My wish had been a simple one.

To be together with Teresa, always.

It had been such a simple wish,

Yet the tragedy of the aftermath that the one wish had caused,

Was something that I would never be able to make up for.

If I could ever meet Teresa once more,

For just one more time,

I would-

Clare felt herself wake up, feeling her head lying on something that didn't feel quite like the ground. Her eyes fluttered open but everything was pretty blurry, owing to the fact that her mind was still groggy with sleep. She tried to rub the sleepiness from her eyes, only serving to further blur her vision. Deciding to close her eyes to rest for awhile more, she abruptly tensed as she felt something caress her forehead. Her eyes shot open with shock. Through the blur she could make out a face staring down at her, the lips of the person curling up. Her slowly regaining vision finally registered the identity of the person and though her heart was skipping in elation, her warrior instincts went on autopilot.

Leaping away from where she was, she backed up against a wall to distance herself as much as possible from Teresa, despite how ironic it sounded. As much as all the emotions in her were screaming for her to just go forward and embrace that person, the situation just seemed...wrong. It felt too ideal to be reality, yet too tangible to be just a dream.

For one, the idealistic part was that Teresa was actually here.

It wasn't as if she never had dreams of Teresa- She often did, all those fleeting scenes and moments with Teresa which were blurry and random, nothing concrete or reality-like. They were all unlike now, where she could actually feel herself physically in the now and here that was, supposedly, a dream. Which was the tangible part of this 'dream'- She was actually feeling her two feet carrying her weight on the hard ground, the solid wood against her back and the merciless temperature of the day.

Was that even possible? Was she trapped in an illusion? She wrecked her brains to remember what had happened before this. The memory of sparring with Miria resurfaced bit by bit. Her left arm had been alternating between aches and numbness ever since a boulder smashed onto it the previous day. She didn't think it'll affect her that much until after that one time when she instinctively swung her Claymore with both hands, despite constantly reminding herself to only use her right arm. Right after that, an electrifying pain shot through her entire left arm, rendering her paralyzed momentarily. And when Miria grabbed that arm, she recoiled from Miria's grip from the sheer pain… and then the boulders that were racing upon her…then nothing. Right after that she found herself in that stunning field of grassland where she saw Teresa... and now here?

Could she actually be…dead? She had no idea what in the world was going on. Previously at the grassland, she had allowed herself to bask in the presence of Teresa on the premise that it was just a dream- But now her mind was clearer and forced rationality into her too. It forced her to think about survival. Not that Teresa was a threat, but being in a very strange situation alarmed her tremendously.

Amidst the confusion in her head, she instinctively proceeded with her first course of action, which was to get her bearings. Scanning the area she was in, she couldn't help but feel the nostalgia hitting her at full force as she realized where she was. Despite the short period spent there, everything was as she remembered- The two single beds, the intricate decorations, Teresa. It was the posh lodge that they were staying at before the four warriors had come for Teresa. The four warriors including Irene, and two other warriors whose names she didn't knew.

More than anyone, her name came into mind. The name that reverberated in her head with pure hatred every single day.

Priscilla.

The mere thought of that name stirred some sort of anguish inside, and she squeezed her eyes shut to will herself from thinking about what happened soon after they came. She opened her eyes again to see the smiling Teresa who was sitting on the bed all the awhile. In the back of her mind Clare realized that she had been lying on Teresa's thigh when she woke up, just like she had done in the past. The person here, she was undoubtedly Teresa, that Clare knew. But how could it be? How could all of these be so...real?

It was also only then that she realized that she seemed nearer to the ground than usual, and that she could actually see orange long strands of hair flowing down both sides of her shoulders. She gasped as she brought her hands up to see smooth and pale skin, so unlike the rough and beaten ones she had. What she was wearing was not her warrior uniform but instead...the red overall that Teresa had bought for her. Her mind was swept with confusion as she tried to figure out what was going on, a rising anxiousness in her chest.

'Seems like you've finally woken up… But I have no idea why but you looked more tensed than a threatened cat, Clare. Calm down a little would you?'

Teresa stood up from the bed and started striding towards Clare. Instinctively, she reached for her Claymore that was usually hoisted on her back. The bad news was that it was non-existent at the moment, her hand grabbing the empty air instead. Panic rose in her, even though she knew that Teresa would never hurt her. But years of being a warrior had drilled in her some sort of reflex action to potential danger. Mostly, she just wasn't used to just seeing someone who had already been gone for so long alive in front of her, or in this case, walking towards her. Even if she had been missing this very person every single waking moment of her life.

Soon Teresa closed the distance to tower over her now-small frame. Having reverted to her child physique, she was once again half of Teresa's size. Before Clare could react, Teresa had already pulled her into an embrace, her arms wrapping tightly around Clare. She found herself engulfed in the loving warmth and comfort of her sisterly figure, every scent and touch all too familiar, evoking all the bottled up emotions inside. This feeling... She thought she could never experience it ever again. It was almost as if she was relieving the past, in real time.

Too overwhelmed by all the feelings, she trembled as she felt a hot stinging at her eyes. Her heart was swelling to bursting point and her chest was drowning with emotions. She knew she couldn't hold everything in for any much longer. No matter how real this was, it was nothing but a dream. Nothing but a facade that will fade away into nothingness when she woke up. And she would rather wake up right at this moment than bask in this disillusionment. Enjoying this moment, then waking up to realize that it had all been a lie was too much pain to bear- Something which she didn't think she could handle.

'Wake up...'

'What?'

'Wake up, damm it...'

Her voice was muffled as she whispered into Teresa's stomach that her face was gently pressed against. She desperately needed to get out of this place before all her emotions just burst out of her.

'What are you saying Clare? What's wrong?'

'You're not real... And I need to wake up from this dream...'

'Whatever gave you that idea? On normal circumstances I would feel insulted to be deemed as 'unreal' but... You're so sure that I'm not?'

Clare felt herself giving a sad smile. 'Yeah, that's the one and only thing that is certain right now... Because Teresa's gone.'

She gulped as she mentioned Teresa's name. Her voice came out at a higher pitch, characteristic of her adolescent years. This whole set up was messing with her mind and her heart- But she could still at least differentiate what was real and what was not.

'Please...just wake up...'

Blinking the tears that has accumulated at her eyes, she pleaded desperately to her own mind, hoping that any moment he would find herself back in the North, no matter how much her heart deep down wanted to stay here for awhile, in this facade, together with this pseudo Teresa that was probably nothing more than a creation of her imagination.

'So...what can I do to make you believe that I am Teresa?'

Another humourless smile from Clare. 'You can't. She's gone. And this is a dream.'

'I don't know what's going on in your mind right now but… What if this was more than just a dream? What if I'm really me? Believe me won't you, Clare?'

Of course she wanted to believe that it was true. The warmth that she was getting from the embrace, the familiar scent, it could only be Teresa. But how could it be happening? How could it be...

With every passing moment, she could feel her resolve wavering. Her fight to resist this dream was a losing battle- A battle which she knew from the start that she couldn't win. Because her heart was conflicting with her mind. Because in the very first place, she wanted this whole thing to be true. She wanted this to be the real Teresa.

Clare felt the figure bend down to match her height, their faces levelling. She forced herself to face downwards, knowing that any last strand of resolve would be dissolved into naught at the sight of Teresa's face at close proximity.

'Clare... Just look at me, won't you? Look at me...and try telling yourself that this is not real. That I'm not real.'

Refusing to look up, she concentrated on a spot on the wooden plank, feeling more confused than ever. The silence between them was so unnerving, but she was determined to keep her head down, even as any sort of determination in her was dwindling.

'Clare.'

Involuntarily, her eyes darted up at the sound of Teresa's voice after much silence.

Damn. Before she could stop herself, she was already staring into those silver orbs that stared back into her own, almost as if they were the windows to Teresa's soul, and hers, to her own. Observing every feature on her face, knowing that only the real Teresa could give her this feeling that was overwhelming her at this moment, only served to break down the last of her walls.

'Is it... really you...Teresa?...'

Her throat was so constricted that she could hardly force the words out. She wanted it to be real, but she was so unsure, so filled with disbelief that this could be happening.

'…more than you can ever imagine or dream of, Clare.'

That was really, and truly, the last straw for Clare. The floodgates entirely opened as she felt her brimming tears escape from her eyes. The first of her sobs was forced out of her throat, and then subsequent ones erupted, all the pent up sorrow, pain and desperation screaming to be released. Slowly she wrapped her shaking arms around Teresa's head, burying her face in the nape of Teresa's neck. Her body fell limp against the strong and unwavering figure that supported her weight while she bawled and cried. It was just, she had held back so much for so long. The fact that Teresa was right here with her, was too much to handle. She wanted to just hold her tight and never, ever let go ever again. In truth, even though she still wasn't entirely convinced, at this very moment she no longer cared if this was a dream, or an imaginary illusion- The only thing that was true at this moment was that Teresa was right here.

Teresa held her in that position until her sobs had resided to almost nothing. It was long since she felt all the emotions inside awaken so strongly like this. Teresa was the first to pull apart and she saw the gentle and understanding smile on Teresa's face. She had missed this face, this person so, so much. She felt Teresa's thumb wipe the tear tracts on her face.

'Now now...looks like you're still the little kid that you were even after all these years. Even though you're a grown-up now!'

Having calmed down after much incessant sobbing, she sniffed at the light teasing and wiped at her own bleary eyes.

'Yeah, I guess... And besides, I'm back to my child body so, can't blame me for that.'

Teresa smirked. 'Guess I can't huh. You were always such crybaby after all.'

She pouted in feign annoyance at Teresa. They both looked at each other in amusement before breaking into wide smiles. These happy and light feelings that Clare was experiencing now, seemed so far away and she still couldn't believe that she could actually feel them again.

Her arms encircled Teresa as she hugged her tightly again, her head resting on Teresa's shoulders.

'I've missed you so much Teresa..'

'I've missed you too, Clare.'

She closed her eyes and sighed, allowing herself to enjoy Teresa's hold. She had missed Teresa's touch, Teresa's smell, Teresa's mere presence- This form of emotional bonding with someone so precious to her. She wanted nothing more than to hug Teresa in silence and just, bask in this feeling that only Teresa could give her. But there were burning questions that were bugging her mind, so much so that she had to pursue them first.

'But... Why am I here? Why are you here? You said that you are real, and I guess I sort of believe that already but... How is that even possible? Where exactly am I? It feels too real to be dream, yet this obviously cannot be reality…Well, unless I'm dead of course.'

She found herself being lifted entirely off the ground by Teresa's strong arms and placed on the bed that she had woken up on. It was almost amusing that she was once again back to a size that could be carried so easily. Teresa then sat herself beside her.

'Well... To tell the truth, I'm equally stumped about what this place actually is. Though my best guess would be that this is something like my subconscious world?'

'Teresa's subconscious world...?'

'I can't really explain why, but it just feels like it. In a sense, I feel like I've been here ever since I…well died. Right after that, I suddenly found myself in this place, with you lying on my lap. You seemed to be merely sleeping, but I just couldn't seem to wake you up. But somehow, I had the feeling that I just had to sit back and wait. And eventually you did wake up. Who knows, perhaps this is what happens when a person dies? You stay in your subconscious mind till you meet the person you need to meet… Not that I'm too sure about all these but, you know that each person's subconscious contains all the past memories and experiences the person ever had? Perhaps there's this manifestation of our own 'world' in our own mind- A place where we feel most comfortable and where we feel the most belonging to. It sounds abstract but that's just how I interpret the current situation.'

Clare thought about the grassland that she found herself in previously. Was that her subconscious world?
That place was indeed a very dear place to her, after all. A place where she had felt like she belonged to. It was the landscape of the fields behind the village she came from. It had been a place where she once felt she could just lie in the fields for eternity and not care about anything in the world. That had all been before the youma came and crushed her old life.

Above all, that place would only be complete with Teresa there with her. Because the only place she would ever consider to be home was where Teresa was. And Teresa had been thereearlier on.

'So this town that we stayed at... is your subconscious?'

That brought a gentle smile and crinkle of Teresa's eyes. 'Remember, I initially said that we would be staying here for quite awhile? I really intended it to be so, if not for the turn of events. This was really a lovely place. A place where I felt that I could put everything behind, however fleetingly, and just live freely and peacefully. Most of all, to live together with you. I guess since it was the last place of genuine happiness that I really felt, it morphed into my subconscious.'

'So how long have you been… waiting here?'

Teresa gave a thoughtful look.

'I can't really be sure. I just remember sitting here, thinking about things that happened in my life, and then suddenly you came around. How long has it passed… in your world?'

'Many years…'

Many years of painful existence without you.

'I see… I suppose this is a place where time doesn't flow the same way as the real world.'

Clare nodded absent-mindedly, before a sad notion entered her head.

'I guess this isn't going to last very long right? It feels like a miracle so far… Probably any moment now, my real body is going to wake up, and all of these will be gone. You will be gone… Unless I'm actually dead already. That doesn't seem like such a bad thought if I could just stay with you here…'

She suddenly yelped as she felt a painful flick at her forehead.

'I hope that was painful enough to get that negativity out of you, seriously! I don't think you're dead, though. Call it an instinct of the dead, but you're probably just unconscious. Speaking of which, what happened to you before you woke up here?'

'I was sparring with one of my comrades… and there was a rockslide. I think I didn't get out of the way in time.'

'Careless girl…'

She felt Teresa's hand on her cheek, a rather bittersweet smile hanging on her lips.

'Based on how you reacted just now and what you just said, I guess you're one of us now too…'

Instantly, she felt the crushing weight in her chest heavier than ever as it dawned upon her what Teresa was referring to.

'You're disappointed, aren't you?'

She looked away from Teresa to stare forlornly at the wooden flooring.

'I mean… I guess you must be. I'm... I'm sorry that I became a warrior against your will. I know you would never have wanted this.'

She felt the hand on her face moving to slip over her small petite ones, wrapping around them reassuringly.

'For one, I don't regret making this choice. Back then, when my world crashed into pieces, it was the only way for me to keep on living. I had to find a purpose, a meaning, a drive to carry on. If I were to live, I had to find a way to move forward- And that motivation was to avenge you. I wasn't strong enough to just forget all that had happened and keep on living as if my world hadn't been torn apart. So it was the only viable choice that my child-self could think of, at that moment of loss and despair.

Of course, to a certain extent, death had been a pretty attractive option too. There would probably be no hurt, no pain, no feelings to bear... But I didn't believe that death would lead me to a better place, or rather, lead me to you. Because if death was such a glorious salvation, if death could simply allow people to reunite with lost loved ones, why would people, having lost people precious to them, choose to struggle through such an anguished existence?

And I couldn't forgive Priscilla for what she had done. Above all, I couldn't forgive myself...for being so weak, so pathetically helpless that I couldn't do anything. So I chose to live with this torment...so that one day I could take vengeance for you. It was the only thing that I could think of doing at that time. And once I stepped in to the Organization, there was no turning back...

But I guess ultimately, it was probably something which you would not have approved of, something which you would be completely, utterly disappointed in. After all, all you wanted was for me to live and die as a human being. And yet I went against those wishes, and ended up being…a monster.

Perhaps, you would think you can still love me because I've somehow returned to this child body of mine. That girl, little Clare, she still had some innocence to be salvaged, some hope in her heart. But that girl… she doesn't exist anymore. She changed, and she grew to become this monster that sometimes even she herself cannot recognize. Driven by the sole desire of killing that one-horned monster, with no other meaning in her life…'

She lifted the side of her lips sadly. 'This person, this grown-up Clare, is no longer the little girl you knew… Little Clare could bring you happiness and hope. This Clare right here now is only an abyss of disappointment for you…'

The horrible, terrible feeling in her chest was so suffocating. She didn't even dare to lift her head to meet Teresa's eyes. She couldn't and didn't want to face the disappointment of someone she held so dearly in her heart.

Yet, she felt Teresa's fingers tilt her head up to face hers, followed by a light squeeze of her hand. In place of the utter disappointment she had expected, those eyes only softened and shone with such melancholy and empathy. She ruffled her orange strands and returned the sad smile.

'Is that... really what you felt all these years? Apart from all the loneliness and sorrow... You still had to shoulder the guilt of the thought of disappointing me?'

Teresa removed her hand from Clare's head and reached for the girl's other hand. Clare could feel the firm yet gentle hold of Teresa's hand and a calming feeling spread from her hand to the rest of her body as Teresa moved her thumb up and down in a soothing motion. She stared intently into Clare's eyes, her voice soft as she spoke.

'First off, you are not a monster, and will never be in my eyes. I thought that was a given, seeing as you never once saw me as one.

And secondly…I could and would never, ever, be disappointed in you for whatever choices you made, Clare. Especially not something that you had such little options in. You were just a small child at that time... Yet, you had to make a decision pertaining to your entire future- A child forced to grow beyond her age and face the hardship of the cruel world. It was true that I wanted you to continue living as a human being. I wished for you to do so because I felt that it was the only way you could live safely and happily for the rest of your life. But not if it would make living a worse fate than death, not if it potentially forces you onto the path of taking your own life. If becoming a warrior was what allowed you to carry on, no matter how much more torment you had to go undergo, it was the best choice that you could have made under those circumstances.

You were not wrong to make such a choice, Clare. If anyone was to blame... I was. I was the reason why you had to become a warrior. I let my guard down at the last moment and left you all alone in this world to struggle. And in the end you had to pay the price of my mista-'

'No it wasn't your fault! Don't ever say that!'

Clare found herself gripping Teresa's hand indignantly, quite disturbed that Teresa felt that way.

'When... when I met Irene, she told me that it was because of the time we spent together that softened your heart as a warrior, causing you to be lenient with Priscilla and ultimately leading to...your death.'

Her last few words were barely a whisper and she tried to choke those painful words out. Teresa's death wasn't an easy topic. It was in fact, probably one of the things that she would never share in detail with anyone. Other than to Teresa. She felt tears resurfacing as guilt overwhelmed her.

'So in the end, I'm still the one that caused all the dreadful things that happened to you. Everything was my fault, mine and mine solely. If...if only you hadn't met me, you… you would've-'

'Would've what, lived as the finest, most ruthless and successful warrior the Organization created? Continue my existence that held no meaning, other than blindly following orders and exterminating youma? I totally would have preferred that, Clare.'

Teresa exhaled deeply and wiped gently at Clare's tearful eyes. Clare felt her whole body shaking under her gentle touch as the choked sobs threatened to burst out again.

'Clare, don't you understand? You gave me life. You helped me retrieve what I thought I had lost- my humanity. You made me realize that as much as I was a warrior, a half-monster, I could still be as human as I used to be. You rekindled those emotions that were long locked away inside of me... You showed me what it meant to love unconditionally, and to be loved so whole-heartedly by someone. You showed me all of these, Clare.

I can't deny that I become softer after the time we had together. When I was about to make my final move on Priscilla in this town, all I could see in my mind was your face- The face of a young, innocent, ill-fated girl. So despite the threat that Priscilla would pose in the future, given her monstrous latent potential, I just couldn't bear to end the life of a young girl that was merely a product of manipulation by the Organization. And when she begged for her life… I actually showed mercy because I felt something inside... Sympathy, perhaps.

But so what if it did lead to my downfall? All of it would be worth getting to know you, and being with you, Clare. The time with you was one of the happiest and most humane period of my entire life. You brought back meaning to my existence, or rather, you became the reason for my existence. You meant so much even though our time together was so short... And is that not reason enough for me to meet you? The one person who made such an indelible difference in my life?

We all have to make difficult choices in life, Clare. Well maybe for me it wasn't exactly a dilemma. Walking away from the Organization and choosing to live the rest of my life with you came more naturally than I thought it would. But the point is, no matter what painful times came with your decisions, if you know that deep down that was your right choice, then you have nothing to regret. I for one, never regretted defecting from the Organization to be with you. So don't feel sad about it. Don't blame yourself either. Unless you mean to say, you regretted meeting me?'

'Of course not... Oh Teresa...'

Clare went forward to hug Teresa tightly again, blinking away the last of her tears. No matter the situation, Teresa never failed to make her feel better. She felt so comforted by Teresa's words and just, so safe in her arms. It reminded her of why this person was the most important person in her life.

'And who said that you can't be the little Clare that I knew anymore? Just because people grow and change doesn't mean that they aren't the person that they were before. Your personality, appearance, maturity and what not may have changed- But what will never change is you being Clare. The unique feature of you that makes you, you. That, will never, and can never ever be replaced. I can still see it in you, that innocence, that purity, that loving compassionate soul. It might seem to have been locked deep down in the tresses of your soul, but it is definitely there. Besides, it doesn't matter even if you have changed. The one and only thing you need to know is that I'll always love you no matter what happens.'

Clare sniffed and tightened her hold on Teresa, wanting to keep those words and this moment for eternity.

'Now now... I'm not going anywhere for now so no need to choke me to death so soon you know. That's if you can choke the dead dead of course.'

Clare broke away and gave a frown smile at Teresa, who grinned teasingly back. Wiping at her tear-stricken face, she suddenly felt exhausted from all the crying and heart-to-heart talk. Most of all, she almost felt as if a literal rock was lifted from her chest and she felt so, so relieved. She shifted herself to lean against Teresa's shoulders contently, feeling as if there was nothing in the world that could trouble or harm her ever again. With Teresa by her side, her world was complete, no matter how ephemeral these moments might be.

'So…what's going to happen now?'

'Well honestly, I have no idea either. I mean, first you suddenly woke up, and then you're a grown up Clare in a little Clare's body… Who knows what's going to happen next? Mysteries and miracles indeed. I would think that the only thing we can do is to just sit and wait to see what comes next.'

Clare was in agreement. That seemed to be the only option they had now anyway.

'Well if you're bored, we could always talk about things. Especially about your whole life till now. I missed out on every part of your life that I wanted to be part of, after all.'

'Alright… But, Teresa?'

'Hmm?'

'Can we just... stay like that for awhile longer? I want to just… be with you like that for awhile.'

She felt Teresa's head leaning on hers.

'Of course we can... Clare.'

Clare beamed as she felt Teresa's hand holding hers tightly as she closed her eyes and leaned entirely on Teresa's shoulder. She really wanted to cherish this moment wholly and entirely- To truly feel this feeling in every cell of her body. This feeling that can only be described as... bliss.

Happy new year to all!