“Guinevere should be in her garden right now,” Gadalik said. “Would you want to try hypnotism now or later on?”

“Hmm… Let's just get it over with,” Gretel replied. “Come on.”

The green earth dragon hybrid followed the striped white wind type back into the forest. They eventually arrived at the tree hollow, below which the dragoness with pale blue fur was using her white-tipped paws to carefully dig and replant additions to her garden. Her golden antennae lifted as if to alert her to their approach. To Gadalik's surprise, his adoptive mother was with her.

“Glacia?” he called out to the water type. “What are you and Guinevere up to?”

“Oh! Hey!" she greeted him cheerfully. "We still have leftovers from the stag she brought us yesterday, so because I don't need to hunt today, I thought I’d make myself useful here while you were out on your playdate with Gretel.”

“Useful?”

Glacia gave a toothy smile. “Ever since you made my puddle, I can use my storage ability anytime. Watch this!” She faced one of the new plants Guinevere had added to the garden, exchanged a permissive glance with the latter, then opened her mouth and showered it with a light spray of water.

Her son immediately remembered the part of last fall’s vision where she had shot the killer seer in his eye with a bullet of water, causing the large dragon to bleed. He had never seen her use it so gently before; not even against himself during their play-fights. Was she scared of hurting me?

“Now that she can water my garden, I can introduce plants to it that require more water. I also noticed that Glacia’s presence deters predators from me,” Guinevere added with an appreciative smile.

“Really?” he asked.

His mother chuckled. “I never thought about it, but I guess water types are considered predators too.”

“Why wouldn't you think about it? You should take advantage of being a predator! You can go in the open without worrying about anyone preying on you,” Gretel encouraged her with a prideful grin. “A-a-and you can scare off any trespassers!”

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Gadalik once again remembered the scarlet wyvern that had tried to consume the fairy type in the latter's recounting of her past. It must be hard having to worry about being hunted in your own territory…

Glacia shrugged. “Water types don't really go in the open–at least, not until winter if it snows and our home freezes over. We stick to our oceans, lakes, springs, or wherever we live.”

“True. I wasn't talking about water dragons as a whole, silly–I was talking about you specifically,” Gretel clarified with a huff of laughter.

Gadalik paused. With how much Glacia's stayed on land to take care of me, I completely forgot that being out of water isn't natural for her… He suppressed a pang of guilt.

“I've never really had to do any of that before. Usually other predators like revealers, seers, and wind dragons don't come out when it's cold, so when we do go out during winter, it's safe for us," Glacia explained.

Right… we avoided that vision with the killer seer. Glacia really hasn't encountered one in reality.

Gretel, who had seemed back to usual self during their walk here and up until this point, had winced almost a second into the water dragoness’s response. She was currently looking down, distraught. Glacia was confused by her reaction, but didn't question her; she awkwardly went back to watering the plants as if not wanting to cause drama between them again.

The wyvern’s feelings did draw Guinevere's attention, though. “I detect some apprehension. Is everything alright?”

“I told Gretel about your offer to help her remember things,” Gadalik said quietly. “Is this a bad time?”

“Not at all.” She looked at the purple-striped juvenile. “I take it you accepted my offer?”

The latter hesitated, becoming indecisive once more.

What upset her? Gadalik wondered. She was fine again until Glacia mentioned how winter deters predators… “Gretel?”

The hybrid’s voice snapped his friend out of it. “Huh?” she asked. “Oh… I mean… I…” The sentence faltered.

“If you're not ready yet, that's alright. I'll be here whenever you decide you are,” Guinevere assured her.

“What if I never am…?”

“Memories may resurface on their own, but it may be a longer and more confusing process to go through alone.”

“I think they have been resurfacing on their own lately,” she admitted. “Broken, and senseless… but they still make me feel bad.” Gretel averted her eyes, glaring at the ground. “I don't want to feel bad... I hate it.”

“If you accept my offer to hypnotize you, we can try to get all of the bad things out at once, so we can work through them.”

She took a breath, then looked at Gadalik, her initial resolve renewing. “Alright,” she told Guinevere. “Can Gadalik join us?”

“Of course. Come, let us go in my hollow.”