Trustworthy Companions…?
"C'mon, the next oasis is right there!" Felia shouted out to Moonlight flower. She raced ahead, her cart bumping up and down as it was dragged across the soft desert sand.
Moonlight jogged after her, her bell jingling merrily as the thought of water raced through her mind. It's been two days since she met Felia, and her personal water supply ran out an hour ago…
The oasis was more than in plain sight now. The sky bluish surface of the oasis reflected the infinite vastness above. A pair of palm trees were standing tall beside the oasis, enduring the sun's heat and the desert's storms. It was miniature paradise from the sands…
"Oi! Moony! Hurry up, will ya'?" Felia shouted out again. Moonlight sighed. Ever since she cried, Felia had been acting very strangely…she was very impatient and always deep in her own thoughts…
"Hey! Don't just stand there!" Felia piped again.
Felia was irritated by Moonlight's slow walking. How was she going to do get anything out of her at this rate? She needed her sister to find out if the skin Moony was wearing was really that expensive…
"Oh, c'mon!" Felia chided, "The oasis is just over there…" As she pointed at the oasis, Moonlight was already there…she was standing at least twenty metres away from her just now…how did she manage to go al the way to the oasis, fifty metres away?
Felia scurried after her. She must have been too absorbed in her own little money scheme to have not noticed that little white chic run past her…
Moonlight kneeled beside the oasis, cupping her paws and sipping the fresh water meticulously, testing it for any abnormalities, then lapped up the water greedily. It was delicious.
Felia stopped beside her, panting and face pouring with sweat. She adjusted her Jack Be Dandies, then took out an empty bottle.
"We need to get as much water as we can," she said, almost to herself, "I've got a few left over bottles here, so we could use these to replenish our water supply." Felia handed an empty bottle to Moonlight, who rose from her watery feast. Moonlight scratched the surface of the bottle, punished only by a loud screeching sound.
"Wah! This bottle has some sort of magical protection…it makes a high pitched sound when I scratch it…" Moonlight complained, but was hushed up seeing Felia chuckle.
"Oh, silly! That's made of glass and pharcon, of course it'll screech like that!" Felia said. But it still made no sense to Moonlight, "If that…glass and fur-cun could make such a noise, why didn't the blue potion bottle have the same effect? They sure look the same…" Moonlight continued to fiddle with the bottle as Felia explained.
"Well, I was planning to sell them to other people, but it was an emergency, so I let us drink it instead. I got my sister to coat it with some lubrication, so it wouldn't slip nor screech so easily. It costs more, but it's worth it."
Moonlight shook her head. "I still don't get you. If that screeching sound is supposed to be protection for the bottle, why pay more to remove it?"
"Well…" Felia said reluctantly. She didn't really want to argue about something so pointless and she wanted to return to Prontera as soon as possible, "Let's drop this, okay? Just help me fill the bottles."
Moonlight's eyes showed disappointment, but she turned away, content with scooping up the water from the oasis.
The two of them have never talked for a long time since they encountered each other, and this was how their first chat turned out…Felia had to at least act courteous if she was going anywhere near Moonlight's stuff…
"So, umm…" Felia started again desperately, hoping to set up a good relationship with Moonlight, "So, umm…does everyone in Payon wear your outfit?"
The bottle Moonlight held in her paw shattered, letting bits and pieces fall to the floor. Blood seeped from her skin, dissolving into the once crystal clear water. She stared at what she had just done, as if it was no more then a mosquito bite…
"Meep…"
Moonlight stood up and walked away. "Sorry, but I think I might need some fresh air." She didn't look once at Felia. Taking her bell with her, Moonlight walked off, leaving the merchant to dilly dally by herself.
"Wait, at least let me…" Moonlight gave Felia a cold angry stare, silencing her instantly. She clearly did not want to be disturbed.
Her right arm was trembling from the pain, so Moonlight used her other hand to hold the two ton bell.
She had forgotten about Payon for the past few days, and now Felia brings it all back…
Guilt and sorrow hit her. She had forgotten what she had done…all of Payon was destroyed…solely because of her…
Wasn't that why she wore Ninetail's hide? To remind herself of the blood on her hands…to remember the ones she has slain…to never again relive that faithful day…
"AAAIIIYEEE!"
Moonlight tilted her head in the direction of the scream. It came from the oasis Felia was in…
Felia…? Oh no…
Moonlight ran as fast as she could back to Felia. She was in trouble…she had to help her…
Moonlight stopped. Felia…she's been treating Moonlight like just another brick on the pavement…was she really worth saving?
Moonlight ran even faster.
Felia backed away from the Golem. Her cart was dented and badly deformed from a single blow…her forehead was bleeding too…the Golem had managed to send a chunk of the cart's steel across her head…
If only this oasis wasn't surrounded by so many rocks…the Golem was blocking her only means of escape, and the stony wall behind her didn't help either…
All her potions were in the cart, and her axe was five feet behind the Golem…Felia could feel the fear racing through her…there was a reason why the people of Morroc warned her about this shortcut…and she found out the hard way…
The Golem's gigantic hand clasped around Felia. It squeezed her slowly, increasing the pain bit by bit…she didn't have the mercy of a quick death…she was slowly crushed to death…
Felia wanted to scream again, but she couldn't even breath…she felt as her ribs gave way, one by one…a sick crunching sound followed as they snapped…
Blood seeped up her throat as she felt her insides getting pierced by her own bones. She couldn't feel her legs anymore. She was slowly fading away from existence…wondering if she would ever see her other friends who came across this same fate…she should have listened to the guide in Morroc…
She was flung wildly onto the sandy floor. Her body was crumpled and unresponsive…she couldn't move her arms…only pain was registered in her mind…She could only shrivel up and tremble as her life passed before her…
She saw the Golem slam into the rock wall. It had a huge crater in its granite chest. A familiar jingling sound could be heard nearby…
…Moonlight?
The Golem got up, ignoring the damage done to it. Turning to the new threat, it stomped dangerously past Felia, eyes locked on Moonlight.
The giant's shadow loomed over Moonlight, blocking out the sun from her view. The silhouette of the monster's arm appeared just above her, and came crashing down on where she was standing…
Moonlight swung her bell at the arm. What was once the Golem's arm was now debris lazily flying two miles away from them. The bell rang loudly from the impact, making a mind numbing screech blast through Felia's mind. It made her headache…but it helped with the pain….somehow…
Moonlight didn't stop there. She drove her palm into the crater she made into the Golem, making a digging motion as if she was finding something in a packed closet. The Golem's slow reaction was too late to stop the deed. Moonlight pulled out its Heart of Stone. The Golem became stiff in that instant, its other arm about to grapple onto Moonlight.
Smashing the heart with the tip of her rod, Moonlight let the bits of dust within it to be blown back into the sandy dune…
Felia wanted to cry for help, but it made the pain even worse. But it wasn't necessary. Moonlight was already upon her. Felia could see a soft green glow blurring her vision. It made her eyes itch…she reached out to scratch it…
…her hand was moving again?
Her whole body…she wasn't in that terrible state anymore. She was all okay again, minus the blood staining her clothes…that and slight dizziness…
"Felia, are you okay?" Moonlight asked concernedly. What for? She already healed her anyway…
Felia was helped to her feet by the Moonlight, then she shook her head hard, trying to get rid of the dizzy feeling…
"I…I'm fine…" Felia said, getting softer and softer, "Thank you…"
Moonlight put both her paws on Felia's shoulder. "Felia, I could tell just by looking at you something's not right. You're trembling all over! You can barely stand and your eyes…they've lost that sparkle you used to have in them…"
Felia stared blankly at her. She didn't notice she was trembling at all. She didn't even know her legs were about to give in, until Moonlight told her. She fell to the floor, finally realising how weak a state she was in.
Her body felt numb…she couldn't feel her skin shivering…she was cold…cold and helpless…
Moonlight shoved a bottle of blue potion in front of her. "Here," she said, without looking at Felia, "I…um…stole it, when you weren't looking yesterday…"
Felia accepted it gratefully, holding the bottle with her shaking hands. The rejuvenating liquid went up the straw and up into her mouth, making her more awake…
The trembling stopped. She could feel the warmth of the sun again and she could stand up as she always could. Moonlight held her hand, just in case she decided she was too tired to be up to the task.
"I'm fine…really…" Felia said. Her voice was soft and drained. Moonlight couldn't blame her; she just went through the worst day of her life…
Moonlight…she was helping her like she was a true friend…"Moonlight…I'm sorry…for the past few days…I…I've been," Felia apologized, but Moonlight held up a soft furry finger to her lips.
"Hush now. You'll waste your breath telling me all that," Moonlight said casually, "Besides," this time she was whispering, "I've been through much more in Payon…"
Felia said nothing. She continued to sip the blue potion, not daring to make Moonlight angry or sad again…
And she was too self-centred…she never really cared about Moonlight after she found out about how expensive her clothes were…her mindset was to steal her riches through trade, now she wasn't so sure…was it really worth their friendship?
"Sorry…"
"Don't sweat it."
The next few days were much more pleasant. Moonlight opened up more, feeling more comfortable about her tale of Payon. Felia shared her sorrows too, but still didn't dare reveal her original 'plan'. They laughed, joked, listened and cried, but they were happy; happy to be together.
Then, Felia asked for some time alone, and Moonlight stayed behind near the foot of a hill. Curious, but not wanting to disturb her, moonlight was content with playing with her claws.
Felia went around the hill. The place she was looking for was marked with crosses coming out of the ground…
There it was! Felia had promised to visit them this trip…if she didn't join them. The makeshift graves of her old companions…merchants who have risked their lives crossing the Morroc plains…
Felia knelt before a particular one, wiping away the sand from the cross. 'Miyu Yamato' it read. She was a close friend of Felia's…and a huge risk taker too. She repaid her recent fortune with her life.
She thought about how she used to help her with the bartering of her goods…how she always gave her the cheer and support to where she is now…
…how she used to…
A single tear flowed down her cheek. She missed her dearly, like another elder sister…but she had to get over it and move on. She let her feelings out as much as she can until she was bored of it.
Today was the last time she had to cry for a friend…
Moonlight stared up into the moonlit night. It was very late, and Felia wasn't back yet. Maybe she was in trouble? Maybe she needed rescuing again…
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Felia shouted from behind, waving. She was alright at least, allowing Moonlight to breathe a sigh of relief.
"What took you so long?" Moonlight asked in a rather big-sister-ish tone.
She was no longer just a friend to Felia anymore. Their brief meetings have drastically changed their relationships dramatically. Moonlight was more respected of the two and demanded that respect in a positive way. Felia was just there to guide her and to listen. She seldom started conversations on her own now.
"It's personal," Felia replied. Then she looked where Prontera was supposedly supposed to be, "C'mon, Moony, let's go."
