A birthday/request story from Lantern Power, who owns Isabel. Here you go, Amiga. :) Enjoy and Happy Birthday. :)

Looney Toons belongs to Warner Bros. Balan Wonderworld belongs to Square Enix. I only own Rachel.

A/N: Just to give you all a heads up, this story may cause tears as it's about remembering people who have passed on.

Friends Shed Tears With You Too

Rachel was worried about Isabel, who had been rather quiet all day. "Izzy, are you okay?" She asked.

"Kind of," the brown-haired girl said. "I...I'm just thinking about my grandparents."

The blonde-haired girl at once understood as her friends' grandparents had passed away and Isabel had been very close to them. "I'm sorry, Izzy," she said softly.

"Thanks," the girl said, giving her friend a small smile of appreciation, though it faded moments later as she sniffled. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Okay," Rachel said softly.

After her friend left, the blonde-haired girl felt sad for her and knew it was a tough time for her friend. Losing a family member was hard, especially one you were close to. Rachel knew that loss all too well as her own father had died some time ago. As she was thinking, she suddenly felt a presence come up to her and she turned to find a familiar tendriled being behind her. "Lance," she said softly.

He nodded. "I sensed you were feeling sad and Isabel is feeling sad too," he said. "Is everything alright?"

The blonde-haired girl shook her head. "She's going through a bit of a tough time," she said. "She lost her grandpa two years ago and her grandma last year."

Lance understood at once. "She's mourning," he said.

Rachel nodded before looking up and she took a deep breath, straightening. "Yes," she said. "And she needs us."

She pulled out her red Emerald, closing her eyes and focusing on two more friends, their images appearing on the Emerald's surface. Lance looked and smiled as he saw Rachel was reaching out to Marvin the Martian and Balan, hoping they'd hear her call.

Moments later, both the guardians of the green and cyan Emeralds appeared in front of them. "Ah, I was wondering where you had run off to, Lance," Balan said, smiling.

"I sensed Rachel's and Isabel's sadness," he said.

Marvin noticed that Rachel looked worried. "Rach, what happened?" He asked, calling her by her nickname. "Is Izzy alright?"

"Yes and no," she replied softly before taking a deep breath. "Isabel was really close to her grandparents and both have sadly passed away. Her grandpa passed two years ago and her grandma last year before Christmas."

Balan looked worried. "Oh, dear," he said. "Death is never easy, but it's especially hard when someone you are close to dies."

Rachel nodded. "I felt that way when my dad died sometime ago," she said.

Lance placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder before the four were silent before Marvin looked at Rachel, realizing why she called him and Balan. "We should go find Izzy and show here that we're there for her," he said. "Give her both our emotional and physical support."

"That's why I called you guys," the blonde-haired girl said with a nod. "Lance, you come along too."

"Are you sure?" He asked, though he was concerned for Isabel.

"Yes," Rachel said without hesitation. "She needs us. All of us."

"I agree with her, Lance," Balan said with a nod. "Because I know you don't freely place your special mark on just anyone. You place them on those you truly care about."

"And Isabel would appreciate it," Marvin said.

Lance looked thoughtful before nodding and closing his eyes. "She's over that way," he said, gesturing to his right.

The four at once headed in that direction to look for their friend.

Isabel was sitting on a rock by the pond, thinking about her grandparents. Her grandmother's birthday had just passed and she was sad that it was the first birthday without her. And it would be Isabel's first birthday without her.

It had been hard when her grandfather had passed away sometime after her birthday two years ago, but now to lose the other person she was close to made the brown-haired girl sadder and she hugged herself, remembering the warm feeling she had gotten when her grandparents hugged her and cheered her on. She knew they had been proud of her and she hoped that she could still make them proud even now as they watched over her.

Footsteps sounded softly and she turned her head to find Rachel, Balan, Lance, and Marvin coming up to her, all four having sad expressions on their faces. Marvin was first to go up to her and hug her. Fresh tears came to Isabel's eyes as she hugged him back, feeling Rachel hug both of them a moment later before lanky arms clad in purple joined the group hug and then Balan's arms wrapped around them all.

After a bit, Isabel's tears began to slow down and she lifted up her head. "Thanks, guys," she said softly.

"We didn't want you to feel alone," Balan said gently.

She nodded before looking at Rachel. "You told them?" She asked softly.

She nodded. "I'm sorry, Izzy. I was worried about you and when Lance showed up saying he felt our sadness, that's when I called Marvin and Balan and when we went to find you," she said.

"It's okay," the brown-haired girl said, a small smile coming to her face as a few leftover tears left her eyes. "That's one of the things that makes you a good friend."

Rachel smiled gently and after a bit, they gently pulled away from the hug, but the four gathered around Isabel so that she didn't feel alone. She gave them all grateful looks before looking up at the blue sky above them. "I miss them," she said softly.

"Of course you do," Marvin said softly. "They were two people who loved you."

"Two people who helped you spread your wings," Balan spoke up softly.

"Two people who live on in you," Rachel added softly.

"Two people that will always be in your mind and heart," Lance said, his voice soft.

As Isabel looked at them, she was surprised to see that some tears had escaped Marvin's eyes, Rachel had tears running down her face, Balan's eyes had welled up and a tear left his eyes, and Lance also had tears running down his face, tears that ruined his makeup, but he didn't seem to care about that right then.

The girl was touched that they were mourning with her. "Oh, guys," she said softly.

"Just as friends share smiles with you, they shed tears with you too," Balan said softly.

Marvin nodded. "I wish we could have met your grandparents. They sound like they were people worth being friends with," he said.

"They were," she said, appreciating their kind words.

Lance came up to her and gently cupped the left side of Isabel's face gently, his thumb rubbing her cheek soothingly. "For every tear you shed for them, think of a good memory," he said softly. "And hold them close to you."

Rachel nodded. "The good memories help us to always remember our loved ones who have passed on," she said, sniffling a little.

Isabel smiled softly and hugged all four of them and they returned the hugs warmly. "I'm lucky to have good friends like you all," she said softly.

"And we're lucky to have such a good friend," Marvin said with a gentle smile. "I bet wherever they are, they're smiling down upon you."

She nodded before all four of them hugged her again and she closed her eyes, sinking into the comforting embrace of her friends who shed tears with her and proved they would always be there for her.

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GoldGuardian2418