Part I: Catalyst
Men were shouting. Running feet made Ellone duck down behind a loveseat in the sitting room to get out of sight.
"Ellone! Ellone honey?" Mama's voice, breathless and hushed. Scared.
Cautiously, she peeked out from behind the loveseat.
Her mother laid her finger against her lips and whispered, "Go find your extra-special hiding place honey."
The shouting grew louder. Then there were loud pops like firecrackers, and someone screamed. Ellone jumped in reaction and began to get scared.
Her mother looked back over her shoulder, and whispered urgently, "Now! Go now baby! Don't come out until it's quiet!"
Ellone nodded, eyes wide, and scampered to the back door.
Her mother's voice behind her, hissed, "don't let anyone see you!"
Ellone looked back and nodded, then slowly opened the door and poked her head out, looking right and left. Finding it clear, she slipped through and closed it behind her and stood still for a moment, trying to find a way to her hiding place where no one would see.
People were shouting and screaming louder now, and there were more firecracker pops. Suddenly, she heard banging coming from the front of the house. Her heart jumped and she gasped. It was too late! She had to hide now!
BAD people! Bad people are coming! she thought in a panic.
She ran as fast as she could along a well-worn pathway, through a riotous growth of white lilies and pink asters. The plants were fortunately thick enough and tall enough to conceal the terrified two-year-old who ran heedlessly along the path to the back door of the neighboring pub.
She stopped, panting, and reached up to open the door. It was unlocked. Nobody locked their doors in Winhill.
Moving as quietly as she could, she eased the door open and slipped through, then shut it behind her. Tiptoeing silently, she made her way to the cellar door at the back of the stairs. It was dark there and kind of scary, but Raine kept big barrels of beer, and racks of what she'd told Ellone was wine, whatever that was, down there. It was a great place to hide. Raine had searched for her for hours before finally giving up and calling out to Ellone that she'd won the game of hide and seek they'd been playing. They'd had peanut butter sandwiches after.
There was a light switch just inside the door, but Ellone knew if she turned it on they'd know someone had come down there. So, swallowing back her fear of the thick, dusty darkness, she held tightly to the grab rail and felt her way downward.
Once there, she walked slowly, hands outstretched, until she found one of the big barrels. Feeling her way along it, she found the hiding spot she'd used before. Hunkering down next to it, she hugged herself and tried not to cry, tried hard not to think about spiders or crickets or other bugs that might be down there with her. Mama had told her to hide and not come out until it was quiet. Ellone didn't know what that meant, but the fear in her mother's eyes made her scared as well. What were the bad people doing? Why were they screaming and banging on doors and making firecracker pops? Why didn't Mama and Daddy hide with her?
Eventually, Ellone's thudding heart calmed, her breathing steadied, and with a suddenness typical to young children, abruptly fell asleep.
She woke some time later, stiff and very hungry. She had no idea how long she'd been down there, but it was very quiet. Maybe it was safe to go home now. Ellone hoped so.
She was tiptoeing her way to the back door when she heard a muffled sound coming from inside the pub. It was dark and quiet there, when it would ordinarily be bright and cheery with people talking, laughing and eating the yummy food that Raine cooked.
Curious, Ellone peeked in and saw that it was empty, save for Raine herself, who sat alone at a table with her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook and Ellone could hear muffled sobs. Raine was crying.
"Raine?" Ellone asked, wondering why she was so sad.
Raine's head jerked up with a gasp and she turned toward Ellone, eyes wide. Leaping up from the table she rushed over to her and dropped to her knees in front of the little girl, grabbing her up and holding her tight against her chest, sobbing incoherently.
"Elle! Oh, thank Hyne you're safe! Oh, baby..." the rest of whatever she said degenerated into fragmented whispers that made no sense to the little girl.
"Why are yoo crying Raine? Did the Bad People scare yoo too?" Ellone finally asked when Raine's hysterics had calmed down.
Wiping the tears from her face, Raine sniffled a bit and finally said, "Yes, sweetheart, the Bad People scared me too."
Looking toward the back door, Ellone asked her, "Are they gone now? Mama said for me to hide until it was quiet."
Raine got a queer look on her face just then at the mention of Ellone's mother, and her breath hitched, but she managed, "Yes sweetie, the Bad People are gone now."
"Good, 'cause I wanna go home an' eat dinner. Can yoo walk me back so the monsters don't get me? It looks kinda dark out."
Raine closed her eyes for a moment, looking, if possible, even sadder than before. It both confused and frightened Ellone.
Finally, Raine took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice, "Why don't you stay here with me sweetie, okay?" She sniffled a bit and wiped away a stray tear.
"But, mama said..."
"Your mommy asked me to take care of you honey." Raine said. She wiped away another tear.
"Okay." Ellone said. Mama and Daddy must have wanted some "alone time", as they called it. They did that sometimes, and Raine was fun to spend time with.
Suddenly, Ellone's tummy growled audibly. It had been a long time since lunch.
"Can we have peanut butter sandwiches?" Ellone asked.
Swallowing, Raine nodded and rose to her feet, holding her hand down to Ellone.
"Sure," she answered. "Come on up."
Several days later, Ellone was sitting in the Town Square with Raine, dressed in her prettiest dress. Raine too, was dressed up pretty, her hair pulled back and dark glasses on to hide the streaks that her tears left in her mascara. The whole town was there, and the mayor stood at a podium in front of the Town Hall speaking. Ranked behind him were several caskets, each liberally bedecked with flowers.
Mama and Daddy were in two of them. Raine had brought her up to them, to say good bye. At first, Ellone didn't understand what was happening, thinking that maybe Mama and Daddy were sleeping. But they looked strange, like sculptures made of wax, and when she touched them, they were cold.
Slowly, she began to understand, but still, she asked Raine when they sat down, "What's wrong with them? They look like they're sleeping but they feel...weird."
"They're dead, honey. The Bad People killed them." Raine said softly. She didn't believe in sugar-coating things, but the stark truth, even delivered in a compassionate voice, still sounded harsh.
"Will they wake up?" Ellone asked, still not quite understanding.
"No baby. They won't. They're sleeping forever now." Raine told her in a choked voice. "We're here to say good-bye to them."
Ellone was quiet for a long moment. It all felt so unreal, like a bad dream. But mama and daddy were sleeping in the caskets and would never wake up. She'd never see them again. Suddenly, she missed them both horribly, and she finally, after days of confused incomprehension, understood exactly what had happened.
The mayor droned on about the people who'd lost their lives in the raid, saying things that she didn't understand just then but would later on, about a war between Galbadia and Esthar and how a Sorceress was involved.
Wrapping her arms around Raine's arm, Ellone hugged it to her and buried her face against it. Then she started to cry. Raine shifted and pulled her onto her lap, hugging her tightly. It went on for several minutes; Raine simply held her and let her cry.
After awhile, Ellone calmed down and simply rested against Raine's chest, still sitting on her lap. Raine held her loosely, but Ellone still felt secure in her arms.
"Am I going to live with you now?" Ellone asked her.
"Yes. I promised your mama I would take care of you for her." Raine answered.
Someone was singing, a sweet song full of sadness and loss. Raine sighed, and Ellone remained on her lap, snuggled close. It made the yawning loss of her parents easier to bear, wrapped up in Raine's arms like she was.
At length, the service was ended, and Raine stood and turned to leave, then froze, along with the rest of the town, at the sight that greeted them just outside the town square.
An entire squad of soldiers, all wearing Galbadian blue, stood at full attention. They were in battle dress, not formal dress, and murmurs spread among the townsfolk at this. Obviously, these men had come upon the funeral by happenstance.
One of the soldiers, a young man with long, black hair, said something softly to his comrades, then he strode forward, approaching the Mayor. The murmurs grew louder, and Ellone began to sense an undercurrent of hostility directed toward him and the other soldiers.
Raine, with Ellone still in her arms, watched as the soldier spoke with the Mayor, who nodded and returned to the podium.
"Sergeant Loire would like to extend his heartfelt condolences and offer his and his men's assistance in bearing the caskets. On the town of Winhill's behalf, I have accepted his kind gesture." Turning back to the soldier, he then engaged him in protracted conversation, with the young man nodding attentively at various intervals. Satisfied that all pertinent information had been delivered, the Mayor nodded at the soldier, who nodded back. Then he returned to his men.
More quiet conversation took place, then he stood at attention and barked some commands. The men immediately fell into formation at attention. Then at another barked command, they marched solemnly to where the caskets rested. There was a shuffle as the men joined the bearers that were already there, and when things were properly sorted out, the young sergeant barked another command, and they all began a slow, solemn procession to the nearby cemetery.
Raine didn't want to follow them, but Ellone still had her bouquet of white lilies that she was to place atop her mother's casket. So she fell in with the rest of the mourners and followed the bearers as they proceeded to the cemetery.
The general feeling amongst the townsfolk was mixed. Some saw the soldiers' actions as simply a kind gesture and took it as it was meant. Others were upset that they were there at all, feeling it a case of too little, too late. Had they been there when Esthar had attacked the town, perhaps those lives that had been lost would have been spared. Perhaps those girls that had been stolen would still be with their families. But, the army's commanders had thought Winhill of little strategic consequence, that the possibility of attack of so small a town was too low to spare the personnel, and so had not stationed any soldiers there.
So, no. At the moment, the G-army was not very popular with a majority of Winhill's residents.
Upon reaching the cemetery, Raine walked up with Ellone still in her arms. The toddler was starting to get tired; a protracted event such as this would be trying for a child that young even if the occasion was a happy one.
So Raine assisted Ellone in dividing her little bouquet between her mother's and her father's caskets. While doing so, she became aware of someone watching her.
Glancing around, she me the gaze of the young Galbadian Sergeant. He blushed slightly at having been caught staring, and gave her a sad little smile. She twitched her lips in an attempt to return the favor, but couldn't quite pull it off.
He took a step in her direction, obviously intending to approach and speak with her, but one of his comrades came up to him just then, grabbing his shoulder and leaning close to say something in a low voice. The soldier frowned and nodded, and the other man walked away.
The sergeant then drew himself up to attention, saluted gravely, eyes still locked with hers, then turned and marched away. The other soldiers formed up behind him, and he led them out of Winhill.
Time went on, and Ellone eventually grew used to her new normal. She still missed Mama and Daddy, but since the day they died (Raine was careful to explain, truthfully, what had happened to them), she had lived with Raine. She'd never gone back to the house where she'd once lived. Raine had gone over alone and brought back some of Ellone's things, whatever hadn't been destroyed in the attack.
The strange dreams that Ellone would have from time to time grew more frequent, and intense. She used to tell Mama about them, but her toddler brain couldn't make any real sense of it, and her mother simply chalked it up to "little Ellie being very imaginative".
But while she slept, her mind wandered where it would, sending her consciousness into strange places. Her power touched people's dreams, and sometimes she was drawn in by them and would experience what they did. For the most part, unless the "dreams" were strange or traumatic, Ellone promptly forgot them upon waking. Sometimes, however she woke screaming from them.
Raine just thought it was nightmares, and Ellone couldn't find a way to tell her otherwise, as she didn't know any different herself.
But one dream kept coming back. Not nightly, but on the odd occasion that Ellone's mind wandered too far afield, she would seize upon it, and pull her in...
Hello, little one. Come to share my dreams again?
Your dreams are scary. I like the ones with puppies and kitties in them.
Then perhaps you should move on to kinder shores.
I don't know how.
Who are you?
I'm...not s'posed to talk to strangers.
You aren't talking. And I'm not a stranger. We've met in this place before.
You never talked before.
Neither did you. I suspect you were unable to as yet. You've grown stronger. How about I tell you my name first? Would that be okay? Then I wouldn't be a stranger anymore.
...Okay.
My name is...Adielle.
I'm Ellone.
Where do you live Ellone?
I live in Winhill.
Indeed? I live...a long way from there.
How long?
A very long journey across the sea.
Is it pretty there?
Yes. Would you like to see it?
Sure.
The formless dark of Ellone's 'dream' shifted, and suddenly she was gazing out in wonder at a glittering city, that shone with all the hues of a desert sunset.
It is lovely, is it not?
It IS!
Suddenly the 'dream' began to waver and fade, and Ellone gradually became aware of someone shaking her and calling her name.
I have to go...
We will speak again, Ellone...
They did speak again. It wasn't every night that they did, because Ellone had no idea how they met in the first place. So their meetings were random, and more often than not, brief. She had no control as yet over the pathways her mind took, no idea that she even had such a talent.
But Adielle apparently found something special in her, and told her so more than once. In fact, Adielle was fascinated by her, and sought to learn more and more about her in those brief, dreamtime meetings.
How old are you, Ellone? Adielle asked her on one of those occasions.
I'm three. She answered. She felt Adielle's surprise at this, then got an odd feeling of avid hunger from her. That confused Ellone for a moment.
Three? Really? You're so smart, I'd thought you older. Adielle said.
Raine says that too. She's even started teaching me how to read. I tried to write like she does but its all scribbly and it makes her mad when I don't keep it on the paper. Ellone replied.
Adielle fell silent for a moment, and then said, You will get better. All you have to do is practice.
That's what Raine says. Ellone said.
Is Raine your mother? Adielle asked.
No. She...she takes care of me. She promised my mommy she would after the Bad People killed her and my daddy.
Bad People?
Raine said it was a raid. They came here to steal little girls. I don't know why, and nobody tells me. Maybe because they were bad? Ellone answered.
She didn't understand fully why all the little girls in town had been stolen. Some people, forgetting she was nearby, had said it was a war and the Bad People were from Esthar. It made more sense than them being stolen simply for being bad. Especially because her friend Seria had been stolen too, and she was never bad. Ellone had gotten into more trouble than she had.
But Ellone had hidden from the Bad People so well that they hadn't found her. She wished she had been able to hide Seria too.
Maybe they were needed elsewhere. Adielle said.
Do you know if they'll come back? Their mommies and daddies miss them. I do too. They were my friends.
I cannot say. Adielle finally said.
All too soon, the "dream" began to fade. It was time for Ellone to get up for the day.
We will speak more, child. Adielle whispered. There is much for you to learn...
Ellone had just turned four when the war between Esthar and Galbadia intensified, and Esthar appeared to be winning. Incursions to the Galbadian mainland became more frequent, as did clashes between the two armies. Ellone did not pay too much attention to the politics of the adults around her; the only time it mattered was when Raine kept her indoors or shuttered the pub and hid with her in the wine cellar. She didn't make any distinction bewteen Galbadian or Estharian soldiers; to her, they were equally dangerous to a young woman alone with a little girl.
Ellone still met at random with Adielle in her dreams, and they talked about a great many things. Adielle in particular was interested in Ellone: what she liked, where she lived, who her parents were, things of that nature. Adielle in return showed Ellone more images of where she lived. However, she never told Ellone the name of the land she lived in. But it was strange, and beautiful, and when Adielle showed Ellone the place she lived in, Ellone was speechless with awe. It was a palace.
Are you a Princess? Ellone asked.
No. Adielle answered proudly. I am a QUEEN.
It was a fine spring day, and the fighting had moved far enough away that Raine felt it safe to walk to the beach with Ellone. It was a long walk but they were both feeling fresh and fine, and Raine had packed a lunch for them to eat while they enjoyed the sunshine and the cool sea breeze.
Their destination was a little known, private cove sheltered by rocky cliffs and accessible by a narrow, steep set of stairs carved into the rock. Private enough, and unknown enough, that Raine felt there would be no harm in taking Ellone there.
Ellone, excited by the bracing sea air and the prospect of playing on the seashore, skipped down the narrow steps with the agility of a mountain goat. Raine, by contrast, weighed down by the unwieldy picnic basket, had to take a bit more care and thus was slower.
"Ellone," she called out, as the child raced ahead. "don't wander off too far honey, I don't want you in the water until I can see you!"
"Okay," Ellone said, slowing down slightly.
When she reached the beach though, she was off like a shot again and Raine sighed, and hurried to catch up. Upon reaching the beach herself, Raine looked around for Ellone and saw her making her way toward what looked like a pile of sea-wrack on the beach. As she set down the basket, Raine hoped that it wasn't something horribly dead.
"Raine! Raine, come here, look!" Ellone called, pointing toward the mound of debris, which when Raine gave it a second, harder look, didn't actually look like the pile of seaweed that she thought it was. It was darker, the wrong color...blue? And definitely didn't have the shape of anything of marine origin.
Frowning, she hurried over to Ellone to get a closer look at it and to snatch her away if it turned out to be something threatening...or something that a child of four ought not to see. The closer she got, the deeper her concern grew. No, it wasn't marine, it looked more like a bundle of discarded laundry, that had been rolled in the sand after being cast ashore...with their owner still wearing it.
Raine gasped and grabbed for Ellone when she got close enough to see that it was clearly the body of a man.
"Is he dead?" Ellone asked quietly, eyes round. She didn't resist when Raine pulled her close.
"I...I think..." Raine began, to be interrupted by a soft moan from the form at her feet. "I...don't know.'
"Stay here, baby." Raine said, gently pushing Ellone back and out of the way, then stepping forward to get a closer look at the man to see if he was indeed dead, or dying, and if there was anything to be done to help him.
Kneeling down next to the man, Raine still wasn't entirely certain he was actually alive. He certainly didn't look it, and when Raine reached out and touched his neck, searching for a heartbeat, his skin felt cool and clammy. But...a flutter beneath her fingertips...so faint..but there... Proved that he wasn't quite dead yet. But he wasn't far from it, either.
Without any further thought, Raine rolled the man onto his side, and hit him sharply between the shoulderblades several times. She was rewarded by a weak, retching cough and a resultant expulsion of water. Encouraged, she did it again, but this time, got no response.
Heart pounding, she rolled him onto his back and discovered that he'd stopped breathing.
"Hyne's blood!" she cursed under her breath as she tilted his head back, pushing lank, sand-encrusted black hair away from his face, and checked for any obstruction. Finding none, she pinched his nostrils closed, sealed her lips over his, and blew.
Once, twice, three times, watching the chest rise with each breath. Checking the spot beneath his jawbone for a heartbeat, her own skipped when all she got was a weak, arrhythmic flutter. Frowning, she started chest compressions as well. Then she alternated. Five compressions, two breaths. Back and forth.
After several minutes of that, she was getting lightheaded and dizzy, and was beginning to worry it was all for nothing.
Pressing her fingers beneath his jaw one more time, she panted, "Come on, dammit, don't you die on me!" This time, the pulse was stronger and more regular.
Bending down, she sealed her lips over his once more and blew again. This time, he spasmed, coughed, and brought up more water. A lot more water. Then his chest rose on an alarming, wheezing gasp, and he opened his eyes.
Raine was transfixed by their dark-lashed, emerald green beauty, and nearly missed his wheezing whisper, "I...don't...plan...to." Then those beautiful eyes fluttered shut and he went limp.
Raine gasped and checked him again, breathing a sigh of relief upon confirming that he had merely lapsed into unconsciousness and was otherwise still breathing.
He remained stable but unconscious throughout the complicated and protracted process of getting help from Winhill to bring him up from the beach and install him into her pub. At least until he was well enough to find lodging elsewhere. In the back her mind was a niggling sense of familiarity, like she'd seen him before but couldn't place him. Perhaps it was his uniform. Hyne knew, Galbadian blue was a frequent sight in recent years.
It was during the process of getting him cleaned up and tending to his wounds that she finally remembered. It had been two years, hard years, by the look of it; but she'd never forget the beautiful eyes of the young Sergeant who had paid his respects at the funeral for the casualties of Esthar's raid. They were the very same green eyes that had captivated her when he'd opened them on the beach.
That first time, as she tended to his injuries, he was not in a state where he could protest or complain at what she was doing. And they were extensive; broken bones, bullet wounds, burns, a chest full of seawater that he still struggled with and had only partially expelled, which would in fact develop into pneumonia. Several times, he nearly died. But he didn't.
Each time, when things looked the most precarious, and Raine sat at his bedside watching each breath and gritting out, "Don't you dare die on me!" He would always respond with, "I don't plan to."
She had to admire his stubborn grit, as he fought his way back to health.
The man from the beach that Raine had saved was still sick. Ellone worried about that, and she could tell that Raine did too. She looked tired and concerned, and spent a lot of time sitting next to his bed, watching him intently. Ellone did too, when Raine let her. She helped Raine too, as much as she could, fetching and carrying small things for her: bandages, salves, cloths. Things that, if dropped, were of little concern.
When they first brought him home, he slept for a long time. Long enough that both she and Raine wondered if he would ever wake up. He did, eventually, but still slept much of the time. He didn't speak much, and when he did it was only in whispers.
So it was over two weeks before they learned the man's name.
"Loire, Laguna. Seargeant. Infantry, Division One, Squad A. Serial number L01032799. Where the hell am I?"
Raine raised her eyebrows and answered, "You're in Winhill, where you've been for almost three weeks, either trying to die or trying to live. Which side of that fence you were on depended on the day. Sometimes, the hour. Fortunately, you seem to be mostly on the trying to live side these days."
"Winhill?" he whispered weakly. "How the hell did I get here?"
"No idea. What's the last thing you remember?" Raine asked him.
"I was...on a scout with my squad.. In Centra." He answered. "Things went bad and.. I went over a cliff, into the sea."
"Hm." Raine said. "Well, Ellone and I found you on the beach southwest of here, half-drowned. You got lucky and must have hit a rip-current that brought you up here."
"Lucky me," he said, giving her a charming, if wan, smile. Ellone couldn't help but smile back, and neither could Raine.
Then her smile turned wry as she replied, "you'll think lucky when I change your bandages. I'll be as gentle as possible, but it won't be pleasant."
"I can handle it," He assured her staunchly.
Raine raised an eyebrow. Past experience told her that his statement was a lie, and he was trying to put on a brave front.. Either for her benefit or for Ellone's. Shrugging, she got to work.
It was not pleasant for him. His injuries were extensive and painful, but because of the extended time he spent in bed, she had to move him around, clean him, clean around him and change his dressings. She had little in the way of pain relief available for him, and sadly, the poor man apparently had a very low pain threshold.
She was gentle as possible, but couldn't help feeling both exasperated and sympathetic as he cursed, cried, and whined while she tended to him. In all other respects, he seemed a very courageous man, if what he'd told her about his military exploits were to be believed. It made her wonder if he was playing up, at least in part, for Ellone's benefit, because his behavior was more than a little reminiscent of a petulant four-year-old.
If that was the case then he was scoring top marks with Ellone, who held his hand and comforted him throughout the ordeal.
"It'll be okay Mr. Laguna, Raine will make you better. She made me better when I was sick too." Ellone was saying. Laguna gave her a wan smile in response, and sighed in relief as Raine completed the more painful aspects of his care.
One more task remained, and Ellone could not be present during that.
"Elle honey, why don't you go play outside for a little bit while I finish up with Sergeant Loire?"
"Okay Raine," Ellone said, then leaned over and gave Laguna a little peck on the cheek before she skipped out. He watched her leave, expression unreadable. Raine's heart did a little flip at the gentleness she saw in his eyes.
"You know what comes next," she said, getting a basin of warm water, soap, sponge and a towel together.
"I can't wait," he said, giving her a rougish grin. "Call me Laguna, by the way."
Raine crossed her arms over her chest and glared down at him, "Need I remind you to behave yourself?"
"No, but you will anyway," he said.
"Just keep your comments, and your hands, to yourself, and I won't be tempted to do you further damage." she said, setting to work in a businesslike manner.
"No problems there, both my arms are still broken, after all." He replied with a shrug and a wince as it apparenlty joggled something that was still injured. Likely his ribs, several of which were at least cracked if not actually broken.
As always, she started at his head and ended at his feet, and if there was anything more awkward than staring into the eyes of an attractive, if still terribly injured, man while giving him a sponge bath, she hadn't yet encountered it. His tendency to crack inappropriate jokes didn't help much with the overall awkwardness of it, but they did help her laugh and focus on her task.
He was looking better, she thought, as she carefully worked on his torso. The bruising at least had started to fade from purplish black to a sickly green, and he was regaining the weight he'd lost while battling the pneumonia that had nearly killed him.
Further evidence of his recovery came as a surprise to them both as she worked her way downward.
"Hyne!" he exclaimed, cheeks flaming. Swallowing, he looked away, clearly embarrassed.
Raine's cheeks also turned pink, as she struggled to stay matter of fact about it and continued her ablutions. She couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't make things worse, so she remained silent. Laguna however, did the complete opposite.
"I...I promise you I'm not.. I mean, it's not what you..." his voice trailed off and he said lamely, "well, at least we know that still works?"
"And that matters why?" Raine finally said.
"Uh, because...uh... It's better than it...not...working."
Raine snorted, "I suppose your girlfriend would appreciate it if nothing else."
"I.. I don't..." he swallowed, suddenly looking lost. And a little sad.
"I see." Raine said and quickly finished the rest of her task in silence.
She was pulling the sheet back over him when he laid his hand over hers, stopping her. Looking up, she met his eyes and he gave her a smile of such surpassing sweetness that it went straight to her heart.
"Thank you," he said. "Thank you for my life, Raine."
"You're welcome," she said, then added in mock severity. "Now hurry up and get better so you can get the hell out of here. I want my house back."
He gave her an uncertain grin, "well, I'll do my best."
She didn't want to encourage him, not really. What possible good would it do? He was a soldier who would eventually have to rejoin his unit. He would have to leave. But the hurt in his eyes told her that he'd misunderstood her slightly sarcastic statement. And much as she hated to admit it to herself, she did find him attractive, and he was becoming more so every day as his health improved.
Giving him a warm smile, she said, "that's all we can hope for, isn't it?"
Suddenly, his eyes warmed, and his fingers caressed hers lightly as he replied, "It's a start."
It had been a good day. Uncle Laguna had let her help him on his monster patrol, and she got to see him exterminate three buchubuchus (he called them caterchipillars). It was exciting to watch him fight the monsters, it made her feel safer. If the Bad People came again, Uncle Laguna could fight them too and make them go away.
Adielle kept trying to tell her that the Bad People really weren't all bad, that they just wanted to take her to a magic place, but Ellone didn't want to go. She loved Raine, and Uncle Laguna too, and didn't want to leave them. In fact, she was hoping that Uncle Laguna and Raine would get married so they could be a family.
Raine didn't like it when she went with Uncle Laguna on his patrols, though. She said it was too dangerous, and got angry at him every time she found out that he'd allowed Ellone to tag along. So they tried not to be too obvious about it.
On this particular day, Ellone had gotten some goo on her from one of the monsters that Uncle Laguna had killed. He'd checked her thoroughly and heaved a sigh of relief at discovering that it wasn't poison, and had directed her to clean up before coming upstairs for lunch.
So Ellone washed her hands and face, and changed out of her dirty clothes for good measure, before coming upstairs. As she did, she heard Uncle Laguna and Raine having what sounded like an intense discussion. Knowing her presence would only be a distraction, Ellone tiptoed upstairs and hid behind the couch, intending to wait until they were done. So she heard everything they said.
"...Appreciate everything you do for us Laguna, really I do but.."
"But, what?"
"Won't you be reuniting with your unit soon? Wasn't that what your friend Kiros was here for?" Raine asked.
"N-no. He was trying to find me, yes... and I do have to officially report my whereabouts but...I'll only be gone long enough to tell them I'm not re-enlisting. Kiros was just here to see if I was going to re-up or not because my tour's up." Laguna answered.
"Wait. So, you're coming back? Why? I mean, I heard you talking to Kiros about going into journalism and.. Winhill doesn't even have a weekly circular." Raine said, sounding surprised.
Laguna sighed, and asked softly, "do you really not know why I would want to come back here?"
Silence, and then a shaky breath. Finally Raine said, "I know you're really taken with Ellone..."
"And with you."
"Laguna..."
"What are you afraid of, Raine?" he asked her gently.
"How can I answer that question?" Raine said, sounding frustrated. "Do you want a list? I've got one a kilometer long. If you want the short version, the answer is everything!"
"I wish I could slay those particular demons, Raine, but that's a fight for you alone. I will tell you this, and you can take it however you want: I'm coming back because I love you..and Ellone. I want to marry you and adopt her. I want us to be a family. If you don't feel that way then tell me to leave now and I'll go and never come back." Laguna said.
His voice sounded strange to Ellone, and she peeked around the corner of the couch to see why. Uncle Laguna was standing close to Raine, staring down into her face, looking hurt. She was staring back with an odd expression on her face. She appeared both happy and sad at the same time, and when she blinked, a tear rolled down her cheek. Ellone frowned. Why would Raine be sad that Uncle Laguna wanted to marry her?
Silence stretched uncomfortably, but Laguna simply waited, watching her.
"I..Okay, yes, dammit. Yes, I love you too. I didn't want to, because I thought you'd leave and rejoin the army and go off fighting again and maybe get killed.. I didn't want to fall in love with you! I didn't want someone else that I loved to die in this damned war!" Raine brushed the tears away from her face roughly, and continued, "And you...Hyne, Laguna, you're as transparent as glass. It was obvious you were falling for me and Ellone both and I didn't know what to do about that! I didn't want to encourage you but at the same time..."
"You wanted me too."
"Yes." she whispered.
"So, that kiss..."
"Wasn't a mistake."
"Well, that's a relief. I thought you were going to hate me forever for that."
"Laguna, if I'd really not wanted you to kiss me, you'd have been walking around with a black eye."
Laguna smiled down at her and asked, "So, are you going to answer my question before or after I kiss you again?"
"After."
Laguna grinned widely at her response, then his expression became more intent he dipped his head down and kissed her thoroughly.
Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered, "Well?"
"What was the question again?" Raine asked.
Laguna looked outraged and said flatly, "really?"
"Well, you never actually asked me. You simply told me what you wanted." Raine said.
Laguna blinked at her logic, and said, "you're right. Okay then. Raine, will you marry me? I promise to squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom end, always put the cap on it, refill the ice trays when I empty them, put the seat down, and everything else. Oh, and I'll adopt Ellone too."
Raine suddenly smiled brilliantly amid the tears that started leaking from her eyes, and said, "Yes."
"Yes? YES!" Laguna whooped with joy and swept her up into his arms, kissing her until they were both breathless.
Infected by their excitement, Ellone popped up from behind the couch, crowing, "Yaaay! You're gonna get married!"
They turned as one in surprise, and Ellone cannonballed into them both ...or rather, their legs. Wrapping her arms around them both the best she could, she hugged them in an excess of joy. Then they both knelt down and pulled her into a three-way hug. Ellone had never felt so happy or safe or loved...not since her parents died. Oh, Raine loved her, she didn't doubt that, but having Uncle Laguna too was just like having two slices of her favorite cake with a double scoop of the best ice cream from Jilly's Parlor.
"So, when are you gonna get married?" Ellone asked eagerly. "Can I hold the flowers?"
"Of course you can," Raine said. "As for when..." she looked over at Laguna.
"As soon as I get back, sprout." He smiled kindly at her and ruffled her hair. "It might not be fancy though..." he added, looking a little worried.
"I don't care," Raine said, and Ellone nodded in agreement.
"Just make sure there's lots of flowers." she said.
"Done." he said. Then glanced over at Raine and added, " I guess we can talk some more about this after dinner. Speaking of which, do you want me to cook?"
"Absolutely not!" Raine said standing up briskly and heading to the kitchen. "I've seen what you did to the kitchen in your place."
"Hey now, to be fair, it was mostly destroyed when I got there," Laguna protested.
"Well, you certainly haven't improved things." Raine said.
Laguna opened his mouth, closed it, and frowned.
Looking down at Ellone, he said, "You know, I actually can cook, right Ellone?"
Ellone nodded, "You make good sandwiches."
"See?" he held his hand out to Raine. "I make good sandwiches. Who says dinner has to be complicated?"
Raine snorted as she rummaged through the refrigerator for the items she needed for that evening's meal.
"Raine's are better though," Ellone added.
"Ouch. That's harsh, kid." Laguna said, clapping his hand over his heart and groaning.
Ellone laughed and Raine snorted again, then said, "Fine, if you want to help Laguna, peel these potatoes."
"Peel po...really?" Laguna asked, appearing dismayed. "I thought I'd seen my last potato months ago!"
Raine raised both eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest, "Well, I figure you'll have plenty experience doing that if nothing else."
"Kiros told on me, didn't he?" Laguna asked in exasperation.
Raine laughed at the look he gave her when she handed him a bowl with the potatoes she wanted peeled in it.
"He said you were an expert."
"Not by choice," he grumbled, taking the peeler from her hand with a frown. She simply laughed and continued with her preparations. Muttering under his breath, he set to work.
"Can I help too?" Ellone asked.
"Of course." Raine said, and got a step stool out for Ellone to stand on so she could reach the counter.
That dinner was the first one that they made together as a family. There were others, but not nearly as many as Ellone would have liked. Still, the memories that were created in the brief months that they were all together as a family, were a safe haven for her when things became unbearable.
It was around this time that Adielle became more and more insistent and demanding during Ellone's dreamwalks, as she called them.
Come to me child. I will show you a place of magic and wonders.
But I don't want to. I'm happy here. So is Raine and Uncle Laguna. Maybe they'll make me a baby sister or something.
Why would you want that? A baby would simply take up all their time and attention and they would forget about you. You aren't ACTUALLY their child, after all.
It doesn't matter. They love me. I KNOW they do!
I will find you, child. And you will come to me. We will be one, and with your special talents, there's no telling what we could do!
But, I don't want to! Go away! Ellone was beginning to get scared. She tried to break off contact, but usually only someone trying to wake her would pull her out of her "dreamwalk". But she fought against the force that held her paralyzed. Fought, and finally managed, with a wrench, to pull herself out of the "dream" with a cry. Shaken, she began to sob.
Uncle Laguna came in a few minutes later and knelt down next to her bed, whispering, "Bad dream?"
At Ellone's tearful nod, he gathered her into his arms and whispered, "It's okay sweetheart. I'm here..."
I will find you. I will take you. I WILL have what I want!
The voice whispered through Ellone's mind, making her shudder and cling more tightly to Laguna.
Author's Note: So, here's my submission to this year's Successor Challenge.. hopefully it meets the criteria. No, it isn't finished, I've outlined it (yes, REALLY!) to come in four parts, or chapters, and it is MOSTLY going to be from Ellone's POV. Her view of the events that lead up to Time Compression and the part she played in it. Despite life doing it's best to kick my ass on a daily basis, I DID manage to get THIS part done. I'll be working hard as I can on the rest of it. Hope you all enjoy!