Thunder.
It boomed over the vast land of Termina, casting a dark shadow over the hilly Romani Ranch. Eighteen year old Cremia hurried as she led the cows into the barn before pulling a canvas sheet over the area where a stray horse her eleven year old sister Romani had found was shivering nervously.
"There, there, girl. It'll be alright." Cremia shielded her eyes as she looked up into the dark sky. She had no idea why it'd been storming so much lately. Oh well, right?
The girl grabbed her younger sister and ran inside as the first few drops of rain began to fall.
"Woo! Close one, yeah, Romani...Romani?" Cremia furrowed her brow as she watched her younger sister stare out the little window sadly.
"What about that boy?"
Cremia dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "He's gone, Romani, he probably went home to his mother..." The older girl faltered at the thought of her own late parents. The ranch, along with her younger sister, were her complete responsibility now, and at her young age, she still felt like she had things under control. She hoped she did, anyway.
"Set the table, now, while I start dinner.."
The older sister lit a fire under a pot of boiling water and began to slice onions as her short, adorable younger sister placed two metal plates on the table. The only two plates that had been on that table for a very long time.
Romani played with the girls' pet dog as the aroma of chicken stew began to fill the small, two story brick house. Thunder cackled loudly outside as it darkened even more.
Cremia sighed as she ladled stew into bowls and placed warm bread on the plates.
"Sister?"
"Yes, Romani?" Cremia blew on a spoon of stew.
"Why do you like him so much?"
Cremia almost dropped her spoon in surprise.
"L-like who? Are you eavesdropping again?"
Romani shook her head as she stared into her lap.
"I just always see you look at him when we're in Clocktown. He's getting married, you know. It's wrong to like married people. That's all."
Cremia tensed up. "I don't know what you're talking about, Romani."
The older sister stood and cleaned up. She looked at her sister, who was still seated.
"Romani, it's time for bed. You can sleep with me tonight if you clean your side of the room."
"Yes, sister."
xxxx
