[Thread; Closed]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Characters: Rydia, Eiko and Kain
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Dearest Wishes
Location: Memoria
Date: Feb. 1803
Warnings: None for now!


Kain continued to move ahead with determination. The sooner they left, the better. Seeing his father again had given him mixed feelings... and he longed to be alone for a while to think.

As he moved along, the next area he came to was once again the scenery of Baron Castle.

Kain glanced around and slowed. He was suspicious of what might appear this time... and sure enough, as he watched, Rosa approached him. She was the Rosa of the present time, as beautiful as ever to Kain. Before he could do or say anything else, Rosa had come right up to him, wrapping her arms around him in a loving embrace. For his part, Kain became caught up in what he was experiencing, just as had happened before.

Comments

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yes." Rydia stood but stayed near Eiko as they headed forward, hoping that she was wrong about what was to come next.

Unfortunately, she wasn't.

Mist once again appeared before them, unspoiled. However, when Rydia crossed the threshold, she did not revert to a child in Kain's eyes. The buildings where in pristine condition, no signs of reconstruction about, since they were unnecessary. People went about their business, and to Rydia's eyes -and Kain's- many were indeed the same people who had perished in the burning of Mist. Young summoner children were gathered by the pond, being taught of their heritage by an elder, learning of the heritage that they would one day pass on to their own children. Far from being a people on the verge of collapse, the town was flourishing...and all because two soldiers from Baron had never arrived.

[lastsummoner.livejournal.com]

The village looked much the same to Eiko as they had before, but she had a rather unhappy idea of what it was she was seeing. Just like she had. She reached for Rydia's hand, a show of support, as had been given to her, and she glanced over her shoulder at Kain. There had to be a way to stop this and get out faster. Rydia didn't deserve this.

"It's not really like this, is it?" she asked him quietly.

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain did indeed recognize the setting, and from the unspoiled look of it and the people wandering around, he could guess what this meant. Of course. It had to be something which only made his own guilt all the worse, considering his own role in its downfall...

"It was destroyed," Kain said, not daring to elaborate. He crossed his arms and looked for a moment, thinking it might take his mind off of his problems, but it only made him feel more miserable to see what Mist could have been like, how happy Rydia may have been with her people.

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

Caught up in the vision, Rydia headed forward. She smiled and waved to the people she passed, calling out their names and weaving her way around the giggling children that ran past her. As with last time, she headed toward her house. Her mother was waiting in the doorway, waving with a smile. Of course, she was older than last time, the result of over a decade in which she had raised her child in peace.

Rydia quickened her steps, ready to great her mother with a hug and tell her all about her day. Just as she reached out to do so, the image vanished. The summoner abruptly paused and turned away, tears forming as she was jolted back to reality.

[lastsummoner.livejournal.com]

Eiko raced up to Rydia and threw her arms around the older summoner's waist. There was no need to ask what had happened. She knew. And it was cruel. "I'm so sorry, Rydia..." she whispered, trying to be the big sister summoner in this case like she often was with Garnet. Something about being forced to grow up too young caused that.

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain looked down. "I'm the one who should be sorry," he finally managed in a solemn tone. But he again wasn't going to elaborate in front of Eiko, figuring that Rydia would know well enough what he'd meant by that. True, it wasn't him alone who had annihilated the town, but he'd still had enough of a role in it... and he'd come very close to killing Rydia- killing a child...

Unable to allow himself to interrupt the two in their moment, Kain paced away from them, crossing his arms yet again and waiting for a signal that they were ready to move on.

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

Rydia let her tears flow for a moment, unable or unwilling to repress the grief. She could never bottle things up the way Kain did, and while that was probably healthier, at the moment it just hurt. Her free hand slid down to Eiko, giving her a silent squeeze of thanks. Eiko understood all too well, and the older summoner wished with all her heart that it wasn't the case, that the girl hadn't known such similar sorrow.

Kain's voice didn't go unheard. Rydia knew all too well as to what he meant, and stiffened slightly as a result. Forgiveness had already been offered, long ago, but at that moment, there was a fresh surge of hatred. She was ashamed at herself as to how quickly that surfaced and forced it away, as best she could with emotions rubbed raw.

After a long moment, she managed a shuddering sigh and wiped away her tears. Her voice, when she spoke, was soft and a little thick. "...I hate this place." She coughed and tried to make it sound steadier. "Eiko, lead the way."