I've wanted to do this sort of story for awhile. I really enjoyed doing future fic for Rodoreamon and featuring Paraietta in it. I really wanted to do a fic that focused on Paraietta. This is the result. It didn't take too long to write once I figured out the concept I wanted to follow, and the words just flowed. Enjoy!

The calm afternoon was rare, almost a fairy tale these days. She rested beneath one of the small trees, enjoying the small bit of coolness the shade provided. A head rested in her lap, dozing in the afternoon sun. Affectionately, she ran her fingers through the short hair, smiling. She always said she didn't have favorites, but she couldn't deny that this particular child was certainly one. Her eyes looked over the rest of the yard, watching the other orphans at play. Some were playing tag, others building with blocks. Still others were leafing through picture books. Imaginary play was rampant, and she wished she might do the same.

War was taking its toll on their lives, and she was exhausted. She slept fretfully at night, fearing hearing the bombs falling around them. She feared she'd wake too late, unable to do anything for any of the children. She wanted to keep them safe, but if she couldn't listen for the enemy in time, it'd all be for naught. Some days the nursemaids forced her to take a few hours to rest because she would wear herself down working. Always working. It was her life, but sometimes she let work consume it more than it should. The children were more precious to her than anything she could ever own.

Even Rodoreamon had commented on her exhaustion and stress during her last visit near a fortnight ago. She had urged Paraietta to take better care of herself and to make sure she was resting properly. She warned her that if she wasn't, she might not be able to protect the children as she wanted. Knowing her friend was concerned, she had listened to her, but there were times when she simply felt she had to continue working, even after the light had disappeared and darkness covered the land.

She sighed. The war was not going over well. Each time one side started to get an advantage over the other, things would reverse. It was becoming a struggle to see who could hold on to the advantage longest. Resources were being depleted as time went on. None of the countries could support a war for too much longer. If it didn't end soon, Paraietta knew something drastic might end up occurring. The thought worried her. What sort of world was being created for the children under her care? Would there even be a world left by the time all was said and done?

Movement in her lap directed her attention to the child resting there and she smiled. Reicha was merely settling herself into a more comfortable position, but did not wake. She was still in a deep sleep. Paraietta didn't blame her. The warm afternoon sun would make anyone feel drowsy and tempted to doze off. She knew the nursemaids wouldn't mind if she did, but she couldn't bring herself to close her eyes and relax. It felt forbidden to her, and so she did not partake.

A flash in the sky caused her to look upward. Her eyes widened as she realized the beautiful sight before her. There it was, glowing translucent green. It lingered in the sky for a moment, before moving forward. After a few moments, it disappeared once more. Her heart sank. She had hoped it would be able to stop and visit. The craft, dubbed Ventus by the crew, had appeared every year or so, sometimes more. It was never for long, and this had been the longest time yet. She wondered how the eternal pair were fairing on their journey. Surely they were working to discover what they needed.

Sighing again, she rested against the tree, closing her eyes. Aaeru and Neviril had been sent off with much hope. They had narrowly escaped, only able to do so with the aide of the foreign priestesses. Vaguely, Paraietta wondered if Neviril had something to do with that. She had no idea why; she couldn't recall anything. She had watched from below as the Emerald Ri Majon had been executed with flawless perfect; there wasn't any trouble this time and the center had glowed brightly. And then they were gone, gone forever from the physical restraints of the world.

She wasn't sure now if she would have wanted to do that. Her life was meaningful and she was doing something that supported the country and the community. Would she have felt the same traveling through the endless realms of time and space? The idea of what she believed to be right had changed as she had matured. To scamper off with the Emerald in hopes that it'd bring about a miracle seemed so childish of her. She realized that that to some, it was the only dream they had. Even the high priestess at the time had endorsed it with a crazy fanaticism at the very end. Now, it didn't seem like the perfect solution. By the time the Emerald Ri Majon was performed, there wasn't any other way to prevent how the war had turned out. In the end, some had been unwilling to accept that Tempus Spatium had deemed them the losing side of the war and that the once peaceful theocracy was soon to be ending.

Paraietta thought of Neviril, the girl she had once loved. At least, she had thought it to be love. It was nothing more than a crush and the misguided ideals of a teenaged youth. She knew now that she did not have to be a man in order to appear strong and protect the one she loved. Gender did not matter when it came to that. Society may view it as only males being able to be strong, but she could do just the same as a female. She did so every day, and many lives were left in her care. No matter how bad the war became, no matter how rough things became at the orphanage, she always needed to be strong for the young ones in her care. They looked up to her and respected her. The children needed her strength, and in turn, she drew strength from them as well.

What would Neviril say if she saw Paraietta now? Would she agree with Paraietta? Would Neviril still find the girl inside who had been her closest friend through the years? Paraietta couldn't help but wonder if Neviril was still in love with Aaeru after all this time. Seeing the girl again would allow her to see that she'd made the right choice in letting Aaeru be her pair. Aaeru had matured from the cocky upstart she'd once been, but Paraietta still had her doubts at times. More than ever, she hoped that Aaeru had been the right choice, since the pair would be together for all eternity.

"Paraietta?" called a small voice.

Jarred from her thoughts, Paraietta looked down. Reicha was looking up at her with sleepy eyes. Paraietta rubbed the young girl's back, smiling. "Feel better?"

Reicha nodded. "Uh huh. I wanna go play now!" The little girl rose to her feet and brushed herself off. Then she raced toward a group of girls who were building with blocks.

For a few moments, Paraietta watched Reicha and her friends build a tall tower. It wasn't long before the tower fell, mostly because it was unbalanced. Too many blocks on top and not enough support below. In a way, it was similar to the present predicament. Amusing how a child's play could reflect the more serious aspects of adult life. She rested her head against the tree, closing her eyes. Perhaps she would just rest for a few moments. Yes. A few moments would be fine.

The next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake. She opened her eyes, rubbing away the sleepiness in them. She looked up, and into the concerned eyes of Rodoreamon. "I—I'm sorry," she hastily apologized. "I must have dozed off for a few minutes."

Rodoreamon gestured to the sky, which was streaked in colors. "You've been asleep for hours, Paraietta. This isn't good for you. You can't be any good to the children if you can't take care of yourself."

Paraietta rose to her feet quickly. "I am able to take care of myself!"

"If something would have happened," Rodoreamon began softly, "You would have been too out of it to protect anyone. Please, Paraietta, you must take better care of yourself." Rodoreamon reached out and squeezed Paraietta's shoulder gently. "I'm not trying to scold you. I'm just concerned about you."

She wanted to answer with a sharp reply, but one look into Rodoreamon's soft eyes, and the reply was lost. Rodoreamon was only trying to be helpful. She sighed. "Yes, I know."

"Come. Let's go back to the children."

"Why are you back so soon? I hadn't expected you back until next week."

"This is why you must take better care of yourself. You had invited me to eat dinner with the children today on my last visit. Have you forgotten?"

"I'm sorry. I must have."

"Well, no matter." Rodoreamon slipped her arm around Paraietta's. "Let us go then and eat with the children. I can always scold you later, can't I?"

"I'm sure you will," agreed Paraietta, chuckling.