Hey, guys! This one's short, but it's my second one in the past two days! BTW, I forgot to mention my faithful reader, Justin! W00tage! Anyhow, I hope to put up another story here soon in the Inuyasha catergory, if you're interested.

In the Summoner's Shadow

Part II chapter X

"How long shall we
Mourn in the dark
The bliss and the beauty
Will not return
Say farewell to sadness and grief
Though long and hard the road
May be"
Blind Guardian, Nightfall

Braska watched Sonja with a smile as she slept gently, the campfire crackling slightly. He sighed for a moment, then reached towards her, smoothing down her long black hair. Auron's gaze met his hand on her head.

"Think it's her?" he asked. Braska blinked and looked over to him.

"Of course it's not…" he frowned and sighed.

"Who?" Jecht asked.

"She wasn't found… I help you look, remember?"

"Auron!" Braska shouted at him, then lowered his voice when Sonja mumbled in her sleep and rolled over. "Auron, I saw her die with my own two eyes. She's not alive anymore."

"But there's still that chance…" the younger man sighed with a hurt look on his face.

"Who are you talking about?" Jecht asked yet again.

"No, there's not! Just… stop talking about it!" Braska furiously pulled away from Sonja and rested his chin in his hand.

"Sorry," Auron lay on the ground and set his head in his hand which rested on the ground.

"I know… I know… you're just trying to keep her alive in memory. I tried that for a long while. I still do now days, but it just doesn't work…" the Summoner wiped his eyes of stray tears and looked at his Guardian.

"I loved her like my own daughter…" Auron opened his eyes and looked across the fire at sleeping Sonja.

"Yes, I know. She loved you like a father, too. You wouldn't believe all the things she did because of you! I think you were an awful influence on her!" Braska laughed slightly.

"On who?" Jecht still went ignored.

"Why do you say that?" Auron asked, amused.

"Well, when you got your sword and brought it over, she made up her mind that she wanted one, too, and stole her older sister's baby doll umbrella and carried it around on her shoulder!" Braska laughed at the memory. Auron smiled slightly.

"Who are you talking about!" Jecht stood up and shouted at them.

"No one! Ignore us!" Auron shouted back at him.

"Obviously it's someone!" he stared.

"Don't worry about it, Jecht. She was just someone we knew and loved," Braska smiled at him sadly.

"Loved?" Auron glared at him.

"You're right," Braska closed his eyes and nodded in agreement, then opened them again and stared at Sonja. "She's still loved even to this day, dead or not…"

Jecht stared over at Sonja and pointed at her.

"Who, her?" he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"No! Someone she reminds us of," Braska explained.

"Whoever she is… she died?" Jecht asked. The other two lowered their heads in reverence.

"Yes… a very long time ago…" Braska was the first to speak after a moment of silence.

"Actually, only about a year ago…" Auron stared at him as if he was crazy.

"Days have become longer since her joy left," Braska wiped away his free tears. His guardians stared at him.

"Sorry, guys… it's just a very delicate topic… please, let's not speak of her again…" he said, lying down and slowly falling asleep.

Jecht turned to Auron.

"So, this chick that died meant something to him, eh?" he asked. Auron glared.

"Meant something to me, him, and little Yuna."

"Who was she exactly?"

"Don't worry about it. It's not important."

"I don't like secrets…"

"And I don't like people prying into my business!" Auron barked. Sonja blinked and sat up, then glared directly at them.

"Will you people PLEASE shut up! I'm trying to sleep!" With that, she laid back down and fell asleep.

"Just…" Auron sighed after a short time. "Just don't mention her. It hurts us all…"

Jecht blinked in utter confusion while the younger guardian fell asleep.

"You people are weird… this world is weird!" he sighed, then mumbled something to himself as he laid down and closed his eyes. His breathing came to a slow pace. Upon hearing this, Sonja rose from her spot and walked over to Braska.

"I love you, too, daddy… I miss you so much… being here just makes all our hearts ache with wishes that can't be fulfilled. Don't ever forget about me…" she kissed his cheek gently.

"And you," she stomped over to Auron. "Thanks for everything, Auwon! The self defense lessons… the sake… the friendship… the sake… the role model… the sake… everything!" she reached down and grabbed his keg. "And for old time's sake," she took a swig and put the keg back. "I'll take some good old time sake!"

She walked to Jecht and stared at him for a while.

"Yeah, I don't like you," she said plainly, then sighed. Without giving herself the pain of another glance at her old family, she turned into the night and raced off, making noiseless passage through the foliage.

"Perhaps we will meet again… this time under more intimate circumstances… which reminds me… I saved your life and refused to kill you. You saved mine by healing me. We're square… kind of…"