They Can Hear Our Hearts Beat

Willa had done her job and soon the cat returned with the Armada boy in tow. Kotori ducked below the willow branches and Ikigai smiled up at him, the corners of her red tipped eyes lifting. The boy complimented her cat and Iki grinned again. "Thank you. Willa is a great help to me." The feline picked her way up the crystal covered tree and disappeared into the branches above.

Kotori asked if she needed help and the pallid princess gave her head a shake. "No, I just wanted to get out of Ashen for a while and thought you might need a break from the Armada?" It was a question. Had he needed a break just like she had? Hopefully she hadn't pulled him away from something important. Suddenly the girl was a little less sure of herself. Dark ears swiveled backwards and she looked away.

What were the crystals? Iki didn't know. She gave her head a little shake before extending one paw to gently touch the crystals that had gathered upon a nearby rock. As the soft pads of her dexterous digits made contact, the crystal flared to life. Bright blue light poured from the gemlike growth and a soft gasp pulled from the girl. "Did you see that?" As if on cue, tons of the blinking blue lights that pretended to be fireflies appeared beneath the willows canopy.

"X"