Thank you all so much for your comments! I really appreciate all of them! I just have a couple things to say in response to Tael...
- After Alphonse second awakening the "Black Dragon of Apocalypse" was killed without much trouble. I also wonder how you're going to write the fight with Maladus if Alphonse is already that strong.
You don't have to worry about that. There's no way I'd make the fight with Malladus so anti-climactic.
- The dragon wasn't that doom-bringing or apocalyptic at all. I really expected more. A reason for this is probably that the Acnologia was defeated nearly perfectly. No "good one" died. Alphonse, Zelda and Layla are wounded and that was it.
The reason for that is because I
need Regret, Layla, and Zelda for the future chapters. And it's not like I don't kill off any "good" characters. Rena and Oz died, after all.
That's all I wanted to say. Up next is the special Anniversary Chapter! Today marks exactly one year since I posted this story, so to celebrate, I wrote this special chapter. It's taken me over a month to write it, and it's the longest single chapter I've ever written. It's 22 pages long in Google Docs, so... I hope you read the whole thing regardless of how long it is. And I hope you enjoy it and tell me what you think of it. I've worked really hard on this, after all.
Stirred awake by the sunlight filtering into his room from the window, the young boy lazily raised himself up to a sitting position in his bed. He let out a wide yawn, and his disheveled dark brown hair shook a little while he stretched. His sleepy golden eyes moved to look into the sunlight and squinted.
Outside the window, the boy could see a myriad of different shades of green. He could see light green grass carpeting the ground on the other side of the wooden wall, a few trees which were visible out of the vast forest, and a couple of chirping birds fluttering about. The trees were full of dark green leaves of all shapes and sizes. They seemed as infinite as the stars in the night sky.
Among these morning sounds from the outside world, the boy could also hear faint noise from somewhere within the house. Before long, a soft aroma wafted into the room. After taking in the delicious scent, the boy deduced it was bacon and eggs.
Dressed in a small gray sweatshirt and light blue pajama bottoms, the boy wiped the sleep from his eyes and hurriedly hopped out of the bed. He opened the door and entered the living room. He’d just left one of the two patient rooms of the small cabin, which was serving as his bedroom for the time being. From the living room, there were three doors he could take. One lead to a study and bedroom, another lead to the other patient room, and the last lead to the kitchen.
It was obvious the smell of breakfast was coming from the kitchen, and so were the noises he’d heard earlier. The boy grasped the silver door knob and turned cautiously. He slowly eased the door open, but felt hesitant about opening it all the way. The boy was feeling nervous, since this was his first day living in this house, and he didn’t want to feel like he was intruding or doing anything out of place.
Despite feeling nervous and conflicted, the boy still decided to push the door open all the way. He stood in the threshold and took in the sight of the kitchen; the wooden table in the center of the room, the cupboards that lined the walls, and the counter where a woman with scarlet hair stood cooking.
Upon hearing the door open, the woman turned her head to face the boy, and smiled broadly upon seeing him.
“Good morning, Alphonse!” she greeted him cheerfully. “Did you sleep well?”
Alphonse, still feeling a little nervous, nodded. “Yes, Miss Rena. The bed was really comfy.”
“Well, of course it is! It has to be comfy! I wouldn’t want my patients to complain!” she responded playfully. Then she added with a wink, “I wouldn’t want you to complain, either.”
This made Alphonse blush a little, and he approached Rena’s side with small footsteps and looked up at the counter curiously. He was six years old, and pretty short, so he couldn’t see over the counter yet.
“I’m cooking us breakfast.” Rena said. “From the way you enjoyed dinner last night, I bet you’ll love this.”
Alphonse began to feel a little awkward. It felt weird for him to be treated so kindly by someone he didn’t know well, especially since they’d met only yesterday. He wondered if she was being nice to him because she felt bad for him, but when he looked up into her eyes, he immediately perished the thought. The look in Rena’s sapphire eyes wasn’t pity, but endearment.
Alphonse had lost both of his parents yesterday when his hometown was destroyed by a Demon Lord named Vaati. He was the only survivor, since he wasn’t in the village at the time of the attack. Rena found him and took him away before Vaati could get to him. She brought him to her home and allowed him to live with her since he had nowhere else to go.
Alphonse knew very little about Rena. She’d told him she was a doctor, but other than that fact, he knew nothing else about her. He was still a little suspicious of her, but seeing the look of honest endearment in her eyes, Alphonse felt like he could trust her, and he relaxed a little.
“Breakfast is done!” Rena exclaimed.
She shut off the gas stove and carried the frying pan to the table. She scraped a few slices of bacon and a sunny-side-up egg onto a plate set on the table for Alphonse. She then scraped the remaining slices of bacon and egg onto her own plate.
“Well, have a seat.” she gestured.
Alphonse let out a small sound of compliance, and pulled out the chair in front of his side of the table. He hopped up onto it, and scooted forward until he was close enough to the table. Rena sat in the chair on the opposite side of the table.
Next to the plate, a napkin was set, as well as a fork and a knife, and a glass of orange juice. Alphonse felt his stomach grumble, and his mouth watered as he gazed upon the morsels in front of him.
“Well, dig in!” Rena encouraged with a smile.
Alphonse nodded excitedly. “Thank you!”
He grabbed the fork and knife in his hands, and cut into the egg. He stabbed the piece he cut off with his fork and shoved it into his mouth. The flavor that filled up his mouth was incredible. Alphonse had never eaten an egg cooked so expertly. He gulped it down, and let out a large breath before he continued to tear into the food. Rena watched him eat with a satisfied expression on her face, resting her chin on top of her coupled hands. She began to eat, as well.
The Hero of Spirits: Anniversary Chapter
Days With Rena
After gulping down the last of his orange juice, Alphonse let out a satisfied sigh as he leaned back in his chair. Resting his hand on his stomach, he breathed the words, “That was delicious...”.
“I’m glad you liked it.” Rena said. “Don’t worry about the dishes; I’ll take care of them. You can go outside and play if you’d like.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Alphonse said gratefully.
Alphonse leapt down from the chair and scurried outside of the cabin. Closing the front door behind himself, Alphonse took in the site of Rena’s front yard.
Rena’s cabin was located at the edge of a small clearing in the woods of the Forest Realm, and it was close to a town called Mayscore. Alphonse had never been this far away from his hometown Aboda Village before, and he was eager to explore.
Surrounded by tall trees on all sides, the woods around the small boy seemed infinite. Having only known the small seaside village on the southwestern shore of this country, Alphonse had no idea how vast this world truly was. Staring up at the sky, Alphonse began to wonder what else was out there waiting for him. He decided that some day, he was going to see it all.
As he breathed in the fresh air and admired the lush foliage and greenery that surrounded him, Alphonse heard the door open behind him. He turned his head back to see Rena.
“Whatcha’ doing?” she asked.
“Nothing.” he answered plainly.
“Well, what do you want to do?” she asked.
“I dunno.” he answered her.
“Well, in that case, how about I take you to see Mayscore?” Rena suggested. “What do you say?”
Upon hearing that he could go to a new place and see new things so soon, Alphonse became very excited, and he vigorously shook his head in agreement.
“Well then, let’s go.” Rena giggled. “It’s a bit of a long walk, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
Rena held Alphonse’s hand, and Alphonse could feel the warmth radiating from her grasp. He started to feel even more at home with her, and by this time, any suspicion he’d had of her was gone.
The two of them walked for half an hour through the forest. The whole way there, Alphonse looked around at the surroundings, overflowing with interest and curiosity. As they entered the village, Alphonse gaped at the sights.
The beautiful greens of spring coated the tree tops that surrounded the village. The dozens of wooden homes and buildings that made up the village were surrounded by many people. Mayscore was bigger than Aboda Village, so Alphonse had never seen so many people in one place before.
“There are so many people...” Alphonse said in awe.
“Oh, this is nothing.” Rena told him. “You should see the capitol of this country, Hyleigh City. There’s at least five times as many people there.”
“Seriously?!” Alphonse replied in surprise. Hearing that there was a place with even more people than this, Alphonse’s curiosity leapt with excitement. “Can we go there sometime?” he asked eagerly.
“Of course.” Rena said with a smile.
“Thank you, Miss Rena!” Alphonse said happily.
She gave him a bright smile. “Now, let’s go shopping. We need to pick up a few things.” she said.
Alphonse followed Rena into Mayscore. He stayed close to her while he gazed at all the various people walking around the village. In actuality, there were only around two hundred people living in Mayscore. But compared to Alphonse’s hometown, which had less than sixty people living in it, this place was a big, bustling city.
Rena stopped at a small, open-air stand in the central marketplace of Mayscore. This stand was run by a man who appeared to be close to Rena’s age. He had a somewhat rough face and dark hair. However, his soft blue eyes seemed to create a contrast with the rest of his rugged appearance. The stall this man was running was filled with lots of fruit, particularly apples.
“Hello, Rena! Good to see ya!” the man said.
“Good afternoon, Scott. I hope you’ve been doing well.” she greeted him back.
“Well, I’m gettin’ by. Wish you’d come around more often, though. You’re my favorite customer!” he said with a wink.
“Oh, please, you probably say that to everyone.” Rena replied with a laugh.
"Ack, don't go spreadin' that around!" Scott laughed. Then, Alphonse caught his eye, and he seemed somewhat surprised. “Who’s the kid?” he asked.
Alphonse perked up once he realized he was now part of the conversation. He was starting to feel a little nervous.
“This is Alphonse.” Rena said.
“Hello.” Alphonse said obligatorily in a quiet voice.
“Hi there, shortie.” Scott said with a smile.
Alphonse didn’t realize that Scott was referring to him at first, so he looked confused. Although, he quickly realized that Scott had given him a nickname, and wasn’t sure how to react to it.
“Wait a second. Rena.” Scott began. He gestured for Rena to lean in close to him, so she did. “He’s not
your kid, is he?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“Oh, goodness no.” Rena answered. “I found him after Aboda Village was destroyed. He was the only survivor, so I took him in.”
“Oh... Wow, that’s gotta be rough. Poor kid...” Scott said sadly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyway, what can I getcha?” he said, changing the subject back to business.
“Eight apples will be enough for now.” Rena told him.
“Eight apples it is!” Scott exclaimed.
After placing the fresh, red apples in a brown paper bag and handing them to Rena, Scott took the money Rena paid with and stuffed it in his pocket.
“Come back anytime!” Scott said.
“Of course.” Rena answered.
“You too, shortie. I’ll give you an apple on the house next time.” Scott added with a smile to Alphonse.
Alphonse merely nodded his head and followed Rena as she continued on through the marketplace, carrying the paper bag in her arms.
The results of their shopping were eight apples, two loaves of bread, four pounds of steak, two pounds of bacon, two dozen eggs, and two cartons of both milk and orange juice. Rena bought twice as much as she normally did in order to make sure Alphonse had enough to eat, too.
On their way out of the village, Rena carried the apples, the bacon, the eggs and the steak. They were all placed into one paper bag. Alphonse carried the bread, the milk, and the orange juice, also all placed into one bag. While they headed toward the gate of the village, they ran into a woman who was also carrying a brown paper bag. This woman turned out to be one of Rena’s friends.
“Oh, if it isn’t Rena!” she said once she saw Rena.
“Hello, Julia. Nice to see you!” Rena greeted.
“Oh, who’s this little guy? He’s so cute!” Julia exclaimed upon seeing Alphonse.
Being called cute made Alphonse feel shy, so he backed off a little, and inched closer to Rena.
“This is Alphonse. I’m going to be taking care of him for a while.” Rena explained to Julia.
“... Hello.” Alphonse said in an even quieter voice than when he introduced himself to Scott.
“Hi there!” Julia said. “He is just the cutest little thing!” she gushed.
Alphonse inched even closer to Rena. Julia’s unfiltered compliments were making him feel uncomfortable. Noticing this, Rena quickly endeavored to changed the subject.
“So, how has your friend been since he moved to Great Bay City?” Rena asked.
“Oh, Seryph? I got a letter from him the other day. He said he’d gotten a job working on a cargo ship.” Julia told her.
“Oh, that’s nice. I’m glad he’s doing well.” Rena said.
While the two of them made small talk, Alphonse felt a little dejected. He remembered a time when his mother had friends over and they sat at the kitchen table chatting for hours. Alphonse recalled feeling like he couldn’t say anything back then either.
Before long, Rena said her goodbyes to Julia, and she and Alphonse moved on. As they left Mayscore, Alphonse found himself feeling curious about some of the things they talked about.
“What is Great Bay City?” Alphonse asked.
“It’s one of the two major cities in the Ocean Realm.” Rena answered.
“Is it big?” he asked.
“Yes, I’ve heard it’s a very big city.” Rena told him.
“Can we go there sometime?”
“I don’t know. It’s pretty far.”
“Oh, okay...”
Alphonse felt a little let down. However, he quickly realized that he still had lots to explore in the Forest Realm. He thought it would be better to start with the Forest Realm since he was already in it. He could move on to see the other Realms later.
“Are you interested in traveling, Alphonse?” Rena asked him.
“Mm-hm.” he answered. “I wanna see this whole world someday.”
Rena gave him an encouraging smile. “I’m sure you will.” she said.
- 6 MONTHS LATER -
Alphonse was now seven years old. After spending six months with Rena, he’d grown accustomed to living with her. Each weekend, the two of them would walk to Mayscore to buy groceries, using the money Rena earned from her work as a doctor. During the week, Rena would teach Alphonse all kinds of things about the world. She made sure he still got a decent education. Even though Alphonse had lost his parents, with Rena’s help he was managing to live his life as best he could.
One day, Alphonse took it upon himself to go out into the forest to explore.
It was midday, and patches of bright sunlight filtered between the tree leaves. Alphonse squinted his eyes as he stared up at the sunlight, which appeared like a kaleidoscope of colors. He then continued to run through the forest, stepping over roots of trees as he dashed. He didn’t have a destination in mind. He just wanted to run. He wanted to see. He wanted to explore.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Alphonse surveyed his surroundings. He was very good with direction, so the whole time he made sure he only went straight. He knew all he had to do was turn around and walk back the way he came to get home.
After confirming that, he finished catching his breath. He started to run again, intending to go further into the forest. However, he wasn’t running for long before something caught his eye. Alphonse slowed to a stop, completely entranced with this thing. He couldn’t quite tell what it was from where he was standing, so he proceeded towards it slowly and quietly. Soon enough, it came into view. And what the innocent seven-year-old boy saw horrified him.
A man was sitting down, leaning his back against a tree. There was a sword laying in the grass next to him. He was wearing silver armor bearing a symbol Alphonse recognized as the country’s insignia on his breast. And the armor was drenched with blood.
The soldier’s right shoulder had a wound so deep it seemed as if his whole arm could be pulled right off with little effort. There was a pool of blood surrounding the soldier, staining the grass with a vibrant red.
Alphonse was so shocked by this scene he could barely let out a scream. This was the first time he’d witnessed such a bloody sight. He could only take a single step backward before falling to the ground.
A grunt could suddenly be heard. The thud sound created when Alphonse fell to the ground alerted the soldier, who was apparently not dead but just barely conscious. The soldier’s hazy blue eyes looked up and met with Alphonse’s terrified golden eyes, causing the boy to flinch. The soldier uttered one word.
“He... lp...”
This one word caused Alphonse’s mind to snap out of his current fright. This man is still alive. He needs help. Alphonse was well aware of this. But what could he do? Alphonse didn’t have any knowledge of first aid or any kind of medical practice. There was no way he could help this man. Knowing this made him angry with himself. Someone was right in front of him, in need of help, and he couldn’t do anything about it.
Alphonse decided he would not give up, and wracked his brain for answers. If he couldn’t help the man himself, he would need to find somebody who could. But the closest town to the best of his knowledge was Mayscore, and that was far away in the opposite direction, far past Rena’s home-
That was it. Rena. She was a doctor. She could help this man! Feeling invigorated and determined, Alphonse quickly sprang to his feet and rushed over to the soldier.
“I... I’m gonna get you some help! Can you stand?” he asked hurriedly.
“I’ll... try.” the soldier coughed.
Alphonse attempted to lift the man up from under his arm, and after a few moments of struggling the soldier made it to his feet.
“Hang in there. I’ll get you some help. I promise!” Alphonse said.
Practically dragging the soldier along, Alphonse struggled to support the man’s weight while he moved as fast as he could back the way he came. Alphonse was determined to get this man to Rena no matter what.
* * *
After two hours, Alphonse finally managed to reach the clearing where Rena’s cabin was located. Panting, sweating, and completely out of breath, Alphonse struggled to drag the dying soldier who’d lost consciousness an hour ago to Rena’s front door.
Without experiencing any sense of triumph for finally making it back, Alphonse rapidly knocked on Rena’s door.
“Rena! Help!” he called out as loud as he could.
Swift footsteps were heard from within the house in seconds, and the door swung open to reveal a concerned Rena.
“Alphonse, what’s wrong?!” she asked.
She seemed to have assumed Alphonse was the one in trouble after hearing him shout like that. But after seeing the bloody soldier whose unconscious body was supported by the distressed Alphonse, Rena quickly realized the situation was different from what she’d first imagined.
“Alphonse, what is...” Rena said in shock.
“You have to help this man! Please!” Alphonse cried.
Rena’s shocked look turned into burning determination within seconds. “Of course. I’ll take care of him.” she promised.
Rena took the man from Alphonse and held him up from under his arm, quickly carrying him toward the patient room. Alphonse rushed ahead and opened the door for her. Rena quickly entered the room and laid the unconscious man on the patient bed.
“Wait in the other room.” she instructed to Alphonse with a serious expression.
The worried boy simply nodded in understanding. He left the patient room and closed the door behind himself. Now all he could do was wait.
Alphonse walked through the living room, and noticed he had gotten some of the soldier’s blood on him after happening to glance at his reflection in the window. There were a few smears of blood on his cheek, and a larger stain of blood on his white jacket. Alphonse walked outside the house through the front door, and then went to the backyard. There was a large basin and a clothesline there for washing clothes.
Alphonse unzipped his bloody jacket and took it off, now wearing just a solid gray t-shirt. He went on to dunk it in the basin filled with cold water and grabbed the soap that was sitting next to the basin. He tried to get out all of the blood as best he could, but he couldn't get it all off.
I’m not as good at this as Rena.
After thinking that in his head, Alphonse dipped his right hand into the water and wiped off the blood on his cheek. He then pulled his jacket out of the basin, wrung it, and tossed it up over the clothesline. He wasn't tall enough to reach the line, so it was all he could do to throw it up and hope it landed well. Unfortunately, the jacket landed on the line in a sloppy position that was unsuitable for drying. Alphonse sighed and went back inside the house.
Closing the front door behind himself, he wandered into his bedroom. He opened the drawer on the night table next to his bed and fished out a gray sweatshirt. He pulled it over his head and fit his arms through the sleeves. He closed the drawer and wandered back into the living room. With nothing else to do, he sat down on the green couch and waited for Rena to finish fixing up the wounded man.
* * *
Over an hour had passed since Alphonse had brought the wounded soldier home. By this time, Alphonse had already nodded off while waiting on the green couch in Rena’s living room. While he was sleeping, Rena finished fixing up the soldier’s wound. Without Alphonse realizing, Rena had put a blanket over him and gone into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
The smell of juicy steak cooking in the kitchen eventually roused Alphonse from his nap. He let out a great yawn, stretching his arms up high. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes and moving the blue cotton blanket aside, he followed the scent of food into the kitchen.
After opening the door, Alphonse walked quietly up to Rena, who was cooking steak with the gas stove. Looking down at him, Rena smiled.
“Hi there. Did you have a good nap?” she asked.
“Mhm.” Alphonse answered simply. “Is that man gonna be okay?”
“Yes, he’ll be fine. He just needs rest.” she told him.
Hearing this news put a broad smile on the boy’s face. Alphonse was really happy, not just because the man survived, but because he was able to get that person help. Because of his actions, that man was saved. And that made Alphonse feel really good.
Seeing Alphonse’s broad smile put an even broader smile on Rena’s face. She pat him on the head and said, “Why don’t you sit down? Dinner is almost ready.”
“Okay!” Alphonse said cheerfully.
* * *
The following morning, Alphonse rose out of bed clumsily. He yawned and stretched as per usual, and hopped out of bed to change into some fresh clothes. He slipped on a pair of socks, slipped into a pair of black pants, and pulled a white long-sleeved shirt over his head. After fitting his arms through the sleeves, he hobbled sleepily out of his room and into the living room.
As usual, the aroma of bacon and eggs could be smelled coming from the kitchen, and the clamor of plates and pans and silverware could be heard. Before heading into the kitchen, Alphonse walked over to the patient room that the soldier was in. He quietly opened the door to check on him. The man was still sleeping soundly in the bed.
Alphonse closed the door, taking care to ensure it didn’t shut too loudly. He didn’t want to wake the man up. He then went to the kitchen to see how breakfast was coming along. When he entered the kitchen, he noticed a third plate had been set.
“Is that other plate for the soldier man?” Alphonse asked.
Rena turned around to face him from her place in front of the stove. “Oh, good morning Alphonse. Yes, that plate is for our guest. He should be waking up soon.”
As if on cue, footsteps could be heard in the other room.
“Sounds like he’s awake now. Why don’t you go greet him, Alphonse? I‘ve still got to finish cooking here.” Rena said.
Alphonse nodded and left the kitchen. He entered the living room to find that the door to the patient room was open, and a bewildered looking man stood in the center of the room. Upon seeing Alphonse, he seemed surprised.
“You’re that kid from before...” the man said in a low voice.
“Mm-hm.” Alphonse responded.
“I see. So you were able to get me some help after all. Thank you very much. I’m very grateful to you.” he said in a very formal manner.
Alphonse had never been thanked like that before, so he didn’t know how to react. As if right on time to save him from this situation, Rena entered the room.
“Hello there. Glad to see you’ve woken up.” she said.
“Are you the one who treated my wounds?” the man asked.
“Yes, I am.” she responded. “My name is Rena, and this child is Alphonse.” she introduced, putting her right arm around Alphonse.
“My name is Abel. I am the Captain of the twenty-second unit of the third division of the Hyleigh Royal Guard.” the man introduced himself. “Thank you very much for saving me. I am in your debt.” he said as he bowed to Rena in a very polite and formal manner.
“There’s no need for thanks. I’m just glad I could help.” Rena said. “Why don’t you come into the kitchen? I’ve prepared breakfast.”
“Very well. Thank you.” Abel said.
The three of them entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. While they ate breakfast, Abel explained what happened to him.
“My unit and I were returning to the capitol after successfully conducting a training exercise deep in the forest. However, on our way back we were attacked by a pack of Stalfos.” Abel explained.
Alphonse knew about the Stalfos. They were skeleton soldiers; monsters that roamed the deeper parts of the forest. Although he’d never seen one, Alphonse had learned about them, as well as the Stalchildren, which were a less dangerous type of Stalfo. Alphonse shuddered at the thought of being attacked by such a monster as he bit into a piece of bacon.
“I stayed behind to allow my men to escape. I managed to defeat most of the Stalfos, but the last one got me.” Abel continued.
“I see. I hope your men were able to make it back to Hyleigh City safely.” Rena said.
“As do I. They’ll likely conduct a search for me, so I would like to get back to the city as soon as possible. I can’t keep my men waiting any longer.” Abel said.
“You aren’t fully healed yet. As a doctor, I cannot give you permission to leave just yet.” Rena said sternly.
“I can get more medical attention back at the capitol. I’ll be healed up either way.” Abel retorted.
Rena and Abel locked eyes in an intense moment. Both of them seemed to be pretty stubborn. Alphonse could feel the tension very easily. He had never seen Rena get mad before, so he had no idea just how scary Rena was capable of being, He unconsciously gulped.
However, Rena sighed, and she gave in to him. “I suppose it would be unreasonable to make you stay here and leave your men to worry. And it’s not like you can’t get more medical attention in the city, as you said. I suppose it’s fine, then. But make sure you see a doctor as soon as you get back.” she said.
“I will. Thank you very much for your hospitality.” Abel said as he stood up.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Rena suddenly snapped at him.
“I’m... Going back to the capitol.” Abel said, puzzled.
“Not yet, you’re not. Finish your breakfast first.” Rena commanded.
For the first time Abel lost his composure. “HUH?!” he blurted out. However, he quickly gathered himself back together and faked a nervous cough. “Eh-ehm. Um... What do you mean ‘finish my breakfast’?” he asked.
“Exactly what I said. Finish your breakfast, and then you can leave the table.” she answered.
“Do you think I’m a child?” Abel snapped at her.
“In this house, we do not leave the table until we finish everything on our plates.” she responded. Rena then directed Abel’s attention to Alphonse. “Look at Alphonse. Do you see him complaining? He always finishes all his food without wasting any of it, like a good boy. You should follow his example.”
Alphonse pretended not to be a part of this discussion. He didn’t want to get involved, so he simply sat quietly and took a sip of his orange juice without even glancing at either of them.
“You want me to follow the example of a child?” Abel said in a flustered tone.
“On top of that...” Rena continued, completely disregarding Abel’s question, “... You are a guest in this house, so it’s only natural that you would follow the rules of this house. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Abel couldn’t possibly argue against that. After all, what Rena said did have logic to it. Feeling embarrassed at his outburst, Abel sat back down and averted his gaze away from Rena as he continued to eat.
Breakfast was carried out without another word. Once everyone was finished eating, the three of them cleared their places at the table and set the plates and silverware in the sink.
“Th... Thank you for the food.” Abel said.
“You’re welcome.” Rena answered. She also added with a mischievous wink, “
Now you can go.”
It was at that moment that Alphonse figured out what Rena was doing. She was toying with Abel like this to get even with him for being stubborn toward her. This was the price to pay for disobeying Rena’s orders.
Rena is surely a force to be reckoned with...
Abel seemed to have realized this too, and he furrowed his brow in humiliation as he grumbled. He left the kitchen and went to the patient room he had been treated in and gathered his personal effects. He then went to the front door, where Alphonse and Rena saw him off.
“Thank you very much for your help, Doctor.” He said to Rena, saluting her.
“Don’t mention it. Try to stay in one piece, you hear?” she said as she playfully saluted him back.
“Thank you, too, Alphonse.” Abel said.
“Huh?” Alphonse asked. He wasn’t expecting Abel to say anything to him.
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten help. So thank you.” Abel said as he saluted Alphonse as well.
“... Yeah.” Alphonse said quietly as he lifted his right hand to salute him back.
This caused Abel to grin, and he left Rena’s cabin with a smile on his face. As he walked away, he raised his arm up as if to wave goodbye. Alphonse watched his back grow smaller until Rena shut the front door.
“That man...” Alphonse quietly began.
“Hm? What is it?” Rena asked him.
“Um... It’s nothing. Just...” Alphonse paused for a moment. The faces of Abel, Scott and Julia all flashed through Alphonse’s mind. “... There are a lot of interesting people in this world.” he said quietly.
Rena looked down at him for a few seconds before smiling at him softly. “Yes, there certainly are.” she said.
- 10 MONTHS LATER -
Alphonse was now eight years old. At this point, he had explored a large amount of the forest, and could get from Mayscore and back to Rena’s cabin on his own. He even found his way to Hyleigh City, although he had yet to enter it. Alphonse knew most of the forest around Rena’s cabin by heart now.
Today, Alphonse was just finishing up breakfast with Rena. After taking his plate and silverware over to the sink, he pushed in his chair, and ran out of the kitchen saying ‘I’m going exploring again’.
The energetic eight-year-old burst out of the front door wearing black pants and a light gray long-sleeved shirt. His feet pounded the ground as he sprinted through the clearing and into the forest. As usual, he didn’t have a particular destination in mind. He just wanted to explore.
Time flew by without him realizing it. It was nine in the morning when Alphonse left. And when he finally decided to stop moving forward, he looked up in the sky to see the sun had risen high. It had to be at least noon by now.
Alphonse was now three hours away from Rena’s cabin. He knew that Mayscore was only half an hour away, and that Hyleigh was at most two hours away. Alphonse had never gone this far from Rena’s cabin before. This thought made him excited. It made him feel like he’d entered uncharted waters that were ripe for exploration.
Alphonse wanted to keep going further, but he was worried that he wouldn't make it home in time for dinner. And so, he relented, and turned around to go home. But a rustling sound caught his attention. He stopped walking instantly and turned to his right. A thicket of bushes were shaking rather violently.
“Um... Hello?” Alphonse called out without taking a single step forward.
Suddenly, a frightening face popped out from the thicket. First appeared the dirty and cracked skull with glowing red eyes in empty eye sockets. Next came the stout body that was nothing but bones covered in torn brown fabric. Finally, the large feet wearing tattered brown boots appeared. Alphonse knew immediately that it was a Stalchild.
Alphonse let out a shriek as he jumped back. He’d heard about these monsters before, but this was his first time actually encountering one. He was terrified. His body froze in its place and he broke out into a cold sweat.
The Stalchild let out a peculiar screech that was almost like a gurgle of some kind, and began to awkwardly limp it’s way over to Alphonse. The young child was petrified. He could only follow the monster with his eyes as it approached him.
The Stachild let out another strange screech as it lifted its large hand up high, preparing to maul the horrified youth before it. Finally, Alphonse snapped out of his fear. His instincts kicked in as he jumped out of the way to his left. As he dodged, the Stalchild’s hand crashed to the ground.
Alphonse didn’t hesitate to run away. He let out another short scream as he ran for his life.
* * *
Alphonse was sweating from exhaustion and fear as he burst through the front door of Rena’s house. He had finally made it home. He stumbled over to the door to Rena’s study and opened it. Rena, who was sitting in a lounge chair reading, looked up in surprise.
“Alphonse? What’s the matter?” she asked.
Alphonse stood in the doorway, panting like a madman. He could hardly catch his breath. He didn’t bother to answer Rena, but instead ran up to her and hugged her tightly.
“Rena...” he sobbed.
As Alphonse began to cry into Rena’s chest, she stroked his head and hugged him back. “Shh... It’s okay, Alphonse. You’re alright now.” she said lovingly. “Tell me what happened.”
After Alphonse finally calmed down, he told Rena all about what happened to him. He told her how he’d gone farther away than normal, and about how that Stalchild appeared and attacked him.
“I see... That must have been frightening.” Rena said quietly.
“I was... so scared...” Alphonse sobbed, still tightly clinging to Rena.
“It’s okay now. I’m here. I’ve got you.” Rena said as she hugged him.
The two of them stayed like that for a while, quietly holding each other while sitting on the brown leather chair. Alphonse’s body would occasionally tremble from a few lingering sobs, but Rena’s embrace was warm. Her warmth seemed to fight off all of Alphonse’s fears, and after a little while like that, he felt better.
Alphonse finally pulled himself away from Rena a little, and she looked down at him, giving him a warm smile. “Do you feel better now?” she asked him.
Alphonse nodded. “Yeah, a little...” he said quietly.
Rena’s smile grew wider. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.” she said kindly as she kissed his forehead.
This action made Alphonse blush, and it also brought back a rush of memories about his mother. But something was strange now. No matter how hard he tried, Alphonse couldn’t remember his mother’s face.
Any memories he had of his mother were being overlapped with Rena.
* * *
The next morning, Alphonse woke up feeling really down. He spent the rest of the day yesterday trying to remember his mother’s face. But in its place, he could only see Rena’s face. What’s more, his father’s face was just a blur. He couldn’t picture him clearly anymore, either.
He wandered into the kitchen that morning for breakfast with very little energy. He looked as if the life had been sucked right out of him. He didn’t say a word to Rena as he sat in his chair at the table.
Sitting down across from him after putting breakfast on his plate, Rena smiled and said, “Good morning.”
Alphonse merely glanced up at her without saying a word.
Rena could tell there was something wrong. “Alphonse, are you alright?”
He didn’t answer.
“You aren’t feeling sick, are you?” she asked.
He shook his head ‘No’.
“Then... Is it about what happened yesterday? With the Stalchild?’
Finally speaking, Alphonse said in a low voice, “... It’s not that.” He didn’t know how to explain the way he was feeling.
Rena sighed and stood up from the table. She walked over to him and put her hand on her shoulder. “Come on, tell me what’s wrong.”
Alphonse tensed up. “... Stop acting like that.” he said without thinking.
“Like what?” Rena asked, confused.
“Stop acting like my mother.” Alphonse said. It was all coming out. He couldn’t stop himself as he yelled, “You're not my mother!”
Rena took a step back in shock. “Alphonse...!” she gasped.
“I can’t remember my mother’s face anymore. All I see in her place is you! I don’t want that! I don’t want you to take her place! Stop trying to replace my mother!” he shouted. But suddenly, Alphonse stopped.
Rena was crying.
Alphonse looked up at her tear-stricken face with an overwhelming sense of guilt washing over him. How could he have said all that to her? And why couldn’t he stop himself? He couldn’t understand it. And now he’d made the person who saved him and cared for him ever so dearly cry.
Alphonse felt tears dripping down his face too. The guilt was too much for him. So, he ran. He got up from the chair and ran past Rena. He ran out of the kitchen and out of the house. He ran out into the forest as fast as he could.
“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!” he said to himself from behind clenched teeth.
How could he let himself blow up like that? Surely, everything he said was how he really felt. He didn’t know how long it had been since he couldn’t remember his mother’s face. How long had it been since Rena took his mother’s place in his memories? Alphonse didn’t know the answer to that, and it upset him. The problem was, Alphonse began to think of Rena like a mother. He grew to love her like he’d loved his real mother, and so he blamed himself for this.
It’s my fault. It’s my fault for getting so attached to her. If it hadn't been for that, I’d still be able to remember her face. Maybe it would be better if I just left and never came back.
Alphonse wasn’t really paying attention to where he was going, or how far he had gone. Before long, he ran into something and crashed to the ground.
“Ow...” he moaned.
As Alphonse looked up, he was overcome with fear. He had run into the back of the Stalchild that attacked him yesterday.
The creature turned around, and after recognizing the boy that escaped its grasp yesterday, it let out that same gurgle-like screech. The Stalchild raised it’s arm up high, and swiped at Alphonse. The boy was knocked back through the air, and slammed against a tree.
Alphonse let out a quick gasp of pain before he hit the ground. He struggled to lift himself up with his arms, and noticed his forehead was bleeding. On top of that, the wind had been knocked out of him, and he was writhing in pain.
Alphonse looked up at the creature through the tears in his eyes. Its glowing red eyes were focused on the boy. It seemed like those red lights were overflowing with malice. The creature swiped at Alphonse again, but by then he’d regained his bearings, and he dove out of the way just in time.
The Stalchild’s claws dug into the ground. Alphonse looked back at the monster in a moment of hesitation, and then tried to crawl away and get back to his feet. But just as he was about to stand up, a hard, bony foot kicked his side.
Alphonse coughed up a little blood as he rolled over onto his back. Gasping for breath, he laid there stunned as the Stalchild approached him. The monster stomped down on his stomach hard, and twisted its foot.
“G-Aauugh-” Alphonse cried out in pain.
The Stalchild screeched again, and pressed down harder. Alphonse felt his world slipping away from him. If he fell unconscious because of the pain now, he’d be left defenseless, and the Stalchild would be free to tear him to shreds without any resistance. Alphonse understood this, but he couldn’t hold out. As all the lights started to fade, he thought that maybe, just maybe, things would be better if he just died here. Then he could go and be with his parents again. That’s what he thought, and he accepted this fate.
Just then, all the weight that had been pushing down on his body disappeared. He heard a loud
thud on the ground nearby. Alphonse struggled to lift his head up a little to see what had happened. He peered over to his right through half-closed eyes, and saw that the Stalchild was laying sprawled out in the grass. He then turned his head to look up. And when he saw that person, his eyes widened.
Standing over him, panting, was Rena.
“I... I made it... I made it in time...” she said between gasps for air.
“R-Rena...” Alphonse coughed.
The Stalchild’s body evaporated into dust. This meant that it was dead. Rena was able to defeat it with just one kick? Just how strong was she? Alphonse thought this while Rena lifted him up a little.
“You’re okay, Alphonse. You’re going to be okay...” Rena said as she began to sob.
She hugged Alphonse tightly. Her warmth once again made Alphonse feel safe, but it also made him sad and confused, too. Even though he said those things to Rena, she still cared about him. Why? Why did she come to save him? He couldn’t understand it.
Alphonse wanted to ask her this, but all that could come out was, “Rena...”
Rena stopped hugging him, and looked at him square in the eyes.
“Listen, Alphonse. I never wanted to replace your mother. I just wanted to help you move on. I wanted you to leave that painful memory behind. I wanted to help you grow up and have a good, full life, despite what you’ve been through. That’s all I wanted. I never meant to... I wasn't trying to replace your mother. I’m sorry, Alphonse...” Rena sobbed.
Tears began to well up in Alphonse’s eyes. This whole time, he had it wrong. He thought Rena was trying to replace his mother, but he was the one who replaced her. She couldn't have gotten into his head if he didn't let her in to begin with. And he knew that he'd let her in. He felt like an idiot. He felt like he should have expected this.
Alphonse began to cry. As he sobbed, he realized something. It was okay if Rena acted like his mother. It was okay for him to love her like a mother. If he didn’t have Rena, he’d never be able to live his life. He owed Rena more than he could ever repay. And most of all, he realized that it was okay all along. It was okay for her to be important to him. It was okay for him to grow attached to her.
As he cried, he hugged Rena tightly. At long last, Alphonse could picture his real mother’s face again. He let out a single word in between his sobs...
“Mommy...”
The two of them shared this embrace for several minutes. When they finally finished crying together, Rena asked, “Can you stand?”
After wiping his eyes and thinking for a moment, Alphonse nodded. He stood up, using Rena’s arm as a support. He wobbled a little, but quickly regained his balance.
“Let’s go home.” Rena said as she stood up, too.
Alphonse smiled, and after wiping his eyes again, he said, “Yeah... Home...”
He started to walk off, but Rena grabbed his shoulder to stop him.
“Alphonse... That’s not the right way.” she told him.
“... What?” Alphonse said, confused. “Then, is it that way? ... No, this way? No... I... I don’t know. I don’t know anymore.” Alphonse said in shock.
* * *
“Everything seems fine...” Rena said after she finished wrapping a bandage around Alphonse’s head.
The two of them were back home now, in the patient room. Rena had patched up Alphonse’s injuries.
“But... Why couldn’t I figure out the right way to go? I’m usually good with direction.” Alphonse said.
“Hm...” Rena pondered. “Maybe it’s the blow to your head.” she said.
“What do you mean?’ Alphonse asked.
“Sometimes head injuries can cause brain damage.” Rena explained. “Perhaps the wound to your head caused damage to the part of your brain that deals with directional orientation...”
“You... You mean I won’t be able to figure out which direction anything is in anymore?” Alphonse asked in dismay.
“Something like that.” Rena answered.
Alphonse lowered his head in despair. He used to pride himself on never being able to get lost, but now he didn’t have that skill anymore. He felt like he wanted to have at least one thing he was good at, so he tried to think of something to replace his formerly exceptional directional orientation. Then, something clicked in his mind. He looked back up at Rena.
“Hey... You defeated that Stalchild that attacked me, right?” he asked.
“That’s right.” she told him.
“So then, you’re good at fighting?’ he asked.
“Well, I guess you could say that.” Rena said modestly.
“Then... Do you think...” Alphonse began.
“Hm?”
“Do you think you could teach me how to fight?’ Alphonse asked, looking up at her earnestly.
Rena didn’t react for the first few moments, but before long, she broke out into laughter. Alphonse looked away from her, feeling embarrassed.
“Of course I’ll teach you!” Rena said after she finished laughing, causing Alphonse to look back at her in surprise. She was smiling at him.
“I’m sure you’d make a great swordsman someday.”
So ironic, so sad...why must you kill off loving people, Azure? Why?!
