He could feel it. Warm fingers against his skin had Malachy stilling, his wings halting their movements, and his pink eyes locking upon Chiro. He didn't know why, couldn't explain it. So he smiled and tilted his head to the side, brown to pink hair falling across his shoulders in a fetching way. "You were so lonely ... Leaving you behind was beyond me. I would have stayed ... you know that." He hadn't meant to rip the other fae away from the only home he'd ever known.

"No." Chiro said quickly. "No. I couldn't have let you stay... in that place. It's a sad place. Haunted... maybe not with real ghosts, but it might as well be. I can't stop hearing their voices. I didn't want to subject you to that. I had to come along. I didn't want to, then. But I'm glad I did. Now I am. I'm glad I came with you. Or maybe I would have gone crazy. I'm glad you came, when you did. Found me there." He sighed, and looked at the ground. It was a ways away, but easy to jump down to. "Maybe you can show me around your city later...? I'd like that..." Even if he was worried about being watched and studied, standing out like a blemish on a flawless gem. He cast a glance to Malachy, then leapt down to the grass, landing lightly.

Malachy's heart ached, yet there was nothing he could do. It was his own feelings he felt. He couldn't believe Chiro had survived with so much loneliness for so long. "Of course I will!" cried out the younger fae as he fluttered to the ground with a smile.

"There you are!" Shadow and amber winged Oren approached them with powerful beats of his wings. With feral grace, he landed near the pair and held his hand out to Chiro. "Welcome to the city. My name is Oren, and I am one of the resident historians. How are you finding things so far?"

He winked a little at Malachy, one of his amber eyes twinkling with mirth while the other was hidden. "I'm sure Malachy's taking quite good care of you."

The fae in question remained silent, a hesitant expression upon his features. He was worried, and mouthed a few words silently to try and get his friend to slow down. His pine haired friend could be overwhelming sometimes ... And with Chiro so new to meeting people after his long solitude ... He just hoped brown skinned Oren didn't push things too far.

Chiro instinctively leapt back when a new voice joined Malachy's, and a new presence graced the shade of the tree. Immediately he felt as if a huge burden had come to rest on him again, the same burden when a few travelers would crowd around him and want to feel his shattered wings or ask why his ears were so pointed or why his pants looked so old. But Oren didn't have their disposition. He seemed positive, upbeat, inquisitive. Rational thought took over, and though he shook, Chiro raised a hand to meet Oren's and twitched up a smile.

"Er... Glad to... meet... The city is s... nice... I mean, beautiful. So unique..." Or so he thought. He hadn't seen any other cities yet, so anything was, in his opinion, very different and amazing. However, Chiro couldn't help but shake a little. Two sets of eyes on him was a little harder to adjust to, suddenly. And knowing they were both considered friends eased him out of his apprehension.

"Chiro ..." murmuring the name, Malachy shifted a tad closer to the older fae. He shot his friend another look, one which had Oren calming and his demeanor softening a bit to accommodate his friend. They needed to treat Chiro carefully now. He had been through so much already. Malachy was determined to make the transition back into civilization as easy and painless as possible. His wings fluttered too quickly, nervously.

"Yes it is." Oren paused for a moment. "I hear you come from one of the lost cities? The one Malachy went to visit?" The green haired fae lifted his hands to adjust the ornaments, gilded leaves, holding some of the tiny braids covering his head in place. The rest of his hair fell down his back in long waves, the tips lighter then all the rest, more of a light jade color by then rather then pine.

Chiro glanced toward Malachy, his wings shifting up and away from his back in instinct. His kind greeted others by unfolding their wings and bringing them to shoulder-height, and that was instilled in his mind even after so long. But these fae didn't have that custom. "I sho---" Chiro shook his head, biting his tongue. He was already stumbling over words, and that was a dreadful first impression. "I suppose I am... I mean, h-he didn't come to visit me, more than the city itself... And I guess I can't blame him. I shouldn't even be here, but I am. The last of my kind, that is..."

He put his hands up to his face, disguising the nervous action as a desire to move his hair back. He looked so different than the rest of them. They all seemed to wear bright colors, with odd colors in their hair. It was all natural, no doubt. He was woody. He was the color of a tree in the evening. Brown and black, draped in silken clothing he made based on a style that had been dead for a very, very long time. What did Oren think of him...? If he could only read minds---a power that seemed to be absent from his list of abilities.

"The very last?" said Oren. He quieted as soon as he noticed the way his usually happy friend was glaring at him.

Malachy shifted even closer to the older fae, and patted Chiro's arm lightly. He fluttered his wings the let them shine, to have them glinting under the sunlight. Silently he prayed that reminding the other man, ever so slightly in such a way, might help to remind him that no matter what, there was someone rooting for him.. Supporting him.

Chiro had to heal ... He just had to. Malachy had to help with what he could. "We should move into my home. It will be easier to talk without worrying about unwanted guests dropping in."

Chiro nodded curtly, lowering his gaze. He'd asked for this. He'd asked for these questions, these situations to be put upon him, he knew that. And it was time to reacquaint himself with others. Be friendly. Do what his kind were meant to do: Socialize. He couldn't have just one friend. Someone to rely on no matter what. Malachy was sweet and kind, a real diamond, but he was only one being---Chiro needed to branch out. Become less needy, something he'd fallen into the moment he'd agreed to come back with Malachy.

"That might be a good idea..." He muttered, looking up and around. Malachy had so many friends, after all, so many people that loved to talk to him. He tried not to show how eager to get inside he was as they moved toward the flower again, but couldn't hide a sigh of relief when they were back among the glowing orbs.

He smiled and guided his friends into his home. Quickly, Malachy was fluttering about, gathering soft petal cushions and placing them upon vine grown chairs in the living room. He set out a fruit bowl and settled down on the sofa. "Oren, weren't you wondering what kind of games Chiro's people played?"

The green haired fae nodded quickly as he settled down in a chair close to the wall of the rose. "Yes, and I wondered about general ways of life. No one has been able to figure anything out, and ... To be honest we've been rather afraid to approach the city at all."

"Well I did tell everyone they worried for nothing!" A cough stopped Malachy from speaking anymore. Quickly he lifted a hand to smother the sound, and sent an apologetic look to his guests. Shaking his head, he patted the seat beside him to encourage Chiro to sit by his side.

Chiro felt tired already, but he had to get used to it. He accepted Malachy's invitation to sit alongside him, though he worried for the younger fae's health. That cough sounded especially harsh. But he shook it off, regarding Oren with half-open eyes. "Ah... Games... We never really had very... organized games. Most were played among little groups of friends. Keeping a ball away from others, flying races, running races... We were most preoccupied with magic and its abilities. Few, very, very few, could master all the known elements of nature and life, what the world and its life is made of. I was among the few that could. We... spent our days learning new mixtures to cure disease, heal wounds, and generally calm the mind and expand it. We conditioned our bodies to withstand massive amounts of power coursing through them, and to use our power more often without growing... tired or weak."

He paused. General way of life... "And... well, we bonded with each other in a special way. Each fae befriended another very, very early in life. And that bond was never, ever severed. The pair was unbreakable, and eventually grows to love one another, regardless of gender. And that brought up a special manner of reproduction... If two male or two female fae bonded, later they would have to duplicate their genes. And we used a very... special form of magic that... that I can't even remember. I don't think it was ours. Our magic, that is. But a child was born from a flower, and resembled their parents."

He paused, falling silent. He hadn't had that chance. Not with his companion. He'd wanted that---wanted to be a father in some way. Chiro bit his lip, blinking quickly when the threat of tears became apparent.

"What happened to your companion?" Oren pipped up, curiosity over ruling his empathy.

Eyes flashing, Malachy stood upright, every inch of his slender frame taunt. "Out, now! This can be continued later on, Oren."He began to cough again, the harsh tone of voice he'd used making his throat constrict unpleasantly. He settled down against the couch and the moment his cough quieted, he reached out to wraps his arms and wings around the older fae. Malachy leaned his head against Chiro's shoulder and squeezed, only offering comfort ruling his mind. It was easy to do, with the knowledge that his over reaction hadn't harmed his friendship with Oren.

Chiro recoiled from both outburst and question, leaning forward and hiding his face in his hands. He hadn't expected such a question to be asked so quickly, but hadn't expected Malachy to react so strongly to Oren's question. He was a historian, after all---he was meant to gather information, not care about the feelings of others. Chiro understood that, but it still smarted---his heart hurt. He felt fatigued. He nearly shrunk away when Malachy's touch became obvious. "I'm sorry... I should have just answered... I'm still so tied to what happened... I thought... I'd be able to handle it. But I probably ruined everything. With you and Oren. I probably killed your friendship. M-maybe I should have met with him on my own. It would have been better... It'd have been easier." What would Oren think? Would he hate Chiro, too? There had to be a way to mend things. He had an idea, however, he kept that to himself.

Gently, the younger fae shifted to capture one of his friend's hands in his own, o squeeze it and rubs his fingers against the soft skin gently in an imitation of Chiro's earlier action. The other arm, he left around Chiro's shoulders as he tried to pull the other fae as close as he could. Sometimes, he really did hate his diminutive physique. This was one of them. He couldn't give all the comfort he truly wished to. Malachy couldn't bear to feel Chiro hurting ...

"Everything is fine. Oren knows better then anyone how protective I can be of my patients. He used to be one of them. You did nothing wrong, Chiro ... You need more time to heal .. That's all." And once more he felt so helpless. The thought only made his wings curl about the other man tighter, his hold upon him tighten as if the simple act could make up for Malachy's inability to help.

He gritted his teeth, biting back tears. It grew more difficult, though, as Malachy spoke, and he sighed, swallowing hard. "I know, I... just... sometimes I feel like it'd have been better if my race just stayed dead. The way it's supposed to be. I was supposed to die and... I didn't. And now I'm invading other environments when I shouldn't. I'm... I'm defying the laws of nature now. And I worked so hard to understand those laws, I just can't. I can't, now. Because my very existence goes against everything I came to learn."

He wailed, turning to grab Malachy in a close hug and bite his raging confusion down to size. Malachy was displaced as well---Oren wouldn't have been chased away, and Malachy would probably be off parading about with them had Chiro not come to be here with them. He just had to make it right.

He sank into the embrace, took everything in as he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Chiro's neck. Taking a deep breath, the younger fae allowed himself to rub his fingers against the remnants of Chiro's wings in a paltry imitation of the massages he'd been given. It was so strange, how willing he was to take in the all of Chiro's feelings, how he wished to truly be able to take them upon himself, no matter how intense, how sad ... Malachy wished he could truly do so, but he couldn't.

"Chiro, haven't you realized yet how glad I am to have met you?" The murmured words slipped from his lips, calm with heartfelt emotions roiling underneath. "Don't wish your death.... P-p-please, don't!" His voice broke at the last. Malachy tilted his head into the hollow of the other fae's neck as he broke down and began to cry. Already there were so many things around him that were reminders of Chiro's presence, and their journey together from the city had forged memories in his mind that would never fade. He couldn't imagine not seeing Chiro on a daily basis...

Chiro squeezed Malachy close, stroking his hair lightly. "I can't wish for that." He muttered. "I won't. Even if I think, now, it would be easier... It won't last. It'll pass. I don't want you to worry about me. Please... Don't worry... If anything I should worry about you. Your cough is getting worse." He pet Malachy's wings lightly, sniffing his emotions into an easy manner, calming himself. Malachy didn't need this. "It's okay." He brought Malachy away and used his thumbs to sweep away the tears streaming from the young fae's pink eyes. "You can trust me. I'll be fine. I just hope you will be." He bit his lips, concern showing in his dark eyes. That cough... It couldn't be healthy, even for a cold. And Malachy just didn't seem the kind to be ill too often, if at all. Chiro could make him a serum, perhaps, to ease the cough. "If you get me something... I could help you make that cough a little lighter." A change of subject was desperately needed. Malachy's eyes didn't deserve to be red and bloodshot.

He felt the sudden urge to cling to the other man, wrap his arms tight around Chiro and never ever let him go. Malachy didn't know where it came from, perhaps it was the way it made him feel, simply being near the other fae. It didn't seem to mater what was going on... so long as Chiro was there to sweep away his tears, to worry a bit over him. No one else really did, not the same way.

Worry, he needed to chase it away. So Malachy worked hard to swallow down his next cough, clamping his lips shut and forcing them into a smile. "What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine, Chiro. Can't you tell?" Tilting his head to the side, the pink eyed fae reached out to pat Chiro's arm reassuringly. "It will pass. I'm already feeling much better." It was a lie, but just a small one. It didn't matter how horrible he felt, so long as he caused no one else worry ... Especially Chiro. It was his job to take care of the other fae, not the other way around.

Chiro shook his head slightly. He knew Malachy was still feeling ill, but working so hard to prove otherwise was something to be commended. He refused to let it go entirely, however, and simply forced himself to nod. "Okay... Well then, Malachy, could you take me to some... more public places? I could really do with some ingredients to make some things... I'll admit I'm a little... a little rusty with those skills... And it'd be nice to go around others. Even if I weren't to directly talk to them... Staying away all the time isn't really helpful, I guess, is it?" He smiled a little, hoping Malachy couldn't feel that he didn't fully believe the multicolored fae. "And maybe... some things to make you a proper pillow? And maybe better sewing things... for more clothes... This is my only set, so far... I'm sure I should make more... even if it's outdated clothing..."

He didn't want to necessarily show off his wings, but they were a testament to his age, what he went through over the centuries. He felt he could wear them proudly, even while others flitted about the air effortlessly.

Malachy could tell his ploy hadn't quite worked. He wanted to refuse the walk, simply to prove that he needed no such concoctions. That would have been counter productive though, taking away something Chiro needed so he could heal. The pink eyed fae simply couldn't stand in the way of that, being so selfish went against all he was. Reaching out, Malachy wrapped his hands around one of Chiro's and squeezed lightly. The small contact reassured him somehow, that the other fae would heal, that everything would turn out alright ... No matter if he failed.

"Alright. But Chiro ... There's no need to worry so much for my sake, to do so much for me. This is a time all for you, so you can heal and learn to live with all that's happened. So you can ... forgive yourself." He smiled, and the moment was ruined easily. A cough undid all he had done to hide his worsening condition, shattering the illusion he had been trying so hard to create.

Shaking his head with an unbecoming frown, Malachy stood. He was angry with his body for being so unruly, for interfering with his work. Such a thing had never happened to him before. The fae was usually quite healthy, a side effect of his magic perhaps. If his body was in disrepair, he couldn't help those that needed him.

Chiro shook his head. "If I didn't worry about others, I'd spend all my time hating myself." He petted Malachy's hand lightly, but was reluctant to release it. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself, but first I have to learn to live with myself. I'll do that, for y... for everyone's sake..." He looked down, and stepped toward the exit slit between the two petals. "Maybe some fresh air will... flush that virus from your system." He offered. "Best not to sit around with it festering inside you I'd like to say." He pulled the younger fae out into the open air, a little more eager now. It was, after all, a stunning city.

"And... even if you don't want any serum or potion I could create for you... Maybe I could make both of us some tea. I'm sure it would help you. And me. And I'd like some things that might come in handy later... Maybe I could make some things that others could use? That'd be helpful, I'm sure... I do want to be helpful..." He watched the sky in a rather dream-like manner, as if thinking about it.

Sniffling lightly, the robe clad fae allowed himself to be guided from his own home. Once outside, his nose clogged up even more. The more he breathed through his mouth, the drier Malachy's throat became. Still, it wasn't that bad. "Tea would be nice. I'm sure others in the city would love to taste your concoctions." Silently, he guided the other fae towards the very center of the city, where the glittering spires of the crystal buildings captured the light and made rainbows fall across the land. It was a wonder such delicate seeming structures could remain upright, despite the weather which could fall across such parts like a hard fist.

Chiro smiled---a combination of what Malachy said and what he saw as they entered the heart of the city. Most of the bottommost buildings were opaque, but the higher they grew, the more transparent they became, sending prisms all over. "It's all so amazing..." He muttered, spinning to take in everything from top to bottom. "I can't believe it... How... how does it all stay up?" His curiosity was overflowing---how did these delicate crystal buildings remain standing? How were they created? How were they kept up? Did they jut into the ground? He had to look inside, pulling Malachy along with him to a shop that obviously sold herbs and liquids, flowers, spices and dry leaves of various forms.

"I wonder... how I would pay for even one thing..." He muttered to himself, looking through boxes, barrels, shelves and packs. Other fae were around, and he nodded if they spoke to him. However, he felt their gazes on him long after he turned away and tried to stay as close to Malachy as possible.

Seeing Chiro's excitement, his wonder, made Malachy smile. "I can pay for your things," stated the healer calmly as he stepped into the nice smelling shop behind his friend. His wings glittered as they shifted about, a sure sign of his mood lifting. His nose was still just as stuffed, but simply standing in the herb shop seemed to help just a little bit.

"Pick whatever you need." From within his robes, the fae pulled some seeds, and gold. The combination would perhaps have seemed quite odd to outsiders, but it was a rather common one for the city. The fae loved to grow things, even if they had no talent for it. Malachy was one of those, otherwise he would have been able to pay with grown plants and artwork such as Chiro could create. Shaking his head with a smile, Malachy moved away to drop the currency into the shopkeeper's hands.

Chiro opened his mouth to go against it---he didn't want Malachy to spend money on what Chiro wanted. But he swallowed his concerns back and went around, picking and choosing. Dried roots, fresh berries and flowers, dried flowers, teas, spices and herbs, pure water, blessed water, scented water. He wanted it all. Wanted to clean the place out, but he settled with taking small amounts of what he knew he would use within the next few days. That way he could repay both Malachy and the shopkeeper, perhaps even be a regular customer, exchanging his creations for ingredients. He filled a bag, glad that he could finally start his crafts again, and looked to Malachy.

"You won't convince me that I shouldn't repay you." He said sternly, indicating the bag. "I'll do so regardless. I'm always glad to. It keeps me busy. It reminds me of happier times. I hope you understand..." He stared about, despite himself. It was so beautiful inside as well as out. How did this come to even be?

He laughed, though it made him want to cough. "If it helps you, then please ... Do whatever you want." Malachy smiled a bit and moved nearer his new friend. He placed a guiding hand upon Chiro's arm, and walked him from the shop and towards the market. There people had spread out blankets and set out their wares. Jewels sparkled, crystals shaped into intricate shapes, plants grown into furniture, home remedies, and a whole manner of things.

Malachy was sure Chiro would love everything. "I will do anything at all to help you heal. No matter the cost." The truth of his words surprised even Malachy, as they walked. There were those who stared, and he did his best to hide the sight of them from Chiro. It wouldn't do for the older fae to get upset, to be hurt, because of how others judged him.