~*My Most Cherished*~

Perhaps she had gone mad, but all the best people were.

~*X*~

Moonlight glittered off of the Albiore, turning everything whitewashed and strangely flat looking. The world appeared…surreal. The Cheagle Woods were close enough to touch, the trees there shuffling their branches and muttering crossly to themselves about the newcomers that had deigned to park their big noisy aircraft right beside them.

To think, a few hours ago, Arietta the Wild had died within those patchy shadows…

Anise sighed heavily and hopped off of the Albiore's wing. They had exited the Woods only to find Noelle fast asleep. They really had been overworking the poor pilot lately, despite her claims, and no one, not even Jade, had had the heart to wake her. They had simply decided to camp out here for the night.

The rest were inside the Albiore, preferring the air conditioning and the promised protection against monsters and troublesome insects. Normally she'd be in there too, but she hadn't been able to sleep at all. Hours had crawled by and one by one everyone, even the Colonel, had drifted off.

But not her. She hadn't been able to get so much as a wink of sleep.

She wandered restlessly around the Albiore, pacing like a Liger in a cage, Tokunaga hanging limply from her shoulders. It was stupidly late and yet she couldn't…get…to…sleep…!

Every time she blinked, she saw Arietta's dying face, heard her final words about how much she hurt…and where was Ion…?

"Damn it," she whispered, her voice sounded small and fragile in the relative silence of the night.

She pushed her gloved hands into her eyes. She wished she had Tear's and the Colonel's wondrous ability to simply force themselves to sleep! That just wasn't fair! Kids needed their sleep too!

Weak indignation already fading, she circled the Albiore four more times, each slower than the last, until her feet were barely moving. Then she pulled Tokunaga from her back and caused him to twitch and morph until he was at his full size. After that she plopped him down to rest against the Albiore and she, in turn, flopped down between his paws with a weary sigh.

"Go to sleep Anise," she grumbled, laying her head on her arms and shutting her eyes tightly. "Or else you'll be so out of it in the morning…"

At first it seemed the outdoor air was doing the trick, because she felt herself sliding closer and closer to the yawning black void in her head that signified unconsciousness. And then, just like usual, it happened. It came with such a startlingly strong strength that it knocked her clear out of her comfort zone and straight into hot water.

A veritable cacophony of voices sounded in her head at once. Ion's last moments as he read the Seventh Score in a voice that was nearly a monotone, Arietta's fierce snarling as she fought like a feral animal, Sync's mocking rendition of the Fon Master in Chesedonia…Mohs's black laughter as Ion disappeared.

Anise gripped Tokunga's plush arms and cringed.

Suddenly, she felt something warm on her head. It was a gentle kind of warmth, like that of a fire at just the right distance. Gradually, as if being drained away, all the voices vanished into the abyss from which they had come. The abyss of her nightmares.

There was no sound, and it was bliss.

Something about the touch was familiar, and as she came closer to her senses—though she was still half-asleep—she could sense five different points of heat…fingers…on a hand…?

She opened her eyes halfway, but so long as that hand was there, she felt as if she'd be off to dreamland any moment now. It took all of her willpower just to defy that golden strength and look through the narrow field of vision she could obtain. Something orangey-yellow and bright was glowing beside her, and she fancied it was indeed some kind of fire spirit. It was kneeling at her side, its hand on her face, and she almost dismissed it as a product of her tired mind. Almost went away to the promise of sleep that the spirit was offering.

But then she saw the glint of dark emerald eyes, utterly untouched by the light.

Despite the nervous excitement pulsing through her veins that should have brought on a rush of adrenaline, she still was finding it harder and harder to concentrate her thoughts. The drowsing touch of sleep was dulling her senses.

Still, the name came.

"I-Ion…?"

He smiled, unmistakably and honestly smiled.

"Oh, Ion…" She blinked hard to keep the tears back, but she knew if she did so again, it would only make her chances of opening her lids another time that much lower. So when she felt the tears blaze a path down the side of her face, she let them.

And, impossibly, Ion lifted his other hand and wiped them away.

"I'm so sorry…you died because of me…"

"No, Anise. I died because I chose to."

For an instant, a jolt of anger woke her up fully. She spoke her next words with heavy self-loathing. "Only because my parents were in danger. I'm such a—"

"Anise, you have to stop this. Stop blaming yourself." Ion's eyes narrowed slightly, and that alone was enough for her to pause and take notice. Rarely ever did Ion become angry, and never with her.

"But it's my fault," she said despairingly. "I was a spy, I betrayed your trust…I'm worse than Arietta. I killed you and put everyone in danger…!"

He sounded sad, now. "You must stop."

"But it's true, isn't it? Don't lie to me, Ion." Anise resisted the temptation to shut her eyes, because she had a feeling he'd be gone if she went to sleep. Sleep abruptly seemed very unimportant. Kids never needed sleep! "Not now, when I've…"

"I've never lied to you." Ion lifted his gaze from her face and stared off into the green fields. The moon was busy staining the countryside with molten lead. "What could you have done differently?"

"Told the others about Mohs. The Colonel could have come up with a plan," replied Anise glumly. It seemed so obvious now that she wanted to hit herself.

Still without looking at her, "Legally, your parents were in debt. There was little he could have done without breaking the law."

"So what? They'd have done something…" In truth, she was unnerved by him. Ion wasn't looking at her, and somehow she felt like she had done something to make him feel ashamed of her. Oh wait, she had!

"I was planning on dying anyway," Ion remarked softly in a matter-of-fact way.

"Wh-What?"

"It was the only way I could think of to remove the miasma from Tear's body."

"Why you? It could've been some—"

"Who else, Anise?" And now he looked down at her, and again she had the feeling that he was disappointed. That hurt almost more than…well…

"I don't know…" But she knew if she had said "some other Replica" or something that she'd make him even more crestfallen when it came to her.

Ion gently wiped away another tear she hadn't noticed had even formed. Somehow, she was going a long time without blinking, though the crushing weight of sleep kept pressing against her. She stubbornly resisted it.

"Anise. You must stop blaming yourself," he repeated firmly.

She avoided his green gaze. "If you say so, Ion…"

Her doubtful tone made him sigh, and she saw him shake his head. The Cheagle-fur tassels swung from side to side, noticeable even past the otherworldly tangerine glow he had.

"If you think this really is your fault…"

She tensed.

"…I forgive you."

"I knew you would. I wish you'd hate me or something, I mean I—"

"You did what had to be done to save your parents. Now you must do what has to be done to save the world. Good luck, Anise…"

"Ion, wait, don't leave me!" A starburst of fear exploded inside of her, and she placed her hand on top of his. Though, unexplainably, she felt her fingers slide through until she was touching her own face, the touch was nonetheless warm and comforting.

He smiled at her. "Don't worry. I'm watching over you, like you asked."

"Ion…"

"Be strong, my most cherished…"

Anise could fight it no longer. She closed her eyes and let the darkness claim her, but it didn't come fast enough to mask the phantom sensation of his lips on her cheek.

~*X*~

Anise was considerably happier in the morning, and as she began making breakfast, her high spirits flummoxed the rest of the party.

"Why's she got so much energy for?" Guy wondered, yawning hugely and accepting the bowl of porridge that Anise gave him.

"Beats me," Luke muttered, looking like he was about to nod off. Tear smiled but said nothing.

"My, you would think she had limitless energy!" Natalia inputted before going back to her lighthearted conversation with Noelle. Mieu was curled up in the grass, still fast asleep.

Jade watched the girl as she prepared their morning meal. "You know," he began casually, which was never a good sign. "I sensed the strangest thing last night."

"Really? What, Colonel?" Anise responded absently.

"A rather gargantuan collection of Seventh Fonons just outside the Albiore, though I could be wrong…"

She stiffened. "Huh? Really?" So it wasn't just a dream?

"Indeed. But," and here he shrugged airily. "I was half-asleep at the time. I thought I heard a voice or two, though…"

"You were half-asleep," Anise finished.

Jade's red eyes flashed behind their glasses. "Exactly. So who knows?"

Anise laughed and gave a breezy comment about the Colonel's old age, but inwardly, her heart coiled in on itself with joy.

Who knows? I know. Ion…you were really here!

Author's Note: This was originally meant to be the first of an one-shot collection, but seeing as my writing muse is currently being hectic, I didn't want to start one in case I lost my drive for it. I've got enough incomplete stories, thanks. Review, if you want, and Merry Christmas!