As of today, Zephaniah is officially recovered. Arai said she could arrange transportation home for him in a week’s time. Zephaniah sits down to lunch beside Arai with mixed feelings about his upcoming departure. On one hand he is finally going home to his sisters, but on the other, once he gets home most likely he will never be allowed to see these people he has grown so close to ever again. He can’t imagine having to abandon the bonds he has made. Looking around at his three friends, he can tell that he’s not the only one feeling this way. David and Sarah seem to be trying to pack as much as they can into every minute with competing levels of hyperactivity. In contradiction, acting more true to her personality, Arai seems irritated and can’t stop fidgeting. As lunch progresses, it gets worse, especially around her shoulders. It was as if she couldn’t get her shoulders comfortable with the rest of her body.

“Are you okay?” Arai looks over at Zephaniah with obvious agitation in her eyes.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” She replies as if he is stupid but the effect is lessened by the fact she seems distracted. She suddenly gets up. “Excuse me. I have something to attend to.”

Worried, Zeph also stands up once she is just out of sight. “There’s something I must do as well. Lunch was really good as always. Thank you.”

He doesn’t know what to say, so he heads in the opposite direction before backtracking to trail Arai. Under normal circumstances, Zephaniah would have not been able to successfully trail Arai without being discovered, but whatever had her so upset distracted her to the point of not noticing the previously pampered prince. If he wasn’t so worried about her, said prince would have thought himself privileged to see such an uncharacteristically vulnerable side of the thief.

Before long, they are so deep into the woods that even if Zeph wants to give up, he won’t be able to find his way back. Up ahead the woods become even thicker, as if forming a solid wall. Without warning, Arai disappears. It takes him a moment before he thinks to look up. He shifts his gaze upward where he sees her climbing through a bare area in the tree top. Analyzing the surrounding, he realizes that it is the only way to pass through the partially dense group of trees without wasting more time than he already has and losing Arai, his only guaranteed way out of these woods. He quickly resigns himself to taking the same route as his quarry. When he has almost reached the hole, he hears a short cry followed by a loud splash. He hastens his climb through the hole and out the other side where he finds himself in what looks to be a decent sized clearing. Taking up around half of the space is a pond which Zeph quickly notices has Arai’s cloak laying by its edge. Realizing she is nowhere in sight, he concludes the sound earlier was most likely her falling in and the fact that she hasn’t resurfaced probably means that she can’t. As time is of the essence, Zeph pulls off his clothes as he runs to the water before jumping in. As the water envelops his skin, Zeph relaxes for a moment, just enjoying the tranquil waves as they wash over him, before he remembers why he dove in. He quickly locates Arai and drags her to shore.

Arai empties her lungs of the crystal liquid before her eyes spring open, disoriented for a moment. Then she surveys her surroundings and realizes that someone is with her. She tries to flee but the man is holding onto her. Zeph, realizing what he’s doing, worriedly lets go thus allowing Arai to scurry away. Now with some distance between them, Arai tries to shrink up as much as she can. “Did you see?” Her worried voice comes out as barely a whisper.

“What? Oh…..OH!” His body jerks with the force of the last word and the realization he find behind it. Even though he not only turns his head from her but also covers his face, he can’t hide his reddening features. “Oh! I am so sorry- you were drowning and- I’m so sorry- wasn’t thinking- you’re a young lady- and after all you’ve done for me- I didn’t mean to- I’ll take responsibility, what should I do?”

“What are you talking about? Take responsibility? Just for seeing-” Her voice cuts out as Arai’s brain comprehends something strange about the person before her. “Zephaniah,” she whispers in disbelief, “your hair, it’s blue. And your legs, this can’t be real, you’ve got a tail like a fish and scales.”

“Oh, shoot.” Zeph dives back into the water even though he knows it’s already too late to hide. Arai is watching for him when he resurfaces.

“What are you hiding for?”

“I didn’t want you of all people to find out, but I totally forgot about it when I realized you were drowning. Doesn’t it disgust you that I’m part fish?” For a moment Arai gets an overly confused look in her eyes before she responds.

“Why would it? If anything, it makes you all the more beautiful. And knowing your secret gives me confidence that you’ll keep mine from the others.”

“What secret?”

Arai releases her wings, extending them out to their full length. “My wings, of course. You saw them so there’s no reason to hide them now.”

Zeph swims towards her and then pulls himself onto the bank. “They’re so beautiful; I’ve never seen anything like it.” He admires her with wonder. “But why do you think I’ve seen them?”

“Because you said you saw me release my wings before I fell into the pond.”

“Ah! Um… I was… talking about… your clothes… they’re soaked… and…” Zeph rubs his neck nervously and looks away again. It takes Arai a moment but then she realizes what he’s saying. She quickly uses her wings to encompass herself. Each can feel the other’s embarrassment in the silence that follows. Finally it gets to be too much for Arai.

“Um… I should be getting back… so, um… see you later. Don’t be long.” Arai rambles as she walks to her cloak and picks it up. She then turns her back to Zeph before lowering her wings and slipping on her cloak. “Sarah’s making a feast to celebrate your almost full recovery and we wouldn’t want the guest of honor to be missing.” She confirms that her cloak is secure before sealing her wings away. Arai then slips away through the entrance to the forest.

As he watches her go, Zeph thinks to himself; dearest sisters, your big brother is most assuredly in love.