Ak-tu flew his ship over Vinetown by the time Day of the Sun was upon the world. He could see large flags and plenty of lanterns depicting the sun around the vine-covered buildings. Loud music echoed, and the strong smells of spicy and fried food were overwhelming. His mouth watered as the breeze carried the scents, but he ignored his rumbling stomach as he kept the ship gliding through the sky above. Trying to focus on the wind blowing his long hair instead, the ship pressed on until he was hovering over a forest.

Soon enough, Ak-tu saw Jabali’s house pop into sight below him. He would have missed it entirely if he didn’t know to search for a rainbow flag on the roof, which was only noticeable looking down from above. He allowed the ship to press on past the house, knowing a bigger clearing lay farther ahead. Once the clearing came in sight, he pushed a button on the wheel to ease the ship down, until it landed in the soft grass with a light thud. Then, he turned off the ship with another button, put the engines away, and left the deck.

He walked past the kitchen at the front of the ship and down the narrow hall. Quickly going down the staircase, he made it to the ground floor. 

I hope the kids are doing better… They looked fine when I called yesterday, but… 

He sighed as he entered the large boarding room on the first level, his heart aching as he thought of the hover boat disaster several days prior. The moment he had found out, he had gone to the city where his ship was being repaired. Once the ship was mended, he headed for Vinetown.

Ak-tu swung the door up and exited. He was not prepared for the ambush that awaited him.

“DAD! YOU’RE HERE!”

Ak-tu was nearly knocked off his feet as two figures slammed into him. His back hit the side of the wooden ship, his breath squeezed out as his children hugged him tightly. 

“Let me go!” he cried, practically gasping for air.

“Sorry,” Zyn chuckled, stepping back.

“We’re just so happy to see you!” Ren added, refusing to let go of his arm.

Ak-tu shook his head numbly. “Clearly,” he mused.

He glanced at his children, taking a long look at them. Their cuts had healed; there wasn’t a single scratch on them. Both kids had a bright shine in their eyes, neither appearing the least bit weary in the humidity.

“You can stop staring at us now,” Zyn said abruptly. “We’re fine, you know.”

Ak-tu smiled lightly. “I’m very happy to see you both again,” he murmured.

He hugged both kids, then let them go and realized Sarala stood off to the side a bit farther away. She was dressed in green clothing that covered her burn marks, though Ak-tu suspected those were mostly healed by this point too.

“How are you doing, Sarala?” he asked.

“Fine,” she said gruffly, eyeing him warily.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hug you too,” Ak-tu teased. “Unless you want me to.”

Sarala’s whole body went rigid. “No, thanks,” she uttered.

Ren and Zyn snorted in laughter, then Ren hurried to the other girl and threw her arms around her. Sarala squirmed in her grasp and tried to break away, causing Ren to cling to her more tightly.

“You need some love too, Sarala!” Ren laughed.

“Get off me!” Sarala yowled.

Sarala managed to shake Ren off, then ran away with a broad grin on her face. Ren chased her, and Zyn hurried after them. Ak-tu chuckled, bounding behind the teens, his hair flying behind him.

They reached Jabali’s house in no time, each of them chuckling and panting as they stopped outside the front door. Ak-tu breathed in the stuffy air, catching the scent of grass and wood, as well as something spicy.

“Were you three cooking something?” he asked.

Zyn shoved the stone door open. “Come and see!” they said, grinning as they led the way inside.

Ak-tu entered the dim kitchen and smiled as he saw the counters were lined with dishes. He could see fresh-baked bread and a large bowl of chili, both of which were steaming. There were also two bowls of salads, one with fruit and one with vegetables. 

“Are those prickle-pepper zucchini noodles?” Ak-tu asked, standing on tiptoe to see over the bowl of chili to another bowl beyond. “You sure are throwing a feast!”

“Well, yeah, we haven’t seen you in like, over two months!” Zyn said in a dramatic tone. 

“It’s been over two months?” Heart aching, Ak-tu reached forward to hug his kids from behind once more, squeezing them as tightly as he could. We’ve never been away from each other before…not for more than a day! 

Zyn eventually fidgeted, causing Ak-tu to release his hold on his kids. Ren went to grab a stack of clean dishes from one of the cabinets. 

“We didn’t know if you’d be back in time for the holiday or not,” Ren said. “I’m so glad we’re able to spend it together!”

Ak-tu smiled, wiping away the tears that had sprung to his eyes. “I’m grateful I can spend it with you too.” 

A small silence formed around them. The only sound was that of Ren scooping food onto plates and bowls. Zyn stared at her with glazed eyes for a moment, then moved to get drinks from the fridge. Sarala merely stood in front of the open doorway, trying to cool off by allowing in a nonexistent breeze.

“Where’s Jabali? Still in bed?” Ak-tu asked, chuckling at the thought.

“Oh, he’s in town,” Ren said. “I didn’t think he’d have to work today, but he was gone when we got up.”

“Hmm, that’s odd. He typically takes the holidays off,” Ak-tu commented. “And his businesses are usually closed…”

“Maybe he knew you were coming and decided to hide,” Zyn scoffed.

Ak-tu shrugged. “Maybe!”

“So now that you’re here, what are we gonna do?” Zyn pressed. “Play games?”

“Can you teach us martial arts?” Sarala cut in.

“Why can’t we all just eat first?” Ren asked. 

“Yes, let’s eat,” Ak-tu said. “We can decide more after. I would personally enjoy taking a stroll in town and seeing the festivities.”