Smolkie gave a sigh as he traversed the darkness. He should have known better. A demon was no ordinary foe, and Veles was among the most powerful of them he had researched. He hadn't pieced it together until now, but legends told of a mysterious entity that plagued the forgotten realms. Who it targeted was seemingly random, but whomever was known to be in contact with it seemed to have lost something very specific.

Usually an ear. Sometimes a nose. Maybe a mouth. Rarely eyes. The eyes would have to be truly alluring, truly beautiful for the entity to bargain with their possessor.

Smolkie was so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the shadows lifted to unveil a breathtaking field of flowers around him. He blinked at the clear blue sky above and the tranquil space he suddenly found himself before turning his attention to the flowers. There was a myriad of colors from purple to red, white to yellow. Lavender, red dahlia, asphodel, and...

"A marigold," Smolkie breathed out as he knelt down to look at it closely. "For a flower that represents grief and death, I say you're rather pretty. Does awfully remind me of someone, though..." His voice trailed off.

"Oh!" A feminine voice made a sound of surprise and he jumped up. Spinning on his heel, he saw a strikingly gorgeous woman in a brilliant white ruffled sundress that ended just above her knees. She was wearing a straw hat with short auburn hair lazing beneath it. Her emerald gaze was big and bright, soaking his image in with curiosity. And then, realization.

"Smo? Could it really be my darling Smo?" The watering can she was holding fell to the ground as she clasped a hand over her mouth.

Smolkie, too, was at a loss. He lowered his glasses with one hand and wiped them with a cloth in his pocket, but didn't even put them back on. Just stared ahead.

The woman skipped forward with a curious cock of her head, "Smo, why aren't you saying anything? It's me!" She was so excited to see him that she forgot what it meant, "But if you're here, that must mean you're..."

"Iris... no, it's not like that - not like that at all, I assure you!" Smolkie finally smiled while wiping his eyes with a sleeve. "You could say it's the work of a demon that I get to see you again, Iris."

She frowned, "Smolkie, are you still fighting even without me?" She approached him until they were face to face, and looked up into his eyes. "If a demon did this to you, where is he? I'll show him not to mess with my Smo, and then you can go back to your world. Because this place isn't ready for you yet," she smiled as new flowers blossomed. Begonias.

Smolkie couldn't help but chuckle, "I know you'd give him a good whooping! You always were the stronger one, I say. Even when..." He took a shaky breath, "Even when they robbed you of your wish for a little one." He reached out tentatively and she guided his hand to her stomach, her eyes closed. "You were strong still, you were. More powerful than I'd ever be, hm? I'm sorry that... that I failed you, Iris."

The red dahlia gleamed as her tears fell onto it. "Please, Smo, it wasn't your fault!" Caressing his face, she leaned up on her tiptoes, "I went in your arms. Exactly where I wanted to be. We didn't have kids, but... we had each other. That's enough, right?" She wiped his tears.