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He wasn't sure how it happened, or even when.
Maybe it was when she asked if he was alright when he made a fool of himself by falling off the carousel's horse.
Or maybe it was when she ‘whooped’ with joy when she realized the bridge to the Garden of Innocence needed a running start.
Or perhaps it was when she cheekily turned to him with a Primal Stone grin and declared, “I was joking. You can smile a Primal Smile!”
He just knew that it did.
Terrestrius’s words haunted him, and it was that very realization that made the Earthblood Elf abandon their cause…but now, alone and without distraction, the full truth hit him - and it struck a very distinct nerve in his body.
Once the Moon Primal Stone had completed its journey, Claudia pulled the artifact into her hands and plopped onto the ground. She was clearly conflicted - likely mourning what had just happened between her and Terrestrius, and trying to process it all.
She clutched the Moon Primal Stone in her lap, and once again pondered aloud, “Is it worth it?”
And just like that, his mind’s eye conjured up an image , and he was suddenly transported to another time, another memory, where he was comforting another little girl eons and eons ago.
“My little unicorn…tell Daddy, what troubles you?”
Leola sat on the bare grass, deflated and wallowing in her own self pity. She noisily sniffed and rubbed her grubby arm through the snotty ick, wiping it on her sleeve. Aaravos made a mental note to let the bad habit pass this time - it was not the moment to practice high manners.
“His finger,” the little elf said simply.
“Who's?” The Startouch Elf replied. “Dante, the human boy you were playing with?”
“Yes,” she sniffed again, the tears welling up fresh and wet in her eyes. “His FIN-GER,” she repeated loudly, pronouncing each syllable as though he were deaf.
Now Leola stood up, waving her hands up and down in a steady rhythm, like she always did to pacify herself.
Aaravos knelt down and brought her close into an embrace. “Tell me,” he soothed, meticulously keeping his voice even and patient. “Explain what happened to Dante's finger.”
Leola inhaled deeply, squeezed her eyes tight and emitted a wail.
“I THINK I BROKE IT!”
“You did not,” Aaravos assured her, now cuddling his daughter close when sobs wracked her body.
“I DID,” she insisted. Another deep breath. Another wipe on the sleeve. “We were playing Hot Rocks and one fell and it got CRUSHED and HE RAN AWAY!”
“Leola, it's okay ,” he told his daughter. “It was an accident. And if it’s truly broken, it will heal in time.”
Her little cries slowed down, and Leola rubbed at her eyes furiously. Her fingers continued open and close as she settled. “Why do…” her little voice sang out, “Why do humans get hurt so bad?” she suddenly asked. “Why can’t they heal quickly like us?”
It was such a pure and innocent question, and Aaravos smiled despite his melancholic daughter. She was just like that - so benevolent , so caring for others - and it truly melted his heart. “Humans,” he began, “are not as resilient as elves. We are similar, but their bodies are one thing that sets us apart.” He gently brushed damp, sticky hair away from her face. “That is why we must be kind to them. We must show compassion to those who need it in order to truly appreciate what we have.”
Leola’s lip quivered, but that seemed to calm her. She buried her head into her father’s torso, leaving stains of tears and snot on his pristine clothing, but Aaravos didn’t mind.
“I wish we could help them,” Leola murmured into his tunic.
Aaravos held his daughter close as he comforted her. He was so proud of his daughter’s gentility and warm-heartedness, he nearly forgot the whole purpose of this conversation was to make her feel better. “ Your kindness does help them, little one,” he assured her. “That is why you have so many human friends. They love to be in your presence.”
This elicited another sniff from Leola. “I don’t think Dante will be my friend anymore - - “
“Leola!!!!”
At that precise moment, a young boy came running up to the duo. Once he saw Aaravos, he slowed and approached with caution, his eyes hesitantly eyeing the Startouch Elf with weariness.
But Aaravos smiled warmly. “Young man, is your name Dante?”
“Yes,” the boy said, and there was some visible relief in his face. “I wanted to show Leola.” He then held up a bandaged finger. “Look!”
The little elf turned away from her father’s embrace, and went to study the extended digit. Her gaze shifted from the finger to the boy and back again. “I didn’t crush it?”
“No!” the boy said happily. He wiggled the finger for good measure. “My momma said it’s just a little scratch. I’m okay!”
As if this was the best news in the world, Leola began grinning and sniffing the remnants of her tears away. “I’m so happy !!!” She grabbed Dante in a huge hug and began giggling when the boy returned it.
Dante pulled away, and then proposed, “You wanna come play?”
Leola turned to her father - who nodded and gave permission - and then joined the boy in running towards the town.
“Perhaps stay away from Hot Rocks!” Aaravos called, the children’s laughter ringing happily in his ears.
Little snivels brought the Startouch Elf back to the present.
While in his reflection, Claudia had begun silently weeping. As the seconds ticked by, tears slid down the sides of her face and snot began leaking from her nose.
Claudia found Aaravos’ gaze, and wiped the ick away with her sleeve.
The motion…struck him, subdued him, pained him.
But …
It touched and warmed a part of his heart - a part that he thought was empty, and gone.
Leola was gone. The cruel reality was that his sweet, innocent child was dead.
But somehow… somehow, she returned to him.