Finally, Lumi was able to persuade Lepo to let Sally out, saying that it'd help her to let her out and about. Lepo sighed, and agreed, but instantly said she needs to be back at sunset. Lumi left the healers hut with a beaming face.

Scout greeted her with a nod outside. It had been two years since the firefly meeting, and during that time, too much had happened. She was now ten, and more 'mature'. Sword lessons had gone on, with herself and Tem ranking up the class quickly. Together. Sally hadn't improved a lot physically, but she could now talk freely, and move a lot.

The trio walked down to the newer meeting spot - a huge oak tree in the middle of a forest. It was easy to get to, but hard to find if you didn't know where you were going to. A whistle blasted out, announcing to the others that they were coming. Three short blasts sounded out. Three blasts for three people.

Scout dashed ahead, sprinting. The two girls caught up with him after a few moments. Even Sally was smiling slightly, yet weakly.

The tree fort had been a idea at first, and grew quickly into a project. The wood had been from a new house with extras. The building materials had been from Grooses father. Bit by bit, everyone helped with the project. Scout bought in his mates to help. Ciela had her brother help. Beck bought in paints. Alen and Tyler had bought in the furniture.

It had been finished a month ago.

Each of them had their own rooms. Small and creaky though they were, they were theirs. A bigger middle room connected it all, with an outside bit outside it all. A rope ladder was he main way up, and a small but fun zip-line was the main way down.

Everyone agreed it was the best tree house in history.

As Sally was lead up the ladder, everyone was grinning. It had been so long since they had seen her out of the cold, dark underground of the healers house. Everyone was there, smiling and laughing, even Sally.

Everyone was so busy with Sally that they didn't notice the smaller boy in the shadows, watching.

"D'you feel any better?" Asked Groose. "Can you walk and talk and stuff now?"

Sally nodded. Lumi was instantly scared. Her neck was so thin, it looked like it might snap of she nodded or shook it too hard.

"Yes, I can." She whispered.

"How do you feel at the moment?" Asked Ciela. Sally shrugged. looking like a rabbit caught in the torchlight.

"Tired. Cold. But it's nice to be with you guys again." She smiled. Even her smile was but a shadow of what it had once been. But everyone had grown up from when they were six, that nobody really noticed.

The questions continued. 'How was it under the ground for so long?' 'What would you give to be better?' 'Does it hurt?'

Soon, everyone was out of questions. Beck grinned. "Y'know what it's time for?"

Alen rolled his eyes. "Not another made up game?" He asked. She grinned and nodded. "What is it this time?"

"I quite like this one. It's called 'Tell Truth or Do Dare.'" Beck announced happily. The onlookers nodded.

"So you have to be asked a question, and answer truthfully, or... What? A dare? What's that?" Lumi asked, raising a eyebrow. Beck grinned.

"I just made it up. You have to do one thing we ask you to do, like... Eat mud! Or... Whatever." She explained.

"Okay!" Everyone choruses. Sally grinned. Beck smiled.

"I'm going to spin this bottle, and whoever it lands on has to do a truth or a dare. Oh, and you can forfit, if you would prefer to do the other thing instead. Alright?" Everyone nodded. "Lets go!"

She spun the bottle quickly and effectively. It started to slow, going pass Ciela, Beck, Tyler, Alen, Groose, slowing down, pass Sally, pass Lumi... And hitting Scout dead on. He sighed.

"Truth, then." He muttered. The other seven children leaned in to discuss.

"What about 'if you had to kill one of us, who would it be?'" Suggested Tyler. Mutters.

"Or, 'If you had to let one and only one of us live, who would it be?'" Sally clipped in. Everyone nodded.

"If you had to let one of us live, out of all of us, uh, who would it be?" Groose asked. Scout thought for a moment, then grinned.

"Me. Okay, can I spin?" He asked Beck. She nodded. "Cool." He spun it quickly.

It zoomed around the circle once, twice, three times, four, five... And started to slow down. It stopped between Ciela and Alen, as if it could see the ninth child joining.

The children craned around to look at him. They stared at his white cobweb hair, his dull face and grey eyes and shrunk away from him.

All of them except Lumi and Sally. Sally stared at him, emotionless, while Lumi opened and closed her mouth, mortified. Finally she worked up the courage to speak.

"T... Tem?" She gagged. "Wh... What at  you doing here?"

He grinned. "Hey, Lumi. I was just, uh, passing through."

Lumi raised a eyebrow. They were in the Sevlata area. 'Just passing through' means he was breaking every rule ever... But he had already done it.

Twice.

The others relaxed slightly, knowing one of their friends knew this child. "Is this the guy you always talk about then, Lumi?" Asked Groose, smirking. Lumi blushed furiously.

"Uh... Yeah, that's him." She said, sending death glares at Groose. He missed them, but didn't proceed.

"Cool. D'you wanna play?" Scout asked him. Tem nodded, still smiling.

"What are you playing?" He asked suddenly. Ciela opened her mouth to explain but was cut of by Beck.

"It's a game I made up. I call it 'Tell Truth or Do Dare.' The rules are..." She explained quickly. He nodded.

"Cool. So, who's turn is it?"

Alen grinned. "Yours."

Tem rolled his eyes. "Fine. Dare."

Hooting rose around. This was the first dare.

The eight youngsters leaned in to talk.  "What shall we do? We hardly know anything about him!" Tyler hissed. "Except Lumi."

Them his eyes lit up, a strange joy flickering behind his blue eyes. "I know..."  He whispered in the person next to him at- Alen - who grinned, and passed it on. It rode around and stopped at Lumi.

"What is it?" She asked, but they all shook their heads, grinning happily and refusing to tell her. Dread crept into her heart as they turned back to Tem, who was waiting patiently.

"I... Dare you... Tem... To..." Giggled Ciela.

"To... Kiss Lumi!" Finished Groose who smirked.

"Wh... What?" Lumi gasped, almost tripping over herself. "That's not fair!"

"Shhh, he can forfeit." Beck said.

"Uh...." Tem stuttered. Lumi turned to him.

"Forfeit! Forfeit right now!" She begged. Tem stared at her, breathless.

"Uh... I for-"

He was cut out by Sally laughing. "No forfeits this round!" She laughed. Lumi stared at her.

"I hate you so much right now..." She growled.