(POV: Kiko & Moko)
The island smelled different after the descent into the roots.
Not just fresher—but brighter. Like sunlight had finally reached a place it had long forgotten.
And no one felt that more keenly than a certain small horned girl, currently bouncing on a low stone wall near the village square.
"Okay, Moko! Stay still!"
The creature blinked.
Moko was, in essence, a magical guardian beast with crystalline fur, glowing horns, and enough latent magic to ward off an invading army. But right now, he looked like a very confused oversized fox sitting patiently as Kiko tried to tie a garland of cherry blossoms around his neck.
"Papa says it's a special festival tonight! So you have to wear your flower thingy. Everyone does."
Moko's ears twitched. "...Yip?"
"That's a yes," Kiko decided, nodding firmly.
She stepped back, proud of her work. The flowers glowed faintly against Moko's crystal-blue fur, like tiny lanterns in twilight.
"Perfect! You're officially part of the village now!"
Moko yawned and sprawled across the grass, tail flicking like a lazy ribbon.
He had seen many things in his long, dream-like sleep beneath the island. Visions of war, sorrow, and fear. But this… this new world? It was peaceful.
A girl with warm hands.A village full of laughter.The scent of grilled mushrooms and salt air.
This was not the world he had remembered.But maybe it was the one he had always hoped for.
Preparations and Play
"Papa said the Heart Festival used to be a private thing," Kiko explained to Moko, now skipping down the path beside him. "But now that you're here, and we found the Big Tree Underneath, we're making it a real thing for everyone!"
Villagers bustled about, hanging soft paper lanterns between trees and laying long cloth tables through the town square. Sierra enchanted petals to swirl gently in the wind without ever falling to the ground, like cherry blossoms that never withered.
Duncan was sharpening festival cooking knives like it was a battlefield. Raphtael was organizing songs and softly glowing bracelets for the children. Reina? She just stood on the outskirts, arms crossed, quietly letting the kids hang ribbons on her belt. She never said no.
Moko watched it all with a slow tail wag.
They were so different. So loud. So full of life.And yet, they welcomed him like he'd been here forever.
That Night, Under Lantern Light
As the sun dipped beyond the horizon, the village shimmered with colors.
Lanterns danced in the air. Music drifted like a lullaby across the breeze. Plates clinked, fireflies swirled, and laughter rolled out from the square in waves.
Kiko held Moko's paw—well, one of them—as they walked through the crowd together.
"I think you're the softest person here," she whispered.
Moko tilted his head.
"That's a compliment," she added.
Ryuuji, dressed in a new robe Elysia had helped sew, waved from his seat near the main fire pit. "Moko behaving?"
"He's a gentleman!" Kiko called.
"I believe you!" Ryuuji laughed, sipping a sweet plum drink.
Elysia, ever regal in a flowing white dress embroidered with gold thread, stood beside Ryuuji with a smile that could melt glaciers. Her dragon eyes met Moko's briefly—and to everyone's surprise, she gave him a respectful bow.
Even Moko tilted his head in shock.
"I honor what you chose to protect," she said.
Moko blinked, then gave a long, polite tail sweep.
It seemed mutual respect had been earned.
Wishes in the Wind
When the moon rose high, Kiko led Moko to the center of the village where a small tree—the sapling from the Heart Vault seed—had been planted.
It glowed gently with golden leaves.
Beneath it, the villagers hung their wish leaves—soft slips of parchment that shimmered when written with magic ink.
Kiko helped Moko write one.
She held his paw and scribbled carefully:
"I wish Moko always has a warm place to sleep and full belly snacks."
Moko yipped once in agreement.
Kiko added one for herself:
"I wish everyone who loves Papa Ryuuji stays safe forever."
She didn't tell anyone what she wrote.
But when she hung it on the sapling, the wind seemed to giggle around her.
A Night to Remember
Later, as the stars twinkled overhead and villagers began drifting off to sleep, Kiko lay curled up next to Moko beneath the sapling tree.
"You're not a scary guardian beast," she whispered sleepily.
"You're my Moko."
Moko stretched his limbs slowly, letting his crystal fur shimmer in the moonlight.
No whispers of pain.
No dreams of rot.
Just the sound of fire crackling in the distance, soft snoring from nearby homes, and a girl who had claimed his heart with kindness.
He could protect this.He wanted to protect this.
And he would.