Memories

By Dixxy

Chapter Ten: Angel in the Night

Radius walked around the hallways of Viper Manor, bowing and nodding to those he passed to acknowledge them. He always tried to recognize even the lowliest of the men, which had earned him a great deal of respect from his minors and his superiors. It would be some time before the General returned and until then he and-

"RREEEEEOOOOOOORRRRRRRWWWWWWWW!"

"Stupid cats," Radius grumbled as he watched the two kitchen cats scamper off after a rather large bug. He scratched his head, wondering where the bug had come from. He sincerely hoped it hadn't been the kitchen. Maybe it was from the sewers. Still, not very appetizing. . . he mused.

-would be in charge of the affairs at the manor.

A private walked up to him, bowing his head. "Radius, Lady Zippa and the children have returned to the manor," he said. Radius raised an eyebrow in curiosity, leaning on his cane as he listened to the private. "Something seemed very wrong. The little one was asleep in Lady Zippa's arms and the other three seemed worried- the boys were acting like her bodyguards and Miss Riddel was hanging onto Dario's shoulder."

Radius scratched his bearded chin. While it certainly isn't odd for Riddel to be clinging to Dario like that, what with her little puppy crush on him, but the whole scenario does seem strange. Why would Zippa be carrying Glenn? And why are Dario and Karsh acting so protective? "May I see them?"

The private nodded. "I sent them to Zappa's room." The Deva nodded and proceeded towards the stairs that would lead him to the newly arrived guests to the manor. I certainly hope that the General, Garai, and Zappa are all right, Radius thought to himself as he ascended to the main level of the manor.

He reached the room Zappa slept in during his stays at the manor. He heard quiet footsteps and bowed as Zippa opened the door. "Good day, Radius. Top of the evening, to ye. What brings ye here at this hour?" she asked politely, stepping aside to let the man into the room. Dario was sitting over Glenn, who was fast asleep. Riddel was playing with a doll. Karsh had taken his ponytail down and was brushing through his hair.

"Why have you returned so early?" he asked.

"I wanted them to a spend a night here to make them feel safe. Something happened back in Guardia and all of them are a wee bit shaken- being within the walls of Viper Manor should make them feel a little safer than if I were to bring them to either mine or Garai's home," Zippa stated.

"Why?" asked Radius. "What happened."

"It's Glenn," said Zippa. "Take a look fer yerself, Radius."

Nervously, the Deva walked over to where Glenn was lying. Radius swallowed hard when he saw the wound and knelt down, gazing at it in astonishment. He looked up at Zippa. "How did this happen?" he asked. "That. . . that's going to leave a scar! He's never going to be the same again!"

"Yes he will," Dario said through gritted teeth. Normally he treated all the Devas with respect but Radius had just managed to push a whole new set of buttons that had been formed when Glenn had been hurt. "He's upset enough as it is- tell him that and I'll sic Dad after you. He was practically crying on the boat ride home. He thinks his life is practically over now because of it."

Zippa pulled two chairs across from each other and sat Radius down, quietly giving him the details. The Deva kept looking forlornly at the small child, who had since rolled over. Despite the scar, he still looked somewhat young and innocent, though Radius knew the truth as the story went further along- that Porre commander had done something horrible to that child and he would be changed no matter what Dario said. He's in denial, Radius thought. He's going to try to do everything he can to get Glenn to grow up normally but that will never happen, now. The other children are going to be frightened of him.

After hearing the story, Radius cleared his throat. "What is done is done," he said. He moved over to where Glenn was sleeping, gently tousling the boy's hair. "Seems as if you children had a bigger adventure than you expected, didn't you?" All three boys nodded after Riddel quipped that she really hadn't been involved. "Just be careful next time you go adventuring."

"What are we gonna do, Radius? Go challenge the Dragon Gods, ah suppose?" said Karsh, snorting a laugh. "We've 'ad enough excitement to last us until we're old enough to enlist." He stood, brushing himself off. "Ah need ta use the bathroom- ahll be back, so dunt wait up fer me." Zippa rolled her eyes at her son, getting a "what?" out of the boy before he left.

"I suggest you children get some sleep- it's late and you need your sleep to grow," said Radius. He turned to the younger female. "Riddel? Your room is available if you wish to spend the night there. I'll send for an extra nanny if you feel unsafe." Riddel stood to leave, saying she'd be all right with only one of her nurse maids. She gave her two friends kisses before leaving for her room, bidding them all good night.

"Zippa?"

"I'll be fine taking the boys," she said. Radius nodded, leaving after giving his own good night wishes. Zippa tucked Dario and Glenn into one of the beds, Dario holding his little brother tightly. She sighed, gently stroking each other their heads. "Yer mother would have been heartbroken if she saw Glenn like this," she said. "But she'd still love you."

"Thank you, Zippa," said Dario. "Good night."

"G'night," said Glenn, yawning as he relaxed into the safety of his brother's arms.

"Sweet dreams, little ones."

Several days had passed, and Dario and Glenn were sleeping in their own tiny cabin. The younger boy was looking out the window, cradling himself as he rocked on his heels. Dario sighed heavily. "Glenn, nothing is going to happen. Zippa is right next door if we need anything."

"I'm not afraid," he said.

Dario shrugged. "Getting ready for bed?"

"No."

"Glenn, you need to get some sleep."

"I'm not sleepy."

Dario chuckled. "You sure?"

"Uh huh. I'll go to bed when I'm ready," he said. Dario shrugged, climbing into his bed. He blew out the candle that lit the one room cabin and Glenn could soon hear his brother softly sawing logs. He smiled- even as loud as Dario's snoring was, it comforted him to hear that.

Checking to ensure that Dario would not wake up, Glenn padded over to a wooden box on the sole desk in the cabin. He opened it, taking out the only object inside- his mother's Memento Pendant. Glenn held it close to his chest, looking for comfort from the one person who truly wanted comfort from but could never receive it from. The pendant was the last thing he had to remember her by.

"Mommy. . ." he said softly. I sat down at the foot of his bed and put the pendant in his lap. "Daddy says that you can see me from up above in the sky. If that's true, then can you see me now? Can you see my scar?" He winced slightly. "I miss you mommy. I cried out for you when that bad man gave me the scar, but you're gone."

Glenn looked out the window, where he saw the two moons shining down on the land. The little boy stood up and walked to the window, sitting in the chair by the desk. He slipped the pendant around his neck, clutching it with one hand and his scar in the other. Glenn gazed up at the sky, feeling tears streak down his face. No. . .

His mother had been the most important person in his life. She had always taken care of him whenever he was sick and scolded Dario and Karsh whenever they were mean to him. She gave him hugs and kisses when he was scared and sang him lullabies to get him to go to sleep. She never wanted to hurt anyone and was well liked by everyone in Termina. Glenn thought she was pretty, too- she had very silky smooth blonde hair and soft blue eyes. Her innate color had been White, just like his father's color, and she always joked about her Black and Green sons.

Her death had been very sudden and unexpected. Shortly after Dario's twelfth birthday, she had been with her two sons running errands in Termina when she suddenly collapsed. Dario had screamed for help while Glenn had nearly panicked, not having the half a clue that his brother had. She was immediately rushed back home and a doctor had been called. His father had been away at the time but had been immediately called back home.

The doctor, an old medicine woman, was unable to determine what had caused the young woman to collapse. She had been in almost as good of a shape as her husband was in, what from trying to keep up with two young boys, and was a well-known source for healing herbs and spices. There was nothing to possibly give a clue as to what caused her sudden illness.

His mother had been barely awake for the next several days, and when she was she hadn't been able to do much more than just barely lift a hand. Her husband was always holding on hand, her sons on the other side. With what little strength she had, she comforted her family, especially her children. She knew her time had come, yet she had not feared her death- she was more concerned for the well-being of her husband and her boys.

Dario and Glenn were the only ones with her when she finally did die- Garai had gone to collect water for her to drink and possibly convince the boys to take a bath. She had opened her eyes one last time, wishing for Dario to tell Garai that she loved him, and that she loved them both. She requested that they all took care of each other and stuck together as long as they could. She reached up to touch Glenn's cheek- ironically enough the one that was now scarred- and then closed her eyes, the hand falling lifelessly to the bedspread. Glenn didn't understand what had happened, but Dario had and was in crying hysterics. The younger boy then realized that she had died and joined his brother in crying.

Apon her request, she had been buried at sea, her body being forever lost to the waves as her surviving family watched the lifeless form slowly sink below the waves. Glenn had remembered the moment well- he had begun crying again, reaching out for the waves as he began screaming for her not to leave him. How could anyone possibly hold him back? He had just lost his mother.

I never knew why you left me, Mommy, Glenn thought to himself. You were too young and pretty to die. And you were my mommy and Dario's mommy! Daddy was really sad when you left us, too. I hadn't ever seen him that upset, not even when I went out onto the Bluffs or even when I got my scar. I'm scared, Mommy. I don't want to be scared anymore. I wish you were still here with me.

Somewhat satisfied with his crying, Glenn stood up again. He walked back over the box, debating if he should put the pendant back inside. He'd nearly lost it once, but then again, he didn't feel up to going out as of late- the only traveling he's done had been from the docks to Viper Manor, and then his house a few days later. He had only just set foot in the front yard that morning. I don't think Dario would mind, he thought.

As Glenn was about to close the box, his eyes spied something. Folded neatly at the bottom of the bow were two pale lavender ribbons. Glenn hadn't noticed them before- they had been his mother's. Glenn could hardly remember a day that she didn't wear them in her hair. When he was very small, he had watched her braiding the longer of the two ribbons into her very long hair, other times using the shorter ribbons to just tie in a simple bow. Glenn picked up the shorter ribbon, watching it slowly unfold. He held it up to his face, sniffling.

His nose caught a familiar scent.

Thinking it might've been a little silly, Glenn held the ribbon up to his nose and smelled it. His eyes welled up again- they still carried the smell his mother had. That smell was something that Glenn loved. His mother always seemed to have a definite scent of strawberries, one of her favorite foods. He had always associated the food and its properties with his mother because of this.

Glenn nuzzled the ribbon, wanting to get closer to his mother, as close as he could. Leaving the longer ribbon in the box, the small boy finally decided it was, indeed, time for him to go to bed. Still wearing the pendant and now carrying the ribbon, he climbed under the sheets and tried to sleep.

Glenn looked around. He was surrounded by white on all sides, and he could find no separation from the ground and the sky, yet he felt something hard and solid under foot. He looked down and saw himself fully dressed, the Memento Pendant around his neck and the ribbon in his hand. In the distance he could hear a voice beckoning him closer. Nervous, he found himself walking forward.

Ahead of him he saw someone with big white wings sitting on a rock. Glenn stepped closer, curious who this person was. The person stood, and slowly turned around. A very familiar face smiled at Glenn, and he stopped short with surprise. The person laughed, walking towards him. "Hello, my child. It has been a while."

"Mommy?" Glenn asked quietly. His eyes began to water. "Mommy!" He threw himself into his mother's arms, crying hysterically. She came back to him! His daddy and Dario would be so happy to see her again! His mother soothed him, kissing his cheek and gently telling him to hush down. "Mommy. . . you came back to me! You came back!"

His mother pulled her smallest into her lap, resting his head against her shoulder. "Not for long, my child," she said. Glenn looked up at her, ready to cry again. "Please don't cry, Glenn. I came to you because you were crying and because I didn't want to hear your cries of pain anymore- it hurts me to hear that."

Glenn nuzzled his mother's neck. "I'm scared, Mommy."

"I know, my sweet," she said. "I heard your cries as you ran from the man and when you awoke in the prison cell. I heard your cries as you tried to escape and as you were captured. I heard you crying as that man hurt you and your cries when your father's affectionate brush against your wound irritated it. I heard your cries tonight. I saw it all, my child, and it hurt me deeply. There is no pain worse for a mother than watching her children suffer."

"I'm still suffering, Mommy. I'm different now!" he said. "I have a scar now and it's really, really ugly! No one will want to play with me anymore!" Glenn sniffled. "I'm ugly." He briefly turned away. "Even you have to admit that, Mommy- I look different now and I'm ugly!"

"No, my child. You may have learned from what happened and perhaps you've grown up just a little too much in too short of a time, but you are still my son. You are still your father's son. And you are still Dario's brother. You are still you. You are Glenn and nothing will ever change that," she said, stroking his hair gently. She kissed his forehead. He looked up at her, his tears slowly beginning to dry up. "I love you, my child, and I will always be with you wherever you go. A little bit of my heart, body, and soul lies within you and Dario as well. If you keep me in your heart and in your mind then I'll never truly be gone- I can live as long as you do if I can live in your memory, Glenn. Never forget that."

The small boy felt his face, which, even in the dreamlike state, still bore the scar. "Are you mad at me for going with that man, Mommy? You and Daddy told me not to talk to strangers, but then again Daddy said that the people on the ship were all right but- I'm so confused, Mommy!"

"It will be all right, Glenn. That man took advantage of your naiveté," she said. Glenn's mother looked at him sympathetically. "All I can say is that I hope you've learned something from this. You were very, very lucky that you were able to get out of there alive- Dario cares about you very much and by going to Porre, he proved it." The angel woman cradled her child, smiling as he began to calm down. "Everything will be just fine, my child. I promise you that. Everything will be just fine."

Glenn sniffled. "I still miss you, Mommy."

"And I miss you, too, little one," she said. "But it will be all right."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

His mother nodded, stroking his hair gently. "I know you'll grow up to be a fine young man someday. You'll find friends, and none of them will care about your scar. There will be children who will ridicule- I won't lie to you about that- but they don't look past it to see the true you. And you shouldn't care about them. Just try to find those who see you for you and you'll be fine, I promise you that."

"But how do I do that?" asked Glenn.

"Give it time," she said. Glenn's mother chuckled to herself, looking at her younger son's scar. "It's not so bad, I don't think. It will always carry bad memories, but you'll learn to leave the memories in the past. Memories can't hurt you, Glenn- memories are just records of the past and nothing more. Memories are gone- they won't happen again. Memories of sadness, sickness, and death fade away with time just as memories of joy, happiness and life do. Cherish the memories you hold dear to your heart, Glenn, and let go of the memories that hurt you."

"How can I let go of them? I can't stop thinking about it," said Glenn. "It's there every morning when I look in the mirror! How can I forget about being kidnapped and being held prisoner and being cut up when I can see my scar? It's right there on my face and everyone's making a big fuss over it!"

"You need to recall them now to help you heal," she said. "With time, everyone will begin to ignore it and just accept it as a part of you." Glenn's mother closed her eyes. "Think about it this way as well. I know my boys want to be Dragoons just like their father." She opened her eyes again. "If you find yourselves in the Acacia Dragoons someday, some of your fellow Dragoons will receive scars in everything from training sessions to full blown wars. You'll know how to deal with it by then and you can help them get over it."

"Really? I can help people?"

"Yes," she said. She looked up into the sky. "I must go now, Glenn."

"No! I don't want you to go!"

"But I must go. And you need to go home- Dario will be waiting for you."

"He will?" His mother nodded. "I guess this is good-bye. Again."

His mother smiled. "Remember. I'll always be with you in your heart."

Glenn felt his eyes begin to tear as his mother stood, gently placing him on the ground. He sniffled, not wanting to do what he knew what was to come. He'd said good-bye to her once and he didn't want to do it again. But even at his young age, he knew it was time. His mother knelt down and her gently hugged her. "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, Glenn. . ."

Dario woke up the next morning as the sun shone through the window. He yawned, tossed his legs over the side of the bed, and stretched. He looked over to see Glenn sleeping soundly. He smiled, sitting beside his baby brother as the smaller child continued to sleep. He looked at the still very red "x" on his face and frowned.

Then, he raised an eyebrow. Glenn had both the Memento Pendant and one of his mother's old hair ribbons. Dario sighed heavily. He missed his mother, too, but he didn't think anyone missed her as much as Glenn did. Glenn had been very close to his mother, always wanting to help her with the dishes, go shopping with her, and attempting to help her in the garden (though for a five year old he was pretty good at it, probably due to his innate color). It shouldn't have surprised Dario to see Glenn attaching himself to those items- that was as close as he felt he could get to her now.

Slowly, Dario slipped the ribbon from his brother's hand, feeling it between his fingers for a little bit. He smiled. He looked down at Glenn, whose mouth was hanging slightly open with one hand under his pillow. Grinning to himself, Dario carefully tied the ribbon around Glenn's head, making a loose knot in the back, allowing what very little remained of the ribbon (about four or so inches to a side) to hang loosely behind him. Dario almost chuckled- the look fit his baby brother perfectly. He had seen some of the Dragoons tying strips of cloth around their heads as sweatbands before and he recalled Glenn thinking it looked cool.

Satisfied with his work, Dario stood up to look out the window. Today was the start of a new day for both him and Glenn. He was going to try his little brother out with a wooden practice sword to try and cheer him up. Glenn had always liked watching him and his father in tournaments and battle drills- he'd be thrilled to know that he was going to have a chance to learn it himself, now.

He heard stirring from Glenn's bed and saw his younger brother waking up, feeling his head. Dario laughed. "You seemed pretty attached to Mom's hair ribbons so I tied them into your hair," he said. Glenn stared at him in shock, but Dario just smiled. "Don't panic yet- it actually looks pretty good on you. Take a look in Dad's old mirror."

Glenn did so, inspecting it carefully. He pulled his hair from out of the ribbon in a few places, allowing most of his dirty blonde locks to fall around the ribbon. "I look kinda like a soldier," he said. He giggled. "I didn't think Mommy's hair ribbons could look good on a boy!"

"Well now you know, Glenn," said Dario. "Now follow me outside."

"Why? Can't we eat breakfast first?"

Dario heard his stomach rumbles. Little brother had a point. A very good point. "Hmm, food does sound good. But I'm telling you Glenn, we will be going outside later today and you're going to like it!" said Dario, raising one arm excitedly in the air. "You'll see, Glenn. It'll cheer you right up. Now let's get some grub before all of Termina hears our stomachs growling."

"Yeah!" said Glenn. "Breakfast! Goody!"

". . . but you will put that pendant away before it gets dirty."

"Yes, Dario."

"Good boy," said Dario, putting his brother in a light headlock. He smiled. "See?"

"See what?"

"Everything is going to turn out all right. . ."