For Those we love (Zengor and Blade)

She didn't know what to, heading home and finding her parents out of the house with only a note explaining anything. 'Gone to relatives, be back later'. It wasn't normal to her.

Ruby sighed, shaking her raven colored hair out to try and relax. Relatives? last she knew her family had dwindled down to only the 4 of them, and then the amount of times her ruby eyes had beheld the graves of all her relatives almost didn't make sense.

for what it was worth....She had to wait. jumping to conclusions now was ridiculous.

((Sorry it's not much, not good at first posts))

It was a burning headache which awoke Sinji that morning. A series of sharp pains which struck between his temples. It took several minutes before he could open his eyes. Dehydration made even the slightest amount of sunlight seem to burn his eyes out. As painful as it was, he forced himself upright. His surrounding was the same as always. A pile of folded clothes in the far right corner, a small bed made of straw, and four walls which felt sinister and grim.

He slowly rose to his feet with a slight groan as he does so. Dressing wasn't an issue as he usually slept in cloths. Instead, he headed into the hallway and turned to the left towards the stairs. He attempted to walk softly but the stairs caused a loud squeek with each step so he took them two at a time.

The stairwell spilled into the kitchen where Ruby sat at the table. He sits infront of the fire grate and began to stoke the coals into a small fire. Fall had left and already winter's grip had chilled the dwelling to the bone.

"Its been three weeks sissy, we have to leave. We are starving." As though to emphasize his point, his stomach roared loudly like a caged beast.

For once, Her brother was right, shoving on some somewhat fresh shoes and grabbing what was left around the house. "Come on Sinji...let's go get some food and then see what we can do" She spoke, throwing him his jacket as she shoved her shoes on, wondering if this was going to be the last time she saw a peaceful dwelling, and indeed how long they could last on the move.

She shoved her boots on, grabbing her gloves from the side and sighing. "Sinji...We're going to have to live off of the berries again. I'm sorry...I couldn't find any food to snag in the area..." She looked down, punching the top of a table as she did so. "God, when did this become so hard"

He didn't reply. How could he? A soft sigh leaves him as he once again stands. He walks to the center of the kitchen and kneels upon his left knee. He removes a loose floorboard, one of several. From the hole he removes several cans of preserved fruits in and a small, two little jug of water. He returns the board and stands, carrying the provisions with him and sets them before Ruby. Guilt was evident in his sapphire hued eyes.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you sissy. I had to hide it in case..." he sighs again. His sentence drops short. He walks to where is leather boots set and began to pull them on. The shoe laces quickly are tied and he takes a seat before his sister.

"Three miles from here is Truffaut Village. We can restock our supplies when we reach it. Then we will make a decision on our next move."

Ruby sighed from relief, patting her brother. "Relax....we'll make it alright, but these will get us there in one piece" She grabbed the bag, carrying it as she stepped out the door, getting a firm standing in the snow before turning back. "3 miles....shouldn't be too hard to travel right? and then we can get a night in an inn"

She sighed again, looking around. "Ok, keep close...maybe we'll see some hint as to where we're meant to be going....or even some rare food to steal and keep us going" she started trudging a path through the snow.

The second he sets foot into the yard, Sinji is taken aback. The bitter cold wind bit at every exposed piece of flesh and flecks of ice stung his eyes and nasal passages. He bites his bottom lip and begans trudging after Ruby. The snow slowed his progress considerably. He was use to farming fields not cold.

He hitched his jacket closer to his frame as he reached his sister. The steady crunch and her breath was all that propelled him. They reached the black gate that marked their property line and walked past it with a slight hesitation. The second he passed it, a large explosion erupted behind him. Turning his head a small gasp left his lungs.

The home Sinji and Ruby had been born and raised in now was a pile of rubble. What was still standing was alive with fire. Sinji's heart sank. Now returning was completely out of the question. The heat rolled over him it waves, forcing him to look away. Tears marred his tanned face

Ruby never looked back, knowing that doing so would make her break down, only letting one tear fall as she carried on. It was gone, everything that they had once known was gone for good. and now all they had was each other until they found their parents, or indeed help along the way. She sighed, pulling her jacket closer to her as she moved unrelentingly through the snow.

She lead the way as she fought her way through the low hanging branches of the trees, holding them up on occassions when they would hit Sinji. "Come on, keep up" She spoke, trying her best to be kind. She had had to take the motherly role when the parents disappeared, and it had taken it's toll on her.

"Hard to believe they've been gone so long" She spoke, sighing. "Do you remember the old days when Mum would curl up with us and tell us a story?"

Sinji jogged to catch up to Ruby. The wing became even more fierce since they left the house, the howling similar to a dying beast. He caught only the last few sentences Ruby said, but it was enough to make a large smile sneak through is usual stony demeanor.

"Or the story the old man told us about falling asleep beside the ocean and woke up with a mermaid laying an egg on his head?" A cackle left Sinji, causing him to close his eyes. When he did, he walked right into a tall, slender pine tree. The impact caused him to fall eagle-spread on the icy ground and a pile of snow to fall from the upper branches of the tree onto his face.

Ruby turned back to see her brother on the ground, smirking as she lowered her hands. "Sinji..." She started, starting to chuckle, before starting to laugh out loud. "Oh god, Sinji...Be careful as the trees Branch out!" She joked, laughing some more.

She held her hand out for her brother, shaking her head. "Come on...let's get going before we get attacked by icemen"