Ashton spent the next couple days trying to figure out how to tell the rest of his family. After the visit with the matriarch, his mother had quietly agreed to his wish but told him that he needed to tell the rest of the family himself.

And the next person Ashton knew he had to tell was Gale.

Despite their ten-year age gap, Ashton and his younger brother were quite close, though the two of them were very different. Gale was a woodlands, through and through, with almost no sprite characteristics to speak of. Ashton used to love mentoring Gale in the ways of their clan, and Gale had idolized him in the way that most younger brothers looked up to their older ones.

Ashton decided to tell Gale in their family quarters, as he had with his mother. The rest of the family was all out by the pond, so he had the rare chance to talk to Gale alone.

In the past, Gale probably would have been off with the clan cousins who were his age, doing who knows what. But ever since Ashton had come home, Gale had started spending an inordinate amount of time on the ground, waving off their cousins and muttering some excuse about chores.

He was doing it now, too, choosing to help Ashton fix a pile of their clothes instead of playing pitol with their cousins. It was a sport that required flying, and Ashton knew exactly why Gale had turned down the invitation.

Ashton stared at Gale from where he was pretending to work on a pair of Keelie's frog leathers. Unlike most woodlands, Gale kept his dark hair short, which might have made sense if sprites did the same, but most sprites never cut their hair.

But Gale had always been a bit of an odd faerie. He was as fiercely loyal to the clan as Ashton was and could often be found joking around with their many cousins. But he was much more reserved and stoic than Ashton, his wit more biting. And he always found quiet ways to rebel and do exactly what he wanted.

Gale didn't seem to notice Ashton studying him, so Ashton looked away. His stomach churned at the thought of breaking such harsh news to his brother, but he needed to do it sooner rather than later to let Gale get used to the idea.

"Gale," Ashton began, knowing he would lose his nerve if he stalled for any longer. "I, um, I have something I need to talk to you about."

Gale barely looked up at him from where he sat cross-legged on the floor, mending a pair of his pants. "Hmm?" he offered disinterestedly, and Ashton swallowed.

"Umm... I've decided on my wish," Ashton said next. Gale finally looked up at that, his own hazel eyes curious.

"Oh, yeah?" he said. "About time. What are you going to wish for?"

Ashton put aside Keelie's frog leathers, done pretending to fix the tear that came from a tumble out of the blackberry bushes.

"I'm going to use my wish to become human," he explained in one breath. "So I can go find Niles, the human doctor who used to care for me."

Gale had almost no reaction, aside from a slight widening of his eyes.

"H... human?" he finally asked, voice cracking slightly.

Ashton winced and nodded. He was not excited to see the rest of Gale's reaction.

"Why?" Gale asked next. "If... if you want to see that human doctor so badly, then... just wish for your wings back! Th... That way, you can visit him and come back. Why don't you do that?"

Gale's eyes were desperate, confused and pleading. Ashton just shook his head sadly.

"I don't want to just visit him, Gale," he said softly. "I want to live with him. I want... I want to be his hokla. And I want him to be mine." He gestured down at himself with a short laugh. "I'm sure you can imagine why I can't go like this."

"And... you've just... up and decided this on your own?" Gale continued. "Without consulting anyone? Without consulting... me?"

Ashton was startled by the betrayal in Gale's voice, but he probably shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Ashton usually told Gale pretty much everything. But he hadn't wanted to alarm anybody while he was still in the process of deciding, so he didn't tell Gale until after he was sure of his wish. It... almost seemed like not confiding in Gale hurt his brother just as much as the idea of Ashton leaving.

"Gale," Ashton began, standing up and moving towards his brother. But Gale just stood up and backed away, holding his arms up to ward Ashton off and shaking his head.

"I.... I need some air," he said faintly. "Just... stay there. Please."

And then he was gone, wings pulled in even tighter than usual, like he didn't want Ashton to see them. Just like he'd been doing for the past three years since Ashton had come home.

Ashton watched him go before collapsing back onto the couch and burying his head in his hands. That... went horribly, he realized.

For the first time, Ashton began second guessing his choice. Just based on Gale's reaction alone... can I really do this to my whole family? he wondered. Can I really watch everyone else's heart break once they hear my decision?

***

Telling the rest of his family didn't go much better.

Keelie was excited at first. She was thrilled that Ashton was going to see Niles again, and she wanted to go, too. But when she realized that Ashton becoming human was a permanent decision and that he wouldn't be coming home again, wouldn't swim in the pond with her again, wouldn't teach her how to catch frogs or make baskets or hunt crickets... well... she had burst into tears on the spot.

And Raine, who did pretty much everything that Keelie did, immediately copied her.

Ashton's own eyes were welling up, and he looked to his father for some sense of stability. But that was the wrong thing to do. The look on his father's normally taciturn face was enough to send him into tears, too.

I just got you back, chailan, his father spoke in his head. And now you're leaving? For good? Will we ever see you again?

Gale hung back, still refusing to meet Ashton's eyes or talk to him.

His mother placed her hand on Ashton's arm and wiped her own tears away, giving the younglings a watery smile.

"It's ok," she assured them. "This is a happy thing."

When they looked at her in disbelief, she just nodded and doubled down on her claim.

"Yes, it is," she told them firmly. "And we're going to be happy for him as he goes back to his human. And in the meantime, he's not going to make his wish until Solaheim, so we have almost a full year with him. So don't waste it! Ok?"

Keelie and Raine nodded tearfully, trying to look determined. Gale just walked away.

***

To say that Ashton's wish led to an uproar in the clan was an understatement.

News of Ashton's wish spread throughout the mother tree like a wildfire. His cousins all side-eyed him, whispering about how they had thought he had gotten better, back to normal. Saying how they couldn't believe he'd want to leave the clan to become... human. They hissed it like it was a dirty word. At least no one seemed to know the reason behind his desire to become human: to make Niles his hokla. His mother and Gale must have left that part out.

None of their judgement really registered to Ashton. Now that he knew there was a way back to Niles, he was determined to pursue it, no matter what anyone said. He'd show them.

***

Gale tiptoed around him for the first two weeks after hearing Ashton's decision. Ashton knew he needed time to adjust to the news but... they didn't have the luxury of time. He wanted to spend every last second, every last drop of every last day with his family. And he couldn't do that if Gale was avoiding him.

But one day, Gale surprised him by suggesting that they to go up to the meadow to hunt grasshoppers. It was a week's journey on foot, so they set out the next morning. Gale kept conversation light that whole week, sticking to safe topics about home and the clan. 

It seemed like Gale was trying to make amends, so Ashton happily played along. But in the back of his mind, he knew they still needed to talk some things out, so he watched and waited for the right opportunity. 

They made good time and reached the meadow by the sixth day. The huge grassy field rustled gently in the wind, wildflowers swaying amidst the constant buzz from busy bees. Ashton could even hear the shrill voices of meadow pixies drifting over from a far corner of the field, but they were too far away to see. 

He set his pack on the ground and grinned at Gale, sharp teeth flashing. "Want to see who can catch more?" he challenged, and Gale rolled his eyes. 

"Like that will be a fair competition," Gale complained.

Ashton clapped him on the shoulder. "Tell you what, I'll even give you a head start and let you use your wings." Most woodlands were aerial hunters, and Gale was no exception. Ashton knew he preferred hunting from the air, but... Gale rarely ever opened his wings around Ashton anymore. 

Gale smiled a bit. "I'll take the head start," he said. "But I'll stick to ground hunting."

He was off before Ashton could protest, wings tucked tightly against his back. Ashton shook his head and let out a rueful sigh. He knew why Gale was doing this, and Ashton had tried many times to talk to him about it. But his brother would always just shake his head and change the subject. 

Ashton hated knowing that Gale felt guilty for still having his wings while Ashton had lost his, but what could he do? Gale was even more stubborn than he was. And if he wanted to be stranded on the ground with Ashton, then Ashton would just take the company and let his little brother do as he pleased. 

Despite Gale's head start, Ashton was still the better hunter, even without his wings. Soon enough, he had caught five grasshoppers to Gale's three. 

After butchering and storing the insects in their packs, Gale flopped back in a patch of wildflowers, looking up at the sky with a sigh. Ashton sat on the ground nearby, busy making a couple flower chains to bring home to Raine and Keelie. 

They were quiet for a moment, content to enjoy the light breeze rustling through the tall grass and tugging at their hair. 

"If it doesn't work out with that human of yours," Gale suddenly said, still staring at the clouds drifting by and refusing to make eye contact with Ashton. "What will you do? Where will you go?"

Ashton turned to him, surprised that Gale was bringing up the topic himself, but his brother stoically refused to meet his gaze.

Ashton was quiet for a moment, considering his question. It's not like he had never thought of that possibility. But he placed a lot of faith in the compatibility reading. Maybe too much. But he couldn't afford not to wholly trust that it would work out. Because the alternative was too painful.

"I..." Ashton sighed. "Then... I will be happy to live as his friend," he finally answered.

Gale turned his head at that. "You think the human will even to want to be friends with a loser like you?" he asked incredulously, and Ashton rolled his eyes and threw a flower at him.

"You're horrible," is all he said, and Gale grinned, some of the tension leaving his body.

"But," Ashton continued, "yes, Niles will be there for me. Even if it's not as a hokla, he will help me as a friend. And I... will accept that."

Gale sighed heavily. "Fine," he said. "It's your life, after all. Though I don't see why you couldn't have just coupled with someone from the Aspen Grove clan. Then you would've only been a half day's flight away."

"That would have been more convenient," Ashton agreed. "But... there really is no one like Niles. I can't even imagine being with anyone else."

Gale grunted in response, and Ashton looked at him thoughtfully.

"Maybe... it would help if you saw him," Ashton suggested. "Then you'd understand."

Gale quirked up an eyebrow. "What, are you asking me to go with you?"

Ashton shook his head, smiling. "You can perform the memory spell now, right?" he asked.

Gale nodded, looking unsure. Ashton bounced up and walked over to him.

"Great!" he exclaimed. "Then you should take a look at my memories of Niles!"

Gale sat up sharply and jerked away. "What? No, I don't want to be inside your head. Gross."

Ashton frowned and sat beside Gale, grabbing his brother's much smaller hands in his talons and placing them on his temples. "Do it," he insisted. "I think it will help."

Gale was a tentative magic user, much more so than Ashton had been. It didn't help that peeking at someone's memories was a rather complicated spell. But soon enough, Ashton felt the warm tendrils of magic hesitantly swirl around his head as Gale concentrated.

He opened his mind up to the sensation, recalling the quiet days he had spent with Niles and guiding Gale to the memories that would help him best understand why he liked the human so much. He kept some things private, like those early days with Niles and all the times that Niles helped him through a nightmare or panic attack. Ashton didn't want Gale to see him at his most broken. 

But he did show him how Niles interacted with the garden pixies, how he would play along with their little games and fix their houses for them. He showed him the time when Niles took care of Svernin and graciously welcomed a whole tribe of water sprites to his garden pond. And, of course, he showed him all the times when Niles talked to him or read to him or just smiled at him. 

Please understand, Ashton willed his brother silently. Please understand why this person means so much to me. 

Gale was quiet for a long time.

"Well?" Ashton prompted after Gale's silence became too much for him to bear.

"He's pretty," Gale finally offered, removing his hands and sitting back. Ashton rolled his eyes.

"He's a lot more than that, Gale," Ashton pointed out.

"Fine. He's really pretty," Gale responded, and Ashton laughed. He figured Gale could feel Niles' goodness from his memories. There's no way he could've missed it.

They made a tentative peace after that. Things weren't... quite the same, but Ashton could tell that his brother was trying, that he also wanted to make the most of the limited time they had left together. And that's all Ashton could ask for. 

_______________________________________________________________

A/N: I feel like in some AU, Gale would've absolutely been an emo kid in middle school. And then he would've grown out of that phase in high school and gone on to play on the school's soccer team, but he wouldn't have been as good as his older brother, the school's legendary superstar athlete jock dude bro. But at least Gale would always get straight As in school. Ashton would have been failing half of his classes. 

Thanks for reading and see you in the next part!