The next eight months passed in the blink of an eye, and Ashton spent every second with his family and clan. His father and Keelie didn't hibernate with the rest of the sprites during the winter, and the woodlands helped ensure their pond didn't freeze over so they could still go into the water to prevent drying out. Raine never hibernated with the sprites, so he was especially ecstatic to have their dad and Keelie around all winter.

Erden and Lucas also chose to winter with Ashton's clan when they heard the news. Lucas had been surprised to hear about Ashton's decision, but Erden wasn't. She just rolled her eyes and told Ashton that she figured as much. They left once the days started warming up, letting Ashton focus on spending the remainder of his time with his family.

And then... the fateful day arrived. Solaheim, the faerie new year, was the biggest event as woodlands celebrated the start of spring. The matriarch had been the one to suggest that Ashton become human then, as it was a good omen to have a new beginning take place alongside the new life that came with spring.

That morning, Ashton found himself in their family quarters in the mother tree. His father held his hand while the two littlest sprites glued themselves to his side. Gale and his mother, who were painting runes on his body in preparation for the wish granting, kept having to shoo them away.

"It's so the magic knows where to go and what to do," his mother explained, focused on her task. "The runes will wash off."

Gale was busy painting runes on Ashton's pants. "So that your clothes grow with you," he said, raising his eyebrows at Ashton.

Ashton laughed. "I appreciate the foresight," he said.

When she was done, his mother reached up to touch the braids in his hair. "These strands aren't part of your body," she pointed out. "And they're too small to paint runes on for a permanent size change spell."

Ashton's fingers flew up to the braids in his hair, stroking the strand that held Niles'. "I can't keep them?" he asked, aghast.

His mother shook her head. "Not like that," she said. She went to the wardrobe and pulled out a huge medallion of woven grass. She struggled to unfold the large circle and held it out to show Ashton.

"A loykra," he breathed. He took it in his hands reverently, and Keelie and Raine pushed their little heads closer to be able to see it. 

"We had to make it big, so there's plenty of space for pretty much anyone's hair," she pointed out with a smile. "Ours as well as Erden's, your human's, and his faerie friends' who brought you back."

Ashton swallowed past the lump in his throat. It was traditional for a male woodlands to take a piece of his family with him when he left for his hokla's clan. He looked up and saw his mother already offering him one of her light brown curls. He looked around the room and saw his father and siblings busy slicing off strands of their own hair. Gale used a knife. The sprites used their talons.

"Thank you," he got out, and his mother nodded, pleased that he liked the gift.

"We didn't know how large you would grow as a human," she said. "So, we didn't attach it to a bracelet like how it's usually worn. We figured you could do that yourself once you're grown."

Ashton nodded, quietly accepting the strands of hair that everyone else offered him. He sat down in a nearby chair and draped the huge loykra in his lap, carefully undoing the other four braids in his hair.

"And your hair," his mother said suddenly, running her fingers through the loose waves that fell past his shoulders. "You should cut it."

Ashton looked up from his task. "Cut it?" Ashton asked, confused. "Again? Why?"

He had cut it just last year, after he had undergone the geant. It had been down to the center of his back then but was now just to his shoulder blades.

"I'd say this is a big enough change to warrant another haircut," she said lightly. "Wouldn't you?"

Ashton laughed. "Fine," he relented. "Can we cut it just a little above my shoulders?"

His mother nodded and got to work, cutting his hair while he carefully wove everyone's strands of hair into the loykra. His mother's and Gale's curls, one light brown, the other dark. The sleek, shiny strands belonging to the sprites— the inky black from his father, deep blue and dark green from Raine and Keelie.

Once he added Erden's red hair alongside Niles' black, Lucy's blonde, and Mara's dark brown, he held the loykra out and admired his handiwork. Gale nudged him with a large satchel, so Ashton carefully folded the loykra up and slipped it inside.

"One last thing," his mother said, finally done with cutting his hair. She turned back to the cabinet and returned with a huge, flat stone, about the size of his chest. Even without being underwater, Ashton could sense the low-level spell it held.

Keelie tried to touch it, but their mother held it back before handing it to Ashton.

"What's this?" he asked, confused. A rock? Why is she giving me a rock? he wondered.

"When you want to come back to visit, just draw the home rune on the surface," she explained. She held up a small, flat pebble that fit comfortably in her hand. "You don't need magic to do it. Your message will appear on this rock, letting me know you're coming back. That way, we can prepare to meet you in the meadow north of here."

Ashton had never seen such a magical device before. "How...?"

"It's a new thing the grandmaster created. He was inspired by those human... umm... what are they called again?"

Ashton smiled. "Cell phones?"

"Hmm, yes." She held up a finger. "It only works once, though," she warned. "The magic is dormant and not very powerful. The grandmaster mostly wanted to make sure it would work over a long distance, so that's where he focused most of the energy. You should only use it when you're actually coming back to see us. We'll immediately leave for the meadow once we receive your message, so we'll be there about a week after you notify us."

"Why would you give me this?" Ashton asked. "Isn't it better if I stay away as a human? To avoid drawing attention to the area?"

"Oh, jarlan," his mother whispered. "I don't want to lose you forever. Not again."

Ashton's eyes welled up, but then his father chimed in.

"Besides... if you are successful with this human of yours... we'd like to meet him," his father said, his voice low and quiet, gravelly from disuse.

Ashton froze and stared at the both of them. He couldn't believe his ears. "What?"

His mother was already shaking her head. "Not here, of course. But like I said, in the meadow to the north of us. We'll all go."

"Mamaire... what are you saying? You... want to meet Niles? A human? Why?"

She offered him a small smile. "I want to meet the man who saved my son and brought him back to me," she explained, brushing tears from her eyes. "He must be pretty special if you're willing to give everything up just for a chance to be with him."

"I want to meet him, too!" Keelie suddenly chirped, and her bright voice cut through the emotion in the room.

Ashton laughed and scooped her up in a hug. "Of course," he assured her. "He'll simply love you."

Not one to be left out, Rained hugged him tightly around the waist, too, and then their father was pulling them away.

"Let's go, you two," he told them. "We have to go out for the wish-granting ceremony, ok?"

His mother followed them out of the room. Ashton was just about to join them when Gale held out a hand to stop him. He had been quiet all day, which wasn't unusual for Gale. But his silence today was heavy, and Ashton felt guilty for being excited about this wish while today could never be a happy memory for the rest of his family.

"Wait," Gale said, fidgeting slightly. He looked down, not quite meeting Ashton's eye.

"Yeah?" Ashton asked, concerned. It wasn't like Gale to be so hesitant. "What is it?"

Gale bit his lip. "It... might be too late to ask this but... it's not my fault, is it? You're not leaving because of me... right?"

"What?" Ashton was dumbfounded. "Why would this be your fault?"

Gale looked frustrated, and his dark eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know!" he exclaimed. "Maybe there was something that I did or.... didn't do. Or... maybe... just seeing my wings..."

Ashton grasped him firmly by the shoulders, and Gale looked up in surprise.

"You have been perfect," Ashton told him fervently. "Everything you did these past few years made me feel welcome and at home. I never would have been able to settle back in nearly as well without you."

Gale searched his face, his eyes, so similar to Ashton's own, wide and pleading. "Then... why...?"

Ashton looked at the window behind Gale, imagining that somewhere, out there, Niles was living his life, working at the clinic, taking care of Lucy, being pestered by the garden pixies.

A soft smile filled his face. "Because... Niles is out there," he answered. "It's not that I'm trying to get away from here, or that my life is so bad and unhappy that I need to leave. It's... more like I'm trying to get to him."

Gale was silent for a long time. "Is there really nothing I can do to make you stay?" he finally whispered.

Ashton's heart broke a little. I can't do this, he suddenly realized. Not to Gale. Not to everybody. Not again.

"If... if you really want me to stay," he got out, voice breaking a little. "Then I'll stay."

Gale's head shot up. "Wait, really?" he asked incredulously.

Ashton closed his eyes, trying to ignore the image of Niles' face that appeared in his mind's eye. "Yes," he said firmly. His longing for Niles rose up, but he pushed it back down. "Just say the word. And I'll call the whole thing off."

He reopened his eyes to see Gale looking at him hopefully. But after searching Ashton's features carefully, his face dropped again.

"No," Gale sighed, to Ashton's astonishment. "No, I won't ask you to do that."

"Wha... why not?" Ashton asked. He really didn't understand Gale at all today. Does he want me to stay? Or go? he wondered.

Gale smiled sadly. "This is the first time since coming back that you've looked happy," he said simply.

"What are you talking about?" Ashton argued. "I've been happy!"

Gale shook his head. "It's different. When you talk about going back to that human of yours, you get the same look on your face as..." he swallowed hard. "As you do when you're flying."

Oh. Ashton looked down.

"And... when you offered to stay here just now..." Ashton looked up at Gale's silence.

"Your face dimmed again," Gale finished softly. "But... thank you. For even entertaining the idea. Seeing you like this... I know the right thing is for you to go."

To his surprise, Gale threw both arms around him and hugged him fiercely.

"I... thank you," Ashton said quietly. "And... I'm sorry."

"I know," Gale said gruffly. He pulled away and punched Ashton's arm, heading out the door before Ashton could protest. "Let's get going. The whole clan's waiting for you."

Ashton nodded and fell into step behind him, not missing how Gale was wiping his eyes.

***

His clan, the sprites, and the rest of his family were all waiting for him at the base of the mother tree when he and Gale stepped outside.

Keelie and Raine were already sniffing back tears, and he hugged each family member individually before they all surrounded him for a moment.

This is the last time I'll ever be held by them like this, Ashton realized, and that thought alone was almost enough to make him quit. Almost. But not quite.

Be well, chailan, his father spoke in his mind, touching his cheek softly. We will see you again.

Ashton nodded and wiped his tears away, embracing him for the last time. 

His father and the two littlest ones backed away to join the rest of the sprites, not part of the magical circle that the woodlands were forming around him.

His clan gathered around him, spreading their wings out and clasping hands in a loose spiral. His matriarch grandmother acted as the last point of contact, touching his shoulder where they had painted the spell on his body.

"Ashton," his grandmother warned. "I may not know your human like you do, but from your reading, I can tell he is a cautious and thorough man. He will not make this decision lightly. Give him time to adjust back to your presence before telling him of your intentions. Otherwise, he may shut down your advances before you even have a chance."

Ashton was shocked. "You... are you suggesting that I lie to Niles?" he asked. "He's sure to ask why I'm there and why I chose to become human. What else could I possibly tell him?"

"No, don't lie," his grandmother explained in exasperation. "But don't reveal your hand all at once. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

Ashton bowed his head. "I understand," he said. "Thank you for the advice."

She placed one gnarled finger under his chin to make him look up. As he did so, she looked deep into his eyes. 

"This spell will require a lot from you, too," she said. "Though I'm not sure what that will be. The magic we stored might not be enough for a spell such as this. Are you willing to pay the price?"

Ashton nodded firmly. "I am."

"Then, let's begin." 

___________________________________________________________________

A/N: Guys, we are this close to finally seeing Niles again. Like, two chapters away. 

Thanks for reading and see you in the next part!