Maybe if I...no, I can't! T-they're all so scary! But I have to...but they'd eat m-me if I tried! A little creature continued mulling the same thoughts over and over as he looked over the empty expanse of the Lucille Plain. Actually, were it empty, he wouldn't be worrying himself so much, and his problem would be solved. The problem was the herds of fang rabbits that now inhabited these plains, pink hares as tall as he with a penchant for eating. He had heard they were herbivores, but he wasn't taking chances.

They were certainly large animals, but they were still less than half the size of an average adult human. Their stature was only so intimidating to someone as small as a featherfolk. Featherfolk were a race of bird-like people, the size of children, named for the many feathers that covered their bodies and formed wings on the undersides of their arms, and known for their incredible timidness. They rarely left their hometown of Gugleion, but on rare occasions, they found a greater purpose and ventured out into the world.

Of course, just because they saw beyond the walls of their village did not immediately cure them of their skittishness. Still, even among the nervous disposition of the featherfolk, few were as jittery as Mui. Covered in golden-white plumage, a permanent blush on his cheeks, his brown chestnut eyes almost invisible behind the paws used so often to cover his face, he was practically the living embodiment of the featherfolk stereotype. No one would suspect that he was one of Thorwad's heroes that had just saved the world from the centennial monsters, the Teras Pharma.

Now that the Teras Pharma were eradicated, things had calmed down, but that didn't mean that the world was free from strife. The aftermath of the war had devastated a lot of natural life, so as an herbalist, Mui came here, to this barren field, so he could sow some seeds and grow the greenery needed for the medicine the world would need to heal. He came here ready to do good, pouch full of seeds, but quickly discovered that the fang rabbits had intruded in the absence of bigger monsters. That realization was hours ago, and Mui hadn't moved since then, working up the courage to either get the job done or to run away.

I really need to get out of here soon... He couldn't take the plunge one way or another, but he knew he had a timer, one rooted in a heaviness situated around his tummy. I really need to go t-tinkle. He had spent so long debating what the smart next move would be, his bladder had ample time to begin filling with the fluids from earlier today. In an ideal world, he would have gotten to Lucille Plain, planted seeds all across the meadow, and gotten out of here before a need for a bathroom was ever a concern. But things hadn't gone according to plan, so here he was, desperation growing to worrisome levels.

"Ah, Mui, you're already here. That makes things a lot easier."

Mui was not expecting anybody else to show up, definitely not someone who knew him, so hearing his name was a shock. "Waaahhhhh!" With nothing nearby to hide behind, all he could do for shelter was throw himself into a corner against a rocky wall, crouching down and cowering with his head buried in his wings. More secretly, he leaked a little bit, nowhere near enough to be visible from the outside on thick canvas pants, but the shot of heat was incredibly evident to him. It was short, and he regained control quickly, but it was the nerve-wracking reminder that he really needed his pee break.

Hiding, curled up in a ball, Mui knew he would never get the chance to relieve himself if he did nothing, so he forced himself to lower his hands and look up. And what he saw was not a predator, but a tall, slim human with long brown hair. And he was someone that Mui knew: the closest of Thorwad's compatriots, making him one of Mui's companions as well. "Oh, R-Rolf!" That was a huge weight off his chest, knowing this was someone he could trust. "D-did you c-come here to help me?" That was when he noticed that Rolf was holding something, hard to tell exactly, but it seemed to be a small brown clump with a green stalk poking up. "Oh, is that a sapling? What kind of plant is it for?" Curious, the featherfolk hopped up like a bird and began looking it over.

"It would take too long to explain, and I haven't seen it myself, but Thorwad swears it'll work," Rolf assured. "Let's see how this works." Pulling the sapling away from the suddenly inquisitive Mui, Rolf knelt down nearby and began digging a hole in the soil with his hands, one deep enough to bury a sapling large enough that it could be cupped in two hands. So it took Rolf some time, but the hole wouldn't be large enough for it to be feasible for Mui to help with his big paws. He just had to watch, hope that simple observation was enough to take his mind off his desire to find the "little featherfolk's room". It wasn't.

At least it wasn't long before Rolf had finished, covering the exposed top of the bulb with loose dirt. He wasn't a master gardener, but Mui considered the work satisfactory. Given the proper conditions, it would begin sprouting into a fine tree within a few years. It just needs proper sunlight and...watering... "But w-what is the tree supposed to d-do?"

No sooner did he ask a reasonable question did the freshly-planted little sprout do something that trees absolutely did not do: it grew. Rapidly. The green shoot rocketed upwards, its girth expanding swiftly as several branches birthed and jumped outwards, the central spire turned brown, and a blanket of leaves formed at the ends of the outreaching arms, with glowing blue vines hanging down. All of this happened within seconds; in less than a quarter-minute, that tiny bud had become an adult tree, right before their eyes.

Naturally, this wholly unusual phenomenon was horribly startling for poor Mui. "Kyaaah!" Shivering, he ran to his friend, hiding behind Rolf's comparatively large legs. His breathing had become shallow and rapid, and tears began to form in the corners of his eyes as he wrapped his wings around Rolf's knees for some security. And, yes, Mui did pee his pants a little bit more. "T-t-the t-tree is g-going to e-eat us!"

Rolf was used to this kind of behavior, so he just laughed it off and continued admiring the tree. "So that's why you've placed your trust in those kids, Thorwad."

Several moments passed with nothing sinister happening, and Mui started to wonder if he was scared for nothing. That's when the tree started glowing, more and more until it reached a blinding flash, something else that trees definitely don't do. "Gyaaahh!" The featherfolk once again buried his face into the back of Rolf's knees, shaking like he had just molted at the peak of Mt. Hioni, as if his friend's lower body was the only shield between him and death. Even when the light had vanished, he wouldn't dare pry himself away from what he perceived as safe.

Because of this, the task of talking fell to Rolf. "Well, you surprised me. As soon as I planted the sapling, it grew quickly. It became such a splendid tree in no time at all."

"Is it...because it's an Era Tree?" Wah! T-that was someone else talking! W-where did they come from?!

"It interests me too, but... I think we should talk about medicinal herbs first." But Rolf trusts them, so m-maybe they're not ba- Wait, "medicinal herbs"? "Here, Mui." Ah, that's me! W-what do I do? I-I can't handle it! What if they're all planning to eat me? How am I supposed to r-run from them?

If he were to flee, he needed some information about what he was facing, so against his better judgment, he poked his head out from behind Rolf's lower half to get a better look at the strange tree. And there was indeed someone standing there. In fact, there were four people that Mui had never seen before, who had all seemingly come out of nowhere. He could tell one was an Ionian soldier, but the two women were completely unknown. And the man at the head of the group... "T-Thorwad?"

One of the women, a magician by the look of the staff she carried, clad in black and red robes, was the first to notice Mui's diminutive frame. "Wow, a featherfolk! I've never seen a real one before!"

That comment brought everyone's eyes onto little Mui, making him shrink away nervously. That little act, that tiny startled squeal and shuffle back as he averted his gaze down, completely captured the eye of the other woman, the one with dirty blonde hair curled up at her shoulders and an ankle-length white dress with maroon skirt. Every single bit of her attention was focused squarely on Mui with an unblinking gaze that pierced through to his soul, and being the center of attention like that made the poor featherfolk nervous, retreating halfway behind Rolf's legs with a muffled squeak.

That was the clincher. "Awwww, he's so cuuuuuute!" She was just shy of having hearts in her eyes; in every other way, she was as enamored as one could be, like her life had been empty before meeting a featherfolk. A wide, open smile lifted her expression to the sky, her hands were clasped over the sizable breasts that covered her melting heart, and blood rushed to her cheeks, fueled by a sugar rush from the undiluted sweetness she was looking at.

Mui had no experience in how to cope with this kind of affection, so he did what he always did: panic. "Oh, uh, ah... I-I-I thought... Excuse me please!" With the most forceful shout his shaky voice could muster, he turned to run.

He had only made one bound before Rolf, who had clearly anticipated this reaction, grabbed his upper wing to keep him still. "No, Mui, don't be afraid." Once Rolf was sure the featherfolk wasn't going anywhere when he felt his struggle go limp, he went back to addressing the other group. "Sorry about that. As you can see, he's very shy. Or rather, afraid."

Though she kept her distance, the infatuated girl squatted down to better meet a featherfolk's eye level. "Aw, it's okay, Mui. We're not going to hurt you."

He had little reason to believe that. "W-who are y-you?"

The Thorwad lookalike seemed hesitant as to how he should answer that. "Well...it's sort of a long story..."

---------------

It was hard for Mui to follow, with all the new concepts being thrown his way, but he got the following: they were all from 100 years in the future, when the Teras Pharma had returned. They had returned thanks to the machinations of a group called the Vermilion Axe, who wanted to use their might to overthrow the Holy Empire of Ionia. The Vermilion Axe had destroyed the town of Schradt and wounded many of its citizens, so the bountiful medicinal herbs of the Lucille Plain called to them. It sounded to Mui like a trick, but when he looked up at Rolf, he received a nod of approval. As much as his gut objected, Rolf and Thorwad trusted them, so he shouldn't have a reason to worry.

He also learned who all the people who had come from the future were. The leader, Yusuke, was one of Thorwad's ancestors, trained in the same Blue Flash sword style as the hero Mui knew, which explained the resemblance. The Ionian soldier was Ducas, the mage was Myra, and the woman fawning over the featherfolk was Ilia Barcai, as she was all-too-eager to tell him. Ducas blurted out something about her uncle being the head of the Vermilion Axe, and got smacked in the back of the head by Myra for the insensitive comment. Everything seemed to be settled.

All except for one thing, as Ducas soon brought up. "So, what's going on with the herbs?"

"Oh, y-yes, t-that's... I-I came here to plant some herb seeds, but..." Looking down at his feet, Mui started scraping the dirt with his tiny talons as he began muttering. "I-I'm sorry, b-but-"

"The fang rabbits that ravaged the plains are still lurking around here, right?" Rolf really knew Mui, like he was inside the featherfolk's head. "That's why he hasn't sown any seeds yet."

"Y-yes..." He began hiding his face behind his wings. "I-I-I'm so sorry..."

"No, you did nothing wrong, Mui," Ilia exclaimed, quick to jump to his defense. "That's why we're all here, to help you!"

"That's right," Myra added. "It's important to us that the herbs are healthy as well."

Yusuke nodded. "Besides, Thorwad has helped us in some amazing ways, and I'd like to pay him back. So any friend of his is a friend of ours."

Though he was hesitant, Mui started to poke his head out of hiding. "Um, t-thank you..."

Rolf began chuckling. "Sounds like you'll be in good hands with them, Mui. I think I can trust you alone." And with little more than a wave goodbye, he was on his way out.

"Huh? W-w-wait!" Just because he could trust them didn't mean he was ready to be alone with them, people he didn't know. Even just having Rolf would ease his concern significantly, but it didn't seem like that would happen.

And he knew exactly why it would prove to be a problem. From when Rolf had appeared to now, though a lot had happened to distract him, the little featherfolk had never neglected the uncomfortable tingling in his bladder. He couldn't, it was just too omnipresent and worrying to possibly push to the back of his mind, knowing that it would have to be addressed sooner or later.

The problem was, he now had no idea how he would handle this predicament. He knew Rolf, they had adventured together and stopped a terrible calamity. If Mui was truly bursting, he might just barely be able to ask Rolf to wait while he took care of business. But with strangers? No, there was zero chance he'd work up that kind of courage around anyone he didn't already know. He really didn't want to remember how much he had tortured his poor bladder as a part of Thorwad's heroes.

It wasn't that he was doubting the abilities of these people from the future. But even the Holy Emperor himself would have a hard time clearing a large field of fang rabbits in the time Mui had left before...the undesirable outcome. It would simply be too long before the featherfolk would have a moment to himself again. Oh, I wasted my chance! I should have d-done it before Rolf showed up! Just the thought of the pain that lay ahead for him seemed to make it worse, and his knees bent inwards as he trembled. Of course, shivering in nervousness was nothing new for him, which was probably why nobody seemed to notice.

Nobody except for Ilia, of course, who just couldn't take her eyes off the featherfolk. While on his travels, Mui had heard the phrase "undressing someone with your eyes"; he couldn't help but wonder if that would describe what he was on the receiving end of. One way or another, he got an answer when Ilia snapped. "Oh, I can't take it anymore!" Faster than lightning, Ilia dived for Mui, wrapping her arms around his tiny body, squeezing him like a snake, lifting him off the ground with his paws dangling as she stood up and rocked him to and fro. It wasn't all bad, she kept him comfortable with his face in her two ample cushions, though he didn't care about that. "You're just too precious, Mui!"

"Alright, Ilia, you're being overbearing," Myra warned, though it didn't sound like she was all that invested. "You've barely met the poor thing, I'm sure he wants his space."

Ducas nodded. "I'm sure it's overwhelming. Guys aren't used to beautiful women throwing themselves at them."

"Yeah, you've definitely never experienced that."

"Okay, that's enough, Myra," Yusuke interrupted, putting a stop to the argument in the making. "Er, Ilia, you really should let go of him now."

"Oh, sorry!" As she loosened her embrace, Mui took the first chance he could get to pull his face out of her bust, gasping for air as he felt freedom against his twitchy little button nose. Just looking at that, it took every ounce of willpower for Ilia to not suffocate him in another constricting hug. "It's just...he's so precious, I can't help myself!" Though she would have been content to hold him forever, she did put the featherfolk down. Notably, he took a step back as soon as his feet touched the ground, shrinking into a smaller silhouette. She should have been saddened by the subtle rejection, but honestly, the shyness just captured Ilia's heart even further.

However, on the other end of the infatuation, Mui felt worry well up in his chest. I knew it... I'm never g-going to get any alone time so long as s-she's around! I mean, I couldn't ever ask anyway, but...j-just in case I did... Again, his bladder seemed to get even fuller at the mere thought of trouble, making it incredibly difficult to hide his needs. The normal actions of his nervous disposition could only hide so much. Oh, I really really don't wanna w-wet myself...

---------------

"All right! That's how we clean up around here!" They had barely gotten started on their quest, and already, Ducas was boasting. One fang rabbit slain at his spear, and he was acting like the strongest soldier around.

Nobody had the time to berate him for his cockiness, because there was still the rest of this pack of savage hares to deal with. Yusuke was putting his Blue Flash style swordsmanship to the test as the nimble targets charged him, while Myra covered his back with fire magic. They all had at least some experience fighting, but even with some time to grow accustomed to battling the Teras Pharma, opponents like this were still an unusual challenge.

Meanwhile, in the back, Ilia could only watch. She was an herbalist, a healer, she was not much of an asset when it came to a straight battle, her best tactic was just to hang back and watch as her friends got attacked by all manner of beasts. She wouldn't show it, but she hated that weakness, her inability to make a difference for those close to her. She could only stand by in support as everyone she loved fought their own battles, becoming nothing more than a bystander.

So she channeled that frustration into her art: if she couldn't act, she could help the people she believed in. Even as she suffered under the knowledge that her uncle, the man who has basically raised her after the fire in Martylion claimed her parents, wanted to destroy the world she knew, she followed Yusuke with all her heart as they struck out to change the world. And now that they had traveled a century to the past, maybe she could change things.

And if she was going to change the future, she first needed to improve herself. Thankfully, she had an easy jump to that end. Though she didn't understand exactly what he meant, Yusuke had said that, through simply a desire to learn, he had picked up sword skills from Thorwad the first time he traveled to the past. So, if Mui were to show me something special of his, I should be able to do it too. But does it have to be an herbalist technique? Does he have to want to teach me?

Well, before any of that, he needs to talk to me. Ever since their first interaction, Mui had kept his distance from Ilia, never keeping more than a second of eye contact with her. Maybe I was being a bit too overbearing with him...but he's just too irresistible! Still, as cute as he was, he clearly felt alienated and uncomfortable. Which did make him cuter, yes, but it would make being his student more challenging.

So I just have to bridge the gap between us, somehow. "Actually, Mui, I'm an herbalist too."

That got his attention, even if it wasn't undivided. "U-um, t-that's what I t-thought. Y-your bag g-gave it away." True, the two both wore brown leather pouches around the fronts of their waists, used to easily store and access all their supplies.

"Yes, and all of us grew up hearing the legends of how Thorwad and his team of heroes saved the world from the Teras Pharma. I know how much you must have helped them, kept them going."

A blush bloomed on the featherfolk's little cheeks. Though, Ilia realized, he always looked like that. "N-n-no, I-I didn't do that much! Y-you don't have t-to think anything of m-me!" He squeezed his eyes shut and threw his arms out as a makeshift barrier between the two.

"Phew, those guys were a real hassle, but we got ‘em!" Reveling in his success, Ducas strutted back from the scene of the battle, scuffed up and beaten, but victorious.

Honestly, Ilia hardly noticed however Ducas was doing. "Oh, Yusuke, you're hurt!" She rushed to his side, looking over his injuries. Clearly, the fang rabbits had gotten a few good hits in on him, because his clothes were ripped and blood seeped from a few flesh wounds.

"It's not that bad, Ilia, really." Him, Myra, and Ilia had all been childhood friends back in Therbe Village, so he knew that Ilia was the overbearing type. He knew that reassurances and downplaying would do nothing, and was therefore expecting her to reach right for her bag and start mixing herbs to treat his injuries, which she did. The skill was unmistakable, as her hands worked deftly and nimbly with all manner of leaves and petals that nobody else could keep straight.

Nobody except Mui, that is. He could instantly identify every ingredient that went into her mixture, knew the purpose of each, and could therefore piece together the potion she was concocting. Though, granted, it was a very basic recipe. Still, something about it seemed off. "How much s-solution are you using with that?"

"Hm?" She paused in the middle of her measuring, with an unopened bottle of clear viscous liquid in her right hand. "About 100 milliliters. Is there something wrong?"

Upon being questioned back, Mui yelped and jumped back, hiding his face behind his wings again. "N-n-no, it's nothing! J-j-just ignore m-me!" Eventually, though, he did shift his arms around, until one of his eyes could peek through a gap. "I-it's just...you should be using m-more than that."

"What? But using more solution would dilute it too much to be very effective."

Again, Mui recoiled. "N-n-no, y-you're right! B-but, if you add another three grams of medicinal flower and two g-grams of dragon grass leaf in addition to 350 milliliters of s-solution-"

"-it would create a larger mixture of potion while still maintaining a proper ratio of ingredients, keeping the extra thinning of higher quantities of solution in mind!" She had never heard this theory before, but just as it was being explained to her, it was like she had known it all along, suddenly appearing in her mind. Without any further instruction, she began making the potion Mui had described, like she was a master that had made this concoction hundreds of times. And, within a matter of seconds, the potion was complete. "Wow... With this much, I could treat all of you at once!" She didn't wait for permission before pouring some of the mixture into her open palm and spreading it over Yusuke's wounds, in a very "hands-on" way. "Yusuke, is this how you learned from Thorwad?"

"Yes. It's a strange sensation, isn't it?"

"No, I quite enjoy it! Mui's legacy and technique can live on through me!" Now finished with doctoring Yusuke, Ilia looked back at the featherfolk and smiled. "Thank you very much, Mui!"

A second passed, but eventually, the compliment softened Mui's guard. He slowly relaxed his stance and lowered his wings, exposing his face in its entirety. Though his eyes continued to dart around nervously, he looked a bit more comfortable, even if he was certainly still fidgeting and skittish. It was a small step, but the mere fact that the step was made warmed Ilia's heart. You'll get there, Mui.

With Yusuke taken care of, and plenty of potion to spare, she moved to treat Myra next, slowly pouring more of the medicine into her hand so as not to spill it over her cupped palm and curled fingers. It was the sight of that trickling liquid so close to her eyes, coupled with the cold fluid against her bare skin, that reminded her of something. Mmph... That's right... It had been quite some time since Ilia had used the restroom, she recalled.

She couldn't be blamed for letting that natural need slip her mind; a lot had happened to her recently. Her uncle was the man leading the Vermillion Axe and summoning the Teras Pharma, the town she had called home for so much of her life was brought to ruin as a result, many of the people she had known were injured in the attack, and the grief at not having the means to help them was the reason they had traveled a century into the past, a concept that seemed impossible before she experienced it herself. Wow, when I put it all in order, it really has been a long time. Far too long...

Thanks to her ankle-length dress, she had the freedom to covertly cross her legs as she treated Myra, squeezing her thighs high up to keep her girlhood clenched shut. It did take the sharpest of the edge off, but not much more than that. She still felt that telltale strain thanks to the taut, hard bump on her stomach, the kind of discomfort she would normally be scurrying to "dispose of".

Ilia had done a lot of traveling throughout her life, particularly the road between her home in Schradt and her training and friends in Therbe. She never made the trek alone, and no amount of "just in case" before departing or careful rationing of water on the walk could keep her empty the entire hike. As a result, she had naturally grown to be more accepting of not only the eventual need to urinate outdoors, but how to let her companions know she was doing so. She just used indirect language. As an herbalist always gathering materials, it was totally possible she really was wandering off to pick flowers. Surely they've never figured it out.

But things weren't so simple this time, for several reasons. There was always the concern of monsters attacking while she was alone, but that was prior to the Teras Pharma appearing; it was worth being cautious about back then, but not a likely occurrence. Even without Teras Pharma here, she knew there were plenty more fang rabbits, it was dangerous to separate from the group. Especially with how far she'd have to go if she wanted her pee to be private, because there really wasn't much cover in an open plain. She'd need to stroll halfway across the field to hide, and if her only excuse was "I saw some herbs I want to collect", it would stretch credibility that she could see them from such a distance.

It wasn't that hard for Ilia to convince herself to just hold off for the time being. She recognized it was a necessity, gotten good at doing it cleanly, but she couldn't say she was a fan of squatting. With her dress, it was just tedious to get all that out of the way, with a constant worry that it would slip at some point, right into harm's way. It would be nice if I could learn to pee standing. Why does that have to strictly be a guy thing? It would at least prevent her dropping her rear in a bed of poisonous plants again.

So, if she didn't want to do her business around here, she really just had to wait. Once Lucille Plain was cleared of danger, its soil sown with seeds, they would return to their present time, and she'd figure out something then, when she was in more familiar territory. Though, judging by the severity of the sensation below her stomach, she wouldn't be making it anywhere civilized in her time. Just the feeling of being in the world she knew was a promising proposition, one where she knew what would be dangerous to wipe with. Mui just needed to get his seeds in the ground, and she could return to that world.

Speaking of which, Mui hadn't moved at all. The fang rabbits in this area had been disposed of, everyone was fixed up from the battle, yet he remained still. Ilia's bladder panged at the sight, the thought that her release had been delayed as a result. "Um, Mui, sweetie? You can start planting your seeds."

Nobody had moved any time recently, yet somehow, it seemed the featherfolk had forgotten they were all there. What else could explain how suddenly he jolted, crying as his scrawny wings fluttered in a futile attempt to pull his child-sized body to escape. It was only when he crashed back down and saw everybody looking funny at him that he came to his senses. "A-ah! R-right! I-I-I'm so s-sorry!" Hopping over to a nearby patch of fresh dirt, the featherfolk reached into his bag to grab his seeds. Something that seemed to take him a while. He should have everything organized in there, what's happening? Eventually, he did pull out a pawful of small pebbles and, bending his reverse-facing knees, he crouched close enough to the ground to reach out and began scratching some trenches into the earth with his seldom-used claws.

"A...a...a...AAAAWWWWWWWW!!!" With his little back hunched just so, working in the dirt, he looked like a little kid making sandcastles on the beach. Somehow, he had done it, and exceeded his cuteness limit in Ilia's eyes. Her body was soon overflowing with an urge to run up and squeeze him tight, thereby interrupting his sowing. It was only that thought that kept her from acting; the thought that Mui possibly wouldn't enjoy it never crossed her mind.

Actually, something else did make her think twice about it: the glee caused her concentration to slip, and that had a very evident negative consequence. "Ah!" With her focus all in another place, her heavy bladder jumped at the chance to expel some of its mass and ease its burden. While it was a quick run, Ilia caught wise almost as soon as it began, and it was thanks to this swift response that she only had a small squirt of scorching urine squeeze out and soak into her underwear. Which, of course, came paired with the searing pain induced by pee stuck in her urethra, unable to go back and unable to leak out.

But that didn't mean it wasn't going to try. In fact, it probably would have succeeded, were it not for Ilia's quick thinking. Faster than anything the Blue Flash sword style could muster, her hands flew straight to her crotch to hold on and clutch her hole shut. Of course, with her large bag acting as a wall against her swimsuit area, above a leather half-apron to protect her legs from the pack's shifting friction, the easiest way to accomplish this task was to throw her hands into the bag and grab herself through it. Naturally, her iron grip was dramatically dampened by its force needing to retain through thick canvas, the skirt of her dress, and her panties just to top it off. It meant only about half her strength actually reached her crotch, but with her thighs cradling her wrists and pushing them further in, it was enough. "Ahh..."

"Uh, Ilia... What are you doing?" Problem was, she wasn't alone. Even if they couldn't see her hands, they saw her shove them down there and tense up, something that was sure to raise a few questions. Hence, why Myra was probing her, and why Yusuke and Ducas were looking at her funny.

Yet again, Ilia had to act quickly. Not just for fear of being found out, but her friends staring at her while her twitching hands were the only thing keeping her dress dry was...embarrassing. "Oh, I'm just...organizing! Yeah, there's so many different herbs in here, it's important to always keep them in individual pockets!" Technically, it wasn't a lie, it just wasn't what she was doing at the moment. Still, she could make them believe it, with a couple flicks of the wrist and an unfocused stare into the dark contents of her pouch. It did mean she couldn't properly hold herself anymore, but it did seem to gradually convince everyone that nothing was amiss with Ilia. And once they had turned their attention to other matters, she could go right back to it.

"O-okay, t-the seeds are p-planted," Mui quietly stammered, slowly pushing himself up. "C-c-can we m-move on n-now? I-I m-mean, only i-if you're all o-okay with it!"

"Of course, if that's what you want, we'll hurry!" Not that she wouldn't have agreed with Mui regardless, he was too cute to ever argue with, but she did have an ulterior motive to support his request. The sooner we finish here, the sooner we return to our own time, and I can do my business then. The group got moving to the next herd of fang rabbits, and despite the uncomfortable heat and pressure welling up in her abdomen, a rising confidence reached her head instead. Yes, I'll make it.

---------------

No, I won't make it! The majority of the vicious fang rabbits had been slain, and many of their nesting grounds now hosted many herb seeds, Mui should have been relieved that this scary ordeal was nearly over. But how could he be, when he so badly needed relief of a different kind? Until his poor little bladder, now stretched far past any normal size, was given the chance to drain its fluids, he would never feel relaxed.

Mui had been holding his pee this entire time, and it had only gotten worse the longer he put it off. He had no choice but to put it off indefinitely; with everybody around, there was no chance his shyness would allow any release. Thankfully, he didn't need to exert himself with anything more taxing than squatting close to the ground and tilling, but even that limited movement was testing his patience. Every time he tried to do something more demanding than standing still and thinking dry thoughts, he would be swiftly struck with a punishing blast of fiery pain from the large bulge on his tummy, and each time, he thought that would be the end, only held back by some discrete holding from his shaking paws.

By this point, the desperation had been going on for so long, Mui had forgotten what it felt like to not have to pee. But even so, he wanted to reclaim that sensation, or lack of sensation, so badly, it consumed his every thought. Every time he closed his eyes to blink, he could so clearly visualize him yanking his little guy out and spraying the ground in front of him. It was a short flash, yet every time, he inched closer to making it happen. Just without the first step. Put simply, he was extremely grateful that his large medicine pack covered most of his pants from the front. If not, the collective results of his many dribbles would be plainly obvious for all to see.

Even still, he kept up the hard work. Whenever asked, he would obediently plant the herb seeds, as hesitant as he was to get low to the ground. Any sort of bending forward did put an unnecessary squeeze on his ballooned bladder, where each time felt like the last before it would pop. It wasn't unreasonable to think so; with the damp drip on the tip of his member at all times, though not always the same one, it really felt like a falling feather could spell the difference between wet and flooded pants.

Mmph...nngh...ah... Deserts, deserts, clear skies, no rain, no water... We're almost done... You can do this, Mui, it's just a little more... Just these seeds, and they'll leave... Every second, his brain was running wild with self-assurance that he was strong enough to last, though even he doubted his own words. He knew, better than anyone, how frail he was for a legendary hero. He couldn't hold as long as others could, and given that his tummy already felt like exploding out in a wet inferno, he could consider himself on a tight timer.

Wah! A tight timer, an hourglass that had just dropped its last sand. Once more, a quick spurt passed through his urethra, something he had sadly gotten pretty used to. It's not like it would dampen his pants even further. But this time, something was terrifyingly new: the drops from his tip afterwards. While it wasn't unusual for some bits of pee to not come out as strongly and drip out afterwards, it was only a few before. This time, the drops kept coming in regular intervals, sliding from the end of his flaccid shaft, down his leg.

No, it's...it's too late! I can't hold it! He froze, at possibly the worst time, with a pawful of seeds still in his grasp. A few of them did inadvertently shower onto the ground as he began trembling, but for the most part, he was totally still. No matter how much his mind screamed for him to act, get up and do something to not wet himself, his body just wouldn't respond. Aside from loosening the shoestring hold he had over his bladder, of course. Sweat dripped from his face and fell to the ground as he watched, seeing the tiny sphere of liquid splash in the soil, probably the worst sight he could be subjected to right now.

But he had witnessed it, meaning only two options laid before him: either wet himself, or... "I-I-I-I'll be r-r-right b-back!" With adrenaline as the wind beneath his wings, Mui jumped up and took off, running so fast his legs burned, before anybody could process what he could be doing. After all, he was just about done with the last pinch of seeds they needed planted, and he just went running off out of nowhere. Of course Ilia was concerned, but everyone else worried as well, looking between each other in case someone had an explanation.

If they were able to see the featherfolk once he had escaped, his motive would have been obvious. Now that he was far enough away from everyone else to be out of focus, facing away from the rest, he had the freedom to hold himself. Something he did without delay, slamming his large paws against his crotch. He was in such a hurry to do so, he didn't even put them inside his bag, instead opting to crush the pack's contents by pressing against the front with all his strength. Which, truthfully, wasn't much to write home about. Between the full thickness of the bag, its contents, and the leather waist-apron beneath, not too much of the pressure made it through. It wouldn't work as a dam for very long, he had very little time to figure this out.

That time would have to be shared, with not just how he should pee, but where he could pee, which was looking to be the harder obstacle to overcome. The plains were so flat and open, with almost nothing to see besides the expanse of short grass. He couldn't just turn away from everybody and use his bottle of solution, even if he dumped the remaining liquid out first, or the residual ammonia from his urine could wreak havoc on future medicines. There was the Era Tree everyone came through, but it was way on the other side of the field; even if he made it over there, he'd wet himself before getting his pants down. Not to mention the other concerns that came with that idea. If I did it on an Era T-Tree, would my p-pee go to the future? Oh, I'd die of embarrassment if anybody saw that! A-anything else, please!

He said "anything else", but when he only had one realistic location, he hesitated. The Lucille Plain was made up of two levels, bridged by a ramp that extended outwards, down into the lower level. On this ground floor, he could go in the corner between the opposite end of the ramp and wall, and be hidden from the rest of his party. But the ramp that would shield him from prying eyes wasn't especially tall, being only slightly taller than himself. So, should someone get closer, especially from above, they would see plenty. And it was also just a corner, meaning he had no protection from the other two sides. Mui wasn't sure he could even let go when someone might see; whenever he used the little boy's room, he waited until he had the place to himself if he could. And if he couldn't, it took a little work to get started and he still felt awkward about the whole thing.

The important thing he needed to keep in mind was that privacy was his goal when he had a choice in the matter. Currently, he did not. He needed to compromise on what he was comfortable with, or he'd have to go back home with drenched pants, a bit of a long flight. "I-it's good enough!" Holding his crotch like he wanted to crush stones with that grip, he bolted for the corner, leaving a trail of pee dribbles with each step as it trickled down his leg.

While it could have been done faster, he would have much preferred it be done faster, Mui did at long last reach the corner he had his eye on. In fact, he was so fast, he very nearly collided with the rock wall as he slid to a stop, mere inches away. Yet, even now, he could hardly be described as "still", given his continued reliance on stepping in place in addition to crotch-grabbing. He wiggled his hips, shaking larger pools of urine free from his pants in tiny showers, all frequently punctuated with small squeaks and moans.

He was here, the featherfolk knew time was of the essence, he needed to get going here. Of course, even though he was a boy, it wasn't as simple as just whipping it out. He first needed to take care of his herb pouch, the one currently being jammed into his groin area. Ordinarily, he would undo the belt buckle behind his back and take the pack off, a bit of a delicate task in the best of circumstances thanks to his meaty paws. And with those paws trembling, slipping the clasp out of its hole to undo the lock would take way too long, if he even could. The simpler solution was to just spin the bag and its belt around his waist until it was no longer in the way.

It was simpler by virtue of comparison, it still wasn't effortless. He wore the belt fairly tightly, to prevent the weighty pouch attached from falling to his ankles, or worse, taking his pants with them. And yes, he was very much feeling the tightness of his belt at the moment. Bottom line, it would take some force to rotate the bag, something he wouldn't be able to manage while it competed with the friction from pressing against his body.

I have to take my p-paws out of there... Just...t-take them out, and...hold it for a t-tiny bit... His body had gotten too used to the little bit of reprieve holding his boyhood provided, the mere prospect of taking that away was just something he really couldn't endure. No, I just know it! I'll p-pee myself if I take them out! But, I'll h-have an accident for sure if I can't get my pants off r-really soon...

Fine, I'll do it! With a surge of resolve, backed by a surge of urine down and out of his peehole, Mui did what he had to do and pulled his paws out. Naturally, the loss of the necessary measure meant immediate squirting from his twitching member, but he was now on too much of a mission to notice. He grabbed the sides of his bag without delay, pushing to the left, tensing his strained body until the entire leather loop began to rotate around his waist. It did twist his pant legs in conjunction, but his own shivering legs kept them from significantly shifting. Before long, the pack was at his side, and the front of his pants were totally exposed. The whole thing was accompanied with many squeals and grunts, as was to be expected. "Ah oh ah mmgh..."

Being in the light, Mui was now able to truly assess the damage to his pants. Even with the leather apron around him as well, there was a slit in the front specifically for tinkling, allowing him full view at his partial accident. Though his trousers were dark green, the wet patch was still plenty visible. Not just because of the color difference, or the reflective shine, but the sheer size made it impossible to miss. It wasn't just a little spot on his crotch, it spread nearly the full width of his hips and went down to his knees. If he saw anyone else with pants as wet as his, he would unquestioningly assume they had had totally flooded themselves. Yet here he was, still with enough pee inside him to bring him to bursting.

He wasn't thinking about any of that. With the front of his pants freed, his only thought was baring more, as he threw his paws around the front waistband and shoved down. He held back a little; given that he only needed to pee, there was no reason to totally drop trou to his ankles. No, he just needed to get it low enough to free his private parts, tucked under his balls hanging in the open, sitting below his limp penis. Despite being a different species, one covered in feathers, male featherfolk junk looked nearly indistinguishable from the human equivalent, just as smooth with its bare skin, though it shared color with Mui's white-gold body. And the smaller frame of featherfolk was shared down below. At least everything aside from the tip remained dry, thanks to loose pants not having to press their soaked fabric up against the little guy.

The time had come, at long last. He placed a paw on his shaft, positively dwarfing the small member with his giant mitt; if he angled the paw correctly, he could completely conceal the proof he was a boy from that side. It wouldn't do Mui specifically much good, he would be too nervous to go with anyone so close, whether they could see anything or not, but it gave him some small modicum of comfort. So, bending his paw inwards, gripping his penis in the curve of the pad in the center of his palm, he was aimed and steady. Mui was good to go.

So he did. Honestly, even if things weren't so clean and open, he probably would have begun his business now. His bladder could only wait so long, after all; he was just fortunate that he had held out barely long enough. Now a powerful spray of mostly clear, off-yellow liquid gushed out, actually not far off from his own body's color, with a roaring hiss as the geyser shot past the folds of his foreskin, many droplets splitting off and careening on solo flights to the ground. Most stayed in the central hose, only breaking up as it collided with the craggy corner he was marking as his territory, cascading between the cracks like a waterfall, building into a puddle in the grass.

"Haaaahhhh..." Despite the sizable quantity of water weight being expelled, Mui felt heavy. A tingly sensation rushed through his body, leaving waves of goosebumps at the stems of his feathers, as it felt like all the blood rushed to his head. His vision began to blur slightly, dizziness filled his eyes, and he began to droop forward. It wasn't far before he hit his head on the jagged wall, and it was almost immediately afterwards that he reeled back. "Ow!" He only just resisted stepping back instinctually, which was for the best when considering how much of a mess that could have made.

Though maybe he should have retreated somewhat, given what he saw as his gaze drifted downwards. The gushing pee was still raging just as forceful, and with such a fast, thick, solid stream hitting an uneven rock wall in such close proximity, the impact created a wide splatter of backsplash, a warm mist all over his pants and apron. And that wasn't all the piddle coming back to him; as the falls continued and created a cloudy golden pond between the blades of grass, it expanded larger and larger until it surrounded and warmed his bare feet. "U-ugh...gross..." Yet he had little choice but to bear with it until he was done.

Honestly, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Early on, when he had first left Gugleion for the greater world, the concept of taking a tinkle in a more exposed way was a tough hurdle for him to overcome, but he did eventually become more accustomed to the act of public urination when he needed to. So long as he had complete privacy as he did it, he could enjoy the moment, with the euphoric pleasure as the steaming hot pee was released from his hours-long agonizing ordeal. "Phew...aahhh..." Finally, he released a sigh, breath he had been holding in for a while as well, and relaxed as his little splishes echoed in his ears.

...FFFSshhhhhhhh...

Mui's heart nearly stopped, and that breath he had exhaled a moment ago immediately became stuck in his chest again. T-t-that isn't m-me! T-t-there's s-someone else h-here! He froze up, and couldn't move a muscle, limbs shaking and pupils quivering. W-w-who i-is it?! W-w-w-what w-will they d-d-do t-to m-m-me?! I-it's a s-snake, a g-g-giant hissing s-snake that's g-gonna eat m-me! I-I know it! He knew he needed to look, see what intruded on his bubble, but it was so hard to work up the courage to look that danger in the eye. It was a stiff turn of the head, but he did it eventually, sweat dripping off his cheeks. If he wasn't careful, he'd get dehydrated, with all the bodily fluids he was losing.

As he was just barely able to catch a glimpse behind him from the corner of his eye, he realized something: they weren't exactly intruding, per se. In fact, she was still and keeping her distance, the "she" being Ilia, who had somehow snuck behind the paranoid featherfolk. She was sticking a comfortable gap from him, and not in any position to suddenly jump in. She couldn't, squatting with her legs in front of her and butt so close to the ground, with her bag and apron sitting in a pile to her left, her ankle-length dress pulled way up to her waist, and something small and pink stretched between her spread knees that Mui didn't recognize. Maybe those were that "underwear" thing he had heard humans wore.

He wasn't thinking about any of that, because he saw way more than just some undergarments. The source of the noise that alerted Mui in the first place, the reason Ilia was squatting out here, was because she was doing the same thing he was: peeing. She was baring it all to allow a messy gold-tinted stream to gush from her privates, rapidly creating a puddle where it landed. And while it was hidden in some shadows, at a significant height difference, obscured by distance and the fountain it had become... Yes, Mui could see some of her gentials.

"W-wah!" It didn't take the featherfolk long to process what his eyes were witnessing, something he moved to rectify as soon as muscle reaction time caught up with his brain. Quick as a hawk, he went straight back to looking to his front, the exact opposite direction of Ilia, and doing it so fast his head might have spun back around if it weren't attached. I-I-I can't l-look, s-she needs p-p-privacy... B-but what's she d-doing here?! S-s-she's a g-girl, and b-boys and g-g-girls are supposed to u-use the bathroom s-separately! Ah, I-I can't let her s-s-see it! He clamped both paws around his penis, until not even he could see the shaft, only letting the tip breathe so it could continue painting the wall a nice yellow.

In fact, that needed to stop. It was inappropriate for him to do his business with someone else around, especially a girl, he had to cut it off now. "I-I'm s-sorry, I'll l-leave!" I-I need to g-get out, quick! Hhngh! He closed his eyes and tensed, with the intent of screwing the cap back on his spilling bottle, at least until Ilia had finished up and gone away. The issue he soon encountered, unfortunately, was that he was peeing very hard, and his little body did not want to deny him the relief he had started. The stream sputtered only thanks to his incredible shyness, the towering barrier that begged to keep his private time private, quieting his urination for brief periods between the raging torrent he had maintained up until now. And finally, his number one landed lower on the wall, then down near his feet, and dribbled to a reluctant halt, with his boyhood limping down with nothing careening through...for about two seconds, when it jumped back to life with a roaring shower, and any further attempts to dry this rain resulted in absolutely no change. "I-I-I'm so sorry, I c-can't stop!"

"Aw, it's okay, Mui," Ilia comforted, her voice echoing from her distance in the open and mostly-empty field. "You needed to go potty really badly, there's nothing wrong with that. Honestly, I'm in much the same place. You ran off so suddenly, I came to check on you, and when I saw what you were doing... Well, I'm sure you understand."

"B-b-but why are you d-doing it here? I-it's kind of m-making me uncomfortable...j-just a bit..."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I promise I can't see anything! But it's as I said, I was in a bit of a tight spot myself. I had been holding it for so long, since before we arrived, and I was beginning to worry about my chances of making it until we were all done. Seeing you watering the plants was more than I could take." True, Mui could hear quite the splashing from Ilia's direction; were it not for the volume difference as a result of proximity, she and him would likely be equally as violent. "Again, I'm really sorry! I'm sure this is awkward for you."

Yes, it was awkward. It was very awkward. Once neither was talking, the only sounds were the hissing, splashing, and trickling as the two continued peeing, and peeing, and peeing away, with sighs and moans of relief in response, all of which came from Ilia. Mui, on the other paw, was keeping totally silent, like he was terrified of alerting a predator if even the slightest squeak passed his lips. Tiny grunts reverberated inside his closed mouth every so often, but his mouth would not open. He just wanted this to end, for his bladder to empty, when he could put this whole nightmare behind him. Of course, now that he was nervous, time seemed to come to a crawl, with the heavy pit at the bottom of his stomach and the tingling at the base of his shaft reverberating throughout his fluffy figure.

Not only did he have nothing to occupy himself, but he actively wanted to not concentrate on what he was doing. The more he did, the more he thought about how someone was watching him pee, and that realization was making him panic. His breathing accelerated sharply, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, and he began to feel lightheaded once more. His only escape would be to turn his attention elsewhere. But if he looked out to the empty plains, not only would he be jumping at every shadow, the anticipation of someone wandering into view and finding him would overwhelm him, and he'd probably pass out.

That left him but one option: to turn around and look around Ilia. It seemed strange to purposefully remind himself that he wasn't alone, when that was the source of his anxiety, but there was a reason for it. He barely knew Ilia, he had no idea what she could do if left alone, he'd feel a lot better if he could confirm for himself that she was harmless and keeping back. So that's what he did, even twisting his waist more to the side so he could see with more than just the edge of his vision. He was very careful to keep his boy parts out of this.

And as his head arced to view behind his back, Mui was relieved to see that he still had his space. Ilia seemed to have no intention of moving for the time being. No, she was far too absorbed in her answering of nature's call, judging from the relaxed look on her face, with her closed eyes, curved smile, and slightly parted lips, blissfully absorbed in her squat. Girls p-pee like that? That looks uncomfortable... Does she know there are other ways? The article of clothing Mui assumed to be her underwear had a visible dark stain in the center, paraded out for him to see stretched between her knees, the cause of which was all too well known to the little featherfolk. She must have had to g-go almost as much as I d-did.

He didn't mean to, really, but looking around that area meant seeing something far more protected than just some wet panties. The gushing geyser had to come from somewhere, and that stream being the only motion on her besides some chest heaving caused by breathing, Mui's eyes were drawn to the spot. I-is that what all girls look like d-down there? W-where is the pee c-coming from? Despite his small size by human standards, Mui was an adult male featherfolk, yet he was so shy, he had never seen a woman without her clothes. He had heard vague descriptors, and certain natural urges would occasionally force him to use his imagination, but the real thing ended up being different from what he had pictured. It's just a p-pink hole, like a knot in a tree, but k-kind of opening like a flower? It's kind of hard to t-tell... B-but I thought humans were supposed to be m-mostly hairless!

"Hm? Mui, what are you looking at?"

Ah, I was staring! A quick glance upwards confirmed that, yes, Ilia had opened her eyes, and was looking at him with an inquisitive expression. Mui's heart stopped; he knew that watching a girl like this was one of the worst things someone could do. He would hate it if someone was looking at his private parts, yet he had turned around and subjected someone else to that invasion. "I-I-I-I'm so sorry! I-I-I didn't mean t-to!" His voice cracked towards the end thanks to the lump that appeared in his throat, and he immediately went back to looking to his front, not just to be polite, but so Ilia couldn't see him start crying. "Uguh...kuh..." She's going to hate me, I'm s-sure of it. W-what if she tells the people of the f-future that I'm a bad person? Thorwad is g-going to have his name dragged through the mud for being nice to me. I-I'm going to-

"Aw, it's okay. You don't have to worry about it." It sounded to him like there was a strange emphasis on the word "you", but Mui couldn't make heads or tailfeathers about why that would be the case. "You were just a little curious, weren't you?"

"N-no, I wasn't r-really looking at anything! I-I just happened to see, and u-um..." Despite the words of assurance, Mui didn't believe that Ilia wasn't angry with him. She'd change her tone any moment now and berate his perverted behavior, he just knew it. He just needed to confirm that, the only way he could: turning back to look. A habit he really needed to break if he were to find himself in this spot again. Actually, with an irresistible urge to look at someone whenever things got uncomfortable, Mui could make a strong case that he really didn't mean to be inappropriate.

He really didn't mean to look at anything naughty this time, at least. He did see the goods again, still with pee flowing freely, though he wasn't watching for more than a second. He was far more concerned with her face at the moment, an anxious tension rising up his body as his eyes met hers. His were darting around, the look of a bird scared out of his mind, and hers were...kind, gentle, inviting. There wasn't a shred of displeasure in those eyes. If anything, that made Mui freak out even more, awaiting the turn. But it never happened. No matter the seconds that flew by, her mood didn't change, and that caught the cautious featherfolk more off-guard than anything. "Y-you're...really not m-mad at me?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with having a healthy curiosity, Mui. That's how herbalists concoct new recipes. You just need to know boundaries, of course. Be careful about how you act next time."

"N-next time?! I-is this g-going to happen again?! No, please t-tell me I n-never have t-to g-g-go through t-this humiliation again!" With tears rolling down his cheeks, Mui went right back to looking forward, just hoping this mortifying experience would end soon.

And it did...for Ilia. The hissing from her slit soon eased up, indicative of her pee stream slowing, becoming less scattered as it shot out from her, giving the foamy puddle she had made, now unable to soak into the dirt any further, a path closer to her low-to-the-ground bottom. More dribbles didn't have the strength to make it out and instead remained stuck to her folds, the limited force it retained allowing them to slither to the areas around, whether that be onto her butt cheeks, the top of her thighs, or into her thick patches of hair. It was a messy end, as it usually was when she did this kind of thing outdoors.

Thankfully, since this was a normal occurrence, she was prepared. Leaning to the side, reaching into her bag, she dug around with her fingers until she found what she sought: a small, white cloth, which she folded over her palm and began wiping herself dry, doing a very thorough job of it. She made a few general passes around her sensitive area and a surrounding circle, followed by more detailed swabbing with the cloth draped around her finger. Between the lips of her ladyhood, a soft dab against the still-dripping hole that had ejected all her urine, and that got her dry enough to be comfortable. At least, until she pulled her panties back into place as she stood up, feeling the wet stain against her bits for the first time since she got undressed. And the pee soaked into her underwear had cooled off in the time she was doing her business. "Mngh... I'll have to wash my panties out too." Dropping her dress, she picked up her protective skirt and pouch, putting the wet rag back into the latter, and began refastening everything around her waist. "Phew... Ah, it's much better to have that over with, isn't it?"

She'd be waiting for an informed agreement, because Mui wasn't done yet. It had calmed down, no longer the forceful torrent it once was, but it didn't look to be on the verge of ending. Ilia had started after him, finished before him, and was significantly bigger than him. The fact that the little featherfolk was beating her out in terms of bladder fullness, even when he was filled to bursting and she was merely very desperate, that was stunning. At least, Ilia was astonished. "Wow... Mui, you really needed to tinkle, didn't you?"

"N-no! D-d-don't look at m-me," he wailed, trying once more to force his remaining pool of pee to flood out, failing this time as well. He had been spraying for so long, he was just too tired. He couldn't work up the energy to go any harder, he just needed to let nature run its course. At least nature decided to have mercy on him this once, because his bladder finally showed signs of emptying, as his stream could no longer reach the wall he had been "doing" on this whole time. Granted, this was partially due to his limp penis hanging close to his legs, moreso pointed down rather than out, but the splattering sound was less intense. Every once in a while, it would flare up with another powerful splash, but it wasn't long before he totally stopped, no matter how long he waited, with only droplets leaving his foreskin.

He didn't even wait for those dribbles to stop, nor did he do any shaking of his shaft to thrust off any wetness before shoving Mui Jr. straight back into his pants. I just want this s-stupid thing out of sight! And I guess it doesn't matter if i-it's still wet... Why did I even b-bother taking it out if I was g-gonna wet myself so badly? Yes, he washed the stone wall pretty good, and left a massive puddle around his tiny feet, but his pants really did look like he had a huge accident. It was mostly hidden when he rotated his leather apron and medicine bag back to his front, but that thick apron pressed his drenched pants close to his groin. Not touching, but near enough to feel the cool aura on his private parts, shrinking back to keep away.

She had given him a moment to compose himself, and once that was done, Ilia rephrased her earlier question. "Are you all better now, Mui? I'm amazed a little guy like you could hold that much piddle." The content of her inquiry and remark were nearly identical to the last time she attempted to talk with the featherfolk, but the tone she took had an entirely different sound. Before, it sounded like she was just making conversation, backed by a real interest in Mui, but now she sounded concerned. And if there was any doubt that was her intent, the next words from her lips confirmed it. "You know, it's really dangerous to hold your pee that long. Let your friends know if you need to use the potty from now on, okay?"

No! I-I don't want anything like this to ever h-happen again! I'd be happy if I n-never needed to go to the b-bathroom for the rest of m-my life! N-nobody needs to know that I ever g-go number one! I-I don't want anyone s-seeing anything about this! But...but I'm no better... Even if the guilt from his inadvertent viewing continued to eat away at his conscience, the image would never leave his memory: he would always remember seeing Ilia's unmentionables. "Um... I-I'm really, r-really sorry..."

"For what? Oh, for peeking? I mean it, it's okay, I'm not bothered by it. There's no need to beat yourself up over that."

"B-b-but...but you're not supposed to w-watch someone g-go to the bathroom!"

"Well... Yes, that's true, it's a good rule to have. However, if the person in question isn't mad about it, you don't need to feel guilty."

"But everyone would be mad! They should be! Nobody should ever be looking at my parts...or anyone else's!"

It wasn't that she found Mui's violent reaction to the topic to be impossible to understand, she could empathize with the view, but that little slip of the featherfolk tongue was the final piece being put into place. "Oh, I see now..." She thought it over for a moment, when a new idea lit up in her mind. "Hey Mui, do you mind if I come closer?"

That wasn't something he was expecting to hear. So ashamed of his actions, Mui had just kept staring at the wall, never once looking at Ilia. He had no inkling as to what she could be planning, especially when the request was so out of character for her. She's...asking if I'm o-okay with it? Not just j-jumping at me? "U-um...um, o-okay..."

It was almost instantly after he agreed that he felt arms wrap around his tummy, in yet another hug from Ilia. Again, his heart skipped a beat from the physical contact, and he really wished he had seen it coming to brace himself for it. Except this time, it wasn't the tight, forceful squeeze she had been giving him up to now. It was soft, gentle, loose, and as she rested her cheek on the top of Mui's fluffy head, her embrace felt familiar. Like this was the kind of hug he would have gotten from his mom when he ran home crying, which he did a lot.

Of course, given the sizable height difference between the two, leaning against him was not a simple act for Ilia. She had to drop to one knee to be only a head taller than the featherfolk, and with both arms used in the hug, she had little choice but to let the hem of her dress sit in Mui's pee puddle. She did take one hand away from his stomach, but it was to delicately stroke his head as she melodically whispered in his ear. "You don't have to be so shy about your needs, Mui. There's no reason to hold it until it hurts."

He tried to resist, stay manly, but the feeling of this close contact broke Mui's second dam. His cheeks were already damp from earlier sniffles, but now, the tears flowed and just would not stop. "Waaaaaahhhhh! B-b-but...uguh, but then they'd all g-g-get annoyed with how m-much I have to pee! I c-can't w-w-wait long enough!"

"So you kept holding it over and over when you were with everyone stopping the Teras Pharma?" Mui nodded, inadvertently bringing Ilia's head along for the ride. It threw her off-balance for a second, but she swiftly recovered, and returned to contemplating Mui's words. "That explains how big your bladder is now, I suppose. But even ignoring that I'm sure you could compare to your friends now, do you really think they would think less of you for that? Rolf seemed nice, would he be that mean to you?"

"Um, no... B-but it's not j-just that, you know... T-they all seem okay w-with just p-peeing right next to each other, a-and I j-just c-can't do that!"

"You can't get a little privacy?"

"I-I can, it's just...r-really awkward to ask. A-and I get a little s-scared if I go by m-myself out in the w-wilderness... I-I mean, I'll do if I really r-really have to, but I don't l-like it..."

"Would you feel better if you had someone to stand guard? Watch out for danger while staying a good distance away, so you can do your business?"

Of course I've thought of that, it's j-just... "I-I don't want to bother anyone... They don't h-have to ask for my help, s-so I shouldn't-"

"Oh, that's not true," Ilia interrupted, nuzzling her cheek against the silky feathers on his head. "Friends do favors for one another. Just because you're a little different doesn't mean you're not allowed to ask for their help. I'd be glad to do that for you any time you needed it!"

D-doesn't she have to go b-back to her time? Ducking down, Mui escaped Ilia's grip and finally turned to face her, though he did so while backing up against the wall, looking down, shuffling his feet with his wings behind his back. "U-um... O-okay, I'll t-try asking... B-but I'd really rather another b-boy do it..."

"Of course," she nodded. "Whatever makes you the most comfortable, Mui. That's the most important thing." Raising her hand with an extended index finger, she poked the featherfolk's little button nose, which caused him to reel back, bump the back of his head on the tiny cliff wall, and cover his nose with his paws. And it was just too cute for Ilia for handle, she giggled and smiled, happy as could be. "You're a good boy, aren't you? I know you're brave enough to ask."

"Uguh... Y-you really think so?" Admittedly, he didn't look the part right now, with his eyes puffy from crying, and mucus sliding from his nostrils. Still very cute in Ilia's eyes, but not the shining image of strength.

But that was nothing a little cleanup couldn't fix, and she had a cloth for just that purpose. "Oh, but I guess I just used mine. Hm... Do you have a handkerchief I can use for a second, Mui?"

"Y-yes, I have onEYAH!" Since he was currently using his wings to wipe his face, Ilia took the liberty of reaching into his bag for him, digging for his cloth square. And she reached a bit too far in to start, bumping the back of her hand against the far wall of the pouch, where she brushed against a little bulge. His natural reaction was to yelp, reflexively knock her hand away, and covered his groin with both paws. "P-please b-be careful if you're g-going to do that!"

"Sorry, sorry," Ilia chuckled, clearly not shaken by the close contact. "Oh, but look what I found!" By pure dumb luck, the last thing she grabbed onto before being pushed away was a small white handkerchief. "Now come here." She cupped her hand around his cheek and wiped him down with the cloth, vigorous scrubbing to really get in between his feathers.

There was only so much one little napkin could do, but she got him looking better. "There! Oh, you look so handsome! Now, we should really get back to everyone else. You still have a little seed planting to do, don't you?" Ilia slowly climbed to her feet, returning the handkerchief back to Mui, as she took the lead back around the ramp that had concealed them. However, she turned back after only a few steps away. "Don't worry, I'll come up with an excuse for what we were doing." And with a little wink, she went right back to her return to the greater party.

Only one thing could hold her back her now. Mui, pursing his lips, started to blow air in a rhythmic, melodic sequence. It wasn't particularly loud, but with the two herbalists still so close, it didn't need to be: Ilia heard the whistling. She stopped dead in her tracks, closed her eyes, and allowed all thoughts to pause in her head, to focus on nothing more than the tune. "Mui, that's a wonderful song," she praised wholeheartedly, clasping her hands close to her chest as she pivoted to look at him again. "What is it?"

"I-it's a traditional featherfolk song, o-one that we k-keep to ourselves. If you w-whistle it to a f-featherfolk, they s-should trust you."

Ilia's jaw dropped, her pupils dilated, and her breathing picked up until it was quite fast. "Oh Mui, thank you! It's the best gift you could give me!" With that excitable squeal, Ilia leapt at poor Mui, who was far too startled to do anything, and thus had to just sit and take the full weight of her constricting glomp raising him up, squeezing the air from this tiny lungs, which wasn't helped by his oxygen intake being further cut off with his face between her large marshmallows. He was only seconds away from passing out when something occurred to Ilia, and she relaxed her vice-like squeeze. "Oh, but I can't whistle. Could you teach the song to Yusuke, please?"

"O-okay," he panted, clutching his chest as Ilia let him drop to the ground. Actually, he hadn't moved since getting here, so he landed with a little "squish" in the wet soil. Now, Ilia seemed all too happy to regroup with the party, practically skipping as she ran to where they left everyone. W-wait, don't leave me a-alone! Mui was also more than eager to get away from the huge puddles of both featherfolk and human urine, and quickly hopped after his fellow herbalist. H-humans really are nice...but I s-still can't get used to t-their forwardness...

---------------

Compared to the open expanse of the Lucille Plain, the Ralos Woods were far more dark and oppressive. Tall trees with thick foliage blocked a lot of sunlight, and the many girthy trunks made it difficult to see anything outside of the clear narrow pathways. Yet Yusuke and the rest of his small team had no choice but to navigate the labyrinthine woodlands to follow a lead on missing craftsmen from Orosk Village in their present time. It would be nearly impossible to safely traverse the forest without someone who knew the lay of the land.

Lucky for Yusuke and the rest, they had come across someone who fit just that bill: a pink, fluffy featherfolk girl named Meamei. They found her being attacked by monsters, and with a little whistle to assure her they weren't equally dangerous, she was quick to buddy up with everyone. Naturally, Ilia was beyond thrilled to be making another featherfolk friend, and was sticking close to Meamei. For a featherfolk, she was quite the extrovert, humming a song as she led the group with a spring in her step to her house deep in the woods.

Though they were taking a little break at the moment at Ilia's request, brought on when she noticed Meamei beginning to squirm and stumble in her bounce. She had a hunch as to why that would be the case, so she asked they rest to allow the two to wander behind some plants and give the little bird the chance to handle whatever ailed her. And her theory was soon confirmed, as the featherfolk vocalized without much in the way of shame now that it was just the two of them. "Ah, thank you! Meamei already really had to pee when we met!" Meamei then wasted no time undoing the belt buckle that kept her waist bag on, which was maybe a common accessory among featherfolk, and dropping her loose white pants to her ankles, lifting her right foot out of the pant leg.

Her next step was obvious: bend her knees to squat. Thing was, featherfolk knees not only faced the opposite direction as humans, they also had approximately half the range of motion as human knees. Meaning, it was biologically impossible for Meamei to squat as low to the ground as a human would. So, as she bent her knees as much as she could, little more than a right angle, and thrust her hips forward. It seemed that was the key to unlock her bladder, because nary a second had passed before a healthy stream of pale yellow urine erupted from her fluffy groin area, falling the two feet to the ground with a slight forward arc. It splashed as a bubbly puddle began to rise from the ground, its soil quickly overwhelmed with more liquid than it could handle, with a satisfying ring that echoed in Meamei's twitching ears. This was a featherfolk girl squat, and she seemed quite pleased with the result, going off how relaxed, relieved, and refreshed she appeared to be mere seconds into her pee. "Ah... Meamei needed that," she chirped.

Ilia could corroborate that declaration. While it was far from the most chaotic, desperate pee she had ever seen, it certainly looked like it was enough to have been causing Meamei distress. It really was quite a bit... Mmph. I suppose it's quite a bit for me as well. Ilia shifted in her shoes and quietly groaned at the sound of Meamei's business, as she realized that a hefty mass of water had accumulated in her abdomen.

Well, there's only one way to take care of this. No one else can see me, and I'm sure Meamei won't mind. Ilia planted her feet more than shoulder-width apart, enough to create a clean gap between her thighs, as she spun her bag to her side and lifted the front of her dress well above her waistline, flashing her panties. And she soon flashed a lot more, because her right hand pushed her underwear down, stretched just above her knees, and spread her private lips with her index and middle fingers, tugging her genitalia higher up, until her urethra pointed upwards and outwards.

And she promptly let go. Ilia produced her own clear, warm brook, splattering in the grass with a resonance just as pleasing as the featherfolk's. "Hah..." It wasn't an emergency, but the herbalist still felt pretty good about releasing her urine. She wasn't getting much power or distance from it; in fact, no shortage of dribbles raced down her legs or drizzled into her underwear, but enough cleanly showered ahead of her that she felt no reason to worry. And doing it this way was so much faster than squatting!

It was a lot more impressive to witness, as well. At least, Meamei thought so, as she looked over while still in the middle of her own half-squat leak. "Wow! That's amazing! How did you learn to do that? Can you teach Meamei?"

"This is actually my first time doing it," she informed, clearly astounded at her own success. "I'm not even sure why I thought of doing it this way, it's like I always knew the method." Given that they had only just met, she didn't want to overwhelm Meamei with topics like time travel, but she had a good idea where this currently very useful skill had originated. I bet you weren't expecting "peeing standing up" to be part of your teachings, were you, Mui?