Someone Different (Remastered)

When It All Started

"Are you sure that we should be doing this? We know what will happen... are we willing to pay this price?" A hooded woman looked up at the hooded man that was next to her. Her green eyes met his and he gave her the weakest of smiles. Her complexion was smooth and almost perfectly white in the moonlight, whereas his was covered by the scruff of a close to unkempt beard. His skin contrasted hers, being a darker and slightly more tan color. He raised a hand and ran it over her face, letting his thumb rub against her slightly pointed ears, although his hands were calloused and rough, they soothed the woman. 

"We have no choice. It's either we do this and wait for her to be ready, or we doom ourselves and the rest of our people." His tone was kind but unmoving, this was a decision he had made a long time ago, when they had first heard about the prophecy, when they first knew that the end was coming. In the woman's hands she held something bundled up in the softest of silken blankets. As he talked, she held it closer to her chest and nodded, a small tear rolling down her cheek as they started making their way down the paved road. They kept their heads low, hoods up, and walked in the darkest points of the street, avoiding the lights that lit it up for the late night drivers. They walked by house after house, looking over their shoulders and checking windows to make sure that they weren't being watched, the man having a hand on the bundle as they walked.

"B-but are we sure...? This... doing this... we might never see them again, see her again." The last bit came out as little more than a whisper as she blinked away more oncoming tears, and the man seemed to be attempting to stop his own tears from showing as they made a left into an alley, watching carefully and pressing closer together as they made their way through, some homeless people staring at them, but none moving to say or do anything to them.

"You know her, she'll find us. She always will, and you have to have faith in that, faith that she will save us all." He gives her a small optimistic smile as they make their way up to a nice modest looking house. It was a dark brown with black wood shingles and an old fashioned chimney coming out of the top. They both took deep breaths and walked forward, the man reaching his free hand up and knocking on the door. One. Two. One. Three. They huddled close as they waited, looking around and making sure there was no eyes on them, as the door slowly opened. An older woman, probably around forty, opened the door and peaked out to see them. She said nothing and looked around before opening the door more and ushering them inside. They gratefully walked in, not bothering taking their shoes off. They all knew this had to be quick. 

"Are you ready for this? Are you sure?" The older woman looked at the two of them with a look of understanding and concern. Neither of them answered for a minute until they heard a little garbled noise and look down at the baby that was peacefully asleep in the bundle. The little girl had beautiful bright blonde, almost platinum hair, that seemed nothing like the dark brown hair that peaked out of both the hooded figured hoods. Her eyes fluttered opened for a second, beautiful sapphire blues looking up at the two of them before sticking her thumb in her mouth and curling up to go back to sleep. The hooded lady couldn't take her eyes off the child while the man looked up with a stern resolve, even as his eyes glistened with tears threatening to pour over.

"You know we have no choice. If we did, we would take it, but we trust that you will care for her." As he and the other woman talked about what was going to happen, the other one, the child's mother, made her way to sit in a chair, pulling her hood down and bringing a finger down to her daughter's tiny free hand and felt as the baby gripped it with the tightest grip the tiny thing could muster. All the emotions that the mother had been holding down came spilling out of her eyes, tear streaks running down her cheeks as she stared down at her precious child that she may never see again. Her husband, the father, made his way over and knelt beside the two of them, leaning his head down to kiss the little girl's forehead before pulling away and wrapping the baby in his arms, pulling her away from the mother. She didn't want to let go, she wanted to be selfish and spend what time they had left with the baby but she knew she couldn't, and watched as her husband made his way over and placed the baby in the woman they trusted her with's arms. 

"I promise, I will take care of her. When the time comes, she will be ready, I promise." The woman smiled at the two of them and rocked the baby in her arms. "Did you two already come up with a name?"

The two parents look at each other and then back at the lady, almost saying in sync:

"Sapphire..."