Love Can Save {An Aphmau Fanfiction}

Nana

I stepped back, admiring my handiwork. It had taken hours, but it had definitely been worth it. Kiki's old barn rose up in front of me, the massive doorway sporting streamers and balloon. The inside was just as colorful; a large cake sat by the back wall, already surrounded by presents from people who couldn't make it today. The center of the floor was swept and clear, ready for a dance party that would surely happen after the boys got into the root beer. The old stalls were open and littered with tables and chairs covered by tablecloths of the prettiest purple. The party was set up; the only thing missing was the people.

"Hey Nana!" A voice called behind me, sounding like it was coming up wheat fields. My tail twitched, twining over my shoulder in a gentle curl. I turned, giving the person coming up the lane a large smile. Her dirty red hair was longer than it had ever been, still held back by tinted goggles that I couldn't imagine her without. She looked ready to kick someone's ass, and I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up doing just that at tonight's party.

"Nicole! Oh my gosh it's so good to see you!" I met her halfway down the road, throwing myself at her in a hug as soon as I reached her. "We haven't seen each other in forever!" She laughed, holding onto me tightly.

"I know! I missed seeing you and the others everyday, even if that was over fifteen years ago." She laughed, such a bitter sound that I never wanted to let go of her, warming her heart and helping her come to peace with what had happened those long years ago. "Whatever. The past is in the past, and all of us are here now. Come on, let's go find the kids!" She laughed again, already sounding much happier. My eyes sparkled and I grabbed her hand, pulling her after me as we ran through the village in search of our two angels.

We found them outside of the village, training with Katelyn and Travis. Dimitri was going toe-to-toe with Katelyn while Travis was helping Nekoette with a difficult position. I smiled, seeing how well the pair worked with the kids. Soon, they'll have their own kids to train. I shook my head at the thought, almost ashamed at myself. I should know better. This is no time for a child to be born, not with Tula right around the corner and Zane's cronies still on the loose.

My smile slipped into something false at the thought of Zane Ro'Meave. I loved Garroth as a brother, especially since what happened last year. But it was because of that same reason that I hated Zane Ro'Meave. I couldn't hear his name without those painful memories rising to the surface again. My heart started to race, and I had to close my eyes and take several deep breaths to get my bearing before I could face the world again. I hated what the events of a year ago had done to me, but how could I think of her and not want to cry? My poor Alice...

"Mom! Look what Mr. Travis taught me!" Neko was grinning at me, wielding the two swords proudly, looking so much like her father that I had to laugh. Travis laughed as well, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I've told you before kid, just call me Travis, okay? Now remember, focus on the arc of the blades. If you do that, it'll work just like a charm." Travis murmured to her before stepping back a step, flashing me a smile before looking back to my daughter. Nicole was watching too, and I knew that she felt the same way about Nekoette as I felt about Dimitri. Each may be the other's child, but they were practically ours' as well. They had both spent weeks on end in both Phoenix Drop and Scaleswind, and by now they were inseparable. It put my mind at ease knowing that they would never let the other down.

Neko performed the move almost flawlessly, and I clapped, my ears twitching and the bow pinned to the base of the left caused a few strands of hair to fall in front of my eyes. Brushing them out of the way, I looked towards the sparring duo just in time to see Katelyn knock Dimitri to the ground, holding her sword inches from his neck.

"Beat you again punk." Katelyn was smirking at Dimitri as she offered him her hand. Grumbling, he accepted it and allowed her to pull him to his feet.

"I'll beat you next time, just you wait." He grumbled under his breath, retrieving his sword from the dirt and wiping it off on his shirt. Katelyn ruffled his hair, still smiling.

"That's what you always say, and yet you haven't beat me once." He rolled his eyes, shoving his sword back into its scabbard. Travis laughed from across the field, grabbing his canteen from where it was laying in the shade.

"Go easy on the kid Katy! His ego needs one win or else he might think he can actually beat me!" The look Katelyn sent Travis almost had him running for cover. Nicole and I started laughing, and Dimitri and Nekoette ran over to say hi to the Lord of Scaleswind. I walked towards the couple, allowing my happiness at their relationship to wash away my own sorrows.

"Hey you two!" Katelyn nodded at me at the same time Travis winked, running his hands through his damp hair. He downed his canteen in a single go, throwing the empty skin towards the rest of his things. Katelyn nudged him with her elbow and he laughed, wrapping his arm around her.

"Eww, get your sweaty arm away from me." She batted his arm away, laughing as she shrugged away. Travis feigned a hurt expression, crossing his arms and frowning. Katelyn just laughed again, turning away from her boyfriend to face me.

"Is everything set up for tonight?" I nodded, already feeling a bounce back in my step. Katelyn's smile grew wider and she let Travis come near her again, leaning against her. "Good. She deserves this after everything she's been doing these past couple months." I nodded again, feeling sobered by that simple statement.

While I had spent the past year mourning the loss of brave little Leona and my sweet Alice, Lady Aphmau had been hard at work. She was still trying as hard as she possibly could to find a way to open the Irene Dimension. It didn't help much that she herself was Irene; Lady Irene was rumored to have had difficulties open her portal all those years again when she was at her strongest. Now, in the weakened state she was in, it would be nigh on impossible to open it using just her powers. So she was stuck reading countless accounts and books that were usually useless. But she hadn't given up. She was determined to bring Aaron home before Alina's third birthday. And I couldn't blame her. If there was any way I could bring Alice back, I would stop at nothing to do so.

But because of how hard she's been working, both for herself and for Phoenix Drop and the Phoenix Alliance, all of her closest friends were throwing a party at the barn she had spent so long in building herself from scratch all those years ago. It was a celebration of all of the amazing things she had done for everyone , no matter how she herself was feeling. Our lives wouldn't be the same without Aphmau, and we wanted her to know just how special she was to us, even as she was going through one of the hardest times of her lives.