Woolyne: Winter Solstice 2023

"Kou, Faye," said Sion, running up to them.

"It's SION!" cried Faye, loud enough that a few stalactites fell from a house nearby. 

"Hey," said Kou. 

"What are you two doing here?" asked Sion as he reached them. 

He was happy to see them, happier than he thought he would be. That they were there meant that they cared, right? More than he had thought.

"Actually, we were waiting for you," said Kou. 

"Do you want to go see the fireworks with my brother?" asked Faye, interrupting Kou. 

"The fireworks?" 

"Faye, you spoiled the surprise!"

"You were asking too slow—" 

"That doesn't matter, it's my invitation." Kou puffed his cheeks in annoyance. 

Sion was stunned. First, they had waited in the cold outside of a bandit's lair for him, and now he was getting invited by Kou to go see some fireworks? He was ecstatic, but he didn't want to appear as he was too desperate for attention. After all, he was now training to become a man, and even if he hadn't initially been a fan of the idea he still felt as if he had to stick with it. 

"I'd like to come," he said, "if you need someone to come with you." 

"I don't need someone to come with me," said Kou. "I can handle myself fine on my own. But I... sort of wanted to invite you. Because I sort of thought that it might be fun. I remember that last year you told me that you had never seen fireworks before." 

"Yeah.," said Sion, still playing it cool.

And the Winter Solstice Fireworks in Lorness was one of the most fantastical memories of his early life too. He remembered the wonder and the amazement he had felt back then. He had almost forgotten that they would be back this year, he couldn't wait to see them again. 

"Why didn't you come back for a visit?" asked Faye. 

"A visit?" 

"Yeah, at our place. So that we can play some other games." 

"Ah," said Sion. Had he been invited to come back and forgot? He couldn't remember if he had been. "I... erm... for no reason in particular." 

"You know you're invited," said Kou. 

He reached out for Sion's hand, took it, and held it. Even though he had spent a while in the cold, it was still warm. It made Sion's heart beat faster in his chest, that Kou would hold his hand. 

"Did you think that you weren't invited because of Tav and the other?" he asked. 

"Tav?" repeated Sion. 

"I heard them brag about how they made you cry and bullied you when they saw you yesterday." 

"I didn't cry," said Sion, a little upset. "I barely felt their stupid ice they were throwing at me. And one of them missed." 

"HAH!" said Faye. "Tav is the stinkiest." 

"Yeah, he really is," said Kou. "He's a meanie, but dad said that's because he got lots of problems at home and that no one would want to be in his shoes if they could help it. I think that's good, the Goddess is punishing him for being so mean." 

"Stinkiest..." repeated Faye. 

"He does it to everyone he can," continued Kou. "Like, he did it to me a bit, and then I started avoiding him. A lot of the kits that are with him are younger than him so they do what he says." 

So it was sort of like... a Cag, but as a kit, thought Sion. Someone who was strong and mean, and so they commanded people who were less strong but just as mean than him. 

"I see," said Sion. 

"He'll be at the fireworks, but I think he'll be alone there. And if we're two, we'll have nothing to fear from him. Especially if you transform into your scary form a bit." 

Sion was suddenly a little embarrassed. "I don't know if I'm allowed to transform," he said. 

"Well, if you have to, you can't just like... not transform. You know, the one that was watching the snowball match, she won't be there. And she anyway always is against fun stuff." 

"I didn't see your monster form, but I heard it's so cool," said Faye. "Can you show it to me? Can I see it?" 

"Erm..." 

"Another time, Faye. Now's not it." 

"Yeah, another time," said Sion. "I'll show you." 

"Pinky promise?" said Faye as she squinted her eyes at him. 

"Yeah. Sure. Pinkie promise.” 

Faye insisted that they held pinkies to promise "for real" after this, which Sion did while Kou rolled his eyes. Sion liked Faye, he liked how excitable she was and how much energy she put into everything. He didn't regret protecting her. 

"You're so cool," she told Sion fervently once he had promised. "You're the coolest." 

Sion caught himself smiling. 

Kou then had him agree on a meeting spot and a meeting time for the fireworks, which were to take place tomorrow night. And, of course, he was invited to come and play at their home. 

"I don't think I can," said Sion. "I think that Cag - that's the leader - wants me to train some more. Get better at shifting." 

"Ah..." said Kou, visibly disappointed. "Yeah, so, like, is it hard?" 

"A little," said Sion. "Because he wants me to be fast. But I'm getting better at it, I think. Or at least I will." 

He'll have to.

"Well, I guess I can't tell you to come. But you'll come to the fireworks?" 

"Of course!" 

"I want to come too, but I'll be with dad and mom," said Faye. "I'm too small to go on my own in the evening. Not even Stella has the right to do THAT." 

"I see," said Sion. 

"Anyway, I'm starting to get cold, and mom is going to get worried. But I'll tell her that you said yes to the invitation," said Kou. 

They bid each other goodbye (Faye made him pinky promise that he would show his shifted form again) and Sion went back inside with a huge smile on his face. 

Bell didn't comment, but he was smiling too.