Ruva's Story Chapter 41, a medoran chronicles fanfic

Thank you for your review, Guest, it made me cry when I first read it. I cried the second time I read it. And the third.

Thank you soo sooo much. I had almost given up on this story, but now I'll finish it. I'll try to finish the other stories too. Thank you thank you thank you. You just made my entire week, I would die for yo 3

Also, CAN CONFIRM this is the last chapter, after this there will be an epilogue but then I'm all done!

Ruva took a deep breath, limping into the Dining Room. She blinked away the swarms of people, tried to ignore the clatter of noise.

Normally she'd be part of the clatter, preparing to run messages, to gather supplies, changing sheets and washing dishes. But now she was just here to eat, she couldn't help anyone else if she tried. Ruva flinched as people walked past her, their conversations drifting over her, she could only pick up fragments about smoke and fires and injury and so much more.

There was too much more. Too many things were going wrong.

Ruva felt detached from her surroundings, she couldn't relate to them all anymore. She couldn't help them anymore, didn't have any means to discuss when she would next be going out, or if they needed someone to collect more supplies from the hospital. She couldn't work out a strategy to use bubblers in their limited advantage. She was stuck in this crowded, stuffy house. Stuck with no outlet. Stuck with no Leo.

Ruva flinched at the thought. When she put it that way, she sounded so selfish. Leo was barely alive, stuck in a bed for… for… who-knows-how-long and here she was, complaining about all the ways he wasn't supporting her.

Ruva limped over to Mr Wendyl, who was managing three meals at once, Milly toddling around his feet.

"What do you feel like having today, Ruva? There's leftover soup from last night, or we've got some fresh fruit." He held up a fruit bowl, which had a spotted brown banana and a few apples which had lost their shine. "Well, they were fresh a couple days ago, but they're just edible—as far as I know, nobody's gotten sick from eating them, so I think you'll be fine."

Ruva ended up turning down the fruit, instead accepting a bowl of lukewarm soup, slowly limping over to the table.

She had gotten more familiar with Mr Wendyl since her injury—well, it was mainly Mr Wendyl talking about his projects—more to himself than anyone else, really. But Ruva felt comfortable around him. It was interesting how she never saw him around the house until after the injury, she had always been trying to avoid having a panic attack, or working out where they were going to go next. It was only when he spoke to her, the first day Leo was in a coma, that Ruva realised she knew absolutely nothing about him. She had barely noticed all his help around the house—and he was doing a lot.

Now that Mrs Wendyl was directing care packages and beds, Mr Wendyl had been left in charge of the household tasks, such as making sure everyone had clean sheets and was fed.

It was selfish of her to overlook that, the person making sure she had fresh food and clean clothes and all sorts of other things.

Ruva was sitting at the table, now.

She couldn't remember how she got there. Her soup was half finished, but she didn't want any more. She couldn't taste it anyway, Ruva stood up, ready to go.

But… go where? She wasn't needed now, now that she could hardly move. They didn't trust her enough to help anywhere—Tia especially. She couldn't forgive Ruva for all the mistakes she'd made, and Ruva couldn't blame her. Anyone deserved to hate her, especially after she made such a stupid move.

Corbin was next to her—when did he get there?—he was talking enthusiastically, his arms waving around between mouthfuls of soup. Ruva couldn't hear a word he said, not even when she tried. She simply watched without emotion, his words echoing around her without catching.

Corbin eventually realised she wasn't responding. She watched his face fall, then his expression change as he offered comforting words. She couldn't hear them, it was like he was speaking in a foreign language. He placed a hand on her shoulder, the heat seeping into her, but then it was gone.

He was eating silently now, occasionally glancing at Ruva before flicking his gaze back.

A shout rang out through the house, and the noise around them hushed. Corbin looked up, then dropped his spoon, the clang jarring in the strange atmosphere.

Ruva looked up in curiosity, conversations rippling through the house. She let the words wash over her, catching only phrases and sentences.

"… pregnant and now labour."

"Labour? But what about…"

"Who is it?"

"… but isn't it too early?"

"…I hope Sela can…"

Ruva was standing up, the room echoing with hushed voices, echoing so much she could barely hear anything said. Her ears were buzzing and her heart stuttered, her breathing picking up and becoming faster.

She was limping towards the door, her footsteps slow and uneven. People were buzzing around her, no more than blurs in the corner of her eye. Then there was a hand in hers. It was Mrs Wendyl's, her hand squeezing all of the stress out of Ruva. The noise piling on her disappeared, Mrs Wendyl filling her vision. "Come on Ruva," she said, her voice echoing, "Come and help your mum."

Ruva nodded, leaning onto Mrs Wendyl's shoulder, helping her limp into the bedroom.

She stood at Sela's side, and held her hand.

…

Sela's face was covered in sweat, her skin pale white, dark circles under her eyes. Ruva was still holding her hand, with Corbin beside her. They both offered encouraging words, the sounds mingling with her grunts of pain.

It was dark outside, now, Ruva's hand slick with Sela's sweat. But she held on all the same, letting Sela squeeze it as tight as she could. She whispered words of encouragement, words she couldn't hear.

Tia and Mrs Wendyl buzzed around, grabbing blankets and pain relief and things Ruva didn't even recognise. Mrs Wendyl turned to Sela, holding steady at her gasping breaths and leaking tears. "Come on, give us one final push. We can see baby's head, now. Channel all of your energy into this one motion."

Sela took one final breath, her hand spasming around Ruva's.

"Come on," Ruva whispered. "You can do it."

Sela pushed and pushed, her face scrunching up, her jaw shaking against the pain.

And then the baby slipped out, its face blue and covered in blood and sweat.

"It's a little baby girl!" said Mrs Wendyl, smiling.

Sela's face melted, a gasp of relief pulsing through the air.

"You did it, Sela," Ruva whispered. "You did it."

But Tia and Mrs Wendyl didn't share that same look of relief. They didn't have the tearful smiles of Corbin or Sela. If anything, they looked more worried than before.

"What?" said Sela, in between puffs. "What's wrong?"

Mrs Wendyl's voice stayed steady, even though a frown crinkled across her face. "Baby is having a bit of trouble breathing, so we're trying to help her get started.

Mrs Wendyl piled the baby onto Sela's chest, her face melting as she stared at the blue, still baby.

Sela wrapped her arms around the baby while Tia grabbed a towel, rubbing the baby dry far more roughly than Ruva would expect.

"Come on Baby," said Tia, her voice wobbling. "Time to wake up and say hello to Mummy."

The baby started to wriggle, her small face squashing up. She opened her mouth, her chest spasming as she tried to cough.

Something was wrong, Ruva could feel it now. Babies are meant to be crying, meant to be loud and wriggling.

Not… not blue.

Tia's hands shook, her brown eyes wide. "I think… I—Sela, I need the baby right now!"

Tia's snap startled Ruva, and her ribbons flashed into view. The room was—it was blinding. Ruva shook with what she saw, all the emotions and power and life washing around her.

Sela and the baby were connected a blinding white ribbon, one that was unbreaking, despite how newly formed it was. Sela and Corbin were staring at each other, their ribbons dancing, speaking of hope and joy and fear.

Mrs Wendyl was radiating kindness and control, but Ruva could see the worry mingling underneath, hanging below her chin.

But by far the most captivating person was Tia. Ruva could only watch as more and more of her ribbons got drawn into what she was doing. In the centre of it all, Tia's gift ribbon was glowing brighter and brighter, and Ruva could see how much energy she was focusing onto the baby, her ribbons swarming around her like a hurricane.

This was the moment when Tia would save the baby, Ruva was sure. She could see the strength in Tia, the hope from everyone in the room. The baby would survive. It would.

But Tia's ribbons flew faster and faster, and Ruva could only watch as the baby's shrunk, almost smothered by Tia's determination.

No. No. The baby will survive. Ruva needed the baby to survive.

But she couldn't say anything, not even as the ribbons shrunk and shrunk and shrunk, until there was nothing left.

She couldn't say anything, not even when she watched Tia's ribbons sink, when she watched everything in the room become shades of indigo, the dark, most mournful colour.

She couldn't say anything.

…

Ruva was in bed.

She had been there for a while, but she still had no reason to get up. Sela's baby was… was dead.

Dead. Her little baby sister. She had only lived for a couple minutes, a tiny, blue infant, but Ruva still missed her.

They named her Maria, but attaching a name to a lifeless body only made Ruva feel worse.

Maria was meant to be her little sister. The little girl she would teach to climb trees, to ride horses. She was supposed to be a giggly mess with Corbin's enthusiasm and Sela's eyes.

Ruva was supposed to help her. Make her laugh and make her cry. She was supposed to hug her tight and teach her that she was beautiful and special and perfect.

This wasn't how the story was supposed to end. Not with this. Not with tears and silence and indigo ribbons.

Instead of a crying, breathing, sister, they had a body. A life which didn't get the chance to live.

Ruva couldn't get up. She couldn't.

She wanted to stay in bed forever, fall back asleep and be soothed by peaceful dreams.

But for once, sleep wouldn't come.

…

Ruva rolled over, staring at the wall, ignoring the dry taste in her mouth. She probably should get up, at least to eat something, but the thought was so exhausting, All she wanted to do was sleep and see Leo, but none of those things would be happening, now.

The door opened, and two sets of feet came clumping in, small feet.

A pit formed in Ruva's stomach as she listened to Matt and Lisa chattering to each other, oblivious to her presence.

"I had to help Greg look under the stairs yesterday for extra clothes, and he found a box of my toys!"

"No! I saw them too and they were actually my toys. I played with them when I was a little kid and they got put in the box for until Milly's old enough for them."

"They're my toys! Not yours!"

"Are not."

"Mr Piggy was in the box, and he's mine."

"Yeah, but the rest are all mine!"

Ruva groaned, pulling a pillow over her face. Their constant squawking dug into her head like nails, made her want to crawl deep under the blankets.

Their arguing stopped, and they started walking towards her. "Who's up there?" called Matt.

"Why are you still lying in bed? It's daytime?"

"Are you sick? One time when I had a sore tummy I fell asleep in at the daytime."

Ruva sighed, rolling over to face them.

"Oh! It's you, Ruva," said Lisa, "I thought you were an old man!" she said, giggling.

Matt laughed too. "Ruva's not an old man! She's a big kid, like Leo."

The name was a punch to her stomach, all the air rushing out of her in a soft umph.

Leo was still downstairs, still lying on the same bed as before, unable to move. He was stuck inside, unable to come out and see everything that had happened. He had no idea about their plans to evacuate, no clue about the Meyarin stealth attacks in the night, not a clue about the medical supplies running out. He was trapped. Trapped from all the heart-ache and pain and quiet and sick.

Just for a moment, Ruva longed to swap places with Leo. He would be able to solve everything, be able to support Mrs Wendyl, help Tia in the Rumpus Room. He would solve everything.

Leo was good at that.

Matt and Lisa had forgotten about her, and the conversation had moved on to other things.

"I know! Let's play war!"

"Okay," said Matt, "I want to be the Meyarins. You can be the Allied Forcing."

Ruva's eyes widened watching as the two people acted out in detail the past weeks of the war, offering a foreign and innocent perspective on how things happened.

"I sneak out in the middle of the night," said Matt, climbing a bunk bed. "And I break the bubbledoors and the big siren so you can't use it!"

"Oh no!" said Lisa, falling to the ground. "Now I can't go to the shops to buy food, so I have to go to the shelter! There are lots of people going to the hospital!"

"And we burn down the buildings so more people have to go to the shelter and make everyone sad! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!"

"This is a disaster!" said Lisa, dramatically resting a hand against her forehead. "There are too many people with comas and now Tia is too tired to play!"

Ruva gulped, guilt swallowing her up once again.

It had been all her fault. She had been to selfish and cowardly to admit she'd made a mistake, and Leo had to pay for it.

It was awful. She was awful. What if she had planned it all along? To let Leo take the fall for her mistakes? Oh, she had been terrible. To everyone.

There was a knock on the door, and Tia walked in. Ruva sunk, just a little. She didn't have the energy for another of Tia's rants, as rightful as they were. But that's not what happened when Tia walked in. The twins stopped playing, falling silent as they watched her enter the room.

"I need to give your ankle a check-up," said Tia, looking at Ruva. "It's been a couple weeks now, and I want to make sure your ankle is setting properly and—" Tia cut off, staring at her. No, not at her, but through her.

She was using her gift, and Ruva could only watch as her mouth parted slightly, her eyes widening.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" she said, her voice softening.

Ruva's eyes widened, her eyes darting around, but she couldn't speak.

"You know what I'm talking about, Ruva," she said, her voice stronger. "You should have reached out—I could have—we could have helped you."

Ruva froze up, staring at Tia's face. She expected so much of her, even when she knew how depressed she was.

Tia sighed, absentmindedly squeezing her hands. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have put it that way. You've been really strong to put up with this by yourself, but there is support out there."

Tia paused, her eyes darting to Matt and Lisa. "You just—you need to talk more."

…

Ruva was still awake. She couldn't sleep, not even when she had been lying in bed all day, not a single thing to interest her or keep her awake.

So where was her sleep? Where was the dreaming and silence and time passing by that she longed for?

This would be where Leo came, her winding thoughts slowly making it into his head, her worries waking him up. Then he would whisper reassurances to her, sometimes come and sit on her bed, just to hold her hand.

'Leo?' she sent, not bothering to hold her breath.

'I just… I really miss you. I want you to be okay.'

There was no reply.

She hadn't expected one, really, but deep inside her she was desperate to hear Leo's soft voice, have him smile warmly at her, running his fingers through his already-messy hair. She wanted to see his deep-mountain eyes, wanted to see him struggling and triumphing and resting and waiting and crying and peaceful and safe.

She needed him so much.

Tears were leaking down her face now, and she tried to suppress the hiccups coming from her throat. She didn't want to wake anyone else up with her regrets. They were just for her.

But there was nothing left for her, now. She was ready to give up, ready to leave. The war still hadn't ended. It hadn't gotten better, it hadn't changed her life. She hadn't learnt some important life lesson, hadn't found purpose.

There was no light at the end of the tunnel, no way to escape this nightmare.

She was trapped.

'I don't know what to do anymore.' she started, the words flowing smoothly even though she was shaking from silent sobs.

'Now that you're not here. I feel like I have so many things I want to say.'

Ruva paused, attempting to take in a deep breath, only for a large sob to burst out. 'I'm stupid. So, so stupid. It's my fault about what happened. My fault you're stuck there.'

She clenched her fists, nails biting into the still-tender flesh of her palms. 'I'm sorry, I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want for you to be stuck in that stupid coma, I don't want to be running so low on medical supplies that Tia can't heal my leg. I don't want to be too tired to call Harry and Arra. I don't want the smoke to be so thick you can't see the sky. I don't want to see Matt and Lisa playing War, I don't want Mrs Wendyl to stay up every night just to keep us all safe. I don't want the hospital to be full. I don't want us to have to turn away people who need help. I don't want to be exhausted by waking up. I don't want to be stuck in this horrible world in this horrible world. I don't want to be me anymore.'

Ruva stuttered in a breath, adrenaline rushing through her veins. 'I… I didn't want to tell you that. It's scary. Not that it matters now,' she sent, a hollow laugh coming out her mouth, nothing more than a puff of air. 'I don't think anything matters, now, so I might as well tell you…'

She took a deep breath, making a conscious effort to unclench her fists. 'I had—have—depression. I've had it for a long time now.'

Ruva stared at the wall, which was a dark grey compared to the black in the rest of the room. There was breathing all around her, but nothing could pierce the fog hanging around her mind.

'I don't want to do anything, not anymore.'

…

Ruva was lying in bed, watching dust drift across the wall. She felt sick in her stomach, and having everyone else in there didn't help much.

Since early this morning, everyone had been in the bedrooms upstairs, curtains drawn tight and silent. They did this every attack, so the Meyarins wouldn't hear them with their enhanced hearing.

Well, it was only a guess they were safe up here, which more relyed on the fact of everyone staying calm than real fact.

Her stomach was turning, the sort of sick that doesn't need medical attention, but makes you feel awful anyway. Ruva only needed to resist vomiting once today, hopefully she was getting over the mystery illness.

…When she put it like that, maybe she did need some help. She might as Tia for something later.

But… no. She couldn't. Not when everyone else needed help. People who were actually helping others.

There was a shriek in the distance, and Ruva tensed up. Was it a human scream, or a Veeyon's one? Everyone went still, tension leaking through the room, and Ruva felt like she was absorbing it all.

But there was silence, people in the room relaxing, their faces softening, sighs echoing around the room.

The Veeyons had attacked twice, now, their screams echoing for hours and hours. The first time it was Meyarins and Veeyons, but the second time it was just Veeyons, their screams echoing through the night.

Their shrieks were horrible, the guttural, ear-piercing screams.

The cries were always the same word, repeated from their leader, the same word Ruva heard for hours and hours on end. Her gift became more of a curse in those attacks.

The first time it happened, she could barely move, the pulsing, sickening words washing over her for hours on end

" Kill " " Kill " " Kill " " Kill " " Kill " " Kill " " Kill " " Kill " " Kill "

The words had become a mantra. Pulsing, echoing through her head, in time with her breath.

She couldn't escape them, even now.

Ruva stopped herself, making a conscious effort to breath slowly; in, and out.

In the distance there was a crunch, glass shattering. Beating wings, and then… and then…

Screaming. The high pitched, ear-popping shrieks of Veeyons, appearing all around her.

Ruva no longer stopped herself from hyperventilating.

This time, the Veeyons had a different cry.

" Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. "

" Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. "

" Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. " " Destroy. "

Ruva was shaking, tears leaking from her eyes. She was standing up—when did that happen?—her jaw was shaking, her eyes flickering wide.

Still the screams came, growing louder and louder.

" DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. "

" DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. "

" DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY. "

There was more noise now, buildings shattering, human screams beneath the harsh Veeyon cries.

And then, a thump on the roof.

And a shriek.

Ruva was running, her cast clumping against the wooden floor, throwing her steps off balance. She ignored the pain in her ankle, pushing away the walls that fell towards her. Past the bathroom, past the staircase, opening the last door, unused in these times.

She reached for it, her hands pulling at the handle, pulling it open, leaping out onto the balcony.

There was darkness.

A bleeding red sky, fires glowing in the distance. She couldn't see over the hill—she could barely see the end of the street. The screams bombarded her now, leaking into her head like a sulphurous poison.

" DESTROY. " " dESTROY! " " DeStRoY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY... " " Destroy! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " deSTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY. " " destroy! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DeStRoY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY. " " Destory! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY!

" DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " Destory. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY… " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY! " " DeStRoY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " deSTROY. " " destroy! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY... " " DESTROY! " " deSTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DESTROY. " " DESTROY! " " DeStRoY. "

She vomited, hurling every meal she had ever eaten, until her mouth ran dry.

The Veeyon on the roof shrieked again, and Ruva turned to face it. Acid was dripping from its mouth, the hollow, a slight growl rippling through its throat. It took a step forward, its hollow eyes fixated upon her.

Ruva paled. It's going to eat me help what do I do wait please no but I need to—

The Veeyon stretched out its wings, opening its mouth wide, shaking Ruva to her very core.

"LEAVE!" She shrieked, her voice perfectly mimicking the hellish tones.

The Veeyon paused, staying perfectly still.

"Leave?" Ruva repeated, her voice far too quiet.

The Veeyon blinked, before it shrieked in return, "leAVE."

It flew off, leaving Ruva with a pounding heart, the world swimming before her eyes.

Ruva!" It was Mr Wendyl, his eyes wide and hair blowing in the smoky wind. He beckoned her from within the doorway, begging her to come.

Another Veeyon flew past, its scream echoing through her bones.

"Please," said Mr Wendyl, his eyes the colour of shipwrecks, a brown so dark it could be black, lit by the fires and destruction in front of him. "Ruva, please."

A Veeyon landed on the roof, acid dripping from its blood-red mouth.

She took one final look at Mr Wendyl, before turning to the Veeyon, screaming back in horrid tones.

The same tones which echoed in her mind every day.

…

She was out there for hours.

Screaming more and more, to the point her throat was dry, and then beyond it. Every sound ripped through her throat like a blade, but still, she kept going.

The Veeyons were targeting her, now, their hive Leader screaming for them to kill her.

Ruva screamed back, with no regard for herself, only the people she was protecting. She screamed with all her willpower, somehow conveying the same power as their leader. She screamed for them to protect, for them to fight for her instead, pulling a few Veeyons against their pack.

But this was a losing battle. Ruva already had to cough between each scream, warmth leaking down her shattered throat. As she coughed again, Ruva pulled her hand back, realising it was covered in blood. She couldn't keep this up. She couldn't.

But she had to.

She was protecting everyone still inside. She was protecting all the strangers they'd let in, Sela and Corbin. She was protecting Mr and Mrs Wendyl and all of their children. Everyone from little baby Milly, to Tia.

And Leo. She was protecting Leo.

Her ribbons came into view, but they didn't help. She kept screaming, shoving the ribbons away, so she could see everything which was happening.

She took another breath, dizzy from screaming for so long.

But instead of air, she choked. She coughed and coughed, unable to breathe, blood pouring down her throat.

She heard a Veeyon shriek, and this time she knew—she knew—she wouldn't be able to stop it.

Ruva was still coughing, doubled over in pain, her head spinning and blood dripping from her mouth.

'Leo…' she sent, her vision blurring. 'I'm—I'm sorry. I can't…. I can't make it.'

A roar thundered through the air, something different—and larger—to the Veeyon's. The sound felt like a light going off in Ruva's head, when a silver blur soared past her.

There was something blue in the middle of the swarm—fire—making the Veeyons shriek and fall.

And then, glinting in the red sky,

A Draekon.

A giant beast of silver scales and piercing blue flame, its cry echoing in Ruva's chest.

The majestic creature tore through the Veeyons, Ruva's mouth dropping at the graceful movements. She could only watch as the Veeyons tried to escape its mighty claws, her chest shuddering with every breath. Her eyes were watering, as the world started to swim.

She closed her eyes, listening to the defending cry. She barely noticed the warm arms scoop her up, carrying her into the safety of the building.

She couldn't move as people crouded around her, pouring liquids down her throat, wet cloths washing away ash and blood. There was a constant buzz around her, until everyone quietened, all at once.

Even beyond the room, there was no movement, no shrieks from outside, or footsteps down there.

Silence, for the first time since the attack started.

Then, a shout sounded in the distanced, echoed by people everywhere, until someone in the house repeated it.

"The war is over!"

Silence hung for a second, the war is… over?

Then it set in, the war is over.

" The war is over " " Over? " " The war is over " " NO MORE WAR! " " The war is over! " " Wait, are you sure? " " The war is over... " " All finished. " " The war is over " " Is it true? " " The war is over? " " The war is over " " We-We survived! " " The war is over " " THE WAR IS OVER! " " IS IT TRUE?! " " The war is over "

" The war is over... " " WE MADE IT! " " The war is over " " THE WAR IS OVER!" " The war is over " " We survived! " " The war is over " " Did we win? " " The war is over " " The war is over " " Oh, we're so lucky " " The war is over " " The war is finally over " " All finished... " " The war is over " " It's... it's over? " "The war is over"

" The war is over... " " We're done! " " The war is over " " We won! " " THE WAR IS OVER! " " The war is over " " The war is over " " We... we survived! " " The war is over " " I can't believe we made it. " " The war is over " " No more war! " " The war is over! " " Over? " " The war is over " " WE'RE SAFE! " " No more war! "

Ruva was beaming, tears streaming down her face. All around her there was hugging and crying and singing.

The war was over.

The phrase echoed in her head, letting her finally feel at peace. Ruva closed her eyes, and slept all through the night, joy surrounding her all the while.

…

Three weeks later, Ruva was pacing at the door, her ankle now healed.

So much had happened since the end of the war. Rebuilding had already begun, new alliances forged—even the Meyarins had pledged their service. The freed Meyarins were more than happy to help, willing to do anything to fix the destruction they caused.

Well, it wasn't really the Meyarins who caused the damage in the first place, Ruva now knew. As difficult as it was to grab her head around, the Meyarins had been mind-controlled into all of that evil.

Even though she knew that, Ruva still found herself flinching whenever one appeared unexpectedly, as they often did. She knew they didn't pose any danger to her, but her brain didn't want to believe her sometimes.

Ruva sighed, turning from her pacing and going into the kitchen, tapping Mrs Wendyl on the arm. When she had Mrs Wendyl's attention. She made the sign for when, pointing at the door.

"Anytime now, Ruva," she said. "He'll be here soon."

A little burst of energy rushed through her, and she smiled gratefully. Ruva didn't try to thank Mrs Wendyl, though, she could barely speak at all now.

She'd almost died the night the war ended, and damaged her throat beyond recognition. With the remaining medicines, Tia managed to keep her alive, sealing the tears in her vocal cords. But they didn't heal properly, Tia had said a couple days later. There was scarred tissue in her throat, which stopped her from talking. Her voice had grown huskier, and often dropped out when she tried to make certain sounds. There was also lots of aches, and some days she could barely whisper. Because of this, Tia suggested she start learning sign language, and helped her learn some of the signs.

Two weeks later, and with lessons her sign language improved. She was nowhere near holding a conversation, but she could confidently sign all the letters of the alphabet, and knew basic signs. She could sign everyone's name, and point out most of the objects in the home. She knew her question words, too, things like who, what and when. But she couldn't put those words into sentences yet, there were different grammar rules for this new language.

Hopefully her voice would improve after she started voice therapy, but Mrs Wendyl and Sela couldn't find any clinicians willing to help her, not so soon after the war.

The house felt so much emptier with all the extra people gone. They returned to their homes and families, but unfortunately not for Ruva and her adoptive parents. Their home at the palace was nothing but ash, along with everything except a few foundations on the northern side.

That wasn't why Ruva was pacing at the door, no, she was here for a different reason entirely.

Grimm Helkin was in Tryllin today, the man who promised to free as many people as he could. All the people in comas. Last night, Ruva had watched all the broadcasts he was part of—almost obsessively. She watched him travel through Graevale, Mardenia, and today, Tryllin. He offered an apology to everyone he'd been forced to harm, and especially to those who'd died from the result. Last night she had watched countless videos of people waking up. She knew people woke up within minutes, like awaking from a sleep, and sometimes they understood everything that was happening around them.

'not long now, Leo,' she sent, and maybe he could hear her, too.

There was a knock at the door, making Ruva jump. She hurried over and opened it, staring and Grimm Helkin.

He looked the same as he did in the broadcast—perhaps a little tireder—with his brown skin and long, slender figure.

"Can—is there someone here for me to free?" he said, his voice polite.

Ruva blinked then quickly nodded, stepping to the side and allowing him in.

Mrs Wendyl looked in from the kitchen, pausing for a second, before snapping out of it, giving a welcoming smile. "Mr Helkin," she said. "Such a pleasure to see you. I'm Helen Wendyl, just come through here."

She led Grimm through the house, Ruva trailing behind them. Soon Mr Wendyl was with her, and the four of them went into the Silent Room.

Once inside, Ruva stared down at Leo's peaceful face. it was only him left in the room, all the other coma-ridden patients taken by their families and friends.

Mrs Wendyl stopped talking, looking to Grimm.

He walked over, briefly placing his hand on Leo's head, before stepping back.

Leo's breathing stuttered, his fingers starting to twitch

Ruva gasped, as Grimm said, "I—I'll give you some privacy."

He left the room, but Ruva barely noticed. She wat too busy watching Leo's eyelids twitch, his breathing becoming deeper—stronger.

"Leo?" Ruva whispered, her voice croaky and dry.

Leo opened his eyes, blinking in the light before focusing on their faces. he smiled at the sight of them, and slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"Hey there, Leo," said Mr Wendyl. "I haven't seen you in a long while, have I?"

Leo smiled brighter, seeming to become himself. 'Um, hi,' he sent, the sound strong and clear.

'Leo!' Ruva cried, reaching forward and hugging him, her chest filled with warmth.

'You're okay,' Ruva sent, tears streaking down her face.

'I'm okay.'

Finally—finally—they were both okay.