Archive of Our Own

Nom loved being useful. Who didn’t?

Sure, he didn’t have a specific task like everyone else. Cherri had her plants, Katie had her tinkering, 4c had his water, Mae had the animals, and Apo had her sunlight. Nom, on the other hand, was a fast-flying fairy. There wasn’t exactly a job that required him to sit in one place and work away at something. Instead, he spent most of his time exploring places the others couldn’t easily reach, finding resources, scouting out new areas, and bringing things back to the tree. It was a different kind of task, but it was still a task. 

Without him, their little system would fall apart. Who else would get Cherri her pumpkin seeds? Who would tell Mae about the adorable hedgehogs he’d found three forests over? Who would bring Katie the iron she needed for her latest contraption? He’d even managed to find a fishing book for 4c. 

See? Useful.

Cherri was constantly worrying about Spring. Everyone else, with the possible exception of Apo, seemed a little less uptight about their preparations. There were still three weeks left, after all. Three weeks was plenty of time. They had food, they had supplies, and they had each other. There was no reason to panic yet. 

Nom certainly didn’t. At least, that was what he made it look like. He was the one who lounged around when Cherri started listing everything they still needed to finish, the one who joked that they could probably prepare for Spring in a single afternoon if they really tried. He teased Katie about taking too long on her projects and deliberately distracted Mae whenever she got too focused on playing with animals. If anyone asked, Nom was completely unconcerned.

Nobody saw him at night.

When the others settled into their beds and the warmth of the pixie dust tree grew quiet, Nom would lie awake long after everyone else had fallen asleep. Sometimes he stared at the ceiling. Sometimes he watched the faint glow of the pixie dust drifting through the branches. Sometimes he simply lay there, listening to every tiny sound around him while his mind picked apart everything that had happened that day. A joke he'd made that hadn't gotten a laugh. A time he'd interrupted someone. A moment where he'd been standing around while everyone else worked. Little things that shouldn't have mattered somehow became enormous when there was nothing else to distract him.

Eventually, he would get up.

He always waited until he was certain everyone was asleep before slipping outside. He'd grab a small handful of pixie dust from their supplies and tuck it safely away, just in case, then step off the edge of the tree and let his wings catch the air. The moment he was away from the tree, the weight in his chest would ease. The forest below became a dark blur of leaves and branches, the wind swept his thoughts away, and for a little while there was nothing except the steady rhythm of his wings.

He wasn't tired. That was all.

They don't like you.

Nom flew faster, letting the wind rush cold against his face.

They think you're annoying.

He pushed himself harder, the trees below becoming little more than shadows.

You're not actually needed for Spring.

His jaw tightened.

They only tell you that because they feel bad for you. You don't even have a task.

“That's not true,” Nom muttered, though there was no one around to hear him.

Of course it wasn't true. If they didn't need him, they wouldn't have half the food or plants they had. They'd have less iron for their tools. Or know where certain places were, like the frog town. They needed him.

They needed his speed.

They need your speed. Not you.

Nom's fingers curled into fists. His wings beat harder.

If you weren't fast, they wouldn't need you.

“Shut up.” The words came out sharper this time.

Nom, get me this.

Nom, can you find that?

Nom, can you go check over there?

You're fast. You can do it.

He gritted his teeth and flew until the voices became indistinguishable from the wind.

By the time Nom finally returned from one of his latest trips, the sun was already beginning to sink toward the horizon. He'd spent most of the afternoon underground, which was something he avoided whenever he could. He didn't mind mining itself, there was something satisfying about finding a vein of iron buried in the stone and knowing Katie would immediately start planning what she could make with it. What he hated was everything else about caves. The tunnels were too narrow, the ceilings too low, and there was never enough room to properly spread his wings. Every time he tried to move quickly, he had to worry about clipping a wall or smashing into a stalactite. And, of course, there were the monsters.

Nom hated the monsters.

He emerged from the cave with a heavy sack hanging from one arm, his shoulders aching from carrying the weight. The bag was packed with raw iron and several other ores he'd collected along the way, and the rough strap dug painfully into his fingers. He flexed his hand as he flew, trying to get some feeling back into it. At least now he was back in the open air. The vast stretch of sky above him felt like a reward after hours of cramped darkness.

Then the familiar glow of their pixie dust tree appeared between the branches.

Nom's tired expression immediately transformed into a grin.

“Wellllll, well, well!” he announced as he swept through the entrance, making his arrival far more dramatic than necessary. He let the heavy bag drop from his arm, and it hit the wooden floor with a loud thud that echoed through the tree. “Anyone order some raw iron?”

“Finally, you're back,” Katie grumbled. She stood with her arms crossed, giving him an unimpressed look. “You took forever!”

“Did you want me to get enough ore or not?” Nom shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Katie rolled her eyes and bent down to pick up the bag. Her expression immediately changed when she tried to lift it. “What did you put in here?”

“Iron.”

“This weighs a ton!”

“That's because it's good iron.”

“That doesn't even make sense.”

“It makes perfect sense.”

Katie muttered something under her breath as she dragged the bag over to her supplies and began sorting through the contents. Nom smiled to himself, pleased with the reaction he'd gotten, and brushed some of the dust from his clothes. He was about to say something else when a flash of blue caught his attention.

“Oh hey, 4c.”

The water fairy had been standing near the entrance, and the moment Nom spoke, he turned around. His expression was frantic, his hands fidgeting nervously in front of him. Puddles pooled beneath him.

“Nom!” 4c hurried toward him, relief immediately visible across his face. “Oh, thank goodness. Do you know where Apo and Mae are?”

“I saw them outside a few minutes ago,” Katie answered before Nom could. She dumped another piece of ore into her pile and looked toward 4c. “Why? What's wrong?”

4c glanced toward the open entrance. Outside, the leaves were beginning to move strangely, rustling even though the breeze had been almost nonexistent a few minutes earlier.

“We need to get them inside. They shouldn't be out there.” He swallowed and looked uneasy. “I can feel heavy moisture in the air. There's a lot of water building up in the clouds, and they're forming really fast. I think there might be a thun—”

“Hey, Nom!”

Cherri's voice cut across the room.

Nom turned toward her. She was kneeling beside her little garden, dirt smudged across her hands and knees as she inspected one of the rows.

“Can you get me more wheat seeds?”

Nom's face brightened almost instantly.

A task.

For him.

“On it!”

“Nom, wait—!”

4c's warning came too late. Nom was already out the entrance.

The change in the weather was much more obvious outside.

The warm afternoon air had disappeared, replaced by a strange, restless wind that swept through the trees in sudden bursts. Leaves tore loose from their branches and skittered across the forest floor, while the tall grass bent and rippled in waves. Nom landed beside the patch of dirt where he'd seen the seeds earlier, crouching down to scoop them into the small sack hanging from his belt.

He gathered as many as he could, carefully pinching the tiny seeds between his fingers so he wouldn't lose any. A gust of wind suddenly tore through the clearing, whipping his hair across his face and nearly knocking him sideways. He caught himself with one hand, then pushed his hair back and looked up.

The sky had changed.

Dark clouds were spreading across it with alarming speed, swallowing the remaining patches of blue until the sunlight had been reduced to a dull grey glow. They rolled across the horizon in thick, heavy layers, their undersides almost black. The forest had fallen strangely dim, and for a moment everything felt unnaturally still between gusts of wind.

A low rumble sounded in the distance.

Nom looked toward the clouds.

“Just my luck…”

He glanced down at the sack in his hand.

The tree wasn't far. He could make it back before the storm really started. Besides, rain wasn't immediately dangerous to him. As a fast-flying fairy, Nom could stay in the air a little longer than most once the rain began soaking his wings. It wasn't much of an advantage, but it was enough to tempt him into trying.

He shoved the last of the seeds into the sack and pulled the opening tight. Then he slung it over his shoulder and looked back toward the tree.

“Easy.”

Nom crouched, spread his wings, and launched himself into the air.

At first, it was effortless. The wind was strong, but Nom knew how to use it, angling his body and letting the gusts carry him forward instead of fighting against them. The forest rushed beneath him in a blur of green and brown, branches whipping past below as he flew toward the distant glow of their home.

Then lightning flashed. Nom flinched instinctively. A heartbeat later, thunder rolled across the sky. He glanced upward. The clouds were moving faster now.

Nom's wings beat harder as the first few drops of rain struck his face. They were cold enough to make him gasp. Within seconds, the scattered drops became a steady shower, soaking through his clothes and darkening his hair. The rain streaked across his vision, forcing him to blink repeatedly as he struggled to keep his eyes on the tree.

Cold water ran down his face and neck, dripping from his chin as his clothes grew heavier against his body. His wings began to feel different beneath him, each beat requiring more effort than the last. The delicate membranes shuddered whenever a gust struck them, and Nom had to angle himself carefully to keep from being thrown off course. It was a miracle he made it this far.

He kept going. The tree grew larger as he got closer, his heart lifting. 

“Come on…”

Another flash illuminated the forest, turning the entire world white for a split second. The thunder that followed was louder than before, vibrating through Nom's chest. It only prompted him to fly harder.

His arms were beginning to ache from the weight of the sack, but he refused to let it go. The wheat seeds bounced against his side with every movement.

Cherri needed them

It was his task. 

The tree was so close now that Nom could almost make out the entrance. He could practically picture Cherri taking the sack from him, could already hear her thanking him before immediately returning to her plants.

Then the wind shifted. A powerful gust slammed into him from the side.

Nom's body jerked violently, and his wings struggled to compensate. He tilted, dropping several feet before managing to steady himself. His heart hammered. The fairy was slowing down and fast.

The rain had soaked through everything now. Water streamed from the tips of his hair and collected along his wings, and every beat felt heavier than the last. Nom tried to push himself forward, but his movements were becoming sluggish.

The tree was right there, just a little farther.

He should drop the bag.

The thought came immediately. The seeds weren't worth it.

He could come back for more.

He could find shelter.

He could—

But Cherri needed them.

Nom tightened his grip on the sack and he pushed forward again.

His wings strained. He barely gained any ground. The wind screamed around him, and the rain blurred everything into streaks of grey. Nom could no longer tell whether his eyes were watering from the rain or fear.

I'm not going to make it. The realization settled into his stomach like a stone.

He should have turned around. He should have listened to 4c. He should have dropped the stupid bag. Nom forced his wings to beat again. Then something struck his back.

A massive droplet of water hit him with enough force to make his entire body jerk forward. His wings stopped and his stomach dropped. For one terrifying moment, there was nothing beneath him.

His fingers slipped and the sack fell from his grasp, disappearing into the rain below. Nom didn't even have time to scream.

Every hair on his body suddenly stood on end. For one impossible instant, the entire world around Nom turned white. The rain, the trees, the dark clouds, even the ground far below him all disappeared beneath the blinding light. His body went rigid in midair, every muscle locking at once as the bolt tore through him.

There was no pain.

There was only a deafening crack that seemed to split the sky itself, followed by a violent burst of heat and electricity that sent his wings jerking outward. The force of the strike threw him sideways before gravity finally reclaimed him. His vision flickered wildly between white and black, the world twisting beneath him as his body began to tumble through the rain.

The last thing Nom registered was the sensation of falling.

Then everything disappeared.

“Nom, wait!”

4c watched helplessly as the fast-flying fairy disappeared through the entrance. He turned toward Cherri.

“Why did you ask him to get seeds?”

Cherri blinked. “What?”

“There's going to be a thunderstorm!” The words came out much louder than he'd intended.

Cherri's expression changed immediately. She looked toward the entrance and realization dawned on her face.

The sunlight that had been streaming through the leaves earlier was almost completely gone. The sky had turned an ugly shade of grey, and the branches outside were beginning to sway as the wind picked up. Tiny droplets had started tapping against the leaves, soft at first, but becoming more frequent by the second.

Katie stood up. “Oh.”

4c nodded rapidly. “I felt all the moisture building up. The clouds are moving too quickly. There’s going to be a storm.”

Cherri's eyes widened. “And Nom is outside.”

“Exactly!”

For the first time, Katie looked genuinely worried. “He won’t be gone for a while, right? He’ll be back soon?”

The water fairy hurried toward the entrance and peered outside. The rain had started falling properly now, turning the distant forest hazy. The wind rushed through the branches in violent gusts, shaking leaves loose and sending them spiraling through the air.

“We need to get everyone inside.”

As if summoned by the conversation, a rustling came from outside. A moment later, two figures appeared through the entrance. Mae came in first, brushing leaves from her bright orange hair as she hurried inside. Apo followed close behind, looking considerably less concerned about the weather than everyone else.

Mae glanced outside, shuddering at the clouds. “Is everyone here? We saw the storm.”

Apo looked at everyone gathered and her eyes widened. “Where's Nom?”

Silence.

“He went to get wheat seeds for me.” Cherri looked away shamefully.

Mae stared at her. “In this?”

“He left before the rain started,” 4c said quickly.

“That doesn't make it better,” Katie muttered. “He needs to come back and fast.”

The words were quieter now. Nom was fast. Everyone knew that. 

Fast enough that sometimes it was difficult to even keep track of him. He could cross distances in minutes that would take the other hours. He could dart through the forest, disappear over the horizon, and return before anyone had finished explaining what they wanted him to find.

He'd be fine. He had to be.

“He'll make it,” Apo said.

Everyone turned toward her.

Apo stood calmly near the center of the room, her expression steady despite the storm beginning to rage outside. She glanced toward the entrance, then back at the others, clearly trying to hide her worry. “Nom's fast. He probably already has the seeds and is halfway back.”

4c shook his head. “The storm is getting worse. There could be lightning.”

Mae’s expression softened.  “Nom knows how to fly.”

“He also knows how to get himself into trouble.” Katie gave her a look.

The rain was coming down harder now, streaking through the branches in thick sheets. Water dripped from the leaves and collected along the edges of the wooden platforms, while the wind howled through the hollow spaces of the tree.

“He should've been back by now.” The water fairy couldn’t help the puddles growing at his feet. Apo flew over and placed a hand on 4c's shoulder despite getting a bit wet.

“He'll be back. It’s Nom. He'll probably come flying through that entrance any second now, soaking wet and complaining that you all worried for nothing.”

Katie snorted. “Sounds about right.”

“Probably,” Cherri tried to smile. But her eyes kept drifting back toward the storm.

Nom woke to the sound of rain. At first, he didn't know what it was. His eyes opened a fraction, but the world refused to make sense. Everything was dark and blurry, and for several long seconds he couldn't remember where he was or why he was lying somewhere cold and wet.

He tried to move. 

Nothing happened.

Panic immediately flooded through him. His breath caught as he tried again, harder this time, and a violent spasm shot through his muscles. His entire body jerked against the ground. A strangled noise escaped his throat as pain suddenly flooded every part of him at once.

His ears were ringing. Not the normal ringing after a loud noise, either. It was a high, piercing whine that seemed to come from inside his skull, drowning out everything else. Beneath it was the constant hiss of rain, but it sounded impossibly far away.

Nom squeezed his eyes shut.

What…?

His thoughts felt thick and slow. Like trying to reach through fog. 

He remembered flying.

The storm. The seeds. The tree.

Then–

Lightning.

Nom's eyes snapped open. He tried to sit up but his arms trembled violently beneath him.

“Shit—!”

Pain tore through his shoulders and down his arms, forcing him back onto the soaked earth. For a moment he could only lie there, breathing shakily while another wave of spasms rippled through his body.

Everything hurt.

His muscles felt like they'd been twisted into knots. There was a deep, throbbing ache beneath his skin, mixed with strange patches of numbness and a prickling, buzzing sensation that traveled down his arms and across his chest.

He swallowed.

“Where…” His voice was barely audible, raspy.

Nom slowly lifted one trembling hand. It looked wrong.

There were small burns along his fingers, and several strands of his hair were singed short, curling awkwardly at the ends. His clothes were torn in several places, damp and filthy from the fall. As he shifted, he caught sight of strange branching red marks spreading across his skin, delicate patterns that looked almost like tiny ferns beneath the surface.

He stared at them. He was actually struck by lightning and now he had a permanent reminder branded on him forever. His breathing became faster. “No…”

He pushed himself onto one elbow, ignoring as his vision swam.

He had to get up and get home. Everyone would be worried. He could already imagine Cherri pacing around the tree, Katie complaining that he'd taken too long, Mae asking where he'd gone, 4c—

His thoughts stopped.

His wings.

Nom froze. Slowly, terrified of what he might find, he tried to move them. He felt nothing and his heart lurched.

“Come on.” He concentrated hard but nothing. His wings remained limp against the ground.

Nom twisted around, trying to see them. The sight stole the breath from his lungs. His wings were damaged.

Badly.

The delicate membranes were torn in multiple places, some sections darkened and singed from the lightning. Several of the finer structures that normally held them taut were bent at strange angles, and one wing had a jagged tear running through a large section of it.

Nom stared.

Silently, too afraid to speak, he reached toward them. His fingers trembled as he carefully touched the edge of one damaged wing and pain shot through him. He jerked his hand away.

“No, no, no…” His breathing became ragged. He tried moving them again.

Nothing, the wings barely twitched.

A horrible thought slowly formed in his mind.

What if they don't heal?

Fairy wings were delicate. Everyone knew that. They could mend after small injuries, maybe a scratch or even a tiny tear, but this—

What if they couldn't heal?

What if—

What if I can't fly?

His chest tightened. “Fuck, oh fuck…”

He needed to fly. That was what he did, what made him useful. It was how he helped everyone.

They need your speed.

Nom's breathing hitched.

Not you.

He looked down at his hands. They were shaking badly..

If he couldn't fly, what would he do? He couldn't mine properly without being able to get through the caves quickly. Couldn't explore. Couldn't scout. Couldn't bring things back.

He wouldn't be useful.

The thought was more frightening than the lightning was.

“I need to go home.” Nom reminded himself, planting both hands against the ground and forced himself upright.

His legs immediately buckled.

He caught himself before he fell completely, gasping as another violent spasm clenched through his muscles. He needed to get back. Everyone was probably waiting. 

Cherri was waiting for her seeds.

Nom made it perhaps three steps before his legs gave out again. He propped himself against the trunk of a tree, pressing his forehead against the rough bark as he fought to steady his breathing. His whole body trembled uncontrollably. Every muscle seemed to ache at once, and the strange buzzing beneath his skin hadn't stopped. His ears were still ringing so loudly that the rain sounded distant and muffled.

He slowly sank down against the tree, pulling his knees toward his chest with a wince. His wet clothes clung miserably to his skin, and his damaged wings were pulsing in agony behind him. He didn't want to look at them again.

His throat tightened.

“I can't…” The words broke apart. Nom covered his face with both hands. “I can't.” A sob escaped him before he could swallow it down.

He tried to breathe. He tried to tell himself that this wasn't a big deal. Wings healed. Rarely. He'd been struck by lightning, for goodness' sake. Of course he was going to feel awful. Once he got home, Cherri would probably fuss over him, Katie would make some stupid comment, 4c would lecture him for flying into a thunderstorm–

Another sob shook his entire body. Nom curled in on himself and cried harder.

All the fear he'd been holding back finally broke through, leaving him shaking against the tree. He cried until his chest hurt, until his throat was raw, until he could barely breathe between sobs. He cried because he didn't know where he was and he was scared.

But mostly, he cried because he couldn't stop thinking about his wings.

What if I never fly again? The thought made him squeeze his eyes shut. What if I can't help them anymore?

He pressed his palms harder against his face.

What if they don't need me?

There was no voice in his head telling him otherwise. 

The storm finally stopped hours later. One moment, rain was still hammering against the leaves, thunder rolling over the forest, and the next, there was only the dripping of water from the branches.

Cherri was the first to notice. “Guys…it's stopped.”

No words were needed. Katie immediately dashed out and the others followed. Water dripped from every branch, glittering in the faint light breaking through the clouds. The forest floor was soaked, scattered with leaves and broken twigs from the storm.

Nom was nowhere to be seen.

They flew down, reaching the forest floor quickly. 

“Nom!” Mae shouted, her voice cracking. They spread out, calling his name as they searched.

“Nom, where are you?!”

“Can you hear us?”

No answer.

4c stopped and closed his eyes.

Water magic wasn't only something he could use to manipulate water. He could feel it. Sense it. Usually, finding another fairy wasn't difficult if they were close enough. Every fairy carried a little bit of magic with them, a presence that could be picked up if you knew what to look for.

He had tried earlier, all of them did but it was impossible, which meant Nom was either out of pixie dust or passed out.

Or dead.

4c reached outward with his magic, grateful for all the water and moisture all around that would make it easier. Nothing. His brow furrowed and tried again, still getting nothing back. 

He continued. “He's not responding.”

Cherri looked at him, being the closest near him. “Try again.”

“I am!”

4c pushed more magic outward, desperately searching through the wet forest. He could feel the enormous amount of water left behind by the storm, the countless droplets clinging to leaves and soaking into the earth.

But Nom was nowhere.

Katie began pacing in the air. “He could be hurt.”

“Don't say that,” Mae whispered.

“But he could be.”

Apo looked around at the others. “Then we keep searching. We can’t give up, he’s out here somewhere”

They searched for what felt like hours. Checking behind trees, inside hollow logs, along the edges of small streams and ponds that hadn't been there before the storm. They searched every clearing and every patch of forest they could reach.

Every few minutes, 4c tried again.

Nothing.

Then, suddenly—

He felt something. A tiny flicker, so faint he almost dismissed it as his imagination. “I felt something.”

Everyone immediately froze. 

“What?” 

“I felt him.” 4c closed his eyes again.

There, a weak, tiny pulse of magic. But unmistakably Nom.

“So he's alive?” Katie asked, hope shining in her eyes.

4c chased the faint pull of magic through the forest, the other following close behind. “This way!”

They rushed between the trees, slipping under hanging vines and the mess created by the storm. The magical presence grew stronger with every wing beat.

Then Mae stopped, pointing. “There!”

A little farther ahead, beneath the branches of a large tree, something purple was curled against the trunk.

It was Nom.

Katie shot forward towards him. “Nom!”

He heard voices in the distance, eyes snapping open. For a moment, panic overwhelmed him. They'd found him.

He tried to stand but pain immediately shot through his body. He bit down on a cry and forced himself upright anyway, using the tree for support.

They couldn’t see, they couldn’t know what happened–

He quickly lowered his damaged wings behind him, pushing them down as grabbing a stray leaf to cover them. Nom wiped his face and his hands came away wet.

It was rain. Obviously.

He took a shaky breath and forced a grin onto his face.

“Hey!”

The others emerged through the trees. Katie was at the front, her face pale with worry. “Nom!”

She rushed toward him, going for a hug but faltering as she took in his state.

Nom smiled wider. “Wow, you guys look worried.” His voice cracked in a way that made him cringe. He cleared his throat. “I told you I'd make it back.”

They stared at him.

“See? Totally fine.” Nom gave them a thumbs-up. 

Apo’s expression hardened. “You look like you've been dragged through a cave.”

Nom glanced down at himself. The red branching marks across his skin taunted him. “Fashion choice.”

Nobody laughed. Nom's smile faltered and shifted his weight. Which was a mistake. Pain immediately shot through his legs and up his back. His face twisted before he could stop it.

Everyone noticed.

“Nom–” Cherri took a step forward.

“I'm fine.”

“You're hurt.”

“I'm fine.”

“You were struck by lightning!”

Nom's smile returned, forced and brittle. “Yeah, well…” He shrugged. “Didn't kill me.”

Mae stepped closer, her eyes shining. “Why are you hiding your wings?”

Nom froze. He quickly turned his body, trying to shield them even more.

“They're fine.”

“If they're fine then let us see. Don't be stubborn.” Apo approached slowly.

“No.” The answer came too quickly. “They're just wet.”

“I'm fine.” His voice cracked again. Nom looked down, desperately trying to maintain the grin.

“I just need to dry off. Then I'll be back to normal. Then I can get you guys stuff and–”

“Nom.” Cherri’s voice was gentle. He looked up at her, the plant fairy now in front of him, hands outstretched like she was calming a wounded animal. “Please.”

Her eyes moved past him. Her gaze landed on the edge of a wing tucked beneath the leaf. Nom realized and quickly pulled the leaf over it. But it was too late. Cherri's face went white.

“Oh my god.”

Nom's heart sank. He tried to take a step back but the movement only caused the leaf to fall.

Katie stepped closer, her expression changing the moment she saw them, covering her mouth with her hands. “Nom…”

Everyone looked horrified. Even Apo.

Nom couldn't look at any of them, choosing to stare at the ground instead. “It's fine,” he whispered but his voice was trembling.

“They'll heal, right?” He immediately regretted saying it.

He could feel the silence settling around him, heavy and unbearable, and his instincts kicked in. He needed to fix it. He needed to make a joke, grin like he always did, say something stupid enough that everyone would laugh and forget about the way his voice had cracked.

So he forced his mouth into a smile.

“Hey,” he said, rubbing quickly at his eyes with the back of his hand. “Come on. It’s me. I’ll be fine.”

The smile wobbled. He tried to make it wider. “Probably just a little crispy, y’know? Nothing a—”

His breath caught as a sharp wave of pain ran through his body, starting somewhere deep in his back and spreading through his shoulders and arms. His fingers clenched against his shirt as he sucked in a shaky breath. Nom looked down quickly, pretending he hadn't made a sound.

“...Nothing a little rest can't fix.”

Mae pursed her lips, eyes shiny. “Nom, you're literally shaking.”

“I'm fine.”

“You're not.”

Nom looked at his hands and tried to laugh but it came out as a broken little breath instead.

He couldn't do this, couldn’t cry in front of them. The fairy had already been scared enough. He had to get himself together. That was what he did.

He was Nom. The guy who came flying back with whatever everyone needed, grinning like nothing in the world could possibly go wrong. Not the fairy sitting beneath a tree with burned wings, trembling hands, and tears threatening to spill down his face.

His eyes flicked toward Cherri, something suddenly occurring to him.

“The seeds.”

Cherri blinked, confused. “What?”

“The wheat seeds, I lost them. “Nom's face crumpled with guilt. “I–I dropped the bag when I fell.”

His voice grew smaller. “I know you needed them–” “Nom–” “ and I should've held on tighter. I thought I could make it back before the rain got too bad, and I’m sorry.”

Cherri's eyes immediately filled with tears and she hugged him, careful not to hurt him. He ignored the pain that flared and melted into the hug immediately. “Nom, I could care less about the seeds. I don't care about the farm right now. I don't care about Spring preparations. What’s important is getting you home.” 

Home. The word hit him harder than he expected. He wanted the tree, the familiar walls and the little sounds everyone made when they were moving around the house. He wanted to stop being outside and be somewhere safe.

“Yeah,” Nom whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek. “I wanna go home.”

Cherri rubbed his back, avoiding his wings. The other gathered near him, like a safe shield from the outside world.

“I'm not crying.”

4c smiled faintly. “No one said you were.”

“It’s the rain.”

“The storm stopped twenty minutes ago,” Mae said gently.

Nom sniffed as Cherri pulled away. “Residual rain.”

Cherri watched Nom struggle to stay upright for another few seconds before finally shaking her head. The longer he stood there, the more obvious it became that he was only managing because everyone around him was quietly keeping him from falling. His knees kept trembling beneath him, and every so often his expression would tighten when another pulse of pain moved through his body. Cherri stepped closer and held out her arms.

“Okay. That's enough.”

Nom looked at her, blinking slowly as though it took him a second to understand what she meant. “What?”

“I’m carrying you.”

His eyebrows shot up immediately. “No.”

“Yes.”

“Cherri, I can walk.”

“You can barely stand.”

“I can stand.”

As if his body had been waiting for the challenge, Nom immediately swayed. Katie reached out and caught his shoulder before he could stumble, and Nom frowned at the ground as though it had personally betrayed him.

“That doesn't count.”

Cherri sighed, though there was no annoyance behind it. She was trying not to let her worry show too much. “Nom, please.”

“I’m fine.”

“You've said that about twelve times.”

“Because it's true.”

“Then you won't mind me carrying you.”

Nom opened his mouth, ready with another argument, but nothing came out. He looked toward the path ahead and then back at Cherri. For a moment, he seemed determined to keep fighting her on it, but another ache rolled through him and his shoulders sagged. Whatever argument he'd been preparing disappeared somewhere behind the exhaustion written across his face.

“Fine.”

Cherri carefully crouched in front of him. “Come on.”

Nom hesitated before slowly wrapping one arm around her shoulders. Cherri slipped one arm around his back against his shoulders, being extremely careful not to brush against his wings, while the other went beneath his knees. Even with all her caution, the movement made Nom tense, and she felt his fingers tighten slightly against her shoulder.

“Tell me if I hurt you.”

“I will.”

She lifted him.

Nom immediately sucked in a breath, his eyes squeezing shut for a moment.

Cherri froze. “Too much?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

She didn't completely believe him, but she didn't argue. Instead, she adjusted her grip, shifting him slightly until his weight rested more comfortably against her. His head ended up near her shoulder, and his legs hung loosely in her arms. “That okay?”

“Better.”

Cherri nodded and stood carefully.

Nom was heavier than she'd expected, or maybe it was simply strange carrying him when he wasn't helping at all. Usually Nom was impossible to keep still for more than a few seconds. He was always bouncing on his feet, fidgeting, flying off somewhere, leaning into people just to annoy them, or talking so quickly that everyone else could barely keep up. Now there was none of that. He was completely still in her arms, his head resting lightly against her shoulder, his eyes half-lidded with exhaustion.

“Ready?” Cherri asked softly.

Nom gave a small nod.

The others gathered around them, instinctively forming a loose circle as though they could somehow protect him simply by staying close. 4c glanced toward the dark clouds still lingering beyond the trees before looking back at Nom, his expression tightening when he saw how pale he looked.

“We'll stay close.”

Katie nodded. Mae moved beside Cherri and 4c, and Apo took the lead.

Then they lifted off.

The flight back was quiet.

There were no jokes, no complaints, no stories from Nom about whatever ridiculous thing he'd done that day. The forest beneath them was still damp from the storm, leaves shining faintly with water whenever they passed through patches of moonlight. Droplets clung to the branches and occasionally fell through the air, and the scent of wet earth still lingered everywhere around them.

Cherri kept her movements slow and steady, making every beat of her wings as gentle as possible. She adjusted her hold whenever Nom shifted, careful to avoid putting pressure against his back or the damaged wings folded behind him. Every now and then she glanced down at him, silently checking his face.

Nom barely spoke.

Every once in a while, his eyes would open a little wider and he'd glance around at everyone. They were all watching him. Not constantly, but enough that he noticed.

Every time his eyes met one of theirs, he saw the same expression. The same look of worry. Nom looked away, not wanting them to see how scared he really was.

He couldn't let himself think about it. Not yet. Every time his mind wandered toward his wings, toward the way they felt wrong behind him, something cold curled inside his chest. He couldn't think about whether they would heal. He couldn't think about whether he'd ever fly again. He definitely couldn't think about what would happen if he couldn't.

So he focused on Cherri's steady breathing instead, the gentle rhythm of her wings. On the warm lights of their pixie dust tree slowly growing closer.

When they finally reached the entrance, Nom lifted his head slightly. The sight of home made something in his chest loosen.

“You can put me down.”

His request was ignored.

“Cherri.”

“No.”

“I can go from here.”

“You're hurt.”

“I can walk.”

“You can barely sit up.”

Nom sighed and let his head fall back against her shoulder. “I'm serious.”

“So am I.” She carried him inside.

Nom gave her an exhausted glare, though there wasn't much force behind it anymore. “You're all being ridiculous.”

Katie snorted as she followed them in. “You got struck by lightning, hard to say that’s ridiculous."

“Minor inconvenience.”

“You're unbelievable.”

“Thank you.” He gave her a weak smile.

They started upward through the tree. Their home stretched vertically through the massive trunk, its different living spaces arranged one above another in a soft progression of colors like a rainbow winding upward through the branches. 

Cherri moved carefully through the familiar space, flying slowly so she wouldn't jostle him. The warm glow from the tiny torches around the tree made the whole place feel strangely peaceful after the cold, dark forest. Nom watched the familiar surroundings pass by from Cherri's arms, recognizing little pieces of home as they flew.

When they reached his section, she carried him over to his bed. Nom had barely enough energy left to complain as she carefully lowered him onto the mattress, making sure he was sat instead of on his back. The moment he was down, his whole body seemed to relax.

“Oh, thank goodness.” He sighed, feeling the fabric beneath him. The softness of his bed was almost painfully comforting. Being somewhere familiar made Nom want to close his eyes and stay there for a very long time. The others immediately started moving.

Katie went looking for clean cloth and anything else that might help with the burns. 4c brought water and checked that Nom had something to drink, his movements careful and unusually quiet. Cherri and Apo gathered more supplies from around the room, occasionally glancing back at Nom to make sure he was still comfortable. 

Nom watched all of them moving around him. “You guys really don't have to do all this.”

“Yes, we do,” Apo said from across the room.

“I’m not dying.”

Katie gave him a look. “No one said you were but you were struck by lightning, Nom.”

“Yeah, but I survived.”

“Barely.” She snorted.

Nom smiled. He could do this.

“So,” he said, looking around at them, “who's going to tell me how amazing I looked falling from the sky?”

Nobody laughed. His smile faltered. “...Tough crowd.”

4c flew up to him but not touching the bed to avoid getting it wet. “You don't have to make us laugh.”

Nom shrugged, staring down at the blanket. “I'm not.”

The water fairy didn't push him, guilt in his eyes. 

If they pushed, at least he could joke his way out of it. He could turn everything into some ridiculous comment and make them roll their eyes. But they didn't. They just stayed around him, quietly doing what they could, letting him pretend for as long as he needed. He swallowed and stared at the ceiling.

Mae had been sitting quietly beside him the entire time, watching him in that gentle way she always did. She didn't seem convinced by his smile, but she didn't challenge him either. She simply looked at him for a moment before leaning over and wrapping her arms around him.

Nom froze.

Mae was always gentle, too kind for her own good. There was something about her kindness that made Nom instinctively want to protect her, even when he was the one who needed protecting right now. She just cared.

That was the thing that broke through. Nom's entire body softened in her arms and he stared ahead for a few seconds, trying desperately to keep his expression neutral. His throat tightened. He blinked rapidly, once, twice, trying to force the tears back before anyone could notice.

A tiny, shaky breath escaped him, Mae holding him a little tighter. He bites back a wince.

“...Thanks.” His voice cracked. Nom quickly wiped at his eyes with one hand, embarrassed by how quickly he'd lost control. “Don't tell anyone.”

Mae smiled softly against his shoulder, sadness in her eyes. “Okay.”

He let the tears fall. For now, he just sat there with Mae's arms around him, surrounded by the others as they quietly took care of him.