A Journey to The Past
Clare sat resting against her sword by the campfire which was slowly flickering out, reflecting on what had happened nearly one week ago in Pieta and what had lead her down this path. It was as if her whole life had led to that moment when she stood over a defenceless Priscilla, the monster who had taken the most important person in her life away from her. The one moment she had lived for, the reason she became a Claymore, had stood before her one week ago. But she could not bring herself to deliver the final blow to Priscilla
She looked over at Raki who lay sleeping on the other side of the campfire. Of all the things that had been running through her mind over the last week, from Priscilla, the slaughter of so many of her comrades, her desertion of The Organization to the sacrifice Jean had made to bring her back to the human side, the one thing that bothered her the most was the look of terror on Raki's face as she held her sword to him as he tried to guard Priscilla. Raki might have forgiven her but she could never forgive herself for even contemplating killing him to get to Priscilla. As she faded off to sleep one thought rang through her head. The same thought that echoed in her head nearly every day. "What would Teresa think if she could see me now?"
Clare woke just as the sun was creeping over the mountains in the distance. A faint smoke was rising from the previous night's campfire and Raki still lay sleeping across from her. She stood up and grabbed her sword which was still stuck into the ground and went into the forest to look for something for Raki to cook for breakfast. After she had caught a rabbit and picked a few pieces of fruit she started to make her way back to the campfire, but all of a sudden a familiar voice called out from behind her "you sure have grown up the voice said "no it can't be" Clare thought to herself as she spun around dropping the food in her hands, expecting to see no-one standing there, that the voice must have been in her head. But to her surprise she saw Teresa, leaning with her back to a tree arms folded looking exactly the same as she did on that fateful day, staring straight at Clare. "Teresa" she whispered hardly believing what she was seeing. "How? Why? She asked herself stepping closer to the woman who she thought she had seen die all those years ago, keeping her guard up in case it was simply a yoma disguising itself or a warrior of The Organization laying a trap. As she got closer her eyes started swelling with tears as Teresa held out her arms to embrace Clare, who fell into her embrace and wept. "That scent, the feel of her warmth, this is Teresa" Clare knew this was no illusion, she didn't know how or why Teresa was here now, but she didn't care all she knew was a small piece of herself had returned, like a void had been filled. Nothing was said between the two as they held each other, nothing needed to be.
"Teresa" Clare sobbed after she released herself from herself from Teresa's embrace "I'm so sorry, I know you wanted me to live a human life but I just could not let her get away with what she did." "I understand why you did what you did Clare" Teresa replied her voice brought back so many memories and feelings of comfort and warmth to Clare "no-one can blame you for what you did. But I have one question for you" Teresa put her hands on Clare's shoulders and looked deep into her eyes, almost pleading to Clare "why haven't you visited me after all these years? Why Clare, Why?
It was the same thing she repeated over and over again as she started to fade away. Clare felt the weight of Teresa's hands lift off her shoulders "Teresa, Teresa, please don't leave me again" she pleaded through her tears as she slumped against a nearby tree.
All of a sudden she noticed she was at the campsite resting against her sword still muttering Teresa's name tears welling in her eyes. Raki was beside her with his arm around her shoulders. "Clare are you OK? He asked trying to comfort her. "Grab your sword and lets go" Clare said almost instantly snapping out of her sorrow. Raki looked confused but did what she said grabbing his sword lying where he had been sleeping the night before and slinging it over his back. "Where are we heading" he asked. Clare did not want to say what she was about to say, but it was time she could not put it off any longer "a place I should have visited a long time ago" Clare replied "Teresa's grave.