The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 39: Rest

"You aren't going to kill her?"

"No, and you won't either," the healer snapped. "You saw her Reality, too."

"And does that change the past?" Vao challenged. "My mum's still dead, your mum's still dead. Tim, Pock, they're gone. And she helped with that."

"Because she was promised some sort of fantasy," Yin muttered. He dug around in his pockets, counting his money before handing it to his brother. "Make yourself useful and go buy me a new staff. I still need to heal everybody."

Vao glared at him. "... Don't talk to me that way."

They stared each other down before Vao stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Yin felt a bit bad. He knew Vao would still be angry at Jasper, but the healer didn't think it was deserved. Not after everything she had been through. He turned his head when he heard a small cough, his blue eyes resting on the fairy. Her green eyes fluttered open, her chest heaving with another wet cough. She tried to sit up, but Yin pressed a finger against her forehead and pushed her back down.

"Don't bother trying to get up," he muttered. "At least wait before I get my new staff."

The fairy looked up at him, and then around the room. She didn't recognize her surroundings. "W... W-where...?"

"Faralda," Yin answered gruffly, taking a breath from his cigarette. "Carried you here so you could recover."

Jasper didn't understand it. Her eyes began to water, the fairy sitting up again. "But... But why...?"

Yin shook his head, snuffing the cigarette butt on his heel and leaning back on the bed, the softness helping him relax just a bit. "... Felt like it."

That wasn't enough for Jasper. "But... I-I killed people-"

"Did you want to?"

"N-no, but-"

"Then shut up, lay down, and get some rest."

Jasper had been unconscious when Summer had died. She didn't know, but she suspected something had happened. She laid back down, staring at the ceiling. After a moment of silence, Yin spoke again.

"... You know about Realities?"

Jasper nodded quietly. "... A... A little... I heard Mono talking to Lord Vao about it..."

Yin sighed. He wanted another cigarette. "... I saw yours. Saw the things you went through," he grumbled. He could see Jasper stiffen out of the corner of his eye. "... That's why I brought you back. Some people might not see it the way I do, but I think you're just misunderstood. You were manipulated."

Jasper felt her heart break. She didn't deserve that, and she knew it. "I... T-tried to kill you-"

"Half the world wants me dead."

"I k-killed your friends-"

"You did it because you thought you had to."

He was stubborn. Jasper was running out of excuses. She stared up at the ceiling, listening to the rain tap on the window outside. She didn't get it.

She just didn't get it at all. Yin sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair. His mouth tasted terrible from the smoke. The door slammed open, Vao tossing the staff on the bed next to his brother, quickly followed by the pouch of coins that he was supposed to use to buy it.

"There, take it. And don't go showing it off around town, either."

Yin sat up, glaring at his brother. "... You stole it, didn't you?"