful of dakjuk then gestured with the plastic utensil after it was empty.

“And the spirits?”

“Heat lightning.”

Mira didn't even pause her eating to provide an answer. Swiping some gochujang butter from the corner of her mouth with her thumb and licking it before taking another bite. Zoey groaned her dissatisfaction with the explanation.

“C'mon Mimi, spirits are way cooler than… actually no I won't say that, heat lightning is pretty cool. But still!” Zoey insisted. “Maybe they're connected~”

“Mhm, heat lightning could easily be connected to a storm--”

She couldn't help smiling as her continued denial stirred Zoey up more. Listening to her impassioned claims that spirits could totally be real. Could definitely have something to do with weird weather phenomena. Then go off on a tangent of different examples ranging from a battle for territorial dominance over the mountains to the less dramatic mischief makers.

And Mira listened to every theory intently as she enjoyed her breakfast. And her time.

Like she always did with Zoey around.

“Okay, okay,” she finally relented. “Maybe it's spirits… maybe. Even though it's probably just the weather. Eat your breakfast so we can get going.”

Zoey's little bowl of half eaten dakjuk was definitely cold by then, but upon being reminded of it Zoey quickly finished it. Standing to follow Mira to throw out their trash while draining the rest of her coffee.

“Should we check everything again?” Zoey asked before they got moving. “Just to be sure… Maybe the weather app one more time?”

Mira tightened the straps of her bag and got them headed for the trail to the hiking path they'd already scouted. The cliffs they planned to climb were halfway along with beautiful scenery to enjoy. And would hopefully take Zoey's mind off their failure of a search thus far.

“I checked everything three times this morning,” Mira adjusted her glasses with confidence. “We're set for the climb, and it's supposed to be sunny and clear all day.”

They'd be done with their climb and back long before dark, just as planned.

Or they would have, if not for the torrential downpour that slammed the mountain halfway through their climb. Which was very much not planned.

Stupid damn weather, Mira grit her teeth as she clung to the rocks and tried to double check their ropes while reevaluating their options. They were already soaked to the bone. Stuck on the side of the mostly sheer cliff with no ledges wide enough to hunker down on in reach. She was starting to get cold. And Zoey was a few feet below her, waiting for a verdict.

“Mira! What's the plan?!”

Mira cursed under her breath and wished she'd worn contacts for this. Hindsight was certainly better than her vision.

“I'm… I'm not--”

Admitting she didn't know was a trial. One mercifully interrupted by a flash of blue in the corner of her vision. Drawing her eye up and to their left where she could squint and just make out the curve of an opening in the cliff face. Not far. Certainly closer than the ground.

“Over there,” she twisted to look down at Zoey, pointing the way. “We'll hunker down in there.”

Zoey held out a thumbs up as thunder rumbled around them. She checked her ropes to be ready to follow in Mira's path. Mira had more experience top-roping between the two of them, so she'd volunteered to take point on this lead climb. Unwilling to risk Zoey being the one to get hurt.

And she sure wasn't going to start now.

“Hang tight!” Mira called as she drove another piton. “I'll get there then belay for you!”

“Be careful!” Zoey shouted back.

Right. Careful. Mira would just ignore the fact chalk wouldn't help them in this situation, and the handholds she found were slick with rain. Every ten feet or so she set another anchor and rigged their rope through it. Having to forgo the static equalization she'd been using more at the start of the climb. A couple solid cracks in the wall let her save pitons and use cams instead, shaving off a little time to get her to her target faster. Finally reaching the ledge to the opening and indeed finding a cave that went back far enough to be dry. An added bonus to the solid ground.

“Okay,” she sighed, flexing out her hands and crouching to snap a dogbone on the final anchor. “Get ready! I'll have the belay rigged in a minute!”

“Yep!”

It was a relief to hear Zoey's response come quickly and firm. But Mira still moved fast to get the rope properly threaded and knotted off. Drying her glasses as best she could and getting both hands set to brake before squaring up and calling down.

“Belay on!”

A short pause as Zoey got ready and Mira heard the reply.

“Climbing! Watch me!”

It went without saying, but Mira wouldn't call her on it. Her knuckles were white gripping the rope as she watched Zoey follow the path of anchors she'd left in the rain. Every moment was agony as she went back and forth in her own head chastising the slipshod work she'd done while also insisting she'd done everything right. Straining her ears to ignore the cascade of downpour to listen for signs of failure in the rock. All while the blurred figure of her friend climbed steadily closer.

Finally, after an agonizing five minute climb that felt more like thirty, Zoey was dragging herself up over the ledge. And Mira could let herself breathe again.

“Off Belay,” Zoey gasped with a mischievous smile as she caught her breath.

“Haha, very funny,” Mira didn't dare release her break hand as she offered the other to help Zoey up. “Move back before you unhook. I'll lock down the rig and follow you in.”

Zoey's grip was notably weaker as she took Mira's hand. She did exactly as instructed and headed inside as Mira locked down a solid three point equalized anchor on the ledge for when they could leave. Planting the rig to wait as she trudged inside to rest for the climb back down.

“Zo?”

She dropped her pack by the wall and started ringing out her long ponytail.

“Right h-here,” Zoey answered.

The light from her electric lantern bounced near the opposite wall. It was clear she'd been looking around already.

“You okay?” Mira asked, digging out a towel to properly dry her face and glasses before heading to give it to Zoey. “Here, I can hear your teeth chattering.”

“Thanks.”

Zoey swapped the lantern for the towel and buried her face in it. The muffled complaints about it being ‘fucking cold’ needled Mira's conscience before she started drying her hair. Slowing her movements in what Mira assumed was just exhaustion from the climb as she raised the lantern to look around.

“Hey, Mir… I'm really sorry about this.”

Mira swung back around to scoff at her.

“What?”

“I mean it's my fault we're out here and--”

Mira reached over to flick her between the eyes.

“Ow!”

“Enough,” she said flatly. “Even the weather app didn't see this coming. Sometimes a climb gets rained out, it happens. We'll wait for it to pass and head back down when it dries a bit.”

It stood to be way easier than the initial climb up. And they had extra gear back at the inn so they could leave the rig to take down later if they wanted. Zoey draped the towel around her shoulders and still looked unsure.

“What if it takes a long time to stop?” She asked, fretting the hem of the towel between her fingers. “You said we didn't bring anything to start a fire.”

“I have a jacket if you want it,” Mira offered. “And snacks and MREs if it takes a while. We can for sure wait it… out?”

All of her sureness and extensive forethought hadn't readied them to be caught on the side of a mountain in a rainstorm. And it certainly hadn't readied them to be caught sheltering on the side of a mountain in a rainstorm with a huge, glowing blue tiger. Mira's voice faded to nothing as they both held shock still watching the beast plod out from a tunnel towards the back of the cave. Broad, and almost her height even on all fours. Its head tilted as its eyes seemed to look at both of them at once… Blinking slowly… Not reacting one way or the other as Mira took a slow step to put herself between it and Zoey.

Okay I have a couple beak pitons and my hammer on my belt still, Mira thought as she waited for it to attack. I can aim for the eyes and buy Zoey time to hook in, maybe rappel--

A rumble filled the cave as the tiger opened its mouth, Mira stepped back into Zoey while snatching her hammer to hold at the ready… But it just yawned and turned back around to leave. The faint blue glow slowly vanished through the tunnel.

And Zoey almost rushed to follow before having Mira grab the back of her harness to stop her.

“Where are you going?” She hissed.

“I think it wants us to follow,” Zoey pointed to the tunnel.

The one that for sure led to certain death.

“Hell no,” Mira scoffed, turning to drag Zoey towards the exit. “I'll sooner take my chances in the rain.”

“But, what if it's a spirit? It's blue--”

“It's also a fucking tiger,” Mira refused to let go of Zoey's belt. “Did you see the teeth?”

She had to free her hands to kneel down and cinch up her bag. If they belayed properly for each other they could probably rappel well enough in the rain. Another snap of lightning flashed in the distance and she cursed the rock and hard place they were stuck between.

“Here, I'll spot you first…” she reached for the lantern but it wasn't where she'd set it down.

And Zoey was not standing beside her anymore.

Both were in the process of disappearing down the tunnel leading to death by tiger.

Mira pinched the bridge of her nose to fight back her frustration. Then found her spare penlight in a smaller pocket of her bag and followed with her hammer clenched in her other hand.

The things I do for…

“Zoey.”

Light scraping echoed along from ahead of her. She kept the beam of her penlight sweeping the tunnel as she walked, catching the edge of a simple arrow carved into the wall. Finally settling the light on her path as she picked up her pace to focus on catching up. And found the glow of Zoey's lantern as the tunnel came to an end. Short and straightforward without any deviation to get lost down.

The smaller cave it led to was still quiet, except for the tiger now curled up by some bedding in one corner. Zoey was looking around unbothered.

Stubborn.

Mira came up behind her and leaned over her shoulder.

“Satisfied?” She droned. “Or is making me worry a hobby of yours?”

Zoey turned to smirk at her, putting their faces inches apart in the low-light.

“You worry about me?”

Mira contained the flush rushing her face long enough to stand back casually and start shining her own light around.

“If you keep running after tigers…” she sighed. “Even spirit tigers… I still think we should leave it alone.”

“You admit it's a spirit now?” Zoey didn't seem in a rush to leave.

“Considering the sheer cliff to get in here it would almost have to be… still, more trouble than I care to bother with.”

She shuffled along, not letting Zoey get out of reach as they kept their lights moving. The bedding the tiger was rolling over looked more suited to a human than a spirit. Spread out neatly over a fresh pile of dry leaves. Her light kept passing over more and more. An unlit oil lantern. Some bigger rocks arranged into crude furniture. Bags, small boxes closed up against the wall, lengths of rope. A pile of books along the back most wall.

“Hey there's even a radio,” Zoey piped up. “There's a lot of stuff here… so…”

Mira nodded slowly, “Someone definitely lives here. C'mon, we shouldn't--”

She turned back to the tunnel and nearly jumped out of her own skin when her penlight reflected in the eyes of something approaching from the dark. Eyes at the height of a standing person.

“Shit!”

She grabbed Zoey's harness and pulled her behind her again, dropping the light in favor of the hammer as the figure stepped through the beam cast over the floor.

Clawed, scaly feet clacked along the rock as a likewise reptilian tail swept just above it. Lulling in their wake. They kept up their approach, just breaching the edge of the lantern light to let Mira see the silhouette of clawed hands and… wings? Fucking wings?!

“What are you doing?”

The voice sounded unamused as one flap of the wings knocked the penlight to point away. And the tiger quickly bounded through it to rub against the… dragon(?) woman like a house cat welcoming their master home. In the blue glow Mira could see the woman ringing rain water out of a long purple braid--

“You!” Zoey yelped.

She reached past Mira to point at the woman. And with a little more light it was clearer the woman sounded unamused because she looked exhausted. Leaning against the tiger for a little relief from being on her feet. Wearing shorts and a tshirt heavily modified into something sleeveless that left room for her wings and tail.

“... her, what?” Mira glanced back.

“What are you doing here?” The dragon woman sighed. “Nobody should be able to…”

The tiger nudged her and she dropped her face into her hand with a groan.

“Seriously?” She muttered.

“Right, mhm,” Mira turned and hooked her arm around Zoey's waist to lift her off the ground. Strafing around the pair to try and make for the tunnel. “Sorry to intrude, we were just--”

“It's totally you, right?!” Zoey squirmed around to keep addressing the woman. “I can't believe I found you! Remember me? You helped me when I got lost like… okay it was years ago, it's okay if you don't remember, whatever but like--I FOUND YOU!”

The woman tilted her head and stepped closer, cutting off Mira's attempted exit. A little closer and she could make out more of her face. Golden eyes, horns curving back over her head. Of course the purple hair.

“Wait… From the lava caves?” She pointed at Zoey with new recognition. “The one who told me about the turtle ninjas?”

“Yeah!”

“... Zoey you can't be serious,” Mira deflated.

Of course Zoey's mystery star-crossed friendship was with a weird dragon woman who lives in the mountains. Somehow Mira found that the easiest thing to believe that she'd seen all day… but it didn't mean she was thrilled about it. She gave up and set Zoey back on her feet, threading her fingers behind her glasses to rub the stress from her eyes as the chat continued.

“You would not believe--total long shot I swear,” Zoey rambled. “You disappeared before I could thank you, I'm so glad I ran into you again so I can now! Maybe repay you? I didn't even get your name--Oh, I'm Zoey. This is Mira. Sorry we barged in, but the tiger--”

A smile kept growing over the woman's face before she just started giggling. Rubbing her eyes and sighing fondly before nodding.

“Sorry, I uh… Rumi. My name is Rumi,” she introduced herself. “And this is Derpy--”

Mira snorted, but coughed to try and cover.

“He keeps me company… and typically keeps strangers out.”

A pointed side-eye didn't seem to affect the tiger at all.

“Well, technically we're not strangers, right?” Zoey reasoned. “I'm just stoked to run into you again! The cave where we met is all roped off now, y'know? And I tried to ask with the rangers but we had, like, no luck. You'd think they'd remember a woman who has a daughter like you. They just said ‘kids these days with their rebellious streaks’ when I mentioned your hair and--”

Zoey kept on about their search and Mira noticed some of the brightness fade from Rumi's expression. Wondering if they were wearing out their welcome so soon… or if something said had struck a nerve.

“Zo, maybe we should step out,” she put a hand on Zoey's shoulder. “We barged in uninvited. So let's let her--”

“It's alright,” Rumi smiled warmly. “Rest until the rain stops, it’s dangerous to climb in this… but then you should head back. It's dangerous up here in general.”

No kidding, Mira thought. Having no choice but to relent as Zoey bounced on the toes of her shoes and followed Rumi back into her… den?

“Were you the one who drew the arrows on your way in?” Rumi asked.

“Yup! I remembered!” Zoey puffed up proudly, then thought better of the vandalism and added. “Uh, sorry for messing up your wall…”

Rumi waved it off, “Don't worry about it. Your drawing skills have improved~”

Mira gave them some space for their chat. Picking up her dropped penlight to pocket and hanging back to listen for the rain to stop. Watching. The two carried on like old friends with the kind of easy rapport built over years… rather than one meeting in a cave when they were small.

But then Zoey could do that with anybody.

And maybe it was something other than suspicion or caution making an ugly burning twist in the base of Mira’s ribs. But it also didn't escape her notice that Rumi didn't seem as eager to answer questions as she was to listen to Zoey talk.

By the time the rain had stopped they'd been at it for an hour. And it took another half of one moving to the exit between the two saying goodbye then chatting some more, rinse and repeat, before Mira finally got Zoey to focus on clipping in for the climb back down the rig they'd left ready.

With Rumi and Derpy both crouched at the ledge to watch them depart--

“We'll come again!” Zoey assured them cheerfully. “And bring gifts to make up for being rude this visit!”

“You really don't need to, Zoey,” Rumi tried to refuse.

“We definitely will!” Zoey was not one to be denied.

Mira knew that well. And briefly contemplated cutting her line to plummet to her death to avoid the promise… but considering that would probably make Zoey sad she decided to just endure.

The trip was only for a few more days anyway.

---

Zoey was suddenly bummed their trip was only a few days more, but planned to make the best use of the time!

“You're amazing, Mir,” she gushed. “I swear you're my good luck charm or something!”

They were in the process of scouring a little shop in town for a suitable gift. Day fresh, less rush to get moving so bright and early now that they knew exactly where they were going and not fumbling with no direction. Zoey definitely never would've gotten this far on her own.

“Right…” Mira shrugged it off. Cool as a cucumber like it was nothing at all. Zoey wished she could be a fraction that-- “And we're… sure, she wants us to come back? It felt a bit like she was just being polite.”

“Pft, duh of course she does,” Zoey giggled. Right back to searching and skipping sideways to a shelf of soft fluffy blankets.

They were folded and pinned into neat squares by the minimal packaging that still allowed them to be tested for feel. Zoey found one a nice shade of lavender and scooped it up to see how warm it was. Then checked the washing instructions.

“Typically,” Mira mentioned as she checked the tag of another one on the shelf. “People who choose to be alone out in the middle of nowhere prefer to stay alone…”

Zoey looked up from the blankets but Mira was still reading the tag. Her jaw was working slightly, clearly trying to ignore Zoey's gaze to treat the conversation more casually…

Both of them knew about distance. Zoey from her parents to study geology at university out from under their roof, and Mira from her own family expectations to study dance just the same. Instead of the medical degree they'd pushed for from her.

She looked back at the shelves and bumped gently into Mira's side to knock her out of her own head.

“Nobody really likes to be alone,” she mumbled softly. “Whatever choices they make.”

She turned a comical pout with her best puppy eyes up just as Mira finally gave in and looked at her. Timing perfect for maximum effect. Getting the expected groan and bemoaning before Mira put her whole hand over Zoey's face and pushed her back.

“Put those away…” she started for the register and dragged Zoey to follow. “We should've asked what snacks she likes--”

“Oh my god!” Zoey jumped to keep pace. “We're gonna bring her soooo much junk!”

“Within reason. We do have to carry it all, remember?”

“Think we could bring her takeout? I wonder what she usually eats actually? Do you think she visits town?”

“... pretty sure someone would've noticed her.”

Their whole rig was left in place from the day before. It would be fine to leave and reuse for the remainder of the trip, so they hadn't bothered to take anything down. Mira insisted on taking point on the climb again, and Zoey had no complaints knowing how careful she tended to be. It clearly made her more comfortable to be the one checking things. Meanwhile Zoey made sure all their spoils were secured to make it to the cave.

“Okay so we'll check how she feels about the takeout idea, maybe for next time, but we've got plenty of snacks,” Zoey said as they climbed. “I've got the blanket. You've got the drinks right?”

“Yes, Zoey,” Mira grunted as she pulled herself along to the next anchor. “I have everything. Focus on the climb please.”

“Right, right, sorry…”

For a few seconds it was only the sound of nature through the trees. A far off waterfall they still meant to go see. Bird calls. The clack and jingle of their equipment…

“Should we have brought a treat for Derpy?” Zoey gasped. “... do spirits eat?”

“Zoey.”

“Right, sorry. We'll just--we'll ask for next time.”

She tried not to let her excitement keep getting the best of her. Thankfully the climb gave a lot of her energy an outlet to escape through. That'd been a big draw to bouldering back when she'd started with Mira. Something fun they could do together, get exercise, let off steam. And going on a real climb like this trip meant exploring rock specimens out in nature rather than in a lab on campus. Their professor had encouraged that much as well for the break between semesters.

Two birds, one stone. Three birds really. Real world experience, the chance to look for her long lost friend, and the chance to spend time with Mira.

Way better than her first trip to Jeju had been.

Mira reached the top and dropped her bag to reach down and help Zoey the last foot up over the ledge. Clipping themselves out and strolling casually back into the cave… only to find nothing but rock along the whole interior.

No tunnel in sight.

“What?” Zoey hurried forward and pressed her hands to the rock. “Rumi?!”

There was no give when she pushed. Her voice bounced around them before echoing out over the ledge to the open mountain air. And she frantically started moving along the wall looking for the right spot… sure she was just missing it.

“... did we imagine it? Maybe?” Mira paced around the curve of the cave.

Just as confused. But Zoey never doubted herself.

“No! No way!” She said with absolute certainty, throwing herself into different sections of stone. “W-we must've just--maybe it's the wrong--”

Her breath caught as she went to push another section and fell right through it. Right into sturdy waiting arms before she could slam to the floor.

“Zoey?!” Mira yelped behind her.

“Sorry…”

Rumi helped her stand back up and stepped out to offer Mira her hand. From where Zoey was standing it looked like nothing was there, but when she stepped back through--much to Mira's relief--and turned it looked like the wall was rock like the rest of the cave. With Rumi half leaning through.

“I wasn't expecting you both so soon,” she explained with a smile. “And Derpy's out wandering so he couldn't guide you this time… It's safe.”

Zoey lit up with interest, ready to ask all about it before finally taking note of Rumi's appearance.

Very normal. Decidedly less scaly than the night before.

“What happened to your…?” She stammered while gesturing to indicate horns and wings and claws.

Rumi stepped back through the illusory rock wall as they followed, keeping herself out of reach and awkwardly taking another step back before turning to lead them through the tunnel with a softly burning oil lamp.

“Oh um… I…” she squirmed, voice fading quieter as they walked. “I put it away… sorry, I was too tired to hide it last night so--”

“You don't have to hide it,” Zoey picked up her pace to walk a bit closer without forcing her way into Rumi's personal space. “It's cool! Like, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want but you don't need to hide…”

Mira caught up on her other side.

“This is your home,” she shrugged. “Do what makes you most comfortable.”

Perfectly put. Go Mira. Zoey grinned and watched as a few steps later Rumi's tail seemed to unfurl from her leg in a flicker of the fire light, sweeping out to sway in rhythm to her gate. Her horns curled back into place, and scales rippled down her arms and along her legs.

“Sorry it's not more comfortable,” she said casually, brushing her hair back as she brought them to a raised rock cropping with a few cushions set around it. One just made by folding up her bedding.

“No worries, totally cozy,” Zoey folded her legs and took a seat.

“We're rock fans if you hadn't guessed,” Mira added as she did the same.

Both pulled their bags around to produce their own electric lanterns, but Rumi set the oil lamp on the edge of the table and opened the little door to reach right in and grab the fire. Barehanded. They both flinched to reach out as if to stop her, but she lifted it out of their reach and… encouraged it to grow brighter before leaving it hanging up in the air. Blinking at them and doing a double take.

“It's spirit fire,” she explained. “Derpy made it… only burns what he wants it to.”

“... whoa,” Zoey breathed. “Awesome~”

“A little warning next time, maybe…” Mira slumped down.

“S-sorry, sorry,” Rumi apologized quickly. “Just kind of the nature of spirits. Everything comes down to what they want. Intentionality.”

“It’s fine, as long as you’re not…” Mira waved it off to start setting bottled drinks on the table. “Don’t worry about it. We brought snacks. Didn't know what you liked so we picked a few.”

“Yeah!” Zoey started unloading the plethora of junk food, both sweet and savory, before dragging the blanket out to hand over. “Plus a gift for helping me when we were kids. Even if I'm way late.”

“You really didn't have to--”

Rumi tried to decline and Zoey just pressed the blanket into her chest as Mira pushed a bottle of tea across the table to her.

“We did anyway,” Mira said simply. “You let us wait out the storm. And we're visiting. It's polite.”

“... okay.”

“Thanks for having us back too,” Zoey arranged the spread of snacks on the stone top. “Pick whatever you like.”

Mira pulled a bag of butter chips closer and cracked open her own drink. That brand was her favorite so they were sure to get extra, same as the shrimp chips Zoey liked.

“Where did we leave off the other night again?” She asked before crunching a few.

Rumi scanned the assortment before gingerly pulling a bag of sweet potato chips to her place.

“Uh, let's see…” she tilted her head to consider. “I think you caught up to the most recent TMNT run. You also mentioned the turtle thing being different than you thought--”

“Right!” Zoey held her hands out. “So little me was like, so off. Tortoises are turtles. There's a ton of different types of turtles, just some have flippers and others have feet.”

She snickered and rolled her eyes at her less knowledgeable child years.

“The newest run of TMNT was Rise of the TMNT and oh my god it was so awesome,” she kept gushing. “I had Mira watch the first season--”

“It was good,” Mira added with a nod.

“Right? Also also something really cool is they made each of the guys based on a different species of turtle!”

Rumi nodded, keeping her full attention on Zoey as she pulled her bag of chips open.

“So they look different, more than just color? And weapons I guess…”

“Yeah! Leo was a red-eared slider, Mikey was an ornate box turtle, Raph was an alligator snapping turtle--”

“He's big red, right?” Mira interrupted. “I liked him.”

Zoey nodded, “Mhm, and Donnie was a spiny softshell turtle. He had a whole thing about his shell being weaker than the other guys. He had this cover battle shell thing he wore over it. It was so good… Even if he thinks geology is boring, I'll give him a pass.”

“Pretty good dancer though~” Mira smirked. “Apparently.”

“And they still fight… Shredder?” Rumi asked, taking a moment to remember the villain's name.

Zoey took a deep breath to launch into a full breakdown of the show. The snacks were dwindling by the time she paused to make sure Mira didn't mind spoilers for season two or the movie--she did not, actually preferring the way Zoey explained it or so she claimed--and all that remained when she'd finished was trash. But then all of them had moved on from talking about cartoons at that point anyway.

“Where does it all go, when you put it away?”

Zoey leaned fully over the empty stone top, balanced on her elbows as she examined Rumi's hand held between hers. Even Mira had scooted to sit closer while looking over one of her wings.

“You can really fly with these?” She mumbled, hesitant to actually touch them.

Rumi had her head leaned over to rest on her shoulder, letting them be this close and ask such questions. Still seeming tense and bashful about the attention, but not as much as before.

“I'm not actually sure where it all goes… nobody explained it,” she said.

“No?” Zoey asked as she gave Rumi her hand back and poked through the trash for any snacks they might have missed. “You seem like you’ve got a good handle on it though.”

Rumi shrank a bit more in her seat.

“No... my dad was never in the picture. Something about dragons keeping their distance from humans, guess ending up with me was pretty rare, but he didn't… I've never met him.”

Zoey looked up aghast, “Well… he’s missing out.”

“Mhm, his loss really,” Mira agreed easily.

“He could’ve at least clued your mom in,” Zoey continued. “Then she could’ve… could…”

Zoey watched the light fading from Rumi’s eyes the more she spoke. Realizing too late why that might be and trying to think of another topic to swap to.

“I mean, again you’ve got a handle on--”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to kill the mood,” Rumi rubbed her jaw and tried to smile. “Just um… yeah I’ve got things well enough… figured.”

She didn’t seem very okay. Zoey could kick herself for rambling them into this tension. Like a decade and she just assumed nothing had happened? Everything was all fine? Waltzed her way through a minefield like time just stopped--

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mira asked gently.

She gave Rumi her space, but leaned a little to keep in her line of sight. So soft even if she could come off so rough at first blush. Zoey’d always admired that about her. More so when some of the tension left Rumi’s shoulders, right behind the unconvincing smile.

“It's fine… well, not fine but,” she waved her hand to brush off the awkwardness and just keep moving. “There was um… there was a landslide, when I was ten… and my mother was part of the rescue team. They were trying to extract some hikers who got trapped, and apparently more of the trail gave way… and she fell.”

“I'm so sorry, Rumi,” Zoey said.

Feeling her own heart aching just thinking how devastating that must have been. She reached out to take Rumi’s hand again to hold, while Rumi just tried to shrug it off, grinning in a way that didn't reach her eyes.

“It was more than a decade ago.”

“Still,” Mira scooted just within reach and squeezed her shoulder. “It must've been hard.”

“... yeah, it was. Really hard at first, for sure,” Rumi continued, not pulling away from either of them. “... I haven’t really talked about her for a while, so thanks. For listening.”

“Anytime.”

They both answered at the same time, and all three of them got a chuckle out of it. Rumi rubbed her palm into her eye and sat straighter again. 

“Anyway yes, I can fly. It's how I come and go most of the time.”

“Okay, but like,” Mira leaned more into the conversation. “Your traps must be ridiculous to lift yourself… So, you could climb? If you needed to?”

“Oh I mean probably not that…” Rumi tried to downplay before holding her hand out to show Mira. “The scales and rough bits make it easier to grab handholds. And when my claws are out I get an even better grip. It's kind of cheating.”

She flexed her fingers and demonstrated. Not doing so for the hand Zoey was still holding of course, and putting them away quickly.

“What you guys do is way more impressive,” she lit up. “I looked at the stuff you left behind, there's so many different parts.”

“If I could free climb without any gear I'd be pretty impressed,” Mira scoffed. “I bet you'd kill a bouldering competition. There's not that much to rigging really. Here, Zoey come be my model.”

“Yes, ma'am!”

Zoey jumped back from the table with a snap salute and skipped over to hold her arms out while Mira indicated to all of her gear. Safety harness, chalk bag, climbing shoes, carabiners, straps, pitons of varying design, nuts, cams, hammers, not to mention the ropes they'd left with their bags. Even Zoey was starting to get dizzy, and she actually knew about it all already.

“That's not much…?” Rumi asked in disbelief.

“It's not, look.”

Mira set things out in groups to give a more broken down step by step of the basics. Rumi listened intently, nodding slowly and picking up this or that to look at. Seemingly determined to be curious.

“Mira also knows the best way to set up anchors,” Zoey added. “I haven't had to do it as much. But it's fun! We've got plans to visit this waterfall spring place, and I was thinking of diving off the--”

“No.”

Having both of them so firmly drop the denial hammer at the same time shocked Zoey to instant silence. They even seemed surprised by themselves as they shared a look and started laughing again.

“Geeez, fine,” Zoey chuckled. “No cliffdiving for me then. Got it.”

“I know the spot you're talking about,” Rumi started fiddling with one of the pitons and leaned over the table. “It's not deep enough to dive safely--”

“And you've never done that before either,” Mira pointed out.

“But it's still nice there, great scenery, cool, not usually busy.”

“It's nice to swim?” Zoey asked.

Rumi nodded and stretched her wings before folding them back in.

“Very… when the weather is nice,” she mumbled.

“... do you maybe wanna…?” Zoey began, glancing over at Mira to ask with her eyes if inviting her would be okay.

The belabored grin said it was a question Mira fully expected to come up, and she forged on herself to make the invitation as casually welcoming as could be.

“We were thinking of bringing lunch out too,” she shrugged. “Hadn't decided what yet. You could meet us there, if you want.”

“Mhm! And if you let us know what you like we'll bring enough for all of us,” Zoey said. “Also, does Derpy eat? Is there a treat we could bring him? He can come too.”

Rumi sat straight again. Legs crisscross with her hands clamped down on her ankles as she leaned towards them.

“Really? You're sure? I don't want to interrupt your trip, you've already come all the way up here twice now--”

“The first time was a planned climb. And the second time was easier with the rigging left behind,” Mira said. “Plus it's vacation. We came out to climb and hike.”

“Right, as long as we're enjoying ourselves it's a vacation well spent~” Zoey nodded. “And we got to meet up again. So, y'know, definitely a good trip.”

“... oh… um, okay,” Rumi kept fidgeting even when she tried not to. Like the same excitement from when they first met was still there. “Sure, then. That'd be great, I'll meet you there. And no, spirits don't really eat, but you can make him a little offering. He likes that.”

“Awww, that's so cute,” Zoey melted. “Yes! Got it, I'm gonna pick out something good!”

Mission accepted. Zoey already had ideas.

“What do you like?” Mira asked, nudging Rumi. “There's a few places in town to grab stuff, any preference?”

“I'll feel bad if you keep buying me food--”

“Don't,” Mira put the worry straight into the grave. “We're inviting you. If you don't tell us Zoey will go overboard trying to get a big variety.”

“It's true, I would do that,” Zoey admitted freely.

Rumi slumped in defeat and put a hand through her hair.

“... kimbap.”

“And?”

“... I'm really not picky--” she tried to insist but a stern glance from both of them had her relenting again. “Fine, like, dakkochi, mandu, uh… hotteok or hodugwaja if they have it--”

“Pft, you've got a sweet tooth, huh?” Mira smirked.

“You asked,” Rumi grumbled.

“I didn't say it was a bad choice,” Mira assured more softly. “... actually now I'm kinda craving hodugwaja.”

“I know, it's so good,” Rumi groaned. “I haven't had it in forever… like a while, at least.”

She and Mira started discussing the lunch plans more freely. Zoey let them go as she cleaned up the wrappers to be brought back to town and thrown out when they finally left for the day. Excited her friends were getting along, excited to be with them.

Enjoying the best vacation she'd ever had. By a long shot.

---

They set out early again the next morning. Zoey cheerfully greeting the ajumma setting up in the inn lobby again on their way out with their bags and gear.

“It's so good to see you girls enjoying the outdoors,” she sighed. “Be careful out there.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Mira agreed politely.

“We will!” Zoey waved.

They would enjoy the outdoors. And the company! It took a few stops to pick up everything they needed for lunch, packed away in takeout bags they carried out onto the trail.

“Can't believe we found hodugwaja,” Zoey smirked. “Rumi's gonna be so stoked.”

“Mhm,” Mira mirrored the confident expression. “And you're sure about the gift you got for the tiger?”

“Yep!” Zoey thumbed back at her pack. “Got it in the bag. You'll see, it'll be great.”

Mira shook her head fondly and kept walking.

The trail was mostly vacant but for some older locals taking their morning walk near the base. Their greetings in passing were polite and brief as they made their way back down while Zoey and Mira ventured farther up and around.

This little town wasn't as popular as the bigger tourist spots around the island. Zoey had vague memories of passing through with her parents on their way to the fateful campsite just to the west. Parts of the trail even linked up with the grounds if someone was possessed by the urge to hike it.

Their destination today was farther north instead. Through the misty sunrise, up the steeper bits of clearly marked trail until the faint sound of rushing water hit their ears.

“We're close,” Zoey perked up.

She climbed over a moss grown boulder to try and squint through the trees, looking back down to Mira as she checked their trail map.

“Very. Should be just over the bend.”

“Think we'll get there first? Or maybe Rumi beat us,” Zoey slid down to hook her arm so they could keep moving.

Mira folded away the map and easily kept up with her. Courtesy of her long legs.

“She's certainly closer… 50/50 gamble.”

They hoofed it up the next hill and the damp smell of moisture hit the air. Cool mist lingered through the trees ahead as the light roar of tons of water constantly crashing down from high above grew louder. Finally stepping from the woods onto the rocky shore of the pool below cliffs and majestic falls.

“Wow,” Zoey leaned back to take it all in. “It's gorgeous.”

All lush greens and clear waters with the mountains looming up behind. They picked their way around until they found a suitable flat area to put down all their things, then sat on the edge to relax with the view. Breathing deeply in the fresh air and warm sun coming up over the scenery.

Imagine every day like this… Rumi's got the right idea.

A sudden nudge to her shoulder and Zoey turned to find Mira holding her hand out. Beckoning without a word for Zoey to… take it? Amused but unquestioning, Zoey dropped her hand into Mira's, and got an exasperated huff as Mira turned it palm up to drop a stone into it.

“... you found a rock?”

Mira shrugged and let her take her hand back. With the rock.

“It looked interesting.”

“Well of course,” Zoey turned the rock in her hands and started pointing to sections of it. “It's pyroclastic. With a bit of thermowood on this edge here see? So likely from one of the more recent eruptions, which pft recent being relative of course. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lava tube running through this… what?”

She stopped her explanation when she noticed Mira watching her with a grin that said she'd known this would happen once she handed over the rock. The helpless shrug in response added to the theory.

“I'm just listening,” she folded her arms up behind her head to stretch before dropping back to relax. “You're fun to listen to.”

“Oh am I? You enjoy hearing about rocks?”

Just because Zoey found them interesting didn't mean she expected other people to… Let alone cool people like Mira.

“I enjoy hearing you talk about rocks,” Mira yawned. “That would be why I handed you one I thought looked interesting.”

Zoey pouted, but the effect wasn't really there while Mira had her eyes closed.

“Well, I enjoy watching you dance,” she declared, leaning over her. “Why don't you--?”

“Oh, you dance, Mira?”

Both of them shifted to look behind them as Rumi picked her way easily along the rocks to reach them. All dragon aspects on display except for her wings, wearing an oversized shirt that had the sleeves cut off and the collar widened likewise to cover her suit, with a bag slung over one shoulder.

“I should've brought my radio,” she grinned. “Next time. Did we keep you--Oh! You found a pyroclastic rock with thermowood melded! Lucky.”

She leaned over for a better look at the rock still in Zoey's hand and everything about this scenario was suddenly weirdly overwhelming. So seeing Derpy rising out of the ground behind her seemed like Zoey's best chance for a reset.

“Yeah, here,” she jumped up and pressed the rock into Rumi's free hand. “Mira found it. Cool right?”

Then hopped around to greet Derpy with a big hug, burying her face in his warm fur so she could ignore the warmth in her own face. Having multiple people complementing her interests… let alone people who considered her good company already, was just a little much. That was all.

“We only got here a few minutes ago,” Mira said behind her. “Just taking a breather before swimming. Sound good?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Zoey could hear the smile in Rumi's voice, and the lightness in Mira's. Usually saved for when she was really relaxed. The deep rumble of Derpy purring shook through her arms and ended up making her laugh.

“We missed you yesterday, big guy,” she rubbed his cheeks. “I brought you a gift today.”

He tilted his head side to side with the movements of her hands, following dutifully as she skipped over the rocks to get back to her bag. It only took a moment of digging around before she brought out the gift. She kept it hidden behind her back until she could set it carefully on his head.

“Perfect~” she giggled.

“... you bought him a gat?” Rumi snorted. “He looks so cute~”

“I had my doubts,” Mira tilted her head. “But it does kinda suit him.”

“See? Shouldn't have doubted me,” Zoey spun around with her hands triumphantly on her hips. “In fact, I think you should get a little punishment.”

Mira scoffed and narrowed her eyes.

“... what?”

“You ribbed me the whole time we were in that shop, it was super mean,” Zoey pouted. “I don't know how I'll ever recover--”

“Fiiiiine,” Mira groaned. “I apologize for giving you a hard time... What punishment did you have in mind?”

Zoey started swiping through her phone at lightning speed.

“Okay so like, remember that new tiktok dance trend?” She rambled quickly as she brought up a youtube video and grinned mischievously over the top of her phone. “The shoulder shimmy one?”

The first few notes of the video played before Zoey paused it and Mira groaned louder with more annoyance. She could've made a whole conlang out of the different annoyed noises Mira made. But she also kind of liked that she was the only one who could interpret her mannerisms.

“Noooo, not that stupid boy band, anything but that,” she whined. “I hate that song, and their punchable faces.”

“Oh liar, I've heard you humming it--” Zoey smirked.

“Just because it's infectious doesn't mean I like it.”

“What is this song?” Rumi leaned over Zoey's shoulder to look at her phone. “Is it really that bad?”

Zoey turned the screen to show her the video listing.

“It's just a pop song, she's being dramatic--”

Mira scoffed in indignation, mumbling about who was picking on who now.

“The dance that goes with it is cute. I've been trying to get her to do the challenge for weeks but she keeps saying no.”

“Because I don't like them!”

“But you could dance circles around them!” Zoey fell to her knees begging. “Pleeeeease Mira pleeeease! I'll never ask you for anything else--”

“Liar.”

“For at least a week--”

“Still a lie.”

“But you love me,” Zoey broke out the big guns.

Puppy eyes. Extra pathetic. With a lip wibble to boot.

Mira held out as best she could but finally slumped in defeat. Grumbling quietly as she finally got up and started stretching.

“Fine. Lemme see the stupid routine again, it's been a while.”

Zoey held up her phone and hit play while Mira and Rumi watched over either of her shoulders. And even though Mira started out huffy and filled with mild disgust she was watching quietly intent by the first chorus. Zoey heard her mumbling counts under her breath as she tapped her foot. Rumi was bouncing to the beat once they passed the halfway point, humming softly while leaning on her shoulder.

“I've heard this on the radio... it's pretty good actually,” she mumbled hesitantly. “Can you really copy the dance just from watching it once?”

The video wrapped with the little lion mascots for the five members giving a thanks to the fans and talking about an album coming out soon. But Zoey lowered the phone to watch Mira flip her hair and march over to a nice big flat area while stretching out a bit more.

“Like it's hard,” she grumbled, then adjusted her shirt on her shoulders and took up the starting position. “It's not the only time I've seen it, but it's also pretty straightforward.”

Zoey rewound the video and pulled Rumi over to sit down while they waited for Mira's okay to start.

“She's being modest,” Zoey leaned over to whisper in Rumi's ear. “She's really good at memorizing routines, and her moves go crazy.”

Rumi folded her legs and nodded, tail swaying behind her as she sat forward in anticipation. Mira shook out her hands and tapped the toes of her sneakers to make sure they were on tight, then set her posture and gave Zoey the signal. And with a thumbs up Zoey hit play and cranked the volume on her phone.

Enter the thumping bassline, whistling, and the crack of a pull-tab to lead in vocals. And Mira started moving.

For all her complaining she sure locked in when her cred was put into question. Cool as hell, super smooth, selling every move like rent was due as she managed to mix in the main moves for all five of the group members seamlessly. Zoey was star struck as her shoulders bounced through the performance.

“See?” She hissed in excitement as she turned to see what Rumi thought. “I told you, she's--”

She expected Rumi to be impressed, but not quite to this extent. Eyes wide, jaw dropped with an added grin, even her tail was flicking back and forth as she sat completely captivated.

Which… understandable, but--

The music swelled and drew Zoey's attention forward again. She shook her head and decided to ignore whatever that feeling was so she could watch Mira finish the routine. In particular, the way she was grinning and actually hamming it up now before she came to a locking stop in the finishing pose right on queue with the song. Then relaxed out of performance mode and sashayed back to them with an air of total smugness. Barely even out of breath.

“That was amazing!” Rumi jumped to her feet to meet her.

“Thank you~ Totally styled on them right?” Mira laughed, tugging lightly at her shirt before looking back at the spring. “Now I'm really ready for that swim though.”

“Uh huh,” Zoey blinked vacantly. “Yeah…”

Mira stepped on the backs of her shoes to slip them off, stepped out of her shorts, folded up her glasses, and reached over her shoulders to yank her oversized shirt off. Leaving the bikini she was already wearing underneath.

“Last one in is a rotten egg!”

She gently shoved Zoey's shoulder and turned to run. The contact knocked whatever loose wire back into place and Zoey gasped before struggling out of her own shoes.

“Mimi, no fair!”

A loud splash followed mad, cackling laughter. Zoey almost tripped before catching herself and tossing her shirt aside to run after her. The board shorts over one piece combo saving her some time changing.

“C'mon Rumi!” She turned to call for her and was overtaken by a blur of purple.

“C'mon yourself,” Rumi skipped sideways. “If we're the same speed neither of us will be the rotten egg.”

Her suit was also a one piece, but more open in the back with no shorts to cover.

“Or you'll both be rotten eggs!” Mira taunted. “At least it's not me~”

“You're being extra mean today,” Zoey hurried to catch up so she and Rumi could jump in together.

Sinking a few feet then kicking back to crest the surface and wipe water from her eyes. The perfect temperature in the warm sun.

“I just did a full routine for you and you're calling me mean?” Mira clicked her tongue and splashed water towards them.

“You were supposed to make up for already being mean,” Zoey ducked away from the water. “Now you're just being mean again.”

She stuck her tongue out and dove down to start swimming around the spring. Looking around the clear water to the bed still an easy ten feet below. Boulders and multi shade sand covered the bottom completely, and farther on towards the cliff wall she could see the water churning from the falls.

Another minute or so drifting around in a loop and she went back up for air. Catching her breath and waving to her friends as she prepared to dive again.

“I'm gonna swim down, I bet there's fossils on the bottom.”

“Are you sure?” Mira asked. “It's pretty deep.”

“Nah it's fine, I won't be long,” a last wave and Zoey dove down.

Keeping her strokes even and relaxed to reach the bed of the spring. Already interested in all the rocks left forgotten below, then noticing the volcanic deposits and swimming between them for a better look.

I bet one of the lava tubes ran through this way then, she thought, combing her fingers through the sand. There was no sign of a heat vent, so it didn't connect directly, but if there was this much settled down here there was likely one in the area.

Maybe even connecting to the one from the camping grounds if she had her bearings right. It was a few miles off, maybe? So it felt possible.

So cool~ she grinned wide and kicked off the nearest rock to swim back to the surface. Catching her breath to immediately start rambling.

“There's so much cool stuff down there!” She gushed. “I gotta get another look but there's so many specimens.”

Some quiet splashing and they both came over to join her.

“Yeah? Anything you could bring back up or…?” Mira leaned to squint through the water.

She wasn't likely to see anything from this far up, and couldn't hold her breath as long as Zoey could.

“I think I can find one small enough. But there's just all these cool deposits, there's gotta be at least one fossil down there.”

And she intended to find it.

“Don't overdo it,” Mira insisted. “We still have lunch to eat so take a break if you get tired and we'll fuel back up.”

“I'll dive with you,” Rumi offered. “That way we can bring more up safely, we'll just put it back after.”

“Of course! Okay I saw a promising spot over there, there, and there. I'm checking that one first.”

Once their plan of attack was set they both readied up and dove down. Scouring the bed of the spring another good five minutes before Zoey finally found a good sample. She floated back and looked around, but Rumi had already gone back up. Leaving her to follow as intended.

“Whew! Found one, Mira look!”

“Geez,” Rumi was still catching her breath. “How long can you stay down there? You're not even winded.”

Zoey came closer and handed the shellfish fossil to Mira so she could look at it. Doing some quick counting in her head to give Rumi an answer.

“I think my record was… eight minutes last I timed it. Close at least,” she shrugged. “Usually come back up after five or six though.”

“... you say that like I shouldn't be impressed,” Rumi leaned over Mira's shoulder to look at the fossil with her.

They looked good together… or like, in general really. Well, yeah of course. Of course they looked good. It was totally normal for Zoey to think they looked… She looked down into the water again to plan her next dive.

“I think I saw some tuff down there, I'm gonna see if I can bring a piece back up,” she said quickly before taking a breath and diving.

“Wai--”

Not stopping even when she heard Mira start to say something. Paddling her way down until she was out of reach and submerged in the muted quiet of the water all around her. Floating and deprived of noise of any sort… relaxed. Putting all of whatever any of that was firmly out of mind and focusing on her swim and the rocks to be found.

Or else risk not making it through the day. Or worse, ruining it completely.

The reset was exactly what she needed. By the time she came back up she was right back to normal, and the hour of swimming and diving to follow passed in a blink. Time really did fly when she was having so much fun with her friends... When they finally stopped for lunch the rocks on shore were warmed by the sun. Between the exercise and good food the temptation to just lay back for a nap was high.

“You should put on more sunscreen if you plan to nap there,” Mira commented between sips of her bottle of tea. “It's really clear today.”

“Mhm…” Zoey hummed, hands folded over her stomach and already drifting off.

“... Zo, I'm serious,” Mira warned again. “You'll be miserable if you get a sunburn.”

“Mmm,” Zoey whined. “But I'm so comfortable.”

There was a sudden whoosh of a breeze and the heat from the sun faded. Zoey opened one eye to find one of Rumi's wings opened above her for shade. Lifting her head to find Rumi still casually eating the last of her kimbap and grinning when she saw her looking.

“Better?” She covered her mouth to ask.

“Won't you get tired though?”

“Nah, I'm okay for a bit… Mira's probably right about the sunscreen still though.”

“There, see? Don't be spoiled,” Mira dug the bottle out of her bag and waved Zoey over. “I'll help if you want.”

Zoey wasn't sure how that was less spoiled, but they'd worn her down now. She relented and sat up to move over to Mira.

“Fine. I'll help you too then. Rumi, you need some?”

“Not really,” Rumi's wing folded back in and she dusted her hands off. “I sort of don't burn. Not sure I really tan either to be fair.”

“Tsk, lucky,” Zoey mumbled.

“So… the dragon thing,” Mira raised an eyebrow. “Is it related to all the spirit business, or totally different? Like, you can play with big cat's fire, is that because of the dragon stuff?”

Rumi was taking a baggy of hodugwaja from the take away bag, and sat back with it to give a half shrug in reply.

“I'm pretty sure it's different… Like I said, the spirit fire only burns what Derpy wants it to. Which I’m pretty sure is nothing,” she mused. “But they seem pretty comfortable around me in general, more so maybe than humans.”

“They? Like, plural?” Zoey asked. “There's more of them around than Derpy?”

Rumi nodded, “Oh yeah. There's a lot living here. They come around to nest in the cave sometimes. Or sometimes to look for help.”

Derpy was splayed out between a few bigger rocks three feet away, rubbing his back against the ground. Somehow his gat refused to fall off while doing so, but Zoey chalked it up to him not wanting it to.

“Are there any around here now? Are we scaring them off?” She kept asking.

Rumi put another of the sweet treats in her mouth before setting the bag aside and craning to look around.

“Mm, I don't think they're necessarily scared,” she pushed up to her feet and knotted her towel firmly at her waist. “They mostly keep to themselves. Keep still a minute, I'll see if I can coax a few out.”

Zoey looked at Mira excitedly and folded her legs to wait. Mira put the sunscreen away and likewise made herself comfortable. Both left to watch Rumi step down from the rock and pace a bit closer to the cliffside. She strolled along the edge of the water, making her way closer to the falls before stopping to squat down.

“Think they'll come out?” Mira asked.

“Dunno… think they'll like us enough?”

Mira grinned, “What's not to like?”

The vote of confidence made Zoey laugh, just briefly before swallowing it back to sit still and quiet. Even if it was difficult, she wanted to make a good first impression.

So the gasp of surprise when a fuzzy blue fluff ball popped into existence right between them could've gone either way.

“Whoa…”

It couldn't have been more than half a foot tall, toddling on stubby little legs to their lunch and bags to poke around.

“Hey--”

Another pop, another little fluff creature. Then another, and another, and a handful, then more. Forming up to a little swarm of fuzz that clambered around them and over them once that wasn't sufficient to their interest anymore. Zoey poked gently at one climbing over her leg and lifted it up when it grabbed her finger. Just scooping another two into her other hand and lifting them up to better see their little faces.

“They're so cute… and small. Not sure why I assumed they'd be bigger like Derpy.”

“Oh they come in all shapes and sizes,” Rumi was back by then.

She had still more of the little spirits sitting on her shoulders or hanging off her horns. Totally relaxed to accept her fate as a perch.

“... what are they supposed to be?” Mira asked, taking her glasses back from the one crawling over the top of her head trying to steal them. “Spirits of lost plushie toys?”

“I think they're moss spirits,” Rumi sat with them and started carefully moving the little ones from her horns to pile up in her lap. “But I'm not an expert, so don't quote me. I've just seen them around larger old trees in the forest before, or big rocks like those.”

She pointed to some of the more settled boulders below the falls. Zoey lifted one from under its grabby little arms and giggled as its tiny fingers opened and closed at the air.

“No wonder they're so climb happy, and clingy… adorable lil mosslings~”

“Mm, there's a lot of them for one place…” Rumi said.

Mira must have noticed the distracted tone to her voice too, but was the quicker of the two of them to ask.

“Is that unusual?”

Rumi chewed her lip as she watched the mosslings trip over her lap or climb up her arm.

“Well, I… I think it's a good environment for them,” she said with slow felt out care. “But they might also feel safer here, with all the--”

A sudden crack and rumbling whoosh made all of them jump. The mosslings all froze at once, turning themselves up towards the cliffs and vanishing as quickly as they'd appeared. And it was no wonder as a blaze of orange flames rose from the cliffside, wisping smoke towards the sky.

Zoey jumped to her feet, “We need to call the--”

“On it,” Mira snatched up her cellphone and started dialing. “Grab the bags, we need to move clear. Rumi, can you…?”

The sky was going dark already, Zoey thought it was the smoke, but hearing Mira's voice taper off made her double take. That, and the low rumble of thunder overhead. There was so much chaos she almost missed the sparks of static snapping from Rumi before her wings snapped open and shot her into the air.

“Rumi!”

Mira was still trying to operate her phone with one hand as she hooked Zoey's arm with the other to start dragging her back.

“We can't leave her--!”

“We're not,” Mira insisted. “The lightning--I just want us clear of the water. We won't leave her…”

They were both too captivated to even consider it, staring up at Rumi as she hovered above the cliffside while the fire grew and the clouds swelled. As far as Zoey remembered there was no forecast for rain today… But nobody had apparently told mother nature.

A huge crack of lightning shot straight down to the ground--passing a little close to Rumi for her comfort--before the boom of thunder followed. Then the sky split open and it was like the downpour from a few days back all over again. Drenching the whole area and calming the flames down to sizzling nothing in a war of attrition before they could spread. Meaning one worry down, but quickly replaced by a new one as Rumi floundered in the air and started dropping.

“Oh god--" Zoey grabbed Mira's arm in a vice grip. “Oh god, if she falls--!”

There was nothing they could do for her. And that made it so much worse. Just tense with fear standing in the rain as Rumi kept trying to catch herself. Until her wings gave out maybe twelve feet up… landing with a splash in the spring.

Only slightly better than the ground.

They were both already moving to follow her trajectory, but the moment she hit the water Zoey broke away to dive in after her. Paddling for dear life and diving under to scoop her up and help her back to the surface.

“Hold on…” she strained to keep kicking, dipping down as she struggled with Rumi’s wings. “Hold on, I've got--can you t-tuck your wings in? I’ll get you to shore.”

She felt Rumi nod and pull her wings sluggishly through the water to fold them against her back. That seemed about all she had energy for as she just did her best to stay up and not get in the way while Zoey was swimming them back to the edge of the water. Watching Mira the whole time as her focal point and hoisting Rumi to her so she could be pulled onto the shore. Leaving her to lean herself over to catch her breath while Mira checked in and kept Rumi from collapsing.

“You’re alright,” Mira assured her. “Slow breaths, we've got you.”

Rumi slumped over beside her, steadily becoming calmer. Her wings limp behind her, strewn clumsily over the rocks. Breathing fine.

And Zoey could breathe too.

“Thank… thank you,” Rumi sighed. “Thanks…”

The rain wasn't stopping. Dumping sheet after sheet over them as they sat getting their bearings about what just happened. There were questions. There were their things to get together. The day was obviously a wash out…

But Zoey couldn't really bring herself to care too much right now. Watching Rumi curled up and shivering while they all continued to get drenched.

Her eyes met Mira's and they both knew what their next steps would be.

“Hey,” Mira said softly, putting a hand on Rumi's shoulder. “Come back and stay with us tonight.”

---

“Gracious, I see you got caught in that tempest,” the same nice ajumma from the front lobby greeted Mira as she split off to approach the desk. “I hope it didn't spoil your hike.”

She turned on the well mannered charm she knew well from her particular upbringing but reserved for anyone other than her family or people they would've considered worth it. All three of them had rung out their clothes and hair before coming in.

“Bound to happen,” she grinned. “A friend of ours was able to catch up unexpectedly, and we'd like to have her stay in our room if possible… Maybe some extra towels too, please?”

“Of course dear,” the ajumma nodded. “Just for the night?”

“Yes…” Mira turned to nod them towards their room.

The sooner Rumi could get somewhere private the sooner she could stop pushing herself to hide. Even just her horns and wings being ‘put away’ seemed draining. The rest they could cover with Mira's large damp towel.They went ahead while she waited by the desk for the woman to return with a stack of fresh, fluffy towels.

“Thank you so much, ma’am.”

“No trouble, no trouble. Would you like a cot brought to the room for your friend?”

Mira hesitated… adjusting the towels to keep moving off towards their room.

“No, ma'am. I think we can make it work. Thank you again.”

She hadn't given much thought to the actual sleeping arrangements, but then there was so much else to think about. Maybe too much.

Like how she at least was out of her depth. Hiking and climbing, sure she could handle that much. Even weird weather patterns, she could make due. Spirits and forest fires and dragon business, maybe a step too far.

Or her noticing the way Zoey looked at Rumi while she was around… Knowing Zoey had--for lack of a better description--held a candle for Rumi since they were kids… And considering the way Mira was starting to feel about her too--

Later… none of that right now, she hugged the towels closer as she squeaked along the hall and knocked on their door before shouldering in.

“Hey, I've got the towels,” she sighed. “Rumi can borrow some of my clothes, I'll change and find the laundry room to dry our stuff.”

She slipped her shoes off by the door and came farther in to hear the sound of a hair dryer coming from the bathroom. She stripped back down to her suit, dried off quick, and threw on a fresh pair of shorts and shirt. Knocking again to push in with the towels.

“Everything okay?”

Zoey had changed, one of their towels already draped over her head as she helped Rumi with all her long hair. Rumi was shivering with her braid undone, sitting on the edge of the tub wearing Zoey's big zip up hoodie. Backwards and half zipped to just below her wings… and nothing else underneath.

Wings, horns, tail, scales and all.

But safe. With them.

“We're better now,” Zoey said. “Once our hair's mostly dry we can curl up by the heater.”

Mira came right over to put one of the towels over Rumi’s lap and switch out the one Zoey had for a fresh one.

“Okay. I’ll run our stuff to the dryer,” she started scooping up their wet clothes. Hanging their swimsuits in the shower. “The coffee machine I think had hot tea too, I'll grab some on my way back.”

“I'll come with--”

“I've got it,” Mira denied her while toweling her hair dry. “Stay here and rest. I'll be quick.”

She made sure to keep her tone soft, for both their benefits. Taking the damp pile of cloths and towels back out into the hall and heading straight for the guest laundry room.

Thinking.

Zoey hadn't been treating her any differently. It wasn't as if Rumi was forcing a rift between them.

She put everything in the dryer at once and set it for a cycle. Staring at the tumbling load through the door in thought before tipping her glasses up to rub her eyes.

Why am I like this…?

Rumi could’ve died. She could've drowned if Zoey hadn't been so fast to get to her. There was strangeness going on in the woods. Both of them were back in the room, probably still shaken up. Maybe Rumi would explain, maybe it would be too hard for her.

And she had the gall to be jealous, and possessive, and worse yet unsure.

“Nothing has changed,” she folded her arms and watched the dryer spin. “Not really. Everything is still the same…”

She scoffed to herself and massaged the bridge of her nose.

Nothing had changed because she was a coward. It was as simple as that. Nothing had changed because she didn't make any changes… and at this point it was a bad time to try.

So her best bet was to focus on what she could do.

The dryer chimed and she opened the door to take out and fold their clothes and the towels. Gathering everything up and heading to the coffee machine in the lobby next. She used it to make two take away cups of hot tea, just some light blend she didn't check. Then back with arms and hands full to their room.

“Back,” she announced as she came through the door.

Zoey jumped up to take the laundry from her and set it aside. Interrupted from her next intended move as Mira pushed one of the cups into her hands. And she watched Mira give the other to Rumi.

“... you didn't get yourself one?”

She only had two hands.

“I'm fine, wasn’t thirsty.”

They still had a couple drinks in their bags if she changed her mind. It looked like Zoey had pulled them just inside the bathroom to dry. They were thankfully treated against water, just for situations like this… Even if not for this exact situation.

“Sit, Mir,” Zoey pushed down on her shoulders. “Everything's fine now, so you take a breather.”

Was everything fine? Had Rumi even said a word since the quiet ‘yes’ to agree to come back with them from the falls? Now she was sitting wrapped in a blanket against the headboard of Zoey's bed, practically folded in on herself and not looking at either of them. Staring down at her cup of tea instead.

Everything clearly wasn't fine.

But Zoey wasn't pushing for anything else. So Mira crawled over to the far side of the same bed and sat with her back to the wall. Soon joined by Zoey sitting at the edge. All three slowly decompressing at varying rates, and Zoey and Rumi sipping their tea. Just a quiet moment with the sound of rain softly pattering against the window and the streets outside it.

“... if you have questions,” Rumi cleared her throat. “You can ask.”

They turned to her and still found her avoiding looking anywhere but the bed or her drink. She was trying… Mira would too.

“So, you can… make a storm?” She asked.

Rumi nodded, “Not well… It's difficult, and I haven't figured out how to, like, get rid of it, or control how big it is. But yeah, um… something to do with static and calling clouds.”

“Whoa,” Zoey breathed. “That's… Oh! Oh so you're the one making it storm to put the fires out. Like, the other ones we've heard about, of course you just did this one.”

Again, Rumi nodded, rubbing the side of her face.

“Mhm… It wasn't so bad before, but they're happening more often now.”

Mira sat forward off the wall. Almost reaching out before second guessing if she should.

“The first time we found your cave, did you make that storm too?” She asked.

Rumi actually lifted her head to blink at her.

“Is that why you seemed worn out when you came in?”

She watched Rumi's eyes widen as panic started sinking in.

“I'm sorry I-I didn't know you were--I mean of course but I--” she sighed and brought her knees closer to her chest, tears welling in her eyes. “Like I said, I'm not good at this, you could've gotten hurt--I'm sorry--”

Zoey scooted over the bed to sit beside her, putting her arm around Rumi's shoulders.

“You didn't know we were climbing, Rumi,” she said softly.

“Yeah,” Mira agreed. “You couldn't have known we--I only brought it up because you said they've been more frequent… that was only a couple days ago. It's no wonder it's wearing you out.”

Zoey leaned a little more of her weight into Rumi's side, trying to be grounding. She'd done the same for Mira when she had tough days before. Bad rehearsals, frustrating times designing choreo. The kind of frustrating that made her feel stupid and small, but less so when she had Zoey there.

It came so naturally to Zoey, while Mira struggled to do the same now.

“We heard the rangers talking,” Zoey moved the conversation forward. “It sounds like nobody knows what's causing the fires… but if they're happening more often, it's probably not just chance.”

“I don't think so either,” Rumi wiped the tears away with the edge of her palm. “Forest fires can happen naturally, but these are far too regular now. Even with all the rain making things damp, they flare up again and again.”

“... maybe it's time to talk with the rangers?” Mira suggested carefully. “Get more people involved to look into it? We could… go help you explain?”

Rumi shook her head and rested it on her knees. Curling around her cup of tea like the warmth was all she had.

“You don’t need to… I'm really sorry you got involved. It's been nice feeling normal again, but it's dangerous,” she forced a smile that made Mira's heart squeeze. “Your trip's over soon, I think it's best for you to stay out of the forest.”

Zoey chuckled awkwardly, “Uh… no?”

Mira bristled watching as Rumi looked absolutely dumbfounded at her.

“What?”

“N-no? You want us to just… leave you? Like, totally alone with this?”

“... yes,” Rumi said firmly. “Zoey, I don't know what's causing this. I don't know how bad it's going to get. I don't know if I can handle it. So I don't want either of you stuck in the middle if I can't.”

“See, all of those sound like really good reasons for you to get help and not do this by yourself,” Zoey reasoned, equally firmly. “We could--”

“It’s dangerous,” Rumi raised her voice to reiterate. “Just like…”

She grimaced and bumped her forehead against her knees.

“Just like what?” Mira asked carefully.

“... I had to move away, when my mom… died,” her voice broke when she managed to say it outright. “We didn’t have anyone else here, so I moved to Wando to live with my aunt.”

Having to leave probably made it harder…

“What happened… it was an accident,” Zoey argued softly. “And leaving you alone isn’t going to make it any safer for--”

“No I mean… it’ll end up the same as what happened after… If you stay too long.”

She bit her lip fretting over the matter. Shrinking into herself more as her tail wrapped around her feet. They waited for her to continue.

“I tried to get used to it… Celine tried to help me adjust. For a few years she would bring me back here to visit,” she grinned a little through the shaky rush. “It helped with the distance… It was my favorite time of year… but then I got to high school and um...”

The grin faded and Rumi rubbed her palm up her cheek and over her eye as it started glowing faintly. Mira could see the muscles tightening through her shoulders.

“She got busy with work, and we couldn't make the trip. And I started feeling worse and worse… I tried so hard to bury it and just behave,” she forced the words through gritted teeth that seemed sharper than usual. “But one day after school we got into an argument… Celine told me we had to move to Seoul--It felt like leaving mom further behind, and we hadn't visited and I was so frustrated--I lost control, and I lashed out, and I hurt her… Then I ran. I took my backpack, and I just… left.”

Mira's heart broke. And judging by Zoey's expression as she pulled Rumi's hand close to her chest, she wasn't the only one.

“You didn't… I'm sure you didn't mean to,” Zoey tried. “It was an accident--”

“Does it matter?” Rumi pulled away. “I lost control just because I got upset, and that was all it took for her to get hurt.”

She dug her claws into her hair and tried to calm down. Mira caught her tea before it could fall over, holding it in her lap as they stayed near without touching her again. Even if it felt like she needed it.

“Just like I almost got you both hurt… Just like is still easily could.”

“Rumi, you didn’t know we were there,” Mira said. “You didn’t mean for things to get out of hand, in either case…”

“You don’t have to punish yourself out here alone,” Zoey insisted. “You don’t have to do any of this alone.”

Rumi swallowed a lump in her throat and shook her head. That awkward smile was back as she did her damnedest to convince them she was fine.

“I'm more familiar out here, it’s more comfortable… And I met Derpy, and the other spirits so I’m not alone. I've tried to help them take care of the forest. If nothing else I could do that much… And it’s been working just fine…”

The blanket started rising behind her as her wings nearly flared, but she managed to choke everything back to manageable. Releasing the tension, relaxing her claws away, and while her eyes weren't glowing anymore when she next opened them, they looked distant and empty.

Resigned.

“It’s just safer for you… I’ve got things in hand, you don’t need to worry.”

Mira sat forward and stared at her. She didn’t think any of that was true. Not at all. But it felt like Rumi wasn’t ready to hear that right now.

“We should get some sleep…”

Schooling her expression when both of them looked at her. It wasn't the best suggestion, but pushing everything into an argument wasn't going to help either. Maybe some sleep would make things easier, make the tension softer.

“It's been an exhausting afternoon,” she kept her voice even as she made her case. “Physically and emotionally. It's been stressful, that's not the best time to make decisions... Plus there's not much to be done either way until the storm passes. So let's sleep, we can get breakfast in the morning and talk things over fresh… Okay?”

They both squirmed, but inevitably agreed. Mira nodded and pushed herself to the edge of the bed to get up. Walking over to pull the covers down on the other bed and look back over her shoulder to see Zoey hug Rumi. Barely hearing her whispering a quick something before getting up to get ready to sleep.

Zoey knows people better, she told herself. She's just trying to be comforting.

“Zo, you can share with me,” she sighed. “It'll give Rumi more space to stretch out.”

She didn't think anything else of it. There was no reason to… now was far from the time. And it just felt like Rumi could do with the space in general…

But as she climbed into bed that ugly little part of her kept crawling its way back. Whispering accusations.

That she was just jealous and deflecting. Keeping Zoey from getting too close to Rumi. That she was just trying to cover up how little difference she could make by pushing it off to later. That she wanted something or someone else to solve the problem. She wanted to bail. She wanted too much. Always a problem, never a solution. Too hesitant to try.

That's why you’ve never told Zoey how you felt.

You just kept hoping she would notice.

That she would make a move so you could play cool and smooth when you're really just a--

The light shut off and a moment later the other side of the bed sagged as Zoey climbed in beside her. She held the covers up for her to crawl under and didn't dare turn in her direction while they were this close. Even when it was too dark to see. Soft creaking from across the room let her assume Rumi was also getting comfortable to do as she'd suggested and sleep.

“... goodnight,” Zoey said to the room.

Mira opened her mouth to answer, but waited. Hesitated.

“Goodnight,” Rumi answered softly.

And Mira, like the coward she was, fell behind. As always.

“Night.”

---

“MIRA!”

Mira sat up in bed to the sounds of Zoey shouting her name while frantically shaking her. Gasping and looking around wide eyed before squinting to try and see where the hell the fire was.

“Wh-what? Whas wro--?” She grimaced and rubbed her face.

“Rumi's gone!”

Mira's lungs seized as her head snapped to the other bed in the room and found it empty. Covers tossed like it had been left in a hurry. She did the same to jump up and dodge around Zoey to check the bathroom, but it was empty too.

“I checked there first,” Zoey rambled. “She's just--She left!”

Her voice broke like she was about to cry, but she kept rushing around the room. Not in some mindless panic, her movements had purpose. Mira fumbled her glasses from the nightstand and she could finally see it was because she was getting dressed.

Shorts. Jacket. She hopped from foot to foot as she yanked her sneakers on and Mira was just fast enough to grab her before she could grab her gear.

“Wait--Just wait. What is your plan?” She asked quickly, holding just tight enough Zoey couldn't easily pull away.

Surprised to find her trying harder.

“If I'm fast enough I might catch her--”

“We don't know when she left. We don't know where she went,” Mira reasoned, grabbing her other arm to try and make her wait. “We don't know--”

“You heard her last night!” Zoey pulled away but was far from calming down. “What if she tries something? Sh-she ran off alone, what if she gets hurt?”

“Zoey--”

“She thinks she's so dangerous--and this and that is dangerous and whatever--she's not! She doesn't have to do this alone!”

“I know but we can't just run into the woods when we don't know where she is!” Mira finally just met Zoey where she was. Tensing the back of her jaw to shout over her. “This is way past anything we can handle, just wait a minute and we'll think about--!”

“It's more than she can handle too!”

“Well she doesn't even want us here!!”

Mira regretted the outburst as soon as she said it. It was just an excuse. And the way it clearly hit Zoey wrong jabbed a hot knife of guilt directly into Mira's ribs. She breathed quickly and rushed to get her phone.

“W-we need to call the rangers. We don't even know where she went,” she stammered, trying to salvage her case. “Back to the cave? To the falls? We need help to--”

The door slammed just as she was beginning to dial, and when she looked back Zoey was gone…

Her hand squeezed around her phone before chucking it down against the mattress, gritting her teeth and crushing her arms around her head with a strangled growl of frustration. It rushed back at her and pulled the guilt free to get lost in the shuffle.

Really? They couldn't take five seconds to call someone qualified for help? They couldn't take a second to think before running into the damn woods without a clue?

Was it her? Was she the stupid one?

She sank to her knees and pressed her face into the bed.

Should she not have suggested they sleep? Should they have talked about it more instead? Did she make the wrong call? Did she not…?

Her head started to cool and she snatched her phone back up to finish dialing the ranger information hotline. She could just report everything and see about getting some help.

Then go find them. And try to apologize and fix it.

“Hallasan Park Services, is this call an emergency?”

The receptionist spoke so fast Mira fumbled her answer.

“N-no I--”

“Apologies, please hold.”

The soft music said she'd been moved to the hold line. She sighed and pushed herself back to her feet. There wasn't much other choice but to wait, and it couldn't be for too long…

Ten minutes later she was pacing the room.

Fifteen minutes and she was going through her things trying to plan.

Just about the forty five minute mark she was debating hanging up and eyeing the door when the god awful music finally stopped and the receptionist picked back up.

Her tone was still brisk, “Sorry for the hold, how can I help?”

“Y-yes it's about the fires--”

Mira had had plenty of time to plan her whole explanation but of course found herself cut off again.

“We're aware of the fires this morning,” she rattled off like she'd already had to do this a dozen times. “Please shelter in town until further reports come in, then be prepared to follow evacuation--”

“Wait, waitwaitwait this morning? Right now?”

“Yes ma'am. We've already gotten reports of several smaller burns around the south face of the mountain,” the woman explained a little slower. “We're currently monitoring the status and the emergency alerts will give direction for further actions you should take. Now I apologize but our lines are--”

Mira hung up and swiped at lightning speed through her contacts to Zoey's number. Two quick taps and she waited for the ring--

Only to hear the familiar ringtone from the dresser across the room.

“Shit!”

She dropped the phone and just went to get dressed.

Shorts. Jacket. She yanked her sneakers on and scooped up her bag of gear as she slammed out the door. Rucking it over her shoulders as she ran right past the front desk and out into the street and towards the trails.

No rain.

Mira could smell the smoke in the distance. A few people tried to stop her at the head of the trail, but they weren't able to drop their barricades fast enough before she'd sprinted off along the path. The mix of damp and smoke hit her nose wrong, but none of the fires seemed close enough to make things un-traversable this far down the mountains just yet…

Not just yet.

She still had time to find them.

Slowing to a jog through the early morning sun and watching her footing to keep from letting her feet get snagged. She reached the first split in the trail and the indecision began.

Left, to the falls? Right, to the cave?

Okay, where would they go? C'mon... Where would they have gone?

She checked for tracks, but the path was mush from the storm and anyone other than them who'd come back in from the rain the night before.

“C'mon… c'mon please,” she whimpered as she looked harder. “Please give me something.”

Please just let me find them. Please. I'll do anything. No more hesitating, I promise. I'll--

“Rowr~”

She turned just as Derpy was stepping out of thin air to rub up against her hip. Rumbling a purr and blinking at her slowly. Her shoulders slumped and she reached out to put a shaking hand through his fur.

“... do you know where they went?”

He stepped past her to the left path and vanished. Reappearing further down the way to look back.

Still wearing the gat Zoey'd bought him.

Mira bounced into a jog to follow.

Mud splattered up her legs as she tried to keep up with him, but he was kind enough to at least stay where she could see him. Trying to pace herself while also listening for the crackle of flames. Watching for the tell-tale glow through the trees. The stronger tang of smoke acrid to the smell. But nothing alarming enough to deter her quite yet.

The rumble of the falls started fading in from ahead and she ran a little faster to burst through the treeline onto the rocky spring shore. Derpy vanished completely and left her to double over and catch her breath.

Okay, she thought as she stood back to scan the area. Probably… probably went up to where the fire was, right? To investigate?

She stood back and nearly felt her knees give out. With the larger opening in the forest canopy she could see spouts of red and orange smoldering up the side of the mountain. Spread out and flickering along the face, not quite reaching the top of the falls. If that was where they were, she needed to get them and leave.

“Zoey!” She stepped over the rocks and cupped her hands around her mouth to shout. “Rumi!!”

Her voice bounced along the walls of stone around her, echoing into the distance. But no answer came.

“Fine. Fine, we're climbing then,” she huffed.

She tore her bag off and dug out her harness, jingling with all the pitons and cams and her hammer. By the time she'd reached the rock wall of the falls she was geared up and prepared to just start leading from the clearest spot.

But a blink of blue light caught her eye from a branch growing out of the rock to her right. One of the moss spirits flickered into view and waved its stubby little arms to beckon her. And as she stumbled over it disappeared… then reappeared a few more feet away.

“... yeah, okay.”

Sure yeah she'd take the help. Jogging along after the little thing around to a less steep area of the cliff. And another one popped up holding a line of rope above its head.

She grabbed it and followed it with her eyes to find a fully solved climb.

“Yes!” She danced on the tips of her shoes and hooked in to get climbing. “Thank you thank you thank you.”

Put together with existing terrain and easy to set cams for expedience. The anchoring was still solid. But it was probably the fastest climb she'd ever done, even considering it wasn't purely vertical. Once at the top she detached herself from the last bit of line and started making her way along a nice wide shelf she could see led to the top of the falls. Up to her right was just more mountain to climb, but the rope ended. If they climbed any farther she would need to find the next solution to follow.

“Heeeeey!!” She tried again. “Zoooooo! Ruuuuumi!”

It worried her that she still wasn't getting any answer. But she buried it to slow down and check the terrain. Looking ahead to find trodden down brush around toward the falls. And a bit of char on some of the bigger trees ahead from the fire the day before. A good lead.

“Zoey?!” She jogged up to the burnt trees and picked her way closer. “Ru… mi?”

“Mi…mi…mi…”

Buried away in the overgrowth, just past the damaged trees and brush, was a small tunnel into the mountain. Her voice echoed from within the dark before fading away. Odds the two had gone that way? Fairly high.

“Okay.”

“Ay… ay… ay…”

Mira swung her bag around to dig out her flashlight and headed inside. Every step echoed from the entrance until she got deep enough that the oppressive stone just ate it all. The air went stale and dead around her, but she kept her light and eyes on the ground to just follow the one path.

No deviation. No branches.

Just one option as the grayish rock varied in width and height, curving a bit to the left or right but otherwise staying fairly consistent. Which did seem strange. She looked a little closer at the wall and found some evidence of burning.

This rock looks--shit what does Zoey call it? Porous? Yeah, I think that's it… Is this a lava tube? So high up?

Zoey would've been able to tell her if it was normal. Or if it was out of place. She would've gone off on a whole dissertation about the way it was formed… She picked up her pace a little.

“Zoey!” She shouted ahead. “Zoe-EY!”

The beam of her light shined out over a black pit directly in front of her, forcing her to stop short and grab the wall. Breathing out the sudden surprise and scanning around the edge with the light. The hole filled the entire tunnel, which bowed out to accommodate. About ten feet around, with the tunnel continuing on the other side but no obvious way to reach it to keep going…

So she turned her light downward.

It didn't reach a bottom, just vanishing into the blackness below.

… they couldn't have--

“ZOEY! RUMI!” She knelt down, then just laid on her stomach to reach her light lower and get her voice closer. “HELLO?!”

Still nothing.

She sat back and pulled her bag around again, digging out an emergency flare and cracking the top to light it. Then leaned back over the edge to drop it down. Watching the sparking and glowing red light tumble through the air… and clatter off flat surface far below.

She squinted at the light but didn't see any sign of life (or terrible mishap) around its faint glow. And gaging the drop it was around… maybe 90ft?

Maybe more… but I've got 200ft of rope, so I should be in good shape.

More than enough to anchor and rappel down, then worry about anchoring the rest on the way back up.

“Easy. Perfect.”

She made quick work of a three point anchor at the lip of the pit. Hammering in pitons and threading the rope hand over hand to throw more than half right over before locking everything down. Setting her harness up for a safe rappel. Testing her weight and stepping back to begin her descent with her flashlight held in her mouth. Nice and easy.

Smooth and safe.

10ft down.

20ft.

30.

The red of the flare was getting closer. She hoped she got the distance right. Then she heard shuffling when she was taking a second to pause around 40ft.

“... hello?”

The voice made Mira look down again.

“Zo--?!”

Without thinking she spoke up to answer and immediately dropped her flashlight. Cursing as it cracked against the rocks below and went out.

“Mira? MIRA?” Zoey had at least heard her. “Oh my god is that you?”

“Yeah. Hold tight, I'm like halfway down.”

“R-right. Hold on I-I have a light.”

A new beam shined up from below, faint but better than rappelling blind. Mira focused on the rope and the rocks. Lowering herself a little more, a little at a time. Zoey was well enough to be up and talking, that alone put her at ease.

“M-Mira I… I'm sorry for running off. I should've listened--or at least waited for--”

“Hold that thought, okay?” Mira said. “We can talk when I get to you.”

50ft.

60ft.

The beam stayed locked onto the wall at her feet, dutifully guiding her way.

“You're doing great, Zo,” she called.

“You're almost here.”

Best news Mira had heard all morning. She nodded firmly and moved a little faster.

80 and 90ft passed in a flash, and with just a bit more for good measure she pushed off to land on solid, horizontal ground. Fumbling to hook out of the rope and turning to rush at the source of the light.

“Mira I'm so sorry I--mmf!”

Zoey barely got a word out before Mira just about tackled her into a hug. Squeezing her with a sigh that took so much tension off her shoulders it felt like she'd shrunk a foot in height.

“I'm so--I'm so glad I found you,” she hurried to say. Catching her breath then pushing back to start checking Zoey over in the unsteady glow of the flashlight. “Are you alright? You're not hurt?”

“J-just some scrapes and bruises,” Zoey kept a firm grip on her arm and the hem of her shirt. “I--”

Mira took the flashlight to hold it steady and drew air through her teeth when she found a bloody cut on Zoey's forehead.

“You're bleeding!”

“Yeah I--I saw Rumi and followed too quickly,” her voice cracked as she rushed an explanation. “She caught me on the way down but it--Mira I'm--”

“Rumi's with you? Is she hurt?”

“K-kinda, Mira listen I,” the emotion building finally got to be too much as Zoey pressed herself back into Mira's chest. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry… For yelling and running off. I'm sorry I left you… I should've listened…”

Mira returned to hugging her the second she pushed into her arms. Folding around her and pressing her cheek against the side of her head.

“I'm not worried about that right now, Zo,” she murmured softly. “I wasn't any more helpful. I'm sorry I yelled too. But the fires are getting closer, we need to get Rumi and all get out of here.”

“... okay,” Zoey stepped back slowly, rubbing tears from her eyes and flinching when it disturbed her cut. “Mm, slight problem though. We found the source of the fires, and it's not really… cooperating.”

“Does it have Rumi? Show me.”

She took Zoey's hand and pointed the flashlight in a sweep around the cave they were in. It curved up with the ceiling just in the light's reach, and she noticed more scorching and smaller holes all through the rock. Like burrows, or maybe vents? She couldn't tell for certain. Zoey squeezed and reached out to push the light towards the floor before starting to lead the way.

“Slow and quiet,” she held a finger to her lips. “I don’t think it sees very good but all the noise stirred it up… It just stopped thrashing around.”

Mira hummed and let herself be led. Through the yawning cavern to a smaller crevasse in one wall, marked up with char and scratches this time.

“... We've been at this for the last… half hour, I think,” Zoey paused to explain before they moved farther. “We can't figure out what’s wrong with it… Maybe hurt? Scared? Territorial? It was worse when we first got here.”

“It's a spirit?” Mira murmured while still eyeing the crevasse.

There was some faint hissing coming from inside.

“Has to be… Not like Derpy or the mosslings though.”

“… okay.”

Zoey turned sideways to squeeze through and Mira continued to follow. Seeing the soft purple-crimson glow coming from just ahead before they even reached and quickly clicking off the flashlight when they came out the other side into a smaller pocket in the rock.

Seeing Rumi before anything else.

Crouched and holding tense at the ready with the source of the light in front of her. High hissing and sudden pops as they entered had Rumi flinch as the light started building. She flared her wings up to shield the two of them behind her and firmly growled at it.

“Shhh, calm… calm down… please,” she sounded so tired. “Please… calm down…’

The light dimmed and after some shuffling the noise relaxed to faint crackling. As it did Rumi returned to her original position. And Mira looked down to raise an eyebrow at Zoey. She grimaced and gestured helplessly.

This was the root of all the trouble.

Mira lowered herself closer to the floor and began a slow approach, watching her feet and coming to kneel behind Rumi. The second she was close enough to put a hand on her back Rumi turned to stammer under her breath.

“Go back.”

“Let me try.”

Rumi shook her head, arms shaking. Now that she was closer Mira could see the red marks up her limbs and the side of her face. Not severe burning, but enough to be noticeable. And this close Mira could better see the ruffled lump of feathers huddled in on itself to be as defensive as possible. So ragged she couldn't tell exactly how big it was but it was decently large, even curled up. She would guess maybe half Rumi's size when it wasn't a ball of bad attitude.

It pressed against the wall and occasionally sizzled a little brighter. Every time it even thought about flaring its wings out to intimidate Rumi started to do the same. In a stalemate. But the fire around it was barely sticking to the main body at the core. Stubbornly refusing to fizzle out.

It was clearly not doing well.

But then neither was Rumi.

“E-everything flared up--It’s tired but I don’t think it’s done. Take Zoey and go. Please,” she begged.

“Rumi… let me try--”

“I don't want it to hurt you if it lashes out. I didn't mean for either of you to get hurt. Please, I’m sorry I left without saying anything, please leave.”

Her voice pitched up as she fought not to cry, and the spirit started hissing again. Mira wondered if she'd actually gotten much sleep the previous night. When she'd actually left this morning, how long she was dealing with things down the tunnel before Zoey caught up with her…

The spirit kept sizzling and sparking but seemed just as tired.

Everyone was tired. And Mira tried to think about what they all might need.

She started by reaching past Rumi to cradle her hand under one of her arms. Before she could try and argue again Mira leaned into her shoulder and bunted the side of her head.

“We’re not leaving... It's okay, I promise,” she murmured. “You've done so much already, and we're not upset. We're here… Rest, and let me try.”

It only took another moment before she could feel Rumi's muscles relaxing. She lowered her arms and slowly shifted backwards, keeping her eyes forward on the spirit. Until Mira heard Zoey comforting her under her breath and knew they were clear.

Leaving her up.

She settled herself on her knees and took Rumi's place. Adjusting her glasses to search over the spirit again before gingerly reaching her hand out--

Met with sparking and crackling as the mass beneath the flames bristled and scratched back harder into the rock. She did her best to not flinch, and just hold still in place to wait.

“None of that now,” she kept her tone soft. “You're okay too… We want to help you too.”

She reached a little closer, and it lashed out. A wing slapped her hand, hot like touching a stovetop but blunt and quick enough not to really hurt. She could feel the girls holding their breath behind her but didn't react.

“You've been making some messes, but I bet you didn't mean it…”

It flickered and cracked like a wood fire, making successive snapping noises at her. Not lashing out again while she kept to this distance. She lowered herself a little more over her legs to be on its level.

“I don't think you want to hurt the mountain… Whatever's wrong, we'll figure it out with you.”

She turned her hand to rest it against the ground, waiting patiently. And started feeling more hopeful as the bristling died down.

“That's it… you're alright,” she rested her other forearm against the ground and grinned.

As it unfolded from itself to shift closer she noticed it wasn't all that hot anymore. Just warm, like a hot water bottle. Or a breeze from the hair dryer. As it shifted tentatively over the rocks it reached out a clawed foot far enough to make out away from the main body. Drawing its weight forward in a careful step. Adjusting itself, extending a wing out to account for its balance. Its feathers looked missing or out of place the more it straightened itself out in its approach. And just by the way it looked and moved she suspected it wasn't all the result of struggling against Rumi.

And a dark cave certainly seemed the last place for any kind of bird.

“You don't wanna be alone down here in the dark, do you…?” she sat up a bit and rubbed her fingers together to coax it closer. “We'll help you get outside, how's that sound?”

“Mir… the fire,” Zoey whispered.

“It's alright… barely even hot,” she smiled. “I think it's calmed down. Probably all worn out.”

Who knew how long it'd been down here. Panicking, probably scared, stuck and lashing out.

The coat of flame still wreathed the spirit as it tested its talon against her wrist. Still just warm. With a pitched trill it stepped up and got itself situated on her forearm. About the size of she guessed an eagle or like a really big owl. Just hunched and sitting there, waiting on her to move now. She lifted her other hand to brace around it as she sat back and brought it to her chest. And it rested its beak on her shoulder.

“There we go…” she sighed, gently petting down its back as she sat more comfortably with it. “Not so bad, now we'll--”

In a plume of heat and blinding light the fire around it burst outward. Completely engulfing Mira and filling half of the pocket they were tucked away in.

“MIRA!”

Even over the sudden roar of the blaze she could hear them scream for her. Shock still with her arm around the spirit as the fire raged for just a moment before snuffing out entirely. All so quick she barely had time to feel hands grabbing her in the seconds before the space plunged into darkness.

“Mira!” Zoey bumped her as she fumbled to check on her. “Ohmygod, Mira don't move! Don't move I have the--”

Mira was blinking down at her lap as the flashlight came back on. Shocked that the weight of the spirit had just vanished, replaced with a pile of ash strewn across her lap and up her shirt. Dusting her arms…

“Mira, look at me.”

Zoey leaned around her and turned her head to shine the light in her face. Moving it to not blind her as she checked her over for burns… but there were none.

Just ash.

It sank in for Rumi the fastest, and she collapsed into Mira's shoulder in relief.

“Mira, that was so dangerous!” She snapped. “What if it decided to burn you?”

Mira blinked between them, “... but it didn't.”

Zoey slapped her shoulder and sat back to cover her eyes with her free hand. All the forceful contact was jarring Mira out of her shock and she started looking herself over. Brushing a bit of the ash off her shirt.

“Y'know… it was dangerous to try and grab me while I was on fire too,” she pointed out. “Just saying.”

“Are you serious?” Zoey groaned.

“It was also dangerous to head off into the mountains alone--”

Rumi flinched beside her.

“And run through an unfamiliar cave--”

Zoey shrank in shame.

“So… y'know. Guess I'm in good company,” she smirked. “Next time we'll just use the buddy system, and maybe plan ahead a little better.”

“... right,” Zoey mumbled. “So, we're okay?”

“I'm still sorry for--” Rumi tried.

“I'm just glad you're both safe,” Mira put an arm around Rumi and reached the other out to invite Zoey in. “Really glad…”

Zoey pushed back up to press herself into Mira's shoulder. Relieved and grasping at her shirt to keep close, with Rumi doing the same. It was all she'd asked for when she'd run off into the unknown. Which did mean she had a promise to keep.

She squeezed them a little tighter.

“So, I--”

Interrupted--of course--by a weak tweet and a hum of warmth. All of them looked around before focusing on the pile of ash still undusted from Mira's lap. Which was moving and dispersing of its own volition. They jawed in confusion before a little glowing bird popped up and shook itself clean. Charred black feathers from its head down its back, with the layer beneath down its chest to its legs a faint pinkish purple. Glowing soft like an ember and stomping along Mira's leg to hunker down in the crux of her hip, like it owned the place.

“... I think it likes you,” Rumi finally mumbled.

Catching a disbelieving laugh behind her hand. Mira hovered just shy of touching the little thing as it seemed to be… snoring.

“Are you kidding me?” she scoffed.

“It's much cuter now,” Rumi kept snickering, taken over by the absurdity.

“Oh my god, d'you think it imprinted?” Zoey grabbed her arm, eyes aglow with wonder. “... Do spirits do that?”

Rumi shrugged helplessly. Everything was derailing so spectacularly, but Mira would wrench her intentions right back to the forefront. Driven by stubbornness if nothing else.

Though with her heart racing she knew it was much more than that.

“Whatever sure, I'll sort that out later. I have a proposition."

She turned her arm in Zoey's grasp to take her hand, looking her dead on with determination hard won from everything this trip had thrown at her.

“Uh… a what?” Zoey chuckled.

“Yeah, I think you’ll be down Zo, but… I wanna move out of the dorms and get an apartment.”

“... okay?” Zoey kept grinning in confusion.

“I’d like for you to come with me,” she looked between them. “I'd like both of you to come with me.”

“What?!” Rumi choked, no longer laughing.

“Really?” Zoey's voice overlapped with hers.

“Really,” Mira nodded, turning to find Rumi in shock and unsure. “I'm serious… You don’t have to be alone either, Rumi.”

Rumi covered her face to hide and Zoey leaned over Mira’s lap to put a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah. You’re not dangerous,” she insisted. “You’ve been nothing but kind the past few days. Everything you did to keep me safe down here… You’re not some monster. It’d be great to live together.”

She kept burying her face into her hands, only letting her eyes peek from between her fingers. It was hard to tell just from that what sort of face she was making.

“You're… serious?”

Mira grinned at her, “As a heart attack.”

“You’re sure?” she pushed her palms up into her eyes. “What if I--?”

“Rumi,” Zoey pouted and gently pulled one of her hands down so she could see how sure they were. “Whatever might happen, we’ll work it out. Together.”

Mira nodded and put a hand against each of their backs, “Exactly. Three heads are better than one.”

“But I can't…”

“You can… if it’s something you want,” Zoey said.

“We’ll help… but if you don't--”

“I'm--It's not that I don't but just… look at me,” she sat back and gestured up and down at herself. “I've been living in the woods, and I've got all this… baggage. Do you really want to deal with--?”

“Rumi…” Mira reached out to cup her cheek and was happy to have her melt into the touch. “We care about you.”

Happier still to have Zoey lean over her lap to kiss Rumi's forehead.

“You're very easy to love,” she confirmed after doing so.

“Very… And I promise you, neither of us are strangers to complicated family stuff,” Mira said. “However you wanna deal with things, we're down to make something work… We’re here for you, whatever you decide.”

“Yeah! And whenever you wanna come out here we can work that out,” Zoey pressed down on Mira's leg to give Rumi a big smile. “I can definitely come out to do more studies for uni!”

“We can make the trip as often as possible,” Mira made up plans on the fly, working out logistics. “One or both of us can come with--”

“For sure!” Zoey declared, scooping up Rumi's hand and quieting her voice. “If you feel like you can leave… we'll be with you.”

“We can start hunting down a place as soon as we’re back,” Mira brushed her thumb against Rumi's cheek and leaned closer. “Come back to visit whenever you feel homesick… But you don't have to be alone out here.”

Nobody really wanted to be alone… not forever.

Rumi's hand moved slowly up to close in the fabric of her shirt, gripping it tight over her chest as tears started welling up in her eyes. She tipped her head forward and put more weight into Mira's hand.

“... you'd do all that? Isn't that overkill?” She cracked a smile.

Not fighting it as Zoey crawled over to embrace her. And Mira moved her hand up to brush her hair back.

“Nah, sounds about right for us,” Zoey confirmed.

“Just right,” Mira hummed.

She lifted carefully to move herself closer without disturbing the spirit. Leaning against both of them and feeling the warmth of comfort settle in. Right where it belonged.

“... okay.”

---

Color them all surprised when they returned to the inn only for the ajumma to be utterly unsurprised by Rumi's appearance and the vocal little spirit riding along on Mira's shoulder. Apparently being local with a lifetime of community involvement, and a close relationship with her grandmother who was likewise, meant she'd seen a lot.

“It may not be as common knowledge as it used to be,” she explained while kindly helping them patch up their injuries. “But there's still a few of us around who take these things seriously. Lucky you, making such an impression on these two.”

Referring to the little phoenix spirit--Mira was kicking around names for it--and Derpy, who had happily made himself known to hunker down and let himself be used as a cushion. Mira helped with the patching up, following every direction from the ajumma--who casually gave her name as Kimmie--to the letter as they treated and bandaged Rumi's minor burns. With Mira turning her face a shade of red not the result of said injuries when she offered a smile each time their eyes met. Zoey accepted the mission Kimmie-ssi set for her after getting a butterfly stitch to keep the cut to her forehead closed to heal, making tea in the little employee kitchen to bring everyone.

Their afternoon and evening both ended up spent chatting and fixing meals with Kimmie-ssi. Finally exchanging numbers with her after she promised to reach out to some of the other knowledgeable locals for any helpful information she might've missed for them. Spirit or dragon related.

“Thank you so much,” Rumi said before they could return to their room for the night. “It's been so nice talking about all this.”

“It has,” Mira agreed.

“I'll try not to overwhelm you with texts after we head back to the mainland,” Zoey chuckled. “No promises though.”

“Anytime,” Kimmie-ssi waved off their thanks. “You three should get some rest. All that excitement, I'm surprised you're not asleep on your feet.”

“Getting there,” Mira yawned against the back of her hand. “Sorry. Have a good night.”

A few more soft goodnights between them all and the three headed out to the hall leading to the rooms. The phoenix--Mira finally settled on Sussie because of the suspicious glance it kept, in all six eyes--trilled a yawn from Mira's shoulder and she could scarcely believe such a docile little creature could've caused so much trouble. A spirit after her own heart. Luckily by the time they'd left the cave all of the fires had snuffed out.

“How do we want sleeping arrangements to work tonight?” Zoey asked as they swiped into their room.

They found themselves pulled like magnets to walk closer on their way up the hall. Now having to drift apart again as they entered single-file to stretch and mill about while the question lingered. Already having cleaned up again in the staff quarters before the medical treatment. Leaving this question the only thing keeping them from immediately collapsing into bed to sleep.

“You two could share again,” Rumi suggested. “I'm not sure how comfortable I would be to--”

“Or,” Mira interjected as she set Sussie on a bed made from folding one of her shirts. “We could all share.”

“Yeah! We could squeeze in--if you're okay with it, Rumi,” Zoey had to halt her excitement mid explosion to keep from going overboard. “I will say I'm willing to bet you're plenty comfortable… I get the feeling anyway.”

“... even with the horns?” She glanced between them.

Mira shrugged, “We'll scoot down. Means we get to fall asleep to your heartbeat.”

“And the wings?” Rumi was less arguing and more inviting them to be creative.

She liked when they put her doubts to rest so decisively. And she felt like they knew that.

“If you want to sleep on your stomach we could tuck in under them,” Zoey kept the trend going. “Like an extra blanket!”

Mira nodded her approval. Watching Rumi with fondness and inviting her to throw something else their way. They could do this all evening.

Rumi lifted her hands, turning them to examine back to front then looking back to them.

“My scales are pretty rough…” she mumbled. “I could… probably hide it all, but I don't think I could keep it that way while I'm sleeping.”

Mira and Zoey were both stepping forward to each take one of her hands before she even finished speaking. Knowing they would. Hoping they would. Comforted as they held her so carefully despite how physically sturdy she might have seemed. They never assumed she was beyond softness.

“You stay exactly how you feel most comfortable,” Mira said, holding Rumi's hand to her cheek.

Zoey brushed her thumb over the scales before kissing the center of Rumi's palm. Pressing her face in to be held after. And Rumi obliged.

“You don't need to hide around us,” she grinning.

Rumi had gotten so good at it… either forcing those aspects away or keeping herself entirely hidden.

“... okay.” 

She led them back to one of the beds and all of them climbed in to get comfortable. A bit of a tight squeeze, Mira took one for the group and ended up with her back pressed to the wall so Zoey wouldn't be at risk of falling off. But just as planned they were able to get into a safe position with her.

“See?” Zoey rested her cheek against her shoulder. “Cozy~”

“Mhm,” Mira sighed, letting herself sink into the covers and throwing an arm over the back of Rumi’s waist.

Rumi tucked one arm up under the pillow and held the other curled into the crux of her chest and the mattress. Losing a lifetime worth of tension as the active day finally caught up with them.

“... you really think I’m easy to love?” she asked.

“Yes.” They both said.

“Mira too, to be fair,” Zoey chuckled.

“Look who’s talking,” Mira responded.

The night had a brief moment to wash over them. Tucking them in a second time over. And Rumi felt Mira’s hand reach past her to find Zoey.

“You’re both easy to love…”

“... softie~” Zoey teased, shifting around to take Mira’s hand. “Agreed though… We’re both softies.”

“... me too then,” Rumi hummed.

It seemed easy to be soft around them too. When they treated her that way. When they didn’t hesitate, and kept including her, and were willing to be this close. They were willing to try… and they wanted her around.

And Rumi took an extra couple moments before drifting off to appreciate the feeling of being found.

---

“Whenever you feel ready,” Mira kept her arm around the back of Rumi's waist. “Take your time.”

The three of them were standing on the street in front of a house Rumi still remembered after six years. Her luggage sat beside her with theirs, all of her worldly possessions easily packed inside and ferried over to the mainland. The trip had been a breezy 3hrs… and left her still little time to really be ready.

“Mhm… yeah it's uh, it's totally fine,” she brushed her hands against her pants and nodded. “It'll just be a little awkward… I mean three randos asking for a forwarding address. No telling if they'll find it suspicious, or even have any information. I mean, things are probably sorted by now. And who knows how many different people have come and gone-- ”

Both of them pressed closer to try and head off her spiral. And it worked.

“Okay… Okay, it can't hurt to ask,” she finally nodded. “I've got this. Easy.”

She marched right through the gate, completely focused on the front door and nothing else so she wouldn't chicken out. But even though she felt the panic start to rise she managed to outrun it, ringing the bell before it could stop her. Perfect! All she had left to do was wait and explain to the home owner who she was and ask politely for any forwarding address Celine might have left…

What if she didn't leave one?

What if she did but also left instructions not to give it to me?

What if she never forgave me?

For being so terrible. And selfish. And--

Rumi's nerves started shaking her cover loose. Her skin crawled and scales started climbing her arms, so she quickly hid them behind her back. That would just make this inquiry worse. She always made everything worse--

“Breathe, Rumi,” Mira murmured to her.

Appearing at her side to take one of her hands.

“It'll be just fine,” Zoey assured, hooking Rumi's arm to rest her chin on her shoulder. “We can do it together.”

Right. Rumi nodded. They always had a plan, or at the very least a helping hand to offer. Which was more than enough.

The door rattled and finally opened slowly.

“Yes? How can I--?”

Rumi's mind went blank when she heard the voice, knowing it even before the door opened fully and Celine was just there. Answering the door like she owned the place.

Like she never left…

Her hair was a little more grey but she was otherwise just as Rumi remembered… Including the scar curving up the side of her face from when she--

“... Rumi?”

Hearing her name spoken aloud rattled her brain just enough to snap her eyes back to Celine's out of habit.

“I…” she tried, fighting against the fear constricting her throat. “I'm sorry, I wasn't--”

Flinching when Celine stepped through the door, even if it wasn't quick. Celine wasn't one to rush. Rumi remembered all her movements to be smooth and intentional. Elegant. Not like herself at all. Though now Celine was breaking that to reach out with shaking hands. And finally pull Rumi into a crushing hug.

“Rumi… I can't believe--” she breathed. “I looked and… and I just kept hoping you would…”

Rumi didn't remember ever getting a hug quite like this from Celine. The fear and panic and anxiety couldn't hope to hold as tightly, melting off to leave her with this welcoming embrace.

Even after everything, and so much time.

“C-Celine I'm sorry,” she put her arms around her to return the same. “I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything!”

“Shh shh shh, Rumi,” Celine hushed her. Leaning back to hold her face in her hands with a smile. “There's no need… I'm just glad you made your way back.”

Rumi mirrored her smile, blindly reaching back for Mira and Zoey and having them move to be found.

“Had a little--a lot of help…”

Sussie took its queue to phase into view on Mira’s shoulder as Derpy rose up from the ground and sat beside Zoey. Happy to be there and looking around the yard. Celine finally tore her eyes away from just Rumi to notice everyone else.

“I see… I'll have to thank everyone properly then,” she said with ease. “Starting with tea? Have you all had lunch…? What does the tiger eat?”

Rumi squeezed Mira and Zoey's hands, gently tugging to ask them to follow as she stepped into the house after Celine. And of course they obliged. Truly too good to her.