Stay the Same

Summary: Lass notices a change within Arme, and he doesn't like it.

Rain poured heavily. The evening sky was darkened even more by thick clouds.

Lass stood under a tree, shielding himself from the raindrops. He was drenched from his hair to his armor.

He leaned on the tree trunk, and removed the bandanna that was tied around his forehead and put it on his pocket. He shook his head to dry his hair, sending droplets all over. He left his hair unkempt.

Lass was training on the fields before he got caught up by the rain.

He sighed and scratched his head. He thought about going back to headquarters. Maybe not now. There was something inside him that didn't want to go back.

He heard footsteps walking towards him. He stood up and unsheathed his sword. He hid behind the tree and leaned sideways to get a view of his target.

Turned out it was only Arme, a fellow teammate. Arme is the mage of the team. About two months ago, she was promoted to the highest form of the Violet Mages—the Battle Mage.

She walked gracefully—chin up—with a satisfied smile on her face. Her transparent shield bubble protected her from the rain. Her purple hair was worn up on a ponytail, adorned with a small tiara. She wore a sleeveless top decorated with jewels, matched with a stylized tail skirt defined with golden outlines. She was carrying her weapon, the Battle Staff—which was even taller than her.

Lass put his sword back on its sheath, and walked towards Arme. He stood on the center of the road, letting the rain soak him even more. Arme stopped walking in front of him.

"Hey there."

Lass looked back at her with emotionless eyes.

Arme stayed still.

"Umm… You're soaked to the bone. We should go back to the headquarters. Everyone must be waiting," she said with a gentle smile. Not the happy kind of smile, but the formal one, like it was being surpressed.

Lass didn't answer.

Arme stared at him for a while. "Okay then, I'll be leaving."

Arme walked away. As she passed by Lass, she looked straight on the road.

Lass felt a pinch in his chest.

The rain fell harder, and Lass thought that it was crying for him.

"You've changed," he blurted out.

Arme stopped on her tracks and turned around. "What?"

"It's alright that you're always out on missions… Or you're always have to go back to your school to train magic… It's alright that you don't have time for me—I mean—us anymore… But all you could have done was not change…"

Arme walked back to Lass. "W-what are you saying? What are you talking about?" She tried to touch Lass's shoulder. Lass slapped Arme's hand away.

"You're not the Arme I know! Stay away from me!"

Arme's eyes widen. "I…"

Her magic shield disappeared. The rain began to soak her. Droplets ran through her face, but she was sure that some of those droplets were her tears.

"N-no… Don't say that… I didn't…" Arme dropped her staff and gripped Lass's arms. She looked at him with her begging eyes. Lass shook Arme's hands away. He ran away, leaving Arme.

Arme watched him run to the opposite direction. She fell on her knees. Mud seeped through her tail skirt and boots. She looked at the ground. As she listened to the sound of the rain, memories began to stream through her head…

Arme recalled herself looking at the mirror that afternoon.

She combed her hair and wore it into a ponytail. She put it in place using a hair accessory that looked like a small tiara.

You're not a child anymore. Stop acting like one. Do you want to bring your teammates down?

She took notice of the dark circles under her eyes. She had been training a lot for the past few days. And her instructor was very strict and arrogant. She accepted it, because she knew she had to work harder if she wanted to be a strong Battle Mage.

Arme walked out of the room. She saw her teammates sitting around the dining table.

"Come on, Arme. Join us," Lire said.

Arme smiled and took the empty seat beside Lass.

She listened to her teammates chat happily while eating. She ate her food slowly, not noticing the frown on her face.

"Arme, what's wrong?" Amy asked.

"O-Oh… Nothing. Really. I'm fine." Arme didn't look up from her plate, and she forced a smile.

"Something IS wrong," Lass said. She felt Lass's eyes glaring from the tone of his voice.

"I'm just tired!" Arme shouted. Everyone stopped chattering.

"Sorry… I didn't mean that," she said.

She heard Lass sigh beside her. Gradually her teammates started talking again, but not as lively as it was a while ago.

After that, she unconsciously avoided Lass anywhere.

After the flashback, Arme saw herself again kneeling on the muddy road, being soaked to the bone.

She gripped her hair and clenched her teeth. She raises her head and tries to let out a grieve scream, but nothing comes out.

She let the raindrops flow with her tears.

Arme watched the heavens cry out with her. She let herself sit on the mud.

"I d-didn't mean to… I'm sorry," she muttered to herself.

She heard footsteps approach her. Before she could turn around, a force carried her and made her stand up.

"Lass…" she said.

"What do you think you're doing? I thought you went back already! Why do you make me worry so much," scolded Lass.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" she said as she turned around.

"No… It's my fault…"

"I'm sorry… I really wanted to change… I wasn't a child anymore… I needed to be mature to become stronger. I—"

Lass cut her off by putting a finger over her mouth. He wiped the tears and raindrops under her eyes.

"It's my fault… I didn't try to understand you. But really, you don't need to change. You are actually stronger the way you were back then."

"B-but… My instructor said…that I'm too childish…"

Arme's head leaned on Lass's chest.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Lass put his one arm behind Arme's shoulders, and he used the other one to carry her on her thighs.

"H-hey!"

Lass laughed lightly. "Your body is so small and light. You're practically still a child."

Arme crossed her arms, puffed her cheeks, and glared at Lass. "Let me down! I can walk!"

"Okay okay." Lass put Arme down. Arme went to her fallen staff and picked it up.

"One more thing," said Lass while walking toward Arme.

Lass pulled away the tiara on Arme's head. Her hair fell down to her shoulders.

"Better…"

Arme felt the heat rush up to her cheeks. She clutched the staff with two hands.

Lass held Arme's chin and raised her head up. He pulled in his lips to hers, and they shared a short, sweet kiss. Lass pulled away while they stare into each other's eyes.

Lass took Arme's one hand and held it.

"Please stay the same…always."

"I… I will," Arme replied.

Hand in hand, they walked back together to their headquarters, listening to the raindrops following them.

- End of Story 2-