That's What Bein' A Friend Is About

Just Count On Me

Hat firmly set on her head, Ana led Lloyd and Ninten out of the drugstore.

There was no way she’d ever be able to overtake Ninten’s take-charge personality, but she did have a way with words. After Ninten and Lloyd had spent a short while recovering from the cold, she’d revealed that she was completely on board with their quest. Although Ninten hadn’t given her many details as to what they were actually doing wandering around the world the way they were, Ana told them a dream that came to her in the earliest hours of the morning. She’d seen a young boy wearing a shining badge of courage, and when Ninten walked into the chapel, he fit right into her memories of the dream.

So, she’d gone back home to pack some things for their adventure, and Ninten had paid for a room for the two of them to stay in at the tiny hotel in Snowman. Lloyd had passed out almost immediately, exhausted by the day’s events, and before he knew it, they had to rush out the door for their rendezvous with Ana the next morning.

Although it was slightly unsettling to trail behind two psychics, Lloyd figured that there was only so much he could do with various homemade explosives and a boomerang--if they could find another one anytime soon. It was awfully selfish of him to sell the one Ninten had given him… he still felt very guilty about it, even after Ninten forgave him. It wasn’t a good thing to do to a friend, and why had he done it? Because he was--because he’d let his feelings get to him?

“Easter is pretty far north from here… I hope the journey won’t be too long,” Ana sighed.

“Yeah,” Ninten said. “Your mom’s up there, right?”

“She should be, if all goes well--but it never seems to these days. After all, with everyone vanishing the way they are, I wouldn’t be surprised if that town is completely empty when we get there...”

“Hey, Ana?”

She glanced over at Lloyd.

“You two… didn’t have too much trouble getting here, right? From the church?”

“Nah,” Ninten waved him off. “We were fine. Actually, seemed like a lot more of the Weird-ified were gone.”

Good, so Lloyd hadn’t left his friend and a girl in great danger. The guilt eased, just slightly.

“Did you make it back all right?” Ninten asked.

“That’s right, I didn’t even think to ask…” Ana realized. “With everything Ninten said about Weird-ified monsters on the prowl, I expected more problems. Did you tame some of those monsters on your way back? Was it hard on you?”

“No, no, I’m all right. I suppose I threw that boomerang a lot harder when I was upset.”

“You’re stronger than ya think, Lloyd. Especially when you’re tryin’ to protect me,” Ninten pointed out.

Ana hummed thoughtfully. “Really? I guess there’s more behind the glasses than I thought.”

With two sources of flattery that he didn’t deserve, Lloyd found himself less honored and more so very, very flustered. He ducked his head, feeling his face heat up.

“I-I’m really… not as great as Ninten makes me out to be,” Lloyd mumbled.

“Well, sure ya are!” Ninten insisted. “Would ya still be here otherwise? Bein’ on this adventure is insane!”

“He’s right, Ana. Are you ready for this whole thing?” Lloyd asked, trying to deflect the conversation to her.

She smiled at him. “Well, as small as I am, I promise I can look after myself. It helps to have Ninten to cover me, but… I can hold my own.”