“Let go of me!” Kiri demanded before shoving her elbow into my stomach and knocking the air from my lungs. 

She pulled herself free and ran out into the now empty field that James just got snatched from and fell to her knees, but I didn’t have time to make sure she was okay. Lolliyant was still bleeding badly. 

“Goliyoung,” I ordered, “Help me with Lull!” 

Goliyoung didn’t reply, she just reformed her grass body and sat next to her wounded sister. Everyone was emotionally broken and that left me no room to mourn the friend that may or may not be dead already. I had to swallow my emotions until someone else was strong enough to bare the torch. I’d need Kiri working at full capacity to heal Lolliyant so I had to work on her first.

“Kiri!” I called out as I came to a stop next to her and sat down in front of her, “Kiri, I need you to snap out of it.” 

She didn’t say anything, just kept staring past me and into the distance where Liy had flown off with James. It was time for plan “B”, if I couldn’t reason with her, I’d do what I’m best at. 

“Well,” I said and leaned back, “I guess this confirms that you’re practically in love.” 

As if by magic, Kiri broke her stare and punched me in the stomach. I doubled over and let out a sputtering cough as Kiri took a breath. 

“Thanks,” she said to which I gave a pained thumbs up.
“Yep,” I said in a weak exhale, “Not using that plan with the big gal.”
Kiri shook her head, “Well, I’m not getting involved in that. I’ll help Lolliyant, you deal with Goliyoung.” 

Though my first thought was, “Great, I wanted the unstable one anyway,” I didn’t argue and quickly made my way to the grassy giant. Or, what used to be a grassy giant. Goliyoung was in the midst of an emotional break and was surging with a heat that turned the outer layer of grass to a shell of char that chipped away and fell with the breeze leaving the much smaller, and much hotter, fiery figure sitting in place of the bigger body. Large loops of fire shot off her body like the sun and sent waves of heat that threatened to scorch the fields. I had to calm her down and… well… I wasn’t exactly good at that most the time. 

“Hey,” I called over the roaring of her fires, “It’s okay, Lull’s gonna be fine!” I tried to assure her, but she didn’t pay me any mind. 

I guess I’d have to make her listen to me before she had a supernova and killed everyone within a five mile radius. I grit my teeth, braced myself and walked forward into the heat. I felt my skin warm to the point of what should’ve melted it, but I was only uncomfortable. Confident in my new found resistance, I pushed myself farther until I was right next to a kneeling Goliyoung, who was still just as tall as me on her knees, and I hugged her. 

Now, I wouldn’t advise hugging a flame unless the stake of what you assume is the world rests on calming that fire down and you’re really confident on your hugging abilities. “Heat” barely described what I felt, but, for some reason, there wasn’t any pain, no burns, hell, my skin didn’t even redden, but even the rocks around us were melting. Either way, Goliyoung, without a word, slowly cooled down until it felt like the light breeze was ice water and the cool shade felt like the arctic until my body readjusted. 

“Ya know,” I said as I fell back, drenched in sweat, “I normally don’t throw myself into fires on the first date, but you really charmed me with your silent girl act.”
“What is a date?” she asked, and ruined my joke.
“Eh, nevermind. I kinda need you to help me and Kiri care for your sister.” 

She nodded before she reformed her grassy body and rolled Lolliyant on her side so Kiri would have access to her wing. Now, I wasn’t one to brag, but I think I did a damn good job on damage control. Not like I was gonna get credit for it in Kiri’s eyes and I wasn’t sure Goliyoung even knew what emotions were, but, in my mind, I did a damn good job. I fell backwards in the charred grass and stared up at the rising sun. It was a long night. I think I earned a little nap. Maybe a long one. Maybe… a coma. 

I rolled into a ball on my side and shut my eyes. I earned my meltdown and I was going to spend it on a depression nap.