I've given up on sleep, having decided to move into the deeper, darker parts of the forest to draw. I sit up in a tree, carving an image of four butterflies flapping around in a loose circle. I may not be the most exemplary artist this world has ever known, but it relaxes me. My long tail swishes in pleasure, brushing against the leaves. I look up to watch them ruffle, a little smile on my face.

I slap them again, this time intentionally. The sound is so pleasant. My movements grow lazier until they finally stop as I let out a rather large yawn. Despite Ezi's light being blocked here by the canopy, just knowing it's daytime is enough to make me exhausted. I wish I could sleep, damn it. Stupid dreams. I curl up on my side, the branches of the trees thick enough to do so easily in our realm.

I'm just about to close my eye when I sense Ezi coming. Again. Best friend or not, I find myself sighing. What does he want now? I think. I freeze when he gets closer. His aura feels off. Actually, it feels the same way as it does when he's in battle. Is something the matter?

I see a light bobbing my way, stumbling around in the dark. More concerning: I see his glowing yellow blood trickling behind him, though it vanishes quickly enough. I hop down to the ground, landing on my feet with my arms crossed as I wait for Ezi to get to me.

"Ah, Cyn. There you are." He grins when he gets close enough for his light to touch me. I growl in response, his smile not wavering in the slightest.

"Ezi, you realize your left arm is gone, right?"

"Yes."

"And do you care?"

"No. Should I?"

I sigh. What did I expect? At least he somehow got his spear on his back, where it belongs. Damn, how did this klutz manage to get through the forest with that thing? In his hand - the one he still has - there's a ball of light, but I can feel his exhaustion. Even on a good day, Ezi has difficulty being so far into the woods, never mind a day where he's missing an entire limb.

Thankfully, he can only see what his light touches, his eyes completely useless. Which means he can't see my drawings as it's too dim. The thought of Ezi, or anyone else, seeing them fills me with dread.

"Stop wasting what little energy you have, Ezi." I walk past him, grabbing his hand as I do. He immediately extinguishes the ball of light, stumbling around in a location that renders him nearly blind, only able to see the centimeters that his glow extends. He nearly trips every few minutes as I guide him out of the trees. He also gets stuck on branches. How the hell does this guy get anywhere on his own?

The trees thin out, allowing light through the canopy, and I expect him to let go of me. But I'm proven wrong by him continuing to gently grasp my hand. It's awkward and embarrassing, but I don't stop him. Besides, we're alone. I only let go as we exit the tree line. I sense fear. I watch as an Earth Spirit, one whose name I never bothered to learn, jumps up and runs off. He glances back at Ezi and I, a panicked expression covering his face. I can almost taste how sick he feels.

I start growling, but Ezi moves his hand to my shoulder, giving me a gentle squeeze. I brush him off, walking on.

"Cyn, you don't have to leave the forest if you don't want to..." Ezi says, even quieter than usual. His face doesn't betray much emotion, but I can feel his sympathy. He's so similar to me in so many ways, but I don't think he fully understands what it's like to be the Shadow Spirit. He's Light. How could he?

I push this to the side, cackling with a wicked grin. "Why would I want to stay in the forest when I could come out here and watch how they run? I love seeing the other Elementals piss themselves in fear!"

Ezi tilts his head, confused. "But we can't-"

"It's an expression!" I guess I must have a hell of a look on my face, because Ezi just chuckles at me.

I feel a ripple of fear pass through most of the lesser Spirits as Ezi and I traverse the Valley. Though, to be fair, not everyone is afraid of us. I perk up when I sense two such individuals coming our way.

"Cyn! Ezi! I found garnet today!" Little Lilo runs up to us, holding some sort of stone in her hands. Kamiko is close behind, smiling at me.

Something inside Kamiko sparks when she looks into my eye. She's so strange.

Lilo runs right up to us, grabs my hand to open my palm, then plops the rock into it. I smile as she starts to babble on about the assignment she and Kamiko had today, how she found the gem.

I nod through this part, but she loses me completely as she starts talking about the compounds that give the rock its colour. What makes it special. How she and the other Earth Spirits form such things. How they taught the ground to do the same task over the span of thousands of years when they can do it in an instant. It seems silly to me, but Lilo seems to think of the rocks that come from the ground as being more special than the ones she makes on a whim. I don't get it, but whatever makes her happy, I guess. Not like she's hurting anyone.

Ezi is obviously in the same situation as me, awkwardly twirling his hair as he nods along. Kamiko tries to speak with Lilo, but continuously gets informed that she's using the wrong terms. No one dares argue with Lilo on this topic, so Kamiko wisely shuts up.

Neither of them seem truly bothered by Ezi's missing arm. We're all used to it. Jake would probably be fretting right about now, but he's not here. Wonder where he got off to, I don't sense the higher Fire Spirit at all. He's probably goofing off in the mortal realm somewhere. Or "people watching" or whatever he calls it.

"Cynthia?" Kamiko asks, looking curious. "Is something the matter?" Her ears twitch, red eyes concerned. Even if she's speaking Yingsein, whereas I speak Krazden, the sounds of her voice is-

"I'm just wondering where Jake is," I reply, stifling my thoughts. I'm a Shadow. A warrior. Nothing more.

"Oh, oh! I think Jake went to see some humans! He really likes them!" Lilo sticks her hand into the air as she makes her announcement.

Kamiko gently pets the shorter Spirit's hair as she replies. "Jacob is a strange one. Lieselotte, have you informed the lesser Earth Spirits of their assignments for-"

"Shoot! Bye, everyone!" The three of us watch as Lilo scampers off. When she first arrived here, I had doubted her ability to lead the Earth Spirits, partially for this reason.

However, Ezi smiles a little. "She's a strong leader, that one. I'm glad she's back."

"Yes. It was indeed devastating when her last incarnation was destroyed. Thankfully, we did not go too long without her this time," Kamiko says.

I chuckle softly. "Kami, your age is showing."

Ezi turns to me, that smile still plastered on his face. His eyes remain hard to see under those thick bangs, but I suspect his smile doesn't touch them. "If anything, I think your age is showing, Cyn. I remember Lilo's last self, and she's hardly changed."

Kami nods slowly. "That is to be expected. None of us change that much, other than..." She throws a curious glance our way. I sense her curiosity over Ezi and I burning.

It's the same fear-tinged curiosity that burns within all the other Elemental Spirits when they gaze at my best friend and I. I can tell the fear is more directed at Ezi in her case, though.

I shrug, then start walking away. Ezi is with someone else who can watch him now, and I've had more than enough daylight. I hear Kami shout a goodbye, and I wave without looking back. It's only when I return to the forest that I realize I never asked why Ezi came all that way to find me in the forest while he was injured like that.