Chapter 3

Amore Elvaan

Thora swung open the door to her Mog House and stumbled inside tiredly. She looked around to see a completely empty room aside from the wall fountain in the back. "I guess it doesn't come furnished," she thought. As she took a step forward she heard a pop that made her jump. She looked up to see a white, fluffy, bear-thing spinning around in the middle of her room. The creature was hovering in midair using purple bat-like wings and stood no more that 2 feet tall. It stopped spinning to observe her. It tilted it's head to the side as a bright red pom pom on the top of it's head bobbed to one side.

"Welcome new adventurer. Kupo!" it cried. "I'm your own personal Moogle at your service. Kupo. And you are?"

Thora blinked at it for a moment, taking note of it's strange manner. "I'm Thora. Pleased to meet you Moogle."

"Kupo-po. Like-wise." It spun around again then stopped. I can help you with all sorts of things. Kupo kupo. I can help you get prepared to change your job, store items, and even attend to a garden! Can I help you with anything right now Miss Thora?"

"Uhhh . . . " Thora walked over to the right corner of the room and plopped down on the floor near the fountain. "I can't think of anything, I'm sorry. I'm just tired." She streached her legs out and felt into the top of her shirt. The Moogle stared at her confused. "Heh, there isn't anywhere to store things on my outfit." She smirked as she emptied the contents out of her bra. The Moogle pretended not to notice. She seperated things into piles. "Lets see a 2 leaf mandragora bud, 2 rahab hides, 5 insect wings, 9 wind crystals, 13 earth crystals, and 483 gil." She remembered what Kenshin told her and she tied a small rope around 12 of the earth crystals. Her top drooped a little from being streached. "I'll have to do something about that" she thought. "Hey, Moogle?"

"Yes Master?"

"Can you store my items for me?"

"Right away! Kupo!" The Moogle swooped down and picked up the items and flew off. One by one he held them up and they dissapeared into thin air. "I have sent these to your private safe. Just ask and I can bring it back. Anything else?"

"That's all, thanks." Thora yawned and she curled up into a ball on the floor. "Goodnight Moogle."

"Goodnight Master. Ku-kupo." it responded before spinning once more and dissapearing.

Thora closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately. Her dreams were jumbled and confused. She saw an older Mithra crying in a tent at night, then she saw the same Mithra fighting a giant blue bird outside. The next image she had was smoke up in the mountains. Finally, she saw blood outside a blackened tent. She awoke with a jump as tears were streaming down her face. She hit her fist angerly against the floor. "No more crying!" she told herself. "I'm an adventurer now. Adventurers don't cry." She fought back the tears and tried calming herself down. She curled back up to fall asleep but her eyes remained wide open. She tossed and turned untill finally a shiny blue pearl fell out from her clothes and started rolling across the floor. She scrambled to get it and finally picked up the Rain Pearl. She examined it then felt up to her ear where she touched it gently. The pearl held in place. Instead of being greated by chaos she found scilence. She leaned back against the wall.

"Hello." She called. There was no answer for seconds until a deep voice replied.

"Hello Thora. You're on late." She recognized the deep voice from earlier.

"You're Navagorn, right?

"Yes, my dear but you may call me Nava if you like."

"Oh, o-okay Nava." Her voice quivered. "You're on late as well."

"That I am. I have been having trouble sleeping lately. But this is that first time I've had company."

"I'm having that trouble myself." Thora sighed.

"Anything I can do Thora?" his voice soothed.

"Not unless you have the cure for nightmares."

"That I have." He responded. Thora perked up. Her ears stood up as straight as they could.

"Really what's that?"she asked excitedly.

"A good friend and someone to talk to." Thora was a little let down. She relaxed against the wall again. "Something I have been lacking, but maybe you could help me as well."

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"And then what happened?" Thora asked excitedly.

"Well although Astran could take on all 24 Rahabs, as you could imagine those who just started practicing their jobs weren't so happy when they couldn't get a swing in." They both laughed "Well since about 6 or 7 different people were yelling at him he decided to run for the Windurst Gate. When he got there the guards shooed them off but they just became angrier and started attacking ther trainees, knocking them all out."

"Oh no!" Thora giggled. "I'd hate it if that happened to me."

"Imagine how the other adventures felt." The laughter died down into a peaceful scilence.

"Navagorn may I ask you a personal question?"

"Yes my dear?"

"How old are you?"

"Oh my. Well, in hume years I am 26 years old."

"And in Elvaan years?"

"That I'm not telling." They both laughed again. "What about you sweetheart?"

"Oh, I'm only 18 in Hume years."

"And in Mithra years?"

"18" Thora giggled as Navagorn laughed with her.

"Well, I think I can go to sleep now, thank you Thora."

"It's no problem. I think I can sleep well too now."

"It's been so wonderful talking to you. You are so sweet and so kind. I will be crushed if I don't hear from you soon."

"I loved talking to you too." Thora was glad he could not see her blush. "I'm so glad I met you."

"I am equally, if not more glad. Have a good night, or what's left of it. No more bad dreams okay Thora? Dream of me instead."

Thora blushed deeply "I will, only if you do the same."

"You didn't even have to ask. Goodnight Thora"

"Goodnight Navagorn." With that Thora removed the pearl from her ear and tucked it back into her clothes. She streached and yawned, then curled up into a ball again and fell fast asleep. This time her dreams were filled with the deep, soothing voice of Navagorn."