Promise: Before and After

Before: Children laughed as they raced around, trying to tag one-another, all except two, who just watched them run around. One looked to be a girl around 7 years old, with a 7 year old boy sitting beside her. The girl had long black hair to her mid-back, purple eyes that showed both wisdom and youth, wearing a white dress to her knee's, and sandals. The boy had short silver hair to his neck, with silver-blue eyes, wearing a plain black shirt, and normal brown shorts, with socks and black shoes.

"I don't see what's so fun about chasing each other around." the girl said to the boy, her voice holding wisdom and youth as her eyes.

"Agreed...but then again...we are just program's. It'll take us awhile to adjust to being hum-I mean, Hom's." the boy stated, correcting himself near the end.

"I know that Alvis, but still...even when I first came here, I never understood this...game." The girl said to her silver-haired friend, known as Alvis.

"Hm...maybe it's because we're just children, Keyara. ...Should we join in? I mean, we are meant to understand what's going on." Alvis asked the black haired girl, Keyara.

"Yeah, I guess it would be a good idea." Keyara stated, and they got up, and joined in the game.

The game ended as they all got tired, and as they sat around, talking about random stuff, the topic went to promises.

"Promises?" Keyara asked, curious.

"You mean you've never promised anything?" a boy with brown hair asked, but Keyara shook her head.

"Nope, never." Keyara said, earning a look of surprise from the others.

"A promise is something...that you stick to for the rest of your lives. You declare that you'll do something, and never stop until that something is done. Or, for example...Tod, let's give them a example!" a girl said to the brown haired boy.

"Okay...let's see. Hey Sonia, I'm gonna tell you something, but promise me you won't tell anyone else." Tod said to the girl, Sonia.

"I promise Tod. ...See? When you promise something, you stick to it, and, with something like that, you never tell anyone else, just like you promised. Understand?" Sonia questioned near then end, and Keyara nodded, having remembered something like that through the dictionary in her mind.

"Okay, so-" the day continued like normal.

It was night as Keyara sat under the ether lamp, looking toward the sky. Sighing, she leaned against the lamp more, and rubbed her knee's. Back when she was a Goddess, she never had to worry about the cold...but something was on her mind. She remembered promises...but not many of the one's she made as a Goddess, or before this world. It made her think...did her and Alvis ever make a promise to one another? No...they didn't. She sighed, before she felt someone behind her through the ether, and looked over her shoulder, and smiled as she saw Alvis, his silver hair glowing in the night.

"Couldn't sleep?" Alvis asked her, and she nodded, tired.

"Yeah...the whole promise thing is keeping me awake." Keyara stated, and Alvis sighed, sitting beside her.

"Yeah, me too. I'm in a similar position." Alvis explained, and yawned.

"Hey Alvis?" Keyara asked after a moment of silence passed, and Alvis hummed, letting her know he heard.

"I...I want you...to promise me something." Keyara said, and Alvis looked at her confused, only to see her eyes closed.

"Promise me we'll always be together...that we'll never be alone. Back when I was a Goddess...I found myself alone often, especially after I lost my power's. Yeah I had the Machina and Meyneth, but there was no one who was like me. No one understood me, except you. Promise me you won't leave me." Keyara requested, looking at him.

He couldn't say no, not to the fear of loneliness in her eyes...he couldn't bear to. He didn't want to be alone either...he'd never admit it, wanting to be strong, but he didn't want to be separated from Keyara, they understood one another more than anyone else could imagine.

"I promise." Alvis stated firmly, and hugged her, and she returned the hug.

After: Keyara walked through Alcamoth, head held high as she finish training. She ignored the pain in her body, ignored the shocked looks of how many scars she had...she was use to it. She had just finished a training session/harassment of her peer's, proving she was actually stronger than them...though she had ether to thank for that. She sighed, realizing she'd have to hide the wounds from Melia, else the High Entian Princess would flip on the sight of such wounds.

'What would she say...if she saw all of these?' Keyara thought, and removed her fingerless gloves, only to see the scars going from her palms, to her bare shoulder.

She looked at the rest of her body, seeing all the torn clothes, and sighed. Time for a change of attire...again. Sighing she entered her room, and grabbed another dark blue vest, a short-sleeved black shirt, and black pants with black boots. After she changed she pulled her gloves back on, grateful they hadn't been damage during training. She usually took the gloves off during training to not ruin them, they were a gift from Alvis. She retied her ponytail, and left the room, only to encounter Alvis.

"Alvis! Geez, don't scare me like that." Keyara stated, and Alvis chuckled at her reaction.

"I was hoping for such a reaction. But I came here for a reason, wanna take a walk with me?" Alvis asked her, and while she seemed confused, she nodded with a smile.

"Sure, why not? I need a break anyways." Keyara said, eyes showing happiness.

Keyara had only been there for a short time, and while she liked her training, she realized she needed a break every now and then. Even her mentor Galven scolded her about taking break's. As they traveled through Eryth Sea, Alvis suddenly stopped, and Keyara noticed through ether, and turned toward him confused.

"Alvis?" Keyara asked, and he looked at her, before smiling.

"Hey Keyara, you remember the promise we made when we were kid's?" Alvis asked, and Keyara thought, before she giggled.

"Of course I do, how could I forget? We promised to always be beside one another." Keyara recounted, eyes closed, and smiling.

"Well...I want to say something. We were separated for 8 years...and those were 8 years of loneliness...something I don't want to ever encounter again." Alvis said, turning serious.

Keyara was silent, she was confused as to what he meant...his ether was changing too fast for her to understand what he was truly trying to say.

"I want to renew that promise." Alvis finally stated, and walked toward her, gently holding her shoulders.

"Keyara, I know this is sudden...but I promise to never leave your side. The last 8 years, they were hell for me, I couldn't think. I was distraught, I though you had died, and I know you suffered as well. I promise to never leave your side, as long as your promise never to leave my side." Alvis stated, and hugged her tightly, and Keyara smiled softly.

"Of course Alvis...I...I can't bear another separation either!" Keyara exclaimed, hugging him back.

Their promise's have been made, they would remain together forever...but little did they know the catastrophe that would cause them to break that promise. Would it be rebuilt? Or would it stay broken?