"Cheater, cheater!" he chanted playfully in-between cackles. "Flying's cheating, you know!"

"No it's not!" Emi shouted back, though more amused than angry.

"Yes it is, yes it is!"

"No it's not! And I'm not flying anyways, I'm floating!"

"Still cheating!"

"You cheated first when you went up the branches! You know I've never walked on them!"

"Not my fault you're so clumsy!"

"Oh, that's it - come back here!"

Their merry chase continued with renewed vigor, both children eager to outwit one other and prove themselves the rightful winner of their game. Emi bounded through the crowns like a panther cub, but Skull Kid was always faster, more agile, evading her outstretched hands at the last possible moment as if he could pull himself apart like straw; he sprang from branch to branch, cackling and making faces at her (as best as he could with his beak)...

... Until he suddenly disappeared with a cut-off shriek.

Emi stilled immediately - or at least she tried, the momentum of her run actually causing her to cartwheel in the air a few times over. She hovered back to the spot where her friend had suddenly vanished and saw an almost perfect circle carved out of the leaves.

The scene that little frame presented to her was an awfully bizarre one: a few cracked sticks, plenty of green bits fluttering calmly, and a headless body splayed, dazed on the hard ground... Which then sat up fulminously under her flabbergasted gaze and hurriedly checked its wooden doll-like neck.

"My hat!" Skull Kid cried from his throat, beyond distraught.

His reaction was so unexpected that the young Great Fairy couldn't hold back a giggle.

"Don't laugh!" the little imp chastised her as he raised an accusatory finger somewhere in the vague direction of her voice: "It's all your fault I lost it!"

"How is it my fault?" she complained: "You're the one who was too busy making fun of me to watch where you were going!"

Her friend crossed his arms harshly, shiny little eyes no doubt locked in a frown wherever his face was, and scooted off angrily. The motion came off rather goofily, though, making Emi snort; the sound of course further angered the little woodland being, who decided to curl up and roll away about it.

She wondered whether he was really made, attempting to get her to pity him, or instead make her laugh on purpose.

In the end the fairy floated down towards him, patting his back as she snickered: "Alright, alright, I get it, big mean Emi's to blame... If I get your hat back will you let me be friends with you again?"

A grumble arose from the throat. In spite of its growling tone, she could see him relent the furious grip on his own arms and unfurl his shrimped up posture timidly until at last she caught him mumbling: "You're always my friend..."

"Then let's find it together," she offered.

Skull Kid whined to himself a little more. Once he'd huffed and puffed enough and it was all out of his system, he reached a hand out: Emi caught it and helped pulling him to his feet.

"So where do we start?" she asked. "It can't be far, anyways."

The imp scratched his neck pensively as he tried to attune himself to his head: "Hm... It's not on the ground for sure."

"You mean it's stuck in the trees?"

"No, it's lower."

"So a bush, probably. Is it spiky?"

"Nope! That would hurt. I think there's flowers, though."

"Try looking! Maybe you can see us."

"Let me check... Oh, there's my hat!"

"Where?"

"It flew off! It's turned upside down near those - oh, that's a lot of raspberries. We could take some back to Tael and Tatl."

The mere thought of the sweet treat had Emi's mouth watering, the strain of play suddenly making itself known in her tummy with loud demands. Fairies had long been known to favor sugary sweet foodstuffs above all else, enough to be given the moniker of "honey hounds" by exasperated beekeepers who spent too much time chasing sprites out of their hives: it was as such no surprise that the young Great Fairy's senses immediately focused towards finding the source of that promised saccharine taste.

In a matter of seconds she'd caught the berries' scent loud and clear, and it was a good thing Skull Kid wasn't as frail as he looked, or his arm would have certainly been ripped off as soon as his friend bolted off in their afternoon snack's direction.

He serenely let himself get dragged around like a straw doll, enjoying the breeze as they travelled through the woods at a breakneck pace - until at last the sweet smell grew so all-encompassing that it almost made them sick, and Emi slid them both to a stop.

"It's a whole forest!" she cheered in delight: "A raspberry grove!"

Her hands dug into the briars fearlessly, uncaring of punctures or scratches as her magic skin healed her as soon as the sting subsided: she couldn't hold back an elated little dance in place after popping the first few ripe berry into her mouth, their sweetness making her taste buds do sommersaults.

Skull Kid would have gladly joined her if his beak had still been at the end of his neck.

Luckily, his head was close: shaking a few bushes he could catch the movement and sound - at first faint, but growing louder and more visible the more he approached the precise spot, until his body finally came into view, right across from his hat. It took a few tries (viewing oneself from the outside can make moving about precisely rather tricky) but at last he got his hands back on his favorite article of clothing. Now he was presentable!

"Save some for me!" he called out as he fixed his head right where it was supposed to stay while he hurried back to his friend.

Emi flashed him a mischievous grin, cheeks and fingers already stained pink: "Only if you're fast enough!" she cackled, and lunged forth to grasp as many berries as she could, not stopping even when the imp gasped in disdain and tried to push her away from the bush she was ravaging.

They spent quite a few minutes play-fighting and munching down on raspberries, until at last they were so full that the saccharine taste had started to become overwhelming - though they still soldiered through the impulse to have just one more (and the mild nausea reminding them why that would've been a bad idea) to pick a couple handfuls for the fairies back at the fountain, who would have certainly appreciated the delicious gift.

They considered stowing them away in their pockets before reasoning that would've likely ended up with their clothes irreparably stained and a whole lot of goopy mush; after a short debate and an impromptu arts-and-craft session, the sweet treat was safely wrapped in a big leafy pouch, at minimal threat of accidentally getting turned into jam during the journey to the rest of their friends.

Still, it felt like a waste to go back so soon when they had such lovely weather and an endless forest at their disposal... There were still so many games to be played, so much fun to be had!

... Well, maybe not so soon after their snack.

Running and jumping around with a full stomach was a sure way to spoil a good time.

Skull Kid grabbed his friend's hand in a mellow grip and began pulling her away from the saccharine bushes, aiming for one of the many tunnels opening across the forest: "I know a spot that's perfect for a nap," he mumbled.

"A nap?" Emi complained, though she did yawn and follow along without putting up much of a fight: "But I don't want to waste my first time in the Lost Woods sleeping like that!"

"It's no waste! Trust me, once you find the right sunny place that keeps you nice and warm, and the somewhere soft to lay on..."

The Great Fairy huffed: "I didn't know you could be that boring."

"Oh, yeah?" the imp replied, pouting: "Let's make it fun then!"

"How can you make napping fun?"

"With a challenge!"

"Oh? Well, now I wanna hear what kind of contest you can make around sleep," Emi amused him.

In the meantime they'd reached a clearing carved inside of a giant tree trunk, covered in mushrooms, moss and ferns of all shapes and sizes. Wide cracks in the bark around them allowed golden sunlight to filter in, heating the temperature just enough to be pleasant without turning sweltering.

"Simple!" Skull Kid cackled as he made himself nice and cozy on a particularly plush mass of greenery: "If after laying down you fall asleep before you get bored, you lose!"

"Psh! Easier than breathing!" the fairy laughed. She settled on a big flat mushroom at a slight distance from her friend. "In fact, it's too easy. We should add stakes! How's this: first one to fall asleep gets a faceful of raspberry make-up and sap drawings!"

The imp sighed: "Is that the best you can think of? It's the cheapest prank in the book! And you called me boring..."

"Too scared I'll paint you a better face?"

"No way! You're on!"

Emi giggled, laying on her stomach and watching Skull Kid stretch and twist in preparation for the harduous challenge of not dozing off. She could see how sleepy he was from a mile away: she was going to doodled him to hell and back, she was certain of it.

He didn't even seem to be taking it seriously! Someone trying to keep awake would maybe do something energic, and instead there the imp was, curling up tighter on himself and snuggling against the moss to get even more comfortable.

Could this be some kind of advanced reverse psychology technique?

Her feet lazily kicked at the dust and pollen in the air.

It certainly was a lovely place, made only better by the already wonderful weather. The warmth was starting to nicely nestle into her bones while she sank in the comfortable mushroom she'd chosen, which - she had to admit - was plusher than a feather-stuffed pillow. She found herself adjusting on it to find the optimal position from which to enjoy the lukewarm heat as a pleasant breeze kept the temperature bearable.

The fairy sighed contentedly. Surely it couldn't hurt to shut her eyes for just a moment...