[SpringsSong]

(Aila and Ekal are lifemated. =3)

The Lavamancer Paragon drew in a deep breath as she folded her wings closer to her body as she came in for a landing within the trees of the Whisper Forests, knowing that Ekal would take a little more time to get there than she did.  After all, he was unable to fly on his own, and she had taken so easily to her wings in this new form that she'd been blessed with.  However, she would not deny that being a Jewel Slynx had its advantages, but she preferred being able to use her powers over fire.

"I wonder what it is he has planned here…" Aila asked herself as she landed, looking to her Ballama, who floated lazily around Aila's head before settling on her nose.

Ekal always seems to have surprises planned for you, doesn't he, Aila? the little Ballama asked the Paragon, and Aila could not help but laugh as she took her human form, holding out her finger for the little spirit to rest on, smiling.

"Ekal has always been full of surprises, Kaltai," she said.  "Why he would choose the Whisper Forests is beyond me, though—unless this is to get back at me for that little expedition I had with Deraj, Ciren, and Nyera when we went camping in Idalani."

How is that even possible, though, Aila? Kaltai asked, and Aila laughed.

"He sees far more than I would like sometimes," she said.  "And you forget, he's really good friends with Ciren, who probably told him about the whole blasted incident."

Ah.

[1.2]

[SpringsSong]

It had taken Ekal far longer than he would have liked to get out to the Whisper Forests, and it didn't really help his mood that Jaem was in a decidedly more argumentative mood than normal.

Why could you not take her out to Jawan, Ekal?—you know how she loves the sea, the little Ballama said, but Ekal sighed as he continued to trudge along through the trees in the misty forest, keeping his eyes open for his beloved wife-to-be.  After a few moments, he caught a glimpse of pink fire, and Jaem also perked up.

I sense Kaltai's presence, he said, and Ekal smiled.

"Where Kaltai is, Aila cannot be far from—that is part of how you little spirits work, isn't it?" he asked, and the Ballama nodded as Ekal took his human form and ran towards the area in which he'd seen the pink fire, and where Jaem sensed the presence of Aila's Ballama.  Of course, the fire had long since vanished; obviously, he was supposed to find Aila through the slightly broken trees.

"I figured you'd find your way here somehow," he said quietly as he approached her, the chain around his neck jingling ever so slightly as he approached her.  "You always were more one to hide deep within the forests rather than meet one at the edge of the forests and then venture in, weren't you, my dear?" he asked, laughing as his Ballama sighed, sitting on his shoulder.

[1.2]

[SpringsSong]

Aila could only smirk as she turned to Ekal once she heard his voice and the jingle of the chain around his neck.  She frowned as she looked at it, walking closer to him as she took it within her hands, sighing as she shook her head and walked closer to him.

"I'm sorry that I ever did that to you, Ekal," she said, moving closer to him as she wrapped her arms around his waist.  "It was not right of me to curse you in such a manner, Ekal—but that still does not justify your involvement with my sister, and I expect a full explanation of that," she said, stepping away from him, her eyes like blue steel as she took a hold of his chain again.

Aila, for the love of the Triumvirate, please—don't harm him any, Kaltai said, and Aila chuckled as she looked at the little Ballama.

"Please—as if I would harm him after everything we've been through together."

[1.4]

[SpringsSong]

Ekal had kind of expected Aila to inquire about his involvement with her older sister.  After all, Alyssa was Aila's guardian, and everything that Aila felt, Alyssa felt; likewise, everything that Alyssa felt, Aila felt.  It was only natural that Aila probably felt all of the rage that Alyssa felt towards him when it became apparent who he was.  He drew in a tentative breath as she took a hold of his chain a second time, her eyes becoming like blue steel.

"Aila… I didn't realize that that was Alyssa any more than she realized that I was who I am," he said.  "How was I supposed to remember that that was her dragon form; it had been twenty-five years since I'd seen her, and even when we were in the Pantheon together, I only saw her… what, maybe twice before we were sucked into the Portal?" he asked.

And there you go again, with the memory loss stories, Ekal… Jaem said.  Aila lost her memories of Mariah and Hairam—

"Yes, Jaem; however, she retained her memories of me," Ekal said.  "For a while after we were sucked through the portal, I was not as I am now."

[1.4]

[SpringsSong]

Aila listened with mild interest as she kept her eyes on Ekal, glancing momentarily to the Ballama when it spoke.  She could not help but chuckle; she, too, had lost some of her memories about who she really was when she first arrived in Evelon, but she knew that Alyssa never lost any of her memories from Re'klet, for she still remembered her obligation to protect her first and foremost.

"Indeed, you probably only met her in person on the day we became the Tenth Pantheon and on the day that you were brought before the Pantheon to explain your actions towards me," Aila said.  Alyssa had gone to the meeting in her stead, given their deep emotional connection with each other.  Kaltai glanced down at Aila, laughing as she shook her head.

You two—honestly, you make me laugh sometimes, she said.

"Glad we can provide you with some amusement, Kaltai…" Aila said in a slightly sarcastic voice.

[1.6]

[SpringsSong]

Ekal was definitely relieved that Aila was not any angrier than it seemed like she'd been when she initially took a hold of his chain, but then again, if there was one thing he knew about his darling Aila, it was that she was as unpredictable as the ocean she loved so dearly.  After a few moments of silence, though, he cleared his throat.

"So… Alyssa and Kuille, eh?" he asked.  "Never would've seen that one coming, honestly—actually, I don't think I would have seen any of the pairings in the Pantheon that have developed in the past few weeks, given the Foresight that Jaem's granted me; that is, with the exception of Nyera and Ciren.  Everyone knew it would only be a matter of time before he finally proposed to her."

Yeah, only because you wanted to know what to expect from all of your old friends, Ekal, Jaem said, rolling his eyes.  The connections within the Pantheon are becoming greatly evident as it is anyways.  I'm sure Aila is aware of some of them.

[1.6]

[SpringsSong]

"Yeah… I never would have thought that my stepson would end up with my sister," Aila said, laughing as she moved a little closer to Ekal.  "And I was honestly expecting that he would have proposed to her a lot sooner than he did, Ekal; she even told me she was starting to wonder if he ever would propose to her, you know.  And I've been surprised by some of the connections I've been feeling between some of the other Pantheon members—Ath'yeri and Kylistern, for instance; or Giada and Xadoc."

Aila, anyone from the Pantheon could see that Giada and Xadoc have a clear connection with one another, Kaltai said, rolling her eyes.  How about your cousin and the God of the Sun?

"Do not remind me that he has caught her eyes or that she has caught his, Kaltai; please," Aila said, rolling her eyes as she placed two fingers on her temples.  "That is the last thing I wanted to have to think about, but I suppose it's better than her being with Deraj."

[1.8]

[SpringsSong]

Ekal blinked in shock as this registered.

"Lairelithoniel and Tirmat?  Honestly?  Jaem, you didn't tell me about that one," he said, turning to his Ballama.  "You only told me about Ehecatl and Valisilwen, Giada and Xadoc, Maethorion and Sylira, Sairahiniel and Zaman, Fortunali and Quenaz…"

The others were not really of your concern, Ekal, Jaem said, laughing as Ekal shook his head, glaring back at the Ballama most pointedly.

"Let me guess, their connections were not yet starting to form, so you could not see them before this, am I right?" Ekal said, rolling his eyes as the Ballama chuckled again as he nodded.

[1.8]

[SpringsSong]

"Oh, I have a few more to add to that list, Ekal: Kylistern and Ath'yeri, Yesac and An'ama—not that we were unaware of this pairing—Bruicaunion and Yáviel, Ciren and Nyera, us… it seems that the Celestial Beings have quite the sense of humor when it comes to the pairings in the Pantheon.  After all, Maethorion had the hugest crush on Sairahiniel for the longest time…" Aila said, laughing as she looked into the mists of the forest.

Yes, but Sairahiniel never returned the affections, she said, laughing.  She never wanted to be with Maethorion because he was too protective of her.

"I know this, Kaltai," Aila said, looking back to Ekal.  "I had to sit through various sessions with her, Fortunali, and Yáviel where she would say that she felt like Maethorion would force her into a bond.  Now, let us step away from talk of the Pantheon," she said, turning to Ekal.  "Ciren told you about the expedition into the cursed caverns, didn't he?" she asked.

[2.0]

[SpringsSong]

Ekal rolled his eyes as he also placed a couple of fingers on his temples as Aila listed off some of the other pairs of the Pantheon.  Evidently, the Celestial Beings did have quite the sense of humor when it came to the pairings within the Pantheon.

"Bruicaunion… and Yáviel?  Honestly, that's something that I never saw coming.  Yesac and An'ama, though… they're practically meant for one another," he said, laughing as he shook his head.  "Kylistern and Ath'yeri, though… Fire and Ice.  It must be a little odd for you to have your stepson and stepdaughter to be forming a connection to one another?"

Opposites attract, Ekal… opposites attract, he said, but Ekal automatically turned his attentions to Aila's other question.

"Hm?  Oh!—you mean the expedition that Ciren said left him and Nyera in a period of strife before the Awakening?" Ekal said, laughing as he hugged Aila tightly.  "Of course he told me about it.  I figured that you and I could explore a slightly more… how to say, confusing place than a few haunted caverns."

[2.0]

[SpringsSong]

"Of course he told you about it… I never should have trusted him to keep the expedition a secret from you.  You're as bad as Nyera and I are with secrets," Aila said, shaking her head as she sighed.  "And it's a little odd to see my stepson and stepdaughter together, indeed.  However, they have no relation to one another whatsoever, so I am fine with it."

When Ekal mentioned the Awakening, she sighed as her Ballama laughed.

"Oh, the Awakening…" she said, her voice becoming distant.  "The Awakening is when Yesac decided to take Nyera into the Other World and try and make her his bride.  It is not a time I look back on fondly for this reason, Ekal.  Nyera has been and will always be one of my closest friends no matter how long we live.  To see her being taken captive by Yesac, another member of the Pantheon, take another member of the Pantheon and hold her against her will…"

[2.2]

[SpringsSong]

"I know, Aila—I felt your strife from afar, for you were already connected to her in a far stronger way than you were ever connected to Deraj.  Your connection to Deraj was as as a single thread of spider's silk, while your connection to Nyera was as strong as a steel cable," Ekal said.  "You have a truly special connection with Nyera, Aila; it is something that only comes every so often."

Yeah, let's just go ahead and propose to her now, Ekal… Jaem said, but Ekal shook his head.

"Do you remember how we felt when we first started dating, Aila?" he asked.  "Do you remember how you said that it felt like you and I were connected mentally somehow—like we were together even when we were in our separate homes across the forest of Nycisia?"

[2.2]

[SpringsSong]

"How could I forget about that, Ekal?—I remember how shocked you were that first time I utilized our saiken to talk to you.  I, too, was shocked—namely because I could feel your shock through the saiken, which I was not expecting to feel.  I thought that I was just going to be saying something to empty space when I initiated the contact," she said, laughing as she kissed his cheek.  "Do you even remember what it was I said?  I mean, I remember, but… I want to see if you remember."

Not everyone has your memory, Aila, Kaltai said, and Aila turned to her little Ballama spirit and gave it a sharp glare.

"And not everyone can vanish when they're in trouble like you can, Kaltai; if you want to hang around here, I suggest you shape up or disappear right this instant," she said, and the Ballama fell quiet as Aila returned her attentions to Ekal.

[2.4]

[SpringsSong]

Ekal laughed as he turned to face Aila, brushing some of her hair behind her ear as he kissed her cheek, holding her close as he started to walk a little further into the forest, where the trees started to be a little closer together.  Once they were there, Ekal allowed one of his hands to transform into a claw as he scratched their names into a tree trunk.

"You said that you weren't sure if I could hear you at first, but then, you laughed and said you were almost halfway home when I turned around to see if you were behind me.  You said that you weren't sure what you felt for me, but that if I felt something for you, even if it was just friendship, to let you know," he said, smiling as he kissed her cheek again.

"I never have forgotten what you said to me that day, Aila… though numerous years have passed since that happened."

[2.4]

[SpringsSong]

"Atlantia has told me that the first time that two members of the Pantheon use their saiken is a memory that neither of them will forget, no matter how much time has passed since they first utilized their saiken," Aila said, smiling as she took his hand and began walking deeper into the forest as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"By the way… have you been keeping up on Menaphne's training with Shadows?" she asked, smiling.  "Her Foresight is improving greatly, as is her Aftersight.  She's been helping me to recover my lost memories, but she refuses to speak on her training with Shadows to me."

She sighed as she looked away from Ekal for a few moments.  Menaphne was their adopted daughter, but in her heart, she knew that the Nonaga would never replace Mariah and Hairam in her heart.  However, for now, the Nonaga was the only family that Aila and Ekal had.

[2.6]