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Book was worried.
That, in itself, was a bit strange. Book didn't have much to worry about now that BFDIA was over (and she'd won!).
But the worry was always in the back of her mind. Is Leafy okay?
It was a stupid thought. Leafy was safe. She'd followed Book's advice. But still.
I should look for her, Book thought.
"Hey, Book," Needle said, waving a hand in front of Book's face, "are you daydreaming?"
"Just…thinking," Book replied, praying Needle wouldn't question it further.
Needle opened her mouth to respond, but Fries interjected. "Just what I'd expect from you."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Needle demanded.
"Quiet, Needy, I'm talking to Book."
"Don't call me Needy!" Needle shouted, slapping Fries across the face.
"I'll just be…over here," Book said awkwardly, backing away from her quarrelling friends.
Soon enough, Book was dashing through the streets of Yoyle City. She screeched to a stop. "Book, what are you doing?" She scolded herself. "Leafy will be fine."
Will she? Her nagging worries replied.
Book shook herself and continued, more cautiously, through the decrepit city. "Leafy?" She called softly. "Leafy?"
"Maybe you should leave," a quiet voice said.
"What? Who is-? Where-?" Book looked wildly around. She crept closer to what she determined to be the source of the sound, screaming internally at herself the whole time.
Go towards the mysterious voice in the abandoned city. Why not?!
Even if it was Leafy…she wasn't always the most stable person.
"If you're not going to give back Dream Island," the voice continued softly, "and everyone's out to execute you, then that's all you can do. Leave forever. Go far away, somewhere no one will ever find you."
Book remembered these words. A conversation between herself and- "Leafy!"
"Go back to your hiding spot," the voice finished. "At least you'll be alive."
Book pushed open a door to see Leafy, now metallic grey, sitting on the floor of one of the more broken down buildings. "Hey," the leaf said in an emotionless voice, "you were looking for me?"
"Why were you saying…?" Book slowly trailed off.
"That's what you said, right?" Leafy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't really work, now did it? Congrats on the win, by the way."
"T-thanks. You're metal again?"
Leafy looked blankly down at herself before fixing her eyes back on Book, who froze under her emotionless gaze. "So?"
Leafy's flat tone reminded Book of when she'd been up in that tower with Needle- hoping to find out who won BFDIA. Right before Evil Leafy spawned..
Leafy scowled and crossed her arms at Book's lack of an answer.
"H-hey now," Book said hurriedly, "don't get upset."
"You'll know when I'm upset," Leafy responded dryly.
"..Guess so." Book shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "Anyway, I meant why are you metal?"
Leafy's blank expression faltered as she struggled to keep her face calm. "I…just thought it would be easier…"
"What does that mean?"
"S-stop asking stupid questions!" Leafy said defensively. "Why are you even here?!"
"I just…wanted to make sure you were..okay, I guess?"
"Well, I'm fine. So you can go." Leafy replied bluntly.
"Are you really?"
"I'm not going to spawn another Evil Leafy, if that's what you're worried about."
"It's not!" Book exclaimed. Leafy gave her a skeptical look. "Okay, it is a little. But I also don't want you to be miserable forever!"
"I'm not miserable," the leaf responded blankly. "I'm just.." She shrugged.
Book shuffled a bit. What was she supposed to say here, exactly?!
Leafy's eyes followed Book's movements sharply, a contrast to her indifferent, trailing gaze. "Sit down if you like," was all she said.
So Book sat, nervously hugging her knees. Leafy wasn't watching her anymore, eyes now fixated on the sky. Book really wasn't sure how to pick up the thread of conversation again. Instead, she searched Leafy's outwardly calm face for hints of what she was thinking. It didn't give away much, but there was a degree of something like stiffness in the way she held herself, as if she was poised to run- or fight, Book wasn't sure which.
"I thought you were going to kill me," Leafy said suddenly, still in that eerily measured tone. She might as well have been talking about the weather!
"I would never-!" Book exclaimed, shocked.
"Not like I knew that," Leafy reasoned. "I really thought that was..it..for me. Real, permanent death. Maybe that's why I decided to be metal again. Harder to kill that way."
"Why don't you just..leave?" Book asked. She really wasn't getting anywhere with this…
"Can't," Leafy replied. "If anyone saw me…well. Good-bye Leafy."
Book was feeling distinctly uncomfortable, now. How could anyone not, hearing Leafy talk about her own potential death so clinically?! Well, she doubted Fries would care all that much. But still, he face hadn't even twitched! She gave Leafy a sideways glance. "What's wrong with you?"
"Huh?"
"Why are you so- I don't know- numb?"
"Just trying to keep Evil Leafy away," Leafy replied.
"But you're allowed to have some emotions!"
"Like what, Book? I'm certainly not allowed to be happy anymore, and I can't even feel bad without her showing up."
"Well certainly you must feel something. What about Firey?" Book asked.
"Oh, Firey again! Why do you keep bringing him up?! What do you expect me to say?!"
"I-!"
Leafy interrupted Book's protest, now full-on ranting as she got to her feet and began to pace. Her calm demeanor had finally cracked. "Everything worked out for you! Everyone thinks you're so great! I said we were similar, but that's where our similarities end. You think you know me?! Well you don't! You don't know anything about me!"
With that, a bright red leaf appeared between the two, knocking Leafy into the wall. Evil Leafy began to advance toward Book in her slow, menacing way. Although she wasn't always slow. Maybe she just wanted to toy with Book, if Evil Leafy wanted anything at all. Book backed away as quickly as she could. She felt her back hit the wall. "Oh my word," she gasped.
This reminded her uncomfortably of being on that shipwreck on Teardrop's island. She'd made sure the other Freesmarters got out first. Always taking care of others over herself. Maybe that's why she hadn't done well in challenges.
All of these thoughts flashed through Book's head in the span of a minute. Of course, her main thought was a sense of panic.
I'm going to die here and no one is going to know what happened to me except Leafy.
Book was usually optimistic..but that wasn't exactly working right now. She raised her shaking firsts.
This isn't going to work, she thought, staring are her hands.
The next thing she saw was a metal blade quickly stabbing into Evil Leafy's stomach before withdrawing, leaving behind a hole. The blade appeared again, stabbing right between her eyes. She fell forwards, seemingly dead.
Leafy stared down at the body- knife clutched in her hand- with a mixture of shock and fear. She fixed her gaze on Book, who flinched.
"I-" Leafy began. "I-"
She collapsed forward onto her hands and knees. "I give up," she whispered.
Book reached out a hand towards Leafy's shoulder. Leafy scrambled back, pointing the knife vaguely in Book's direction. Then she blinked and dropped it.
"Are you..?" Book began hesitantly.
"I'm fine! Everything's okay!" Leafy exclaimed in an overly-loud voice.
"..are you?" Book repeated.
Leafy stared, wide-eyed. "I..don't know." She shook herself. "Anyway, it's late. You should leave."
Book hesitated. "Yeah- uh-" Oh my word not after the fright I've just had.
Leafy seemed to catch onto Book's thinking. "Or stay. Doesn't matter much to me." She flopped onto her back.
Book lay back, tucking her arms behind her. Oh, what a day.
…
Book awoke to Leafy shaking her gently, a soft, worried expression on her face. "Someone's looking for you."
"Book! Book!" A voice Book recognized as Needle's called.
Book hopped up. "Are you gonna be okay?" She asked Leafy.
Leafy gave her a bitter smile. "I told you. I'm fine." She hesitated. "But if you wanted to come back.."
"Don't worry. I will."
Leafy gave book another smile, one that was smaller and softer around the edges.
Book walked out of the building and into the morning light, running straight for Needle. She wrapped her arms around the other, a gesture Needle returned, bewildered.
"Where were you?" She asked.
Book shook her head.
"Oh fine," Needle sighed, "keep your secrets."
And Book did.