A Father's Battle
"Meribia?!" Alex nearly roared as he heard it, a wave of indescribable feelings crashing down upon him. He didn't want to believe what he had just been told, but when he looked into her eyes – green ones that mirrored his, though it was really no surprise – he knew that it was all true. She had truly gone off to the mainland without his permission, even if it meant facing the force of his anger upon her return.
But what infuriated him all the more was that there was no trace of regret in her eyes.
He steadied himself as he, once more, addressed her. "What were you thinking?" he began quietly, but as he continued speaking his voice also continued to rise in volume and intensity. "Don't you realize how dangerous it is out there? Out on the mainland, too! Why can't you get it in your head that you can't just run around and throw your life away in the name of your misguided quest for adventure?!"
"But Dad," Aria protested, "I'm fine, see?" She stood up and twirled around to show him that she hadn't been injured in any way. She then smiled. "And remember, you were my age when you first set off on your great adventure." In an attempt to further calm him down and reassure him that she didn't face life-threatening situations during her trip to Meribia, she added, "And I was with Nall, so everything was peachy."
Mentioning Nall's name only made the issue worse – in fact, the former Dragonmaster looked like he was going to kill the White Dragon then and there and roast him for supper. Flashing a sheepish grin towards her mother, she shut herself up and sat back down. Luna's temper had really rubbed in on Alex, but it wasn't surprising; they had been married for nearly sixteen years.
"Nall." Alex had also taken his seat, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he waited for the culprit to surface. He had a hunch that the critter had coerced his little girl to travel to Meribia. He remembered him mentioning just the other week that he missed Kyle and Jessica. "Come out and explain yourself. Now."
"Can't I just stay here-"
"I'm warning you."
"But Alex-"
"Don't try my patience, Nall."
Defeated, the culprit – in his kitty form – emerged from behind Aria. He put on a dramatic look on his feline face, hoping to free himself from the mess he had gotten into by attacking Alex's soft spot for him. "I couldn't stop her, Alex. I tried, but she's as stubborn as you sometimes," he started to explain, his fright at having royally pissed off his best friend obvious. "I didn't know what else to do. I promised you and Luna that I'd take care of her, and I thought that since I couldn't stop her, I might as well just accompany her and make sure she doesn't get herself in trouble." He hung his furry head, giving up his attempt to defend himself. "I'm really sorry."
"I'm sorry, too, Dad. It's my fault. I talked Nall into this." The guilty expression on Aria's face turned even guiltier, and this time, she turned her eyes away from her parents, unable to look at them. "Well, kind of dragged him along, actually. I'm really sorry."
Alex sighed heavily. He really couldn't blame them, could he? And, he was already too bushed to argue. No matter how much he wanted to pass sentence on the two, he knew that they committed no crime.
"Go to bed, you two," he said tiredly, and he was glad that they obeyed without question or protest. As they disappeared without a word into Aria's room – Nall had been sleeping there ever since Alex and Luna got married – he leaned back against his chair and shut his eyes to compose himself.
When he opened them he found his wife sitting across him, a soft smile on her divine features. He took comfort in the silence she offered and the support that went along with it, and for a moment he did nothing but stare into the loving blue eyes that had always enslaved him.
Then, she spoke. "Alex, you were overreacting."
"Luna, please."
She continued on anyway. This time he let her, all too aware that she could be very stubborn when she wanted to be. "Yes, it was wrong for them not to ask our permission, but you have to understand how much she's wanted to see the world. Oh Alex, she's so much like you. She doesn't want to be cooped up here in Burg-"
"But here, she'll be safe." He couldn't stress that point enough, and he was rather sensitive when it came to that issue. After all, he had nearly lost everything once, back when he fought against the tyranny of the Magic Emperor. The idea of his daughter getting hurt just because he wasn't there to protect her was appalling. He knew he wouldn't be able to live with it; he had saved the world, yet he couldn't save his own child.
He shuddered at the thought.
Luna reached out to take his hand, smiling warmly at him. "I know what you're worried about, Alex. I worry about it, too. But as much as I hate to admit it, we can't protect her forever. We can't protect her from everything either." She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "And you have to give her more credit. She's no pushover."
"It's… hard."
"I know." Her expression then turned thoughtful as she corrected herself. "I mean, I should know. I did give up being a goddess so humanity can run things their way."
After a spell of silence, Alex rose, frowning a little. "Should I apologize?"
Luna, too, got up and snuggled against him. "Nah. Let her learn her lesson," she answered, smirking.