Super long wait on this, I know, but I wrote this when I was younger and never really knew where it would go, but I guess I should at least finish it.
Thank you to the people who reviewed!
/
Cinnamon let out a slow breath, a small cloud of steam escaping from her mouth and swirling before her for a moment, and then it vanished. The cold didn't seem to bother her; in fact she revelled in it. The cold kept all the other people inside, and while she didn't hate other people, it was nice to spend her fishing trips alone and in silence.
She hoisted the custom rod she had for winter fishing over her shoulder and continued on her way to Lake Poli, intent on making full use of the hole cut through the ice this morning. She crossed the bridge over the lake, her eyes taking in the flawless white surface- wait.
Cinnamon stopped and peered intently through the falling snow. Some of the ice was broken through, the edges around it cracked and void of snow, as if something had fallen from great height. Cinnamon had crossed the bridge and was slowly making her way across the ice when an object bobbed slowly to the surface, the object being a brown scale like vest.
Cinnamon approached, puzzled and bent over to pick it up, puzzled because this vest wasn't enough to cause the hole when another object bobbed to the surface. Cinnamon backed up in horror at the broken, almost unrecognizable body of Raguna, his arms twisted at awkward angles, half of his skull caved in. Cinnamon felt her knees grow weak, and she fell backwards, deaf to the faint crunch of her fishing pole being sat on.
She couldn't move, or breathe. She could only scream.
She screamed until Kross appeared by her side, and the screaming died away into a broken sob as she clung to the man, who up until this point she had never even thought twice of. He held her awkwardly as her helped her to her feet and took her back to town, leaving a broken body and battered heart with only a few bits of paper and a broken fishing rod for company.
/
They say it was an accident. That was the first thing out of Stella's mouth at his funeral, "What a horrible accident." And everyone accepted it; he probably got overwhelmed by a monster and forced off the edge, was the singular reason everyone had come up with. But not her. Tabatha knew what had really happened, how she had caused the death of her love.
The funeral was a very simple affaire, everyone dressed in black, prayers for the deceased, a few speeches, and a burial in the cemetery. Almost everyone cried. Almost. Tabatha felt odd that she couldn't cry, perhaps all her tears had been spent on the night before, or maybe she didn't love him as much as she thought—no. Raguna was the only man she ever loved, and it would remain that way until the day she died. Tabatha snapped her head up as she realized someone was trying to talk to her. Noire and Blanche were staring at her in concern. Tabatha noticed she was outside, sitting next to the freshly dug grave. Tabatha glanced at the two girls; Blanche was wearing one of Noire's dresses, making them look even more like twins.
"Um... Tabatha, do you think maybe you could come inside now?" Blanche asked gently, gesturing towards the church behind her where everyone had gathered after the ceremony.
Tabatha stared for a moment before nodding slightly and letting the two girls help her to her feet and lead her inside.
The second she entered the church every eye turned to her and the light conversation died away. The silence stretched awkwardly until Bianca made a point to shove past any and all in her way so she could wrap the young elf in a tight hug. Bianca would be her rock for the rest of the night; the only thing that stopped her from breaking down every time someone came up to offer condolences or other aid. A book on how to deal with the death of a loved one, from Selphy, whose usual green hat was replaced with a black one. Eric and Kross both promised to take care of Bessie and Fluff, Raguna's buffamoo and woolly respectively. Tabatha went through an endless parade of well meaning sympathy, but she really wanted to get back home and sleep, hopefully to wake up and find that this was all some kind of sick dream.
Finally when everyone had said there bit, Bianca politely excused the two of them and led Tabatha back to her mansion. Where she prepared tea for the two of them and they both sat at the table, Bianca playing with a spoon, and Tabatha thumbing through the book Selphy had given her.
"So... do you want to talk?" Bianca asked her voice painfully awkward. Tabatha raised her eyes from the book to stare at Bianca.
"I do not think there is anything to talk-"
"Tabatha! I can tell something is bothering you, you didn't cry during any of it."
Tabatha felt herself shrug unconsciously, and Bianca's face hardened. "He hurt you, didn't he?"
Tabatha felt shocked, Raguna... hurt her? He was barely brave enough to kiss her. But Bianca took her pause as a silent yes.
"That son of a bitch! I knew I should have..."
"Miss Bianca, please it is not..."
"You don't have to defend him anymore Tabatha, you can forget about him and whatever he did to you."
"Miss Bianca I..."
"It's a good thing that a monster killed him, saves me from doing it myself."
"Bianca! Stop it!"
Bianca stopped abruptly, her mouth hanging open slightly. Tabatha was on her feet, the book that was in her lap a moment before had flown a short distance and landed on the floor. Tabatha herself was livid, Bianca had never seen Tabatha mad before, and she looked absolutely terrifying. The normally calm, serine look she had on her face was replaced by one of controlled rage.
"Forgive my outburst Miss Bianca, but you cannot talk about that which you do not know. Master Raguna was the kindest, most pure-hearted soul I had ever met. He loved me, and would never hurt me in a-any w-way."
Tabatha finally broke down; she collapsed on the floor and cried. Bianca stood in shock for a moment before rushing to her and wrapping her in a tight hug. Neither one spoke, Tabatha unable to because of her frantic sobbing, and Bianca not wanting to make it worse by opening her big mouth again. The two sat on the floor together, until an uneasy sleep claimed them both.
/
Bianca awoke the next morning feeling stiff and sore. Her eyes opened to meet the chandelier that usually hung in the kitchen. She slowly sat up to realize she was in the kitchen, and Tabatha was nowhere to be seen. Bianca jumped to her feet, despite the tightness of the muscles in her back, and ran down the hall towards Tabatha's room, and, not bothering to knock, burst inside. It took her half a second to realize Tabatha wasn't there, and another half a second for her to be sprinting outside.
The second she was outside she was forced to stop for a moment and consider her options. Where would Tabatha go... she only had to think about that for a moment.
Bianca tore down the path towards Raguna's farm, slipping slightly on the snow. She skidded to a stop in front of the front door, which was left ajar. Bianca saw Tabatha standing in the middle of the living room, not moving or anything, just staring at the wall. Bianca took two steps into the room, then Tabatha started talking, more to herself then Bianca, she suspected.
"If I would have just said yes, I could have lived here, with him. He would still be alive, and I would be happy for the rest of our lives."
"Tabatha..." Bianca started, only to be cut off by more of Tabatha's ramblings.
"It was my fault, I wrote the letter that drove him to kill himself."
"He didn't kill himself, it was a monster..."
"Oh come on Bianca, open your eyes, Raguna was a great fighter, there is no way he would have let such monsters best him."
Bianca hesitated, even she would admit that Raguna was a master swordsman, but there was no way he would...
Bianca gasped out loud as the weight of Raguna's last message crashed down on her. He did kill himself, and she had erased his...
Tabatha shook her head slightly, and Bianca felt cold all over.
"He loved you Tabatha." Bianca finally managed to croak out.
"Yes, he did, and I him." Tabatha finally turned to face Bianca, her eyes were slightly wet, and "I will always love him."
" Come on Tabatha, let's go home and I'll make you some rice porridge."
Tabatha nodded slowly, following Bianca out of the house, a piece of paper clenched in her fists, bearing two words.
Forgive Me.
/
Edit: Fixed most instances of Tabatha's name being wrong, Thank you Sir Gigous.
