Author's note: After 10 years, just back to post a few chapters of the story that I wrote years ago but did not complete - akin to a story with an ending but missing pieces. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the narrative and emotions of these shorts that I still feel keenly as I re-read what was written years ago.

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The sweet chirping of birds and the noise of crowds of people filled the air. Clare lifted her eyelids and immediately brought the back of hands up to block the radiant rays of sun. She felt herself lying snugly in the arms of a person and her head leaning against the person's chest.

'Finally awake? You sure do sleep a lot don't you…'

She tilted her head upwards and felt a warm feeling rush through her as a smiling Teresa came into sight.

'It kind of just happened… Thanks for carrying me.'

Teresa bent down and Clare gracefully slipped off her hold.

So… It really did happen. I wasn't imagining of those things. I really am here with Teresa

'What's with that sudden smile on your face?'

Clare was puzzled for a moment before realizing that she was the one that Teresa was referring to.

'I guess… I'm kind of relieved to find myself still here with you.'

She had almost expected to find herself back in the cave in the North with Miria and the rest when she woke up. While she was indeed thankful that she could spend some more time with Teresa, she was on the other hand worried about her friends, who would most likely be dead-worried about her unconsciousness. Not that she had any control or choice of being here or not.

Sorry guys…I guess I'm going to be asleep in the real world for quite awhile.

The thought of the 'real world' and the world she was in now was truly baffling. Never in her wildest imaginations did she ever fathom that what was happening now could be possible. Being able to see Teresa once again, in Teresa's subconsciousness… The whole concept was too magical and unbelievable, like something out of this world.

She blushed as she remembered herself hugging and crying on her sisterly figure, and the subsequent pouring of her heart out. That was totally… out of character. At least, not what she would have done in her current age and mind. That was little Clare. The touchy, smiling, immature and open Clare. Definitely not her. It somehow just came naturally for her upon seeing her most cherished friend after such a long time. Her emotions got the better of her, in a sense. Nevertheless, it was uncharacteristic for the grown-up her. The only other times she had ever done that was during her trainee days, when she and Elena held each other to seek comfort for their unbearable physical pain that came with the implantation of the monstrous flesh into their bodies. Even that seemed so faraway, when she was still considered a child. Not anymore.

She had smiled so much in that short interaction with Teresa, probably more than she did in years. She had even confided in Teresa whole-heartedly, something she could only imagine the adolescent her doing. Or perhaps just something she hadn't done since forever. All in all, it was just, awkward to think about.

I can't believe I allowed myself to act like that…or even indulge in it.

Then again, was it really so out of character? Was it really not her personality to act like that? Teresa's words from before came into mind.

'Just because people grow and change, it doesn't mean that they aren't the person that they were before.'

Teresa's words from the previous day came to mind. Could she still be that little girl despite growing up? Did she still have it in her, that child in her? If so, then what was that personality that had hardened in her all this while – the cold, isolated, unsmiling Clare – if she wasn't all those, then what exactly was she?

And more importantly, did she want to be that person again? That person who was just weak and helpless... She wasn't sure if she wanted to have any part of that girl left in her.

'Things just can't get any weirder huh…'

Teresa's voice broke her train of thoughts and she got out of her daze to see a perplexed Teresa putting her arms on either side of her hips.

Wait. Why are we suddenly here? The last I remembered we were sitting in that room…

She scanned around and found herself in an unfamiliar town. On either sides of the street, makeshift stalls were set up, displaying a wide variety of groceries in a colourful array, many which Clare haven't seen before in her life. Stall owners were shouting for customers to get the best bargains at their store. People were weaving their way through the crowds in either direction, seemingly unaware of the presence of a Claymore with her striking features and a little girl by her side. For some reason they found themselves in… the heart of a marketplace?

'Teresa, you know this place?'

Teresa turned to look at Clare, the bewilderment in her eyes being replaced by a tinge of nostalgia.

'You could say so. It's my hometown, after all.'

'Ehh? Teresa's hometown…'

'Yup. The town of Chire.'

Clare stared in wonder at the town, viewing it in a whole new light. This was Teresa's birthplace, where Teresa came from… And she actually got the chance to visit it.

'There's so many people around here…'

'Chire was quite a big and populated town, and yes this crowd is certainly an everyday sight. Never thought I would get to see this place again. Everything looks the same as I remembered… perhaps this place is constructed from own memories, so it'll look the same as what I remember. Not that I recall much of it anyway, since it had been such a long time…'

Clare looked up at Teresa, who was gazing with longing eyes at the sights that unfolded in front of them. It was nothing special – just a typical day at a marketplace. Yet, the familiarity and feelings that were evoked in Teresa were probably overwhelming for her. She wondered what feelings were dominating Teresa though – the happy ones or the anguished ones. After all, something must have happened here that led to her entering the Organization. The very same incident that embedded that look of inconsolable pain in Teresa's eyes. The very same pain that little Clare had wanted so badly to smother and comfort.

Perhaps I can find out more from here… and try to understand this side of Teresa's past that I never knew.

'I have no idea how we got here, since I fell asleep around the same time you did and when I woke up we were already here. But I guess since this is the case, we might as well explore this place. Let's take a trip to my old house, shall we?'

Teresa slipped her hand into Clare's and started making her way through the crowd, even though it was apparent that they were just invisible entities to the population around. Clare felt a hint of awkwardness which disappeared as quickly as it came, a reassuring feeling taking its place. It really has been long since she walked hand in hand with someone. She really needed some time to get used to this intimacy, owing to the lack thereof for many years. It was indeed queer that her response to these actions was a stark difference from before, even though she really enjoyed the feeling. Perhaps, even she could get used to this kind of bonding with someone close once again.

How long will this last, though? What feelings will be left behind when this ends, and what emotions will I be able to take away without feeling the pain of not being able to relieve them ever again?

Shaking her heads of these thoughts, she focused on following Teresa's lead, though the grip on her hand assured her that she wouldn't get separated, not even in this crowd. She steeled her mind to not dwell upon those saddening thoughts, but instead, appreciate every single precious moment with Teresa right now. That was the only thing she could and wanted to do.

They left the busy marketplace to reach a much quieter part of the town. Shops hung signs depicting the nature of what they were selling. There was one with a silver helmet painting and another with a flowery dress, which Clare could only deduce as the armoury and a clothes shop respectively. The houses that were interspersed with the shops were beautiful – they were constructed with bricks instead wood, and just seemed to give off a homely feeling. It reminded Clare of the town that they were previously at, the town that Teresa wanted to stay with Clare at. The resemblance to her own hometown might have been one of the reasons for her attachment to that place.

Housewives were chatting amongst themselves on the right. A few kids were skittering across on their left, laughing and squealing with glee as they ran past. It was just like any other town, yet this town was special to the both of them, for different reasons.

Clare almost bumped into Teresa as she came to an abrupt stop in front of one of the smaller houses. With a pursed smile, Teresa gave the entire exterior of the house a good sweep of her eyes before settling them on Clare. Clare could even see the slight twinkle in her silver orbs.

'I cordially welcome you to my house… At least, what used to be my house. Shall we?'

Whoosh! Before Teresa's hand could reach for the doorknob, the door flung open outwards and two children appeared before them.

'Resa! Where are you bringing Stanley to!'

'Don't worry Mom! We'll be back soon!'

That was the reply from the little girl to the older lady's voice that erupted from the house. In one hand, the girl held the arm of an even younger boy, and the other hand was scrunched up with jingling coins. The both of them had similar features, and were very likely to be siblings. What caught Clare's attention was the elder sibling. The girl with wavy jet black hair bunched into a ponytail, and matching black eyes that were stunningly beautiful. As she pulled the little boy along behind her, the impish faint smile hung on her lips…

And that was all Clare could catch before the two kids ran off to the opposite side of the street.

With her mouth agape, Clare was still trying to comprehend what she just witnessed as she saw Teresa's eyes following the children as they ran.

'That…was….'

'…such a lovely hair and eye colour huh? Those were my favourite features.'

The tinge of sadness that hung between those words did not go unnoticed by Clare. She glanced in the direction of the shop that the kids just entered, noticing the painting of a doll hanging outside the door.

'Of all days, it has to be this terrible day…'

Clare shot a confused look at Teresa, not understanding what she meant by those words. She could only keep her curiosity at bay as Teresa starting making her way towards the shop, her hand still holding Clare's.

Once they entered the shop, Clare could scent wood and dust in the air. In the small area, rows of dolls were arranged on the wooden racks on the left and wooden swords were hung around on the walls on the right. One of the swords was missing from the display and was instead in the hands of the little boy who was right beside his sister, admiring the toy with fascination.

'Can…can I really get this, Resa!'

The girl merely smiled fondly at the little boy.

'Of course. It's my own money after all, so I can do whatever I want with it. I don't spend much on myself anyway. Just don't let Mom know that I bought it! She'll nag at me for forever for spending money on toys. Tell her that one of your friends gave you that.'

'But… But it's really expensive! And you were saving up for your school books…'

'I can always save up again. Your sister here is pretty versatile at getting money, after all. Besides, now you can finally join those kids who play at the fields in their sword fights, right?'

A toothless grin appeared on the boy's face, his black orbs shining with glee as he faced the older girl.

'And well, I'm always willing to splurge on the birthday boy. Don't think this is for nothing, I expect something good in return for my birthday!'

'Thanks sis! You're the best! Gabriel and the rest will be so envious when I show them…'

The girl's teasing eyes softened as she ruffled the black curls on the boy's head, her smile widening as the elated boy hopped about in excitement. Clare could only stand and stare at the scene that unfolded, taking in the familiar look on the older girl's face. That look that was reminiscent of only one person…

'Teresa…'

She took a step forward to reach out to the girl that was almost the same height as her, only to retract her hand halfway through when she remembered that they were merely observers in this place. She felt a dull ache in her heart.

That look, that personality… This was the Teresa that I knew. The Teresa whom I spent time together with. But something so horrendous, so irrevocable, so marring happened that transformed her into the cold-hearted killer that was Teresa of the Faint Smile in her generation…

It saddened her. It angered her. It made Clare resentful that bad things had to occur to someone so pure, so innocent, so loving, to transfigure her into someone that was a complete opposite of what she used to be. And it was all because of that foul, putrid, demonic Organization that they used to serve.

Then again, weren't they all the same? From a third person perspective of how each of them ended up in the Organization, it would have been nothing special. They were all merely different versions of the same sob storyline, so homogenous, so undifferentiated. Yet, this particular story mattered to her. This mattered to Clare because it was about Teresa.

'Boss! Jake and gang are bullying the little kids again!'

Out of a sudden, the door burst open with a frantic-looking boy with brownish crew-cut hair. His head faced downwards as he panted heavily, holding onto the door knob for support.

Little Teresa narrowed her eyes at the new-comer, before turning back to her little brother and smiling sweetly at him.

'Alright, take the sword and go show Mom some cool moves alright? Remember to not tell her that I bought it. And tell her that I'll be back home soon.'

Stanley nodded eagerly in response, skittering out of the room past the new boy. Teresa then turned towards the shop owner who was a balding man with a thick moustache. She released the hand that she was clenching all the while and the clinking of coins followed as they made contact with the wooden counter.

'That should be the exact cost of the sword, mister.'

She then sauntered towards the entrance of the shop and past the boy who seemed to have caught his breath. 'Well then, let's hurry and settle this business, Cormag. Lead the way!' They then sprinted off towards the right side of the streets.

Clare looked at the bemused Teresa as they made their way out of the shop to follow the two kids. 'Boss?'

'I had nothing to do with it, the kids just decided to call me that. Well I sure did a fair share of weird things when I was young.'

They lost sight of the two kids that disappeared into one of the smaller roads, but Teresa seemed to know where to head to anyway. They turned into an alley that led to the back of the streets, where a bunch of kids stood in two gangs, divided by an imaginary centre line.

On one side, there was little Teresa and Cormag, together with another boy who was helping up a kid that was beaten up pretty roughly, with an ugly bruise forming on his left cheek. On the other side, a couple of older boys were fumbling with one another, giving occasional contemptuous glances at the other group, particularly at little Teresa who had her arms akimbo and a faint smile on her face.

'Picking on someone half your size... How ungraceful, you guys.'

One of the guys from that group turned and snorted at little Teresa, taking a step closer to her and glared down with his height. 'You must be the over-zealous brat who has been 'rescuing' these puny kids around here. Trying to act like a hero?'

'Nothing of that sorts. At least I'm much better than some people who are so weak that they have to bully young kids.'

The guy croaked with feign laughter before glaring menacingly at the girl. 'Pretty smug for a little brat, aren't you?'

Little Teresa merely stood unperturbed, maintaining her smile fearlessly.

'Why don't you try picking on someone your own size instead. Someone like...me.'

'A puny brat like you? Sorry but I don't pick on little girls... Maybe you should go home and play with your girly dolls.'

'Well if you're not going to start getting serious... Then I will.'

And with single punch right into the guy's face, all hell was released by the girl called Teresa as she and her partner started pounding the older boys up. The fight ended with a group of whimpering boys scrambling to escape. Then again, they wouldn't have known that they were knocking up the door when they challenged the two kids that were both smaller than anyone of them.

On the other hand, little Teresa and Cormag were relatively unscathed other than some small bruises on their arms, standing proud at their victory. After ensuring that the injured boy was taken care of, they starting walking down the streets back towards little Teresa's house.

'Nice one again, boss! That was like, the third mini gang that we took down?'

'I would hardly call that 'taking them down' Cormag, we merely chased them away this one time. And really, you call me boss, but you fight way better than I do. Your strength definitely surpasses mine.'

'Well, you're the one who dares to confront them. I'm cool with being your trusty and capable right hand.'

Little Teresa smirked teasingly. 'You mean my number one lackey?'

Cormag crossed his right arm over his chest and bowed down respectfully. 'If that is what you wish, your Highness.'

Little Teresa chuckled and punched the boy's shoulder playfully. 'Knock it off man!'

The boy merely gave her a grin, his eyes filled with adoration as he gazed at little Teresa.

'So, you bought Stanley a wooden sword?'

The girl smiled. 'Yeah, he wanted it for a long time. That kid has been left out of sword fights with his friends for awhile because he doesn't have one of his own. Well you know how rich the other people can be, they can easily afford tens of wooden swords but Stanley can't even buy one of them. Since it's his birthday I thought it'll be a great present.'

'That's nice. But aren't those quite expensive? And the fact that your family's financial condition is...'
He trailed off his sentence, seemingly unsure of whether it was alright to tread this line of conversation.

'It is rather pricey. And yes, given the situation now... I might have been too liberal in spending. But I just really wanted to get something special for that kid since it's his birthday. I'll just try to run more errands in the next few weeks.'

'I see. And about your father… he's still out of job isn't he?'

The girl's smile faded away and was replaced with a weary look. 'Yeah, he still hasn't been able to find a proper job…'

Cormag nodded empathetically, seemingly not sure of how to comfort the girl. 'I guess the townsfolk still believe that he did it huh?'

'And the fact is that he didn't. No matter how poor we were, dad would never resort to stealing the shop's money. I bet the boss of the armoury misplaced the money himself and wanted to pin the blame on someone else… But I guess it doesn't matter in other people's eyes. Everyone just takes things at face value, so those that have heard about the incident refuse to hire my dad. It has been so many months already… Mom tries to run small errands like me, but that's hardly enough either. And dad just sinks deeper into despair everyday… It hurts to see him shunned for something he didn't do.'

Little Teresa gazed at nothing in particular with resolute eyes. 'At the very least, I trust him. Our whole family trusts him, even if no one else does. It doesn't help his current situation in any practical way, but I guess that's the only thing we can do.'

She looked down and closed her eyes momentarily, letting out a soft sigh. 'Trust, eh... it's such a fragile thing. So difficult to maintain, yet so easily shattered. And once it's shattered, it's almost impossible to repair...'

Turning to Cormag, she gave the boy a warm smile. 'Well, at least I have people I trust in wholeheartedly. My mom, dad, Stanley, you. You people are the only reasons for my faith in humanity.'

Cormag looked pleasantly surprised. 'You... trust me?'

'Of course I do. You're my finest underling aren't you?'

The boy who just stared back with intense eyes. He extended his arms and pulled Little Teresa into tight hug, shocking the girl as she stood rather awkwardly.

'Cormag...?'

'Trust me. Trust that no matter what happens, I'm always here for you. I'll protect you. I will never break your trust.'

Despite not understanding the situation, Little Teresa's expression softened and she hugged her friend back.

'I trust you. I really do.'

Cormag pulled apart and gazed at Little Teresa, before blushing a little. 'Sorry, that might have been a little abrupt and awkward.'

Shaking it off with a faint smile, Little Teresa widened her eyes suddenly. 'Oh crap, I think we spent too much time today. I've got to get back for our little celebration at home for Stanley.'

'Oh right, your brother's birthday celebration. Do you think I could like... join in too?'

Little Teresa reached for Cormag's hand, dragging the boy who blushed an even redder shade as he was pulled along behind. 'I'm sure Stanley would love that. Let's hurry up then, we're going to be late!'

As Clare watched the pair quicken their pace, she couldn't muffle her chuckles and glanced at Teresa who lifted an eyebrow at her.

'That was such a cute scene… Even you had a boyfriend before, Teresa!'

Teresa smacked her forehead with her free hand, giving Clare a sheepish and conflicted look. 'I knew you were going to bring that up…well, if things had been different, who knows what might have happened between the two of us . Even if there had been something, ultimately it wasn't our fate to end up together.'

They followed the two back to Teresa's house. Just when Little Teresa was about to knock on the door, her fist halted mid-air and she curiously pressed her head on the surface of the door.

'Teresa what are you doing?'

'Shh. There's someone...'

Cormag then did the same as girl. Clare looked towards Teresa expectantly before pulling away from her and joining the duo in their eavesdropping.

'So where is the girl?'

'She'll be back soon, please just wait for a little longer...'

'Joel! I thought we agreed to try to work something else out before resorting to this! And why today of all days! Oh lord...'

'I didn't know that they would come today! And we've went through this a million times before! You and I both know that there are no other ways... It's either this or we'll never be able to survive, or pay off all our debts... And all of us will suffer!'

'But at the expense of our daughter!'

'We have no other choice!'

Little Teresa's face paled a little at what the conversation implied.

'So where is the girl?'

'She'll be back soon, please just wait for a short while more...'

'Hold on Orsay, there are people outside...'

The two kids barely managed to pull their heads away before the door opened inwards and a warrior with short boyish hairstyle clad in the Organization wear appeared at the doorway. Her emotionless silver eyes darted from the boy to the girl beside him who was now clenching her jaw.

'I think we found her.'

The warrior strode back inside the house, stopping beside the occupant wearing a black robe with a hood that only left his face exposed. Right beside them, on top of a wooden table, was a black sack. On the other side of the small living room was a sturdy man and a frail looking woman, behind which Stanley was hiding. The little boy clutched at his mother's dress with both hands, hiding half his face from sight. All three pairs of wary eyes fell on Little Teresa in an instant. The woman's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and fear at the arrival of the two kids, and her eyes shimmered with restrained tears.

'Mom...? Dad...? What's going on? Why are these people here?'

Little Teresa stood at the doorstep all tensed up, staring cautiously at the people inside the house. Her father was the first to break out of the trance and he put his hands together. 'Resa... This is difficult to explain but, you're going to go with these people and live with them.'

He coughed and rubbed his hands nervously, glancing between the man clad in black and Little Teresa. 'So from now on, you're no longer going to stay here, and you won't get to see any of us agai-'

'You don't even have the guts to tell your own daughter that you sold her away for a bag of gold!' The woman burst out in tears and started sobbing uncontrollably right after shrieking out the harsh truth.

'Damm it Jenna! You know damn well that we need to do this! We have no other choice. I'm never going to find a job in this stupid town because of what happened. This is the only way to get out of this living hell! With all the money, we could go to a new town, buy a house and start all over! And don't make me the criminal in this matter – it's not as if you have no hand in it. We both agreed on doing this eventually if nothing else works! I'm just bringing forward the inevitable so that Stanley and you can live better!'

The man ran his hand through his hair in exasperation, turning away from his wife who had now sank to her knees. Stanley's eyes were filled with fear as he tried to comfort his mother, not understanding the gravity of the situation that unfolded.

Both the guy in black and the warrior barely showed a shred of sympathy as they watched the little family drama unfold.

'Since she is here, our business here is done. The sack should contain the correct amount of gold.'

Teresa's mother was shaking her head slowly, covering her face with her hands. Hearing those words made her bolt towards Little Teresa, wrapping her arms around the small frame of the girl and sobbing apologies over and over. All the while, the girl just stood there with a stoic expression on her face, not uttering a single word.

'Orsay?'

'Take her now.'

The warrior gave a silent nod before stroding purposefully towards the door. At the same moment, Cormag stepped behind little Teresa and whispered into her ear.

'You need to run. I'll take care of her.'

'No one can't win a Claymore, Cormag.'

'Bet I can hold her off long enough for you to escape.'

'It's useless... There's nowhere to escape. I just have to-'

'Fight, Teresa! You gotta fight to the very end! I always admired you and how you faced all those bullies that were so much bigger than you! I would put my life down anytime to fight for you, so you had better not give up here!'

Little Teresa's eyes widened before shutting them tightly, her knuckles clenching up. She had a bitter smile as a tear rolled down her cheek. The warrior was approaching step by step.

'... So determined to be my knight in shining armour, aren't you...'

The boy gave his goofy grin even though he knew that little Teresa couldn't see it.

'... I will protect you to the very end, Your Highness.'

Click. Click.

'On the count of three... One.'

Click. Click. The sound of the boots on the wooden flooring echoed beneath the warrior.

'Two...'

Now standing right behind Teresa's mother, the warrior's hand reached for the woman to pull her away from the girl.

'Three!'

In a blink of an eye, Little Teresa tore herself away from her parent and sprinted for her life down the right side of the streets. At the very same instant, Cormag pounced towards the warrior who had pushed Teresa's mother aside and hurled his fist towards her face with all his might, yelling a war cry ferociously at the top of his lungs. His eyes shone with determination, and he was so sure that he would land a hit...

... But the level of difference between a child and a half-youma was immeasurable from the very start. Grabbing the boy's hand in midair with ease, the warrior tightened her grip so much that the boy howled in pain and struggled to pull his hand away from the monstrous grip.

Thud. The warrior seemed to feel something hit her back and turned to discover the boy that was half his size gripping his wooden sword right in front of him with both hands. His eyes flashed between being absolutely terrified and resolute.

'Don't b-bully mom... And don't bully R-Resa and Cormag!'

Despite stuttering from fear of a being that was way stronger than any human would be, the young boy had tried in his own ways to protect his family, no matter how insignificant or futile the action might have been.

The warrior released his grip on Cormag's hand, following which the boy collapsed to the ground in pain. She stared hard at the boy who whacked her back with the sword and looked momentarily lost in her own thoughts.

'I am pretty jealous of that girl right now. She actually has people who will fight for her. Why didn't my own brother and sister fight for me... why did they give me up so easily?'

'If I didn't have such a privilege... Then neither should she.'

In a swift action the warrior grabbed the little boy by his hair and lifted him off the ground. Instantly he started yelling and screaming from the pain, flailing his arms and legs and dropping his sword on the ground.

'Hey! You had damn better leave my son alone!

The horrified father flung himself towards the warrior to save his son, but before he could even get near, a powerful blow to his right cheek sent him reeling towards the other side of the room.

'Joel!'

The mother of the family was still crying and as she witnessed her own family being in mortal danger, begging for the Claymore to stop her actions.

'Rosemary... Your task is just to capture that girl, not to kill humans. I'm sure a number twenty-six should know the iron-clad rule of the Organization.'

Orsay finally spoke up after everything, trying to calm the warrior down. Not that he was actually sympathetic of the situation – he probably just wanted to get the business over and done with.

'I'm sorry, Orsay. I'll proceed to get the girl very soon. But first...' She cupped Stanley's cheeks roughly, glaring down at him. 'Perhaps I should scar you a little to pay back for your little sneak attack?'

In that moment the boy couldn't contain his fear anymore and cried out. 'RESA!'

'Ah, screaming for the person who you have been trying to protect. It's a pity that she won't be here to protect you, since she is probably scurrying far from here for her life now-'

Wholly preoccupied with the boy's previous insolent act, the Claymore was late in sensing a presence charging towards her, only just managing to dodge in time before a fist missed her face by a hair fraction. She released her grip in surprise, dropping the crying boy hard on the ground. She turned to look at the attacker who was now hugging her brother protectively.

'R-resa...'

'It's okay now. I'll protect you.'

'Why did you...?'

What the Claymore didn't know that was that little Teresa hadn't gone far. She had stopped in the middle of the streets suddenly and stood rooted to the ground, clenching her first tightly. When she heard Stanley's scream, all conflict seemed to have dissolved in her mind as she spun around and thundered back to the house, plunging right at the Claymore who had been man-handling her brother. As she faced the warrior right now, she rid her face of her troubled look from before and allow her faint smile to surface.

'Because I can't have you messing with the people precious to me.'

The warrior narrowed her eyes at the girl. 'I would really love to erase that smug smile from your face...'

'It would be pretty hard to do that. It's my trademark smile, after all.'

That merely irked the Claymore further as she scoffed at the girl. 'So these people are precious to you even though they have betrayed you... What misplaced faith.'

That cracked the confident front on Little Teresa just a bit, and her act seemed to waver. The warrior merely smirked at correctly hitting a sore spot.

'It doesn't matter. They are powerless to save you. You must be really dumb to run back and protect your family... Even if running away doesn't make any difference in the end.'

The warrior took a step closer to Little Teresa who stood in front of her brother in a defensive stance, her entire body alert to the warrior's next move. A growl came from the side and Cormag was seen charging towards the enemy, his face distorted in anger. A hard kick to his stomach sent him flying and blood coughed out from his mouth.

'Cormag!'

In that instant, the warrior covered the distance between her and Little Teresa, punching her in the gut before delivering a determining blow at her neck area.

'N…o…'

The girl collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

Just like that, the result was decided. No, the truth was it had already been decided from the very beginning. Mere humans couldn't win against the half-youma known to them as Claymore.

And in the very first place, this was a piece of Teresa's past that had already been set in stone. Of course, Clare knew that. Of course she did.

Even so, why did it hurt so much to watch the result of something that she already knew was going to happen?

Clare caught a glimpse of the silver orbs beside her that were glazed a sense of melancholy, so tangible that she could almost touch it.

She couldn't bear it.

Withdrawing her hand away from Teresa's, Clare bolted from the scene.

Running away from the house, from the events that she didn't want to see and acknowledge.

Why did it had to turn out this way? It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that the Organization were tearing young girls away from their families, it wasn't fair that warriors were stronger than humans, it wasn't fair that Teresa's parents gave her up for money, that she had people she loved and trusted but only ended up being betrayed by those very people-

Weakness engulfed and replaced the angst she felt and Clare stopped in the middle of the street. She gazed at the townsfolk around her, going on with their normal lives, laughing happily with their friends and families. It was then she realized how mocking a sight that was – that Teresa's family had been torn apart while the rest of the world lived clueless to such a misfortune…

She had no right to shed those tears. She had no right to feel as if a Claymore was thrust into her chest and twisted in her flesh. But the silent tears did fall and the pain did stab her. It didn't take long before she felt a pair of warm arms around her shoulders, holding her tightly. She choked on an escaped sob and spun around, wrapping her arms around Teresa's waist tightly, wanting nothing more than to give her sisterly figure some comfort and solace with all her heart. The tears continued to fall as Teresa bent down to give her a proper hug, smoothing Clare's back with calming motions.

'There, there… So silly of you to cry over this.'

Clare almost hated herself in that moment. She almost hated that she was in a child body with child emotions. She wasn't supposed to be the one who was comforted. She was supposed to be the one comforting Teresa. To be her pillar of support in this situation. Because the person who was undoubtedly hurting the most now was none other than Teresa herself.

But no, Clare just had to be the weak one. She had to be the one to break down and get protected by the strong, unwavering Teresa. She was so furious with herself, disgusted with her own feebleness, the side of her that she had sworn to never let resurface. Yet, all she had done ever since she stepped into this world was to cry like a wretched and pitiable soul. The most infuriating and damned part of it was that she couldn't stop it. She couldn't put a halt to the emotions that engulfed her, no matter how much she wanted to.

'I'm so sorry Teresa…'

'You don't have to be Clare, this was all just…fate.'

'No, you don't understand… You're the one who's in so much pain, so much agony right now that I cannot even imagine. But I can't even be strong for you. I can't even give you any sort of comfort, and worse still, you end up being the one who has to do that for me… I'm sorry…'

'Don't you worry about it. It doesn't hurt anymore. I've learned to come to terms with it since a long time ago. And the fact that someone cares so much about what happened is more than enough comfort for me, Clare.'

The guilt still sat heavily in Clare's chest, nevertheless.

'Besides, that warrior, Rosemary? I overtook her as the Number One in the Organization and slayed her when she awakened so, I guess I managed to get even too.'

Could she ever do anything for Teresa, to ease her pain of the past?

'What hurts me more is to see you get so…affected by it. Don't be so sad, Clare. I feel really sad when you're sad too.'

Could she ever hope to save Teresa, like how Teresa saved her?

'Your presence here with me, by my side to witness this… is all the comfort I need, Clare.'

Somehow, she knew that Teresa was still in pain, that she was still hurting inside.

' And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, Clare.'

But she believed Teresa. She believed her anyway. Because believing Teresa's words was the only thing she could do for her right now.

In that moment, a cruel realization dawned upon her: It wasn't the Organization that changed them. The Organization only provided the process. It was, ultimately, humanity's own actions and selfishness that was the sole culprit that did them all in.

And she couldn't think of anything that could be more tragic than that.