The Strongest Promise - A Songs of War FanFiction (So Much In Common Sequel)

Chapter Three - Opening Up

Author's note: Sorry this one took long to come out, I lost access to my Wattpad account for a long time, and finally got it back. Hope you enjoy!

-PoseidonHeir

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It was nearly night. The tunnels were always dark, no matter what time of day it was, their dark recesses only lit by an occasional torchfire. Nitsuke didn't mind much, as she was a Felina and had better eyesight than most. She did miss the sun sometimes, however.

She was in a room, a few beds scattered around. A few minutes ago, the troops from Looma had returned with liberated citizens. Separated families, displaced companions, terrified people. They were safe now. They didn't have to be afraid anymore.

One particular individual, however, caught her eye. A boy, a Felina, sitting alone on a bed, looking down at the floor and kicking at the dirt ground slightly, his ears dropped against his head.

Nitsuke turned to Alec, who was nearby. "Who is that Felina boy, Alec?" she asked.

Alec looked at the grey-haired boy and sighed. "The Netharans attacked us while we were liberating the prisoners, and... not all of us escaped." He looked away as he continued his work. "All we know is that his father was killed during the escape in the watchtower. He hasn't said anything to us. Won't even tell us his name."

Nitsuke exhaled, her heart breaking slightly. This child couldn't be any more than halfway to maturity for a Felina. Such a young age, to endure such tragedy and heartbreak.

"Does he have any other family?"

Alec shook his head. "Not that we know of, I'm afraid."

Nitsuke nodded, looking back at the boy. She got an idea. She thanked Alec and made her way to the kitchens. After retrieving something, she returned to the room. The boy still hadn't moved from his seat on the cot, playing absently with his growing claws.

"How are you?" Nitsuke started. The boy didn't answer. She exhaled and brushed some hair out of her face before making her way over to him. She knelt down in front of him so that she was looking up into his face. His cheeks were tear-stained, and he looked away, purposefully avoiding eye contact.

She pasted a smile on her face and reached into her inventory, pulling out a cookie. She held it out to him. "Are you hungry? I got this for you."

The boy didn't answer, sniffing as he wiped at his face. Nitsuke frowned. Her heart ached at the sight of this boy. How was she supposed to help him?

She decided to try a different, more conversational approach, setting the cookie aside. "I'm Nitsuke," she introduced herself. "What's your name?"

The boy didn't look at her, but he mumbled a word. "Raiko."

"Raiko," she repeated. "Can I call you Rai, maybe?"

The boy didn't answer, continuing to look down at the floor. Nitsuke squinted and sat down on the floor in front of him. "Where are you from, Rai?"

Raiko didn't answer, although fresh tears smarted in his eyes. She frowned and raised a tentative hand, rubbing his arm, attempting to comfort him. "If you ever need anything, Rai, I'll be around. You can just come find me, okay?"

She didn't expect him to come to her unless he wanted to. She wasn't going to press him any more. Nitsuke stood and, with a fleeting glance over her shoulder as Raiko lay down on the bed, burying his face in the pillow, left the room.

*****

"Alec?" Kiyoshi asked, as he found the soldier nearby. He was helping sort out the influx of newcomers at the rebel headquarters, a lot of whom had been rescued from Looma Watchtower. In some ways, that had been a bit of a hassle. So many people who had to be organized, though surely this was better than the possibility of them having never been freed in the first place. Nevertheless, this came at a cost. A heavy cost.