"Kim! Get down here right now!" Ckika screamed at the top of her lungs.

The young ex-assassin was currently sitting on the roof, eating the last of Ckika's popsicles, which she had expertly stolen from the freezer.

Minaro and Kim stayed at my house this entire time-- Minaro was welcomed with wide arms while Kim wasn't. The whole Aydub situation wasn't very helpful either.

"No." Kim replied to the older girl, throwing an empty popsicle box down at her. Minaro watched from next to me, chuckling a bit.

Ckika yelled profanities at Kim after dodging what was left of her frozen dessert. I laughed with Minaro, although I put a up a show of shaking my head in disapproval.

"Minaro, you should tell your sister not to pick on my kids." I said, once I'd stopped giggling.

"Sorry Mistress Diya, but…" Minaro started, annoying me by adding the "mistress" part, but Kim intervened.

"Hey Mino! Want to join in the 'Picking on Diya's kids' game? Kim shouted from all the way on the roof of the house, she was waving her arms.

I glared at Kim, "Don't make me throw a giant ball of mud at you! I'll make sure not to miss! You santic fomor! Get off the roof before you break one of the tiles!" I screamed at her.

Ckika was still screaming at Kim but we had all but forgotten about her already. Mino sighed and shook his head, not wanting to get between us. Kim stood up and jumped off the roof, and had I not been used to her crazy behavior, I would have screamed.

Thankfully, being a fomor had its up sides.

"Grandma!" Kim walked over to us and leaned on my back.

My right eye twitched at the small pressure, "What?"

"So, what are we going to do today?" Kim questioned in a bored tone "I'm already bored of your brats, and I don't feel like taunting archers today."

Zeiyo glared at Kim, "You should be so lucky that you're even allowed to stay in the house! Why Diya oughtta-"

I threw a flower which fazed through him as I stood up, pushing Kim off me.

"We have to wait for Mother Kristell's owl..." I sighed, looking up at the sky.

Kim scowled. "Wish I could visit Morgant. At least his expressions are funny when I annoy him

Inside I growled at the mention of the Dark Knight Lord but made sure to bite it back. Looking towards the house, I remembered Aydub.

Ah forget that! No way in hell and I thinking about that! I thought angrily. It was an awfully bright day. Hence why I started gardening. Suddenly there was a distance shade coming fom above me.

"Hey Diya, what is that?" Minaro asked.

I open my eyes, flinching in pain as the sun caught my eyes directly. Suddenly Makoto's voice is near us.

"Duck!"

Opening my eyes I look at him questionable, "A duck?"

"Can I shoot it?" Kim excitedly asked.

Before I could reject her idea something with wings crashed head first into Minato's, sending the young fomor flying on his back.

"Minaro!" Everyone shouted, before running over to his prone form.

On his face is an unconscious baby white owl with a note tied to it's leg. Ckika gasps.

"Oh my god! Are you hurt?"

Kim looks at Ckika while helping her brother off the floor, "Why do you care?"

Minato's face was red as he shakes his head, I touched his face just to make sure the red mark on his forehead wasn't too serious.

"I'm talking to the bird! You brute!" Ckika hissed.

Ckika lifts the bird and cradles it in her arms. We all look at Ckika with an unbelievable look. I reach over and take the paper, already figuring out what it was.

Come see me Diya. It's about the book you gave me four days ago.

Kristell

Kim and Minato try to read over my shoulder. Smiling sweetly at them, I crumpled the letter before they could glimpse it.

"We're going to Dunbarton so pack up your swords and bombs, and no Kim. You can not bring the Succubus Slayer award with you!"

Kim looked at me funny but I knew it was because I predicted her move. She glared and mumbled something as I walked Minato to the house to check his wound before we went. Ckika walked right behind us, carrying the baby owl who was still on cloud 9.

~*~*~

"…Hello, welcome…" Kristell greeted us. "…And Tarlach…he didn't come, did he?"

I put down my cup of tea while the two children continued drinking and ignoring the ex-Succubus, "Oh…I didn't know I needed to bring him."

"…I see. Of course…I'm not surprised. He doesn't let anyone enter his life…he said he couldn't accept me because he was living the life of a Druid…"

How would it look if he was dating you? An en ex-sucubus I thought bitterly, not that I wasn't sympathetic, but it was painfully obvious. I took a quiet and painful sip of my hot tea to help bite back the words.

"…Am I nothing more than a tool who understands the Fomor language to him? …I'm sorry, but you will need to go back to where he is."

"What" Kim screams angrily and slamming the glass cup on the saucer, "we did not wait four days for nothing! Give us back the book, you stupid succubus!"

Instantly I spit out the tea through my nose accidently, Makoto rushes over with napkins from the small table and helps me clean up. Kristell folds her hand neatly on her lap.

"…I would like to give the book to him myself. Please understand why I can't give this book to you."

She looked towards me and I felt my heart stop. Why should I be the one to understand? If anything, I would be on Tarlach's side!

"You've got five seconds to hand the book over! Or else!" Kim threatened.

Makoto snatched his sister's hand and dragged her out of the one room church. Just as I was about to leave as well, Kristell grabbed my hand.

"Forgive me Sister Diya."

Biting back any rude comments I might have uttered I said instead, "I understand."

~*~*~

It was a particular cold night in Sidhe Sneatcha. And that was saying something, seeing as it was perpetually winter. I had just gotten to the altar as the Eweca was rising. Minaro and Kim had stayed in the cart. They nicely gave me two robes to put on, after Kim practically tied me in the first one.

The snow crunching underneath my feet alerted Tarlach of my presence before my bright hair came into sight.

"Diya, you've arrived" he coughed out.

Quickly I ran over to him, trying to get this over with quickly.

"I'm-sorry-I-came-back-empty-handed-but-Kristell-said-that-she-wanted-to-give-it-to-you-in-person!-Kim-tried-to-get-it-back-but-she-was-rude-and-we-had-to-take-her-out.-Then-she-said-she-was-sorry!-I-think-she-still-cares-about-you-because-she-always-asks-where-you-are-even-though-I-tell-her-that-I-can't-tell-her...and...yeah." I spewed out in a single breath.

I took a deep breath of air as he stared at me intensely, whether out of confusion or due to his attempt to understand that long sentence, I did not know. Finally, he spoke, but his eyes were no longer focused on me but on a point somewhere past me.

"...Is that what she said?" he asked almost in disbelief, but remained emotionless for the most part in his tone.

"Yes."

"But...I can't leave this place. I understand...how she feels, since she gave up her life as a Fomor...for love...but I'm not a man who deserves that kind of love..."

"Tarla-" I tried to interrupt but he carried on.

"...it was too late when I realized it...and ended up breaking her heart..." he trailed off and started quietly mumbling to himself.

Could he...no...he couldn't...could he? I think to myself as I watched him struggle mentally with guilt, I never thought that maybe the reason he didn't run off with her was because...he couldn't?

"Diya?"

Instantly I snap back to attention, "Yes Tarlach?"

"Could I ask you for a favor?"

Eagerly I nod.

"I left something with Priest Meven of Tir Chonaill a long time ago. Would you please retrieve it for me? Just go and tell him what I told you...and he will know what you're talking about."

Quickly I grab his hands and nodded rapidly, "Right away! I'll be back before the sun comes up! Even if I have to bang on Father Meven's door myself! You can count on me!"

As fast as possible I ran back to the cart, finding Kim and Minaro half asleep on the pile of hay. For a second, I debated on whether or not I should wake them up but Zeiyo appeared out of the sword.

"What's the matter? Why aren't we going?" he asked, hovering over me.

"Should I wake them up?"

Zeiyo went over above their heads, "Let's not. I don't want to hear Kim's idea on how to wake up Father Meven."

My mouth made an "o" shape and I agreed.

~*~*~

At nine at night we arrived at the Tir's church. Zeiyo fell asleep on the way, Kim and Minaro slept through the entire ride. Just as I was about to get off the cart, a voice stopped me.

"What's going on?"

"Go back to sleep Makoto."

I landed on the ground with a soft thud before wiping my dress clean and throwing the two robes in the back of the cart. Makoto was fully awake and by my side.

"Why did you bring us here?"

I shushed him, and left him behind, walking inside the church. Father Meven was exactly where I thought he would be-- in one of the rooms in the back drinking a cup of tea while staring out the window. It was how he typically ended his days. He smiled once he spotted me.

"Hey Sister Diya! Came for some of my superb company?" he joked.

A kool-aid smile is on my face now, "For the love of...I think you need a reality check. Sometimes I think your brain is on Eweca."

He laughed and took a long sip of his tea. I decided to hurry and get to the point so I could make it back to Tarlach.

"Father Meven!" I shouted out as I put both palms on the table, startling the elder man.

"What?" he asked alarmed.

I quickly gave him a short speech about how Tarlach was alive and well, just trapped in Snowman Hill, and that no one could visit him but Kim, Minaro and me. Or at least that's what I thought so far. Then I told him how I was currently helping Tarlach and that he wanted something he left.

"He...wants that...back? Nonsense! Do you know how long it's been? What, was he expecting it to be preserved by magic or something?"

I stare at him for a second and open my mouth but he continues, "Hmm...I'm afraid that's not possible. Granted it's the magic of a Druid...but the best thing to do will be to grow it again."

Now I was curious, and I tilted my head, "Grow? It's a living thing?"

He ignored my question, "It's too late at night to go now. I'll let Lassar know, so would you go talk to her about it? Lassar is quite the expert on that field."

I nodded my head. Father Meven nodded with me.

"Anyways, Tarlach still must not have forgotten about her...if he's asking for that item back."

"Forgotten who?"

He smiled at me, "Nothing. You should be going home right now! It's already getting dark! I don't need your kids coming here and beating me up trying to find you."

I give him a childish pout, "Father! My kids wouldn't beat you up...now Randal is a whole other story."

Father Meven saw me to the door, smiling. I started walking towards the cart when I heard a scream and the sound of wood breaking.

"Get back here you thief!" Kim's voice echoed into the night.

Minaro's voice rang out right behind hers, "Leave him alone!"

"Meow."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh not again!" I sighed, "Weird Cat! Leave Kimikari alone!" I screamed as loud as possible before I ran over to try and salvage what was left of the cart.