Blumiere, Timpani, and Merlon all waited patiently for their meal when Merlon finally let out an annoyed sigh.

"What's taking Saffron so long?" He asked, standing up from his table and walking out to check on the kitchen. 

Once he got down the hall, he could hear screaming and the clattering of pots and pans. He frowned, then opened the kitchen door, seeing saffron running around the room and hitting things with her broom like some sort of mad woman.

"SAFFRON!" Merlon yelled, making the chef jump slightly and look at the ancient with wide eyes.

"What in Grambi's name are you doing?!" Merlon hissed.

Saffron looked around herself at the mess she made. "I-I, well, I was just uh... I'm sorry sir," She breathed, looking down and closing her eyes. Merlon huffed and took the only plate of food that was ready. The dessert. He then turned away, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.

Dimentio couldn't help but smirk, then followed Merlon while staying invisible.

Merlon returned to the table, explaining that they were only getting dessert that night and apologizing for the inconvenience. Blumiere couldn't help but look at the dish in awe. It was some kind of food that he never heard of before. He was a little nervous, but his fears melted away as soon as he took a bite. He had never tasted anything so sweet, and the texture was soft. Usually, the tribe only served finer dishes during celebrations. Other than that, health was put before enjoyment.

Blumiere continued to happily eat the dessert while Timpani rested her chin on her hand, staring at Blumiere.

"You know, Timpani" Merlon started between bites. "Perhaps our guest would enjoy seeing some of the sights of this village. Like some sort of tour."

Timpani continued to stare at Blumiere, then shook her head, lightly giggling and looking at Merlon. "I'm sorry, Merlon. Could you repeat yourself, please?"

Merlon sighed, then repeated his words, telling Timpani that she should take their new guest on a tour of a village. Timpani nodded, then looked at Blumiere, softly smiling. 

"Would you like that? Would you like to join me on a tour of my village tomorrow?" Timpani politely asked.

Blumiere's eyes lit up and he excitedly nodded, his mouth still filled with food. There was a small fleck of frosting on his face. Timpani lightly giggled, then grabbed a napkin and leaned over the table, wiping the frosting off his face.

"Wonderful," She smiled.

. . .

That night, Blumiere was put up in a room on the second floor of the tower. There was a small window that he was leaning out of, smiling and watching as Timpani paced below, holding a hairclip similar to the one she lost.

Blumiere stared at her and the land around her in awe. The grass was a lively shade of green. There were street lights that kept the darkness away. All the buildings were different colors. The world seemed so much more alive up there.

Timpani danced around herself in the moonlight, then looked up and spotted Blumiere staring at her. She slowly smiled, then waved at the boy.

Blumiere softly smiled, then waved back, bashfully walking back into his room and closing the window, brushing his hands through his hair and smiling to himself.

"This has got to be without a doubt the single most humiliating day of my life," Dimentio pouted, taking one of the pillows from Blumiere's own king-sized bed and setting it on the floor. 

Blumiere simply walked past the smaller kid, patting his head and sitting down on the soft bed, sinking into the middle.

Dimentio rolled his eyes, then lay down on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "I HOPE you appreciate what I go through for you," he hissed, crossing his arms and muttering about how embarrassing it was for a nobleman to be sleeping on the floor.

Blumiere smiled to himself, fluffing his pillows and marveling at how soft they were.

"Now, we have GOT to make a plan to get that girl to kiss you," Dimentio continued, despite Blumiere ignoring him. "Tomorrow when you go to town, you have to look your BEST! You MUST master the art of silent flirting. You have to bat your eyes! Like this!" Dimentio sat up and blinked his eyes, holding his hands together in front of himself and smiling.

Blumiere continued to ignore him and closed his eyes, hugging one of his many pillows and peacefully falling asleep.

Dimentio let out a soft sigh, shaking his head. His mismatched eyes softened slightly as he lay back down on the ground, waving his hand and making the lights go out. 

"You're hopeless, Blumiere," Dimentio whispered, yawning and closing his eyes. "Completely hopeless..."

. . .

The same kid who summoned Dimentio when the tribe's leader called rushed into the large, black, elegant palace, bowing before Blumiere's father, who was pacing back and forth and nervously fidgeting. 

The tribe leader's eyes lit up as soon as the child walked in and bowed his head.

"Any sign of them?!" Blumiere's father asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

The kid shook his head, looking down guiltily. "N-no, sir. We've searched everywhere. We've found no trace of your son... or Dimentio."

The tribe leader's eyes began to well up with tears. He shook his head, then turned away, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Well, keep looking for them! Look through every house, ask everyone! Let no one in this tribe sleep until they're safe at home!" He exclaimed.

The kid took a deep breath, then bowed his head. "Yes sir..." he trailed off, turning and heading out once again.

Blumiere's father let out a shaky breath, then continued to pace, finally allowing a few tears to fall. 

"What have I done...?" He whispered, softly sniffling. "What have I done?"

. . .

The next morning as the sun rose, Timpani and Blumiere were set on a small horse-drawn carriage so they could get a tour of the entire village. Merlon happily waved as they were off.

Meanwhile, Dimentio followed, keeping himself invisible so no one would see him and chase him down with pitchforks and torches. 

Blumiere couldn't help but look around excitedly, pointing at each and every object, whether it be a dog or a simple streetlamp. There were so many new things, it was hard for him to process. Timpani softly smiled at him, holding the reins to control the speed of the carriage as they traveled through the sweet little village. 

People waved and smiled as they passed. Some even whispered. Blumiere grinned at them all, excitedly waving and beaming.

When they got off the carriage, Blumiere grabbed Timpani's hand and dragged her through all the shops, wanting to see everything he could. There even was a square where people were dancing!

Timpani lightly giggled, then grabbed his hand, placing it on her waist. Blumiere blinked in confusion as Timpani gently took his other hand and held it up, dancing with him to the upbeat music that was playing.

Blumiere stumbled a little at first, but eventually got the hang of it, smiling and spinning her around while Timpani giggled. People couldn't help but watch as the two of them danced.

Afterward, Timpani took him down to a small river, renting a rowboat and rowing out into the water. The sun was just beginning to set. The trees had blossoming flowers, which reached over the water. When Blumiere looked down, he could see the reflections of the stars in the sky, which were just coming out.

The darkness almost reminded him of home. Still, everything seemed brighter.

Dimentio scurried along the shore, trying to keep an eye on Blumiere and Timpani as they rowed away. 

The scene was perfect. They were alone, (as far as they were aware,) they were on a romantic boat ride, SO WHY WEREN'T THEY KISSING?! Dimentio crossed his arms, allowing the invisibility spell to fade. 

"I'm surrounded by amateurs," Dimentio whispered to himself.

He just needed to set the ball in motion. He had to kick-start some things.

He looked forward, seeing a small stone bridge that went over the river. He immediately rushed over to it, waving his hand and making a small guitar appear in his hand.

If you want something done, you've got to do it yourself, he thought to himself, gently plucking the strings. He hadn't played since he was a kid, but he still knew a few good songs.

He let out a soft breath. As if on cue, a soft wind rustled through the leaves, blowing through the waves of grass. Fireflies lit up, fluttering around the small boat Timpani and Blumiere were on.

Dimentio took a breath, then softly played an old love song from the tribe. Music wasn't a very common practice, but he still did know a few songs. The boat Blumiere and Timpani were on gently floated beneath the bridge, then stopped on the other side. There were grand willow trees surrounding them. 

"Who's playing that...?" Timpani wondered aloud. "It sounds really pretty."

Blumiere shrugged, then looked up at the bridge. Dimentio carefully peeked over, then softly smiled at Blumiere, continuing to play.

Timpani's expression softened as she looked at Blumiere, tilting her head slightly. 

There was something about him at night. It was like there were stars in his eyes. 

"You know, I feel really bad, not knowing your name," Timpani breathed. "Maybe I could guess!"

Blumiere smiled at her as she brought a hand to her chin in a thoughtful manner.

"Maybe... Mateo?" She asked.

Blumiere made a slightly grossed-out expression and shook his head no, making Timpani lightly giggle.

"Okay... how about Daniel?" She question. Blumiere continued to shake his head no as Timpani continued guessing. 

"Liam? Elliot?"

"Blumiere..." Dimentio whispered quietly. "His name is Blumiere."

Timpani frowned slightly, looking around herself, wondering where that voice came from. "Blumiere...?" She asked.

Blumiere smiled and excitedly nodded, leaning forward and grabbing her hands.

"Blumiere?" She asked again, smiling. "Your name is Blumiere?!"

Blumiere nodded and Timpani's eyes softened.

"Blumiere..." She smiled. "That's a lovely name,"

She gently gave the silent boy's hands a squeeze. She couldn't help but feel at peace. There was something about the dark yet gentle scenery, the slightly cool breeze, and the sweet melody being played that made everything just feel... right.

Fireflies seemed to circle the small rowboat, sparkling and fading in and out of sight. The moonlight seemed to be glowing brighter and brighter by the minute.

Dimentio continued playing, peeking around the bridge and watching with anticipation. "Go on... kiss him," he whispered quietly. 

Timpani's gaze continued to soften as she leaned forward slightly, tilting her head to the side.

A blush covered Blumiere's face. For once, he wasn't stressed. He wasn't worried about Shadoo or his father. He could only think about the moment. 

He bit his lip shyly, then leaned forward as well, closing his eyes.

Timpani continued to lean forward, cupping the side of Blumiere's face and closing her eyes as well when-

Suddenly, the boat tipped over, plunging the two kids into the water. 

Dimentio gasped, making the guitar vanish and leaning forward. What the heck just happened?! They were so close!!

Timpani giggled and stood up in the water. Thankfully it was only about four feet deep. She coughed a few times, then helped Blumiere up as well, asking him if he was okay.

That was when Dimentio noticed it. A small shadow on the other side of the boat, sinking beneath the water and disappearing. 

He narrowed his eyes, then let out a frustrated huff. "So that's how she's gonna play..." he whispered under his breath.