Lahan

A group of little children were laughing, singing happily as they held their hands together and ran in circles around the old water well. Though young, they had spent the last few months working beside their mothers and fathers, doing odd yet important jobs. Everyone had been working extremely hard, doing their part to restore the village of Lahan from the destruction which had occurred there a few years ago, and now as the reconstruction was approaching completion, the long summer was changing quickly to a cool comfortable autumn, and there was finally enough leisure time for the adults to relax and for the children to play.

A young, red headed girl peered out at the group of children from the porch of her new home. Her hand rested on her lower abdomen, above the three month old life growing inside. "One day soon," she thought, "my child will be playing in a group like that." She looked forward to the day when she would look out from this spot and see her own child there.

From behind her, she felt an arm stretch gently over her shoulder. She recognized the presence immediately. "Our baby," she thought.

"It's a beautiful evening, isn't it Elly?" he said. Indeed, it was a beautiful evening. The sun was lowering from the cloudless sky, down beneath the lush, green field on which the children played as a cool, comfortable light breeze swept over the entire area. Stars were starting to poke out from the mountain tops which served as a barrier to not only the village but the entire continent of Ignas as well.

She nestled herself into his shoulder, looked up, and kissed him on the cheek as he held her tightly. "Nice of you to come visit me." she said affectionately.

"I couldn't help it," he replied, "You look so beautiful here, gazing out over the sunset… everything seemed to perfect… the way the orange glow from the sun reflects your hair, the slight breeze which-"

Elly giggled. "You're starting to sound a lot like Doc!" she joked. She loved it when her Fei spoke to her in that way, though. He made her feel so special, so important, and so human.

"I'm just telling you, it's perfect!" He insisted. "Have I ever mentioned that I might like to paint a portrait of you?"

"Haven't you already done that?" Elly reminded him, giggling.

Fei joined in on the laughter, understanding completely the inside joke, and the secret significance of the comment. He remembered all those times they had shared, all those pasts, all those memories, the good and the bad. Gently, he kissed her on the forehead.

As he looked out, Fei immediately noticed a very familiar boy and girl out there, playing. Dan and Midori were holding hands and laughing, happily.

"I'm glad things turned out as they did." Fei said.

"So I am." Elly agreed.

"Look at Dan. He seems so happy now. I can never replace what I brought about so long ago… I can never bring Alice back for him. But, somehow, I'm just glad to see Midori and him out here like this, running and laughing, screaming, and playing like children should. Those two didn't get a chance, Elly. They didn't get to have a normal childhood. I know how that feels. But seeing them like this together, having fun… that makes me happy, somehow. It makes me feel happy to know that they're still children, and that we've been able to restore the world for them in a way so that they, as well as the rest of the children in the village, will be able to live peacefully and have normal childhoods."

"Oh, Fei…" Elly sighed, "I love you."

"I know," he said. "And you know I feel the same way. Aren't you excited? In a few months, we'll be married. And our child, our little one, won't have to live in a world like the one we lived in. He'll have a wonderful life, just like the ones we're all working hard to build for these people, just like the one we fought so hard for."

"As soon as the work is all done, right?"

"Yes." Fei answered. "As soon as we can."

"That's good," Elly replied, "we can't wait too long." she then added.

Fei looked at her curiously.

"What is it, baby?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, "I was just thinking something."

"Thinking what?"

"I don't know…" he replied. "Say, Elly, what did you mean by…"

She tightened her hold on him, moving herself closer. "I was just saying that I don't want to wait too long until we're married, because someone's not going to wait for us."

"Do you mean that we're-"

"Yes." she said.

Just then, another cool breeze swept over Lahan, providing another temporary relief from the intense humidity of the summer weather. Things, for a moment, cooled down considerably, to a level which was strangely comfortable.

"Oh, Elly…" Fei barely got out as he pulled her closer. "He won't have to know all the… I mean… Oh…" Fei couldn't speak any longer.

The two looked out over the children playing and onto the setting sun, though there was little Fei could see through the tears which where accumulating in his eyes.