We walked hand in hand along the jungle trail, exploring a different section that had blue and green glowing mushrooms, big red flowers and weird plants that look like wine glasses. Our hands swung a little harder this time, and Natalie's tail was twitching a bit more often than usual, though her smile remained the same.

  But the face of Felid boy kept coming back in my head. He smiled sadly at me, like he wanted to say something but he couldn't.

  "Look at this Herald, this is a fly trap." Natalie said, pointing at the deep pitcher shaped plant with a lid with bright red colors around the mouth.

  "What does it do?" I asked, peering into the plant. There was water inside. It was one strange plant.

  "It eats insects. Look."

  Her clawed finger pointed at an approaching fly the size of a small pebble. It was pretty large, slightly golden in color. It circled hesitantly around the mouth of the plant, as if it itself was suspicious of what it found.

  "This plants uses smell as bait used to lure insects." Natalie explained as we squatted beside the plant, looking at the fly now perched on rock, eying the plant that will eventually eat it.

  After a moment, it flew and landed on the mouth's rim. And slipped into its doom.

  We chuckled at the stupidity of it.

  "I've never seen such a thing in my palace gardens before." I said, prodding the plant which responded by jiggling. The fly inside buzzed helplessly in the water. It wouldn't be long till it melted.

  "Herald, what is your world like?" Natalie turned.

  "Well, my world is cool, bright..." I said, recounting the memory of happier times, of a white palace and blue skies. "Full of white and blue colors, and golden light..."

  "Wow... It's so different from my jungle."

  "It is. There are seasons. Do you know them?"

  Natalie shook her head, her white bang bouncing. We found a stretch raised ground nearby. Without a word, we padded over and sat down, our shoulders brushing.

  Natalie leaned forward to look at me, "Tell me, Herald."

  I leaned back, propping myself on both arms, "Well, seasons are like times of the year. There's spring, summer, autumn and winter, the weather changes each season."

  I looked up towards the canopy where sunlight was coming in through the gaps, "Springs is when all the flowers bloom the brightest, and autumn is when the leaves turn red," recalling the flowers in many colors and the red autumn leaves.

  Natalie listened with an ever widening smile and wonder in her eyes.

  "Summer is just like here, sunny and hot. But not humid."

  "And winter is the coldest. That's when snow falls from the sky and covers the place."

  "Snow...? What's that?" Natalie blinked.

  "They're white flaky stuff that falls from the sky. It's like cold cotton, but they're actually ice." I said, making fluttering movements with my fingers as I bring my hand down from over my shoulders.

  But Natalie couldn't imagine it. Her blank face and lack of response said it all.

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  "You don't know what snow is?"

  She shook her head.

  "Uh... What about ice? Have you seen ice?"

  She shook her head again. "What's that?"

  Then I remembered that Ibis had no contact with the outside world, apart from us. I've never seen a cube of ice in this village too. So, no way Natalie would understand what I'm talking about.

  "Ice is actually water, when it's frozen."

  "Huh?"

  *Uh-oh, how do I explain ice to someone who's never seen it?*

  I thought for a while. The only solution I know of came to mind.

  I held her shoulders, "Alright, Nat. When we grow up, I'll take you to see the outside world. I'll show you snow! And ice! You'll like it! It's cold and nice! And we won't even sweat!"

  Her face shifted from blankness to wonder, then it became that sad-yet-happy expression. Her gaze dropped to the ground.

  I thought she would be happy...

  "Natalie?"

  "I... Nothing... It's just... You suddenly sound like..." Her fingers gripped the hem of her dress, tail completely still and ears flat,

  "...Him."

  Her tail gave flick, but something tells me she didn't want it to move.

  Natalie suddenly became very still.

  "You mean... Nathan?" I asked softly.

  Her eyes widened, "How... Did you know his name?"

  The air suddenly became very strange. My heart began to beat against my chest.

  "Uh... Auntie Ollette called me that a few days ago..."

  Natalie opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

  A strange dread came over me. I thought Natalie would be happy if I promised to show her snow. We had promised to go out and see the outside world before in Juno's hut. Why suddenly?

  Now I have to be careful. Nothing like this ever happened between us before. I leaned forward slowly to look at her.

  "Natalie? Nathan's... Your brother, isn't he?"

  Natalie's eyes were wide I can't see the blue in her eyes anymore. But she nodded, stiffly.

  "Y-yes, he was..."

  I smiled, then I propped myself back on my arms and looked up to the canopy.

  Yes, I do look like her dead brother. His eyes look like mine when I was still a Wingly. Same hair. The only difference is the ears and the pupils of the eyes. So that's who she and Ollette... And Morgan saw when they look at me. Their dead son. That's also who Sylvester and Moy... And everyone else saw. Someone they knew came back from the dead, different.

  Now... Another dread came on me.

  A question.

  Did they love me... Just because of who I look like?

  If I hadn't had Nathan's face... Would Ollette and Natalie still love me?

  Would I even be staying in this village?

  Suddenly, it hurt.

  It hurt a lot.

  That I'm loved not because of who I am... But because of who I replace.

  Yet...

  If I had filled a hole in their heart... Is that a bad thing?

  I glanced over at Natalie. And her shoulders were shaking.

  "Nat? You okay?"

  "N-No!"

  She shot up and took a step back.

  "N-Natalie??"

  My heart twisted inside me. I reached out without thinking, and she flinched backwards.

  *Wh-what?*

  "Na-Nath—Herald..." Natalie's voice shook, somehow afraid, yet pleading,

  "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Herald!" Her voice rose the pitches and she was shaking her head.

  Panic rose inside me, gargling with something else, pain. But right now, I need to calm her down. Natalie was holding herself like she was about to fall apart.

  "Nat! It's alright! Don't be sorry!"

  *Uh-oh. She knows that I know.*

  "Herald. I can't—I can't—!"

  And tears began streaming down her cheeks. A high pitched sob. She was crying now.

  "Natalie, please don't cry...! I'm not angry!"

  I tried moving closer, but she stepped back.

  "Please, just leave me alone." Natalie sobbed, shaking her head again.

  My chest became so tight I had to breathe through my mouth. I don't know what to do. There's so many things in my head right now that I can't think straight.

  My hand fell limp beside me. And the jungle fell into an choking silence punctuated by her sobs.

  "Let's... Let's go home, Nat."

  Natalie's lips quivered. She finally nodded after a long while.

  The walk back to the village was quiet and VERY uncomfortable. Natalie walked ahead while I followed behind her. I tried to walk beside her, but she'd quicken her steps to get ahead. After a few tries, I gave up and trailed behind at a safe distance. Her tail hung limp behind her, her heels would sometimes kick against it. And her ears were flat against her head.

  When the tree where our homes rested upon came into view, she ran ahead and climbed quickly up the tree, then she disappeared into her hut. Kaelen was by the river, hauling water into the large vases. Our eyes met over the distance. He then glanced up to the Birdsong hut, then back at me.

  He set the bucket down and came.

  "What happened, Boy?"

  "I... Asked her about Nathan."

  Kaelen's face didn't change much, like he already knew about the whole thing. I remember him and Morgan talking at Juno's garden, and Morgan casting a quick glance at me. Could they have been talking about my resemblance to Nathan?

  "I see..."

  He put a hand around my shoulders and gently guided me into our shed.