The Nightrose Chronicles I: Broader Horizons

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***Meadow's POV

Zidane and the girls rushed to the windmill when Meadow persisted that they check on Vivi. Lailah was kneeling down against the wall with Tessa in his arms. Their blades a few feet away in a heap. "What happened!?"

Lailah looked up with a wince. "Is Tessa alright!?" Silver asked.

"She's fine," Lailah told them.

"Here, let me help you," she knelt beside him and placed her hands above the gash on his head.

"The villagers took Vivi."

"What!? Damn it! Do you know where?"

"Windmill," he winced again, watching as Kailynn practically threw the swords down in front of him.

"How could you lose?" she glared.

"Kailynn!" Silver said, "How can you even ask that!?"

"I'm sure he tried his best!" Zidane agreed.

"You said you were an," she air quoted, "Experienced fighter."

"That's not cool, Kailynn," Zidane glared.

"You said you could watch out for her," Meadow agreed.

"Okay, that's enough. You two need to back off. I get you're upset but don't take it out on him." He pushed the girls away from them to cool down.

"Don't listen to them," Silver agreed. "You tried your best I'm sure."

"I'll take her back to the inn to rest..."

"You get some rest too alright? I'll watch over you both."

He shook his head, "Thank you but Vivi will need you. Besides, Kailynn or Meadow will probably take up that spot..."

"I suppose you're right," she gave them a wary glance before smiling comfortingly at him. "Everything will be alright."

He dug through Tessa's side pouch, "Will you give this letter to Kumop?" she nodded. " And thank you again. My head is finally clearing up."

"You're welcome."

He hefted his daughter up leaning against the wall for mild support before carrying her back to the inn.

Meadow and Kailynn stalked right after him, as soon as the door shut Kailynn yelled, "What the hell was that!? You're no angel! You're a fraud!!"

Lailah winced. "What kind of an angel gets taken out by a few villagers?" Meadow asked, "You said you could take care of her!"

"Who the hell are you!?" The two shouted insults at him, while he just sat there in silence.

"Stop it! Just stop it!!!" A little girl with beautiful fluffy wings appeared in front of them, "You show up in a magical world and yet you still doubt their sincerity! Why?"

"Ria ---," Lailah started.

"No! I can't handle just watching people hurt you!" Tears welled in her eyes. She turned back towards them, "He is an angel. In order to be with her he temporarily became human..." he looked back at them both sadly. "Even though they can finally talk... And he still has some of his powers... It has some drawbacks..." She went over to Lailah and sat down on the bed, cuddling Tessa with a hug.

"It's okay Ria..." he pet her gently.

"You became human for her? Why?" Meadow asked.

"Why haven't ours?" Kailynn asked.

He shook his head, "I can't tell you... Not right now..."

"Bull---," Kailynn was cut off by Nathanael putting a hand over her mouth.

"Kids in the room."

"Thank you," Lailah's mouth twitched into a small smile, "I don't usually see you doing that."

Nathanael shrugged, "Yeah well. Zach's busy again, and I was bored," He plopped onto the bed nearby and kicked up his feet.

"Are you human?" Meadow asked.

"Me? No. Way too many drawbacks," he shifted to be more comfortable. "Not that you didn't make the right choice," he added quickly, watching Lailah's expression before scanning the bookshelf.

"You think so?" Lailah looked unsure.

"I want to," Ria muttered.

"Even if you were old enough, no," Lailah told her.

"I'm over 600 dad!"

"Still a kid," Nathanael muttered, "Wait till you're at least 15,000."

"But--!" she sighed in defeat.

"Wha---wait what???" Meadow asked. "You guys can have kids???"

"Why not?" Nathanael asked.

"W---w--- because you're angels! You're supposed to be gender-less!"

"Fallacy," Nate said as he flipped through one of the corny books on the shelf. "It may help if you think of us... Kind of like Time Lords..." he said without looking up.

"You guys regenerate?"

"Not that bit. Well, sorta it's different... Anyways, we can appear however we want to appear. Be who we want to be. You humans say that a lot right? Be who you want to be? What's your dream Kk?"

"My dream?"

"Your goal in life."

"Um... I don't know..."

"Be who you want to be..." he muttered again before tossing the book on the bedside table and picking up another and flipping through it. "These books..." he grimaced, "... Leave much to be desired..."

Meadow chuckled, "The titles sound corny enough!"

"Mommy's calling me," Ria mumbled.

"You need to tell her where you're going next time, honey."

"But I'm with you!"

"It doesn't matter. She needs to know."

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you too!" She hopped up and gave him a bear hug before kissing his cheek and disappearing into thin air.

"Cute. I miss when you and Tessa were that age. You respected me a lot more. Well, she did anyways. You kept shouting at me, 'Poop! Poop I hate you!'"

"Suck it!" Kailynn plopped onto the bed opposite Nate and dug through her bag for something to do.

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