Green leaves, brown bark, the sound of rustling branches and birds. Cosmo can help but be a bit surprise by the sight of a normal forest and how clean the air feels when compared to his home.
"Sia…" Cosmo speaks as Sia steps out the forest, unable to meet his gaze.
She turns away, shaking, holding herself back. "I…I…"
Cosmo walks towards her, causing her to flinch.
"Don't!" She stretches out her arms, trying to hold him back. She wanted to see him one last time. She was strong enough to hold back her urges this entire time, but when Cosmo called her name something flips inside her.
She quickly reaches into a bag and takes out a handful of suppression pills to throw into her mouth.
Cosmo dashes towards her, his hands gently cupping over hers, blocking the pills. She wanted to fight back, to pull away, but a strange sensation was draining her strength. All she can do was look down in shame.
"P-please…"
***
On the day Cosmo went missing, the succubuses of Bushvee village were in a frenzy in their search, every corner and crevices of the village turned inside out.
When they concluded that he wasn't in the village, they gathered in the town hall, a map set out.
"I can check the trade route first, if he's on foot, I can find him." Nelly proposed, but was met with a sudden, tense stare.
"No." Verra interjects, her gaze knowing. "Sia…" She says without looking at her sister. "You check the trade route, if you find him, bring him back, if you haven't, patrol the border." Verra ordered, her voice sharp and threatening. "I'll lead a team to check these areas and move south." Sia wanted to argue back, that they should just let him go, they should know why he ran, but when she looks at the other lesser succubuses, only to see the frenzied lust in their eyes.
It was something she couldn't blame them for feeling, as finding Cosmo was the only thing on her mind as well.
***
Sia dashed along the trade route, keeping her eye out for her Cosmo thinking about all the things she would say, how sorry she was. When she reached the edge of the forest, she thought about all the things they could do, what she could do to make him feel safe. As she patrolled the border, she was skipping and hopping, giggling at her own dreams with Cosmo, "When we go back, I can teach Verra how to cook your favorite stew! Oh, I could go with Nelly for the next trade to see if they have that book you wanted!" Sia was lost in her own world, thinking about all the things they can do.
"Then we can ****** and ******, ******, with *******" Sia slapped herself, those thoughts surfacing again. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a suppression pill and eats one, but it only calms her nerves, the thoughts still hammer at the back of her head.
***
"Cosmo… I" Sia's voice is quivering, fearing that without those pills, she won't be able to act like 'herself', that she might do something terrible to him.
"Mom." He response as Sia finally meet Cosmo's eyes, his gaze is… warm as he's smiling.
"Why?" She whimpers, the feeling of guilt hits her. "Because of me… of us… you had to run…" She knew all too well about their succubus nature and took every opportunity to prevent it from surfacing and making Cosmo feel overwhelmed and threatened.
Cosmo pulls her in and hugs her tightly.
"I can never hate you or them." He whispers, "You all raised and love me, and I won't run away from that." He lets her go and holds her in front of him. "I want to see more of this world."
Sia can't help but be in shock that Cosmo, despite being chased and hunted down for the past two weeks, by the very people that raised him no less, can say such things right now. Her heart's a flutter, a warm sensation washes over as she can't help but feel pride.
"You're such a sweet boy." She praises Cosmo, laughter building in her lungs.
"Thanks! And don't worry, I was raised in Bushvee, I can take whatever this world can throw at me," Cosmo pulls her in close, planting a kiss on her forehead. "So please, stop taking those things…"
Sia's eyes were wide open, her hands tighten around his hands, something was telling her that something big was going to happen once he lets go.
"C-Cosmo…" Pleading, staring into his eyes, begging him not to let go, but Cosmo pets the top of her head.
"I'm sorry for causing you all to act in such a way, so the least I could do and take responsibility for it." And with a smile, he pulls his hands away, and Sia's world bursts with colors. The stars shines brightly, the winds soothing on her skin. She looks at Cosmo's as he stands and walks into the forest, his back looking huge and strong despite his slim figure.
Cosmo turns his head and looks at Sia, at the succubuses, at the Wild Forest.
"I'll make sure to write, and I'll visit when I get the chance!" He waves before rushing into the world.