Kain Farrow sits inside the Guild Hall, bored out of his skull. His sister still recovering after Serah's exam. Cana had opted for a period of relaxation and reflection, perhaps it's for the best. Afterall, she hasn't had a fight like that since her own exam.

Given her physical condition, she could have accepted healing magic. No, she should have. Her recovery would be relatively painless, and expedited considerably. Though, she refused it altogether as there's no lesson in it. One of the maxims she held from their previous guild, The Garden of Geerthen.

'The injured without injury is as a lesson without learning.'

Still, it has left him with a rather peturbed taste in his mouth. The strength difference, for one. Serah is no push-over, but the way she shrugged off each blast. Then there's how Cana's power is at the height of C Rank, much above his own. Even when they spar together, despite holding a clear advantage over her through his Ice Attribute, she still beats him handily.

Not to mention there's the detail about her skill set. Sure, it's given that she could have had a more aggressive approach. She could have pushed Serah into her territory, prevented her from free movement. Perhaps even placed the mine field around her opponent instead.

But regardless, for Cana to nearly lose a fight against someone she had a clear advantage over is..

 "It's insane.."

Serah's movements. They were aimless. They had no rhyme nor reason. No rhythm.

Not only that, but her resistance to Cana's flames.. Hot enough to rip oxygen out of the air. How she wasn't lit aflame is beyond his understanding. It's almost like her resistances increased by the second. As if every blow she received made her stronger.

Cana slides next to him, as he sits deep in thought. She's topless, save for the bandages holding her torso together. Her white hair slides on along her soft, tanned back as she rests her body with her arms folded on the table.

 "Thinking is a good look for you.

She winces as each syllable is made. The vibration of the air escaping alone enough is to cause pain.

 "What are you doing out of bed?"

 "Bored. Cabin fever."

 "Same."

She raises an eyebrow.

 "You don't have to stay here. You can always take a job or two. Bring Mika with you, she could use a distraction."

Mika had seldom been seen since she finished her exams.

 "No need. I still have that promise to keep."

 "You sentimental jerk. I don't care if you go on without me."

 "I do."

Cana scoffs playfully, though his words ring sincere.

 "Even when I get married, and have kids? You gonna do that with me, too?" She jokes, but the idea still pleads a truth. While they were up-and-comers they would plan their lives out. Fantasizing about the future, who they could become.

One childhood fantasy would be Kain standing by his sister, protecting her. It's his 'duty,' as the older brother. It wasn't for a few years that Cana would find out for herself that this wasn't some goofy idea. Ever since, she would make fun of her brother for it.

 "In seperate rooms, obviously."

It never was enough to change his attitude. Wholly disregarding how his responses would sound, and the slight twinges in her expression.

 "You do realise, if that ever happens, you're being boiled alive. Right?"

 "Oh I count on it."

 "What-"

She clasps her side. Her eyes clenched shut, a sliver of a gasp escapes her clenched teeth.

 "Not too late to visit the infirmary."

 "Y'know what, I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I will. Perhaps they'll have something to take the edge off."

 "That's not-"

 "I know, dumbass."

 "Hey!"

He barks an angry reply.

She slowly turns around, taking special care not to break another rib. They stare at each other.

 "I love you."

She snickers

 "I love you too, bro."

After a few moments, he can't take the solitude any more. Unable to let himself go do something productive, he heads to the dormitories in the North Wing. Counting the doors on the right-hand side, he stops at 9.

Gently, he taps on the door in a rapid pattern.

- knock - knock - knockknock-

A whispery "come in" is heard on the other side.

Kain slowly opens the door, as to not make too much noise. It's the middle of the day, and no one is around, but he doesn't want to potentially disturb anyone all the same.

Inside is the Serah and Mika. The former lays in bed, sound asleep. Fresh scars layer her body, healed by high level magic. The latter sits by her side, on the floor. She holds her sister with one hand, and a brand new bronze medallion in the other, which she had won just two days prior.

 "Hey, Mika, how's she doin."

Mika's melancholy showers the room. Serah hadn't woken since her collapse, the only movement she is party to is whenever Mika has to flip her over to prevent bed sores. The kind she, herself, is familiar with.

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 "She needs to bathe soon."

Her eyes well up, the grease in her hair and wrinkled clothing is sign enough she hasn't been taking care of herself. The only concern she has, lies right in front of her.

Kain never bothered to be concious of others, he always assumed they were taking ample steps to keep themselves happy and healthy. Of body and mind.

Though, something seemed amiss. Mika would always clean up after herself when eating, her clothes always nice and tidy, and her hair thoroughly combed. Serah was quite the opposite. It's as if he stood staring into a mirror world.

 "Have you eaten today?"

She shrugs her shoulders and grunts.

He'd never been any good at this sort of thing. Bygones be bygones, let them sort themselves out.

Mika doesn't notice Kain leaving, her eyes barely leaving Serah's strange slumbering face. Her chest still heaves with each breath, that's good. Her lips aren't dry, that's good. There's even a spot of drool. That's good, too.

Last night the Guild had beef stew. The smell so potent it could might as well stain the sheets, she rests her head for some rest. She pops in and out of dreams, like memories. She imagines herself in the Guild Hall, with Serah, having supper, wondering if she'll ever see her smile again.

The clinking of utensiles on plates grows louder, and the smell of the stew fills her nostrils. It's such a vivid dream, that grants her temporary relief.

 "Hey, sorry to wake you. I brought you something to eat."

Kain has 3 platters of food ready, one just for her.

Hesistantly, she removes her hand from Serah's.

 'It's just for a moment'

She sits up and fixes herself on a chair. The bags under her eyes tell a story words never could, her sluggish movement inbibes the end is nowhere near.

 "Here."

Kain slides the platter on Mika's lap, and places another on Serah's vanity. It had been cleaned recently. Turning to Mika's, out of curiosity. It is covered in dirty clothes and a thin layer dust.

He shakes his head.

 "You don't need to worry so much about her."

The spoon in her mouth bends slightly. Threatening to snap. Her eyes sharp enough to kill.

 "What do you know?"

 "I have a sister, too, you know. She's in bad shape as well?"

The eyes soften again.

 "Oh. Cana. How is she?"

 "Walking, but just barely."

Kain shoves some potato in his mouth.

 "How'd she do it?"

Mika stops chewing, a gob of carrot held in her cheek.

 "Do what?"

 "She nearly beat Cana. I've been thinking about it all day, it just doesn't make sense. You and Serah are intense, don't get me wrong. But.."

 "There's just no way, I know."

The two sit in silence, eating.

 "Why are you here, Kain?"

Her face lies blank, a symptom of fatigue or emotional indifference one would struggle to tell. Her bowl sits emptied, and just a few crumbs of bread remain.

 "Well, that's a question. It's probably cause no one has seen you in three days, and I needed something to do."

He pokes his spoon towards the disheveled girl.

 "Besides, you look like shit. So I was thinking, someone has to watch Serah while you take care of yourself."

She drops her untensil with a loud clang.

 "I will not leave you here, alone, with my sister."

 "Cana would probably like to visit, she'll be here with me. I'll go grab her, you go take a bath. You stink."

 "Fuck you, Kain."

 "You're welcome."

Kain offers an open palm, Mika places the empty tray in his hand and he gentle takes it away.

 "That's for Serah. You better not take it." He says, directing attention to the third tray.

He winks with a sly grin.

Her sneer follows him, until he turns around the corner. She takes a moment, once he is far away, to sniff herself.

 "..Doesn't mean he should've said that.."

She takes a cloth and moistens it, then applies it to Serah's face. Cleaning her softly and thoroughly. For the first time in days, she has a sense of relief.

Kain and Cana come back and visit Serah, whose condition remains unchanged. They tell stories while Mika spends her free time cleaning up her room.

Her demeanor improving, as she finally gets to distract herself with something other than worry.

Serah's body lays motionless, but her mind does not. Her dreams are imbibed with memories she'd much rather forget. Happy memories of her father, the bastard that abandoned them. Even taking a silver lining to his betrayal still left them on a road to suffering, no matter how brief.

If it wasn't for him, Mika would never had been left out in the cold, tending to a fire she had no strength to maintain. Never forcing Serah out for food and firewood. It was a miracle they even survived outside of their home of Candes. Armed with a bow and Rubium arrows-- special arrows that allow a hunter of any level to take down small game-- Serah was able to modestly defend the two of them from wildlife.

Rubium arrows felt like an electric shock to large creatures. Designed to allow normal people to harm those blessed with a Magicka, they use a Mage's own mana against them. Deemed mostly ineffectual, they found application in the early days in Elysia.

Enough of these could potentially bring down a beast like a borebus -- a beast with long arms and short legs, with the head of swine, covered in fur.

Though, any ranger lucky enough to survive that long with such a limited arsenal would be better served by fleeing.

She tracks a small animal through the brush. Despite her knowing she wore a small, tight brown tunic, her mind has decided her youngerself dressed nearly identical to what she would wear now. A detail she recognises, but soon accepts.

Slight impressions mark the grass, just enough for a keen eye to follow. Eerily quiet, the only thing Serah hears is her own breath and heartbeat. Paying special care to avoid much of the duff. A snapping twig could have her surrender hours of time she no longer has.

She knocks an arrow. Carefully stretching the bow limbs back, the head of her arrow lies in rested against the mount. The arrows's fletching rests against the string held between her fore and middle fingers, rested against her cheek.

It's let loose, and tags the large rodent.

If there's any use he had, her father teaching her the bow and the hunt is a small silver lining she wouldn't have much issue swallowing.

She slides some rope around its body. Securing it around the foremost shoulders, and pulling it tightly. Serah struggles with her quarry, but it eventually yields and starts to move. They won't be starving today. Not if she could help it.

She tries her best to avoid making noise, but there's only so much you can do at this point.

Resting for a moment, she takes in her surroundings. The trees she had marked tell the way. She'll be back soon. Then they can continue to Elysia.

What was she thinking, bringing Mika outside of Candes.. It wasn't very often she would be seen outside of bed, beyond being bathed by their mother or being carried to use the toilet. Her fever was part and parcel to life in their small colony, it wasn't until they were 14 till she had broken out of being sick nearly every waking moment. The same year their Magicka, would have, awakened.

As she pulls on the rope, a woman giggles. The laughter bounces every which way across the trees.

 "Hello?"

Her greeting is ignored. As soon as it arrives, it's gone. Signs of life are nonexistant. Standing in silence for what seemed like only a few moments, the sun had started to set. She had been in the forest for too long. She needed to get back.

The clouds above had turned dark, a rolling thunder sounds off in the distance. On the horizon, rain so thick it's visible to the naked eye. She can't let Mika get caught in that.

She musters as much strength as she can, moving at a pace her stamina cannot maintain. Still, endeavours to return as promised.

Once again, laughing bounces off the canopies. Something digs into the back of her mind, but she has no time to be distracted. Before long, she's out of the thicket, only to be wrenched backwards.

A borebus stands before her, in avarice, it not only wants her kill, but her as well.

Rolling to avoid its crushing blow, she lays on her back and unleashes a volley of arrows into it. They each bounce off its hide. Her bow is simply not strong enough, it's not one an adult would use, as it's quite a bit smaller.

Forced to abandon, she clambers away attempting to run. Searing pain runs down her back as her back is splayed open to the bone. The borebus nearly tore her spineout with the swing. The shock of the blow knocks her out completely. The last thing she hears is the borebus, and fading laughter.

She awakes, still breathing. Soaked, and in blinding pain, but alive. She no longer sits on the forest floor, instead on solid stone. Her first waking thoughts are of her sister, but to her relief and infinitely rising confusion, she lays next to her.

Serah looks around, a fluttering banner catches her increasingly heavy eye.

A black hand, holding the four primary elements of air, water, earth, and fire.

The door creaks open as a pair of large boots climb towards her, as she buries her face in the hard, drenched steps.