"We live in a small world. Not a leaf falls that doesn't affect a myriad of things. "

Garnet:

I stand in the darkness which surrounds me – hearing nothing but the sound of my own wispy breaths. Anxiety begins to bubble within my chest as I look around only to find nothing – not a soul or even a speck of light. I stare for so long that certain parts of the shadows seem as though it is growing shades darker – taking odd forms as it grew larger and started to tower over me. I stumble back, staring in confusion as to how I could have ended up here.

"Hello!" I desperately call out but only the echoes of my own voice reply.

A sense of dread washes over me as I continue to twirl around to find no comforting light or anything that hinted at an exit. In that moment, the smell of ash and burning wood lingers. My eyes widen in shock as that very scent began to fester into something far more putrid; smoldering flesh! Naturally, my nose wrinkles and my arm places itself over it in its defense against the odor.

"What is this?!" My voice rings out into the darkness.

Soon, the horrifying screams of dozens of people accompany this abyss, further sending chills down my spine in this already hellish environment. In a daze, I look left and right but my confusion dissipates as I start to realize that the sound was all too familiar to me. My heart sinks into the deepest depths of despair. An extremely warm feeling kisses upon my back and I turn without hesitation. Once I did – every fiber of my being wished I hadn't. A gasp forcefully escapes me as the scenery unfolds all around me. No longer was I in the middle of a blackened hole. Homes were set aflame, people were hung from their very porches and the rest of the frantic people running for their lives simply phase right through me.

Behind them were the ruthless soldiers from The Sentinels that were led by General Havoc. This was…the fall of my home and everything I had ever known - Alexandria! A large piece of lumber within a home crashes followed by more terrifying cries of agony. My lips quiver as I hesitantly take a few steps backward. Just a few feet away was the entrance to the market square – a place once filled with the joyful laughter of children and hardworking adults. Tears stream down my face, leaving a stinging sensation behind with its salty kisses. I collapse onto my knees, waiting for the flames to swallow me whole as everything around me burns with the power of Alec's success and fueled by my failures.

In all of my frustration, I bow my head into the ground and scream. I try to drown out the sound of my people dying, the unforgiving flames around me, the images of the moments where I was weak when I should've been strong; images of Beatrix leading me down a secret escape door, forcing me out to safety – I scream and cry until it was all that filled my ears.

My body violently shakes awake, my pillow soak with sweat as my long bangs stick to my skin. I pant heavily as my eyes tried to take in my new surroundings. For a moment I felt scared – not knowing where I was, wondering if this was just another dream or if this was reality. As I turn my head slightly, the sight of Lilly immediately calms my apprehension. I try to calm my breathing as I watch her sleeping with her arms crossed on the bed, her body sitting on a dark wooden chair. I try to move both of my arms and I realize that she was holding my right hand tightly within her grasp.

For some reason, seeing this erases all of the negative feelings I previously had. It was an act of compassion I became foreign too and yet, it warms my heart with old memories of a more peaceful time. In return, I grab onto hers, feeling just how soft and warm it was. If I could speak I would whisper a word of thanks. But I suppose, this was the only way I could express that.

For the next several days, I remained bedridden due to the fact that I was still far too weak to move about. However, Lilly made sure my limbs got what little exercise it could by helping me walk around the house while holding firmly onto me. My pride took a blow – having to be cared for like a newborn child. Regardless, I was grateful to her. I desperately wished to go outside during all of those days and nights inside – to feel the fresh air brush against my skin and the sun directly hitting against me is all I craved. Being trapped inside reminded me of back when I was in hiding with Tantalus – they would not let me go outside even if no one was around just in case someone spotted me. There was no telling which side people were on anymore, Alec's or mines – and it was terrifying trying to find that out.

Finally, I kick my feet to the side of the bed and stand on my own. Although I did not gain much of the weight I lost back, I feel stronger than I had in months.

A faint smile curves upon my lips as Lilly turns to look at me in awe. Quickly, she wipes the paint on her hands all over her stained white apron and brightly smiles at me just before rushing to my side.

"Look at you!" She giggles like a little girl while she studies my form as if I was one of her art pieces. My grin fades and I shyly look away from her gaze and instantly I felt her arms around me. My eyes widen as she embraces me tightly, a heavy sigh leaving her lips. My arms froze in place and my body stiffens at her touch.

"You have no idea…how relieved I am to finally see you standing on your own." I can hear and feel how choked up she was when she spoke.

Her body quivers against mine and I couldn't find the wisdom to react. My fingers tremble just above her body, aching to return the hug but they do not budge. Her kindness, her love and compassion – it terrifies me. What if I become too attached and I lose her too? Or worse – what if she is to betray me? With all of these thoughts plaguing me I did not notice when Lilly pulled away. I hear her speak but the words didn't register. I snap from my cogitations and look at her blankly.

"…I said, do you wanna go outside?!" She snickers at my dumbfounded expression. Just like that, my entire disposition lit up. I nod my head repeatedly and Lily takes me by the hand and leads me out the back door. The moment I walk through the doorway and out into the world, I feel a refreshing sensation liberating all of my senses. It was like the first cold dip you take when you enter a lake to shower. Goosebumps form across my skin and travel down my back, the smell of pine greets my nose, the wind dances along the strands of my hair and I take a deep breath that did not taste like burning wood from the fireplace or fumes of paint but instead, clean fresh air!

I stumble a few steps and pause, lifting my head upwards as I close my eyes from the beautiful blue sky. Again, I take in a deep breath of the open air and gingerly exhale. Spreading my arms out against the light wind, I soak in the warmth of the sun and can now vividly hear the birds chirping. I catch the sound of stomping on what sounds like mud and turn my attention toward the noise.

"I bet it feels great being outdoors again – it's been like what, a few days shy of two weeks now? " I study Lily's appearance beneath the sunlight as she seems to shine. Her dark blue hair pinned into two braids was shiny although it didn't seem as though she bothered to brush it enough, her eyes were peridot green and her skin was warm color probably because she spent a lot of time under the sun. As I look closely, I spot freckles just over the bridge of her nose. She doesn't wait for me to respond like usual and begins to tend to the garden. As she starts to spray, I walk over and bend down beside her. I focus on what she is doing but I cannot make sense of it.

"…I'm spraying this poison to keep bugs from eating my crops." Lilly says, never turning away from her work. An eyebrow raises and I feel a bit startled. Poison? Then how is it safe for us to eat?! Was I eating this so called "poison" the entire time? Lilly's smile fades right when she turns to look at me. The sheer terror was probably evident on my face.

" Did the word poison throw you off?" It was if she could read my mind. Immediately she bursts into laughter, slapping her knee as she nearly topples over. I'm not sure why she is laughing at me. "Don't you worry your pretty lil head – this is only deadly to bugs not humans!"

Relief washes over me and my shoulders ease while Lilly continues to laugh hysterically. I blush embarrassingly because I realized how foolish I must have seemed. The blue haired woman wipes tears from her left eye just before saying, " Oh dear, that was funny!" She starts to calm down now. "You're definitely no farm girl then." She continues to spray at her crops and I idly watch.

"…I wonder what kind of girl you are." It's that curiosity that worries me. If she finds out who I am – will her once gentle smile turn into a deadly scowl?

Once night came, I remained outside – dreading going back into the house after being trapped in it for so long. Lilly was very kind and brought out blankets and pillows for us to sleep outside instead. She truly was thoughtful when it came to me.

I watch as she flattens out the rolls of hay, feeling a bit guilty that my selfishness forced more work on her. With much excitement, Lilly spreads out a quilt over the hay and beckons for me to lie down now with a few pats on the bed she made. I place the pillows down and allow my back to rest against the hay while Lilly throws the thicker blanket over me. I stare at the stars illuminating the night sky while she places herself next to me.

For a few moments, it is silent. "You know, the last time I slept openly under the stars it was when I was with my mother…" The words fell from her lips with a hint of sorrow. I turn and gaze at Lilly as she crossed her arms beneath her head and focused on the starlit sky above.

" We were traveling to Lindblum to exchange our medical herbs and vegetables." For some reason, part of me did not want to know the rest of the story as a rush of anxiety began to fester at the mere thought of how it was going to end. Instinctively, I knew but still I stared at her with hope that her tale would not meet a terrible conclusion. Lilly's eyebrows furrows and her lips grimace. " That was the last night I ever spent with her."

Immediately, I prop up on my elbows and stare at her with wide eyes. "…The fateful night Alexandria attacked Lindbulm…my mother was torn from me by the forcing winds of some horrible monster that rose from hell itself." Her voice cracks. She was referring to Atomos. I could only assume the images her words conjured up from the mere sight of her hand clenching. Desperately, I wish to grasp her hand with mine – because I know the pain of watching your mother die from an Eidolon, but...

I had no right.

All I did that night was scream and fall to my knees.

It had only been 4 years since that time. The wound of losing her must be just as fresh as mine. Lilly swallows harshly and then forces a grin.

"…I remember how much of a fuss I made about sleeping outside on a sheet instead of putting up a tent we had carried." She snickers while shaking her head gently.

"…It was that night my mother told me about the cycle of this world and where the souls of the dead go."

I snap from my cogitations and fall onto my back again. A finger points to the sky and traces along the line of stars.

"She told me the souls of the deceased return to the crystal of life and cycles back to the planet – giving life to the stars above down to the flowers and trees below it."

I wonder if Dr. Tot would agree. Lilly allows her arm to rest back at her side.

"So, I often wonder if she exists in the very flowers I tend to, if she has given life to the trees I pass by every day - or if her life sparkles in one of these silver stones above." It was as if someone had stuck a blade into my chest and began to twist. I turn my back to her and try to conceal the discomfort written all over my face.

"…Knowing this made me understand that no matter what, I am not alone. Even if there is so much death, there is the light of life all around me."

Why is she sharing this wisdom with me…?

Does she know more about me than she is letting on?

No.

She found me covered in blood, dirt and wounds. Perhaps, she is only trying to help me alleviate my pain.

"I've seen the sorrow in your eyes dear…" Tenderly, the words escape her lips leaving my body stricken with unease.

"I carried the same look in my eyes for a while too after losing my mother; a bitterness that clawed out who I used to be." For a moment it was silent and I feel the guilt digging its way into my guarded heart.

"My mother taught me that death is never the end but a new beginning. After the attack ended, I used the medical herbs my mother grew to tend to the wounded and fed the starving. It was then, I realized what I wanted to spend my life doing – and now here I am."

Her voice grew more optimistic but it only brought tears to my eyes.

"…What I mean is, I hope you find meaning in your suffering as I have."

The tears stream down my face uncontrollably and silently, I weep without a voice.

I do not deserve your kindness Lilly. I was the cause of all of your grief. Please, stop.

Her sweet words were like salt on my open wounds. How could the world be so cruel as to have her care for the weakling that caused her mother's death?

I place my hand over my mouth as if it would silence me.

"I hope you can heal in time and smi-" I could hear her body tossing in the sheets and pausing in place. My shoulders are trembling from how hard I am trying to bite back against sobbing and I could only feel her eyes on me. She softly sighs just before I feel her warm arms wrap around my shaking figure.

"…Let it all out. It's okay, I am here." But her kindness only forces me to cry even harder.

If I had a voice I would scream all of my agony and anger to the world.

For now, I could only sob in the arms of my future enemy.

Once she realizes who I am…her loving voice will change

and it is only the punishment I deserve.

I apologize for the delay eveyone. [ a lot of very good video games just came out so haha]

I will try to have a new chapter out at least once a month or at most, twice a month. I am truly trying to dedicate myself to this fanfiction because I've put a lot of thought into everything, including all of the OCS I've created. I've done a lot of research on the types of combat Garnet will train under.

Also, I've taken into consideration the reviewer, Angel left about differentiating the flashbacks and what not. I will try to focus on using the past tense in the flashbacks and putting a line when it ends. Hope that helps! I can only tell about what happened in the two years Garnet was banished...by doing flashbacks!

Anyways, I am trying to build up Garnet getting her voice back. Don't worry. She will not remain a mute forever. Also notice I put Garnet's name at the very top. That will depict who I am writing as and pay attention to that for it will change in the future from character to character!

REVIEWS WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED. THANK YOU! 3