Everything is so incredibly warm. I can hear a crackling fire nearby, and I can feel its warmth on my feet. But, wait a second... my feet?

I lift my eyelids to reveal the roof of the cabin that Kiichi and I call home. I sit up and look at my legs. They look as if I didn't have a battle at all. That said, my body doesn't hurt at all.

I attempt to wiggle my toes, and they respond accordingly. Then, moving my legs to the edge of my bed, I stand up and look around. Kiichi is nowhere to be seen. Was the battle just a dream?

The door to the cabin swings open, and there stands Kiichi, baring a load of firewood. He takes one look at me, and the wood he's carrying drops to the ground. Then, sprinting across the room, he embraces me and begins to cry.

Kiichi: "I'm so sorry, Adachi. We should have planned for longer... I shouldn't have made you do such a thing! I'm so sorry."

So, it wasn't a dream at all. The battle with the beast happened. But if that's the case, why am I in excellent condition? Don't tell me.

Adachi: "Kiichi, did you feed me a Dodona seed?"

Kiichi is silent and ends our embrace. His hands remain on my shoulders, but he can't look me in the eyes.

Kiichi: "All my talk about the greed of humans and their selfish extermination of the Dodona trees... Adachi, I'm truly a hypocrite."

Adachi: "What are you talking about, Kiichi? You only used one seed, right? We still have so many left!"

Kiichi looks away from me and towards the fire.

Kiichi: "I used them all, Adachi. I gave you every seed from the fruit you picked and every seed from the tree in the cave."

Adachi: "What? Why?!"

Kiichi sighs and goes over to the firewood he had dropped. Then, gathering each piece, he begins to regale the events that I had missed.

Kiichi: "When I killed that midstless and found you, I already knew that I would lean on the power of the Dodona to save you. Your body was so broken and tattered when I found you that I worried I couldn't make it home in time. It's a miracle that you hadn't died already. When I brought you home and fed you a seed, I expected you to make a full recovery. As I waited for your injuries to disappear, I grew more and more anxious. As it turns out, the healing properties of the Dodona tree were grossly exaggerated. After feeding you ten seeds, your shattered arm was fully healed. After each seed that I fed you, I pricked the bottom of your feet to see them react, but your spine was still broken. After exhausting the Dodona seeds that we had, I went to pick more. I brought back every fruit on that tree and fed you the seeds from each one. Before I knew it, I was down to the very last seed. I poked your foot with a needle to prompt a reaction, but you were still paralyzed. I fed you the very last seed without hesitation. When I pricked your foot, it finally twitched."

Adachi: "It took every seed to heal me? I'm so sorry, Kiichi. If I had been stronger, then you wouldn't have had to-"

Kiichi: "No, Adachi. You have nothing to apologize for. I have something I need to admit."

For the first time since this conversation began, Kiichi looked me directly in the eye.

Kiichi: "Adachi, I saved you not because of selfless reasons. I did it because I'm terrified of losing you. I've already lost too much in my life. I wasn't willing to give you up. Truthfully, that's the reason I didn't train you sooner. I was afraid that when you became strong enough, you wouldn't need me anymore..."

Adachi: "Don't be ridiculous, Kiichi. You're the man who raised me, fed me, clothed me, and cared for me. Even if, one day, I leave this place, I will return. You have my word."

Kiichi: "I'm sorry for doubting you, Adachi. I suppose this is what they call irrational fear."

So Kiichi dealt with a fear of abandonment. I never guessed that a man so strong would suffer from something like this.

Adachi: "I'm sorry for not noticing your fears sooner, Kiichi. And I'm sorry that there are no more Dodona seeds left."

Kiichi: "It's okay. How do you feel, by the way?"

Adachi: "Better than ever. Those seeds made me healthier than I was before."

Kiichi: "I'm glad. When you hadn't woken up for two weeks, I became quite worried you had some unseen affliction."

Adachi: "Two weeks?!"

Come to think of it, Kiichi didn't have a beard when we went to the grove, and now he's grown quite a large one.

Adachi: "Two weeks, huh? I guess I should go stretch my legs then."

I walk over to the door and fasten my shoes. Then, as I'm about to leave the cabin, I turn to Kiichi.

Kiichi: "Also, you should shave that beard of yours. It's become unruly."

Kiichi strokes his beard in surprise.

Kiichi: "That it has! Have a good walk, Adachi."

I close the door and begin to walk. I suppose I'll go to the Dodona tree to pay my respects.

A little while later, I enter the chamber where the Dodona tree stands. Sitting down with my back to the tree, I look up at its empty branches.

Thank you for your sacrifice, Dodona tree. Without those seeds, I would never have walked again. Sorry, we couldn't restore your species.

Gazing up at the tree, I see something hiding behind a thick clump of branches. It can't be.

Charging midst into my legs, I leap up to the top branch of the tree and grab the hiding object. If only it were this easy before!

I land on the ground, causing a massive impact. Looking down at my hand, I see an especially small Dodona fruit. Just wait until I tell Kiichi!