Hey there, I'm back for one more fic. I couldn't just leave
you all hanging with the end of Different, now could I? :)
This is a Rebecca/Wil one-shot, a pairing that I've always liked. But I always thought that they needed a better story than what the game gave them :P
This story is flashback-intensive, so sorry if you don't like that sort of thing. I felt that this was the best way to write it.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the story.
THWACK
The young brown-haired boy smiled as the arrow slammed into the makeshift target he and the girl had drawn on a thick tree. It landed a few inches to the left of the center, which only caused the boy's smile to grow.
"It's not that good," the girl said. She had medium-length green hair set into two pigtails, but most of it was hidden under the bandana that she always insisted on wearing. She wore a brown hunter's shirt and skirt.
Crossing her arms and raising her head haughtily, she declared, "I could beat that shot easily."
"Really?" the boy declared smiling, handing her the bow and an arrow. "I'd like to see you try, Rebecca," he went on, a challenge in his eyes.
Her only response was a determined grin as she took the bow, nocked the arrow, and aimed. After a few moments, she let the arrow fly, and it landed on the opposite side of the target, the same distance from the center as the boy's.
"Ha!" She smirked triumphantly. "I win."
"What are you talking about?" the boy asked incredulously. "Mine is definitely closer."
"Oh yeah? Well why don't you go look and see for yourself, Wil?" the girl asked.
She stayed where she was as Wil walked over to the target to see precisely where the arrows had landed. He noted with some dismay that the arrows were both the same distance from the center...but he wasn't going to let Rebecca know that.
"Nope, mine's closer! I can see!" he shouted back to Rebecca.
"Yeah, right!" Rebecca retorted, and she stomped over to the target. She looked at it for a moment before replying, "Come on, Wil! There's no way yours is closer than mine!"
Wil rolled his eyes. "Fine, why don't we just call it a tie?"
"Uh-uh!" She shook her head vigorously. She pointed at herself, declaring, "I'm the best archer here, and you know it!"
"Whatever you say, Rebecca," Wil replied, laughing.
"It's true!" she retorted, but Wil's laughter seemed to be infectious. Not wanting Wil to have a complete victory, however, she pushed him, causing him to stumble backwards and fall on his back. When he tried to sit up, Rebecca promptly tackled him, pinning his arms to the ground.
She smiled triumphantly. "How does it feel to get beaten by a girl?" she asked. "Especially one three years younger than you?"
Wil scowled.
But it was all in good fun. The boy and girl stared at each other for a moment, the girl sitting on top of him. Then Rebecca, trying to contain her mirth, snorted softly. That caused them both to burst out laughing.
"Um, Rebecca..." Wil said, after he had calmed down. "Do you, uh, think you could let me go?"
Rebecca looked thoughtful. "Well, I don't know..." She glanced at their target meaningfully.
Wil rolled his eyes. "Fine," he sighed, "you win."
She smiled as she got off him and helped him up, then grabbed onto his arm possessively. "You're such a great friend," she remarked, playfully exaggerating the word "friend."
Wil brushed himself off with his free hand. "Yeah, you too," he said, without much enthusiasm.
"I'm serious!" she shouted, although she hadn't sounded too serious the previous moment. "Come on, Wil," she pleaded, "aren't we best friends?"
"Of course we are," he replied, as if the answer was obvious.
Rebecca smiled warmly at his reply, then she did something Wil didn't expect: she hugged him.
"Whoa, hey, what do you think you're doing?" Wil asked, sounding panicked. He was still at the age where love was considered disgusting by most boys.
She moved her face away from his, and Wil, strangely, thought she looked a lot older than she had looked just a moment ago.
"What's wrong, Wil?" she asked, sounding almost heartbroken. "Wil..." she pleaded, "don't you love me?"
A stunning realization suddenly planted itself in Wil's mind.
"Of course I do..."
He moved his face towards hers and—
—Wil's eyes snapped open. Almost immediately, he realized what had happened, and he cursed himself silently.
This was the fifth night in a row that he had had these dreams, and he knew exactly why he was having them.
Why did I never tell her...
Scowling, Wil sat up in his bed. Why did that have to keep haunting him?
If I had, then this never would have happened...
Wil was normally cheery and very nice to be around, but that had changed a few days ago.
He was the commander of the archer division of Caelin's knights, and he had fulfilled his duty faithfully. A few days ago, however, the castle had been taken in a surprise attack, leaving only him, Lyn, Kent, Sain and Florina to attempt to retake the castle, and the enemy force had been too large for them to do so.
Luckily, a small group headed by Lord Eliwood of Pherae had come to the rescue. He brought quite a few soldiers, and among them was her...the one person Wil had never expected to see again.
Rebecca.
He had thought their reunion would have been a joyful occasion, after the long time that they had been apart. And yet, Rebecca's attitude had ruined all of that hope...
Wil and the other soldiers smiled triumphantly, the castle having been retaken. Lyn had informed him and the other Caelin soldiers that many members of the old "Lyndis's Legion" were among the soldiers that Eliwood had brought along. Outside of the castle, he had been greeting old comrades-in-arms and catching up with them.
And then he saw her.
She had her back to him, and she was chatting amiably with an auburn-haired girl that Wil didn't know. Even from behind her, there was no mistaking her appearance: the two green pigtails falling over her ears...and the bandana. Nobody else in the world wore that bandana.
"Rebecca?" he asked softly.
"Excuse me a minute, Priscilla," she said to the girl, and she turned around.
Wil instantly recognized her face, her sparkling green eyes. She had grown older, of course, but she was still the Rebecca he knew...
When she first looked at him, her eyes widened in surprise—of course, he was surprised to see her too—but after a moment, they quickly narrowed in an expression Wil couldn't quite place.
She stared at him silently for a moment, before replying, "Do...do I know you?" Her tone was surprisingly cold.
Wil stared at her confusedly. "Don't you remember me?" he asked incredulously. "It's me, Wil! Your old next-door neighbor!"
She shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry," she replied, her voice still laced with that icy expression. "I know of no such person."
Wil's hope shattered. "Oh..." he managed to choke out. "I...I must have the wrong person then..." He turned away. "Sorry for bothering you..." Deflated, he walked back to the castle.
That was when the doubt had started.
Rubbing his eyes, Wil got out of his bed. He shouldn't be thinking of those things. He decided to go for a walk outside...maybe that would clear his head.
He walked out of his tent into the cool night air. In the middle of the small circle of tents, a fire was burning. Sitting in front of it was the silhouette of one of the army's cavaliers—Wil couldn't make out which one it was.
He decided to walk over to the fire. He could talk with whoever the silhouette belonged to; it would help him to get his mind off Rebecca.
As he approached the fire, Wil noticed that the cavalier sitting there was Sain.
Hearing Wil's footsteps, Sain turned around. "Well, hello there, Wil," he said amiably, careful not to be too loud. "It seems I was the unfortunate one to end up with watch duty this night," he added, smiling. "What are you doing awake?"
Wil shrugged. "Couldn't sleep," he replied, sitting down next to the cavalier.
Sain stared at him for a moment, then suddenly asked, smiling, "Ah, you're lovesick, aren't you?"
"What?" Wil recoiled involuntarily. How could Sain have known that? "No...I..." he stammered.
Sain waved his protest off. "No need to hide it, my friend. I can see it in your eyes. So," he said, leaning closer, "which one of our army's lovely ladies are you smitten with?"
"Sain..." Wil whispered, trying to stop him before he got going.
Sain paid him no notice. "Perhaps cheerful little Serra?"
"Sain," Wil whispered again, a little louder this time.
Once again, Sain ignored him. "Or perhaps the shy, quiet Priscilla? Or—"
"Sain!" Wil whispered angrily, this time getting his attention. "You don't have to do that."
Sain smirked. "I do if you won't tell me," he commented. "So who is it?"
"Fine," Wil sighed. If he didn't tell him, Sain wouldn't shut up about it. "It's...Rebecca."
"Oh, but of course!" Sain said melodramatically. "Why, I'm sure you two are just perfect—"
"Sain, please," Wil whispered, exasperated. He held his head in his hands. "I don't need your...commentary right now."
"Ah, so you want to get straight to the point, do you?" Sain remarked, still smiling. "What happens to be the problem? Afraid she doesn't return your affections?"
Wil felt like he was going to cry, a rare occurrence for the normally cheery archer. "I'm not afraid," he said, trying to keep himself collected. "I know she doesn't. She hates me."
Sain placed his hand on Wil's shoulder. "Now, now, Wil!" he said cheerily. "I'm sure that's not the case—"
"It is," Wil cut him off, looking away.
For once, Sain was silent, seemingly unable to think of a response to Wil's pessimism.
"Then..." he said finally, "what would cause you to think that, Wil?"
Wil blinked, feeling tears forming in his eyes.
Why did he have to ask about that...
Wil had retired to his room in the castle sadly, no longer feeling any enthusiasm for meeting with his old friends. Instead, he lay on his bed silently, thinking.
How could that not have been Rebecca? There was no way that it was anyone else...why did she say she didn't remember him?
...And why did she seem so angry with him?
If only he had told her back then...
"Wil?"
Rebecca's voice suddenly emanated from outside his door. Her voice, however, no longer sounded cold. Instead, she sounded shy, as if she was embarrassed by the way she acted earlier.
"Wil?" her voice came again, this time followed by a knock on the door. "Are you in there?"
"I'm here," Wil responded, walking over to the door. He opened it.
She stood there, her sparkling green eyes staring shyly at him. It was only then Wil realized how much Rebecca's appearance had changed. She had certainly grown; when they were little, Wil had constantly teased her about her being a head shorter than he was, and now she stood almost face-to-face with him. Her chest and hips (things Wil definitely paid little attention to when he was younger) were noticeably developed. Instead of the little girl that he had once known, she now stood before him as a young woman.
But she still had the bandana. She couldn't have changed that much on the inside...
"Wil..." she said softly, haltingly. "It...it's really you...isn't it..."
"Rebecca?" he asked, confused. "I thought...just before, you said—"
She shook her head and looked away. "I...wasn't thinking," she said quickly, her face flushing. She looked back at him and asked, "Wil...where...where have you been all of this time?"
He barely even heard her question; his mind was too filled with joy to take notice of it. "Rebecca..." he said softly. Then, his face split into a huge grin, and he threw his arms around her. "Why didn't you say it was you?" he asked. "It's been so long!"
"No..." he heard her say softly. She slowly, gently pushed him away from her. "No," she repeated more forcefully, shaking her head. The icy tone that he had heard before was returning. "Don't...don't give me that 'been so long' stuff," she commanded. "Wil," she repeated, "where have you been?"
"What?" he asked, feeling his despair come back with the return of her cold expression. "What...do you mean?"
Her anger was visibly growing, and tears were starting to well up in her eyes. "I mean what have you been doing all this time, Wil!?" she demanded. "You...you left saying you were going to make a fortune with my brother, and...and I never heard from you again!" she screamed.
Her wrath was so fierce that Wil unconsciously took a step back, putting his hands up defensively. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "I...I traveled for a few years, and then I enlisted in the Caelin army. I work for Lyn now..."
Rebecca's anger seemed to diminish a bit. "You...you mean Lady Lyndis?"
He nodded slowly. Even through her anger, he managed a tiny, sheepish grin. "Yeah...I, um, keep forgetting about calling her that..."
Rebecca gasped, and her eyes grew so wide that they threatened to pop out of her head. Then tears began to stream down her cheeks. As her eyes narrowed in pure rage, she cried, "YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!"
And she accentuated the last word by kicking him in the gut. Wil, unprepared for such an attack, was caught completely off guard, and he fell to his knees, winded.
Slamming the door in his face, she stomped away from the room, sobbing angrily.
And Wil collapsed in a heap, tears pouring silently down his face.
When Wil finished, he had been crying steadily for some time, but he no longer cared. Sain, apparently having noticed how serious this was to Wil, no longer held the cheery demeanor that he almost always held normally.
"So..." Sain said after a few moments. "You and Rebecca are old friends?"
"W-we were old friends," Wil whispered angrily, though his anger seemed to be directed at himself.
"I don't understand," Sain replied. "If you were old friends, what happened between you two?"
"I-I was stupid," Wil explained, wiping his eyes. "Me and her brother...we came up with a plan to go out into the world together and make a fortune." He chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't know what the hell I was thinking."
"So what happened?" Sain pressed.
"Her brother, Dan..." Wil went on, "he was so much smarter than I was. We reached Badon after a few weeks, and there he realized how silly our plan was. He asked me to come back with him to Pherae..." He shook his head. "But I still thought I could make some money...so he went back home by himself. And then..." he trailed off.
"Yeah?" Sain helped him.
Wil shook his head again, looking away. "I...I just kept traveling," he explained. "I kept thinking that somewhere, somehow I would find a way to make a lot of money. And..." He sighed. "All that happened was my money was stolen when I came to the Bern Mountains. And then..." he looked back at Sain, "that was when you guys came, with Lady Lyndis. I...had no choice but to come with you."
Sain was silent, thoughtful. "I...honestly don't know what to tell you, Wil..." he said sadly after a few moments. "She...she doesn't know how you feel about her?"
Wil shook his head vigorously. That was exactly what had been haunting him the past few nights. "No...she doesn't," he replied. "I...I wanted to tell her before..."
"What do you mean?" Sain asked.
Wil felt tears prickling again in his eyes, but he wiped them away. "I don't know when I realized it...but I knew I loved her. Before I left, I wanted to tell her how I felt, but..." He sighed sadly. "She...she was only ten years old then. I...I didn't think she would understand how I felt until she was older..."
Again, Sain was silent.
Wil held his head in his hands. "I should have told her then..." he said softly. "Th-then none of this would have happened..."
Sain patted the archer's back soothingly. "Don't say that, Wil," he said. "What's done is done...there's no point in dwelling on it."
"No..." Wil whispered, shaking his head vigorously. He looked back up at the cavalier angrily. "Y-you don't understand h-how I feel..."
Sain shook his head and gave a self-deprecating smile. "You think I don't know how it feels to be rejected?" he asked.
Wil decided it was best not to answer that question.
Sain placed his hand on Wil's shoulder. "Wil," he said, "to be honest...the only thing that I can tell you to do is to talk to her. If you ask—"
Wil shook his head, cutting Sain off. "I can't talk to her," he explained. "She doesn't want to talk to me."
Sain grinned. "Then I'll get her to talk to you," he claimed. "Don't worry, my friend," he went on, his trademark cheeriness returning. "Tomorrow, I'll help you make everything all right."
Wil looked at him appraisingly. "You sure about that?" he asked.
Sain's grin grew wider. "Of course I'm sure," he replied with utmost confidence.
Wil couldn't help but smile. "Sain..." he said, "thanks."
Sain stood up. "No thanks needed, Wil," he replied. "But for now...I think we should both get back to sleep. My watch duty is over—" he looked up at the sky, where the moon shone directly overhead, "—now." He offered Wil his hand, helping him up.
Wil took it, then quietly walked back into his tent and lay down on his bed.
As he drifted off to sleep, he prayed that maybe, tomorrow, he could tell Rebecca what he wished he had told her so long ago...
The following day passed agonizingly slow for Wil as the army continued its march toward Badon. His mind was too focused on thoughts of Rebecca for him to take notice of anything that happened that day. He only hoped that Sain would be able to convince Rebecca to talk to him...
As night fell, the army stopped in the middle of a small plain. It was only after camp had been set up that Sain finally strode over to Wil.
Seeing him coming, Wil quickly asked, "Did you talk to her?"
Sain looked around sheepishly. "Well, um...no, not yet," he replied. "I just thought that you might want to talk to her in private...so I think you should wait over there." He pointed at a solitary tree some distance from the camp.
"O-Okay..." Wil said nervously. He had been waiting all day for the chance to talk to Rebecca...but now the thought of doing so was scaring him out of his mind. What if something went wrong? What if he wasn't able to tell her how he felt? What if this caused her to hate him even more?
"Don't worry so much," Sain said, seeing his nervousness. "I'm sure everything will be fine."
Wil gave Sain a tiny grin before walking to where Sain had pointed out.
He sat down, leaning against the base of the tree. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and he waited.
Wil looked back at the camp for what had to have been the hundredth time since he had sat down.
How long had it been since he had talked to Sain? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Half an hour? In any case, there was still no sign of Rebecca.
He closed his eyes and sighed. Maybe Sain wasn't able to convince her after all...
"Wil," Rebecca's voice suddenly came sharply.
Wil's eyes snapped open, and he looked up at Rebecca standing over him, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Sain said you needed to talk to me," she explained, her voice betraying only a small hint of anger. "I didn't want to, but if it got Sain to act seriously for a change, then I figured it must be pretty important."
Wil stood up, brushing himself off.
She raised her hands. "So," she continued, "I'm here. What you have to say had better be good."
Wil opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Mentally, he was panicking. What should he say? He had spent the entire day thinking about being able to talk to her, and yet he didn't know how to start off.
"Do you have anything to say at all?" she asked angrily. "If you don't, I don't know why the hell Sain told me to come here."
She half-turned, but Wil stopped her. "Wait," he said.
She turned back to him, crossing her arms again. "What?"
"Rebecca..." he said softly. "Why...why are you so angry with me?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you don't know," she replied, venom dripping from every word. She threw her hands up in disgust. "Why did I even come here?"
Wil shook his head slowly. "Rebecca..." he said sadly. "I...I don't understand—"
"And I don't care if you do!" she snapped. Pointing back at the camp, she went on, "Why don't you just go back to your Lady Lyndis?!" The last words were exaggerated sarcastically.
"Rebecca..." he repeated. "What does Lady Lyndis have to do with this?"
"She has everything to do with this!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Don't think I didn't notice, Wil! You had that goofy smile on your face when you talked about her! You even gave her a stupid pet name!"
Suddenly, it clicked. "Rebecca," Wil replied, "you...you think there's something between us?"
"I know there's something between you two!" she retorted, angry tears welling in her eyes. "But I guess that's just how it works for you, right, Wil?!" she went on, her tears starting to fall. "You're just like my brother! You just leave and then you suddenly decide that you don't want to come back!"
"Rebecca, what are you saying?" Wil asked incredulously. "And what do you mean, Dan didn't want to come back?"
Rebecca was about to deliver a scathing retort, but the mention of her brother caused her to stop in mid-gesture. "He...he never came back!" she shouted instead, tears still streaming down her face. "H-He just left with you...and I never saw him again!"
"What are you talking about?" Wil asked, confused. "He went back to Pherae only a few months after we left!"
She shook her head. "N-No he didn't!" she cried. "H-he never c-came back..."
"No," Wil responded. "That can't be! We came to Badon only a few months after we left, and then he decided to go back home!"
Rebecca was visibly shaken. "But...but..." she stammered.
And then Wil realized the source of her anger: she had been left all alone the entire time. Dan had never come back to her.
"Rebecca..." Wil said softly. He reached out a hand, trying to place it on her shoulder.
"No!" She angrily pushed his hand away. Then, completely contrasting that gesture, she broke down sobbing and threw her arms around him.
He placed his arms around her, patting her back soothingly. "Rebecca..." he repeated, feeling shameful tears well up in his eyes. "I-I'm so sorry...I thought Dan had returned to Pherae long ago..."
She pulled away from him slowly. "Th-then," she whispered, "i-if he left...w-where did you go?"
"I-I just...traveled," he replied softly, a few tears spilling down his face. "B-But...when I finally realized that I should go back...all my money was stolen..."
Rebecca remained silent, but her eyes encouraged him to go on.
"When that happened," he continued. "That was when I met Lyn. I...had no choice but to come with her. She was going to Caelin, and if I helped her...I knew I would be able to come back home."
Rebecca sniffed. "S-so..." she whispered. "Y-you and Lady Lyndis...you aren't..."
Wil shook his head. "No," he replied simply. "The only reason I called her 'Lyn' was because that was what she insisted on us calling her."
"Th-Then..." She looked away. "Wil..." she whispered. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean—"
"No, Rebecca," Wil cut her off, also looking away. "This...this is all my fault. I never should have even left..." He looked back at her. "I'm sorry...it must have been so hard..."
"Wil..." she repeated, looking back at him. But it seemed that she had nothing else to say.
And Wil, in his heart, knew that now was the best time to tell her. "Rebecca," he whispered, stepping forward and placing his hand on her shoulder. "I...I wanted to tell you, when I left..." He took a deep breath. "Rebecca..."
She looked up at him, her green eyes sparkling with tears. "W-What is it?"
Wil slowly embraced her, and when she returned the gesture, he knew everything was all right.
"I love you, Rebecca," he whispered.
"Oh...Wil..." she sobbed, crying out her relief into his shoulder. "I-I was s-so afraid...when I thought you and L-Lady Lyndis...I-I thought..."
"Rebecca..." he whispered. "You mean..."
"Yes..." she whispered sadly. "I love you too, Wil...b-but I-I thought you had forgotten a-all about me..."
"No," Wil replied. "I...I could never do that..."
"A-All this time..." she whispered. "Y-You wanted to come back all this time...a-and I thought y-you had forgotten about me...I-I'm so sorry, Wil..."
"No," Wil repeated softly. "I-It's all right. Y-you didn't know..."
"Wil," she whispered. "Please...promise me...don't ever leave again..."
He pulled her closer. "I promise," he replied. "I-I'll always stay with you. I won't leave you ever again..."
Rebecca looked up at him and smiled warmly through her tears. "Wil..." she whispered. "Thank you..." She buried her face in his shoulder again. "Th-thank you s-so m-much..."
Wil looked up at the slowly darkening sky and smiled.
Perhaps not telling her all those years ago hadn't been such a big mistake after all.
Well...there you are. But since it probably won't hold you over for the entire summer...if you need some other fics to read, check out the ones on my favorites list, as they're all top-notch.
But until I come back...
Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT
This is a Rebecca/Wil one-shot, a pairing that I've always liked. But I always thought that they needed a better story than what the game gave them :P
This story is flashback-intensive, so sorry if you don't like that sort of thing. I felt that this was the best way to write it.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the story.
THWACK
The young brown-haired boy smiled as the arrow slammed into the makeshift target he and the girl had drawn on a thick tree. It landed a few inches to the left of the center, which only caused the boy's smile to grow.
"It's not that good," the girl said. She had medium-length green hair set into two pigtails, but most of it was hidden under the bandana that she always insisted on wearing. She wore a brown hunter's shirt and skirt.
Crossing her arms and raising her head haughtily, she declared, "I could beat that shot easily."
"Really?" the boy declared smiling, handing her the bow and an arrow. "I'd like to see you try, Rebecca," he went on, a challenge in his eyes.
Her only response was a determined grin as she took the bow, nocked the arrow, and aimed. After a few moments, she let the arrow fly, and it landed on the opposite side of the target, the same distance from the center as the boy's.
"Ha!" She smirked triumphantly. "I win."
"What are you talking about?" the boy asked incredulously. "Mine is definitely closer."
"Oh yeah? Well why don't you go look and see for yourself, Wil?" the girl asked.
She stayed where she was as Wil walked over to the target to see precisely where the arrows had landed. He noted with some dismay that the arrows were both the same distance from the center...but he wasn't going to let Rebecca know that.
"Nope, mine's closer! I can see!" he shouted back to Rebecca.
"Yeah, right!" Rebecca retorted, and she stomped over to the target. She looked at it for a moment before replying, "Come on, Wil! There's no way yours is closer than mine!"
Wil rolled his eyes. "Fine, why don't we just call it a tie?"
"Uh-uh!" She shook her head vigorously. She pointed at herself, declaring, "I'm the best archer here, and you know it!"
"Whatever you say, Rebecca," Wil replied, laughing.
"It's true!" she retorted, but Wil's laughter seemed to be infectious. Not wanting Wil to have a complete victory, however, she pushed him, causing him to stumble backwards and fall on his back. When he tried to sit up, Rebecca promptly tackled him, pinning his arms to the ground.
She smiled triumphantly. "How does it feel to get beaten by a girl?" she asked. "Especially one three years younger than you?"
Wil scowled.
But it was all in good fun. The boy and girl stared at each other for a moment, the girl sitting on top of him. Then Rebecca, trying to contain her mirth, snorted softly. That caused them both to burst out laughing.
"Um, Rebecca..." Wil said, after he had calmed down. "Do you, uh, think you could let me go?"
Rebecca looked thoughtful. "Well, I don't know..." She glanced at their target meaningfully.
Wil rolled his eyes. "Fine," he sighed, "you win."
She smiled as she got off him and helped him up, then grabbed onto his arm possessively. "You're such a great friend," she remarked, playfully exaggerating the word "friend."
Wil brushed himself off with his free hand. "Yeah, you too," he said, without much enthusiasm.
"I'm serious!" she shouted, although she hadn't sounded too serious the previous moment. "Come on, Wil," she pleaded, "aren't we best friends?"
"Of course we are," he replied, as if the answer was obvious.
Rebecca smiled warmly at his reply, then she did something Wil didn't expect: she hugged him.
"Whoa, hey, what do you think you're doing?" Wil asked, sounding panicked. He was still at the age where love was considered disgusting by most boys.
She moved her face away from his, and Wil, strangely, thought she looked a lot older than she had looked just a moment ago.
"What's wrong, Wil?" she asked, sounding almost heartbroken. "Wil..." she pleaded, "don't you love me?"
A stunning realization suddenly planted itself in Wil's mind.
"Of course I do..."
He moved his face towards hers and—
—Wil's eyes snapped open. Almost immediately, he realized what had happened, and he cursed himself silently.
This was the fifth night in a row that he had had these dreams, and he knew exactly why he was having them.
Why did I never tell her...
Scowling, Wil sat up in his bed. Why did that have to keep haunting him?
If I had, then this never would have happened...
Wil was normally cheery and very nice to be around, but that had changed a few days ago.
He was the commander of the archer division of Caelin's knights, and he had fulfilled his duty faithfully. A few days ago, however, the castle had been taken in a surprise attack, leaving only him, Lyn, Kent, Sain and Florina to attempt to retake the castle, and the enemy force had been too large for them to do so.
Luckily, a small group headed by Lord Eliwood of Pherae had come to the rescue. He brought quite a few soldiers, and among them was her...the one person Wil had never expected to see again.
Rebecca.
He had thought their reunion would have been a joyful occasion, after the long time that they had been apart. And yet, Rebecca's attitude had ruined all of that hope...
Wil and the other soldiers smiled triumphantly, the castle having been retaken. Lyn had informed him and the other Caelin soldiers that many members of the old "Lyndis's Legion" were among the soldiers that Eliwood had brought along. Outside of the castle, he had been greeting old comrades-in-arms and catching up with them.
And then he saw her.
She had her back to him, and she was chatting amiably with an auburn-haired girl that Wil didn't know. Even from behind her, there was no mistaking her appearance: the two green pigtails falling over her ears...and the bandana. Nobody else in the world wore that bandana.
"Rebecca?" he asked softly.
"Excuse me a minute, Priscilla," she said to the girl, and she turned around.
Wil instantly recognized her face, her sparkling green eyes. She had grown older, of course, but she was still the Rebecca he knew...
When she first looked at him, her eyes widened in surprise—of course, he was surprised to see her too—but after a moment, they quickly narrowed in an expression Wil couldn't quite place.
She stared at him silently for a moment, before replying, "Do...do I know you?" Her tone was surprisingly cold.
Wil stared at her confusedly. "Don't you remember me?" he asked incredulously. "It's me, Wil! Your old next-door neighbor!"
She shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry," she replied, her voice still laced with that icy expression. "I know of no such person."
Wil's hope shattered. "Oh..." he managed to choke out. "I...I must have the wrong person then..." He turned away. "Sorry for bothering you..." Deflated, he walked back to the castle.
That was when the doubt had started.
Rubbing his eyes, Wil got out of his bed. He shouldn't be thinking of those things. He decided to go for a walk outside...maybe that would clear his head.
He walked out of his tent into the cool night air. In the middle of the small circle of tents, a fire was burning. Sitting in front of it was the silhouette of one of the army's cavaliers—Wil couldn't make out which one it was.
He decided to walk over to the fire. He could talk with whoever the silhouette belonged to; it would help him to get his mind off Rebecca.
As he approached the fire, Wil noticed that the cavalier sitting there was Sain.
Hearing Wil's footsteps, Sain turned around. "Well, hello there, Wil," he said amiably, careful not to be too loud. "It seems I was the unfortunate one to end up with watch duty this night," he added, smiling. "What are you doing awake?"
Wil shrugged. "Couldn't sleep," he replied, sitting down next to the cavalier.
Sain stared at him for a moment, then suddenly asked, smiling, "Ah, you're lovesick, aren't you?"
"What?" Wil recoiled involuntarily. How could Sain have known that? "No...I..." he stammered.
Sain waved his protest off. "No need to hide it, my friend. I can see it in your eyes. So," he said, leaning closer, "which one of our army's lovely ladies are you smitten with?"
"Sain..." Wil whispered, trying to stop him before he got going.
Sain paid him no notice. "Perhaps cheerful little Serra?"
"Sain," Wil whispered again, a little louder this time.
Once again, Sain ignored him. "Or perhaps the shy, quiet Priscilla? Or—"
"Sain!" Wil whispered angrily, this time getting his attention. "You don't have to do that."
Sain smirked. "I do if you won't tell me," he commented. "So who is it?"
"Fine," Wil sighed. If he didn't tell him, Sain wouldn't shut up about it. "It's...Rebecca."
"Oh, but of course!" Sain said melodramatically. "Why, I'm sure you two are just perfect—"
"Sain, please," Wil whispered, exasperated. He held his head in his hands. "I don't need your...commentary right now."
"Ah, so you want to get straight to the point, do you?" Sain remarked, still smiling. "What happens to be the problem? Afraid she doesn't return your affections?"
Wil felt like he was going to cry, a rare occurrence for the normally cheery archer. "I'm not afraid," he said, trying to keep himself collected. "I know she doesn't. She hates me."
Sain placed his hand on Wil's shoulder. "Now, now, Wil!" he said cheerily. "I'm sure that's not the case—"
"It is," Wil cut him off, looking away.
For once, Sain was silent, seemingly unable to think of a response to Wil's pessimism.
"Then..." he said finally, "what would cause you to think that, Wil?"
Wil blinked, feeling tears forming in his eyes.
Why did he have to ask about that...
Wil had retired to his room in the castle sadly, no longer feeling any enthusiasm for meeting with his old friends. Instead, he lay on his bed silently, thinking.
How could that not have been Rebecca? There was no way that it was anyone else...why did she say she didn't remember him?
...And why did she seem so angry with him?
If only he had told her back then...
"Wil?"
Rebecca's voice suddenly emanated from outside his door. Her voice, however, no longer sounded cold. Instead, she sounded shy, as if she was embarrassed by the way she acted earlier.
"Wil?" her voice came again, this time followed by a knock on the door. "Are you in there?"
"I'm here," Wil responded, walking over to the door. He opened it.
She stood there, her sparkling green eyes staring shyly at him. It was only then Wil realized how much Rebecca's appearance had changed. She had certainly grown; when they were little, Wil had constantly teased her about her being a head shorter than he was, and now she stood almost face-to-face with him. Her chest and hips (things Wil definitely paid little attention to when he was younger) were noticeably developed. Instead of the little girl that he had once known, she now stood before him as a young woman.
But she still had the bandana. She couldn't have changed that much on the inside...
"Wil..." she said softly, haltingly. "It...it's really you...isn't it..."
"Rebecca?" he asked, confused. "I thought...just before, you said—"
She shook her head and looked away. "I...wasn't thinking," she said quickly, her face flushing. She looked back at him and asked, "Wil...where...where have you been all of this time?"
He barely even heard her question; his mind was too filled with joy to take notice of it. "Rebecca..." he said softly. Then, his face split into a huge grin, and he threw his arms around her. "Why didn't you say it was you?" he asked. "It's been so long!"
"No..." he heard her say softly. She slowly, gently pushed him away from her. "No," she repeated more forcefully, shaking her head. The icy tone that he had heard before was returning. "Don't...don't give me that 'been so long' stuff," she commanded. "Wil," she repeated, "where have you been?"
"What?" he asked, feeling his despair come back with the return of her cold expression. "What...do you mean?"
Her anger was visibly growing, and tears were starting to well up in her eyes. "I mean what have you been doing all this time, Wil!?" she demanded. "You...you left saying you were going to make a fortune with my brother, and...and I never heard from you again!" she screamed.
Her wrath was so fierce that Wil unconsciously took a step back, putting his hands up defensively. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "I...I traveled for a few years, and then I enlisted in the Caelin army. I work for Lyn now..."
Rebecca's anger seemed to diminish a bit. "You...you mean Lady Lyndis?"
He nodded slowly. Even through her anger, he managed a tiny, sheepish grin. "Yeah...I, um, keep forgetting about calling her that..."
Rebecca gasped, and her eyes grew so wide that they threatened to pop out of her head. Then tears began to stream down her cheeks. As her eyes narrowed in pure rage, she cried, "YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!"
And she accentuated the last word by kicking him in the gut. Wil, unprepared for such an attack, was caught completely off guard, and he fell to his knees, winded.
Slamming the door in his face, she stomped away from the room, sobbing angrily.
And Wil collapsed in a heap, tears pouring silently down his face.
When Wil finished, he had been crying steadily for some time, but he no longer cared. Sain, apparently having noticed how serious this was to Wil, no longer held the cheery demeanor that he almost always held normally.
"So..." Sain said after a few moments. "You and Rebecca are old friends?"
"W-we were old friends," Wil whispered angrily, though his anger seemed to be directed at himself.
"I don't understand," Sain replied. "If you were old friends, what happened between you two?"
"I-I was stupid," Wil explained, wiping his eyes. "Me and her brother...we came up with a plan to go out into the world together and make a fortune." He chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't know what the hell I was thinking."
"So what happened?" Sain pressed.
"Her brother, Dan..." Wil went on, "he was so much smarter than I was. We reached Badon after a few weeks, and there he realized how silly our plan was. He asked me to come back with him to Pherae..." He shook his head. "But I still thought I could make some money...so he went back home by himself. And then..." he trailed off.
"Yeah?" Sain helped him.
Wil shook his head again, looking away. "I...I just kept traveling," he explained. "I kept thinking that somewhere, somehow I would find a way to make a lot of money. And..." He sighed. "All that happened was my money was stolen when I came to the Bern Mountains. And then..." he looked back at Sain, "that was when you guys came, with Lady Lyndis. I...had no choice but to come with you."
Sain was silent, thoughtful. "I...honestly don't know what to tell you, Wil..." he said sadly after a few moments. "She...she doesn't know how you feel about her?"
Wil shook his head vigorously. That was exactly what had been haunting him the past few nights. "No...she doesn't," he replied. "I...I wanted to tell her before..."
"What do you mean?" Sain asked.
Wil felt tears prickling again in his eyes, but he wiped them away. "I don't know when I realized it...but I knew I loved her. Before I left, I wanted to tell her how I felt, but..." He sighed sadly. "She...she was only ten years old then. I...I didn't think she would understand how I felt until she was older..."
Again, Sain was silent.
Wil held his head in his hands. "I should have told her then..." he said softly. "Th-then none of this would have happened..."
Sain patted the archer's back soothingly. "Don't say that, Wil," he said. "What's done is done...there's no point in dwelling on it."
"No..." Wil whispered, shaking his head vigorously. He looked back up at the cavalier angrily. "Y-you don't understand h-how I feel..."
Sain shook his head and gave a self-deprecating smile. "You think I don't know how it feels to be rejected?" he asked.
Wil decided it was best not to answer that question.
Sain placed his hand on Wil's shoulder. "Wil," he said, "to be honest...the only thing that I can tell you to do is to talk to her. If you ask—"
Wil shook his head, cutting Sain off. "I can't talk to her," he explained. "She doesn't want to talk to me."
Sain grinned. "Then I'll get her to talk to you," he claimed. "Don't worry, my friend," he went on, his trademark cheeriness returning. "Tomorrow, I'll help you make everything all right."
Wil looked at him appraisingly. "You sure about that?" he asked.
Sain's grin grew wider. "Of course I'm sure," he replied with utmost confidence.
Wil couldn't help but smile. "Sain..." he said, "thanks."
Sain stood up. "No thanks needed, Wil," he replied. "But for now...I think we should both get back to sleep. My watch duty is over—" he looked up at the sky, where the moon shone directly overhead, "—now." He offered Wil his hand, helping him up.
Wil took it, then quietly walked back into his tent and lay down on his bed.
As he drifted off to sleep, he prayed that maybe, tomorrow, he could tell Rebecca what he wished he had told her so long ago...
The following day passed agonizingly slow for Wil as the army continued its march toward Badon. His mind was too focused on thoughts of Rebecca for him to take notice of anything that happened that day. He only hoped that Sain would be able to convince Rebecca to talk to him...
As night fell, the army stopped in the middle of a small plain. It was only after camp had been set up that Sain finally strode over to Wil.
Seeing him coming, Wil quickly asked, "Did you talk to her?"
Sain looked around sheepishly. "Well, um...no, not yet," he replied. "I just thought that you might want to talk to her in private...so I think you should wait over there." He pointed at a solitary tree some distance from the camp.
"O-Okay..." Wil said nervously. He had been waiting all day for the chance to talk to Rebecca...but now the thought of doing so was scaring him out of his mind. What if something went wrong? What if he wasn't able to tell her how he felt? What if this caused her to hate him even more?
"Don't worry so much," Sain said, seeing his nervousness. "I'm sure everything will be fine."
Wil gave Sain a tiny grin before walking to where Sain had pointed out.
He sat down, leaning against the base of the tree. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and he waited.
Wil looked back at the camp for what had to have been the hundredth time since he had sat down.
How long had it been since he had talked to Sain? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Half an hour? In any case, there was still no sign of Rebecca.
He closed his eyes and sighed. Maybe Sain wasn't able to convince her after all...
"Wil," Rebecca's voice suddenly came sharply.
Wil's eyes snapped open, and he looked up at Rebecca standing over him, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Sain said you needed to talk to me," she explained, her voice betraying only a small hint of anger. "I didn't want to, but if it got Sain to act seriously for a change, then I figured it must be pretty important."
Wil stood up, brushing himself off.
She raised her hands. "So," she continued, "I'm here. What you have to say had better be good."
Wil opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Mentally, he was panicking. What should he say? He had spent the entire day thinking about being able to talk to her, and yet he didn't know how to start off.
"Do you have anything to say at all?" she asked angrily. "If you don't, I don't know why the hell Sain told me to come here."
She half-turned, but Wil stopped her. "Wait," he said.
She turned back to him, crossing her arms again. "What?"
"Rebecca..." he said softly. "Why...why are you so angry with me?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you don't know," she replied, venom dripping from every word. She threw her hands up in disgust. "Why did I even come here?"
Wil shook his head slowly. "Rebecca..." he said sadly. "I...I don't understand—"
"And I don't care if you do!" she snapped. Pointing back at the camp, she went on, "Why don't you just go back to your Lady Lyndis?!" The last words were exaggerated sarcastically.
"Rebecca..." he repeated. "What does Lady Lyndis have to do with this?"
"She has everything to do with this!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Don't think I didn't notice, Wil! You had that goofy smile on your face when you talked about her! You even gave her a stupid pet name!"
Suddenly, it clicked. "Rebecca," Wil replied, "you...you think there's something between us?"
"I know there's something between you two!" she retorted, angry tears welling in her eyes. "But I guess that's just how it works for you, right, Wil?!" she went on, her tears starting to fall. "You're just like my brother! You just leave and then you suddenly decide that you don't want to come back!"
"Rebecca, what are you saying?" Wil asked incredulously. "And what do you mean, Dan didn't want to come back?"
Rebecca was about to deliver a scathing retort, but the mention of her brother caused her to stop in mid-gesture. "He...he never came back!" she shouted instead, tears still streaming down her face. "H-He just left with you...and I never saw him again!"
"What are you talking about?" Wil asked, confused. "He went back to Pherae only a few months after we left!"
She shook her head. "N-No he didn't!" she cried. "H-he never c-came back..."
"No," Wil responded. "That can't be! We came to Badon only a few months after we left, and then he decided to go back home!"
Rebecca was visibly shaken. "But...but..." she stammered.
And then Wil realized the source of her anger: she had been left all alone the entire time. Dan had never come back to her.
"Rebecca..." Wil said softly. He reached out a hand, trying to place it on her shoulder.
"No!" She angrily pushed his hand away. Then, completely contrasting that gesture, she broke down sobbing and threw her arms around him.
He placed his arms around her, patting her back soothingly. "Rebecca..." he repeated, feeling shameful tears well up in his eyes. "I-I'm so sorry...I thought Dan had returned to Pherae long ago..."
She pulled away from him slowly. "Th-then," she whispered, "i-if he left...w-where did you go?"
"I-I just...traveled," he replied softly, a few tears spilling down his face. "B-But...when I finally realized that I should go back...all my money was stolen..."
Rebecca remained silent, but her eyes encouraged him to go on.
"When that happened," he continued. "That was when I met Lyn. I...had no choice but to come with her. She was going to Caelin, and if I helped her...I knew I would be able to come back home."
Rebecca sniffed. "S-so..." she whispered. "Y-you and Lady Lyndis...you aren't..."
Wil shook his head. "No," he replied simply. "The only reason I called her 'Lyn' was because that was what she insisted on us calling her."
"Th-Then..." She looked away. "Wil..." she whispered. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean—"
"No, Rebecca," Wil cut her off, also looking away. "This...this is all my fault. I never should have even left..." He looked back at her. "I'm sorry...it must have been so hard..."
"Wil..." she repeated, looking back at him. But it seemed that she had nothing else to say.
And Wil, in his heart, knew that now was the best time to tell her. "Rebecca," he whispered, stepping forward and placing his hand on her shoulder. "I...I wanted to tell you, when I left..." He took a deep breath. "Rebecca..."
She looked up at him, her green eyes sparkling with tears. "W-What is it?"
Wil slowly embraced her, and when she returned the gesture, he knew everything was all right.
"I love you, Rebecca," he whispered.
"Oh...Wil..." she sobbed, crying out her relief into his shoulder. "I-I was s-so afraid...when I thought you and L-Lady Lyndis...I-I thought..."
"Rebecca..." he whispered. "You mean..."
"Yes..." she whispered sadly. "I love you too, Wil...b-but I-I thought you had forgotten a-all about me..."
"No," Wil replied. "I...I could never do that..."
"A-All this time..." she whispered. "Y-You wanted to come back all this time...a-and I thought y-you had forgotten about me...I-I'm so sorry, Wil..."
"No," Wil repeated softly. "I-It's all right. Y-you didn't know..."
"Wil," she whispered. "Please...promise me...don't ever leave again..."
He pulled her closer. "I promise," he replied. "I-I'll always stay with you. I won't leave you ever again..."
Rebecca looked up at him and smiled warmly through her tears. "Wil..." she whispered. "Thank you..." She buried her face in his shoulder again. "Th-thank you s-so m-much..."
Wil looked up at the slowly darkening sky and smiled.
Perhaps not telling her all those years ago hadn't been such a big mistake after all.
Well...there you are. But since it probably won't hold you over for the entire summer...if you need some other fics to read, check out the ones on my favorites list, as they're all top-notch.
But until I come back...
Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT