Chapter Text
At the center, in castle formation, was the tallest estate where Norman ruled over the Kingdom Paladin. The city had grown massively, homes were being filled with families and loved ones. It’s growth was a beautiful thing. This was home, their sanctuary, and it would continue to grow, as well as the restoration to other locations that once thrived beautifully with life. Norman’s goals were to rebuild the surrounding cities and continue to rescue people, stragglers, that were searching for hope, a new home.
That being said, the new residents would be in awe at the city and this entirely new world that they now inhabited. Life was good and they were safe and protected. Although, the first few nights might have been hard and scary for the newcomers because wild demons still existed, but they couldn’t reach the city of Paladin. Norman had many, many followers and they have all dedicated their time, and their lives to serve alongside him and protect this kingdom.
It was a massive change for the people, his people that he swore to protect and would uphold his promise to give them a life of luxury and joy until the end of their days.
Anna had moved into one of the vacant facilities with her adopted sisters, Yvette and Alicia. They cleaned and organized their new home during the day and were downright exhausted at night. This had been their schedule for the past few weeks and they were getting great results. It was becoming so comfortable and homey now. While it was different from their previous home, it felt better here. Now they could be with the people they missed so dearly.
After putting the girls down first, she went off to her own room to get ready for bed. She sat on a chair in front of a vanity with a mirror and began to undo her long, blond braids. There was a brush there, tilted slightly from how she left it that morning, and she picked it up lightly to begin brushing her hair. As she untangled the strands, she began to hum softly, occasionally closing her eyes. Though she was unaware of the lingering presence behind her as she settled herself in for the night.
It took several long seconds for her to notice him but she saw Ray’s reflection in her doorway and she froze, brush midway down her hair, mouth agape in surprise. She only looked at him in the mirror and he looked back at her. He was like a thief in the night. Agile and smooth.
“The door was unlocked.” Ray said on the quieter side so he didn’t wake the other girls in their nearby rooms.
She tilted her head down a bit, breaking their eye contact and her brushing resumed down her hair. “Maybe I left it unlocked for you.”
Ray smirked lightly and eased his way into the room. “You didn’t know I was coming tonight.” She didn’t say anything, probably feeling a little embarrassed since she hoped he’d come back soon. “You’re safe here but you should still lock up.” Ray continued as he approached her from behind and held his hand out over her shoulder.
At first, she wasn’t sure she understood what he wanted but he eventually reached for her hairbrush and gently took it from her. Ray pulled a stool up behind her and pulled her hair to the back where he started to brush it for her. For a long time, they didn’t speak and only enjoyed each other’s company.
Anna was already exhausted after relocating and it was overwhelming for her; that went for mostly everyone, especially to gradually get information about how most of their childhood and their studies had been corrupted by the government. It was so stressful to think about. But these rare moments with Ray was what she looked forward to. Even though she hadn’t seen him since they were sixteen, a little over two years ago, her feelings for him never dissipated. She thought he was dead, as well as everyone else that was sent off by the government.
It wasn’t like Ray didn’t know about her feelings. He knew about them long before he departed from their homeworld all that time ago but since he didn’t think they would ever see each other again, he couldn’t pursue anything in order to save her from any more pain she might have been feeling. It hurt him too to leave her and the rest of his family behind, even if they were still so young. Things were different now.
“I’ll see if Gilda can watch the girls tomorrow. There’s something I want you to see.” Ray finally said, breaking the silence. “I would have taken you this evening but its been a long, busy day.”
Anna was watching him in the mirror as he held her hair and brushed it so sweetly. She felt her cheeks grow warm at his gentleness and from how happy she felt that he came to see her tonight even if it was a bit later than his last few visits. “Where are we going?” She asked curiously. He stopped brushing and leaned over her shoulder.
“It’s a surprise.”
She smiled, tilting her head down again shyly but being in front of a mirror, she couldn’t exactly hide away, only avert her gaze.
“Norman can do without me for a day. After all, I’ve been taking care of him nonstop… well, I was going to say the past couple of weeks, but when I think about it, I think I’ve been taking care of him his entire life.” Ray said, laughing softly at that. “But now he has someone to take care of.”
Anna raised her gaze at him in the mirror again. “Emma?” He responded with a nod. “She seems like such a sweet girl. I’m really happy for Norman. For both of them. I hope I’ll be able to talk to Emma some more once she’s settled and comfortable.”
“Emma will really like being friends with you.” Ray said with a slight smile of relief. He was glad to be able to unite his family and friends together. Life was turning into world peace and that is what their goal was. Though they were still doing cleanup and rescue missions, they were well on their way to this achievement.
Anna was silent, her reflection blushing slightly to Ray and making him wonder if she was uncomfortable. He didn’t think he had overstepped but…
“I… I really missed you, Ray.” She said in nearly a whisper and her eyes began to tremble as they filled with tears. He stopped brushing her hair again, concern filling his own eyes. “I thought I would never see you or the others ever again.” Anna continued and Ray got up from his seat to come around in front of her. “It was a nightmare back home and it got to where I wasn’t sure if I could trust any of the adults…” At the time she was still underage. “They were always watching. Our curfews got shorter and things at the manor were even more strict.” Not a single tear had fallen yet. Despite Anna’s innocent appearance, she was tough.
Ray knelt down in front of her and reached out for her shoulders. “No one will ever control your life again. This is what we’ve been fighting for. You don’t have to fear that kind of world anymore because this is our world now and we chose freedom. We chose unity.” His hands gently came down her arms until they reached her hands that had balled into fists in her lap. He covered them lightly with his own so she would feel comforted.
She looked up into his eyes and, feeling so much emotion, reached out for him, hugging him around his neck. They ended up on the floor after that. Ray was holding her, rubbing her back gently as he felt her suppressing the urge to sob onto his shoulder. “You don’t have to hold back your emotions. You’re safe now.”
After having a few years to mature, Ray was able to be there for her and promise her that things will be fine now. Even if he had a hard time trying to get his own feelings out at times. He didn’t like to be emotional in front of anyone; it made him feel weak but he constantly worried about the ones he cared about and loved deeply.
Ray carried Anna to her bed a little later. She had, unintentionally, fallen asleep against his shoulder. He didn’t mind. He was glad that she felt safe enough to let herself drift into a deep enough sleep with him. She trusted him to protect her.
Prior to Ray stopping by, she was practically already prepped for bed in a maroon colored gown that fell a little loosely down mid thigh. It was on the short side, leaving her slender legs on display. Ray felt naughty for looking at her like that, causing him to stop for a moment and huff at his actions as a wave of heat flared his cheeks. The hair over his left eye flipped upward a bit from his exhale, leaving it slightly messy, as he cleared his head, then continued. How could he not look at her though? She was a woman now and certainly beautiful. Still beautiful.
He placed her down gently on the bed and pulled the blanket over her. She only responded with a content sigh, sleeping heavily in their newfound paradise. Ray was hesitant to leave her even if he promised he’d be back tomorrow but he knew she would be fine. Anna was strong and always okay. A little crying here and there was only what had accumulated over time and eventually, it had to be released. Ray was like her. He could only bottle it up for so long.
Ray knew she would feel better after resting and letting out some of that built up emotion would have her feeling refreshed. He knew the feeling. It was always like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders after a hard cry.
As he was leaving her home, he didn’t forget to lock the door back to ensure that she and the other girls could sleep soundly without any second-guessing.
That following morning, a single ray of light shone on her bedroom wall, though it wasn’t the ray she had hoped for. She sat up carefully, hair tousled but also adorable. Had she dreamt that Ray was here? She reached up to touch the ends of her hair, a blush spreading across her cheeks. He carried her here. She felt so happy and cared for, her smile growing as she thought about him. Ray was really sweet underneath all that sass, wasn’t he?
She felt well rested and got up to sit in front of her mirror again to make herself look more presentable, also taking the time to fix her hair back into two long braids that draped over her shoulders. After dressing in comfortable, casual attire, she laced up her boots and began to ponder about where Ray was going to take her today and what time? He never gave times. Always just unexpectedly showed up. But she secretly loved that and everything mysterious about him. It was Ray’s surprises that made her excited and weak in the knees at the same time.
Coming out into the hallway, she met with Yvette who was rubbing her face with a towel from the washroom. Alicia was still waking herself up.
“Good morning, Anna!” Yvette cheerfully exclaimed.
“Good morning, girls.” Anna gave the smaller girl head pats before walking past her. “Are you hungry? Lets go down to the garden and see what’s going on today.” She smiled and peeked into Alicia’s room. “Come on, Alicia.” She taunted her in a different tone of voice to get her to hurry up. It worked and Alicia was scrambling around to get ready, also earning a smile from Anna.
As the three girls headed outside together, Yvette turned and looked up at her taller sister. “So Anna, I had a dream that Ray came to visit us.”
The sudden mention of Ray caught her off guard and she felt the heat flood to her cheeks. “Did you now?” Though she still tried to play it off as if she wasn’t a little flustered. Had Yvette heard them talking last night? Hopefully, she didn’t hear her crying. She didn’t want to worry them.
“Yeah! Isn’t Ray so cool?” Yvette ran ahead, her hyperactiveness activating.
Anna giggled at her enthusiasm. “Absolutely.”
Nat was also taking some kids to the garden this morning so it appeared. Alicia then wanted to get involved when she saw the other boys that were her age and ran to greet them next to Yvette.
“Hey, Anna.” Nat said politely, waving her over to their little group. Some of the smaller boys ran up to her and hugged her so sweetly.
“Good morning everyone.” Anna hugged all of those boys and even Nat since he insisted. It was okay though because she loved all of them like her brothers.
They continued to mingle in the garden for a while longer, making light chatter and meeting some of the other residents that she hadn’t become acquainted with yet. This community was very kind to one another and everyone wanted to help out and make sure that they were taken care of no matter what. Anna understood that most of all. She always wanted to look after the younger ones. To keep them safe, sheltered, fed, and most importantly, loved.
The kids ended up playing more than helping gather the fruit and vegetables. Anna and Nat did most of the sorting with the help of the elders that were also taking care of their fresh produce.
“Hey, Anna! Nat!” Gilda said and was nearly smothered by all the kids as she entered the short, picket fence gate. “Ow, careful.” She said to them, patting most of their heads.
“Oh, Gilda, hey,” Anna answered and made her way over to her. “How are you today?”
“I’m doing just fine. And I hope you’re doing well too because you’re being summoned.” Gilda said, smiling so much that her eyes were closed.
“Summoned? Is everything okay? No one’s hurt, right?” Anna was a little worried due to Gilda’s choice of words.
“Hm? Oh nonono! Everyone is fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound like a negative thing. Ray sent me. Asked me if I could free up my day to watch the girls until dusk. He never asks for anything so I know this is important.” Gilda reached out to ruffle Dominic’s hair. “I couldn’t think of any other way I’d rather spend my day than with a bunch of kiddos.”
Anna tilted her head downward, feeling that warm feeling again accompanied by the butterflies in her stomach. “Thank you. Did he say where he would like to meet?”
“I assume he meant at headquarters, or I guess you could say Norman’s place.” Gilda said.
“I can take you. I was heading back that way myself.” Don was walking along the outside of the fence but had stopped to join the conversation and of course to offer any assistance. “Was out doing a little patrolling to make sure you kids weren’t stirring up trouble.” He said jokingly towards the younger ones, but he was the only thing stirring them up. They laughed and argued with him playfully, just being kids as they should be.
Anna smiled at them having fun together and gave him a nod. “That would be wonderful.” She looked over in the direction of where the clustered homes began to thin out. The city’s center was that way, right? She still wasn’t familiar with the new location so a guide was necessary so she wouldn’t get lost.
Nat tried to ask questions and get into their business but Gilda distracted him by picking a fight, calling him nosey. Of course, he retorted back to defend himself and, thanks to that intervention, Anna was able to slip away with Don amidst all the arguing and children laughing.
When Anna saw the front of the building, this historically beautiful structure, she couldn’t help but gaze upon it in awe. This is where Norman resided and watched over the kingdom that he rebuilt. She saw it once before from this same exact spot but she hadn’t been inside.
“You coming?” Don asked since she was trailing behind.
She quickly caught up to him. “Yeah, sorry. This place is really amazing.” Her gaze still looked from left to right to admire the architecture and design.
There was a grand hall that led to a throne room but Don took her around it so she didn’t get to see it that well. Was Norman really like a king now? He definitely fit the role after entering adulthood but Anna also remembered him from when they were much younger, when Norman was still pretty innocent and also catching too many colds that affected his health.
Laughter and the sound of boots squeaking against the polished floor were heard up ahead. Phil was running, so full of energy in the morning and Emma was right behind him chasing him. She was clearly giving him space to stay ahead.
“Don’t run after breakfast!” Emma shouted to him but her pace slowed when she saw Don and Anna approaching from down the hall. She changed her path and ran straight up to them with the biggest smile ever across her face. “Hi, it’s so good to see you both again!” She was more so talking to Anna since she saw Don more often doing his part in assisting the kingdom’s ongoing renovation.
Anna and Emma had only met one time before and that was when Anna was first brought here a few weeks ago. Time was moving right along so it seemed.
“It’s great to see you again too, Emma.” Anna happily greeted her back. Phil had backtracked now that Emma had stopped chasing him and immediately started charging at Anna. “Phil, how are you?” She opened her arms to him and he dived in for a big hug. All of the children would still see each other regularly but due to space and how things were still being organized, they lived in different areas of the kingdom. That wouldn’t be the case forever though.
“Anna, did you come to see the castle today?” Phil asked looking up at her pitifully.
She kept smiling at how adorable Phil was, now a bit taller but with the same energy. Only when she inhaled to respond, she was interrupted by another presence.
Norman.
Down the aisle, he silently looked this way and that way, seemingly confused with his hands on his hips until his eyes fell on the four of them. There was that relieved look. Of course, he was looking for Emma.
“Ah, there you are.” Norman said as he started that way towards them, Zazie trailing behind him like a loyal bodyguard. It amazed the others how Norman could run an entire kingdom and still keep up with Emma. It was the same amount of work.
Emma turned around upon hearing his voice, smiling brightly at him. “Norman, look who’s here!”
“Anna,” Norman came right up to her. “How are you settling in? I’m so sorry I haven’t been more involved with you, Nat, and the other kids. I really miss how things used to be.” She was smiling up at him, understanding how busy he was with everything. He was carrying a lot of pressure. “As soon as things are a bit more organized here, I plan on throwing a reunion festival for everyone. It will be nice to have everyone back together again in the same place.”
“Finally home.” Anna answered, feeling so blessed right now to be able to live alongside everyone again in a happier environment. “I look forward to our future gatherings together.”
Norman was happy they were able to talk but his attention was quickly drawn back to Emma who was still at his side. “Did you eat without me?” He reached out towards her and cupped her cheek, letting his fingers slide into the softness of her orange hair.
Her face flushed immediately at how Norman was not afraid to show how much he cared even in front of others. It was so sweet.
“Mayyyybe?” Emma teased him a bit and reached up to his hand that was holding her face, cuddling against it.
These two were so grossly in love with each other that it made Ray want to throw up. On the opposite end of the hall, he stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. He thought about exposing himself a moment ago but decided to stay put when all that lovey-dovey stuff started.
Eventually, to get them to cut it out, he cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him, Anna, shyly looking away from him before looking back again. She had gotten to where she would grow really nervous around him despite knowing him for so many years. They had been playmates together basically, but now as adults, she couldn’t help the attraction she felt for him. Her feelings only amplified since their reunion and the small things that Ray did for her, she loved him for that.
But she did not want to scare him away with how deeply she felt about him. Did he really know how strong her feelings were for him? Or how much she held back in order to not ruin things between them?
She wouldn’t put it past him…
He did know.
“Jeez,” Ray muttered, deciding to cut in before he got sick.
Norman turned to give him a playful glare. “And where have you been all morning?”
“With Nigel. I need to borrow the star cruiser.”
Star cruiser? Anna looked up at him with a curious expression.
Norman was hesitant to give him a nod of approval. “Please be careful, wherever you go. Always be back before nightfall.” Wild demon activity was greatly increased as the sun went down.
“Yeah, yeah,” Ray said, knowing that Norman was just worried for his safety. Norman didn’t say as much as he wanted to because he knew that Ray could handle it. And… until now, he was skeptical of what Ray and Anna’s relationship was but he knew he would never put her in harm's way. So, he assumed that if he asked a lot of questions, he thought he might upset Ray or fluster him. Any other time he would enjoy picking on him like that but right now he just wanted to spend his morning with Emma so he let his friend off incredibly easy.
“Ray,” Norman said, worry lacing his voice but with the right amount of seriousness.
Ray let out an exaggerated exhale. “Norman, it’s going to be fine. We’ll be out for just a few hours.”
Norman decided to leave it at that. He trusted Ray to be careful, especially with Anna.
“Stay safe!” Emma added as the other two dispersed from the group. Anna turned to follow behind Ray, having no idea what to expect but she was intrigued. If they were leaving the kingdom, this would be the first time she had seen this world in all its beauty since their arrival.
“Do you have your Garment Grid?” Norman called after him, only confirming his concern for their safety even more. Ray only raised a hand as a response, something small but visible in his palm. It must have been what Norman wanted him to have then as he settled with a light smile before giving his undivided attention to Emma.
There was silence between them for a bit, both typically quiet people by nature but Anna was expecting Ray to say something eventually about what they were going to do today. They descended the staircase and made their way to the bridge that connected Paladin to the Calm Lands of Gran Pulse. The bridge was extremely high up, crossing over a wide river that surrounded the kingdom. Anna was a little out of her comfort zone, looking down instead of straight ahead. But when she lifted her eyes, Ray was there, hand extended to her and obviously catching on that she was wary of the bridge. She looked at his hand and slid her own into his. It felt nice to touch him.
“Sorry I couldn’t come get you myself this morning. Put you through all that nonsense.” Ray started by saying and began to walk with her across the bridge, slightly in front. “It’s worse if you look down, you know?”
“Ah, right.” She straightened her posture and only looked in front of her. “Not nonsense at all. I got to see Don and Phil, even Norman and Emma too. It was nice. Also got to see a little bit of the castle so it was worth it.”
“You are welcome at HQ anytime to visit with anyone you’d like. No need for an invitation. Would you like to see more of it sometime?” Ray asked, side glancing at her.
“Yes, I would.” Anna smiled cheerfully up at him, not even realizing how far they’ve gone along the bridge thanks to the distracting conversation. Ray was unintentionally distracting regardless.
As they approached the end of the bridge, Nigel was there at the gate and Gillian was propped up against the so-called star cruiser.
“That’s…” Anna asked, looking over to Ray.
“A star cruiser. It’s like a bike, but better. And faster.” He answered her.
She became anxious but she just had to remember that she was with Ray and that he knew what he was doing. Besides, she had heard the stories of how well Nigel was with machines and how he maintenced an airship for a long time while on their many adventures.
Nigel was kneeling next to the cruiser, hands busy with something internally. “Oh, welcome back Ray. Hey Anna. Going for a ride I assume?” He turned around to smile at her before standing up and dusting his hands off on his pants.
“I um… suppose so.” She replied quietly.
“Man, you better be glad that old man isn’t here to stop you guys. He would not be happy about you leaving the kingdom so soon.” Nigel said to Ray, crossing his arms over his chest.
Ray knew exactly which old man Nigel was talking about. Thankfully that guy was busy on the airship for the next week, assisting Lucas and a small crew that included Oliver and Violet as well. Nigel only stayed behind to make sure nothing went down that wasn’t something a townsman couldn’t fix. He was the best maintenance around, no doubt.
“Well, good thing he’s not here to try and stop me.” Ray cracked a smile because Nigel was right. He would be throwing a fit about this. That man cared more about them than anyone and he showed them how much he did through his aggressive and obnoxious behavior.
Nigel looked over at Anna and could see the noticeable look of concern on her face. “Don’t worry, I got this baby up and going a long time ago so it's going to run right. Only thing you need to worry about is Ray’s driving.”
Ray threw him a glare but a smirk crossed his face. “So Anna, you gotta good grip or what?”