Seth pulled back, sure he was hallucinating from grief. He opened his eyes and, to his surprise, saw Emma's arctic blue eyes staring up at him. She was smiling at him.
"Emma? You're… You're dead," Seth trembled, his voice shook. Emma was alive, however, but she had changed. She was more beautiful than ever. Her skin almost shimmered with an energetic glow. She looked like an angel. Surely he must be hallucinating.
"No Seth, I'm not dead. Thanks to you. You saved me," Emma smiled at him, her cheeks flushing a soft rose. Seth trembled more. It's impossible. He thought to himself for a second.
Emma saw his hesitation in believing it was really her. She leaned up, gently grabbing his face before pressing her lips tenderly to his in the most loving kiss that Seth had ever experienced in his incredibly long fourteen years of life.
Seth knew now that it really was Emma. Tears fell from his eyes as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her back with every bit of love that he had for her. His hand ran through her hair as they kissed and he felt a current of electricity flowing between them.
She was different now. When the kiss broke, they both caught their breath and blushed. Seth said, "Emma.. I love you. I thought.. I thought you were dead. I didn't know what to do. I don't know what I'd do if I had lost you. How did you come back? I saw you die, you died in my arms." Seth teared up and forced back the image of her taking her last breath in his arms.
"Seth, I love you too. I know that I died, I don't know what happened. I remember looking down over us. Over you holding me. I heard what you said. All I could think of is that I had to get back to tell you how much you mean to me, and then you kissed me. When you kissed me I suddenly was back in my body. I can't explain it either, but all I know is that you saved me. Thank you," Emma sat up and hugged him, then she softly kissed his pale cheek. Seth grabbed her face gently again in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers saying, "Emma don't you leave me, please. Please never leave me again." Seth started to cry again and she wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace and said, "Seth I won't leave, I never left. I am so sorry for everything. I love you so much." She kissed his forehead softly and wiped his tears softly from his cheeks. Seth felt how much Emma loved him, and she felt the intensity of his love for her as well.
"What do we do now?" Seth took Emma's soft, delicate hand in his and Emma thought for a moment. "We need to find my sister." A slight panic washed over Emma, she hoped Juliet was okay. She hoped Sirin had really left, and hadn't gone looking for her either.
"Don't worry, we will find her. I am sure she is okay. Juliet is strong like you. Besides, I think I injured Sirin when I threw the boulder at him," Seth said.
Emma giggled slightly, remembering Seth letting all 5'6 of his anger out on Sirin when he found Emma lying on the ground. "My sweet Seth," Emma thought to herself as she smiled at him and bit her lip. "You know, I've never seen you get into a fight before. I've never even seen you mad. It was cute, considering the circumstances." Seth turned red with embarrassment. "W-well I had to save you! He hurt you, and I can't ever let you get hurt again." Emma giggled more and got up, then she held out her hand and helped him up off the ground as well.
They looked around to get their bearings on where they were. "I think we came from that way." Emma pointed to the west. Seth agreed. He was only half-sure, however. They started to walk back the way they thought they had came through the woods. When they reached a clearing, they found Juliet; she was holding a rabbit and she smiled up at them.
"Where have you guys been off to? It's about time you showed up." Juliet looked at them, realizing that Emma and Seth were both covered in blood and had clearly been through a lot, whatever had happened. "Uh, are you hurt?" Emma and Seth hadn't realized that they were covered in Emma's dried blood and dirt. Emma looked down, her shirt was still torn and a scar had now formed where Sirin's blade had struck her.
"It's a long story–" Emma looked at Seth, he winced a bit still looking pained from remembering what had happened. Suddenly, the rabbit started to speak. It didn't speak English, but a language that they had never heard before. "Sirithraevnir," the small creature exclaimed, it began to quiver like it was frightened.
The trio looked dreadfully confused about what was going on. "Sirithraevnir," the rabbit said again. It seemed exasperated with the fact they couldn't understand its language and then it jumped out of Juliet's arms onto the ground as she cried, "wait!" Instead of running off the rabbit started to chitter at them and suddenly it began to metamorphosize right before their eyes into a humanoid, but rabbit-like creature with a round gray and white face, two large floppy ears, two buckteeth that protruded from its small mouth. Although it had a rabbit head, its body morphed into something human-like although much smaller than the teens. It stood 3'11 and was lean, lanky, and it had a rabbit tail still.
The trio was shocked. Then the rabbit-humanoid began to speak English, "I was trying to tell you that it was Sirin!" The creature seemed perturbed at them for not understanding his original phrase.
"I-I'm sorry we couldn't understand you, what was the language you were speaking? We had never heard it before? Who— What are you?" The rabbit-creature put his paw-like hand to his head and sighed. "You had to ask? Have you never heard of Rabbitfolk? Kindredfolk? Well, I could describe myself as one-third human, one-third fairyfolk, and one-third rabbit." The young rabbitfolk examined them closely. "We've never been in the woods—" Emma said softly, sensing that they were offending this poor little creature by not knowing what he was.
"You can call me Branwen. I would prefer it, actually." Branwen hopped over to Emma and kneeled down on all fours curiously sniffing the air around Emma. "Well, hello Branwen. I'm Emma, this is Seth, and this is Juliet. Juliet is my sister and Seth is my— boyfriend." Seth blushed when Emma referred to him as her boyfriend. "What is a boyfriend? Is it a boy who is your friend or is it—your mate?" Branwen asked curiously and poked Seth in the leg.
"Uh— it's like my mate," Emma and Seth both blushed and turned their heads. Emma bit her lip, and Juliet laughed a little. "Well, I approve. He isn't covered in fur though, but I guess he will do, you were dead though." Branwen sniffed Emma's healed wound and then sneezed, "Sorry, I am allergic to dark energy. You still are marked by it, you're lucky you are alive." Emma was confused now, "marked? What do you mean?" Branwen poked the scar and Emma felt a sudden pain that spread throughout her body like electricity. "Ow! Easy!" Emma looked at him, "that was rude, Branwen. You can't just go poking people when they are hurt!" Branwen looked sorry for hurting Emma.
"Sorry, I just showed you. The energy is inside your body now. You are okay, you'll live, but you are very lucky and will be in a lot of pain from time to time. Especially when danger is near, so be careful." Branwen hugged her leg and Juliet giggled. "Uh– Thanks for the hug."
Branwen hopped back over to Juliet and plopped down beside her. "Where is it you are headed?"
"Well– We want to get into the Dark Forest. We were going to go through the Gate." Emma sighed, she knew that wasn't a good idea looking the way she looked right now, she would definitely be eyed with suspicion.
"You'd never get through." Branwen confirmed Emma's fears. "I know a place though, where you could cross. I use it all the time. It's not far from here, come with me." Before they could make up their minds, it seemed as if Branwen had already made up their minds for them. He started to alternate between hopping and walking away to the west. The young teens followed him, not having time to protest.
As they followed Branwen, the thicket of woods started to get denser and darker. They followed him down a path lit by glowing, slimy toadstools of all colors and patterns. They finally reached the Wall, and the place where Branwen spoke of. In front of them was a small, but accessible hole in the wall where they could cross. However, above it there read an ominous bit of the same language that Branwen had spoke to them. "Branwen, what does it say?" Branwen looked at them.
"Oh yes, it says— Tynhironsaev wynhyroth cirhyrmorothsaev tynor evnirtirevrae, tynarthukirev cirathrenev tynor nirothtyn laorossaev yor wynaryir." The trio looked incredibly confused and Seth finally spoke up. "Um– in English please?" Branwen sighed, he realized that they really didn't know his language so he translated it in their language, "Those who choose to enter, take care to not lose your way."