"Mooom, I'm fine! Stop trying to heal me, I'm fine!"

Arriving late in the night after the breif... encounter, Hanako had been able to avoid her mother's worrying thanks to the strong need of sleep on both sides.

However, now the morning came, as well as healing tonics. Some could be painless, some smelled beautifully. Others... not so much.

"OW! Mom, that time stung!" "You deserve it! You know you can't use too much of your powers!" "It was only a little- AH! Okay, that really burns," Hanako hissed as her mother harshly dabbed a healing tonic on a cut the kelpie gave her. Chise only glared as she finished dabbing the tonic on with a cotton ball.

"There," she said, giving her daughter her arm back. "It shouldn't scar, but if it does let it serve as a reminder of how fragile of a being you are," Chise said, glaring once again before trying to get up from the couch. "She's right, Hana," Doug said, rushing to help her mother up as the teenager rubbed her quickly healing injury. "Who's side are you on?" she glared as her mother left for the kitchen.

"The side that will keep you alive."

The room fell silent. The faint sound of James and Harmony laughing and playing in the garden filled the air, and the sound of Chise and Silver moving plates an whatnot in the kitchen were the only other sound. Putting his hands in his jacket's pockets, Doug stood right in front of Hanako, looking serious.

Doug had only known Hanako for two years before she had her first slumber. He remembered that there was a spell they wanted to do. it was simple, and they had seen Chise and Angelica perform it for them so many times. So Doug snatched an amethyst for himself and gave a ruby to Hanako to transform them into something.

It took a bit of effort, but Doug had quickly turned his amethyst into a small raven, one of his favorite birds. Hanako had been amazed and wanted to create a big, beautiful rose out of her ruby. So Doug sat back and watched her perform it with her eyes closed.

If only he knew what to do next.

At first, nothing happened. But then a small, barely noticeable bud had popped out of the gem. Doug would've said something had it not been for the ground beneath him suddenly burst into crystals, forming big, sharp briars that sprouted roses so quickly. He tried to scream for help, but he was cut off mid-scream when a briar shot over him, barely missing his head. And in the center, Hanako stood, struggling to get out of her trance.

Had it not have been for Elias, Doug would've been seriously injured and Hanako might have never stopped. He grabbed Hana from the back and with a stomp of his staff, the ruby rose bush shattered.

What should've been a simple exercise got out of hand because of Hanako being really excited before performing the spell. Doug remembered how she slept for three days straight before even stirring awake. And in those three days, he learned about her fairly short lifespan compared to other mages.

Doug made a promise to himself and Hanako that day. He promised he would do whatever it took for her to live as long as possible and keep her from falling into a slumber for as little as possible. He then promised Elias he would help him on his quest to cure Chise and Hanako.

"... I can take care of myself, you know." "That worries me sometimes," he said, moving to sit next to her. "I didn't fall asleep this time," she stated softly, eyes falling in guilt as she grabbed his hand that rested on his lap. The loving warmth comforted him, it always did. Warmth with any kind of affection towards him always seemed to relax him, help him clear his mind. he leaned his head on her shoulders, sighing.

"I know. But you could've," he said, entwining his fingers with hers. "But I didn't. I promised you that I would do my best to not go to sleep." "And if you did?" he solemnly asked. "Then I would wake up, you know that." "But-""I'm alive, Doug. I know you can feel the warmth of my body, and that's your proof. I'm not leaving you."

"... I know," he said, raising their hands and turning them so her hand faced him. He placed his lips gently against the smooth, soft skin for a few seconds, feeling the warmth from the slight coolness, and pulled it away. He held them a distance between his face and thigh, just looking at her fairly pale skin against his barely tanned skin. "But you're the only true friend I've ever had," he whispered softly.

Had it been any softer, Hanako might not have heard him. But she did, she always did. It didn't matter how far he was, how quiet he was, it was Doug speaking. She always heard him. Ever since that first day when she heard his pants as he ran from the mean boys.

"I don't regret anything, D."

"I know you don't, Hana."

"Do you?"

"Surprisingly... no."

"Good. Mom says that the best way to live is to have no regrets. At least, that's something an old friend taught her."

"Heh... What if you do?"

Hanako thought in silence for a moment as they shifted so it was her resting on his shoulder and him resting on her head.

"Then... I guess you need to do something to move on. Or else it'll hold you back and you can't live without it haunting your conscience."

"... you know, I was wrong. I do have one regret."

"Oh? What is it?"

Doug shifted so he was facing her, a small smile forming on his lips. Hanako tilted her head out of curiously, her green eyes with slits slightly wide in wonder, making her face look small and make her horns look a bit ridiculous on her.

"Not becoming best friends with you sooner," he smiled, wrapping an arm around her neck to pull her into a hug. "I love you, too, tough guy," she giggled, knowing that their friendship bond was on the verge of being more of sibling love. "And don't you forget it," he said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"That would be my only regret if I did."