Burning Bridges

Chapter Eight - Fallen Hero

(A/N: sorry this one didn't get posted earlier!)

(Ford's PoV)

The contents of this letter bring back even more memories, ones I should have remembered before now. How did I manage to miss this?

Arlyn's birthday needs to be taken into consideration as well; December twenty first, the solstice that's about to spell supposed doom for the world if we can't figure out how to stop it. As much as I roll my eyes at horoscopes and soothsaying, it's quite important in this situation. Fully aware that I'm going to get a massive migraine for indulging myself in something I feel to be trivial and superstitious, I recall the fact that Arlyn was born under the constellation Sagittarius. This is a fire sign, which goes along well with Bill, and its 'ruling planet' is exactly what it needs to be to make our current circumstances so much worse; Jupiter. It even has a 'secondary ruling planet' that just so happens to be Saturn.

"Haven, why didn't you tell me?" I mutter aloud, knowing I won't get an answer. "I know you were trying to protect me from Bill, but that didn't exactly work, did it? I just wish I knew how to help Jupiter, but I can't seem to find the answers I know you left behind. I just... I need you, Arlyn."

You never really get used to the silence, no matter how many years it's been. There are days where it's almost physically painful to acknowledge that she's gone and she's not coming back. A tiny selfish part of me longs to just forget her, but I won't do that again; I promised I wasn't going to let her go, and if all I can hold on to is the memory of her existence, that will have to be enough.

But it will never feel like it's enough. I wouldn't be surprised if I spent the rest of my life trying to ignore the guilt and regret that lurks in the back of my mind and weighs heavy on my heart. I've been able to fix the majority of the grave errors I've made, but this one... I can't bring her back to life. I can't fix it.

***

Looks like it's my turn to have a strange dream. I'm in a dark wooded clearing that feels vaguely familiar. I turn in a circle, trying to find something that will jog my memory. The sound of footsteps meets my ears, causing me to turn around and see something I doubted I would ever see again.

"Cicatrix?" I marvel as the Bounder approaches. "Why would I be dreaming about the Bounder that Arlyn befriended? I suppose I've been thinking about her more than usual lately. What could that possibly have to do with you?"

She crouches down, looking at me over her shoulder. I pretend not to understand, to which she gives a sharp bark. With a weary sigh, I mount the massive fennec fox, trying to prepare myself for the speed at which she'll be carrying me.

It takes everything within myself not to scream like a terrified child. It's always so much faster than I remember, you'd think I would have gotten used to it by now, but you'd be wrong.

I'm shaking visibly by the time she starts slowing down. I nearly fall over as I dismount next to a quiet beach shrouded by thick vegetation. Long grass blankets the top of a hill a short ways down the stretch of sand, dark boulders and rocks scattered near it like splattered paint. Waves crash against the shore as I take a seat on one of the rocks amidst the surf.

The air here is warm, but not uncomfortably so. Any noise outside of this little sanctuary is cancelled out by the serene atmosphere maintained by the soothing sound of the tides.

"Careful not to fall in; I heard you have a tendency to do that."

I whip around to see Arlyn, my heart speeding up for a moment before I remember that I'm dreaming. I've had dreams with Arlyn in them before, but she's never been authentic. Her character is always very two dimensional, only able to express one emotion or general thought at a time. I can always tell exactly what she's thinking and she always speaks her mind. I'm not in the mood for dream-Arlyn.