I came across this anime called Made in Abyss and it's had my free time in a chokehold.

Orangey-red beams of sunlight glimmered through the lone glass door, reflecting walls of purple stone in the warmest glow with the nine fairy godparents settled in their respective beds. The godparents that had been banished to the cave by force had just finished explaining the situation to the best of their lack of knowledge, and the newer group of godparents that had awakened to a place unbeknownst to them were, as expected, left with even more unanswered questions.

"I still don't understand..." Cosmo pouted on the white queen-sized quilt, holding his wife against his front by her belly bulge with his chin sulking on her shoulder.

"I know, sweetie…" Wanda empathized, reaching to tenderly scruff his cheek. "For once, you're not the only one."

"I sure as hell don't understand." Susie groaned with her arms folded to her chest, shoulder-to-shoulder with Rose with their legs hanging off the front edge of their queen bed. "Like how can the Council just expect us to be okay with being kept in the dark like this…?"

"And how did they think it was okay to separate us from our godkids?" Rose groused.

"Well, we don't get magic build-up in here, so…" Irving reached for a positive, lounging on his side with his elbow propped to his pillow "…that's a plus."

Swizzle gruffly snorted with knees pressed to her chest. "Not much of a plus…"

"Are you guys sure we're not in trouble or something?" Rose doubted.

"That's what Jorgen had told us when we first got here." Nyekundu affirmed, seated near Swizzle with her chin supported in her palms.

Alondro drifted icy-blue orbs down with arms folded in his defeated slouch. "Certainly feels as if we are…"

When her indigo gaze looked to the male fairy across the room, she had to mask the flinch in her heart from the uncanny resemblance. The subtle flick of crystals in those rings of icy-blue, the seamless sculpt in his muscles. The deep timbre with a pinch of sultry in his accent.

If half the silky hair on his head were not bright-yellow, Alondro would almost be a splitting image of…him.

"…so what have you guys been doing to stay sane in here?" Wanda shifted the subject to something lighter.

"Welp," Irving sat himself up. "With our wands gone and no connection to the outside world, some of us have been passin' the time with some…" he dug into the pocket of his cardigan, pulling out a half-empty bag of assorted sugar-coated gummies "…'special candies'…"

"Um…" Rose looked closer at the plastic bag held between Irving's fingers "…are those what I think they are?"

"Yep!"

Swizzle rolled her eyes; it all made sense now. "No wonder you're so annoying…"

"I can't believe you still have those." Nyekundu remarked.

"Kinda glad I do." Irving opened the bag on his lap. "They've been keepin' my head above water in all this."

"…where you get them from?" Susie questioned Irving.

"They're from before Jorgen took our wands."

Susie shifted her gaze between Irving and the bag of gummies. Weighing the options of denying herself a temporary escape and giving into temptation "…you tryna share?"

"Susie!" Rose called out. No judgement, she just noticed how little thought went into Susie's decision to take a mind-altering substance with little knowledge of its true origins other than Irving already having them in his possession.

"Don't 'Susie' me! We all stuck in this fuckass cave!" Susie griped in return, standing in her float. "Might as well make the best of it."

Irving lightly chuckled, reaching in the bag. "Now that's the spirit!"

Alondro observed Susie in her approach towards Irving as she then accepted the blue piece of sugar-coated gelatin that was offered. Finding himself fond of her impertinence as Nyekundu looked to Irving.

"How many are left?" she asked.

"Whatever's in this bag. Can't use magic to make more." Irving replied as Susie returned to her bed with her gummy. He then held the bag in offering. "But plenty to go around."

"What if Jorgen catches us?" Rose cautioned.

Irving snorted. "He definitely would've by now if he had time to care."

Rose knitted her brow. "…but I've never done edibles before."

"Lucky for you, sweetheart, these are mostly CBD." Irving explained, grinning. "You're not gonna float ta Mars or nothin'. They just help ta chillax."

Without many options to weigh, Alondro let out a heavy exhale as he turned to hold out his hand. "I guess I will indulge…"

"My man!" Irving beamed, dropping a purple piece for Alondro's palm to catch.

Popping the gummy in his mouth, Alondro drew one knee to droop his chin on. He hoped that the edible would not take too long to lighten the heaviness in his mind. Flip the switch in his brain to keep from dwelling over what he had no control over…dwelling over whether his peque was mentally stable.

Lifting his head, Cosmo took the hand Wanda used to scratch his cheek and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. "I'm still not taking one."

Wanda tenderly squeezed his fingers in return. "You don't have to do that just for me."

"I'm not doing it just for you. I'm doing it for us." Cosmo's other hand brushed delicate fingers along her baby bump. "And our baby."

The touching song in her heart curled warmth into her lips. How lucky was she to have such an adorably sweet husband?

The father-to-be nestled a cheek to her neck, making the expecting mother giggle as she leaned her cheek to the head of his green shag. Settled in the calm content of shared silence before a random thought dusted the spider webs around Cosmo's mind.

"…does Timmy ever remind you of someone?"

…huh. Wanda wasn't expecting that "…like who?"

"I dunno, but it feels like we had a godchild kinda like Timmy before." Cosmo mused. "A kid whose parents didn't love and care for him and left him with a really mean babysitter."

"Hmm…" Wanda tapped her chin, entertaining the thought "…something about that does sound familiar but…" her forehead wrinkled when her memories drew a blank. "I can't put my wand on it."

"That's weird; you remember more of our godkids than I do." Cosmo admitted.

"Could be mom brain already…" Wanda surmised. "Then again, we've had a lot of godchildren over the years. Not many stand out, especially in a good way."

"None like Timmy, right?"

"Yeah…"

Now with their godson in the forefront of her thoughts, Wanda tussled with a worry that she'd pondered over in secret. "Considering we're still Timmy's godparents after whatever this is…" she turned her head to face her husband "…are you worried if Timmy will feel like we don't love him?"

Cosmo lifted his chin to meet his wife's pensive gaze. "Why do you ask?"

"Babies need a lot of care and attention." Wanda's thumb brushed her baby bump without active thought. "I'm just worried Timmy might feel left out when the baby gets here."

"But we love him and the baby equally."

"I know. It's just..." Wanda lowered her gaze to their unborn child "…considering his past and how he's been acting lately, I'm just…concerned."

"Yeah…" Thinking of their godson's darker moods, Cosmo shared in Wanda's worry "…but we'd never pretend one child exists over the other."

"What chu two lovebirds over here chattin' about?"

The fairy couple turned their attention to the fairy with the receding hairline as he took a casual seat on their bed, facing them with legs crossed and palms flat to the quilt.

"Just wondering how things will change with a godson and a child of our own." Wanda entertained, cradling her stomach.

"Ahh." Irving hoped he wasn't coming across as intrusive; he just wanted to make conversation with someone other than the fairies that he'd been in close proximity with for days on end "…you guys excited for your little one?"

"…yeah?" Cosmo gave an uncertain grin. "More nervous than anything."

"Eh…" Irving gave an earnest smirk. "I think you two'll make great parents. I can jus' tell."

"Really?" Wanda gave a smile of appreciation. "Thank you, Irving."

"Oh, almost forgot…" Irving dug into his other pocket for the peppermint to extend to Wanda, something that he had planned on giving her if they had ever brought Timmy back to Fairy Fort. "I read somewhere that peppermint helps with stuff like morning sickness. Figured I'd give it to you for when you'd need it, at least for a little relief."

Skepticism shifted her stare between his dark-teal gaze and the unwrapped mint in his hand, considering the cannabis-infused candy left sitting on Irving's bed. Cosmo was equally as wary, though Irving didn't strike him as the type to purposefully endanger his wife or his child.

In sensing this, Irving had to chuckle "…it's just a mint, I promise."

Cosmo watched as Wanda hesitated before the fear of being rude accepted the offer, tucking it into her pocket for later. "Thank you."

"No probs."

"Hey, um…" Cosmo looked back to Irving, uncertain if his burning curiosity would be accepted "…can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Irving grinned. "I'm an open book."

"…have you dealt with other godkids like Dwight?"

"Mmmm…" Irving's eyes diverted, sorting through memories of all the godchildren in his thousands of years of experience before he returned their eye contact. "Nope. Wighty's the first one."

"I can only imagine what that's like…" Wanda sympathized. "Cosmo and I have never had that type of case."

Irving's grin wilted. "Well, it ain't exactly been a day at the park..."

"Are you ever scared when he has a seizure?" Wanda queried.

"I'm absolutely terrified." Irving wasn't afraid to admit.

"What's the scariest thing?" Cosmo questioned.

"The fact that seizures are like a mixed bag." Irving described. "It could be quick and painless, or a full blown grand mal that makes ya think your kid's gonna die…"

Cosmo and Wanda exchanged troubled glances, and Irving's eyes dropped as the corners of his lips pulled down.

"…but I got used to that terror." he sighed. "The most I can do is try my best to help Dwight through it when I can."

Nyekundu observed the male fairy on the top bunk catty-corner from her. Hunched over the edge of his bed with blue-violets downcast and arms folded across his lap. He'd been shut off in his own shell ever since he'd come to, trapped in his own head. It wasn't hard to assume that his mind was spinning in circles over Remy, just as hers had been over Hazel.

She was hoping to pick his brain about something that had been left unsettled in her spirit; perhaps now was as good a time as any.

"Babe?" she faced her girlfriend, scooting off the bed. "I'll be right back."

Swizzle raised her brooding brow. "Where're you going?"

"To talk to Juandissimo."

"Oh..." Swizzle pressed her lips, frowning slightly with her chin flat on crossed arms. "I'll be here, I guess…"

Knowing it wasn't good for Swizzle to stay in her sullen headspace, Nyekundu gestured to the two females lounging in the bed below Juandissimo's bunk. "Why don't you go and talk with Rose and Susie?"

Swizzle scoffed "…why would I do that?"

"You heard Susie, we're all stuck in here." Nyekundu suggested, floating further away. "Might as well socialize."

Swizzle grumbled under her breath, looking away towards the setting sun as Nyekundu flew over to the reserved fairy. Careful in her approach as she waved a hand in Juandissimo's line of sight to stir his distracted attention.

"…hey." she smiled meekly. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No..." he acknowledged. The disturbance was welcomed; it's never good when he thinks too much. "¿Qué pasa?"

Nyekundu twiddled with her hooped earring "…may I talk to you?"

Juandissimo shrugged. "Sure."

The red fairy lowered herself onto the mattress next to him, and for a moment, she averted her gaze to her fiddling fingers in search for the best way to start. "I wanted to ask…" she gained the nerve to meet his stare "…did Remy tell Hazel not to trust Fenwick…because Fenwick touched him?"

…guess there's no starting off easy.

Juandissimo gritted his jaw. Honesty was the best policy, but he disliked the perturbed pit in his stomach when she opened that can of worms "…si."

"…and that's why the Buxaplentys fired him?"

"Si."

That was all it took to confirm her dreadful suspicions. "…dammit…" Nyekundu breathed, shielding her grimace into her palms.

Noticing this, Juandissimo furrowed "…did something happen to Hazel?"

Nyekundu removed her hands after a respire of remorse, shoulders slumped in the defeat that stared to the ground "…Hazel had caught Fenwick touching her brother…and she was going to tell their parents…" trouble bunched her brow "…but Fenwick coerced her brother into violating her to keep her quiet…"

Juandissimo's eyes broadened before they creased in sour disgust "…puta madre…" he gritted his fist. Fenwick had to be the most appalling sack of shit in existence.

"…I was injected with something that knocked me out before I could even try to keep her safe…" Remorse crashed down all over again, glossing her grimace "…I-I didn't protect her, and it's all my fault…"

"You were blindsided." Juandissimo affirmed. "That is not your fault."

"No, it is…" Nyekundu lamented, crestfallen. "…I couldn't stop her from getting hurt…"

Seeing Nyekundu beat herself up so much, Juandissimo couldn't help but feel partially to blame. "…lo siento."

She lifted disheartened eyes to him. "Why are you sorry?"

"…we could have given you more of a warning."

"Oh, no, please don't think that…" Nyekundu blinked back her tears, emphasizing with a hand to his knee and eyes seeping with sincerity "…I place no blame on you. Especially not Remy." She removed her hand to hold against her chest. "I just don't understand why the Buxaplentys let that zimwi walk as a free man."

Juandissimo thinned his lips. "Because his parents dumped Remy on Fenwick right after his birth and didn't care what happened to him under Fenwick's care."

Nyekundu puckered her brow. "You mean they set their child up to be groomed?"

"Basically." Juandissimo deduced. "And Remy had been so deprived of love…he had once thought that being touched in that way was love."

Sorrow shook in her head. "That poor boy…"

He grimaced at the thought of his godchild, ached with his own pains of guilt. "I worry that I have not done Remy any good…"

"…why do you say that?"

Melancholy darkened his tone. "I have yet to see him smile…"

Nyekundu frowned. Bringing happiness to miserable children is the main purpose of a godparent. To see a godchild smile despite the pain of their despair is a godparents' biggest payout. Nonetheless, when a godparent does all they can just to see little to no difference as if they had done nothing at all, not only can it be a red flag to Jorgen and the Council, but it can leave a gaping wound in a fairy's spirit.

"…Hazel had just turned eight when I was assigned to her." Nyekundu spoke from an empathic place. "She had not smiled a day in her life, even when she was a baby. It took months being with her before Hazel knew what it was even like to feel true joy…"

Blue-violets studied her.

"Believe it or not, the day that Hazel and I first met you and Remy was the first time she had smile at all that day…" Hazel's bright, bubbly beam disappeared as soon as it flashed in Nyekundu's mind, curving a withered grin "…I miss that smile..."

Blue-violets then studied the floor.

"Remy is older, so his pain may be deeper rooted." Nyekundu assumed. "Perhaps it'll take more time."

Juandissimo faintly shook his head "…but he has gotten worse. Going as far as to try and take his own life…"

"Goodness…" Wow, that hit close to home "…when?"

"Not that long ago." he pressed a shamefaced cheek to his palm. "The signs were all there, and yet…if I had not found him underwater in time…"

Without knowing too much about Juandissimo's situation, Nyekundu could relate. The warning signs are not always so obvious, and even when they are, some learn to deflect with a different mask.

"For what it is worth…" Nyekundu picked at her fingernails. "I think…a damaged sole does not come solely from hurt. A damaged soul had time to fester in that hurt, left to deal with it all alone."

Can't deny that.

"In the eyes of a child, it is almost foreign to them when they no longer have to be alone with that hurt." she tilted her gaze towards him. "It always seems to get worse before it gets better…but if we ever give up on them, it is easier for them to give up on themselves."

That last sentence led Juandissimo to lift his gaze to hers.

"It does get better…" Nyekundu spoke softly as she looked away "…it has to."

With her curls against the pillow in the bed below, Susie's attention had been divided between waiting for the gummy to take affect and the conversation above her. She couldn't help how Nyekundu's godchild, in a way, reminded her of Chloe. It had taken so long to see a genuine smile from Chloe, so long that some magical castle brought it out in a shorter time than granting wishes ever did. Then, Chloe's mother destroyed her. Broke her spirit to rumble and ash. Diminishing the chances of ever seeing that smile again…

A tap on her shoulder turned her to see her friend gesture with her eyebrows. Confused to what the heck Rose was alluding to before Susie shifted to look in the direction of Rose's glance at the male fairy across from them with icy-blue orbs lost in thought.

"What do you think about him?" Rose's inquiry led Susie to arch her brow back at her.

"I've known him for all of three seconds."

"…think you should change that?"

Susie paused "…deadass?"

Rose raised crafty brows. "Possibly."

Susie sat herself up further "…so you really don't care that I couldn't make it work with your best friend since literal childhood?"

"Of course, not. Thornton's long since moved on and he seems happy." Rose remarked. "And I happen to think you deserve to be happy, too."

"…you seriously tryna play matchmaker when Chloe and Tootie are who knows where?" Susie accused.

"I know, I'm sorry…" Rose repented. "I just wanted a distraction from this mess."

"I hear ya." Susie understood. "Shoulda taken a gummy."

Rose snorted, half-joking "I'd rather just get drunk."

"…ain't that the truth."

The female fairies turned to the dark-blue fairy approaching them to sit on the edge of their bed. Swizzle had come to realize that brooding was of no service to her or anyone. It wasn't going to change their situation, and it wasn't going to bring her godchild back to her.

"If I wanted to escape, I'd rather do it with a hardy glass of liquid 'fuck it all.'" she lightly added, although the half eyeroll that followed from Rose felt slightly offensive. Maybe even targeted.

"…what's your deal?"

Now guarded, Rose crossed her arms. "I just think that someone who lets their godchild take a knife to the neck probably shouldn't talk about drinking."

Oh, it's like that? Susie thought to herself as she gave Rose a curious glance. Where the heck did that even come from?

Slighted, Swizzle's eyes flashed. "You act like I took the knife and stabbed her myself!"

Rose's leeriness remained. "I don't see a difference."

"Molly wished for me to not intervene!"

"So has Tootie, but I could never just sit there and let that poor girl get beaten to death."

Dark-blue sharpened in her snarl. "So you think it's my fault for following Da Rules

"Well, we'd never go so far as to let our godchildren get stabbed..." Susie mumbled with closed teeth through the side of her mouth, pretending to scratch the tip of her nose "…jus' sayin'."

Swizzle's mouth twisted wryly, crimpling the fury that could no longer be suppressed as she shot from the bed. Murderous in her glare. "You got some fuckin' nerve!"

Nyekundu and Juandissimo fixed eyes upon the unfolding scene that even took Alondro out of his head. Irving's once informal posture straightened as Cosmo secured his arms around his wife, and Wanda clutched her stomach that began to ache with tension.

"Aye, you need ta calm down." Susie defended herself and her friend.

Having none of it, Swizzle flared her nostrils. "And you need ta shut tha fuck up!"

"Babe, stop!" Nyekundu rushed to her girlfriend, trying to abate her temper. "There's no need for this!"

"Nah, fuck that!" Swizzle tore away. Playing nice went out the window. "Those bitches think they got any right to judge me!"

"We care too much about our godkids to ever put their lives in danger." Rose retorted, keeping her tone leveled. "Unlike some people."

Alondro faintly flinched from the twinge of that statement.

Pushed over the edge of impatience, Swizzle charged a fist ready to strike. Aiming for Rose's stupid face before a catching grip stopped her punch from landing. Her dark-blue glower snapped to the stern of blue-violets scrunching from the effort it took to restrain her thirst for vengeance.

"Let my fucking hand go, or I'll deck you too!" she growled.

"You will do no such thing." Juandissimo warned, the only barrier between Swizzle's wrath and his friends' defenselessness.

"Or what, punk!?" Swizzle taunted. "You gonna swing atta girl?!"

"Swizzle!" Nyekundu yanked Swizzle away as Juandissimo released his grip, forcing Swizzle to face her when she squeezed both her shoulders. "Just let it go!"

A clenched grunt caused the fairies to snap to the pink fairy clutching the pinches piercing the insides of her stomach. Wanda gritted her teeth as Cosmo and Irving attempted to aid with whatever they could to comfort her.

Worried that the altercation was putting stress on Wanda, Nyekundu pulled Swizzle by her arm. "C'mon…come talk with me…" she softened her plea as Swizzle seethed directly at Juandissimo. Firm in his glare as his arms kept Rose and Susie behind him.

Juandissimo watched Nyekundu's struggle against Swizzle's stubbornness as she dragged her away. Waiting for them to be at a far enough distance before his aggravation addressed his two friends still on their bed "…the hell was that about!?"

"Look, I didn't mean to cause an uproar." Rose took accountability in that regard. "But didn't you break Da Rules and fuck up that pedo because you would never leave Remy in danger?"

As Wanda's agony groaned in his arms, Cosmo noticed Irving fold his lips. Gutted with the shame of doing little to protect Dwight as that kid slammed his head into the ground. Susie also noticed Alondro's fist trembling the more they tightened as his brow creased. Haunted by his inability to prevent Gary from a punch to the face, his lifeless form bleeding from a slacked jaw.

Hardened in his gaze, Juandissimo grimaced "…you could say that."

"Then am I wrong for pointing out that being a godparent is sometimes more than just granting wishes?"

"No…" Susie inserted herself, sensing Juandissimo's averseness to whatever point Rose was trying to make "…but girl, this is Swizzle we talkin' about."

Rose shot a glare to her friend. "I just said I wasn't trying to start anything!"

"Yeah, but now we got beef on day one!"

"And that's all on me?!"

"Can you guys not?" Cosmo griped over his wife's groaning. "Pregnant wife in pain over here!"

Alondro tore from his bed, flying past Juandissimo who then locked his eyes on his flee. Everyone watched Alondro grab at the latch and forced the glass door apart, parting it enough for one fairy to exit before he slammed it back.

"…that's not good." Irving thought aloud, catching Susie's attention.

"What's not good?"

"Him chargin' out the room like that..." Irving murmured, standing from the bed. When you get to know someone whose fuse was not that short, it can be alarming when that fuse is finally ignited. "I'll go talk to 'em-"

"No, wait." Susie rose, floating forward. Inclined to speak to Alondro herself "…I'll do it."

"You sure?" Rose wasn't going to stop Susie from volunteering, but she wasn't sure what Susie hoped to accomplish in doing so.

"I wanna at least try." Susie excused. More like something inside of her had to try.

Hands on his hips, Alondro strained in leveling his breathing. Overlooking the burning sunset to the east through the dome of glass enclosing him to never go beyond the terrace. He didn't mean to cause anyone alarm, and he truly hoped he didn't. The room started to feel suffocating to where his sanity needed air.

Now would be a fantastic time for that gummy to do its job.

His back was turned to the bottom of the glass door scraping the metal frame, pausing for a few seconds before the scraping returned and then stopped abruptly. He swallowed hard, trying to push down the swell of his shame. Someone had come out after him, the very opposite of what he wanted.

"Hey…"

The voice of an angel compelled him to look over his shoulder, caught in the captivating rings of indigo softened in her features. She floated towards him with such caution, as if the fear she would upset him further prevented her from a more assertive approach.

"…are you okay?" Susie slightly faltered under the seriousness of his icy-blue stare. Her ribs tickled from the flutter in her heart before he averted his eyes from her. "I'm sorry if we said anything that made you upset."

Pressing his lips, Alondro lowered a furrowed brow to his upturned palms. "…I should have protected him when he needed me most…and I failed…"

Susie inched forward "…what do you mean?"

Alondro slowly curled his fingers into weak fists "…I did not stop that kid from breaking Gary's jaw…"

Her listening ear floated closer.

"…all of the times that Gary had been in harm's way, I didn't protect him...I failed him."

So that was it. Alondro wasn't angry at her, he wasn't angry at Rose or Swizzle…he was angry at himself.

"…I feel the same about Chloe."

Alondro's pained expression lifted towards her now hovering to his right, unblind to the sadness behind her lowered gaze.

"Her mom's the most vicious woman I'd ever seen." Susie began, gently rubbing the back of her crossed arms. "All she's ever done was tear Chloe down, time and time again. She even mocked her panic attack and yelled that her anxiety wasn't real, straight in her face…" her frown deepened "…and yet all I could do was stand there because Chloe couldn't make a wish in time…"

He stared at her silently until his stare sharpened, thinning his lips "…that is not the same."

Susie shot him a slighted glance. "I couldn't protect Chloe from getting hurt, just like you couldn't protect Gary-"

"Then tell me. How many times has your godchild tried to take her own life." Alondro loomed with his jutting stare. Her reflexes backed away, yet he penetrated her regard simply with lasered eyes. "Because I have lost count with mine!"

Susie froze under his cold glare.

"Gary has attempted to the point where Jorgen had once threatened to toss my license in the shredder because of it!" Inner guilt stung through his grievance. "But no matter what I do, no matter how many wishes I grant, no matter how much I love him, the hatred for himself shoves him back into that state of mind!"

She lowered the pain across her frown, and his frustration heightened in his venting.

"But I guess it is the same, because we have been exiled from them! Our job is to make miserable children happy, and we have failed them!" the muscles in his jaw flicked angrily. "I would not be surprised if the Council has stripped us of our godchildren because they think we no longer deserve to call ourselves godparents!"

His cutting words tortured her heart, diverting her cringe away. Hugging herself to keep her heart from bleeding out.

Her visible pain shuddered in his deep breath, realizing what he'd done. "Lo siento…I-I did not mean to yell."

"Don't be…" Susie dismissed, though her voice dropped distantly. How was it possible for someone she barely knew to break her guard? To render her weak and vulnerable?

Remorse dropped his grimace. Dammit, he'd hurt her feelings. This is exactly why he had to get out of there, why he needed to be left alone. Some things are best left unsaid…

"…you're right."

He looked up.

"…Chloe has been so closed off…I haven't been able to reach her." her remorse spoke quietly. If she spoke any louder, her voice would crack. "My job is to make her happy…but she's just been getting worse and worse…"

Icy-blue eyes observed her somber features.

"Then she had this panic attack. The first one in weeks…the worst I'd seen. She was so frazzled that…she yelled at me…" she could feel her eyes water "…she'd never yelled at me like that before…"

"…I can imagine how terrible that must have made you feel." Alondro softened his voice, expressing his empathy. When she spoke next, he could barely hear her words whispered in her despair.

"I tried not to show it…but I felt so useless…" a single tear traced a path down her cheek "…I failed her…"

Her sadness, such sadness, choked at his heart. Drawing him nearer by an invisible puppet string. His overwhelming yearn to make amends reached out with tender hands, holding by her arms which led teary eyes to meet his.

When present fused with past, her eyes bulged. Alondro's troubled icy-blue fused with the ghost of the icy-blue that once warmed her from the inside out. The ghost of the one who had promised to never leave, the ghost of the one she could not save from death.

The ghost of her always, her forever…

…Alewandro Magnifico.

She tore her brimming tears away from Alondro, arms gripped as a shield around herself. More guilt crushed down, feeling as if he'd done something wrong.

"…I did not mean…I mean…" he stammered as she backed away. "I-I was just…"

The flight in her wings whirled away from him towards the glass door, leaving him with unanswered questions.

AN: Gotta love the dramatics.

This week is gonna be really busy for me, so, unfortunately, no new chapter next Sunday. I'll try to get it out maybe that Saturday if not the Sunday after next.