Chapter 3: Coming Back
-Later that day-
Tiffania lifted her head from the table, as she opened her eye, she found that the bed is empty. "Eh! Where did he go?!" She instantly shot up and ran around the house looking for him.
She then walked outside to find him sitting on a fallen tree looking to the sky. With a sigh filled with relief she though 'Good, I found him. He shouldn't be walking though.' She smiled.
"Thank you for helping me." The boy said. He never turned his head to look at her, but he knew she was there.
"I-It wasn't a p-problem." She got nervous as she started to walk back into her house. Saito then stood up and walking in after her. As Saito walked in the door he saw her sitting on a couch. He sat down next to her and stared at her. His face turns red.
'Are those real? They're bigger than any I've seen in the past. She's beautiful too, with those legs, pail-ish skin, and long blond hair and...her ears? Her ears are long and pointed.' Saito didn't know he was starting only at her ears, but she did.
Tiffa quickly covered them and ran into another room. Saito, thinking he did something wrong, followed her. "Hey, I'm sorry if I did something wrong." He said. She ran inside of a room and shut the door. Saito didn't try to open it. He just sat next to the door and waited.
After about an hour, he heard a voice. "D-do you hate me?" The voice came from behind the door.
"What do you mean; Do I hate you? Of course not. You helped me when you didn't know me. What's there to hate?" There was silence and then the door opened slightly. The girl walked out and pointed at her ears.
"It's because I'm an Elf. People hate Elves." She didn't look at Saito in the eyes.
"I don't know why people hate Elves, but if they are like you than I like them. I have no reason to hate a kind person like you or a race that has done nothing wrong to me."
Saito tried to cheer her up. "So, you're not bothered by my ears?" She looked at Saito in the eyes.
"Not in any way. I actually think they look good on you." She blushes.
"My name is Saito." Saito holds out his hand.
"Um, my name is Tiffania, if it's hard to pronounce you can call me Tiffa." Tiffa grabs his hand.
"Thank you again Tiffa." Saito let's go of her hand.
"You're welcome Saito."
-2 weeks later-
Most of Saito's wounds have healed. During that time Saito helped Tiffa with hunting for food or gathering fire wood. She would always ask about his life before they met, he talked about being a familiar to a mage and his friends at the Academy. Tiffa like to listen to his stories.
"Thank you for always helping." Tiffa said as they both walk back from gathering wood.
"It's not a problem, this is the least I can do to repay you, plus this helps me stay in shape." Saito replies. As they get the house Saito asked Tiffa how long she has lived in the house.
"I've lived here as long as I can remember. My mother was an Elf and my father was a mage so my mother took me and we started living here." Tiffa put a hand on the house.
"Where's your mother now?" Saito walks up to Tiffa.
"My mother died four years ago. So I've been living alone. But since you came it's been more fun around here."
"Oh. It must be tough living on your own." Saito puts his hand on her shoulder.
"It was hard at first, but then I got used it soon. But I'm glad you came." Tiffa said with a smile. Saito had a dirty thought fly through his head and his face turned bright red.
"Are you ok Saito?" Tiffa had a worried look on her face.
"U-um...yeah I-I'm fine, just the s-sun that's all" Saito rubs the back of his head.
"Oh. Do you want to go back inside?" Tiffa tilts her head.
"No. I'm fine. What about your father?" He asked, trying to change the subject.
"My father is a mage and the Archduke of Albion I think. I haven't seen my father in a long time." Tiffa looks down at the ground again.
"So you're a half Elf?" Saito says trying to change the conversation.
"Yes I am. I can use magic, but I don't know how."
"I'm sure you'll learn sometime. I live at a magic Academy and they teach magic there, maybe sometime you might be able to go and learn how to use magic." Saito says.
"Maybe…anyway I should start making dinner. I'll call you when it's done." Tiffa smiles and walks back into the house. Saito walks to a clear patch of land in front of the house and lies down.
After a few hours of lying down on the grass and staring at the clouds Derf speaks. "I think Tiffa taking a liking to you, Partner."
Saito looks at Derf who is lying next to him. "You think so?"
"Yes. I've been thinking that what she told you about her family and her being an elf isn't something that you just tell anybody." Derf explains.
"I guess you're right. I mean she only met me not too long ago and she's been so kind to me; a lot more than Louise has ever been." Saito looks over at the house.
"You know we have to leave soon and go back to Louise and the Academy, right?"
"I know Derf. I just want to help her as much as I can before we leave. But I'm sure we'll see her again." Saito grabs Derf and stands. "I'm sure we will to, partner."
"Saito! Dinners ready!" Saito turns and see Tiffa at the door.
"I'll be there in a second!" Saito replies.
That night Saito decided to tell Tiffa that he was going to leave in a few days.
"Thanks you for the meal Tiffa." Saito said nervously.
"You welcome. Is something wrong Saito?" She looks at him with a questionable stare.
"Um- I thing- Well you how I've been get better and all and I'm almost completely healed." Saito rubs the back of his head them. He looks down at the table, avoiding eye contact.
"I know you're going to leave soon." Tiffa said sadly. "I know you have your own life and friends and even a loved one that you care about. This Louise person is one of them right?"
Saito looks at Tiffa with shock as he never mentioned Louise to Tiffa once. "Y-yes I do. I'm sorry I have to leave. I'm a familiar and she is my master and she most likely thinks I'm dead along with my other friends." Saito looked at the table again.
"It's fine. I'll be alright." Tiffa said with a fake smile. But Saito didn't notice.
"Alright, I'll be leavening in a week. But I'll make sure that we can see each other again." Saito looks at Tiffa in the eyes. She blushes.
"Ok." They both walk bock to their rooms.
"Hey, Tiffa?"
"Yes Saito?"
"How did you know the name of my master? I don't remember telling you."
"Oh. I listened to you while you were sleeping. Good night." Tiffa quickly shuts her door.
'She's talking about when I was unconscious, right." Saito thinks as he heads into his room.
-6 days later (dusk)-
Tonight's the last night that Saito will stay with Tiffa. Tomorrow morning he will leave to go back to the Academy and his master Louise. Tiffa has been making something for Saito when he leaves, but doesn't know what it is.
"*sigh* I think it'll take about a week to get to the Academy from here at the most." Saito said to himself. He is holding a map of Albion and Tristain. "And how am I going to get down of this floating rock?"
"We should have thought of this sooner, Partner." Derf said.
"I know, but I was busy." Saito shot back.
"You're worried about the girl, Partner. It must be hard leaving her alone, but we can come back."
"I know that. And I am worried." Saito looks down at the maps.
"Saito." Tiffa said entering the room with something behind her back.
"Hi Tiffa. What do you got there?" Saito points to her back.
"It just something that you can remember me by." She holds the bundle I front of her and Saito grabs it.
"I know you wear those clothe a lot and they are rather damaged with all the seams that have been sown shut, so I made you some new ones." Inside the bundle was a dark gray/blue shirt, with a dark brown vest with silver buttons and long black paints.
Saito looked at the clothes in awe. "It's not much, I had to cut up some old clothes and reuse some already made clothes but..." Saito cut off her sentence by walking out the room. 'He hates it.' Tiffa though.
Moments later Saito comes back into the room wearing the clothes she made for him. "I like them. I'll still ware my jacket, but I'll be wearing this underneath. Plus, it's very comfy too." Saito says with a smile.
"Really?" Tiffa look relieved that he didn't hate them.
"Yeah. Thank you Tiffa."
"You're welcome." A little while later they said good night to each other and went back to their rooms.
That night Tiffa snuck into Saito's room and lay next to him while he slept. She wrapped her arms around Saito's body and used his chest as a pillow.
When Saito woke up the next morning he found Tiffa in only a night gown sleeping on him. 'I feel a soft feeling against my arm' he looked to see his arm was between Tiffa's boobs. 'There so soft, there's no way they're fake!' Saito had a lustful grin of his face.
Moments later Tiffa started to open her eyes and screamed. "Aah, s-sorry Saito." Before he knew it she got up and ran out of the room. "What was that about?" He said to himself.
'Oh my, oh my, oh my. What did I do? I don't remember walking into Saito's room last night. I hope he doesn't think less of my now.' She thought to herself as she gets to her room and shuts the door. 'Though it did feel nice to be that close to him' Tiffa smiled as she took off her night gown and got dressed for her last day with Saito.
After she left the room she found Saito sitting in a chair in the living room. He didn't look like he usually did and had a worried look on his face.
"Are you okay Saito? I'm sure they'll be glad to see you. And I'll be alright." She walks over to him.
"It'll be fine." Saito looked at her. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
"I guess I just know you." Tiffa smiles. She and Saito eat and then Saito goes outside to set off.
"I promise to see you again. And thank you once more for all you did." Saito holds Tiffa's hand.
"I can't wait till that time comes." She smiles. Saito let's go and walks off to return home. Before he loses sight of the house and Tiffa he waves.
As Saito goes out of view, a tear traveled down Tiffa's cheek. "I'll be waiting to see you again Saito. Thank you." She then walks back inside her house.
-1 week later-
"Partner. We're almost there." Derf says.
"I know. The trip was long. I can't believe we had to hide in a ship to get from Albion to the main land."
"And you got us lost, a lot."
"I'm not good with directions." Saito retorted.
They soon get to the Gate that enters the Academy. Saito then pulls out a glowing pink flower in a glass bottle.
He then walks into the building, as he walked he didn't see anyone. As he gets to Louise's room his notices the doors open and he decided to peek in.
*Crash*
Saito drops the glass bottle on the floor then it shatters into pieces at the sight of Louise and Julio kissing.