Late afternoon, the sun was finally beginning to dip to the side, a marker of the day nearing its end.
The doors to the underground area burst open, the four plus one were moving with haste, trees whistling with the wind blowing through them, the dirt marking their gait.
Ag with a more bulging backpack as the Ginereros skins were packed, in Arron's hands, held a jar with the dead mushroom in it, its roots twisted around the inside from being shoved roughly inside, Qier simply following, while Olivia was holding something peculiar.
Cupped in her hands was soil, and on top was Cari, roots still unleashed, their immaterial form noticeable, coiling around the soil, having a firm grip on the clump Olivia now holds.
They had collected all the remains of the mushrooms, but Cari's body refused to budge, so Olivia attempted to dig him out, and as if on reaction, they all felt something shifting below, in the earth, giving them quite a scare.
Continuing to dig in spite of that, Olivia found Cari's roots surrounding the soil in his immediate surroundings, still moving, finding the optimal grasp.
Not giving time to let anything happen, they grabbed her and left; unknowing whether it was Cari who caused it.
Which indeed it was.
Arriving back at the village, now mostly absent of villagers besides the armored ones and a few others walking by.
Pushing open the doors at the infirmary, a small room with a desk linked to the wall, no one occupied it, a door to the left and right, the four ran into the room on the right.
Within, multiple cabinet and tables laid across the walls, most bare of anything, few only occupied by various containers of woven baskets and small metal casings, listing various batches of herbs and medicine, fewer held equipment made of a strange mishmash of wood and metal, moreso the former than the latter.
Qier grabbed one that looked like a stethoscope, its exterior almost entirely of a red wood besides a line of metal drawn from the ear plugs, down the cord, to the plate, where only the inner part was of metal, the wood surrounding it had a concave swirling pattern, with its centermost a smooth blue gem.
Ag entered the room, holding a pot.
Placing Cari in, rather oversized but okay, Olivia went to grab another tool.
Arron took the tool from Qier, plugged them in his ears, and placed the other end on top of Cari's head.
Barely noticed or more noted, outlining the ends of the plate glowed a faint blue, circling into the indents, within, words akin to those of the lamp Cari inspected before made themselves apparent, apart from the wood's texture.
The wood slowly began to shift, as if it were alive, beginning to cup to Cari's head.
Arron listened closely, however, since the moment it was placed, there was only a constant, strong-
~HMMMMMMM~
'I know he's his own species, but what race has a body that does something like- whatever this is?'
Taking the bell[1] off of him, with it stretching back to its normal shape, still shining with its faint blue, he placed it on his stem, it reshaping once again to cover as much surface area as possible.
Same thing, nothing but-
~HMMMMMMM~
'Given its constant throughout the body, I can only assume this is the normal of his body, constantly radiating activity, but to tell what that activity is and if he's alright...'
Surveying Cari once again, he can only sigh, unable to give a proper diagnosis.
"Here's the Life Reader Dad.", Olivia handing a strange device, a cord connected to multiple gemstones, these ones rough and faceted to multiple degrees, various colors, shapes, even textures, all connected, uniting into one cord stretching into one solid, circular metal plate, multiple bulbs were affixed across its top, green, red, blue, purple, white, and more colors beyond their perception, appearing black or simply transparent.
Some things in this world lived in such ways that by some they are not even classified as alive by their standards, some have hearts, others lived for as long as their brain was alive, some didn't even have physical organs!
Life had grown so complex, out of control, to the point it was hard to tell when something was alive and when something was dead, at least for a portion of the races out there; even among the similar humanoid races, there were those whose bodies operated in entirely different ways.
This device was made with the union of all the race's knowledge of their biology to where no matter the type of life, it will be determined and shown, dim would mean dead, bright, alive.
This was especially needed for the races that were a union of different ones, as when such convoluted matches happened, nature tends to not actually pick one but a meld of both.
Having trouble placing any of them on Cari, Ag pointed out the roots, to which they buried under the soil as close to the roots as possible.
Once the machine was on, light immediately shone from between the crevices of the dirt, almost like a rainbow.
"That shouldn't be happeni-"
The machine reacted how one recoils to something terrifying, even jerking slightly.
All the lights began to go off one after the other, only a few seemed absent.
Only growing stronger and stronger.
Arron wasted no time to turn the device off, to which it didn't even respond to him pressing the button as there were few to no lights off now, before he pulled the cords out underneath the soil, the machination finally reacting normally and turning off.
They all stared at the device then back at Cari.
They all seemed to share the same thought-
'Just whatis Cari?'
With only one speaking it.
"Just what is Cari?"
Ruminating in silence, Arron gave his verdict after a moment.
"I can't tell his condition, however, given the extreme of his body's activity, overall, I can say there isn't any damage, but I cannot tell if the level of activity is normal or higher, implying the body's reaction to something abnormal."
The situation seemed to finally begin deescalating with his words, however, with it, new damages began to emerge.
Adrenaline finally taking a back seat, both Ag and Olivia sat beside Cari; with only one chair to his right, Olivia offered it to Ag, but he declined, and she didn't push further, him seated on the table, against the wall, one foot on the table, the other on the ground.
Their eyes noticeably struggling to stay open and still.
While Qier left to the main lobby, Arron watched them move about after his comment, all left to ruminate on this event.
Seeing their lethardic actions, and that silence, he knew they weren't alright.
'They didn't seem that bad after the monster attack, so why does this have them all shaken?'
He could only ponder for now...and then act proactively to fix this.
"Ag, can you please hand me the bag?"
"Oh, right, here."
Passing it to Olivia, who passed it to him, Arron grabbed it and slung it on his back.
Before grabbing the cause of all this, the dead mushroom, set aside to another table, he spoke.
"I'm going to talk with Mom and be right back, okay?"
"Ok."
"Alright."
Both he and she sounded back, Arron left the room, repeating it to Qier, who just nodded on the seat in the lobby, they all seemed lost in thought.
Once out the door, he looked from the jar in his hand, to the building, only getting hints of just what is wrong in the back of their heads.
"I need Lula's help with them."
He walked towards one of the guard's, asking for her whereabouts.
• • • • •
'What did I see?'
'Why do I feel so conflicted?'
'Please be okay...'
Each child, Qier, Ag, and Olivia, felt different about the happenings of these events, despite sharing the same ones.
Olivia, scared for her new friend's life, recreated by her own experiences with that parasitic beast before, its tendrils slithering into her body, leaching...
Qier, absent of mind from these events, yet thoughtful of just what was in front of him, that figure and shape, that pressure, that uniting feeling of comfort yet expectation, of growth, change...
Ag, his mind swirling, fears reopening of losing those he loves, anxiety of losing one that saved those he could not, if she even qualifies as a loved one for him to feel this way toward, to even his own subconscious thoughts of wanting to not see her like that, to escape these awful feelings; being aware of it all only making these thoughts worse and worse, bearing a burden he cannot possibly begin to even-
"You okay?"
His heavy eyes, clenched shut, opened, tears coming out as he looks to the side, a hand on his shoulder, looking across the table, seeing Oliva, her body quivering, her eyes were watery.
His thoughts and emotions slowed considerably as his focus was now elsewhere.
"... I don't think either of us are."
"Hah...always the perceptible one."
His hand rose, resting on top of hers, lifting off his shoulder, interlocking as they fell to the table, taking in each other's comfort as both their hands adjusted in the others grasp.
"I...just can't stop worrying, fearing, for her life...for my own, if Cari didn't arrive then to save me, I wouldn't be here, and now, seeing her like this, like how I was? Being unable to do anything to help her? I can't-"
Her lungs tightened as she got everything out, that last bit coming as a gasp, her grip tightening, tears falling as she looked down, her hair obscuring her face.
'Making this about me...huh? How pathet-'
"Cari saved me."
Looking up instantly, her wide eyes meeting his.
Looking away, his eyes lost, Ag continued, "When I pulled you away, one of those spores were going to hit me, but Cari jumped and took it for me, and all I could do was run, make sure what she did wasn't a waste.
My head, all I felt was buzzing, even as I ran, "Why did she do that?", "Why did I do that?", doubt, fear of losing her, it was the same panic when I thought I was going to lose you, Qier, I... I-"
His shoulders tensed as he couldn't get the last thing out, gagging slightly, but with a deep breath, he calmed, and spoke.
"I could, so viscerally, feel how much I didn't want to see her as I see both you and Qier, people I care about- love, just to avoid all these horrible feelings, I- they were just too much, I-"
His speech was becoming sproadic, rapid, but before it could escalate further, their hands broke apart, Olivia abruptly stood up.
Ag, caught off by it, sat in silence and looked down, in shame, he could only hear her footsteps, going around the table.
Before Ag could make any more presumptions, she once again slid her hands into his grasp.
Surprised, he raised his head.
Only to be welcomed into a hug.
Welcomed by the warmth, the comfort of her presence, he could only bask in it, digging his head in, partially smothered by her long hair.
Soon, he began to cry silently, with only a few ~hics~ to sound in the room, and as if in response, so did she.
Their wounds, fresh and old, finally, began to sew shut.
Only to grow stronger thereafter...
Flourishing.
A stronger warmth and comfort encircled them, their healing grew even quicker, their crying more open and honest; cathartic.
Not realizing Cari's glow now circled them, strangely, not emanated across the room in a uniform circle, but only towards them.
Listening in, Qier could only smile, not realizing Cari's unconscious actions and their implications not only to his condition, but of ability...
• • • • •
Walking back to the infirmary, mother, father, and daughters, the sun now further reaching, the dark now barely encroaching at the edge of the horizon.
Few were lingering around, having noticed their rushed entry.
Only for the door to barge open, Qier yelling-
"Cari's awake!"
Rushing back in, with the family with him, they entered the right room.
~IIIIIIII~
From both sides, Cari was being hugged at the pot, by Ag, and by Olivia, their faces smushed into his, their eyes wrinkly with their previous tears along with them dipping into a nap after they exhausted their emotions.
Cari 'herself', was wriggling between their hold, pulling from the three fundamental forces surrounding him, of Olivia, Ag, and his roots in the pot.
Qier only moved to join them, the girls following, while the two parents simply smiled, watching the nice moment.
'Why do I always wake to these things? It's not bad but too much is too much.'
However, on staring at their faces, their smiles, along with those baggy eyes he recognizes from Lusi before...
Internally, he begun to smile, which was only growing, the warmth from this moment was...
Almost imperceptibly, his glow had become more intense for a moment, before returning to normal.
"Why are you crying?", Lusi hugged from between the legs of Ag and Olivia, looking up.
"What? We-we aren't-"
Looking from her sister to Ag, recounting the memories before they dozed off together, a blush crept onto her face; guiding her hands through her hair as she let go of the pot containing Cari and backed off.
Ag straightened up, rubbing his face.
"Just worried for Cari, better now that he's up."
Looking from them to Cari on the table, Lusi walked between them, placed her arms onto the table to leverage herself high enough to see Cari.
"You okay too?"
Finally free of the two, and his roots also being recalled, he hopped off the pot onto the table, with a-
~HMMA~
"Glad you all are doing well, it's coming close to nighttime, so how about we all relax back home, hm?"
None objected to that, and they all began returning to the home.
The daughters sticking close to their parents, Cari, being cleaned in a nearby sink, resting on top of Lusi's head, Qier following behind them.
The last two with behind them all, hands closed around the other, closer than before...
While Cari himself, could only reminisce with dealing with that malicious mushroom, and on what exactly he saw meant...
• • • • •
Inside the storage closet, the jar of the destroyed mushroom lay.
It's roots still sprawled about inside, with the cap still being just a transparent and empty husk of the colors it once housed.
Yet for one moment, a glimmer escaped.
And the surroundings were able to enjoy a brief moment of warmth.
• • • • •
Inside the home, the family relaxed.
The parents cooking up a big meal as they were too busy to make lunch.
All the kids sat in the living room.
The kids mingled with Ag and Olivia, having fun.
Qier sat watching on one of the couches, while Cari was doing the same from the table.
Looking from them to Cari, a coincidence sudden made itself apparent, his shape suddenly lining up with what he saw before.
"Hey Cari, about earlier, down in that cave..."
Looking up, he gestured his head to side.
Staring, Qier suddenly just shook his head, smiling.
"Nevermind, sorry about that!"
~Happa~
Turning his head back to watch, Cari ignored what he said.
Qier also turned, also continued to watch them.
'He can't even speak properly, would he even know what I would be talking about?'
Considering everything that happened today, it's better to be left for another day.
Night encroached quickly.
Soon enough, the food was ready, and the family were enjoying a nice feast for themselves, a nice way to end this eventful day.
"Cari."
In the midst of the meal, Arron called for his attention.
~Tatla?~
"I think I have found an appropriate gift for you; would you be interested in seeing it after dinner is done?"
~HAALLA!~
Cari's curiosity was peaked, just knowing them has already been a gift in of itself, and this would only be a cherry on top.
"Then its a plan then."
Arron smiled happily as he went back to digging into his food.
The family conversed as they ate, especially the little girls as they found Cari can answer more in depth with using his life energy as an image...although Arron quickly told them only a few questions, on seeing Cari quickly burning out.
From favorite colors to what he thought of them, it was difficult to frame good questions, but that last one was a great one.
With the orbs floating above their table, they shaped something the family couldn't ignore.
{Knowing all of you has been the best part of my life thus far, each and every one of you.}
Cari tipped his head to the side, his eyes closed as a blush lined under them.
[1] The part one would place on your back or heart.