Forget-me-not: Moon's Guardian

p.3 I will protect you

A few weeks later, after death defying trainings with Tenggen, Erin was sent home with her parents Indigo and Shi-ann. Both are delighted with their daughter's return, they spent the whole day talking about random things. Although every weekend they could see Erin, they still felt that they haven't seen her for a long time. There are no moment of silence, just laughter filling the atmosphere, just right for the summer. In the afternoon, they've decided to visit Lassie Lee and Lilac, it wasn't that hard really, they just lived right across each other.

"She's upstairs, go wake her up or join her, which ever you like." said Lassie Lee to Erin when she asked for Annicka.

Erin headed upstairs to Annicka's bedroom where she found the latter sleeping along with her favorite stuffed animal. Erin shook her head smiling, "baby." she thought. She looked around the room she hadn't seen for years and surprisingly, it looked the same, well except for a few grown up things but still, the room screamed Annicka.

Behind the door hanged the costume they're supposed to wear for a school play, before Erin went away. Now it's displayed neatly as if waiting to be worn, too bad they outgrew them.

***flashback***
(Erin and Annicka, 9 years old)

"One, two, three!" Annicka and Erin counted together before jumping into the lake, their families were having a picnic that sunday and the two kids are enjoying the water.

"Erin?" called Annicka when she came out of the water and Erin is not there.

"Erin? Come on don't scare me.." she called again.

"Erin!! Mom Erin's missing!" called Annicka, now panicking. Their parents were alarmed when she started crying. Indigo and Lilac both jumped into the lake while Lassie Lee and Shi-ann tried to calm her down.

A few minutes later, Erin was found and the adults discovered what Erin's gift is, she came into the water but disappeared, appearing again only when she reached the shore. At first she's terrified, but when Indigo and Lilac took her to the Ygsill, she started to understand everything, and now she's back.

*** end of flashback***

Erin sat on the bed gently looking at Annicka, her baby face is no more, but the thin lines that adorn her face tells you that she still kept the smile she have from day one. She wondered how she must've hurt her without saying a word, just a silly letter saying 'I'm leaving', just a letter that she could muster to write for she know saying it out loud would break her heart. Erin felt her eyes began to water with the memory, she shook her head to sway the thoughts away, she now know the reason for everything.

"I will protect you Annie.." she whispered looking intently at Annicka who's still sleeping.

In her dreams, Annicka felt something that is somehow familiar, not knowing that the bond Erin have with her has been made.

***flashback***

"No..." whispered young Annicka when the words 'I am leaving Annie.. -- Erin' appeared to her scribbled by small fingers across a piece of paper. She's confused by what it meant so she hurriedly ran outside, not minding if she's still in pajamas. Her nine year old feet running on the pavement stopped when a car passed by where Erin is on board looking down, she tried to call her name but the car didn't stop.

"No.." she cried. "ERIN!!!" called Annicka trying to reach the car but it was too fast for her. She ran into Erin's house straight to her room but it's empty, only the bed remained. It's true, Erin did left.

"No..." she said, her voice broken, then she cried... everyday...

***end of flashback***

Annicka gasped awake and sat up trying to catch her breath. "It's just a dream.." she thought, brushing her hair backwards, but she can still feel the fresh tear from her cheeks. Every now and then it's like this, she dreamed of Erin leaving, and she would cry again the whole day looking across Erin's bedroom window.

"Don't move too much, the bed dances." a groggy voice called beside her.

Annicka looked beside her, she panicked at first before recognizing the face of the human sleeping beside her. "It's her." she thought.

Erin sat down with her eyes half closed and Annicka just watched her, still dazed, she study Erin first, her reddish brown locks tied in a ponytail now with loose strands of bed hair, her dark brown eyes blinking the sleep away trying to focus at the black eyed girl in front of her. Then Erin smiled at her, Annicka still couldn't believe her eyes.

"It can't be.." whispered Annicka, then she lifted her hand to try to touch Erin's face, she just smiled, her dimple showing, she leaned into Annicka's hands, the latter gasped and smiled, her eyes watery.

"'Rin.." at last Annicka called.

"Annie.." Erin called back smiling.

"You're here.."

"I'm back.."

"You.... PIECE OF A FAIRY DUST!! HOW DARE YOU COME IN HERE!!!" yelled Annicka, then she kicked Erin off the bed landing on her butt with a thud.

"That happened.." said Erin as she stood up holding her back. "I missed you too Annie.." said she and tried to sit at the edge of the bed.

"No! I don't miss you! I hate you! Go away!" yelled Annicka trying to shove Erin off again, Erin being stronger didn't budge.

"Okay, okay, geez, I'm sorry.." said Erin raising her hands and stood up. "I'll come back tomorrow."

"No don't come back!!"

"You sure?"

"No." said Annicka biting her lips, Erin grinned in amusement. "But still, I hate you leaving, that hurts, a lot, you should know that a stupid note didn't help much.." said Annicka looking away while wiping a stray tear that escaped her eye. Erin looked down and sat in front of her.

"I know, and I regret it everyday, I'm sorry. I'm just a kid back then, saying goodbye is too much for my child heart.." said Erin and she intertwined their fingers, Annicka looked at them and played her thumb over Erin's hand.

"How long will you be here?" asked Annicka, Erin held her neck with her other hand and kissed Annicka's forehead.

"I won't be going anywhere anymore,." said Erin, Annicka smiled this time.

Erin spent the night at Annicka's house and they stayed up late talking mostly about Annicka's group of friends and Erin's devil mentor and weird advisors. They're so caught up in the moment that they didn't notice what's going on behind the trees below.