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It takes but a blink for Elena to find herself no longer in her house, and no longer faced with her family's sleeping forms.
Instead, she finds herself in an unfamiliar room, with a hooded person jumping back away from her as she appears. Their hood falls back to reveal quite the young face, and they nervously pick themselves up even as Elena backs away.
"H-Hello there. My name is Kiran."
Elena eyes them with suspicion, because as safe as they seem in Gallia right now, she knows--knows--that their pursuers haven't given up. "Why have you brought me here?! Why did you take me away from my family? Where is here, anyway?"
This... Kiran takes a steadying breath, and she listens.
It is only hours later that Elena finally lets herself sit, the knowledge she now possesses swirling in her mind.
Of course she's going to help; that is not in question. Kiran also assured her that everything would be left just as she saw it, and she will not miss a single moment when she decides to return.
What concerns her is the wellbeing of the Summoner, as she learned Kiran's title is. That much burden on one person's shoulders is something she is intimately familiar with, as it happens, and... well, she's a healer. She's going to be looking out for them as well as the other 'heroes' in this castle.
Elena waits a few more minutes, and then she hears someone coming. She looks up to see a green-haired youth with slightly ragged pants and vest, giving her a welcoming smile.
"Hey there. Are you, uh..." he looks down at a piece of paper in his hand. "Elena?"
"I am." she says softly. "Are you here to help me?"
"Yeah! My name's Sothe. I'm going to show you to your room, where a lot of us from our world are housed."
"... Our world?"
He scratches the back of his head. "Well, the continent of Tellius, more like. You'd be surprised how many of us there are! And people who know each other, to boot."
"Ah... yes, Kiran mentioned that I might meet people I know." she says, placing a hand to her chest. "And also people that might not be as I know them."
"Oh, yes. I've seen friends who don't know me, people who know me as a friend but I don't, people who are completely different than I remember them... it can get confusing, but anything is possible."
She laughs. "Those were Kiran's exact words... 'anything is possible'."
He grins. "Shall we get you settled in, then?"
"Yes, please."
They start walking to the massive castle, and conversation flows freely from there, much to Elena's ease.
"So where are you from, ma'am?"
"I-- is it alright if I do not answer?"
"No offense, but I can tell a Daein accent when I hear one, being from Nevassa myself... but I won't pry."
Elena chuckles, relieved. "Thank you, Sir Sothe."
His face scrunches up in distaste. "Please don't call me 'Sir'... it makes me feel much older than I am."
"Haha... how old are you, Sothe?"
"Eh, about nineteen... at least it was the last time I checked back home. It was about... 649, so yeah, about nineteen."
Elena stumbles a bit, her eyes wide. "649...?" she whispers, then lets out a helpless laugh. "Look at me... already faced with someone from a different time, and stumbling..."
"It is a lot to get used to, trust me. When are you from, ma'am?"
"... 634."
"Haha, wow... I was a runty street urchin back then. Seems like so long ago..."
They enter the castle soon enough, and it's as vast as it seems on the outside.
"Over to the right is the common room for everyone to gather around, not just from our world, while to the left is the mess hall. Everyone takes turns cooking at some point, so don't worry about food."
As they pass, Elena sees many colorful figures (multiple times the same person, even), and most of them give her and Sothe a passing nod or sometimes a wave. Sothe waves back particularly fondly at a white-haired young girl, and Elena can't help but ask.
"Who is that young lady?"
"Oh, she's uh... technically my mom, I guess? Although I think more of her as a sister. She basically raised me, is what I'm saying."
"Ah, I see... it must be strange to see her so young, isn't it?"
"Well... she's, uh... you see..."
It comes to Elena easily, what he struggles to excuse. "Ah... she's Branded, isn't she?"
He startles, and looks at her wide-eyed.
Elena chuckles once more. "The Branded are not as much a secret as some wish... though most laguz choose to ignore them, and beorc loathe them, their existence is not to be denied."
He nods pensively. "Yes... I'm very familiar with how people look upon Branded, and how much they have suffered. Micaiah... she's... well, at least where and when I'm from, things have turned out alright for her and other Branded. But I can't say the same for all of them, you know? For all these worlds, and times, and... yeah."
"I understand..."
Sothe looks around somberly, and realizes something. "Ah, we should be right there. Your room is, uh..." he looks at the piece of paper again. "Number twenty-five. Here it is!"
"Thank you very much, Sothe. I hope we get to talk again."
"Me too, ma'am. I'll see you la-- agh!"
Elena jumps back as Sothe is crashed into my another young man, his hair a deeper green and more muscular, and they both groan as packages are strewn across the floor.
"B-Boyd...? What are you doing?!"
"Sorry, pal... didn't see you there from all this damn cargo that someone is making me carry around by myself!"
A red-headed woman comes around the corner, chuckling. "That's because you need motivation, apparently. You've been slacking again."
Sothe picks himself up and dusts his clothes off, and starts helping Boyd pick up the fallen boxes. "I'm not surprised... way to go to make a first impression too, Boyd. I'm showing this lady around, she arrived today."
Elena nods at Boyd. "Hello. I'm Elena, and I'm glad to meet you. I'm a trained cleric."
He returns it with vigor. "Boyd! I'm a mercenary, and the most reliable guy you'll find-- wha... hey!" he protests, hearing Sothe's snort and muffled laughter.
Elena smiles at them, then she turns to the woman to offer greetings as well... only to find her as pale as a sheet, staring at her.
Several moments of uncomfortable silence pass, with Elena looking at the petrified woman in puzzlement, before it hits her that she is... familiar, somehow.
"I... wait. I've met you before, haven't I?" Elena murmurs, her brow furrowed. "You're... that Crimean officer Gawain introduced to us, aren't you?" she says, smiling at the memory. "Yes! Titania, isn't it? You look far older, but I'd never forget someone as distinctive as you!"
Some color slowly returns to Titania's face, and she visibly takes a few deep breaths to calm herself. Out of the corner of her eye, Elena can see the two men exchange worried looks. "Forgive me... yes, it is I. You remember well, madam Elena."
"I'm glad. Are you well?"
"... Very well, considering we're so far from home. Have you, um... have you settled in yet?
"I was just about to! Sothe told me that this--" she gestures to the door. "--is to be my room."
Titania closes her eyes and shakes her head, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like 'Kiran', before she chuckles. "Of course... pardon us for keeping you. Boyd! Let's go." she says, and starts walking away with a wave at Elena and Sothe.
"Wha-- wait up! You don't have all this stuff to carry!"
They leave, with Titania perhaps the more rushed of the two, and the silence stretches once more.
Sothe breaks it with a nervous cough. "I guess I'll be seeing you later, ma'am?"
Elena nods, giving him a gentle smile. "I'd be glad to."
And so, he departs, and Elena is left alone with her thoughts for the first time in what feels like years.
She finally enters the room, and it is surprisingly well-furnished for being part of a barracks in all but name. A couple of beds lie on each side of the room, with wardrobes and desks, a chair next to the window, and a soft carpet.
"Hmm..." she murmurs to herself, looking at the second bed as she lies down. "I guess it makes sense that people might share rooms at some point."
The bed is comfortable, and after the day she's had, Elena falls asleep within moments.
Hours later, after a truly restful sleep, Elena is woken up by gleeful shouting from outside.
Rubbing her eyes, she opens the door to take a look at what's happening, and is nearly bowled over as a blur of three people stacked on top of each other runs past her.
A moment later, the door of the neighboring room opens and she hears grumbling.
"The kids at it again? Blessed Ashera... where do they find the energy?"
Elena looks back at the zooming tower of people that disappears around a corner and chuckles. "Is it always like this?"
When the person takes in an audibly sharp breath, Elena realizes her mistake and goes into the corridor. "Oh, forgive me for startling you. I just arrived yesterday and moved into this room. May I introduce myself?"
The person says nothing, and doesn't go outside. Elena frowns, and goes over to the door to see who--
Oh.
Well, she'd have to be quite out of her mind to not recognize her own husband, plentiful age lines and new scars notwithstanding. She puts a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
"My, Gawain... you're here as well? You look so dignified! Who tied you down and made you look presentable?"
His only response is to stagger back as if he was just struck.
Concern takes over instantly, and Elena goes inside. "What is wrong? You look..."
She trails off because It is then, her eyes wide, that she notices he is trembling.
The next moment she is being hugged as if his very life depends on it.
This kind of thing is painfully familiar, and she hugs back just as fiercely. He nearly--nearly--starts sobbing, she can feel it, but he just holds on for what feels like hours.
When he does let go, he pulls back and Elena sees for the first time not just grief, but also wonder.
"Honey..." he rasps out.
"Yes, Gawain?"
"It'd be typical of me to dream this, but... you're here?"
"... To tell the truth, I was quite disbelieving myself when I was pulled from our home and told that people needed my help here, but... here I am."
He chuckles wearily, and Elena takes it as a small victory.
She continues on. "The Summoner also told me all about how... confusing everything can get. I... I know I'm probably not your Elena, nor are you my Gawain, but... we are us, aren't we?"
He nods."Yes... yes, we are," he whispers. "I'm just-- I'm glad I can see you again, for even a moment. After I-- after what I did..."
It takes but a moment to realize what he means. "Oh... oh, darling..." she whispers, and they lean into each other again. "What happened at your home?"
"I touched it, Elena... I touched it, and everyone paid the price." he whispers brokenly. "Including you. You pried it from my hands even as I--"
Elena's blood runs cold, and she closes her eyes in grief, hugging Gawain tighter. They remain as such for yet more time, until Elena breaks the silence.
"She already forgave you the moment you were yourself again, didn't she? If your Elena is-- was anything like me, I can say that with certainty."
He chuckles weakly. "If you say so, honey."
"I do say so!"
Gawain suddenly blinks, as if he's had a realization."... Ashera, what'll the kids think?"
"Hm? Who?"
He smiles and this time it's filled with undisguised pride. "Ike and Mist are here too, you know? They're... they're amazing."
Elena's wonder is interrupted by the running footsteps from outside stopping and calling out from the room's entrance. "Huh? Father, did you say our names?" a young girl says.
She turns towards the door, and what she sees takes her breath away.
Ike is his father's son, through and through; massive and gentle all at once, with his blue hair as messy as it is at the age of six.
And sitting on his shoulders? Her daughter-- no, daughters; a young Mist, still a child of teen age, is clinging to the back of a Mist who is almost as old as Elena is, if she's right. It's like every ray of sunshine in the world was given the form of a person.
Her children are the most radiant people she's ever seen, and the pride she feels makes her want to weep.
(And no, just because she's biased doesn't mean she's wrong, thank you very much Gawain.)
In the moments Elena takes to ponder how blessed she is, the three people at the door turn their gazes at the person standing beside their father, looking at them with so much love in her gaze, and can only freeze in utter shock.
Young Mist is the first to warble out a "M-Mama?", before all three of them barge in and collapse onto Elena in a clumsy, heartfelt, and utterly desperate embrace.
"Oh, darlings... you're so big! Let me look at you." she says. "Look at you three! I always knew you were going to be as beautiful as the stars growing up."
For some reason, that sets the Mists off even more, and Elena finds herself shushing and murmuring comfort to both her daughters.
Ike just holds on tightly (so like Gawain), and breathes heavily as he tries to will himself to be the pillar of strength (so like Gawain). Elena runs her fingers through his hair, and kisses his forehead. "If I didn't know better, I'd ask if your father dyed his hair, haha... you're so like him, you know?"
He huffs, and Elena nods. "Silly question, I know... my, it's strange to think you're all so old, when you're so young to me..."
Older Mist barely manages to choke out a laugh through her tears and hiccups. "Who are you calling... old..."
Elena looks at Gawain, who also embraces her with the most wonder-struck look she has ever seen him with, and understands.
This is a sight none of the people beside her had ever thought of as possible.
And so, while this is certainly not what Elena imagined today would be like as she wandered her home in Gallia yesterday... as she finds herself under the embrace of her wonderful, wonderful children, she knows with a fiery certainty that she wouldn't want to trade this experience for anything in the world.