Chapter 29: Dewn

     Irvine, Quistis, Zell, and Selphie boarded Ellone's Phoenix. Selphie was securely fastened into her seat by Irvine, who had trouble buckling it with only one hand, and he constantly bothered her. He was always checking to see if she was okay, and if she was in any pain. Her leg ached, but she knew if she told him that they wouldn't go, and he'd freak. If she were hurting, he'd make her stay, and if she stayed, he stayed. She knew they needed his pair of sniper eyes to look for Squall.

      She took some painkillers she had stashed in her overalls, and grinned when he sat next to her. Ellone sat Dewn in the seat next to her, and they searched for Squall in the plains near Deling as Ellone tried to track Squall's consciousness. Quistis flew it, and Zell was her copilot.

     Dewn sat next to Selphie when Irvine went to the restroom, and stared at the bandages on her leg.

Selphie (rubs Dewn's hair): What's wrong?

Dewn: Does it hurt?

Selphie: A little, why?

Dewn (looks Selphie in the eyes): …If…If you want, I can heal it.

Selphie: How? Are you a sorceress too?

Dewn: …Yeah.

Selphie (the Vicodin is working): Then as your local SeeD, I will help protect you.

Dewn (pulls away): …I don't need protection. I'll be safe.

S (trying not to scare the child about the possibility of her being murdered): Let me protect you so I feel better, okay?

D: (nods)…

S (rubs her head again): No about this healing. I don't want to put you at risk, so lets wait.

D (grimaces): She only attacks when she gets mad.

S (confused): Who is mad?

D: Mother. (Plays with her white hair)

S (shocked): Your mother is- it's not nice to lie, Dewn.

D: Why does everyone think I am lying?! I tell you the truth, and you don't believe me!

S: I didn't mean to-

D: You did mean it! cries

S: I'm sorry. It's just not something I wanted to hear, okay? (takes Dewn into her arms)

D (stops crying): sniffs …

S: Is that why she didn't kill you? Is it because she loves you?

D: If she loved me, she would have gotten me. (Selphie hugs her a little tighter)

S: Maybe she couldn't.

D: She could have!

S: Who is she really, so we can find her, and punish her for all of the naughty things she's done. Like leaving you all alone.

D (pulls away)(fearful): …I won't tell. She'll kill all of us.

S (tries to calm her): I don't think so.

D (gets down): I need to go back to Ellone before Irvine comes back. He doesn't really like me.

S: I think maybe he just doesn't know how to show you that he does like you.

D: …I got to go. sits by Ellone

S: Poor child.

Irvine (sits)(holds Selphie's hand): Still okay, or do you need to rest?

S: I'm fine. sigh But not all of us are…

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     Ellone searched for Squall's mind using "Connect" to no avail. She sighed, and stretched out her legs. Shaking her head, she stood up. She walked back to the dormitory room, and  laughed at Irvine's pestering a frustrated, and drugged out Selphie.

     Ellone grabbed a soda from the icebox, and realized she wasn't alone. The voice that filled her head a couple times before calmly spoke to her.

Voice: Give me more time, Ell. I need to talk to him longer. He found out, and he's pretty ticked at me.

Ellone: All right. We can't be going around in vain much longer though. Soon they'll blame me for not trying hard enough, or Dewn for jinxing us. You know Zell, and Irvine.

Voice: laughs nervously Yeah. Thank you, Ell.

Dewn: That was her wasn't it?

     Ellone turned to find Dewn behind her. She jumped a bit, and almost spilled her soda on herself.

Ellone: Who? There's no one here.

Dewn (grimacing): My mother, who else?

Ellone (holding out a cola): Soda?

Dewn: I hate her! (Runs to her seat)

Ellone: Dewn-

Voice (Oceania): I don't blame her. But I can't take care of her right now. What if she wants to hurt her? Or they take her away again? I can't risk losing her again.

Ellone: I understand. But you may lose her completely if you don't get to her soon. She's beginning to really hate you. Laughs She's so much like Squall.

     Ellone went back to her seat, and held the crying child in her arms, rocking back, and forth gently while stroking Dewn's head. Oceania watched through Ellone's eyes, and wept bitterly as she sat alone on the stone floor in her washroom, behind the waterfall. She wanted to die.