By: Ninn
The setting sun cast constantly moving
reflections over the endless blue sea, broken only by the ship that steamed
across it, kicking up the still blue water.
It had been on the sea for three days, and would reach its destination,
New
Parm, sometime around the middle of the
next day.
Most of the passengers were in their
cabins or one of the lounges, away from the deck where the sun beat down
relentlessly
and the ocean breeze carried up the water,
soaking anyone who was there. Of the few that were up there, all but one
was
crowded in the middle, where the spray
was the least. The other one was sitting on the edge, long legs dangling
over the side
of the boat, forehead resting lightly
on the railing. Her long hair was matted down her back, the dampness darkening
its normally
light turquoise color, but she didn't
seem to notice or care.
Parm, as she tended to call it, was
not somewhere she wanted to return to like this. She had visited it before,
but never spent
any time there, and thought it was nice,
so she had nothing against it. But now, returning not only to the town,
but also to reality
was something she wasn't ready for.
It had been ten years since that
fateful battle, and she had been around the world times over. That giant
wall soon became a tourist
attraction when people found out that
it didn't really lead to the end of the world, and it was accepted as ok,
as long as the villages
on each side remained undisturbed. Most
of the rest was a blur of memories, some happy, some not. There had been
times when
the outlook wasn't good, and times when
everything went right. And, to tell the truth, she wouldn't've been happy
if there wasn't a
mix of the two.
She sighed slowly and raised her
head from the railing, taking in the blue sky. It looked the same where
ever she was, and for someone
who went everywhere it was a small comfort.
She was suddenly jerked from her train of thought, but didn't respond.
"Feena?"
She slowly turned without standing,
and placed her back against a post, "I'm fine," and she was. Upset, a little,
but that didn't really
matter. She knew that Justin cared about
her, even if they hadn't become an item.
"Are you sure?" He sat beside her, "You've been up here all day."
Feena nodded, "I just wanted some time to think. It's probably going to be a bit hectic tomorrow."
"You're probably right..." he trailed
off and started watching the family that was in the middle. Two parents
and two kids, playing what
looked to be a careful game of catch.
"I don't know what I'm going to do. It's not that I don't want to stay, but I don't want to be a third wheel."
"You won't be a third wheel."
"Maybe not, but it would be more
than a little awkward. You've been keeping in touch with Sue, and I know
that you have feelings for
her. I don't want to get in the way anymore
than I already have," she shook her head, "I've kept you for too long."
"Wait a minute, you haven't kept
me anywhere," he placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked into his
face, "I've done this because
I wanted to and to be with you."
"Thank you... I think..."
"You don't have to thank me."
Feena sighed and slowly stood, "I'm going down to the cabin. I didn't realize how long I've been up here. See you in the morning."
Justin watched her walk away, but
made no move to follow. It was obvious she wanted to be alone. He knew
that she knew that he
cared for her, and that she had wanted
more. And he would've given it to her in a heartbeat... Had it not been
for who was waiting for
him back in Parm.
Through the years, he and Sue had
been keeping in touch through any means possible. And through the words
they shared, they became
much closer. Both of them weren't sure
when they could get together again, but it didn't matter. The age difference
became of no importance.
Justin turned his back to the deck,
noticing that the family had gone off somewhere, stood and leaned on the
railing. The wind was picking
up, sending his hair into disarray, and
chilling him. He didn't notice it, though. He was watching the sun. It
was late, and the sun was setting,
throwing colors across the ocean. Red
and purple intermingled, and the sky was brilliant.
Then, he went back down, hoping that
Feena was okay.
~~
The next morning was perfect in every
way. Sunny and warm, without a cloud in the sky. From the moment the sun
rose, land was in
sight of the ship.
Justin and Feena, having been lucky
enough to have a cabin with a window, were the first ones on deck, both
amazed at how early the
ship would arrive. They were mostly silent,
neither wanting to break the last few hours that they would be alone together.
When the ship arrived in Parm, the
port was mostly empty. That was no surprise to Justin, it was early. He
stood there for a moment
, memories greeting him. He felt Feena's
hand on his shoulder, but said nothing, and began to walk into the town.
And stopped again
when he saw all the changes. Everything
was busy, and buildings had sprung out of nowhere. He thought it seemed
much larger.
"Hey, you look like you've seen a ghost."
"No... I just wasn't expecting the town to have sprung into a city."
"I understand," she paused for a second, "So, where did you live?"
"It was over there," he pointed to the left, and they walked together, passing a sign that said 'Old Parm'.
This time, it was Feena who stopped right after they crossed the bridge, "It looks so, different over here."
Justin nodded, "They kept it the same...."
"I bet I can guess why!" Feena grinned at Justin, who blushed, "Which is your house?"
"I lived over the Seagull Restaurant. It's owned by my mother," he pointed to the sign, "Why don't we go and say hi?"
"Okay. As long as she doesn't make me stay," she said it with a humor she didn't feel.
"She'll probably make you stay for the day," they began to walk as they spoke, "But I think you'll like her cooking."
Feena smiled uncertainly, "I think I can manage to stay for the day," she lied.
The last few feet were taken in silence,
and Justin pushed the door to the restaurant, home, open. His mom was behind
the counter, leaning
into the stove, but when she spoke her
voice wasn't muffled, "Just sit wherever you want. I'll be right with you."
Feena looked at Justin and stifled a giggle.
"No... We don't need a table."
Lily turned quickly, "Justin? You're
home! And who is this?" She eyed Feena, her frying pan held menacingly,
"Not a girlfriend I hope. You
know Sue's been waiting for you."
"No," he eyed the frying pan, "She's just a friend. Erm... How have you been?"
"I've missed you," she abandoned the stove, and wrapped Justin in a tight hug, " And I'm proud of you. So, does your friend have a name?"
Feena nodded, "I'm Feena, Mrs. ....."
"Just call me Lily. I hope you've been treating Justin well while you've been with him!"
Feena laughed, "Don't worry, I wouldn't've had it any other way."
"Well, this idle chit-chat is all well and good, but where's Sue?" Justin piped up.
Lily nodded, "She's upstairs. Feena?
Why don't you stay down here. Justin," Lily waved her frying pan menacingly,
"Don't startle her – she's
not expecting you."
"Don't worry," he grinned slightly and headed up the stairs.
~~
Sue was in the upstairs dining setting
the table for two, as usual. The morning sunlight streamed in through the
window, casting her features
in a mix of light and shadow, highlighting
her nose and lips, and obscuring her eyes. She worked quickly, and then
turned to go into the
upstairs bedroom.
Justin watched her from the confines of the stairway, and followed her only when she was out of view.
The door to the bedroom was closed,
and Justin paused for a second, hesitation trying to pull him away. But
the hesitation wasn't enough,
and he knocked on the door.
"I'll be right down, Lily. I'm getting changed," When she heard no response, she called, "Lily?"
Justin quickly headed back down to
the dining area, deciding it would be better to wait there. And he didn't
have to wait long, it was only a
matter of seconds before he heard the
footsteps, and a few more seconds when he saw her.
And she saw him. Blinked a few times, then ran to him, arms outstretched.
He caught her easily, and she leaned
her head on his shoulder, then whispered in his ear, "I can't believe you're
back... You have no idea how
much I missed you."
"Yes," he whispered back, "I do. Because I missed you just as much."
"You had Feena with you...."
"But I've been waiting for you."
They were silent for a few moments, then Sue pushed away gently, "It's been ten years... yet right now I feel like we were never apart."
Justin said nothing, there was no answer necessary.
Behind them, he heard footsteps, and turned his head slightly. Sue did the same.
"Why don't you two come downstairs. I think Feena's getting lonely," Lily winked at them then turned back down.
"Feena's here?" Sue asked, staring at him.
"She is. She wanted to see New Parm."
"How long is she going to be staying?"
"Knowing her, she won't stay longer than the night, if that."
"Oh..."
"You sound.... disappointed?"
Sue nodded slightly, "Well, I kinda wanted to get to know her again."
"She's downstairs. Go talk to her."
"I will. But you're coming with me," she grabbed Justin's hand, and they re-entered the restaurant.
Feena was sitting at one of the tables,
engaged in a conversation with Lily, and holding a drink, but stood when
they entered, and walked over
to them.
"Hi, Feena," Sue smiled brightly, "I missed you!"
"I missed you too. How have you been?"
Sue nodded, "Fine. It's been boring here, though."
Feena laughed, "Well, you have no reason to be bored now."
"How long are you going to stay?" Sue asked, changing the subject.
"Well, I wasn't planning on staying. I don't mean any offense, but I already explained to Justin on the boat over."
"Oh...."
"Hey, don't look so down. I'll visit," she turned to Lily, "It was a pleasure to meet you, but I can't stay any longer."
"Are you sure? Won't you at least stay for lunch?" Lily indicated to the oven, "It's almost ready."
"I'm sorry, but I really can't. I have to get back to.... somewhere."
"Somewhere?" Sue asked, looking a bit hurt, "Don't you know what it's called?"
Feena shook her head, "It's been so long, I can't recall the name. Hey, once I get there, I'll contact you. I promise."
"Well, ok. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too. Justin, thanks for the past 10 years. I'll never forget them."
"Neither will I. Have a safe trip,
after all, I won't be there to protect you!" they both laughed at the inside
joke, and shook hands, before
hugging.
Feena smiled at everyone, turned slowly, and walked out the door, leaving the room in an awkward silence.
Outside in New Parm, Feena
walked slowly through the town, shaking slightly. She hadn't wanted to
leave, she really hadn't. It would've
been too hard to do anything else, though.
She knew that Justin felt the same way, and also knew that if she stayed,
Sue would always be
on edge, and jealous with no reason to
be so.
She sighed as she reached the port. She didn't really have anywhere to go.... but she didn't care. She didn't mind wandering.
~~
Justin and Sue were sitting next
to each other, sharing their first meal in years. Lily was across from
them, but not much conversation was
being shared.
The clank of silverware rose over
everything else, then Lily suddenly stood and picked up her dishes, "I'm
going downstairs to prepare for
the dinner crowd. I won't interfere on
whatever you want to talk about."
They watched her leave, then continued
eating. But that distraction only lasted so long, and soon they were looking
at each other, both
stumbling over what to say. Finally, they
settled on nothing.
Sue looked over at Justin, and sighed.
This wasn't what she had in mind. After a few moments of internal struggle,
she opened her mouth,
"So... What have you been doing?"
"Well, we basically just went everywhere we could. No heroics this time."
"Oh, well, at least you were doing
something. Other than the town being built up into a city, nothing has
happened. Well, I do help you
mother with the restaurant, but, well,
that' just tedious and rather boring.
Justin nodded, "Yes, I remember having
to help out before we left. I know how you feel. …Look at it this way,
I was forced to help, and
was constantly cowering in fear of a frying
pan."
She grinned "True, but it still has been very boring around here," There was a hint of mischief in her voice.
"You could've done something," he joked back. The nonawarkerdness was returning to their friendship.
"I had to leave before I got a chance to get strong, remember?" was her retort.
"It's not my fault that you got knocked out in every battle when we didn't have enough money for the proper recovery items."
"Yeah, well. I was 8 at the time. Plus, I had to keep Puffy out of my way."
Justin looked around, "Hey, where is Puffy, anyway? I thought it always stayed with you?"
Sue shrugged, "Puffy's somewhere, I don't really know, it hasn't been around much for the past year or so."
"Oh... I know how much you liked it."
"I did, but everyone has to leave at some point," she paused, her eyes lighting up, "Tomorrow, let's do something. Something fun!"
Justin grinned, "At least you want to wait until tomorrow. Sure, why not. What do you want to do?"
"Let me think about it. I'll tell you in the morning. Um... What were you planning to do for the rest of the day?"
"Well, I wanted to relax for a while. Seeing how you seem to inhabit my old room, "he smiled, "I'll probably get a room in an inn."
Sue shook her head, "I don't think
so. When was the last time you slept in a personal bed?" she watched as
he shrugged, "I thought so.
You're staying in your room. I didn't
throw any of your stuff away, I just added to it."
"Sue.... Are you sure? Where will you stay?"
"Silly. I'll stay with you! Isn't this what we wanted?"
"Yeah... it is," he stood, "On second thought, I think I'm going to see what all has changed. I never thought our little town could grow so big."
Sue stood also, "Do you mind if I come along? I could show you the new things."
"Sounds like fun. You ready?"
"Yeah. Let's just take these dishes downstairs first."
Justin nodded, "I'm going to go outside."
"All right. Just don't wander off on me!"
~~
Once again outside, Justin wandered
over to the fountain in the middle of the square. It, like the rest of
Old Parm, had remained the same,
except for some new tiles in the bottom.
He was sitting on the edge, staring into it when Sue walked out.
"Everything ok?" she asked.
He stood and nodded, "Everything's fine. You ready?"
"I am. Where do you want to go first?"
"Let's just wander. I'm not really interested in the particulars. There'll be plenty of time to figure those out."
Sue grinned, "Sounds good. I know of the perfect place. It's a bit of a walk, though."
"I don't mind walking. Which way is it?"
She pointed, "Through the new part. Straight through."
"Ok, what is it?"
Sue shook her head, grabbed his hand and started walking, "Nuh-uh. You'll have to wait and see!"
They walked quickly through the old
part of the town, and entered the city-ish portion. Sue continued heading
straight, Justin following her.
Suddenly the new parts of the town didn't
seem important to him.
"Justin," Sue called back to him after they had been walking for a while, "Close your eyes and give me your hand."
"What for?"
"Just do it! No peeking," when she saw that his eyes were closed, she grabbed his hand, "Careful, we're going up."
He stumbled blindly along as Sue led him somewhere, seemingly outside the city.
Then she stopped, "You can open your eyes now."
He did, and gasped. They were on
top of a hill, a hill that looked over the entirety of the city and the
surrounding areas. In the distance, the
Sult Ruins were visible. With the high
sun and cloudless sky, everything was clear and bright.
"I remember them," he muttered, staring
at the Ruins. The place where his adventuring had started. The place where
they had gotten caught
up in those military affairs.
"You remember what?" Sue asked quietly.
"Those ruins. We went exploring there ten years ago."
Sue nodded, "I remember. They've been closed off for years now. No one said why," suddenly her eyes lit up, but she didn't say any more.
Justin saw that look, "What are you planning?"
"Let's go back, see if it's like we remember. It'll be fun!"
"....I don't know. You said it's closed off. Besides, I don't want you to be in any danger."
She grinned, "Don't worry about me. I'm stronger now. I don't think getting in will be any trouble, you're strong with your sword and magic."
"I still don't think it's a good idea."
"C'mon. Don't tell me that you'd rather be sitting around doing nothing. If anything seems dangerous, we'll leave."
"That was a cheap shot, you know."
Sue smiled, "Thanks."
~~
It was raining the next morning when
Justin woke. He rolled over and lay there staring at the ceiling, figuring
that Sue wouldn't want to go to
the ruins in the rain. Then he noticed
that she wasn't in the room with him.
Climbing out of bed was hard, it was comfortable, and he was tired. But he managed and changed into a clean outfit, then left the room.
Sue wasn't downstairs either, but he didn't hurry as he stuffed some items into the bag he had always carried with him.
"Justin! Hurry up!"
He looked over to the window and
saw Sue standing under the small roof that held the outside dining area.
She was wearing a long poncho
over her clothes, and he took her idea
and grabbed one too. Then he headed outside.
"Are you sure you want to go in this weather?"
"Of course! I like the rain," she
held up an old looking bow,"I found this when I was going through my things.
It's a bit small now, but I
can manage."
"Do you even remember how to use it?" Justin joked, and ducked as an arrow flew past his ear, "Watch it!"
Sue retrieved the arrow, "I think so. So, are you ready?"
"Only if you don't send that arrow in my direction again."
Sue giggled, "I won't! Now let's go!" and before Justin could say anything, she had begun to walk quickly.
Justin sighed, and followed her.
As they walked, the rain fell harder, soaking them despite the ponchos they wore.
"You know, you haven't changed much," Sue suddenly said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, ok, you've matured. But other
than that. You still look about the same, you still wear the same colors,
you're using the same sword
as the last time I saw you."
"What works, works," he shrugged ,"I never really gave it any thought."
They fell back into silence, footsteps squishing in the mud.
The path to the ruins had long since
been cleared of any harmful creatures, and was barren and very muddy. By
the time they reached the
entrance to the ruin area, they had lost
the ponchos which had become weighted down with mud. Being as wet as they
were, it didn't matter
either way.
Justin stopped on top of the small cliff outside the ruins and looked down. The ramp was still there, and the entrance was now boarded off.
Sue stood beside him, "I've been
here a lot, but I could never get the courage to go in alone.... No one
else that I know would go with
me. They heard the stories of the monsters
that were in there, and wouldn't listen when I told them I'd been in there
before, telling me that
if I had been there before, I should just
go alone."
"Why do you want to go, anyway?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. I've
been thinking about the past a lot lately. Maybe I just want to relive
it for a while. You know what I
mean, there was nothing to worry about
then."
He nodded, "I know. C'mon, let's go. If we wait too long, it'll get late."
"Right!" she ran forward, down the
ramp, and across the pit.
Justin followed her, drawing his
sword to break the boards that were blocking the entrance.
It didn't take any effort, the boards
were half rotted and poorly secured. Seconds later, Justin pulled the last
one from the opening and
looked in.
Sue pushed him out of the way, and stepped into the gloom, making a face at the dank, moldy smell that was in the air.
"Did it smell this bad before?" she exclaimed as she walked a bit further in.
"I don't remember," Justin remarked
as he followed her in, ducking underneath some support beams that seemed
to be lower than they were
the last time, "See anything that interests
you?"
Sue didn't answer him, and started to head into the darkness, pausing only to pull a light from the bag she was carrying.
The thin beam was enough to illuminate
a path for them to walk on, if she kept it still. Because of that, they
ended up on the floor much more
often than they cared to. Sue tripped
over a chest, groaning when she found it empty.
"We took everything the first time
we were here, remember?" Justin reminded her, then grabbed the flashlight
from her hand, and shone it in a
direction he didn't remember exploring.
Sure enough, there was a large hole in the rocks.
Sue's eyes followed the light, then
made a small noise, "I don't remember that passage being there.... We went
over this place pretty thoroughly.
Let's see what's in there!"
Justin nodded, "Might as well," he paused, "Keep your bow ready, just in case."
"I will," she placed an arrow in it, but didn't stretch it. She hesitated for a second ,"You can go first."
"I thought you weren't scared?"
"Well…. I wasn't. But I didn't expect anything to have changed. Please, you go first."
Justin looked at her. Her eyes were pleading, an uneasy expression on her face. She held her bow at the mouth of the tunnel.
"Allright. I'll go in first. Keep the way lit, if you can."
"You'll be up front, maybe you should take the light."
"I'll also have to worry about anything that decides to make an appearance. Just hold the light up high, and it should be fine."
Sue nodded, "Will do. Uhm… Be careful up there."
He nodded, and walked cautiously.
Theoretically, there should be nothing to worry about. Even years ago,
there had been little to worry them.
But something seemed wrong to him. This
tunnel hadn't been there before, and it didn't look like it had been formed
by humans.
"Justin? Did you just hear something?"
He stopped walking, "No, why?"
"Shh…. Just listen."
Justin said nothing, and concentrated
on listening. There was a drip of water here and there, the muffled
sound of the wind back at the entrance,
their breathing, and …something else.
Something down farther in the tunnel they were walking in.
"Do you hear it?" Sue whispered as quietly as she could.
He nodded, "You sure you want to
go in there?" he whispered back to Sue, then turned to face her, "Whatever
it was created this tunnel, and
this was dug from solid rock."
"I….I….Yes, I still want to go. I know that we can manage, as long as we're together."
"….Then we go. Can you shine the light down the tunnel?"
Sue lifted the flashlight slightly,
aiming the beam straight in front of them. The tunnel was short, and Justin
saw the glint of what appeared to
be a large eye. He shifted his sword from
his back, and held it in front of him.
Sue also saw the eye, and made sure
her arrows were within easy reach. She had seen the creature shift it's
weight when she shone the
flashlight on it, and knew that it would
attack them.
"Justin, watch out. It's going to attack."
"I know."
They stood for only a matter of seconds before it found its way to them. Up close, the eyes were even larger.
Sue glanced at Justin, who was trying
to wedge himself between her and the creature. As long as he was keeping
it distracted, she could
make the first move. Raising her bow,
she aimed directly at one of the eyes. With a slight pull of the bow, she
sent an arrow flying.
The creature howled in pain and anger, then lunged at her by jumping clear over Justin.
Justin saw this, and cursing, spun on his heels. His sword met the back of the creature, who ignored him.
"Help me! I can't attack at this range!" Sue sounded panicked, then screamed in anguish.
"Sue!"
He ran toward the creature, getting
as close as he could. With a swift downward slice, he left a large, long
gash in the creature from arm to
leg. The creature still ignored him, and
he continued hacking and slicing.
Then, suddenly, the creature seemed uninterested, and slinked past him back to the end of the tunnel.
"Sue? Are you okay?" In the dark, the flashlight had been knocked out in the scuffle, he felt his way toward where she had been standing.
"Help me…." Her voice was weak, "I can't move…"
"I'll get you out of here," he groped
around in the dark, and his arms bumped against a figure laying on the
ground. Ignoring the warm, sticky
wetness around it, he picked Sue up, and
stood.
"I'm sorry….." She muttered, "…I didn't think…."
"Shh…."
He had to walk slowly, to keep from bumping into the walls in the dark.
"….It wouldn't….stop……kept……attacking….."
"Shh. Please, don't talk. Once we get back to Parm I'll get help."
"….I….don't…..think….." she paused "….I'll make…..it…..back….."
"Of course you will. Don't say that,"
but his voice carried little persuasion. He could feel her blood seeping
into his clothing. Though it was
dark, he walked faster.
"I…..'m……glad……that you……came……back…."
"Don't you dare, Sue. That sounded like a good bye. Don't say that."
She was silent in his arms.
"Sue? I can see the entrance. Hang
on!" He broke into a run, emerging into the rain. It was coming down harder
than it had been when they
entered, and his feet sank into the mud.
He glanced behind him, at the broken barrier. A pang of guilt ran through
him, this was his fault. It
had been with good reason that the Ruins
had been shut off. He had ignored his feeling, and gone in anyway. Nothing
good had come out of that.
"….Jus….tin?"
"Shh,,,, We're almost to Parm."
"…….I……missed……you….."
"I missed you too, but please, don't talk. Not now."
"…..Good……bye….."
"Sue?" He glanced down at the figure in his arm, "Sue! Please, open your eyes! It's not your time!"
He got no response.
"…I should have known better…. I
shouldn't have let you come!" Tears streamed down his face, and he fell
to his knees in the mud. The
rain matted his hair, plastering it to
his head, but he didn't notice, he didn't care about such trivial things.
"Sue…. I'm sorry," To him, the words
sounded corny, not enough. But they were the only ones that would come
out. This was a guilt that he
was going to have to live with, and he
wasn't sure he could handle it. To him, there was nothing more he could
do but apologize.
He stayed there for many minutes,
hunched over the figure in his arms, kneeling in the mud. Then he stood.
He knew he couldn't leave her here.
She deserved more than that.
He began to walk back to Parm. The road
was half flooded, hard to walk on, but he continued, mentally noticing
that the walk seemed much
longer this time. As they reached the
town, he paused outside the gates. This entrance would take him to the
old part, where he lived.
Tears still falling from his eyes, he pulled
Sue's hair off her face and slowly crossed the last few yards into the
town. He was alone in the
courtyard as he lay Sue's body on the
edge of the fountain. Her hair fell into the water, forming a halo effect
around her face.
Justin found he was unable to look at her,
and gazed into the sky. The rain still poured relentlessly down, washing
the blood from his face and
clothes. To him, the rain seemed fitting,
it was sad and dreary, covering the day in dark undertones.
With a sudden courage he left the body that was by the fountain to go bear the bad news.
Later that night, he lay on his bed. Old
Parm had taken the news badly. Though he wasn't being blamed, no one was
talking to him. It was an
uncomfortable situation, one that would
have been bad enough under normal circumstances. Even his mother wasn't
talking to him.
No one wanted him here, he guessed that
much. To tell the truth, he didn't even really want to be here. He had
only come because Feena said
that he should. That it had been too long
since he had been back.
He was going to leave again. It would be
best for everyone. As far as he knew, there was a ship in the harbor. He
could find Feena again, and
while it wouldn't be the same, he knew
that she would still accept him.
Without leaving so much as a note, he headed
for the dock, and boarded the ship that was there. No one questioned him.
The ship set sail the
next morning. Justin stood on the deck,
watching his home and the source of his sadness slowly grow smaller in
the distance. That was the last
time he would see it, the last time he
would see his mother, and the last time he would know true happiness.
And the rain fell, disturbing the quiet harmony of the ocean, masking the falling of his tears.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note from Ninn: I'm not really a big fan
of happy endings. The way I look at it, there's enough of those in just
about every form of media.
So, review or flame, I don't care which.
See, I write because I like to, and I write what I want to. Besides, to
me, this came out well.
