This chapter is a little depressing and a little short, but enjoy!

I do not own anything except for the OCs.

Chapter 33: The Anniversary Gift

"Resa!" Dustfinger cried as he jumped up. This grand smile appeared on her face as she placed the plate and loaf down. She was about Dustfinger's height and had hair that was between blond and a light brown. They embraced and it was one of the few times I had seen a smile on Dustfinger's face. They pulled back and he clasped her shoulders.

"I swear, every time I see you, you get more beautiful." He complimented. She just blushed and waved him off.

"I'd like you to meet someone Resa." He said turning to me.

"I'm Elizabeth." I introduced myself. She smiled and waved. She dug through the pockets of her apron and pulled out a slip of paper. She wrote a sentence down and handed it to Dustfinger. He took a few moments to decipher the words.

"She can read." He told Resa. She quickly wrote down something else and handed it to me. The note said: You can always find me in the kitchens on the first floor or in my room next door with a few other girls.

"I'll make sure to stop by." I assured her. She nodded, smiled and waved good bye as she left the room.

"Is that the friend that you wanted to introduce me to?" I asked.

"Yes, she is a wonderful woman. Darius read her out too. He made her mute though." Dustfinger mentioned.

"So that explains the paper." I thought out loud. We sat down and began to eat lunch. It was parmesan chicken and pasta with alfreado sauce. It suddenly occurred to me that I didn't know the date. It could have been Christmas for all I knew.

"Dustfinger?" I asked.

"Hm?" He grunted as he took a bite of chicken.

"What's today's date?" I asked. He swallowed and took a moment to think.

"Well, you came on the thirteenth, so I guess that makes today the fourteenth. Why do you ask?" He replied. That meant that Lizzy, Eric, my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends died on December 12. My parents died on December 12. I condemned my parents to death on their anniversary. I pushed my plate away: I had lost my appetite.

"What's wrong?" Dustfinger asked, noticing my change in behavior.

"Nothing." I replied as I slipped what was left of my chicken into Dustfinger's bag for Gwin.

"Kid, what's wrong? Why is the date so damn important?" He asked as he put down his fork.

"My parents were married on December 12, 1995." I stated.

"And?" Dustfinger pressed.

"I condemned them to death on the twelfth Dustfinger, on their anniversary." I explained as I tried to hold back tears and still my shaking hands. Dustfinger noticed and grabbed my hand to comfort me.

"Your parents would be proud of your decision, kid. Not everyone could make the right choice. If what you tell me about this guy is true, my guess is that he'd just end up killing them anyway. You have to look at the bigger picture, kid. Think of all those lives you saved that day. If you hadn't said no, well you'd be planning my death right now. I know things look bleak right now, but it will have to get darker before it gets lighter. Now stop crying damn it! You know I'm no good at this stuff." He lectured.

I wiped my eyes and sniffed" You always seem to know what to say, a comforting lecture with a bit of a slap at the end." This got a little chuckle from him.

"At least someone appreciates me." Dustfinger said with a sigh as Basta came into the room.

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