As the days went by, Rena's condition slipped from sickly to dying. She had no energy, and her abdominal pains grew to unbearable. She would eat, but it never seemed to help her. It was unknown if her baby was healthy or how much longer Rena would last. Rena stayed in bed, and Westa waited on her. The doctor often checked up on Rena, but could never determine if she would soon be well.
Rena longed to visit the Shingo Forest, as she felt that its peaceful atmosphere would bring a serenity to her body. But Westa refused to let her go.
During the second week of Rena's illness, Westa left the house to pick up some medication for Rena at Mr. Hearn's store. Rena was asleep when she left.
No sooner had Westa left the house than Rena awoke from her slumber. She noticed that she was alone in the room, and called out for her mother. There was no answer. Sleepily, Rena slowly sat up and stretched. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, then looked out the bedroom window. She saw the sun shining brightly in the crisp morning air, and soon, Rena had the desire to visit Shingo Forest.
On this particular morning, Rena felt rejuvenated, and able to make the walk through the forest by herself.
Rena slowly made her way out of the house, and began walking towards the forest. Since the sun had just risen, not many of the villagers were outside yet, and so Rena was not troubled as she walked across the bridge in western Arlia, and entered the forest.
As soon as she stepped foot in the peaceful shade of the tall trees that took root in the Shingo Forest, Rena felt born again. She was warm and happy and felt as if Claude were with her in the serene landscape.
Rena slowly walked barefoot through the green beauty of the woods, and soon, she came to the area where Claude and her heard that noise of the spacecraft those 2 weeks ago. She was overcome with deep sadness, and fell down to her knees.
"Why!?" Rena wailed to the empty sky overhead. "Why did you take the only thing that meant most to me in the world!? You took my life, you bastards!!" and Rena crouched down to the warm earth, and sobbed her heart out.
Just then, Rena heard a rustling, and noticed that a bush that was growing beside her was shaking violently. Rena sat up, but did not cower away. She didn't care what happened to her. She just wanted to be with Claude.
But then she realized that she was carrying Claude and her child, and, fearing for the safety of her unborn baby, Rena quickly ran and hid behind a tree.
Rena fearfully stared wide-eyed as a young boy emerged from the bush. The little boy was trying to catch a butterfly. Rena looked over him as he gleefully clapped at the tiny winged creature. He looked about 3 years old, had blue eyes and blond hair. As the wind blew back the child's bangs, Rena noticed that there was a third eye in the middle of his forehead.
The boy tried to jump up to get to the butterfly. Instead, his foot got caught on the edge of a rock and he tripped and fell flat on his face. The little boy turned over and sat up, and noticed that he had scraped his knee. When the pain finally hit him, the boy burst into tears.
Feeling sorry for the little child, Rena slowly emerged from her hiding spot and approached the toddler with a warm smile on her face.
The boy noticed her, stopped crying, and watched fearfully as she knelt down beside him.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Rena kindly asked.
The child just nodded his head and pointed down towards his wound, and said, "I scraped my knee."
"I can help you," Rena told him. "All I have to do is touch it and it will heal. Will you allow me to do that?"
The boy wiped his face with his shirtsleeve and nodded his head, "Will you please do that?"
"Yes," and Rena lightly placed her hand over the cut. From her hand radiated a calming aura, which soothed the sore and healed it.
The boy just stared for a moment at his once cut knee. He was a bit afraid at the wonder which just took place in front of him. Then he regained his senses and cautiously asked Rena, "Are you an angel?"
Rena laughed. "No, I am not an angel. I have the power to heal."
"Wow! Uncle Ernest used to tell me that when he saved the universe, he was with a group of friends and that one of the friends could heal people!" the little boy stood up and searched for the butterfly that he was chasing before.
"Uncle Ernest?" Rena thought to herself. "How did you come here?"
The child turned around to face Rena and explained, "Uncle Ernest told me that this planet has a town that has a fighting tournament each year. I begged him to take me to see it, but he was busy with work. So his girlfriend taked me here to see it."
"Your Uncle Ernest has a girlfriend?" Rena stood up and began walking with the child.
"Yes. Her name is Opera," the boy skipped over a rock that was in his path.
"Oh! I used to know an Ernest and Opera that were a couple," Rena told the boy.
"Really!?" the boy marveled. "Maybe you're that person who could heal that he told me about. What's your name?"
"My name is Rena."
"Really!? Cause Uncle Ernest told me that the person who could heal was named Rena too!" the boy jumped up and down and clapped his hands with joy.
"And what's your name?" Rena kindly asked the child.
"My name is Zack!" the boy puffed up with pride and pointed to himself.
"Well, nice to meet you, Zack," Rena reached out her hand, and they shook hands. "So you came here to see the Lacour Tournament of Arms?" Rena asked.
"Yeah!" Zack agreed. "Is that town just outside the forest Lacour?"
"No, that town is Arlia. Its where I live," Rena clarified.
"Then Opera must have landed in the wrong place," Zack angrily kicked a pebble with his foot.
"Don't worry," Rena said, "if you bring me to Opera, I can help you get to Lacour to see the Tournament of Arms."
"You will!? Oh boy! This way!" and with that, Zack raced ahead.
"Hey, wait!" Rena rushed to catch up with Zack.
Finally, the two of them came to a clearing. In the middle of it was a landed rocket, with a woman working at its side, which was opened up to reveal its internal controls.
"Rats," the woman mumbled. "The wires are clipped. Damn dealer! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him!" The woman had long blond hair and wore a leather jacket like the one Claude would wear. She also wore a long black evening gown, with a deep slit cutting down the side, and red high heeled shoes graced her feet. Leaning against the rocket was a long and complicated gun. The woman turned around to retrieve a wrench from the toolbox behind her, and as she did, Rena saw that the woman had a third eye in the middle of her forehead.
"Opera! Opera!" Zack yelled as he rushed towards the woman.
The woman suddenly turned around, and was met by a warm embrace from Zack. "Hi, Zack! What have you been doing?" the woman brushed back her hair with her hand.
Then Zack's story spilled out. "I was chasing a butterfly, then I fell and scraped my knee, and a pretty lady fixed my knee, and she told me that we aren't in Lacour. We're in Arlia."
"What? Slow down, Zack," the woman laughed. "We're in Arlia? I remember that village from a long time ago."
Rena quietly listened from a distance, and then suddenly felt as if she would faint.
"I scraped my knee, but now its better," Zack showed the woman his healed knee.
"Wow! And where is this lady now?" the woman looked around them.
Just then, Rena fell down. She was still conscious.
"Over there," Zack pointed in Rena's direction, just as Rena fell.
"Oh my!" the woman quickly rushed to Rena's side.
"Please help me," Rena begged as she clutched her abdomen, for that's where she felt the most pain.
Then the woman realized who this lady was. "Rena!" she gasped.
Rena then slipped into darkness.
*******
When she awoke, Rena found herself to by lying back in bed, in her bedroom. On one side of her sat her mother. On the other side of the bed stood Zack and the woman from the forest.
"Its okay, Rena," Westa said soothingly. "You're safe, now. But you shouldn't have left the house."
"But mother," Rena began to protest, but was driven back by sharp pains in her abdomen, "Oh!"
Zack shrank back, afraid of Rena because she was hurt. Then he cautiously asked, "If you're hurt, why don't you heal it like you healed me?"
The woman knelt down beside the boy and firmly said, "Because it can't be healed. Its not like your cut, Zack."
"But why, Opera?" Zack pleaded.
Then the woman, whose name was apparently Opera, explained, "Because the pains she feels are because she is going to have a baby."
"A baby!?" Zack marveled. "Wow!"
"Yes, Zack," Rena managed to say.
"Who is the daddy?" Zack asked.
"The father.........," Rena trailed off as her thoughts turned to her missing Claude. Forcing down tears, Rena turned to face Opera. Opera was wide eyed with curiosity, as she, too, was curious to know who Rena's husband was. Finally, Rena said, "The father of this child is also my husband. The father, Zack, is a man named Claude."
"Claude?" Zack did not know who she was talking about.
But Opera knew. Bursting with happiness, she leaned in to give Rena a hug. "Oh, Rena! I'm so happy for you both! You must be so happy for this baby! How lucky you two are! Tell me, where is Claude? He should be with you because of your condition!"
Rena just stared down at the floor and twisted the bedsheets in her hands. Then she placed her hands on her swollen belly, and allowed some tears to fall, "Claude is not here right now."
"I can see that, but...........," Opera was stopped when Westa asked her to step out into the hallway. As the two women left the room, Rena knew that her mother was going to tell Opera what happened to Claude.
"What is the baby gonna be?" Zack climbed onto the bed and put his hands on her belly.
"I don't know yet," Rena told him.
"The daddy, you said his name was Claude," Zack continued. "Who is Claude?"
Rena stared out the window as she recalled the wonderful names she had for her husband. "He was the son of a great spaceship Commander, and grew up to be a hero."
"Wow!" Zack exclaimed. "What did he do?"
"With me, your Uncle Ernest, and Opera, he helped save the universe."
"Wow! How did he save it?"
"He got rid of all the bad men who wanted to destroy the universe."
"Wow! And now he's gonna be a daddy?"
"Yes, and he's very proud."
"So where is he now?"
"Far away," Rena reluctantly told him.
"Will he come back soon?"
"I hope so," Rena stared out the window once more.
Rena longed to visit the Shingo Forest, as she felt that its peaceful atmosphere would bring a serenity to her body. But Westa refused to let her go.
During the second week of Rena's illness, Westa left the house to pick up some medication for Rena at Mr. Hearn's store. Rena was asleep when she left.
No sooner had Westa left the house than Rena awoke from her slumber. She noticed that she was alone in the room, and called out for her mother. There was no answer. Sleepily, Rena slowly sat up and stretched. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, then looked out the bedroom window. She saw the sun shining brightly in the crisp morning air, and soon, Rena had the desire to visit Shingo Forest.
On this particular morning, Rena felt rejuvenated, and able to make the walk through the forest by herself.
Rena slowly made her way out of the house, and began walking towards the forest. Since the sun had just risen, not many of the villagers were outside yet, and so Rena was not troubled as she walked across the bridge in western Arlia, and entered the forest.
As soon as she stepped foot in the peaceful shade of the tall trees that took root in the Shingo Forest, Rena felt born again. She was warm and happy and felt as if Claude were with her in the serene landscape.
Rena slowly walked barefoot through the green beauty of the woods, and soon, she came to the area where Claude and her heard that noise of the spacecraft those 2 weeks ago. She was overcome with deep sadness, and fell down to her knees.
"Why!?" Rena wailed to the empty sky overhead. "Why did you take the only thing that meant most to me in the world!? You took my life, you bastards!!" and Rena crouched down to the warm earth, and sobbed her heart out.
Just then, Rena heard a rustling, and noticed that a bush that was growing beside her was shaking violently. Rena sat up, but did not cower away. She didn't care what happened to her. She just wanted to be with Claude.
But then she realized that she was carrying Claude and her child, and, fearing for the safety of her unborn baby, Rena quickly ran and hid behind a tree.
Rena fearfully stared wide-eyed as a young boy emerged from the bush. The little boy was trying to catch a butterfly. Rena looked over him as he gleefully clapped at the tiny winged creature. He looked about 3 years old, had blue eyes and blond hair. As the wind blew back the child's bangs, Rena noticed that there was a third eye in the middle of his forehead.
The boy tried to jump up to get to the butterfly. Instead, his foot got caught on the edge of a rock and he tripped and fell flat on his face. The little boy turned over and sat up, and noticed that he had scraped his knee. When the pain finally hit him, the boy burst into tears.
Feeling sorry for the little child, Rena slowly emerged from her hiding spot and approached the toddler with a warm smile on her face.
The boy noticed her, stopped crying, and watched fearfully as she knelt down beside him.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Rena kindly asked.
The child just nodded his head and pointed down towards his wound, and said, "I scraped my knee."
"I can help you," Rena told him. "All I have to do is touch it and it will heal. Will you allow me to do that?"
The boy wiped his face with his shirtsleeve and nodded his head, "Will you please do that?"
"Yes," and Rena lightly placed her hand over the cut. From her hand radiated a calming aura, which soothed the sore and healed it.
The boy just stared for a moment at his once cut knee. He was a bit afraid at the wonder which just took place in front of him. Then he regained his senses and cautiously asked Rena, "Are you an angel?"
Rena laughed. "No, I am not an angel. I have the power to heal."
"Wow! Uncle Ernest used to tell me that when he saved the universe, he was with a group of friends and that one of the friends could heal people!" the little boy stood up and searched for the butterfly that he was chasing before.
"Uncle Ernest?" Rena thought to herself. "How did you come here?"
The child turned around to face Rena and explained, "Uncle Ernest told me that this planet has a town that has a fighting tournament each year. I begged him to take me to see it, but he was busy with work. So his girlfriend taked me here to see it."
"Your Uncle Ernest has a girlfriend?" Rena stood up and began walking with the child.
"Yes. Her name is Opera," the boy skipped over a rock that was in his path.
"Oh! I used to know an Ernest and Opera that were a couple," Rena told the boy.
"Really!?" the boy marveled. "Maybe you're that person who could heal that he told me about. What's your name?"
"My name is Rena."
"Really!? Cause Uncle Ernest told me that the person who could heal was named Rena too!" the boy jumped up and down and clapped his hands with joy.
"And what's your name?" Rena kindly asked the child.
"My name is Zack!" the boy puffed up with pride and pointed to himself.
"Well, nice to meet you, Zack," Rena reached out her hand, and they shook hands. "So you came here to see the Lacour Tournament of Arms?" Rena asked.
"Yeah!" Zack agreed. "Is that town just outside the forest Lacour?"
"No, that town is Arlia. Its where I live," Rena clarified.
"Then Opera must have landed in the wrong place," Zack angrily kicked a pebble with his foot.
"Don't worry," Rena said, "if you bring me to Opera, I can help you get to Lacour to see the Tournament of Arms."
"You will!? Oh boy! This way!" and with that, Zack raced ahead.
"Hey, wait!" Rena rushed to catch up with Zack.
Finally, the two of them came to a clearing. In the middle of it was a landed rocket, with a woman working at its side, which was opened up to reveal its internal controls.
"Rats," the woman mumbled. "The wires are clipped. Damn dealer! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him!" The woman had long blond hair and wore a leather jacket like the one Claude would wear. She also wore a long black evening gown, with a deep slit cutting down the side, and red high heeled shoes graced her feet. Leaning against the rocket was a long and complicated gun. The woman turned around to retrieve a wrench from the toolbox behind her, and as she did, Rena saw that the woman had a third eye in the middle of her forehead.
"Opera! Opera!" Zack yelled as he rushed towards the woman.
The woman suddenly turned around, and was met by a warm embrace from Zack. "Hi, Zack! What have you been doing?" the woman brushed back her hair with her hand.
Then Zack's story spilled out. "I was chasing a butterfly, then I fell and scraped my knee, and a pretty lady fixed my knee, and she told me that we aren't in Lacour. We're in Arlia."
"What? Slow down, Zack," the woman laughed. "We're in Arlia? I remember that village from a long time ago."
Rena quietly listened from a distance, and then suddenly felt as if she would faint.
"I scraped my knee, but now its better," Zack showed the woman his healed knee.
"Wow! And where is this lady now?" the woman looked around them.
Just then, Rena fell down. She was still conscious.
"Over there," Zack pointed in Rena's direction, just as Rena fell.
"Oh my!" the woman quickly rushed to Rena's side.
"Please help me," Rena begged as she clutched her abdomen, for that's where she felt the most pain.
Then the woman realized who this lady was. "Rena!" she gasped.
Rena then slipped into darkness.
*******
When she awoke, Rena found herself to by lying back in bed, in her bedroom. On one side of her sat her mother. On the other side of the bed stood Zack and the woman from the forest.
"Its okay, Rena," Westa said soothingly. "You're safe, now. But you shouldn't have left the house."
"But mother," Rena began to protest, but was driven back by sharp pains in her abdomen, "Oh!"
Zack shrank back, afraid of Rena because she was hurt. Then he cautiously asked, "If you're hurt, why don't you heal it like you healed me?"
The woman knelt down beside the boy and firmly said, "Because it can't be healed. Its not like your cut, Zack."
"But why, Opera?" Zack pleaded.
Then the woman, whose name was apparently Opera, explained, "Because the pains she feels are because she is going to have a baby."
"A baby!?" Zack marveled. "Wow!"
"Yes, Zack," Rena managed to say.
"Who is the daddy?" Zack asked.
"The father.........," Rena trailed off as her thoughts turned to her missing Claude. Forcing down tears, Rena turned to face Opera. Opera was wide eyed with curiosity, as she, too, was curious to know who Rena's husband was. Finally, Rena said, "The father of this child is also my husband. The father, Zack, is a man named Claude."
"Claude?" Zack did not know who she was talking about.
But Opera knew. Bursting with happiness, she leaned in to give Rena a hug. "Oh, Rena! I'm so happy for you both! You must be so happy for this baby! How lucky you two are! Tell me, where is Claude? He should be with you because of your condition!"
Rena just stared down at the floor and twisted the bedsheets in her hands. Then she placed her hands on her swollen belly, and allowed some tears to fall, "Claude is not here right now."
"I can see that, but...........," Opera was stopped when Westa asked her to step out into the hallway. As the two women left the room, Rena knew that her mother was going to tell Opera what happened to Claude.
"What is the baby gonna be?" Zack climbed onto the bed and put his hands on her belly.
"I don't know yet," Rena told him.
"The daddy, you said his name was Claude," Zack continued. "Who is Claude?"
Rena stared out the window as she recalled the wonderful names she had for her husband. "He was the son of a great spaceship Commander, and grew up to be a hero."
"Wow!" Zack exclaimed. "What did he do?"
"With me, your Uncle Ernest, and Opera, he helped save the universe."
"Wow! How did he save it?"
"He got rid of all the bad men who wanted to destroy the universe."
"Wow! And now he's gonna be a daddy?"
"Yes, and he's very proud."
"So where is he now?"
"Far away," Rena reluctantly told him.
"Will he come back soon?"
"I hope so," Rena stared out the window once more.