Verdant Skies

"Iris," Muu called out from behind Iris.

Turning from where she'd been walking towards a nearby stairwell, Iris smiled at Muu as he jogged towards her with a welcoming smile curled across his lips, "Muu, how've you been?"

"Not bad at all," Muu reached her side and they began walking together, "Heading to see Lady Scheherazade?"

"Checking in and letting her know how our trip went," Iris confirmed as they started to ascend the stairs, "I assume you're heading in to see her as well?"

"I am," Muu grinned as he nodded, "We just returned from the border and she wishes to hear a first-hand report of things," Iris made a noise of interest, "Everything went very well, the magicians were far more helpful than anyone truly expected,"

Which meant the work she'd put in with the team Lady Scheherazade had put together hadn't been all for naught, Iris smiled warmly, "That's wonderful to hear."

"Did you all just get back as well?" Muu inquired as they reached the next floor and started making their way up the next set of steps.

Shaking her head slightly, Iris explained, "We returned a few days ago though I haven't been able to get away until now what with Arashi starting his schooling," Muu made a noise of interest, "Poor thing was so excited to learn only to have a panic attack yesterday morning when he realized things were going to be more structured than he's used to, it took a bit of time to console him and help him realize things will get easier once he actually starts."

Covering his mouth as a low laugh left him, Muu's eyes glittered with amusement and concern, "He truly is a free spirit, isn't he?"

"Takes after me more than I'd like to admit at times," Iris rubbed the back of her neck with a laugh.

Shaking his head as he lowered his hand, Muu smiled at her, "He has a pretty good role model though," Iris rolled her eyes at him, "How did he enjoy your trip though?"

Her smile widened into a grin at the lighter memories of the trip, Iris began to tell Muu about all the things that Arashi had enjoyed while they were in Sindria while making sure to leave out the more unsettling events that had occurred for the moment. Before she truly realized it, the familiar door to Lady Scheherazade's office was in sight and they were being bid to enter. The magi smiled warmly at them both, "Muu, Iris, it is wonderful to see you both. Why don't you both take a seat and give me a few moments to finish things up before we start?"

Moving to settle down before the magi alongside Muu, Iris noticed that there was an oddness about the blonde's movements. A certain stiffness that hadn't been there when they'd last seen one another. While part of her wanted to comment on it, she held back as it wasn't her place especially if Muu didn't seem to feel like commenting on it. She leaned back in her chair and glanced towards the open balcony doors where the sounds of Remano drifted in on the wind. Focusing back on Lady Scheherazade when the magi let out a low sigh and her chair shifted about, she tilted her head as the magi asked, "So Iris, how was the trip?"

"It went fairly well, Lady Scheherazade," Iris still wasn't fully sure why Lady Scheherazade wanted to know about the trip though had a suspicion that it was due to Sinbad, "Arashi enjoyed it greatly and we caught up with our old friends though both of them were quite busy with their work,"

"I see," Lady Scheherazade eyed Iris for a long moment before releasing a sigh, "Iris, I am going to be frank because beating around the bush isn't something either of us appreciate and I find it completely tasteless especially when dealing with someone I've come to consider an ally," She slowly sat up a bit straighter, "Did you encounter Sinbad at all while in Sindria? His Generals? And if you did, what were the interactions like?"

Almost wanting to laugh at the fact she'd called it, Iris let herself relax into the seat once again. She nodded to Lady Scheherazade, "We did encounter Sinbad and his generals, Lady Scheherazade. Our friends, Hermione and Ron, were apparently personally recruited by Sinbad himself," Lady Scheherazade's eyes narrowed at that while Muu stiffened beside her, "It didn't take us long to realize that Sinbad's been doing something to influence the two. Hermione wasn't acting herself and Ron wasn't much better. While people can change as years go by, the two would never attempt to potion their friends," Muu released a harsh sound and she shook her head, "This just tells me that the rumors of his Djinn are based on truth, I'm quite furious and would have killed him had it not put my son at risk."

Lady Scheherazade's face was carefully blank though her eyebrows furrowed after a long moment, "What did they attempt to do?"

"Use a truth potion on us, the information they attempted to drag out was targeted towards what we could do and where we'd been since parting from one another," Iris shook her head softly, "During our stay, Sinbad through his Imuchakk general, Hinahoho, tried to convince me to move to Sindria. Stating that Arashi would benefit from a more colorful upbringing as there was a diverse array of cultures constantly entering and leaving the country," She rolled her eyes, "Arashi did make friends with the man's children, but I kept things limited otherwise," She smirked slightly, "As there was no mention of my dragon form, I am somewhat confident that my friends never mentioned it despite the hold Sinbad has on them and Arashi knows better than to spread that information,"

"Which is something," Lady Scheherazade shook her head, "But he knows you're more powerful than either of them let on..." She frowned deeply, "And the others?"

"All of them were approached though each easily fended off the attempts," Iris crossed her arms, "Though most of the attempts fell off once Sinbad's new guests arrived," Lady Scheherazade frowned at her, "Apparently, the mess in Balbadd we heard about led to Sinbad meeting with the Kou Empire and somehow two of their royals were sent to Sindria for a 'cultural exchange',"

"Kou-" Muu frowned deeply and gifted Iris with a look of concern as he knew her past with the country, "Iris..."

Giving Muu a reassuring smile, Iris looked back at Lady Scheherazade as she explained, "I doubt that's the only reason they were there. Not with how the Emperor and Empress were back when I was still in Kou, they didn't say anything though," She shrugged her shoulders, "But..." She had been truthful with Lady Scheherazade about Arashi's parentage and why she'd left Kou, "Both of them met Arashi while we were still in Sindria as did Judar when he decided to stir up trouble with the purple-haired moron."

Lady Scheherazade stiffened and her eyes narrowed as Muu made a soft noise. The magi asked her, "What happened?"

"Questions were asked though I didn't answer them in the presence of Sinbad," Iris crossed her arms, "But when I was alone with the two, I was informed that a severe amount of miscommunication had gone on when I left Kou and people have been searching for me," She shook her head softly, "While part of me wanted to distrust them, I decided to believe it and allowed Kougyoku to get to know Arashi,"

"And Judar?" Lady Scheherazade asked with narrowed eyes.

"Pretty much let the cat out of the bag around Sinbad when he came calling and confirmed what I'd been told," Iris saw doubt in the magi's eyes, "While Kougyoku might have sugar-coated things, Judar wouldn't because that isn't in his nature. Not even back then," Lady Scheherazade's expression softened for a moment, "But no matter what happened in Sindria, I plan to stay in Remano with my son for a while longer if you're willing to let us. What happened with Sindria...the thing with Balbadd, it stinks of the wicked bitch even if she isn't outwardly playing her hand,"

Leaning back against her seat, Lady Scheherazade was quiet for a long moment and her eyes searched Iris's during this time. She eventually nodded with a long sigh, "I knew you wouldn't stay though I'm happy to know you will linger for a while longer, Iris. Whether it be for a year or even two, it eases my mind," The magi tented her fingers, "We will keep to our agreement."

"Much appreciated," Iris felt a small bolt of relief washes over her.

"You may leave us, Iris. I'm sure your team is quite eager to discuss what they've been working on recently and would love to catch you up," Lady Scheherazade waved a hand towards the door, "Thank you for your candor,"

"I only give what I've received, Lady Scheherazade," Iris stood and extended a hand towards the magi.

As weeks turned into months upon their return to Remano, Iris and her friends settled back into the lives they'd left while journeying to Sindria. It was easy to slip back into old routines and add in a few new ones for a certain bundle of energy. Falling back into step with the Magicians and engineers took only a few days for Iris, the group had been eager to share their current projects and get the dragon witch's opinions on them. Luna and Ginny began restocking the potions that had nearly gone dry in their absence while dragging Iris in to help them with the more time-consuming ones. Neville was welcomed back into the infirmary with eager arms as many had missed him during their absence. Returning to the forge and starting to work within the heat was a blessing to Iris, she used the time to center herself and soothe away the mess of thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her.

Going to school had thrown Arashi on his back foot, the free spirit within him flinching away from the heavy structure involved. Gentle reassurances and a reminder that learning was fun coaxed him out of the panic induced by the structure, the initial shyness faded within the first few days and Arashi was back to his usual energetic self. There was a melting pot of cultures within the school, the children came from all backgrounds and walks of life. With his vibrant personality, Arashi had drawn in a rather interesting group of friends that was as diverse as the city around them. Her heart filled with pride as she watched him, Iris saw Arashi work with his new friends to navigate their way through the school just as she'd done with Hermione and Ron back in Hogwarts only this time there was no threat of death if something bad happened.

Despite not being Arashi's sole companion, Sirius continued to watch over Arashi. Ensuring the boy made it to and from school each day, he often curled up in the school's play yard unless the urge to spend time with Iris hit. When that happened, he laid either on a special pillow set up in the common room of the team's meeting place or in the dust-riddled paddock outside the blacksmith's shop. It was due to this that Iris was able to catch on to someone coming around the blacksmith's shop when she worked not even a few weeks after they returned home. And someone else had also gone by Arashi's school, Sirius hadn't gone after them due to not sensing anything malicious from the watchers.

Realizing that someone had been spying on them, Iris decided to delve back into her old skills. Subtly altering her schedule to add in small gaps that wouldn't look odd to an outsider, she waited a few days before enacting her plan. Carefully making her way to Arashi's school, she began tracking down the watcher who had thought it'd be fun to keep an eye on her son. Taking the scent in from Sirius's senses was a strange thing as it had always been, she felt the phantom need to sneeze, but managed to hold back. It took several minutes before she found a cloaked individual watching her son from a nearby alleyway. Eyes narrowing with a faint snarl curling across her lips, she went around the building and into the alleyway behind him.

Moving silently through the narrow alleyway, Iris made barely any sound as she snuck up behind the cloaked figure. Stepping up behind them as she withdrew her dagger, Iris pressed up against their back and covered their mouth as her dagger rested against their throat. Hissing against the cloaked figure's ear as they stiffened with a gasp, she felt her lips twitch at the scent of fear that coated their regular scent, "You will back up...slowly. Once we're far enough into the alley that no one can see us, I'll let you go and you'll explain what the actual fuck you've been doing spying on my son. Got it? Otherwise, I'll give your neck a new mouth to breathe out of."

Tensing under her grip, the cloaked figure carefully nodded and they started to back up. Iris kept a tight grip on them as they slowly backed up into the alleyway. Her magic spread across the stone as she created a barrier to silence the area around them, she was not about to risk anyone coming across them especially if this person needed to be killed. Once they reached a more secluded spot, she released her grip on the cloaked figure and took a step back. Her fingers kept their tight grip on the dagger, she eyed the figure as they slowly turned around. A shaky hand slowly pushed away the cloak's hood revealing shaggy brown hair and pale features. Raising their hands, the man spoke in a hesitant voice, "L-lady Iris," She inwardly jolted at the title as it'd been years since someone had spoken it, "I didn't mean to cause such alarm."

Maintaining her stern expression despite her surprise, Iris mentally frowned even as she demanded, "Start explaining."

Swallowing nervously as his dark brown eyes flickered towards the dagger, the man nodded slowly, "My Lord, Prince Koumei, sent me alongside others to gain information, Lady Iris," She barely managed to keep a straight face, "They have been searching for you for quite some time, M'lady. And after Lord Judar returned with information about you and the young lord, they decided it was best to send us in."

Which meant Judar had told Kouen and Koumei about Arashi, Iris realized that the two were trying to get information about him. And they were trying to do it in a safe manner which was something she should have expected, it still didn't make the fact someone had been spying on her son any better. She eyed the man for a moment as the words he'd been saying could be false. Clicking her tongue, she knew there was one way to ensure they were without a doubt true. Speaking softly, she looked at the man with narrowed eyes, "Say I want to believe you," She saw his brows furrow, "How can I be so sure of your words?"

"Lady Iris-" The man started to protest with a frown.

Raising a hand to stall him, Iris reached into the small pouch attached to her belt and pulled out a vial, "If you're willing to prove it, I just need you to take this," The man eyed the vial for a moment before looking at her face, "It's a truth serum. If you're one of Koumei's men, you'll know exactly what it does. And you'll know that I'd only ask prudent questions."

Despite a look of hesitance coming across his face, the man slowly reached out for the vial. Handing it to him, Iris watched as he downed it like a shot which was the best practice with any potion. It took barely a few moments for the potion to start working and she began questioning the man. His face was slack as he answered each question, the words softly spoken, but clear.

Letting herself relax against the alleyway, Iris rubbed at her face as he repeated everything he'd said though with a bit more detail. She perked up as he mentioned that letters would be sent if there was a possibility. Her lips pulled into a slight smile, she knew Kouen and Koumei weren't expecting her to send letters to them any time soon. As she began to formulate a plan, she administered the counter and the man shook his head with a dazed look.

Pressing a hand to his head, he asked her, "I...Is everything alright now?"

"Perfect," Iris smiled at him as she put her dagger away which made the man slump against the wall, "So Kouen and Koumei plan on sending letters our way at some point?"

Eyes widening the man covered his mouth for a moment before letting out a low groan, he muttered a soft curse before nodding. Speaking as his head pressed against the wall, he told Iris, "Yes, Lady Iris. They wished to feel out how receptive you'd be to such things before doing so."

"I'll do them one better," Iris's smile was a tad mischievous and she could see the suspicious look in the man's eyes, "I just need a little assistance from you,"

"I...I don't..." The man trailed off as she held up a hand.

"Think of it as a way for you to thank me for not roasting you or slitting your throat," Iris let her eyes shift into those of her inner dragon and the man paled as the scent of fear returned, "What's your name?"

"L-Lief," Lief cleared his throat.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lief," Iris turned from him and began walking away though tossed over her shoulder, "And Lief? I'll ensure Kouen and Koumei know of this meeting, so don't bother reporting it,"

"Y-yes, Lady Iris," Lief murmured and Iris bit back the urge to giggle as she heard him whisper, "I never knew she was that fucking scary!"

As Koumei finally gave in to the temptation and began looking through the crate of reports from his informants that had been sent to Reim, he felt his fingers brush against something odd. The feeling of parchment was different from what his men used gave him some pause. Based on the heavily folded and tapered edges, he wondered if a letter had gotten mixed into the crate. Tugging it free, he felt his heart stop at the sight of green edges and a pale blue seal faintly marked with a dragon. Written in achingly familiar scrawl was his name and Kouen's, he slowly brought it up to his nose and felt his eyes burn as the achingly familiar scent of Iris rose.

Memories flooded his mind of the days and nights they'd spent together, the phantom sound of Iris's laughter echoed in Koumei's ears. His skin ached where she had touched him, the phantom warmth of her made it hard to breathe. As the torrent faded and he pulled the letter away, a shaky breath left his throat. He stared at the letter for a long moment but forced back the urge to open it despite wanting to know what she had said. Standing slowly, he left his temporary office and walked through the halls toward Kouen's room. Knocking firmly on the door, he was bid entrance and strode inside.

Looking up from his desk where a small stack of paperwork sat, Kouen began speaking, "Yes-Mei, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Rubbing at his eyes, Koumei didn't bother denying that he'd been crying. He merely held up the letter and walked towards Kouen's desk, "I couldn't help myself any longer and started looking through the reports my informants sent, En. I was starting to organize them so it would be easier to look through later, but then I came across this," Kouen's eyes widened as they locked on the letter in his hand, "Either they intercepted it as she was sending it to us or...Iris figured out what we were doing and had one of them send it along."

"A letter...to us?" Kouen slowly took the letter from him and ran his thumb along the seal, "She changed her seal. It's faint, but there are two dragons now,"

"A second one for the child," Koumei sank into the chair, "I...I wanted to open it immediately, but..." He shook his head, "I couldn't, En. Not when it's addressed to us both,"

His thumb ran across the seal, Kouen's eyes were locked on the letter for a long moment before he looked at Koumei, "Thank you, Mei. Let's read it then."

With a soft sound, Kouen cracked the seal with a certain gentleness that left it mostly intact and unraveled the parchment. Reading aloud, Kouen's eyes scanned the parchment as Koumei leaned back in his seat:

My Dearest Kouen and Koumei,

Above and below, I've written letters like this more times than I could count as the years passed, but never sent them. Only this time, I know the letter will actually reach you and that is making me feel so many things at once. Let's start this off as it needs to though you're already aware of said fact, I feel it needs to be said by me in some way regardless. You have a son. Due to how closely we were all sleeping together at the time, I do not have a single clue which of you is his father nor do I care. Every day he reminds me of you both in some way and with my magic, it's very possible you both could be his father since no one knows how this shit works.

His name is Arashi, he can shift into a dragon known as a Chinese fireball back in my old world. He is a bright little boy with a thirst for knowledge that reminds me of a certain pair. His curiosity knows no bounds, he loves to explore the world around him which makes me grateful Sirius has taken to him so well otherwise I think I might've been in trouble. He's got a talent for certain magics that shift towards the weather which honestly makes sense given how he arrived into this world. That story is something to be shared in person, I will admit it isn't something I enjoy speaking about even knowing what I do now.

Knowing that if I'd just taken even a bit of time...let someone from Kou catch up, I can't explain how many feelings are going through my mind. But to my surprise, the regret I feel is only towards the fact you two weren't able to see Arashi grow. You two missed out on so much, but in a way, you'll be able to see those moments. I don't truly want to ruin the surprise, but Kougyoku has a small gift from me for you. I might not be painting as much anymore due to how much we've moved over the years, but I haven't let my skills fall to the wayside. While it may be little more than a consolation prize, I hope it might be some way for you to see him...get to know Arashi in some way until there is a chance for you to meet.

These years that passed by, I tried my best to focus only on Arashi and Sirius as we traveled. But that only worked during my waking hours, the nights? They were complete hell as my chest felt like it was caving in. There is no way to fully verbalize how much I missed you both, I know that I would've turned my ass around and returned to Kou had I not found out about Arashi. Knowing that Gyokuen would likely kill him the first chance she got, I couldn't risk it even if my heart was trying to tear itself apart. Even now, I'm fighting against the urge to just fly us both to Balbadd and damn the duties I've got here in Reim.

I need to end this letter as Lief will be by soon as they've got to send their reports off apparently. My first instinct upon realizing that someone was watching us was to kill your informants, Mei. Either by dragon fire or dagger, I didn't care since they'd gotten too close to my hatchling. But Lief saved them by voluntarily taking truth serum, he's pretty jumpy around me now which I'm almost apologetic about. Not really, I'd do it all over again if it means protecting Arashi. Now before I end this, Arashi's birthday is next month and he's turning six.

With my everlasting love,

Iris.

His chest ached at the various emotions within the letter, Iris had clearly been through a lot even without actually saying what she'd had to do. Hearing the way she'd spoken about their son, Arashi, it warmed his chest like a balm. His mind touched on the specific emotion in how Iris had written about Arashi's birth, the slight inflection made him frown. Something had happened during the birth if she didn't wish to speak of it, he knew that birth was traumatic for some women, but what could have happened? Mentally promising himself to speak with Iris about it when they finally met once more, he focused on the other things she'd written of.

His chest ached at the fact they'd missed out on Arashi's life so far, the moments disappearing like a flame that had been doused. Koumei was curious about whatever 'gift' from Iris Kougyoku could have for them and was eager to find out. Part of him disliked the fact that Iris had apparently given up painting, he knew that she loved it, so for her to sacrifice the art was an almost unbearable blow. Knowing that she'd suffered after leaving them hurt to the point his chest almost physically hurt him, the fact she would have returned had Arashi not been born was something that stalled him for all of a moment before he shoved it aside.

While he might not know Arashi just yet, Koumei would never want the boy dead even if it could have meant Iris returned to them far soon. His lips quirked at how she'd gotten the letter to them, it would seem he'd have to speak with his informants. Granted the threat of Iris killing them wasn't something he could help, they should have considered the fact she'd pick up on his informants being around and take action against them. Shaking himself from those thoughts, he looked at Kouen as his older brother mused, "Arashi...I don't hate the name though I'd like to know where she came up with it."

"Agreed," Koumei fiddled with the dragon figurine that lay in his pocket, "He turns six next month..." He eyed the letter while contemplating that fact, "If he'd been raised in Kou, he'd be meeting all the noble children,"

"But he isn't," Kouen set the letter down after folding it back up, "Which I honestly don't mind, I loathed those gatherings as a child," Koumei snorted softly, "Though knowing that his birthday is coming up, we should send a gift...And a letter to Iris in return,"

Nodding his head in agreement, Koumei felt the ache in his chest subside just a little at those words. None of it would replace the time they'd lost, it would at least open up an avenue for the future. It would be the first of many steps towards rebuilding a connection with Iris and creating one with Arashi. Speaking as Kouen fished out a few pieces of parchment and picked up a quill, he looked at the letter, "We need to assure Iris that we've received her letter and that we're willing to move at her pace," Kouen inclined his head, "We should also mention that we'll send a gift for Arashi's birthday though mention that we're unsure what to get him for the moment."

"Which will let her know that we want to connect with Arashi and are willing to learn what he likes," Kouen began writing down notes for their future letter, "We'll mention that Kougyoku hasn't arrived with whatever gift she's sent along, but we're eager to see what it is,"

"And we'll tell her just how much we've both missed her over the years," Koumei advised as his mind whirled with what they could put in the letter, "How the constant searching made us feel, the fact that we're both overjoyed that she's alright,"

"That having a son is shocking," Kouen smiled while shaking his head, "But something we both could never be happier about, we understand why she never tried reaching out even if our hearts wish to say differently," Koumei nodded as Kouen wrote that down, "Anything else?"

"That even after all this time, we still love her just as we did all those years ago," Koumei looked at the dragon in his hand, "And if there is a way to see them both soon, we'll ensure it happens,"

"I think that works," Kouen set down his quill, "We will have put draft it in a letter, but..."

"It works," Koumei looked at his brother and let out a soft laugh, "We have a son...one that can turn into a fucking dragon just like his mother,"

That set off Kouen and they both just started to laugh, Koumei didn't realize that he'd started to cry until the edges of his vision had begun to blur and his eyes were wet when he'd rubbed at them. His chest felt far lighter and heavier than it had in years, he knew the weight wouldn't leave until they finally saw Iris again in the flesh.

"Mama," Arashi's voice jolted Iris from the slight trance she'd fallen into after finding the letter that had been slipped into one of the supply bags.

Shaking herself and putting it where Arashi wouldn't find it, Iris smiled as he rushed up with a pleading expression on his face, "Yes, Hatchling?"

"Can we please make cookies? I really wanna try helping you make them this time," Arashi clasped his hands in front of him.

Giving him a light smile and starting to tease the boy a bit, Iris began getting out the supplies to make cookies. It was hours later when Arashi had finally fallen asleep that she'd recalled the letter and retrieved it from the place where she'd hidden it. Retreating into her room, she settled down with Sirius lying behind her and peered at it. Her name had been written in Kouen's familiar handwriting, the scent coming off the letter came from both Kouen and Koumei though which meant they'd both had a hand in writing it. Her eyes closed as she brought the letter up close, the scents invaded her nose, and memories were stirred as she sank more heavily against Sirius's side. There was a soft whine from her familiar, a sense of longing, and what she could only call 'home' echoed through their bond.

Speaking softly as she rubbed between his ears, Iris opened her eyes, "En and Mei sent us a letter, Siri. As torn as I am, I'll open this thing and find out what they've got to say."

Cracking the familiar seal, Iris began reading the letter to Sirius in low tones:

Our beloved Iris,

There are many things we wish could be said, they would become a jumbled mess as it'd all rush out the moment we see you. Or fall silent, you did have a habit of rendering us speechless back then and I do not doubt that fact remains true even now. But this letter is something that requires us to express those feelings and words in some way, we will attempt it if only to send you something. Before we even begin though, the letter you sent us was indeed received and it provoked many feelings.

Learning that we have a son, a child, it's mind-blowing. It doesn't matter if your magic made it so we share him, Iris. The sheer fact he even exists is amazing. While we would have loved to raise him and are heartbroken over missing out on his life so far, we understand your reasons for staying away. Gyokuen would have killed him simply for the suspicion of him being Kouen's son even if Koumei claimed him. And had Kouen claimed him, she would have doubled her efforts simply to ensure Kouen's line wasn't continued. Given how the political climate within Kou has only worsened as years passed since you left, you had every right to worry, Iris. So even if we both would have wanted it otherwise, you chose the better option.

As it has been brought to our attention by both Judar and now yourself, we are going to make this very clear to you, Iris. What happened back then, it didn't mean you needed to leave Kou. We had several plans in the works before you left that day. We...we wanted you to stay with us, Iris. No matter what you'd done back then, we would have worked through it. Dealing with Gyokuen during the time we've been apart, it truly drove in the point you made back then. We searched for you, Iris. Looked for you everywhere and even dragged in Ashe when you weren't in the Goulon Empire, the only reason our search even 'softened' was due to Father threatening us. Trust me, we would have only intensified the search if we'd known anything we do now.

Hearing what you've gone through even without the details, it hurts, Iris. Admittedly, we're happy that you're alright, but...the fact you were suffering for so long isn't right. It only worsens the ache in our chests. Had it not been for the fact you're in Reim, we would have abandoned our position in Balbadd and run to your side immediately. Unfortunately, that would put both Arashi and you at risk, we won't do that even if it's agony knowing we're only waiting longer to see you again. But when we do see you again, we won't let you go this time.

Kougyoku hasn't arrived with the present you mentioned by the time we've written and sent this letter off, Iris. But we're eager to see what you've sent along, we've been trying to figure it out though we can't seem to agree on a single option. Speaking of presents though, we are going to send something along for Arashi's birthday though it's unlikely to arrive on the exact day. If you're willing to give us an idea of what to send along, we'd be grateful. We want to get to know Arashi, Iris. Any little details or quirks, we don't care as it's high time we start to learn those things.

If there is a way to meet at some point in the future, we are hoping that you'll be willing to assist us in figuring out the logistics. Until then, we will be happy to send along letters. And perhaps start exchanging letters with Arashi, we are leaving it up to you though, Iris. No matter how much we want to rush into things and just start things off back to how they were back then, we know that isn't possible. We are going to go at your pace. Make no mistake though, we both want to hold you in our arms once more.

With deepest affection and love,

Kouen and Koumei.

As she finished reading the letter, Iris lowered it as a wealth of emotions washed over her. The ache in her chest persisted, but now it mingled with warmth and longing. The words from Kouen and Koumei echoed with sincerity and a genuine desire to reconnect. Every word within the letter had been filled with an emotion, the constant switching between their writing had been amusing and touching as she glanced across it once more. For a single moment as she rested against Sirius's side, it felt as if the years had melted away and they'd returned to the past with this letter belonging to the ones that had come from the campaign.

There was a deep yearning within her heart, the last line stirring something in Iris that had gone untouched since the day she'd left Kou. It crafted together a tumultuous mixture of joy, sorrow, and a touch of fear that flickered through her like tendrils of flame. That fear was a brittle thing, it was the spawn of those painfilled years of loneliness that feared that this would be a fruitless endeavor. But the hope burning within her chest refused to acknowledge that, it refused to be doused by even a single moment of doubt now that it'd been lit within her chest. Even if there was a chance all this could shatter in her face or everything they were trying for was little more than a shadow of what once was, she wanted to try and that was all the hope burning in her chest truly needed to stay steady.

Running her fingers along Sirius's head, Iris smiled while setting the letter down beside her, "They want to see us, Bud. They want to know Arashi," Sirius's tail began to wag as he let out a low whine, "Let's write a reply and send it off with Lief in the morning."

As Arashi let out a soft yip of agreement, Iris stood from her bed and began contemplating what to put as she tugged out the needed supplies. Every word was chosen with care, she expressed how much she longed for a meeting and that she too couldn't wait for the moment they could finally meet Arashi. Her gratitude over their words was expressed, she acknowledged the complexities involved in the situation between Kou and Reim which had only been made known to her when she'd revealed Arashi's parentage to Muu. As she wrote, she found herself opening up about Arashi's likes, dislikes, and the unique quirks that made him the vibrant young boy he was. Explaining that she wished to wait for a bit before allowing a letter exchange between them and Arashi, the fact she hadn't explained that he had two fathers just yet though would now that they were in contact. Gave them an option of sending a letter for Arashi that she could give him once she'd explained things to the boy, she did say that she'd be giving Arashi the choice about whether he'd read the letter or not.

While she wanted her son to accept Kouen and Koumei, Iris knew she couldn't push things. Arashi was an amazing kid who could handle a lot when it was thrown at him, but he was still a five almost six-year-old. And he had grown up without them, he'd never asked about his dad since that day he'd been teased either. She shook herself and finished off the letter before sealing it with care. Setting aside, she curled up with Sirius and muttered, "This next bit can either go very well or very badly, Bud...it all depends on our Hatchling."

Letting out a whine as he curled into Iris's side, Sirius pressed his nose into her stomach and she rubbed at his ears.