~*Sky High*~

Long you'll live and high you'll fly and smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry and all you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be.

~*X*~

Sunlight streamed in, finding leeway in the thin slats between the curtains. Raguna woke up slower than usual, blinking his blue eyes owlishly as if the light pained them.

Not for the first time, the boy wondered idly if there was a way he could schedule a break somehow, to break up his jam-packed schedule. Farming was tough, exhausting work. He had been doing it for years, true, but that was a fact that had not changed over time.

Regardless he forced himself up and stared blankly for a few seconds at the calendar beside his bed. Sixteenth of summer.

Rolling his shoulders to get the kinks out of them, Raguna went about his usual morning tasks, pulling on his work gear. He was in the process of tying his white bandanna around his neck when he heard the familiar scrape of his mail box opening. He walked to the door and opened it, shutting his eyes tight momentarily against the glare of the morning sunrays.

"Good morning, Raguna!" Annette greeted cheerfully, closing the lid of the mail box with a snap! "How are you?"

He yawned hugely and leaned against the wall. "Fine, you?"

"I'm doing great!" She nodded with an appreciative hum at her surroundings. "It's so warm out, isn't it? It's pretty, even if it does get a little too hot in the afternoons."

"True." When he yawned again, passing a hand through his hair, Annette smiled.

"You're usually already working when I arrive, were you up late last night?"

"Yeah, I was visiting Iris." Straightening, Raguna closed the door behind him and tugged his Pet Brush off of his belt, bouncing it in his gloved hands. "We got to talking about art. She actually knows a lot about it."

Annette bobbed her head up and down in agreement, though she likely didn't know much about Iris, if anything at all. The mysterious red-green eyed girl that lived on Whale Island had yet to accept Raguna's invitation to come live in Trampoli. Since he considered her, like many others, a friend, he made time in his busy schedule to visit her.

"I must be keeping you," Raguna realized with an apologetic smile. "I'll see you later, Annette."

"It was no trouble. Have a great day!" With a sound like screeching metal, she took off, dust rising behind her as she rounded the bend in the road towards Mist's place and charged away.

Raguna chuckled fondly before checking his mail. His fingers closed over a single envelope, and he opened it absently, not paying attention to the tell-tale stamp on its corner. As his eyes scanned the tidy lines, he recognized Rosetta's handwriting. Materia was having a sell, evidently, though of course not on seeds. He had once asked her why not, and apparently she was working with a small margin between profit and loss when it came to them.

But hey, she had a good mind for business so he trusted her judgment. He actually needed to visit her today…

Shrugging, he went about his work, heading for the barn first. He made sure to pet each and everyone one of his animals, addressing them by name, and had his pet Orc help him bring in some of his harvest. Once the rest had been properly watered, he returned the Orc to the barn and then took his red squirrel-like Chitter, which Mist had christened "Scamper" with him as he ambled into town.

Trampoli wasn't fully awake yet, and the sleepy atmosphere probably wouldn't disperse until an hour after Materia opened. The only things up and about besides Danny were the Runeys. They were everywhere, as per usual, glowing four bright colors against the stark summer sunshine.

With Scamper on his shoulder, Raguna paced up the stairs, his blue gaze landing on Danny as he leaned against his mailbox. Waiting for Annette, no doubt. His nose wrinkled, since he thought that the mail carrier was too young for him.

"Morning." Danny tried to stifle a yawn behind his hand.

Raguna nodded at him. "Morning." As he waited, he stroked Scamper's head, scrutinizing the two stores. He knew and Danny knew that it wasn't long until his store closed. Rosetta's store, Materia, beat Danny's in every way that counted. It had more merchandise, was painted charmingly, and the interior always smelled of flowers that were replaced often and always.

Yes, Rosetta had a way with businesses. When compared to the shabby overcrowded storefront of Danny's place, it wasn't even a competition which was better.

"Waiting for something?" inquired Danny as he cast a look down the road, doubtlessly searching for the telltale cloud of dust that was Annette's trademark.

"For Materia to open," replied Raguna politely. Scamper's bushy red tail swung from side to side as if in agreement.

"What're you buying?"

"Seeds," was the vague response. Raguna smiled coyly and Danny sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"What's she got that I don't…?" He complained softly.

The urge to answer sarcastically was overwhelming. Clearing his throat, Raguna turned and walked around the Business District once with Scamper riding along on his shoulder. By the time he re-looped, Annette was at Ganesha's and Danny was back inside his store. He looked up at the sky, checking the time, and decided to see if Materia was open or not.

When he took the handle and pushed, he found it slid open without a sound. Warm, golden sunlight spilled into the room, illuminating the colored glass bottles and dappling the flowers with spots of heated honey. Rosetta had her back to him, one hand on her hip the other on her chin, repositioning some vegetables that were stacked neatly in a carton.

"Good morning," Raguna said with a smile just for her. He sneezed as Scamper's tail brushed past his nose, and he blinked sheepishly at the blonde girl as she turned to face him. She glanced somewhat distastefully at the Chitter on his shoulder but decided to let it go. Typically he left his pet monsters outside of buildings.

"Morning. So, what do you need?"

"Flower seeds, any flower seeds. I'm going to plant them on Whale Island." The truth was, he wanted them because he wanted to put together a bouquet for Iris. She loved flowers, after all, and he fancied it would be a good gift.

Rosetta's brows arched up into her hair. "Is that so? Well I recommend…"

After some discussion on the matter, Raguna thanked Rosetta for the fine goods—her face reddened for some reason, though she didn't look angry—and he made as if to leave. He ended up opening the door and bumping straight into someone.

"Ow," Raguna muttered, rubbing his forehead. That was definitely going to bruise, and it would not be pretty. Well, it'd be pretty painful, that was a promise. He blinked sharply, recognizing who he had accidentally collided with. He offered her his hand with a rueful grin. "I'm sorry, Mist. Are you okay?"

She smiled her usual dreamy smile and accepted his help in getting to her feet. "I'm fine, Raguna."

"Mist, good morning. What can I help you with?" Rosetta nodded at her childhood friend with bright cherry eyes.

"Nothing, I was just looking for Raguna." Mist said in her faraway voice. She focused on Raguna, and he was surprised by the force of her gaze. "Are you going to Whale Island today?"

"Um, yes?" For some reason he felt inclined to peek at Rosetta as if to ask for her help, but she merely shrugged, going back to her work. He was certain that she was still listening, at any rate.

Mist announced, "I want to go with you, if I can."

His stomach twisted itself into a series of gravity defying, painful knots. The idea of putting her into such a situation…! It was one thing to fight alone, or with a pet monster that had the good fortune to merely be sent back to the barn upon defeat, but if anything happened to her…

"No," Raguna nearly growled in his firmest tone. "It's too dangerous."

Mist wouldn't be cowed. Her eyes flashed blue lightning. "I want to go with you," she repeated evenly.

Seeing that this approach wasn't going to work, he opted to try for something else. "Mist," he pleaded quietly. "It's dangerous. Whale Island is full of monsters, what if I can't—"

She shook her head, braid swinging with the motion. "Nothing will happen to me. I trust you."

"Rosetta, help me out here!" Desperate, Raguna whirled on the owner of Materia. "Tell her it's too dangerous!"

Rosetta sighed and faced the pair with arms crossed. She took in Raguna's frantic face and the stubborn set of Mist's jaw, and she passed a hand through her short hair. "She'll just come after you even if you say no," assessed the girl matter-of-factly. "You might as well take her."

Raguna tried to ignore Mist's small, smug smile of victory. He exhaled deeply. "Okay, I'll take you. Why do you want to go?"

"You go there every day. I want to see what's so interesting." She seemed pleased.

Scamper pounced into Mist's arms and she cradled him, stroking his soft fur. Feeling more anxious than he cared to think about, Raguna was forced to acknowledge that Rosetta was right. If Mist got something into her head, she'd do it or die trying.

Well. He'd hardly let her die, per se…

"We're going to my barn first," he remarked abruptly.

"How come?" Mist inquired as they both headed for the door.

"I need to get a different monster." If he had to protect Mist from the monsters on Whale Island, he'd have to get one of his best—and oldest—monsters for the job. Something occurred to him, and he looked behind him. "Rosetta, do you want to come?"

She appeared startled, almost dropping a turnip. She toyed with its leafy plumage, and after a moment of consideration, shook her head. "I've got to watch the store, but thanks. Maybe some other time."

He and Mist bid her farewell and then they started off down the Trampoli lanes, walking along the dirt road until they reached the impressive, towering structure of Raguna's barn. When they entered its depths, the air around them changed from summery to warm and smelling of hay. Raguna always kept the place immensely tidy, and today was no exception.

Scamper was released and Raguna selected his big brute of a wolf, Fenrir, after casting a jaundiced eye over the assembled rabble before him. The Silver Wolf blinked his yellow eyes solemnly.

Mist petted his head shamelessly. "Such a pretty animal," she cooed as if he were a baby and not a full grown specimen of an alpha male.

The corner of Raguna's lips twitched. He cared for Mist deeply, hence his reluctance and caution in taking her to Whale Island. Fenrir had been born and bred on Whale Island, and taken there many times before. All he had to do was use some magic—the same type that he used for the Return spell—to bring him up. He and Mist would have to climb…

He had a nasty image of Mist falling to her death, but he shut that out quickly, as if he could chase it away by slamming the shutters of his mind closed.

"Mist," Raguna began slowly. "We're going to run into trouble on Whale Island, but we should be fine if you stay back. Okay?"

She could sense his anxiety, and he watched some of the daydreamy-ness slip from her face to be replaced with a more serious expression. "Okay, Raguna."

Kneeling beside his big wolf, Raguna said sternly, "Fenrir, will you please keep an extra close eye on Mist for me? Her safety before my own, understand?"

Those big yellow eyes focused on him and drew themselves shut once, very slowly. The affirmative was clear.

Rising, Raguna nodded and made sure his Wind Sword was still strapped to his waist. He checked his pouches, satisfied by their contents, and then he rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the knots out of them. He was so frightened it was ridiculous. He had been to Whale Island numerous times; there was no reason why he couldn't take on the weak monsters there, with or without someone to watch.

"Let's go," said Raguna at last.

~*X*~

"High vines are high," Mist stuttered nervously, her fingers firmly gripping his arm.

Raguna bit his tongue to keep a sardonic comment back regarding the absolute redundancy of that statement; instead, he focused on gripping the beanstalk and hauling himself up. He and Mist were tied together at the waist, true, but never before had he felt antsier. He had no trouble with heights, but all of a sudden, with Mist here, the emptiness at his back seemed immense and terrifying.

Deep breaths, he thought. It'll be fine, you're overreacting.

Eventually, eventually, they reached the top. Raguna jumped onto Whale Island nimbly, and he helped Mist as she gingerly pried herself from the enormous plant and stepped into his arms. He caught her and gently placed her down on flat land. She smiled her thanks.

"The view is so amazing," she observed in an awestruck tone.

His first thoughts were, Is it? Then again, he had been up here so often that he had stopped paying attention. Instead, he said, "Yeah, look how high up we are!"

Mist pranced to the edges of Whale Island, and Raguna followed, intently beating back his irrational fear of her falling. She wasn't that clumsy! It'd be fine, it'd be—

A sudden, strong gust blew so sharply that the fabric of their clothes drifted forward. Raguna dug his heels into the earth and Mist gasped, stepping back and sending a stray stone toppling over the side.

He didn't even try to imagine how long it would take for that rock to hit the ground far, far below.

"Um, let's go look inside, if you want." Raguna summoned his monster, and Fenrir emerged in a spray of white light.

Clasping her hands behind her, the breeze toying with her blonde locks, she nodded her agreement.

Raguna drew his sword and directed Fenrir to stay behind Mist. They crossed the grassy expanse of the great floating island, passing the strange black rock with its cryptic message.

"The melody of trust grows within twelve maidens."

"Are you all right, Raguna?"

Startled out of his thoughtful reverie, he replied, "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." He looked at her from over his shoulder, and he saw her blue eyes were focused on him with an unusual intensity.

"You look frightened."

She's observant, isn't she? Raguna mused unhappily. "I'm worried that we'll run into something nasty in here, that's all."

"It'll be fine," she said with conviction.

"I hope so," he muttered, taking her hand as they entered the interior of Whale Island. The caves were large and sprawling, the atmosphere sort of humid thanks to the hot springs that rushed through it. The blue shine of monster portals shimmered in the air, and Raguna rushed at the nearest one, swinging his sword in a gleaming arc.

It didn't take long for the portal to dissipate, and Fenrir took down two of the green goblin-esque monsters without any difficulty. Raguna cut down the last one, and then signaled for Mist to come to him.

"Wow, you're stronger than I thought!" She exclaimed as she jogged to his side, dress swirling around her.

He smiled crookedly. "These guys are nothing to worry about."

They set off again, Raguna keeping an eye out for the telltale glow of monster portals, whilst Mist chatted endlessly. Her quiet voice bounced off of the cavern walls, sounding soft and almost musical.

"Did you know," she told him abruptly. "That Woolies don't like to be alone? They like to be in groups of three or four, but being without anyone of their own kind makes them lonely."

"Oh yeah?" Raguna's response was somewhat distracted as he took a turn, eyeing the semi-dark path beyond them.

Mist sighed. "You showed me your barn yesterday," she pointed out. "You only have one Wooly!"

He turned to see her face set in her usual stubborn expression. "I'll get two more," he promised. "But I have to think of barn space, and—"

Unexpectedly, he noticed her eyes moved from his face to something behind him. He saw the shadow of something in her eyes. Swiftly, he whipped around and barely managed to get his sword up in time to block an arrow that lanced from the shoddy bow of an Orc.

Fenrir burst out from behind Mist, jumping clear over both her and Raguna's heads, and tackled it to the ground. Shoving Mist back around the bend, he charged, his sword cleaving a portal in half. It disappeared with a sad sparkle, and he ducked low to the ground to slash at the legs of another Orc, this one wielding some sort of spear.

The rat-like creature squealed in shock, and by the time it regained its balance, Raguna shot up and slammed the side of its head with the flat of his blade. It vanished before it fully hit the ground.

"I'm sorry," Mist spoke up, her head lowered. "I distracted you, didn't I?"

Sort of, but he wasn't going to make her worry. Drawing a hand through his brown hair, he shrugged. As Fenrir padded obediently back to his side, Raguna had an idea. "Mist, can you ride on Fenrir?"

She perked up at that. "You'll let me ride your wolf?"

"Of course. It'd be faster this way." Raguna had ridden through this portion of Whale Island plenty of times on his way to visit Iris, and he supposed he could sprint through here pretty quickly, with Mist in tow, if she was on Fenrir.

He helped her onto the wolf's back, and Fenrir rolled his yellow eyes. He knew the big gray canine was proud, and he probably didn't appreciate having to carry a girl around that hadn't earned his respect. He'd give him some kind of treat later.

"Right, let's go." Raguna took in a deep breath, and then he raced off. Mist gave a startled shout of delight as Fenrir surged forward, all silver fur and lean muscles, heading after his master.

They weaved through the monsters that populated the tunnels, startling quite a few of them. Raguna chased off or defeated any of them that drew too close, and all Fenrir had to do was headbutt someone or snap his fangs. That alone cleared them a path.

It wasn't long until the ground started to slope up. Raguna slowed down gradually, and Fenrir loped to stand next to him. Mist got off then, and Raguna sat down to catch his breath. Fenrir's tongue was lolling out of his mouth at an odd angle.

"I see why you come up here." Mist came to sit beside her friend, placing her hands down. Their fingers brushed, but if either of them noticed, neither of them reacted.

"What…just the view?" Raguna managed to get out. He was kind of startled by how hard he was breathing.

She frowned, a bright glint in her eyes. "You're exhausting yourself, Raguna," she chastised. She gently laid a hand across his forehead, and Raguna nearly yelped. Her skin was pretty cool, compared to his. "You don't have a cold, I think, but you will catch one if you keep working so hard. Do you always get this tired in dungeons?"

She sounds pretty…concerned…

"No, not usually." He took her hand from his face and squeezed her fingers reassuringly. "I'm fine. See?" He stood, taking her with him, and he indicated the sunny passageway above them with a tip of his head. "Let's keep going. You haven't even seen the best part yet."

"Okay."

Raguna released her and whistled for Fenrir. The Silver Wolf sprang back to his feet, seemingly not tired anymore, and brought up the rear of their little procession.

The daytime light seared his eyes after the shadows of the tunnels. Raguna blinked hard several times and then he instructed Mist to stay put. He told Fenrir the same. He then got to work clearing the road to the Tower of Rest, vanquishing the more violent monsters. The Woolies were peculiarly docile today, so after a few moments of debate, he left them to their peaceful grazing.

Mist came down the path, walking delicately against the cracked white stones. "I hear," she said in that faraway tone that meant she was about to say something outlandish. "That if you step on a crack, you break your mother's back."

Raguna stared down at the weather-beaten tiles. "I don't know my mom; she might not even be alive."

She brushed past him, but there was something comforting in that small moment of contact. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and followed her.

Then, he made a nasty discovery.

Lumbering out from a hidden shadowy niche in a fallen pillar came a Buffamoo, a huge one with dark fur and curling horns. That in itself was weird—typically; they were white-pink with straight ivory horns. Buffamoos weren't passive to begin with; this one looked straight up aggressive.

"Mist, back up, slowly," Raguna commanded urgently.

She stiffened and took a single step backwards.

She cracked a twig.

The Buffamoo's head swung around and it bellowed loudly. Scraping the ground with one large black hoof, it charged. The force of its run caused the earth to vibrate.

Fenrir was suddenly there, clawing furiously at its face. The Buffamoo drew itself up on its hind legs and continued to cry out in blind anger, kicking at the wolf.

Mist was frozen in fear, and Raguna had to shove her hard to get her to run. She made a hasty retreat back the way they had come, and Raguna turned to the Buffamoo, sword drawn as Fenrir was knocked to his side. He lay there, still, though at least his yellow eyes were open. They were cloudy and dazed, though.

The Buffamoo mooed noisily and hurtled at Raguna. He stepped to the right at the last moment, drawing his weapon against its side. The Buffamoo's flank started to bleed, and this made it even more ticked off. It circled around faster than any of the pink-white Buffamoos ever did, and Raguna was knocked to the ground so hard that every single ounce of air left his lungs in one humongous whoosh!

A starburst of white eclipsed his vision, and he struggled to think past the haze of pain that his senses were sending his way. Disoriented, he tried to get to his feet, but something stomped on his back hard. He groaned and just managed to retain his consciousness.

A familiar howl, and then the weight on his back was gone as Fenrir tackled the Buffamoo again. Raguna ignored his body's complaints and forced his eyes open, heaving himself to his feet.

His sword…where was his sword…?

He spotted a glint of silver about two feet to his immediate left, lying in the grass that sprouted between the archaic stones. His Wind Sword!

A pathetic whimper caught his attention, and Raguna turned to see Fenrir limping heavily as he sought to escape the Buffamoo. It didn't seem to be getting any weaker, despite the fact that one whole side of its body was wet with blood.

The Buffamoo ceased going after the injured Silver Wolf and refocused with a deadly clarity on Raguna. It charged, its movements quick.

There was no way he'd have time to get—

Something gray, veined with white, soared through the air and smacked the Buffamoo cleanly in the back of its big head. It dug its hooves in, skidding to a halt, so close to Raguna that he could feel its hot breath against his face.

Slowly, very slowly, it moved itself around to face the person whom had dared to throw a rock at it.

Mist.

She was standing there, her azure gaze defiant, another rock in her hand, arm drawn back and poised to throw.

Mist, Raguna thought groggily as his fingers closed around his sword. She saved me.

The Buffamoo charged.

Mist…Mist…Mist!

Raguna didn't have time to react, didn't have time to think. His only thoughts were about her, and her safety, and oh God he wouldn't be able to go on if she…

~*X*~

Mist was terrified beyond all conceivable reason. She could only see the monstrous Buffamoo coming straight at her, its red eyes narrowed to crimson slits.

She knew she wasn't fast enough to outrun it. She shut her eyes tight and prepared for the worst.

And then—

A strangled sound of fury caught her attention. She cracked one eye open, and then the other as she stared in bewilderment at the spectacle before her.

Raguna.

He had both arms around the Buffamoo's broad throat, his boots digging into a partially upraised tile for support. A circle of blood was spreading across his torso, but he appeared to be (mostly) fine. Impossibly, impossibly, he had the Buffamoo bull in a stranglehold!

She had always known that he was physically strong. Once, back in Kardia, he had taken her into his arms and run away from a monster at full speed as if she had weighed virtually nothing at all.

But this was…

The Buffamoo bayed again, kicking vigorously with its front legs, tottering about in an unbalanced fashion. Raguna gritted his teeth and whistled a sharp order. Fenrir, whom Mist had nearly forgotten about, pounced, his jaws opened wide.

His fangs dug into the Buffamoo's throat, and Raguna let go, taking his sword an instant after that and driving it through the great monster's back halfway up to its hilt.

The Buffamoo gave one final snort, and then its form wavered. Not long after, it seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

Raguna waved his hand, dismissing his pet Silver Wolf back to his barn. Fenrir wagged his tail weakly before the light claimed him and he vanished.

And then Raguna slumped to his hands and knees, chest heaving.

Mist hurried to his side, placing one hand on his shoulder. She could feel how tense his muscles still were, and she slid her hand down, rubbing his back soothingly. "Raguna, are you okay?"

His chocolate hair draped around his face, hiding his blue eyes and his expression from her view. "Mist…what…were…you…thinking?"

His accusing tone perplexed her. "The Buffamoo was going after you. I couldn't just let it—"

"It could have killed you," Raguna whispered, and the desolation in his voice was even more flummoxing.

"But it didn't," she said brightly. "You saved me. And your wolf," she added.

Raguna rested back on his heels, and now that his eyes were visible, she saw that he was honestly more concerned about her welfare then his own, despite the fact that she was uninjured and he was the one bleeding onto the nice white pavement and grass beneath them.

Honestly.

"We should head back," Mist advised. "Can you stand?"

Raguna got to his feet, and he ended up having to lean against her for support. She was unused to actually being able to help him besides some advice, and she welcomed the opportunity to finally be of use.

"Wait, we're going to see the best part of Whale Island before we return to Trampoli."

"Are you sure?"

His face held a sort of grim determination. "Yeah," was all he said.

Mist shrugged helplessly and helped Raguna as they made their way silently down to the end of Whale Island, where a small tower poked tentatively at the sky, as if unsure of its place. Clean flowing water whispered at their sides, and they paused there to wash the blood from Raguna's clothes. After eating a small meal, Raguna seemed to be in considerably better health, because he was able to stand without her assistance.

"Here we go," he remarked, something like pride in his words. "The best part." He swept his arms out before him, and Mist looked in the direction he was indicating curiously.

She literally felt her breath leave her.

Up here, so close to the heavens, the sunset was unbelievably beautiful. The white cotton clouds, as soft looking as a Wooly's fleece, were beginning to change color. They were tinged with the most gorgeous assortment of reds and oranges that she had ever clapped eyes upon, appearing more like sherbet now than anything else. The clear sky they were imposed on had transformed into a gradient sheet for warm, tropical shades. The sun was even larger up here than down below, almost rippling, bright as a dying phoenix and twice as magnificent.

Mist felt as if she could look at it forever. The birds that fluttered against the sunset were reduced to nothing but faceless shadows, slender, unnamed figures that soared in the point between land and sky.

She didn't even realize she was smiling until Raguna chuckled about it. "You must really be impressed, huh?" He asked teasingly.

She nodded slowly without taking her eyes away from the spectacle. "It's beautiful, Raguna! Is that why you come up here? To watch the sunset?"

"Yes, and no. Depends on if I'm farming, and I usually visit Iris too."

Mist was inquisitive, despite herself. "Iris?"

She watched as he checked the position of the sun, hands on his hips. "She should be awake. Want to meet her before we head back?"

She most definitely did. "Sure."

Raguna took her to the tower she had spotted earlier. Outside, a square of farmland was growing a delightful patch of Moondrop Flowers, their petals opened wide in cheerful expectation of the coming night. Their masterful appearance betrayed the fact that they had been cultivated by none other than Raguna himself.

Mist scaled the steps after him, not sure what to expect from this Iris. She wasn't jealous or anything, exactly…

"Iris?" Raguna inquired politely as they entered a wide, circular chamber lined with flowers of all sorts. "I'm here, and I've brought a friend to meet you."

A girl dressed all in white had her back to them. She had an easel in one hand, a brush in the other, and she was painting the sunset in front of them. Mist was surprised and impressed since it actually looked pretty good. She turned to face them, golden locks swinging around her face.

Mist gasped. Iris had two different colored eyes—one green, the other red.

"Oh, Raguna. Good evening," Iris inclined her head, and then she said to Mist, "Who's this?"

"This is my friend, Mist." Raguna said.

"It's nice to meet you, Mist." Iris smiled, extending her hand, and she took it. Her fingers were sort of chilly, oddly.

"Nice to meet you, too. Do you live alone up here?"

"Yes, I do." There was a pause, and then Iris went back to her painting. It wasn't in a dismissive matter so much as just the motions of one busy with their work. "There's not much here, but please, make yourself...at…home…" She froze and looked at Raguna from over her shoulder. "Are you hurt, Raguna?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, but it's nothing serious." He brushed off the inquiry as if he hadn't just been gored by a Buffamoo.

Her words were sort of rushed. "You should leave, and get yourself treated. Really, it's dangerous to leave wounds untended, don't you think, Mist?"

Thrown off by the abrupt question, she nodded, though she had to admit that she did agree. "She's right, Raguna. We should get you home."

He sighed in defeat as the two girls stared at him, trying to will him into taking the suggestion. "Fine, I'll go back now. Sorry Iris, I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"Visit whenever is convenient," she replied, tracing the boundary of one copper cloud with a line of ginger. "Have a safe journey home, Mist, Raguna."

"Good evening," Mist said, since she figured "Good night" wasn't proper. Iris appeared to be a night person.

As they excused themselves from the artist's tower, Mist wondered aloud, "Do you think she sees differently?"

"Huh?" Raguna blinked.

"Out of her two eyes. Do you think the red eye can see things the green one can't? Maybe she can see the future…"

"You say the strangest things, Mist," Raguna said somewhat wryly.

They stepped out into the twilight, watching as the night continued to claim the sky. Mist was still sort of awestruck by the fact that they were on a floating island.

"Is Iris always like that?" Mist asked suddenly.

He shrugged, a lazy roll of his shoulders. Or maybe a tired one. "She doesn't like blood. I forgot."

Well, that explained it. Her tense, uneasy reaction upon hearing that Raguna was injured.

"Let's use the Return spell, though we still have to make the climb down..."

"Can you handle it?" Mist inquired, concerned.

"I've made the climb in worse conditions than this, don't worry."

Taking his reassurances in stride, Mist clung to his arm as he used the spell to warp them back to their starting point. After that, well, it was a long way down.

~*X*~

Raguna had reluctantly given in, letting Mist escort him to his house instead of the other way around.

"It would make no sense for you to go down the road to my place, and then back up it to yours," Mist had reasoned as if this was an obvious thing.

Standing outside of his house back on the Homestead, Raguna rubbed his aching joints. A good night's rest would likely clear all of this up. Either that or a dip in the hot springs. Possibly both.

"Thank you for taking me to Whale Island," Mist said into the silence between them. In the moonlight, her hair transformed from pale blonde to molten silver. "It was really beautiful."

Knocked off balance by his mind's perception of her in the light, Raguna could only nod.

She smiled. "And thank you for protecting me against the monsters, and the Buffamoo."

"No problem, Mist. Anytime."

"See? You kept your promise. I'm here, and I'm safe." She kissed his cheek, the touch brief but meaningful, and without another word she turned and headed down the road towards her place.

Raguna could only stare after her in amazement.

Author's Note: Dedicated most lovingly to my little sister! I'm sorry in advance if any of you guys 'n' gals spot characterization errors, for some reason I find it hard to get a grip on the personalities of the Rune Factory characters when I actually start writing. Also, I've not beaten the game yet, but I believe Iris is a vampire? Anyway, reviews are much appreciated!