Conversations for Placating Worries

A/N: After one comment I saw about my version of Lucy from my Daughter of the Stars fanfic being like Elie from Rave Master, I decided to see what it was all about. So I read the manga and watched two episodes of the anime. First of all, the anime SUCKED EGGS! Seriously, one of the worse things I've ever seen. And insulting, considering I read about 25 volumes of the manga and could see how much they had changed and left out. Seriously, whomever wrote and green-lighted the show should personally apologize to the whole franchise for that one.

Second, I found the books, while a tab bit shorter than I would have liked, to be beautiful works of art. I can also see what people meant about Elie and my Lucy, but I can assure you, the similarities between the two are purely coincidental. Especially something that I planned to put in sometime soon that had happened to Elie as well. Anyway, after reading the manga, I came up with so many ideas for fanfictions for it, especially when I saw how little stories there were for Rave Master.

While I probably won't write a lot at a time, considering the other stories I have to do and the studies I need to focus on, I hope you will please be patient with me and enjoy what I can give you. Thanks!

Also, I don't own any of the Rave Master material in any way, this is simply for readers' entertainment.

...

Haru found he couldn't sleep.

That was pretty common nowadays, considering all he was dealing with and how much they still had to do, but this particular time felt different.

Those times, he had never felt so restless, so agitated. So much like he couldn't shut his brain off, no matter how much he tried. So he gave up.

Making sure he didn't rouse Plue, who was laying peacefully at the foot of his appointed bed, the young man slid out, putting on his shoes and slipping out onto the observation deck. It was nighttime, of course, so it was dark all around and the stars were out, filling the sky with twinkles of light. Haru took a moment to study them, able to relax just a bit as he let himself get lost in the captivating scene happening above him.

When he finally came back down to earth and prepared to walk to the front of the ship, the grey-haired boy was startled to see someone had beat him to it. Elie was there, facing away from him, standing at the nose of the ship. She was leaning slightly downward, watching the earth below as it passed by.

As Haru watched her, he could just see her bangs covering the area where her eyes would be, a signature move of her's when she was feeling sad. He also found himself studying her bound and bandaged arm, wincing as he remembered the circumstances surrounding the moment she received that injury. And everything before and after it.

Guess it made sense why she wouldn't be able to sleep either. Staring at her for another moment, the young man could see just how hopeless she looked. Also defeated. Now that she wasn't attempting to be strong for everyone and anyone, he could see just how... lonely she seemed. Like she was dealing with something no one else would be able to understand.

And wasn't she? After all, she had the Etherion. She was the one with lost memories. She was the one who had numerous people who wanted to use and/or kill her. Who else could possibly understand her current situation?

Not him. Definitely not him. But, that doesn't mean he wasn't going to try to at least be there for her. So, taking a quiet breathe to psych himself up, Haru stepped forward with a quiet but warm, "Hey, Elie."

She started, swiftly turning to face him, pure surprise in her eyes. "Haru?"

Either she had been too distracted by her inner turmoils to notice him or he was getting stealthier. Shooting her a big smile to put her at ease, he stood next to her, facing forward and angling his head in her direction. "Hey. What are you doing up?"

"Oh, I was... I," And then she abruptly turned to face forward, bowing her head and hiding her eyes with her hair again. His smile slipped from his face as he saw how downtrodden she looked. Was today too much for her? Suddenly, her head jerked up, a big smile on her face as she said, "Just thinking, Haru. I'm fine, though. Don't worry about me." And here, her expression looked so happy, that if he were a stranger or a distant friend, he would really believe everything was okay. That she was okay.

But Haru knew that smile. Just like his jokes and cheerful demeanor, that smile was meant to be a shield, a mask. And underneath it was everything she was sparing everyone from seeing. Her pain, her frustration, her sadness. And every other emotion the events she had gone through had invoked.

It was all he could do not to flinch, because that was the same smile she had given him when she had been dying at Sieg Hart's hand. Even as she was visibly suffering before him, even as she had been coughing up blood and crying, she had had that smile. Because it was meant to placate him. Meant to comfort him. And that was what made it so sad.

Because she had gone through so much today. She deserved to think about her feelings. Her experiences. Not worry about anyone else.

So, steeling himself, Haru softly countered, "It's okay if you're not. I can't imagine what today much have been like for you. It wasn't really a fun time for anyone, but especially you."

Elie's smile disappeared too, going back to staring at the passing horizon with that same desolate expression. Looking at her, Haru began to speak, "Elie, I-"

"I couldn't sleep," she confessed quietly, face still down and shadowed by her hair, "I tried, but after so many hours of just staring up at the ceiling, I gave up."

Her companion nodded, patiently waiting as she got her thoughts in order. It wasn't long before she spoke again, "It's... a lot of things. The Oracion Six, my memories, the Etherion," she hesitated but for a moment, "Lucia."

Haru stiffened as she said that name. The blond demon. The son of his dad's former best friend. And he had swept through them, brushed them aside as though they were insects, and worse of all, made Elie cry. The boy clenched his fists tightly as he remembered that kiss, the one Lucia had forced on Elie. He knew it was meant to send a message, not just to Elie, but to him too.

For Elie, it was that no matter what her wishes were, Lucia would take her and use her however he pleased. For Haru, , it was that he was powerless to stop him from hurting anyone, especially the one who was most important to him. And acted as a slap in the face too. Because everytime he recalled that kiss, remembered how Elie sobbed over it, and how Lucia laughed and mocked her, Haru wanted so badly to punch something. Preferably Lucia's smug, evil face. And then every other part of his body, vital and otherwise. It was so tempting, so all-consuming, he had to purposely block it from his mind, else he do something irrational and risky, like ride straight to Oracion Six hideout and demand to settle things once and for all.

But Elie needed him now. So, he took a breath to calm himself and asked softly, "What about Lucia?"

"It's about what Reina mentioned. When he did... what he did to me, I could feel something dangerous in him. And also, familiar. He's dangerous and strong, and I wonder if anything can stop him. Even Rave."

Haru harshly sucked in a breath in the aftermath of his friend's statement, "Elie-"

"Please don't misunderstand, Haru," she pleaded, voice all choked up and tears in her eyes. "I don't want him to be invincible. I don't want him to prevail. But since the Oracion Six left, all I can think about is how effortlessly he did what he wanted. Kissing me, pushing you and the others away. There's a dark power inside him,and it's strong. Strong enough to cause the destruction of the world. And I worry so much. I wonder if we can be enough. If Rave and Etherion can be enough. And I'm just so scared about what will happen if it isn't."

The grey-haired teen was struck speechless at the great fear Elie was revealing to him. Was it the aftermath of visiting Resha Valentine's grave? She had seemed so sad, so weighed down by what she had seen. Was it truly so bad that she was considering the possibility they would all fail? It was a long while before he could formulate a response.

Haru took a gentle breath, "Elie, do you remember when we first ran into Sieg Hart? And how he was trying to kill you?"

"Y-Yeah, of course I do," she answered.

"I didn't know how or why, but I could just tell you needed me. That I had to find you. It wasn't the first time I felt that way, but it was the first time you were in real danger. By the time I got there, you were in bad shape. I was so scared you wouldn't survive. More than you could comprehend." Haru began, staring at the railing the whole time he spoke, feeling Elie's gentle eyes on him.

"And when I was fighting Sieg to protect you, it seemed hopeless at first. He was stronger, smarter, more skilled. And then that spell of his that trapped me in the dark with all those horrific scenes," the young man shuddered for a moment, than proceeded to speak, "There was a real possibility I would lose. That he would kill us both, that I wouldn't be able to stop him. And there was a moment where I couldn't go on. Where I just... gave up."

Here, he made sure to meet her eyes with steely resolve. "But I didn't. Because you needed me to be there. You needed me to be strong, to keep fighting. And no matter how many of his attacks landed, I kept going. Because you were worth all that. As long as I could protect you, it was worth any pain I had to go through."

Haru gave a gentle smile at Elie's quiet awe, reaching for her uninjured hand and squeezing their fingers together. "There a lot of bad people were facing now. People who are out to hurt us, to kill us. But, as long as we remain strong and keep fighting, we'll beat them. And, like I said before, I will become strong enough so that no one will beat me or ever make you cry again. So please, remember that. Remember that I will always be there for you."

A few tears fell down Elie's face as she moved forward and placed her forehead on his shoulder. "Thank you, Haru. Thank you."

Wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he could while still being gentle, Haru whispered back, "It's no problem."

...

So, here's my first Rave Master fanfiction. I just fell in love with these two and wanted to write about their relationship. Since book one, it was clear they were meant for each other. Like Natsu and Lucy, they are the OTP of their series. So, here's a one shot for book 11, and I have a bunch of other ideas as well. But please, tell me what you think of it, and whether or not I should quit now. Have a wonderful day.