Notes: Lately I've been getting attached to the Sienna character. I'm thinking of ways to blossom more relationships, but it's getting kind of hard.


Chapter 4: Pain

The caravan wobbled as Yhagris tried to carefully steer it on the dirt road. The road to Alfitaria was poorly taken care of, even though it was a main road.

"We are going to Alfitaria, huh?" Elliot said to Dahn Mi, who was walking beside the caravan with him.

"I've never been there before." Dahn Mi said with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Why are you so mad today?" Elliot asked.

Dahn Mi paused. "Those girls locked me out!" He sighed. "Why won't they trust me?"

"Just ignore them. You have the rest of us."

"Yeah…I have a magic hunk of clothing and fur, a loner freak, and …you. I have you guys…sure…"

"I can see exactly why they locked you out."

"What? Jeez, you're just like them."

"Hey. We're here." Yhagris said as he noticed Alfitaria ahead. "Who's going to stay here with the caravan?"

"NOT ME!" Celeste screamed from inside the caravan.

"Fine…we have to split up Shara Ne and Celeste. Shara Ne, will you stay here and watch the caravan with me?" Yhagris asked.

"Oh sure. I have to talk to you about something anyways." Shara Ne replied.

Yhagris got the caravan off the road and stopped. They were relatively close to Alfitaria.

"Come on." Naza Dat mumbled.

"So why do we have to go there anyways?" Dahn Mi wondered.

"First we have to go get some food from the merchant, then the blacksmith and tailor if we need them. Maybe visit the moogle house if we have some time left?" Sienna quietly said, as she usually did.

"And visit the alchemist for me too! I need something for my magic." Yhagris said, then wrote something down and gave the paper to Sienna.

"Okay. Aren't we leaving yet?" Dahn Mi tapped his foot impatiently. He was anxious to see Alfitaria for the first time.

"Were coming." Naza Dat mumbled.

----

Celeste, Dahn Mi, Elliot, Naza Dat, and Sienna stood at the entrance into the town.

"Okay. Here's how it will go. Sienna?" Elliot said.

"Yeah?" Sienna replied.

"You will go to the merchant for food."

"I'll go alone?"

"No. I'll go with you." Naza Dat said emotionless.

"Will you go to the alchemist too?" Elliot asked.

"Yup!" Sienna smiled.

"Okay, that settles that part. Me, Dahn Mi …and Celeste, will go to the blacksmith and tailor. Okay?"

"Uh-huh." "Okay." Celeste and Dahn Mi nodded.

----

"…And we need apples, fish, and rainbow grapes…meat? Eww." Sienna quietly read the shopping list over. She took a deep breathe. "This will be expensive."

"If it's too expensive just bargain with the merchant." Naza Dat said.

"I guess that will work." She smiled.

Sienna walked up to the merchant and got what she needed, all pack in large heaping bags.

"That's a lot of food." Naza Dat said. "Do you need help carrying some?"

"Oh sure! I could co-WHA!" Sienna tripped.

Some bags flew in the air as Sienna fell backwards. Naza Dat jumped and quickly caught her. Both of them were silent as he held her. Sienna looked into his soft green eyes, as he looked at hers.

----

"Oh Elliot! Come here!" Celeste sweetly smiled. "I found the tailor!"

"We only have one thing to make here." Elliot said. "After this, we'll have everything done."

"What do you have to make?" Dahn Mi asked.

"We have to make a time sallet for Yhagris." Elliot replied.

"Oooh. Those are pretty rare." Celeste said.

"Yeah, they are." Elliot nodded.

Elliot handed the tailor the materials and recipe and the tailor quickly made the sallet. They got the sallet, and then started walking throughout town.

"Hey wait. Isn't the merchant around here?" Celeste asked.

"Yeah, he is." Elliot answered. "Hey-is that Naza Dat and Sienna?"

Ahead of them, both Sienna and Naza Dat were on their knees, holding each other as they were frozen in a tender kiss.

"He-" Dahn Mi went to call them, but was quickly muffled by Elliot's hand.

"Their eyes may be closed, but their ears aren't. Shut up and don't ruin this for them." Elliot whispered.

"Sorry. I just never thought emo-boy would get a girl." Dahn Mi mumbled.

"What's going on between those two? Hey, Elliot, why don't we reenact what they're doing?" Celeste whispered.

"Ssshhh…something's going on." Dahn Mi muttered.

Naza Dat let go of Sienna and pulled away. Sienna opened her eyes with a confused face.

"Sienna?" Naza Dat said.

"Uh-huh?" Sienna smiled softly.

"Sienna…I can't do this." Naza Dat yelled.

"Huh? W-why?" Sienna cried in shock.

"I-I don't want to end up hurting you even more in the end." Naza Dat said.

Dahn Mi, Elliot, and Celeste were sitting surprised and shocked by Naza Dat. Naza Dat walked away as Sienna started to cry. Tears rushed out of her eyes. Her silver hair was now a mess of sweat and tears. Her ice blue eyes were now flat and full of pain.

Sienna looked down at the ground. "I though…we…we had something."

As soon as Naza Dat was out of the view, Celeste rushed to Sienna and hugged her.

"Are you okay?" Celeste asked. "That's why I stay away from jerks like that and go for the nice guys, like Elliot!"

"Naza Dat isn't a jerk; he just doesn't want to hurt me." Sienna cried.

"So he's a caring jerk." Celeste mumbled.

"Celeste, you're making it worse. We can go to the alchemist tomorrow. Let's head back to the caravan." Elliot said.

"Why can't we go today?" Dahn Mi asked.

"We can't go today because Sienna has a wound to heal." Elliot said.

----

Yhagris and Shara Ne sat, bored, inside the caravan. Shara Ne was braiding and un-braiding a lock of her pink hair as Yhagris was shining his armour.

"Why don't you take your armour off when you are shining them? It'll be easier." Shara Ne laughed.

"I can't. I don't know the reason, but I was always told that I couldn't so I haven't tried." Yhagris said.

"Oh, I see now." Shara Ne smiled. "Oh yeah! I forgot to ask you something."

"Ask me what?" Yhagris said as he put down his cloth.

"Umm…I like Elliot, but I don't know how to…get his attention. Can you help me?"

"All you have to do…"

"Yes?"

"…is to tell him your feelings."

"That's it, huh?" Shara Ne sighed. "I got worked up for nothing. You did seem like the smart one."

"So it makes me stupid if I give you a simplified, easy, straightforward answer?"

"No…I just expected some different answers."

----

Celeste, Elliot, Dahn Mi, and Sienna returned to the caravan. By the time they got there, the sun was setting. The fire was already on and the blankets were spread about. Shara Ne and Yhagris were having a conversation by the fire, as Naza Dat was sitting on a blanket fairly far away from them.

"Hey, Sienna?" Celeste said.

"Uh…uh-huh?" Sienna whispered.

"Just stay away from him, okay?"

"Okay."

Sienna sat down on a blanket that was closest to the fire.

"Why is Celeste being so nice all of a sudden? I thought she was a major bitch." Dahn Mi whispered to Elliot.

Elliot smacked Dahn Mi on the back of the neck and sat down.

As the sun fell, darkness enveloped the land. The little fire and the town's lights kept a little light draped over the group. All that was heard around them was the sounds of nature, and Sienna's soft crying.