"Do you need anything?"

"...Possibly something to think about beyond just - misery. I'd like to hear all your stories for one, and I can... Talk through the context for me and Shade. After."

"Our story starts, as it were, with Tentou and the Keres."

She listens, attentive, up through where the story crosses her path.

"For me... In my world, there's the Heartless and Heartful - usually fairies and humans, respectively. The Heartful have difficult to use but freeform magic; the Heartless can create defined, easy to use artifacts out of hearts. Both have - advantages. The fairies have the cities, and rule most places."

"The Heartless are - incapable of forming attachments to people or things. They can be happy or sad, but one source of pleasure is identical to any others. A Heartless won't get any more upset over a lover dying than they will a stranger, except perhaps some annoyance at needing a replacement..."

"I was born Heartless. I hated it, as much as I could've been said to hate things back then - I made myself Heartful as soon as I figured out how. Shade... Was also born Heartless, but was - content. She got into a conflict with a powerful Heartful, while she was collecting hearts. He forced her to be Heartful. She - hated him. Sided with me because I promised her a path to strength, to killing him."

"I... We had to divine his location first. Search for him, despite him hiding from us - "

"I'm familiar with him. It's impossible to be Heartful and powerful for any length of time and not know about the others in your weight class and above. I knew it'd be perhaps centuries before Shade could face him, especially since she was - reluctant to care. I... Taught Shade how to search for him anyways. Mostly out of boredom, I knew him and knew he probably wouldn't kill her, she'd just learn a lesson about caution, but then - "

"I fell in love."

"I... Could have led her to him much sooner. I didn't. I - didn't want to risk losing her, if she talked me into committing. I didn't know if the spell keeping her Heartful would break on his death. So I delayed as long as I could."

"And then you two showed up, and - it seemed as good an opportunity as any, for me to survive that fight."

She shrugs, looking away.

"I suppose I underestimated him."

"Ah... for what it's worth, I'm- fairly sure she didn't desaturate until she was sure you were dead."

"It's - worth anything. Implies heartbreak, rather than - that she simply decided she'd rather not care."

"I think it is very unlikely that she would have decided not to care about you. Complicated somewhat by your magic system, but evidence suggests that it would be a rare Lightning to voluntarily give up her Crow."

"I suppose the best thing is to talk to her, then."

"It usually is, yes."

"I'd -prefer not a crowd with me. Just Tentou, perhaps."

"Fair enough. Good luck."

"Good luck," Mora repeats.

"Thank you."

And - off with Tentou, to her home world.

The Yew Queen pauses once they're there, though.

"I have a request," she says, softly. "Two, really."

"Yes?"

"I don't want to be resurrected a second time, unless Shade requests it. And... I don't want you to interfere between me and Shade. Whatever happens."

"...Alright." She hugs her alt. "...Good luck."

She hugs back.

Then she detangles herself, takes a deep breath, and goes to find Shade.

Shade hasn't gotten that far from where they were, riding her cat to the nearest city.

She lands nearby, in Shade's path, and calls her name.

"You're dead."

"Our new friends resurrected me."

"Oh."

"That's good."

Shade's still Heartless, apparently.

"Do you - want me to see if I can restore your heart?"

"I-"

"Not if you're going to die again."

"I'll stay safe, and I'll do my best not to."

"But - "

"I don't think you'd be able to - go back to being Heartless while I was alive. If - I made you Heartful."