From the start

[Khiskiva]

Kiva was determined to relearn everything.

When she came home, weeks ago, she knew something was wrong. Even if she couldn't voice the way she feel, there was something the matter. Her spirit had been recreated, reshaped into something new. Well, not new.. just different. It showed on her body, but only slightly. Her smell was different, her eyes were a little less red and a little more pink, but the most striking difference was her smile.

Kiva smiled as if there was nothing in the world to hold it back.

In the desert of Tanaris, beside the home she shared with Malakim, Kiva summoned fire in her hands. It tickled, and it burned. Whenever Malakim interrupted her practice, she smiled brightly and proclaimed "cuddle!" as it was the only word she knew to associate with him, at least for now. He'd returned home one day, battered and bloody and broken. She didn't say "cuddle" that day, but rather, "sorry". Sorry that she could not remember exactly how to heal him, but she did try.

Words were returning to her, now. A few scattered memories involving Zul'Farrak, a priest, and "cuddle" were all she had to go by until her brain could unlock itself. So, she practiced, hoping that it would be in vain.

[Malakim]

Malakim spent most of his time on the sandy beach since his return, his new appearance always looked odd to him. Still he tried to be happy, he had been given another chance at life.

He smiled as he looked out across the ocean, even if he still hurt all over he decided to be happy. He had a lot left in his life, and there was no reason to let all the pain block out his happiness anymore. He had to live on, and keep those around him safe.

The hunter stood up from his sandy resting place, his legs still quite shaky he slowly made his way towards the house on the sand.

[Khiskiva]

She saw him walking from the beach, and gave a wide smile. Kiva abandoned her practice, there would be time for that later. Right now, the one who made her feel so warm inside was approaching their home, still slightly battered and broken. She couldn't help but run towards him, throwing her arms around his waist with as gentle a hug as she could muster.

"..be with me."

They were some of the few words she remembered.

[Malakim]

"Hey my flower." was what he said to her, she seemed as broken as he felt since she came back from her trip. Everything had been so rocky lately, his life had just been rocked back and forth across happiness and sorrow.

One moment everything could be so fine so perfect, then everything could be taken from him. There was no reasoning behind it all, it seemed like it was his regular luck returning to him.

Those words she echoed to him reminded him of those days he decided to just be what he wanted, to be that person that would never give up and yet even as his soul was willing to go on his body ached more and more.

"How is your day?"

[Khiskiva]

"M.."

Kiva still had no words in her head. She tried to come up with them, but instead all she could do was look at his aching face. Malakim was hurting, and there was little she could do to fix him. Of the few memories she could dig up, a few of them were of sadness. When she had an ache in her heart, and he came to fix it.

How is it he did that?

"Love you," she said quietly, holding on to him. Her hands held on tightly, even as she hoped not to hurt him. How she wished that those hands could heal him. "Sorry.."

[Malakim]

Her arms felt warm around him, the warmth he wanted for so long. He stood there enjoying the happiness flood over him. His left arm went around her easily his right arm took far more effort. He had to almost scream at his right arm to make it move.

As he rested and sighed finally getting both his arms around her he smiled, "You should not feel sorry for anything, my pain is my own fault... For not being strong enough. I will be stronger soon you just watch."

He spoke those brave words, but in his heart he knew he wasn't getting stronger at all, his body was healed but his soul was broken.

[Khiskiva]

"I'll.."

She kept opening her mouth, urging words to come. They were trapped in her throat, like a cough that wouldn't come. Where were the words?

Since she couldn't speak them, she tried to express them. Relictantly pulling her arms from around him, Kiva slid her hands to his chest. There, she put one palm on his heart, her other palm to her own. Yes! There was a word she was looking for.

"..share?"

[Malakim]

"You already have my heart my flower."

He moved his left hand upwards and pointed at his hair, now bright red the previous blue color gone.

"He is gone sweetie, I was not strong enough to protect myself from the dangers of the world, and someone else paid the price for my failings, and it hurts. It feels like I am torn in half, like a part of me is gone. I am trying to make up for that missing piece..."

He bent over to kiss her on the forehead his knee slightly giving. His lips missing her face entirely and ending up kissing her on the shoulder.

He forced himself to stand up straight as he looked at Kiva and smiled, "Your shoulders are nice."

[Khiskiva]

Attempting to help him stand, Kiva managed to call upon the strength of the earth to aid them both. She hoped that Malakim would be responsive to it, at least a little.

Reaching for her totem, she pulled out what looked like a little wooden log with wings. She had four of them on her belt, all looking somewhat similar except for primitive little marks painted on them. This one had little orange dots. All Kiva knew is that it meant "earth", and so she used it to channel the element, and brought it towards her and Malakim.

His lips on her shoulder caused her to blush.

[Malakim]

The totem helped to renew some of his strength, and he remained on his feet. Malakim stared at the totem for a moment, "Is that new? I remember you using something else before."

Malakim breathed out heavily as he whistled for his friends to come and join the party, he had to at least try and look better.

Kiwi came running out jumping on Malakim knocking him to the ground, for some reason the hunter didn't hurt through the sudden knock he felt invigorated by the presence of his companion.

The warpstalker that had remained with them appeared on Kiva's back making happy hissing noises.

"Now it's a party."

[Khiskiva]

Kiva smiled at the warpstalker, still holding the wooden totem. She pursed her lips to come up with an explanation.

"New," she said at last. "More me."

Taking one of Malakim's hands, she held it out palm up, and put the totem in his grasp. With a cheerful smile, Kiva kissed his hand and the totem.

"For you."

[Malakim]

Malakim stared at the totem in his hand puzzled, "But I don't know how to talk to the elements sweetie, heck even Kiwi doesn't listen to me most of the time."

Kiwi licked at the back of Malakim's knees.

The hunter looked down at Kiwi and pointed, "Sit Kiwi."

The bird looked at the hunter puzzled then sat down for a moment, Malakim looked amazed. However, Kiwi had more in mind and began rolling around in the sand shaking his head around and becoming covered in dirt.

"So close."

[Khiskiva]

Kiva pushed out her bottom lip, breathing a stream of air upwards to blow a strand of hair from her eyes in irritation. Not being able to speak was very annoying.

"No," she corrected him, closing his hand over the totem. She pointed at his heart, and then at her own. Pointing to his hand with the totem, she rose her eyebrows, as if to ask if he understood. "You. Me. Share."

Putting one of her palms against his chest, she spread her fingers apart and dragged her hand over his torso, neck, and stomach.

"Fix."

[Malakim]

Malakim closed his eyes for a moment, she wanted to help heal him. It was a wonderful thought, to have everything be okay again, but his body wasn't the problem anymore...

The hunter looked at Kiva looked into her eyes and smiled, "You are wonderful you always have cared about helping people I know this let me see what I can do for you."

Malakim reached searched his pockets looking for something that he thought would make her smile, when his had felt the surface of the rose he lifted it up and placed it behind Kiva's ear. "There now, two beautiful flowers side by side."

[Khiskiva]

Kiva blushed at the rose, taking it gently by the stem between two fingers and smiling as if all of the world's problems had been solved.

"Pretty.."

She stroked the petals, holding the flower close to Malakim's newly reddened hair, admiring them both. They looked a little more similar now, if not for Kiva's softer Darkspear features. Poking at Malakim's nose with a fingertip, she brushed the petals of the rose against his cheek and remembered more words.

"Fix spirit."

[Malakim]

Malakim smiled briefly, "Yes you are..."

Then he heard those words, ...Fix spirit...

He placed his hand on his own chest running his finger up and down the scar that had been there for so long. "I don't think it can be fixed, a part of it is... missing now, and I don't think it will be coming back anytime soon."

The hunter placed his arm around Kiva and licked her cheek, "You are very sweet though."

[Khiskiva]

Her skin exploded in a series of goosebumps, just as it always did when he licked her. Kiva pet the scar on his chest, feeling his need to be whole again.

"Maybe.. share?"

She took his free hand, and put it on her chest, spreading his fingers over where her heart was.

"Share spirit? Maybe fix."

[Malakim]

Malakim smiled at Kiva, "You are always so kind, but you already have my soul my flower. I have given everything I am to you freely, maybe I just have to get used to being different again."

Kiwi continued to roll in the dirt until he was completely filthy then slowly he walked to where the two were talking. The now dirt covered bird shook himself clean throwing dirt and sand all over the trolls. Kiwi squawked pleased with himself and finally sat down.

"Thanks Kiwi... Thanks a lot."

[Khiskiva]

Kiva nodded and leaned into Malakim's chest. If there wasn't anything she could do to fix things, then at the very least she would show how grateful she was. He was alive, he was here, and he loved her. Despite how much either of them hurt, they both went through torturous changes just to have this much. It was time to start enjoying it.

"Love you, Mala. Always."

[Malakim]

"Love you t...."

Malakim turned to face Kiva, "Wait what did you say?" He smiled at his love.

Kiwi and the warpstalker perked up hearing Malakim's excitement, "You just called me Mala again.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, "That's great news."

[Khiskiva]

Kiva grinned and buried her face in Malakim's chest, elated at the prospect of remembering more and more. She hoped that the rest of her memories that returned would feel as good as this one did.

"Mala.." She repeated. "Always."

[Malakim]

Malakim rubbed his hands down her back and smiled happily, "Always, for as long as I have another moment after this one with you I will be happy."

He licked her cheek again, "Another moment to make everything right, another moment to protect you from anything that will ever harm you, another moment..." He looked down at his hand, "To save everyone."

[Sulajin]

He had been lied to. The Smelly Hunter did not want Gom'zal to know. Gom'zal knew. Gom'zal would find out...