A/n: A big thanks to @phoren for the idea to do flowers! I took a more literal approach to this one, but I do have an idea to do one more subtly and more open to interpretation. Once more thank you very much! 

When the (h/c) haired girl was younger, an elderly woman from the village used to gather the little ones around the campfire and tell stories. They were always about the mystical and magical, her tales wild and beyond belief. Of the children that listened, she was one of those that scooted as close as possible to hear everything clearly. Perhaps it was because she was curious or perhaps it was because she enjoyed the thought of things different from her boring village life. Either way, every story she was told remained with her throughout the rest of her life.

"They say the dragon never reared his face after that!" the elderly woman chuckled, moving her hands in a dramatic manner, "His anger towards the goddess drove him to the far east where he remains in an underground crystal cave to this very day!"

Children gave looks of awe, many of them wanting to hear more of the story. There was even one in particular that fell flat on their face with their curiosity. (Y/n) chuckled at that, helping the child up back to their original position. Though she missed the days when she could listen so eagerly to stories, she had to face reality. Doing so as a young lady of age would not help her feed herself or her family, and she was not in the mood to get married. Men her age didn't know how to treat her, and for that reason, she worked. That wasn't to say that she didn't enjoy catching a story every now and then, however.

"What about the treasure?!" a child questioned, many others murmuring in agreement.

"The goddess's only child was taken by him!" A gasp from the young children. "He kept the boy to himself and fed off of his heavenly powers! It is even said that because the young boy tried to kill him, he cursed him never to live past the age of 10! Each decade, under the light of the amethyst moon, he is killed and then born anew! The light of the moon echoes his mother's sorrow for her only baby's disappearance. So, if you stay out on that day past midnight, the dragon will take you and feed off of your life force!"

The children started hugging one another, visibly scared of the supposed dragon, and sad for the young baby that was stolen. They looked up at the sky, viewing the moon, and while it was simply a half-moon, they were not relieved. Rather, they seemed to believe the dragon would fly out from behind it and swallow them up in one gup. Screaming, they scattered around, calling for their parents and weeping with fear.

"Goodness gracious, Minerva!" a parent huffed, glaring at the elderly woman with disapproval, "Will you ever stop making trouble for the kids?"

The elderly woman ignored the rantings of the parents. It was a constant occurrence to be criticized by them, so she had long grown weary of their tirades, but the (h/c) haired girl was concerned. She was already despised by many in the village, often called a witch as - to most - it seemed her only hobby was scaring kids and making trouble for adults. Still, that isolation wouldn't do her well, and the younger girl was very much worried about her. It wasn't as if she had any family to take care of her, so it wouldn't do her good to be shunned by others.

Carefully escorting the elderly woman back to her hut, (Y/n) watched as she silently thanked her, not saying anything as the fabric to the entrance closed off any sight of her. Her existence was a lonely one, but even if the younger girl was the only one that was on her side, she was determined to be enough. Sighing, she returned to her own hut, preparing a few herbs to use for the next day.

. . .

"Mmm, so pretty, Aala," the silver-haired male purred, gripping tightly over the neck of the delicate bluenette boy, delighted over the sounds of struggle he made, "So very pretty."

The younger boy choked at the gripping sensation of the parasitic-like being before him. His eyes were filled with a sadistic delight in watching him fight for his life, but he didn't relent in the force he used. In fact, it even felt as though it was getting stronger, the boy's very life force being drained by him in more ways than one. Only when the bluenette was about to pass out - giving a pathetic whine - did the male release him, sending him falling to the floor with barely any strength to move.

The silver-haired individual gave an amused scoff at the sight of the starving male before him. He then turned his back on him while he rummaged through something, the bluenette's lungs struggling to grab anything from the nearby air. Like always, the selfish silver-haired male sucked up everything around him, uncaring if it harmed others. Or maybe it was just that he preferred it that way, the sadist he was.

A small spire of vines flattened out into a makeshift pulley, the silver-haired parasite placing his boot in its foothold before casting a sneer back at the bluenette. It wasn't often when the male left the area, far preferring to leech off of the male in front of him, but when he did, it wasn't as wonderful as it ought to have been. All sunlight was cut off, leaving the area cold and dark - two things the bluenette despised whereas the silence and loneliness it inflicted on him left him fearful and shivering. In some sick way, he wanted him to stay. At least that way the echoes wouldn't be so haunting.

"I'm going out," the silver-haired male hummed, waving his hand to the boy as the vines brought him up to a small opening in the massive tree they resided in, "Better be a good boy or I'll starve you again. Wouldn't want that, would we? Pretty little Aala would shrivel up."

Giving a mocking chuckle, the male left, the vines behind him caving in the bluenette. All light was sealed and the amount of air was limited, the bluenette curling up in fear. If he was younger, he would have tried to escape, but he knew better. The vines were too thick and struggling only exhausted his limited energy faster. Then there was the matter of his punishment. He didn't feel like starving. Not anymore.

. . .

As (Y/n) did her daily tasks, grinding up herbs and applying them to people of the village, she continually thought of the elderly woman that she so adored. She was oddly silent that evening, greatly worrying the younger girl and filling her mind with pessimistic thoughts. It would be a lie to say that it wasn't common to worry about her, but for some reason, it continued to weigh on her mind, refusing to leave and leeching her energy like some kind of parasite. So, when she got the chance, the younger girl traveled to her hut only to find her collapsed on the floor with a cold sweat.

"What happened?!" she shouted, rushing to the woman's side and helping her sit up just a bit to drink water.

"There's no putting it off anymore...I'm sorry, child, but my time is nearing. I likely won't last through the next full moon."

Tears sprang to the (h/c) haired girl's eyes, rushing down her supple cheeks. The woman was in a cruel state, her body reaching the limit of old age, and while it had been expected, it didn't sting any less. Rather, with the amount of time she had come to spend with her, the drawn-out foresight of her story concluding was heartbreaking. It was true the elderly woman didn't have anyone by her side, but that was very much true for (Y/n) as well. In fact, the female beside her was the only one that hadn't yet died or left for good.

"I know your little mind is going crazy, thinking of anything you can to stop this, but there's a limit to how much you can go on. Child, let it be. I have been waiting to rejoin the eternal flower for quite some time."

More tears rushed down the girl's face at the woman's words. She didn't want to hear something like that. Even if the elderly woman was more than ready to face what lay ahead, she certainly wasn't. A selfish desire to see her around for a few more years, she refused to simply let things lie where they were. Rather, she tried to assess the situation, measuring the woman's pulse and jotting down her symptoms to see what could have been done. If not to help her live on, then it was to help the pain subside.

That was when she completely broke down. The woman was not suffering from a breakdown of her immune system or from a simple infection. She truly was dying of old age, her very nervous system on the brink of shutting down. There was nothing the girl's years of herbology could do for her. No plant would have saved her. None. Shaking her head, she clutched onto the woman and begged her to hold out, but she simply shook her head with denial. There was nothing to be done.

"(Y/n)," the woman finally hummed, patting the girl's head reassuringly while she did the only thing she could for the young girl - tell a story, "There is a myth of the flower of eternity. It is said it can rejuvenate even a god and bestow eternal life to a human being. Deep in the Aivlet - the eternal flower's garden - there is a white flower that calls to those that are worthy. It will lead you if your intentions are noble."

The younger girl didn't understand the point of the story. Sure, she had always loved hearing them from the elderly woman, the fables even becoming her favorite part of her daily life but it seemed useless, leading her along to a false sense of security. Then again, when faced with the death of the closest person to her, she didn't want to face reality. So, in her grief and denial, she simply resigned herself to accepting the story as truth, and when the morning came again, she set off to find it - the white flower that could save her beloved friend and role model.

The forest was always filled with mystery. A mirror of history, it echoed traces of long-forgotten magic and creatures of mystery. At least, that was how the stories told it, but in truth, it was simply a grove of trees, shrubbery, and other flora and fauna. She had once adored it, going there with her siblings - who had long since perished - and exploring, looking for a fairy. But not once could they find one. Did they even exist at all?

Her eyes scanned the area in some vain hope that one would pop up and surprise her, gifting her a panacea, but nothing was there. Empty as a cavern, the leaves she stepped on only echoed somberly, truly isolating her and amplifying her loneliness. She hated the encompassing feeling of despair, the sound of a bird fleeing from her making her sob uncontrollably. And as her tears dropped to the ground, a single flower sprouted, tiny in nature and strangely shy.

However, as it rose, others did as well, the tiny white flowers carving a path through the forest and into an area filled with mist. (Y/n) looked on with awe and skepticism, never having seen a flower or any plant exhibiting such features. Yet that hope that she clung onto pushed her to follow after them into an area of silence and gloom. As she stepped into it, everything was coated in shades of grey and black, the forest becoming grim and eerily more desolate, the sound of even her footsteps muted to the ears. She couldn't hear a thing.

The flowers were the only thing with some kind of color, their light blue tips pleasing and comforting all the same. And however much the girl wanted to pick one and braid it into her hair, something within her told her not to. Like a whisper of a wisp, the sound was blank. She continued to follow after the things, only to find a tree the size of what she imagined a giant would be. It stretched up to the heavens, but deep green unblooming vines encompassed it. It almost looked like they were strangling the majestic life form.

The tiny flowers continued to lead her towards the tree, only disappearing when she placed her hand on it as if she found where she had needed to go. With a determined expression, the girl practically pried a few vines out of the way, only to find them snake their way back in place, thorns appearing as if to discourage her from trying. However, she had been clever enough to bring her toolkit, beginning to cut away at them. They almost hissed at that but fell to the ground all the same, their thorns now useless.

One strand of the vine in particular slowly wrapped itself around the girl's ankle, slithering its way up her thigh, spiking her suddenly as it showcased its thorns. With a hiss, she cut it away, watching the other vines almost vulturing around the blood that had dripped to the ground. Continuing to make her way past the thorns, she found an entryway to the tree, stepping slowly inside only to see a faint blue glow emitting from below her. She quickly rappelled down and approached it, but what she found was not a flower. It was a young man who looked at her with teary eyes.

"A fairy?" the younger girl questioned with awe, reaching her hand out to the male who took it almost too eagerly.

"N-No. Um, who...what...you?"

Unused to speaking with another individual, especially that of the female variety, the male blushed, turning away. He hadn't ever imagined that someone would find their way into the ancient forest let alone discover upon him past the fortress of vines. Yet there she was. But...she wasn't a fairy, herself?

"(Y/n). You?"

"Uh, Aala! I'm Aala!"

Giving a smile then a nod, the (h/c) haired girl began to wander around the area. She wasn't as keen on making conversation as the bluenette would have liked, but he supposed she hadn't come there just to speak with him. He observed her as she began to place her hand along the vine-encased wall of the hollow tree, tilting his head in curiosity. She was looking for something specific, and when she stumbled upon it, her eyes lit up, making him give a rare smile.

He continued to watch as she surveyed the area, seemingly following a line towards him. Once more did his cheeks turn a faint pink, especially as she moved her gaze from the ground to his sleeve, grabbing onto it suddenly. A small squeak made its way out of his lips, further embarrassing him, but she didn't seem to pay attention to that. Rather, she turned him around, shaking him almost violently in further search of something.

"These flowers," she started, ruffling her eyebrows in confusion, "They're on you. Do you know where the flower of eternity is?! Please tell me!"

"W-What? Flower? Well, I...I guess, but - "

"Please! Someone really close to me needs it! She'll die without it. Please tell me!"

The boy looked down with a conflicted gaze. He knew that if he had dared give up one of his petals, he would have been starved of everything. The silvery-haired male was very proud to have his heart in the palm of his hand, especially since they provided more than just a cure-all but immortality itself. But...if he refused her, she wouldn't have come back, and if she didn't come back, he would have been alone again.

"I can...can g-give you one!" he suddenly shouted, covering his mouth when he realized he spoke too loudly, "But...you, you have to promise y-you'll visit me tomorrow!"

Nodding her head quickly, the younger girl reached out her hand with watery eyes - eyes that the male recognized well. Turning around, the bluenette blocked her view from him as he reached into his chest and pulled out his heart - a blooming flower of eternity. And though it hurt immensely, he plucked a petal from its form and placed it in the palm of the girl's hand, being given a grateful hug from behind. He didn't even mind it when she left suddenly, the air no longer so frigid with the memory of her warmth.

"Aala~"

The bluenette tensed, turning slowly to see the silvery-haired male with a grin. However, it was not one of joy nor was it one of mockingness. It was a forced smirk, one that symbolized he was absolutely furious. Vines once more lowered him to the ground, the male gripping tightly onto the boy's cheeks and forcing him to look up while the male plunged his hand into his heart, the bluenette weeping at the agony of it.

Slowly pulling out the blooming flower, the silvery-haired male grimaced at the sight of one of its precious petals missing. Throwing the boy to the ground and holding his head down to subject him to the intense pressure placed on his cranium. He couldn't even struggle, the male sapping all of the warmth that the (h/c) haired girl had bestowed on him earlier. More tears flooded down from his eyes.

"What a naughty boy. I told you to be good for me and you end up giving away something so precious! What'd you do with it?!" No response. "Then let's try this. Who came to visit you today?" A flinch. "Mm? I asked you something, Aala. It's not good to ignore me. Who cut my vines?! They seemed to like the blood that they spilled." Another wince. "Should I go and drain them of all of it?"

"No...I...it was an accident! She - "

"She?"

"Well...," the bluenette paused, unable to formulate words when he was being given such a piercing stare, "She asked for help. Someone was dying...I just wanted to help..."

"You're not being truthful enough, Aala," the other male hissed, biting down on one of the petals of the flower to hear the boy's cries of heightened anguish.

"She said she'll come back tomorrow!"

The silver-haired male pulled his foot from off the male and placed the flower back in the male's chest, giving it a pat when he finished accompanied by a sickeningly sweet smile. The boy was then strangled once more, the other male's fingers tightening by every passing moment, his smile still plastered on his face. As he thought, even if he told him the truth, he still wouldn't forgive him.

"See? That wasn't so hard now was it, Aala? You can be a good boy when you try. Ah, that's right, are you hungry, Aala?" A confused and hesitant nod. "Alright, you can eat then."

The bluenette watched with great hesitance as the parasitic male distanced himself from the boy, some vines receding to allow him access to dirt. It had been so long since he had seen earth that his eyes watered with relief. The feel of it was so reminiscent, making him smile and sniffle with joy, but that joy soon turned to bewilderment as he questioned why he was being given a reward when he had done the thing the silver-haired male hated the most.

"I'm going out tomorrow, too. 'Kay, Aala?"

. . .

(Y/n) returned to the forest with great relief filling her chest. The flower petal that the bluenette had given her had truly worked. It wasn't just a myth. The moment she had fed it to the elderly woman, she regained her health, the woman practically bouncing off of the walls. She spun the younger girl around and even began running around outside in the village. Neither of them cared to spare a glance to those that glared at her nor did they care to limit their joy for the sake of "peace and quiet". Rather, they celebrated, dancing and throwing their arms up in joy. It was a miracle.

The (h/c) haired girl couldn't even begin to express her gratitude to the bluenette. Though she had brought along the massive amounts of food the elderly woman had prepared out of her sheer energy, she didn't think it was nearly enough. So she rehearsed what she would say to the boy, attempting to formulate a proper way to thank him as she walked through the forest. Even when she walked into the mist, she continued to practice, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment at how deluded she sounded.

"Well, hello there, little thief," a voice rang, sending shivers up the girl's spine and