“HOME?!?!” Shouts Miyas with excitement.

Equally meeting Miyas’ excitement, Punkin shouts back in response, “YES! COME HOME! We have a farm!! We can play together. Do you wanna play with me?”

Taken aback by Punkin’s enthusiasm, Miyas wells up with skepticism. “I know the farm. I was raised there too. Your mother was a good friend to me.”

Turning away from Punkin and Cer, Miyas scowls as a tear drops from her eyes. “That isn’t my home. This is where I belong. This is where they all left me! ALONE!”

Reaching out to hug Miyas, Punkin frowns with sadness. “You not alone anymore. I’ll be your friend.”

Without looking back, Miyas looks up to the sky and whispers, “Friends can’t leave if you don’t have any. Nobody can forget what they never knew.”

And without warning, Miyas launches into the sky and disappears.

“Awww. She left…” pouts Punkin.

“It’s okay, She may have just lost her way. We will find her.” Cer reassures Punkin while patting her on her head.

“How? This is her home… how is she lost?” Asks a confused Punkin.

Reassuring Punkin while tracking Miyas’ ley lines and aura, Cer speaks to Punkin without looking at her. “We can live someplace and still not be home. We can call it home and not feel at home. We can say this is where we belong and not actually feel that we belong. To belong, is to be longed for. It is sad she has lost the sense that anyone longs for her company. Don’t worry, we will find her and she’ll know she belongs with the Apiary.”

Sighing before chuckling, Cer taps Punkin’s head to signal that they must start walking. “That sly bunny. She didn’t actually jump off and fly away. She jumped and made an illusion that she flew away and just ran off. She can’t be far. Come let’s go find her.”

With a large grin forming on her face and transforming into an uncontrollable smile, Punkin speaks aloud, undirected to anyone. “Oooh so she wants to play… Come out. Come out. Where you are. I’m gonna get you!”

Following behind Punkin carefully as she rushes back and forth checking for signs of Miyas, Cer smiles and walks in a casual yet gingerly gait.

-Break-

After walking and searching for hours, Punkin notices a glowing light near some snow covered rocks.

“Daddy? What’s that?” Asks Punkin.

“What’s what?” Responds Cer.

“That light!” Points Punkin before running towards the emanating light.

“WAIT!” Shouts Cer, stumbling and ignoring the bruises and near falls as Cer runs after Punkin. I see it now! That aura feels immense. Why couldn’t I see it before Punkin did? I need to get to her first.

“It’s okay daddy. I’m okay. It’s a flower!” Giggles Punkin as she nears the glowing flower with a single bud. “It’s so pretty. It’s crying, daddy. I feel it, daddy.”

“Don’t touch it!” Shouts Cer as Cer catches up to Punkin.

“I wanna hug it, daddy. It’s sad.” Frowns Punkin as she turns around to hug Cer’s leg.

“This is an Atma bud. This is a very special flower, Punkin. Like people, it responds to the environment around it. It will grow towards the light or resources it defines it needs. It will either grow into a tree that is poisonous and toxic to everything around it, or it will bear shade, light, fruit, and comfort to the things around it. It has healing properties as it is now. If we pluck it, we can exploit it to heal many ailments and diseases and make medicine for people suffering… but it will slowly kill the plant. What do you want to do, Punkin?”

“Wait, it will die? But it needs healing, daddy.” pouts Punkin.

“I know. We all do.” Responds Cer, smiling and proud of Punkin’s response.

“Can we save it daddy?” Asks Punkin, as she drops to her knees and begins to build a snow wall around it.

“We cannot save anything, Punkin. We can give it the resources it needs, but ultimately, it will need to respond to its environment and adjust to survive.” Responds Cer, observing Punkin’s aura of sadness shift into an aura of anguish, then determination, then hope, then appreciation, then joy, and finally serenity.

“Can we move it, daddy? It’s cold here.” Asks Punkin, cupping the space around the flower while looking up at Cer with anticipation.

Crouching down to blow warm breath onto the Atma bud, Cer gives into Punkin’s request. “That we can do. We can move it without plucking it. When the flower withers and begins to suffer, we do not exploit it or destroy it; we change the resources and environment the flower is in and let it heal so it can thrive. I am proud of you, Pupu.”

“My child wishes to invite you to safety, to house you and nourish you with no ill-intent. May we explore your roots and transplant you to where you can thrive and be your best self as you define it?” Cer asks the plant while scooping away the cold snow and frozen ice from the base of the flower and the ground surrounding it.

“You are okay, flower. We’ll build you a home.” smiles Punkin as she helps Cer dig the flower from the ground.

As they cup the decaying roots with their warming hands, the flower glows brighter and warmer.

“Give it breath, Pupu. Like you warm your hands with life, breathe on it.” Smiles Cer, exuding reverence for Punkin.

As Punkin breathes warm air onto the flower, a tear of nectar travels to the corner of a petal and lands on the ground, to where several small sprouts spring from underneath the snow, breaking the coldness of the land.

-Break-

After a short distance, Cer and Punkin find a small alcove with a natural overhang hidden within a circle of snow covered rocks where the flower can be protected from possible poachers and the elements.

While Cer plants the flower, Punkin asks Cer how else they can help the flower. “So what now, daddy. I think it’s hungry. I knows it.”

“Gather snow for me. We will feed it sweet honey water.” responds Cer as Cer continues to breathe warmth unto the flower.

As condensation builds on the flower, the snow around the flower melts and sprouts spring slowly from the ground around the flower.

Cer pours some honey on the base of the flower while humming.

Cer then drips three drops of Cer’s tears onto the base of the flower from a vial drawn from Cer’s pocket, and whispers. “May you never forget the experience of our care and kindness. May you nourish and be nourished by everything around you. May you build the home you deserve.”

Stepping back to admire their efforts, Punkin and Cer realize that the area around them was actively transforming and sprouting brush, plants, and trees as they tended to the Atma bud.

“When you change the environment of the individuals that wither, they in turn become part of and change the environment they are in, Pupu. Don’t ever forget that. We will always influence whatever we touch.” Cer responds while sighing in relief.

“Oooooh. Nice.” grunts a hidden child-like voice.

Whispering, Punkin turns to Cer. “I think she is here.”

Chuckling, Cer speaks aloud in response to Punkin, knowing very well Miyas is listening. “Me too, Pupu. She has been watching us closely. Sometimes we don’t have to go finding what we think is lost. It will find its way back to us.”

“I’m not lost. You are! You came here to my islands. Just because you can save that plant doesn’t mean you belong here.” shouts Miyas as she steps out of an illusion ripple in the air, waving her ribbon wands.

“You can leave Cer. But she can stay. I have a gift for you.” Announces Miyas as she redirects her attention to Punkin.

“I’ve missed you too, Miyas. Welcome home.” Chuckles Cer.

Ignoring Cer’s comments, Miyas continues addressing Punkin. “You are special. You are more like your mother than you are like him. Your mother asked me to watch over and protect her gift until someone special comes along. I think she always knew you’d be special. I think she knew I’d love you too and planned it all. I think she wanted us to meet. I can still feel her. So I can’t always stay mad at her. Can you feel her? She shows up in my dreams. Come with me. We will dream together. You will know her love like I did.”

She’s the one. She has to be. She healed the dying Atma. Oh, Claira. I failed you. I will not fail your daughter. It didn’t choose me, now I can see why. She is the one we’ve been waiting for. She is everything we need and could have ever dreamed of. I think IT will choose her.