Chapter 38: Reunion
Lysander didn't know for how long he let himself be hugged, but he knew that Belle needed all the support she could get. For, she must have known the ghost, and still grieve for him.
And if the ghost was someone who Belle cried over, then he must be a good person. For, Belle was good and kind, and her friends must be good and kind themselves.
"Children, we must find his bones," Belle said between sobs. "He was going to Crystargar, the last time I saw him."
"We have his bones," Lysander said. The robe on the wizard was telling. He could recognize it anywhere.
"You do? Then, we must bury him. Come with me," Belle stood up, and took both of the boy's hands in hers. She led them inside the hut, and then through the dimensional pocket. There was a forest, with a single hill in the middle, where a giant oak ruled over the rest of the trees. This made Belle let out a sob.
"He made a copy of my tree," she squeezed the hands she was holding, and then began to walk towards the hill. The boys were silent. If Belle wanted to tell them more about this Tine, then she would. Now, they had to give her some silence, so she could collect herself.
When they reached the hill, the ghost of the wizard showed himself to them. He looked to be made of flesh and bone, rather than the silverly thing that he used to be.
"I conquered Death, Belle. Just like how I said I will," Tine said. Belle ran to him, and hugged him. The boys shared a look. Just how did this Tine conquer death?
"How do you have a body?" Belle asked. Tine chuckled.
"My bones are here. Come now, bury them in the soil, so I will forever have a body in here," Tine said.
"You can't have a body outside this dimensional pocket?" Belle asked, as her fingers traced Tine's face.
"No. In the outside world, I am dead. But in here, I can be alive," Tine hugged Belle close to himself, and then sighed. "I guess, we can't be together."
"We can," Belle insisted, and then made some roots dig out a hole in the ground. "Boys, place the bones in there."
That got Lysander and Erin out of their stupor. Lysander went to the hole, and then began to gently lay down the bones of the wizard.
"You have cute kids, Belle," Tine said, as he watched Lysander place his bones inside the hole. "I only regret that we couldn't get some of our own."
"If you agree to come with me, back to my tree, then I will spend time with you. You can help me raise these two cherubs," Lysander blinked at Belle. This was the first time, she had referred to Erin, and he, like that. It made his chest go warm.
"Will you still have me, after I went, and got myself killed?" Tine asked. Belle let out a sob.
"You did it to protect me," suddenly, the puzzles clicked in Lysander's mind. This man had noticed that Belle was in danger, and had guarded her from it. They could even be lovers. No, not could be. They were lovers.
Erin came to the hole, and then took one of the bones out of Lysander's hands.
"Ly, promise you won't get yourself killed," Erin said. It had been quite the scare, when Lysander hadn't come back on time. Yet, Belle had waited for her Tine, for long enough, for his corpse to have been reduced to bones. Erin couldn't imagine how painful that was.
"I can't promise, Rin. Things happen," Lysander said. Erin scrunched up his nose at him.
"Promise!" He demanded. "Promise or I won't cuddle you at night."
Lysander chuckled at the childish threat.
"Fine, I promise," he said.
Their exchange had not gone unnoticed by the two adults. Tine looked at Belle with a quizzing look.
"Wait, aren't they brothers?" The wizard asked.
"Oh, no. Rin is a dragon shifter, and Ly is a wanderer. They are as thick as thieves, but they are not brothers," Belle said with a chuckle. It never failed to amaze her, how this puppy love between the two boys was making them seem like an old married couple.
"Ah, so you are nurturing young love?" Tine said with a chuckle.
"You know me. Champion of all love birds," Belle said.
When the final bone was laid out into the hole, Belle covered it up. Soon, a rose bush grew over the soil, and bloomed in pure white roses.
"You remember?" Tine said, as he touched one of the roses. "My favorite flower."
"You better look after it," Belle said sternly.
"Ly, what is your favorite flower?" Erin asked.
"I like snowdrops," Lysander said. Erin turned to Belle.
"Belle, can I have a snowdrop in a pot for the house?" Erin asked.
"And don't you have a favorite flower, Rin?" Belle asked, almost teasingly.
"Ly will get it for me. Currently, I want to make him a gift. Snowdrops, which bloom the entire year," Erin waved his arms around, showing off what he thought was the time period.
"Snowdrops don't bloom the entire year, dear," Belle said. Tine chuckled.
"Outside, they don't. But in here? Let me just make you a field of them," Tine said, and he snapped his fingers. A field of snowdrops, as delicate as they were pristine, came to life around them.
Lysander's eyes went wide. He had never seen this many snowdrops in his life. He giggled, and then bend, to pick one.
"Wait Ly, don't," Erin said, as he took the hand of the raven-haired boy. "Love is not possession, it is admiration. Mommy always said that."
Belle chuckled at those words. She had been preparing to tell them to the boys, yet, it seemed that someone had already beat her to that.
"I suppose, I can come visit every day, to walk among the snowdrops," Lysander said, and then patted the snowdrop, which he nearly picked.
Chapter 38: Reunion
Lysander didn't know for how long he let himself be hugged, but he knew that Belle needed all the support she could get. For, she must have known the ghost, and still grieve for him.
And if the ghost was someone who Belle cried over, then he must be a good person. For, Belle was good and kind, and her friends must be good and kind themselves.
"Children, we must find his bones," Belle said between sobs. "He was going to Crystargar, the last time I saw him."
"We have his bones," Lysander said. The robe on the wizard was telling. He could recognize it anywhere.
"You do? Then, we must bury him. Come with me," Belle stood up, and took both of the boy's hands in hers. She led them inside the hut, and then through the dimensional pocket. There was a forest, with a single hill in the middle, where a giant oak ruled over the rest of the trees. This made Belle let out a sob.
"He made a copy of my tree," she squeezed the hands she was holding, and then began to walk towards the hill. The boys were silent. If Belle wanted to tell them more about this Tine, then she would. Now, they had to give her some silence, so she could collect herself.
When they reached the hill, the ghost of the wizard showed himself to them. He looked to be made of flesh and bone, rather than the silverly thing that he used to be.
"I conquered Death, Belle. Just like how I said I will," Tine said. Belle ran to him, and hugged him. The boys shared a look. Just how did this Tine conquer death?
"How do you have a body?" Belle asked. Tine chuckled.
"My bones are here. Come now, bury them in the soil, so I will forever have a body in here," Tine said.
"You can't have a body outside this dimensional pocket?" Belle asked, as her fingers traced Tine's face.
"No. In the outside world, I am dead. But in here, I can be alive," Tine hugged Belle close to himself, and then sighed. "I guess, we can't be together."
"We can," Belle insisted, and then made some roots dig out a hole in the ground. "Boys, place the bones in there."
That got Lysander and Erin out of their stupor. Lysander went to the hole, and then began to gently lay down the bones of the wizard.
"You have cute kids, Belle," Tine said, as he watched Lysander place his bones inside the hole. "I only regret that we couldn't get some of our own."
"If you agree to come with me, back to my tree, then I will spend time with you. You can help me raise these two cherubs," Lysander blinked at Belle. This was the first time, she had referred to Erin, and he, like that. It made his chest go warm.
"Will you still have me, after I went, and got myself killed?" Tine asked. Belle let out a sob.
"You did it to protect me," suddenly, the puzzles clicked in Lysander's mind. This man had noticed that Belle was in danger, and had guarded her from it. They could even be lovers. No, not could be. They were lovers.
Erin came to the hole, and then took one of the bones out of Lysander's hands.
"Ly, promise you won't get yourself killed," Erin said. It had been quite the scare, when Lysander hadn't come back on time. Yet, Belle had waited for her Tine, for long enough, for his corpse to have been reduced to bones. Erin couldn't imagine how painful that was.
"I can't promise, Rin. Things happen," Lysander said. Erin scrunched up his nose at him.
"Promise!" He demanded. "Promise or I won't cuddle you at night."
Lysander chuckled at the childish threat.
"Fine, I promise," he said.
Their exchange had not gone unnoticed by the two adults. Tine looked at Belle with a quizzing look.
"Wait, aren't they brothers?" The wizard asked.
"Oh, no. Rin is a dragon shifter, and Ly is a wanderer. They are as thick as thieves, but they are not brothers," Belle said with a chuckle. It never failed to amaze her, how this puppy love between the two boys was making them seem like an old married couple.
"Ah, so you are nurturing young love?" Tine said with a chuckle.
"You know me. Champion of all love birds," Belle said.
When the final bone was laid out into the hole, Belle covered it up. Soon, a rose bush grew over the soil, and bloomed in pure white roses.
"You remember?" Tine said, as he touched one of the roses. "My favorite flower."
"You better look after it," Belle said sternly.
"Ly, what is your favorite flower?" Erin asked.
"I like snowdrops," Lysander said. Erin turned to Belle.
"Belle, can I have a snowdrop in a pot for the house?" Erin asked.
"And don't you have a favorite flower, Rin?" Belle asked, almost teasingly.
"Ly will get it for me. Currently, I want to make him a gift. Snowdrops, which bloom the entire year," Erin waved his arms around, showing off what he thought was the time period.
"Snowdrops don't bloom the entire year, dear," Belle said. Tine chuckled.
"Outside, they don't. But in here? Let me just make you a field of them," Tine said, and he snapped his fingers. A field of snowdrops, as delicate as they were pristine, came to life around them.
Lysander's eyes went wide. He had never seen this many snowdrops in his life. He giggled, and then bend, to pick one.
"Wait Ly, don't," Erin said, as he took the hand of the raven-haired boy. "Love is not possession, it is admiration. Mommy always said that."
Belle chuckled at those words. She had been preparing to tell them to the boys, yet, it seemed that someone had already beat her to that.
"I suppose, I can come visit every day, to walk among the snowdrops," Lysander said, and then patted the snowdrop, which he nearly picked.
