Author's Note: I hated how the game created Faye in Echoes. She's such a loving character, loyal, and even accepting of Alm and Celica's relationship. You can call her obsessed, but she is far from a "yandere" like some people paint her as. She was screwed over by the game in so many ways and didn't even get any closure in the ending. How are you gonna create a character whose sole purpose is to suffer? That's so messed up. Reminds me of Melia from Xenoblade Chronicles.
Grandpapa rode away from the village, Celica in tow. Alm watched as their silhouettes faded into nothing, the thick woods outside of Ram Village hiding them. He asked himself why Celica had to leave so suddenly with nothing so much as an explanation. It only motivated him to fulfill his promise to her. He'd stop at nothing to find her.
He couldn't tell how long he'd been standing at the same spot, eyes blankly gazing out into the woods. The voices of his friends reeled him back to the present. Faye was the first to run to his side with boys trailing behind. A soothing hand was placed on his shoulder; he needn't even turn to recognize the touch. She stepped around him so he'd have to look at her.
"Alm? Are you okay?" she asked in a gentle tone, relieving him of some distress already. Although Celica may be gone, he would never be lonely with his friends supporting him, Faye especially. Always the first to come to his aid, he was immensely grateful to her.
Finally, Tobin, being who he was, broke the melancholic mood. To be honest, Alm was glad. "Hey, buddy, cheer up. It's not like it's the end of the world."
Gray bumped him in the elbow, Tobin giving him an annoyed expression. "Be more sensitive, will ya? I know it ain't in your dictionary, but he just lost a friend."
"Um..." Kliff felt like he should say something to cheer his friend up, but he didn't know what to say. He was labeled as the quiet one in their group. Tobin, unsurprisingly, was the loudest, Gray the hopeless romantic, Alm the group leader, and Faye, the shy yet motherly type. He thought her as the most mature of them all. Her loyalty was to be admired; trying her best to bring them up when they were down, caring for them were they sick or injured. Unbeknownst to her, the others felt the same as Alm, but weren't as oblivious to her obvious affections towards him.
Faye clapped her hands, wearing a smile that could probably cheer up the saddest person. "I know. Mother's going to cook lunch soon. Would you all like to come and eat?" Tobin and Gray perked up after hearing that and the former fistpumped.
"Awesome! Faye's mom's cooking is the best!" exclaimed Tobin, Gray clearly agreeing with his body language. Kliff was glad too, but didn't express it much.
Alm didn't budge, the fresh pain of losing Celica clearly weighing him down, but Faye wouldn't give up that easily. She wrapped an arm around his, gently tugging him in her direction. Surprised, he spun his head towards her, immediately wanting to refuse politely, but the serene expression on her face quickly dissipated some of the tension and uneasiness quelled inside. With no further resisting, he returned her smile and nodded.
"Yeah. Sounds good to me."
Faye let out a sigh of relief. "Y-yay! Then let's go."
The two knuckleheads darted off to her home in a rush, Kliff calmly strolling after them. He and Faye walked behind them, with her arms wrapped around Alm's. It was pure bliss to her and continued to hold it unless he said otherwise. As for Alm, he paid it no mind since it wasn't a rare occurrence, used to her touch.
His heart continued to call out for Celica, feeling connected no matter the distance between them. However, he mostly put it aside for his and their sakes. He turned around to glance out at the woods for a moment, eyes finding nothing. Faye could feel her heart sink, but her smile didn't disappear. Although believing he'd never reciprocate her feelings, being with him like this was suffice enough to keep her content. It was meaningless to fear for the future, so she enjoyed this moment as much as she could.