?"Vaan…"
Vaan heard an adorable voice, he turned around and his eyes fell on a 10 cm girl with wings on her back flying in the air, looking at him with a small smile on her face.
"Flamey?"
Vaan blinked in surprise.
"Did you just… call my name?"
"Vaan!"
The little Flamey repeated herself, this time, in her usual cheerful voice. Vaan's face brightened up as well.
"Vaan! Vaan! Vaan!"
Seeing that her being able to say his name was making Vaan happy, Flamey continued to do so. For some reason, however, she didn't rush towards him and fly around his head like she normally does.
Vaan found it strange, soon, however, he understood the reason.
"That… is Flamey…?"
Suddenly, Elara, who seemed to have lost in her own world after learning Vernoica's full name, spoke with a surprised look on her face as she glanced at Flamey.
"Elara!"
Flamey shouted her name in excitement.
For Elara, it was her first time seeing Vaan, Flamey however, had always been around Elara and treated her like a friend in her heart.
Now that she was finally able to actually meet her friend, Flamey couldn't help but feel excited.
"You are Flamey!"
Influenced by Flamey's excitement, Elara became cheerful as well, momentarily forgetting about everything she was thinking about.
"I can see you! You are so adorable!"
She couldn't help but praise, and unlike Vaan, who usually waited for Flamey to make a move and rush towards him, Elara tried to rush towards the little spirit and hold her but suddenly,
*Whoosh*
Flamey created a wall of Flamey in front of her.
"Don't come…"
She spoke and in an instant, Elara lowered her head as she nodded.
"Okay."
Clearly, she was hurt but she didn't show it on her face, she decided to hide what she was feeling like she always had been.
Vaan, on the other hand, frowned.
Unlike Elara, he had been with Flamey for a long time now, he knew how much the little girl adored Elara.
Most of the time, while her little sisters are sitting on either side of his shoulders, she sits on Elara's because of how connected she feels with her.
Vaan always thought it was a pity that Elara couldn't see her because if she could, he was a hundred percent sure that the two would bond together in an instant.
"Flamey?"
Vaan called out with a doubtful look on his face, unable to understand why Flamey was acting so distant.
"Sisters… hiding…"
Flamey replied as she glanced at Vaan.
Vaan frowned, he then tilted his head to try and look behind Flamey and there they were,
The two little sisters, the Water one stood the furthest while the Youngest stood in the middle of the two as if she was protected from all the sides.
"What are you two doing?"
Vaan questioned with a confused look on his face.
The Spirits, however, didn't reply, they simply glanced at Elara, who stood a certain distance away. Vaan didn't understand.
"They… nervwous…"
Flamey answered Vaan's doubts as she pointed at Elara, while at the same time, spreading her arms to 'widen' herself in order to hide her sisters much more efficiently.
Vaan couldn't help but chuckle at the sight,
"Are you two nervous about meeting Elara?" He guessed.
The two Spirits didn't say anything however, their expression told everything Vaan needed to know.
"Hahaha~ I can't believe someone is nervous about meeting Elara."
Vaan laughed out loud, then he turned towards his fiancée and, "You see that? Apparently, you intimidate them."
In an instant, a worried look appeared on Elara's face,
"D-Did I do something to harm them?" She questioned.
"I promise I didn't do it intentionally." The expression on her face was similar to the two spirits hiding behind their big sister.
Noting that she was blaming herself, Flamey frowned, "Elara…" She called out with a worried look on her face, then, she started flying towards Elara. Seeing that, the two spirits panicked and in an instant, they flew towards Vaan and hid behind his back, slowly peeking their little heads out to see what their big sister was trying to do.
"Elara…"
Flamey flew towards Elara. Elara glanced at the little spirit and involuntarily, she extended her hand.
Flamey then stepped on Elara's hands, unlike before, where she would have simply passed through her hands, now, just like Vaan, Flamey could physically interact with Elara. Even Elara could feel her lightweight falling on her hand, a smile appeared on her face as she glanced at the little spirit from close.
"Elara…"
Flamey extended her two hands as she then flew toward Elara's face, then, she momentarily glanced at her sisters as if she was trying to show them something, and then, she touched her little forehead with Elara's.
"Elara… you are… good…"
Her pronunciation and fluency still weren't perfect yet, rather, she seemed like a newbie show just learned a new language, however, that just made her even more adorable.
Elara felt like she was interacting with a baby and for some reason, this filled her with endless joy.
"Thank you, Flamey."
She replied.
Seeing the bright smile appearing on Elara's face and how their big sister was continuously rubbing her forehead on hers, the two other spirits glanced at each other, then, as if they came up with a tactical agreement, the two nodded at each other and then flew towards Elara.
"Elara…"
"Lara…"
The two called out as they two placed their heads on Elara's forehead. Feeling their little heads touching her, Elara's heart beamed in joy.
The sight was so beautiful that for an instant, Vaan was taken aback.
"Hey Hey, I am there as well, you know? I feel like I am missing out."
He complained.
"Vaan!"
The three spirits then suddenly rushed towards him, circling around his head just like they normally do, then, the three pressed their foreheads against Vaan before they turned around and glanced at Elara.
"Elara… come…"
Flamey called.
Elara blinked in surprise.
Vaan on the other hand, couldn't be more proud of his little spirit.
"Lara… come…"
Breazy called out as she stared at Elara with her big eyes.
The little girl couldn't even properly pronounce Elara's name yet, however, seeing that she was still making the effort, Elara had no choice but to give in.
She walked forward, the three Spirits stared at her intently, and under their stares, she placed her head on Vaan's forehead and wrapped her hands around him.
"Love you…"
Suddenly, Flamey called out.
Vaan frowned, Flamey however, glanced at Elara and,
"Say love Vaan…"
She spoke.
And once again, Vaan was proud of his little girl. He swore in his heart to feed her till she was full even if it meant his death.
Elara on the other hand blushed.
But again,
"Say…"
Breazy spoke up, backing up her bigger sister and at the same time, making Elara feel compelled by her cute stare,
"I love you…"
In the end, Elara buried her head into Vaan's chest as she spoke the magical words.
A big smile appeared on Vaan's face and as if to widen that smile even further, the Spirits placed their heads on Vaan's forehead again and,
"Love you Vaan!"
"Love!"
"Lub Vaan!"
The three spoke with cheerful looks on their faces.
Vaan's heart fluttered in joy.
The hug lasted for a good minute till Evane's eyes fell on Veronica's body again.
"We should bury her…"
She spoke, and this time, she didn't look as down as before since both Splashy and Breazy were sitting on either side of her shoulders.
"We should."
Vaan nodded as well.
The chances of Veronica being Elara's ancestors were high, and even if that wasn't the case, as an exceptional mage who went as far as sacrificing her life to do what she believed to be right, Vaan thought that the woman at least deserved a proper burial.
However, just as he was about to touch her body,
"Stop."
Flamey flew in front of him.
"Hmm? What is it?" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.
"We should go…"
Flamey spoke.
"What…?" Elara frowned in confusion.
"Don't touch body…" Flamey replied but both Vaan and Elara couldn't understand the reason behind her words.
"Are you saying we shouldn't bury the body?" Vaan questioned and seeing the little spirit nod, Vaan frowned, "Why?"
"Time… line… dev-devwatwion."
"What?"
"Don't touch!" Flamey shouted.
Then, frustrated by how she couldn't explain herself, Flamey touched both Elara and Vaan, and suddenly,
A huge amount of energy released from her body.
"Flamey, what are you doing?"
Vaan questioned. Flamey didn't reply, she just stared right into Vaan's eyes and unlike her normal cheerfulness, her eyes seemed like they were filled with wisdom that spanned through hundreds of thousands of years,
Such a mature look on her baby-like face made Vaan blink in surprise,
"Flam-"
He wanted to ask something, but suddenly, an otherworldy glow came out of Flamey's body, blinding both Vaan and Elara.
"Flamey!"
Vaan shouted, unable to understand what the little girl was trying to do but suddenly,
"You are finally back huh? Took you long enough.
Just what in the hell were you two doing in there?"
