Forget-me-not: Moon's Guardian

p.2 Why am I really here?

"Lilac, how is she?" asked Lassie Lee as they went out the porch, Lilac cautiously peeked inside to see if Annicka is far enough to hear them.

"She's good, considering it's Tenggen." Lilac said raising his eyebrows smiling. Lassie Lee shook her head laughing softly. The two of them sat side by side on the love swing, Lassie Lee leaning her head on Lilac's shoulder.

"Yeah, I remember, he almost grilled me alive." said Lassie Lee laughing at the memory where Tenggen got so mad he almost set her on fire, literally.

" How's Annicka?" he asked.

"She's doing fine, missing Erin half the time, she don't talk much about anything. Unless she sense something suspicious, sometimes I wish I could tell her,." said Lassie Lee, keeping secrets for so long messes with your head at times.

"Me too, don't worry, it is almost time." Lilac assured his wife and kissed her forhead.

--

"That's it, I'm done, you're hopeless. Let's call it a day. Huh?" said Tenggen, hands on his waist. Erin tried to catch her breathe , another disappointing day along all of the days that she spent for the last 9 years.

"Yeah I-- uhm, I'm exhausted too.." said Erin swallowing hard, she walked away not looking back.

"You know, being at peace and troubled have a very thin but broad line in between right?" asked Yume as she fall in steps with Erin.

"What?" asked Erin looking at her. Being accustomed to all of them appearing out of nowhere all the time doesn't surprised Erin. She's more surprised how they seemed to be there when she somehow needed words of wisdom or any word of all sorts.

"You're a very troubled las, I guess being that far for too long is taking a toll on you, not even your parents visiting everyday mends what's been burdening you.." stated Yume matter of factly. Erin shook her head, again, with the right observations and words of all kinds.

"Yeah like this place is called 'peace'. " said she air quoting peace. Yume laughed at this.

"The only not peace here is your mentor." said Yume.

"It's just that, why am I the only one here? I mean why is Annicka not even here? Aren't we supposed to be a team?" asked Erin, looking at Yume with a hint of frustration.

"Because being strong and being a guardian is not her destiny, it's yours.." said Yume with a smile. "And besides, everything else comes easier on her part." she added and walked off.

"That seems right and unfair all the same."said Erin frowning.

--

"I CAN GO BACK???!!!" Erin beamed with joy.

"Yes, you could, in a few weeks time." said Ymir smiling, Erin hugged him tight.

"Thanks granddad." said she.

"Seriously? You're gonna get her killed out there! No, on second thought, you're gonna get both of them killed out there!!" yelled Tenggen to all them, his jaw clenched but concern filled his eyes.

"What do you mean?" asked Erin, her eyes meeting each pair in the room to look for answer.

"It's nothing." said Lilac.

"No, what is out there? I thought I was just here so I could control my gifts?" asked Erin, now confused.

"What?? You thought that? You didn't---" Tenggen looked at each of them, realization hitting him in the face. "All these years and-- you -- believed I was training you so you could control y--"

"Tenggen stop." called Ayin to her husband.

"What's going on?" asked Erin worriedly.

"We lied." Lilac

"Yeah no kidding.." Tenggen

"About?" Erin.

"The real reason why you're here, why the training, not just to learn to 'control your gift'.but--" Tenggen paused looking at tge others realizing they are all guilty.

"Oh by fairies wings! What have you done?? All of you! I could've killed a child!!" exclaimed Tenggen in exasperation.

"I'm not a child!" yelled Erin, she looked at them. Not one daring to meet her eyes.

"Lilac.." she called, only then Lilac looked at her.

"Well? You're the one who brought me here along with my father, and since he's not here,.. Care to share?" asked Erin looking at Lilac expectantly, the latter sighed for he knew he cannot avoid this, unless he wants some of Erin's wrath.

"You're here because of Annicka, being the Maiden, or as equal to what they call Shaman or High Priestess. Every fairy in our realm is to look to her. She's the only one capable of healing one of us fully, give us strength and guidance. You, being the successor to Kijuro, you are bound to her to protect her at all cost. That's why Tenggen trained you the way he did, that's what this is all about." Lilac explained all the while looking at Erin who bit her lip harder as she listened to every word.

"We've lost our Maiden cycles ago, Nanna, the Moon God, we struggled to hold together the realm. But now we have Annicka, after all these years, we can see hope. But just a few months ago, threat came, someone out there is after the Maidens, the other three realms failed to protect their own. Now, Annicka is the only Maiden left, we hadn't known if the others are dead, the only thing we want is for Annicka to be safe." Ayin explained further to Erin who nodded at the information.

"That's why we must protect her, especially you, she is not sworn yet that's probably why she haven't been taken, but sworn or not, once her gifts surfaced. It's game on." said Tenggen in the end, looking directly at Erin's eyes, being Master and Student gave them a unique bond the others cannot understand.

"So when I go back, I get to be her body guard or something? Cool, does she know?" asked Erin.

"No, not yet." said Ayin.

"But when?"

"You'll see.." said Yume with a smile that both said she's excited and annoyed at the same time. Erin ignored the latter.

"Atleast you won't be bored to death now, yes?" said Kylix, Erin nodded.