Memories of The Flawless Beauty

"Ferris is... She's a pain in the ass with a craze for dango that is worth more than her very life. An insane lady with brute strength. Happy now?" Ryner stared at Keifer and yawned loudly.

"No! C'mon don't be so dull." She said blowing up her cheeks with air.

"What more do you want to know?" He asked with his eye lids shutting.

"For starters, how long have you known each other?" Yes! Perfect question! Now I can find outmore about their romantic notions for each other!

"I don't know. Probably for a long time." Ryner yawned once more.

"She's really pretty. I'm surprised a girl like her can handle a sword."

"Don't let her pretty face fool you. She's not what you think you've led yourself to believe!" Ryner explained. "She's really the devil in disguise! I'm going to die by her hands one day with that damned brute strength and blasted sword."

Keifer just looked at Ryner. She didn't pay attention to anything he had just said. She just stared at him, gazing into his large, brown eyes. He never talked to me with such expression before... Idon't think he's aware that he's fallen for Ferris. The way his eyes look at hers, the way he ran toher when she was found unconscious. The way he cried for her... He really is torturing me. I'M SO JEALOUS!

"Um Keifer? Are you listening? I'm getting creeped out with you staring at me..."

"That mark..."

"Huh?"

"That long mark going down Ferris's back. How did it get there?"

This brought Ryner up immediately. He looked at Ferris and then to Keifer. He knew Ferris wouldn't want Keifer to know about that. It would destroy her honor as a warrior. The mark was from that time they both fought Miron Froaude when they were watching over Sion and Toale Nelphi. That mark on Ferris's back was the only thing that had brought them closer. She was so enclosed to herself that she wouldn't let anyone close to her. Her guard would always be up but, when he held Ferris that day, Ryner could see how helpless she truly was. When he took her inside to heal her back, the bleeding wouldn't stop for quite some time even with his healing magic. Just her being able to move was proof enough that she was a strong and skilled warrior.

"Ryner?" Keifer asked.

"Huh? Oh sorry. I was just thinking about how… Uh… It got there. From our travels, I don't recall Ferris getting hurt on her back. Is it bad?" he asked trying to act worried.

"Yeah. It looks recent though; like a blade or something that may have slashed or cut her back. It looked like magic was used to heal the wound but it's darkened a little…" Keifer pondered aloud.

Keiferis good with sensing magic. I just hope she isn't able to detect that I was the one whohealed Ferris's wound. The last thing I need is to teach someone...

"Beast! Beast! H-how is big sister Ferris doing?!"

Ryner looked at the bedroom doorway and found a crying Iris just standing there. Her small hands held the doorknob as she tried to ask Ryner without crying. With no reply coming out of his mouth, she slowly turned her head towards the bed. Her once cheerful face was now covered in tears drizzling down as she stared at her big sister just lying there in bed. Ryner wanted to tell her that Ferris was going to be just fine. He wanted to tell her that she was just resting, but he knew that he would be lying. He had no right to lie to Ferris's younger sister. The younger sister of his partner. The younger sister of his friend. Instead, he just walked up to Iris and placed his hand on Iris's blond haired head.

"Now that I'm here, I'll take care of your big sister, so don't cry." He said softly to the petite blond.

"Y-you promise?" Iris asked raising her head while her face was still wet with tears.

"Yeah."

Surprisingly, Iris clasped onto Ryner and continued her crying for a little bit. Ryner didn't say anything as he was still shocked to see Iris holding onto him. She would usually never even come near him, let alone touch him. With Ferris's influences on her of him being a pervert, he was very much astounded to see Iris so close to him.

"Hey Iris?" Keifer asked interrupting the quietness of the room and getting up from the place where she was once sitting. "Would you like to come downstairs with me and get something to eat?" she offered her hand to Iris.

Iris stared at the red headed girl's hand. She didn't know what to say as she had never seen her before in her life. Iris looked at her hand and then to Keifer's face. It had a small smile on it. To this, she slowly let go of Ryner and transitioned herself so that she softly held Keifer's hand.

"Y-yes. Could I have some d-dango?" she replied slowly wiping her teary face.

"Of course you can." She replied happily.

Just as the two girls were about to leave the room, Iris turned around.

"Beast?"

"Hmmm?" Ryner replied.

"Don't tell big sister Ferris that I was crying, okay? I hope she doesn't find out that I lost my virtue after touching you." Iris said looking down.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. Now go with Keifer so you can fill that hungry stomach of yours." He smirked

To this, the petite blond smiled.

"Okay!" she said looking up. Her face beamed once more with a happy expression.

"Do you want to join us, Ryner?" Keifer asked.

"You go. I'm not very hungry." He said turning his head away to face the two girls.

"Alright…" she said closing the door on her way out.

As the door behind them closed, Ryner sat by Ferris once more on the chair. He gazed at her with his big, brown eyes. Her face held a somewhat saddened expression on her face. It was similar to the time when Ryner had left Roland with Tiir, and Ferris had come to bring him back. They had met a new foe as well on that day.

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"Damn it Ferris! What the hell is wrong with you running out in the middle of-" Ryner tried to yell when he saw Ferris get in front of his attack and block off Lirr's monsters.

"What is wrong with you?!" Ferris yelled back." Idiot! If you're really so obsessed with dying alone...just do it..." To this, Ferris lowered her head towards the ground and then back to Lirr. "If seeing yourself as a monster triumphs seeing yourself as my friend, then just vanish and be done with it. If you refuse to see yourself as my valet, my tea drinking companion or my ally, I cannot convince you otherwise. But, don't expect me to share in that opinion. I will not see you as a monster. And there is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise. You can deny how lonely you are but it's obvious to me that you're miserable. And I will never think of you as you think of yourself." She said strongly. Ryner could feel her mentally trying to reach out to him. He just looked at Ferris. He just stood there speechless. The silent moment was interrupted when Lirr started to speak.

" Wow. Impressive little pep talk you just improvised. Hell, if this were a fairy-tale, I'd buy it. The brave damsel holding out hope that beneath the fearsome beast lurks the heart of a human being? Not in the real world, sweetheart. Monsters like this guy will always be monsters"

"What does that matter to me? Monster or not, there is no reason I should care. He's my friend first." Ferris claimed without hesitation.

"That's a very sentimental view but whether you care isn't the issue. There's a whole world out there whose very existence is threatened with every minute freaks like your friend draw breath. For the greater good he has to be put down like a rabbit dog." Lirr countered.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" To this, Ferris gripped her sword tightly.

Ryner just stared at Ferris. He was still trying to register what Ferris had just said. She really doesn't care what I am, does she? How can she still have so much faith in a lost cause like me? Does our friendship really mean more to her than her very life being threatened by me? Tears started to roll down Ryner's face. He began to feel like a large weight was descending from his chest after so long. "You don't care? You really don't care. You just want to know... you, you just... Ferris, is it... really okay for me to live?"

Ferris turned her head around with a small, saddened smile. She just looked at him with her blue eyes. It looked as if she wanted to cry. Her voice filled with emotion said "Idiot. Without you around, what do you think I would do?" That was when Ryner had realized that all Ferris wanted and needed, was a friend. She was willing to go to extreme lengths just to get back the only one she had, even if it meant travelling the entire countryside looking for him. Because of her, he was able to realize that his life had a meaning. There was a reason for him to continue to exist in this world.

Ferris was his meaning.