Wild Rose
Another stop at Dream's End on their way to find Cecil and reunite with the rose – Firion began to feel the name was fitting. The way things were going right now…he wondered if telling Lightning how he felt was to stay a mere dream – and a hopeless one, at that.
He groaned at the thought – and also at the wild goose chase they appeared to have been sent on.
"He could be anywhere."
Upon hearing him, Lightning looked his way. She could understand why he was seemingly aggravated by the whole thing – to a sense, she was, too. Still though, she knew it wouldn't help to behave in such a way. They were close. She could feel it. Someone had to stay positive right now.
"Relax, Firion." she said, gently.
Firion shook his head. This was too much: his feelings, the search – everything was just piling on and he felt there was nothing he could do about it. He'd tried, but it had only slammed him in the face twice as hard. He'd never struggled so much with anything in his life. Who'd have thought the wild rose would change his world so much.
He stood against the wall with his arms folded, staring at the ground as he spoke.
"I just don't get it. Why would Cecil take the rose? What could he possibly want with it?" he grumbled.
Lightning closed her eyes at his words. She didn't have an answer. Truthfully…she'd wondered the same thing. Laguna's story had seemed so farfetched when they'd first heard it, but now as it indeed seemed to be true…she really didn't know what to say.
"So much for staying positive." she thought to herself, as she sighed.
"I don't know." she said.
She lifted her head towards Firion – trying to keep a straight face and hide the potential grief the situation threatened to bring down on her. She wasn't going to allow herself to cave into it now. One of them sulking was enough to deal with.
She walked towards him, slowly lifting her hand and placing it on his lower arm as she looked at him.
"But finding him is the only way to." she said.
Immediately, Firion looked down at her hand. He was at a loss for words and thoughts on what had just happened. Was she aware of what she was doing? If so…had there been a specific reason behind it? Was it possible she was hinting at something? It was a sudden whirl of thoughts on the seemingly endless possibilities on what that touch could have meant. Though it was completely crazy, maybe, just maybe…she really did feel the same way and was showing it like this.
However, he came to one simple conclusion in the end…maybe she was simply aware he was upset and was just trying to make him feel better somehow. He dropped his head again at that thought. How stupid of him to have even begun to think otherwise. Maybe it really was hopeless.
He could only sigh as he nodded lightly – his head still lowered, again hiding his face – and his pain.
"I suppose…that's true." he mumbled.
Lightning removed her hand from his arm as she turned to look ahead.
"Then no more dawdling." she said.
She looked back at Firion intently.
"Let's go."
As she started moving again, Firion just stared at the ground. He couldn't get over it. Sure, the rose was important…but so was this – what he felt. If he couldn't tell her soon, he didn't know what he'd do. Still, the possible results of what such a revelation could bring, especially to Lightning – that was more than enough to keep him from speaking about it. It all came down to fear – of being rejected: of being hurt like he never had before. Having never been through anything like this, he wasn't sure he could handle such a thing. Why was it always like this in every instance of such an event occurring? Why was it never easy to speak one's mind…or one's heart? He could only reflect on this thought over and over again as he regrettably followed Lightning once more on their endless quest.
*Author's Note* - Yeah, this one is kind of short compared to my last few. I didn't feel there was a need for too many details in this one.