Author's Note: This will be my first completed Candidate for Goddess
fanfic. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Ernest's character,
but I personally find his younger brother much more interesting. It may
not seem that way, since this story will contain obvious negative feelings
towards Erts, but trust me, I do like him lots. Erts will probably seem
out of character at times, but people under incredible negative stress can
surprise you.
Summary: Tune's observations on Erts's first day as a Pilot.
His Brother's Keeper
By: Nate Grey
[email protected]
Tune wasn't the first to admit that the final details of the battle had been hard to discern from Gareas's cursing (that had actually been Leena). But she did get the gist of it: the battle had gone badly, and someone was definitely to blame. She had a horrible feeling that it was poor Erts, too.
Like many of the Pilots of the Reneighd Klein before him, Erts had been forced to adjust rather quickly. Less than an hour after he first set foot onto GIS, he and the others had left to fend off an approaching Victim swarm. Teela had known about it first, of course. Tune had a feeling that even if Erts had sensed it before the Top, he wouldn't have said anything. He seemed so reluctant to be a Pilot, and even more hesitant when battle was actually mentioned.
Unlike any of the Pilots before him, though, Erts Virny Cocteau had to replace Ernest Cuore. The task in itself was completely impossible, and made even more unlikely by the fact that the two were (or had been) brothers. Tune could tell that Erts was still mourning his brother's death, and that he would continue to do so for quite some time. She was torn between telling him that would get him into trouble and sympathizing with the unfortunate young man (still a boy in her eyes, really). After all, she had lost Ernest, too.
Much to her regret, though, Tune had barely said two words to Erts the whole time. She kept hearing Ernest in her head, telling her how worried he was about his little brother. "They're going to make him a Candidate, Tune," he'd said. "It's the worst thing they could ever do to him."
She hadn't understood then.
"I hope he never makes a decent rank," Ernest had said solemnly, knowing in his heart it was wishful thinking. "I don't want him to have to face the things I do every single day. He's even more sensitive than I am. It'd be like putting him into a living nightmare…only it's horribly real and he can never wake up."
Tune had been so afraid of upsetting Erts that she hadn't even touched him. That was probably for the best; she didn't want him reading how frantic with worry she was. According to Ernest, Erts was both a telepath and an empath; he was doubly attuned to the emotions of others.
Erts had even looked fragile, too. Where Tune liked to think of Ernest as a lonely, noble seraph, Erts was more of a quivering, frightened cherub. He was beautiful in an almost feminine way, like his brother, but much shorter. Tune had barely kept her maternal instincts in check, for she wanted so much to wrap him up in a comforting hug; he seemed so desperate for reassurance.
Instead, she'd left him to face the most unforgiving entities in the universe: the very same that had taken his brother from him. Tune hadn't stopped regretting that choice yet, and she probably never would. She made a silent promise that the instant she had a free moment, she would take Erts aside and apologize for the way she'd acted.
Assuming, of course, that Erts would come back from the mission alive…or that he wouldn't be murdered the instant the other Pilots were free of their Ingrids.
* * * * *
Tune was the last to enter the docking bay, and she instantly regretted that. There was a sickening smell wafting through, and she found the source rather quickly.
Erts had thrown up barely two steps out of his Ingrid. He was still hunched over the ghastly orange-green puddle even now, shuddering uncontrollably.
And if that had been the extent of the problem, perhaps Tune could've handled it.
But just then, Gareas came tearing out of the damaged Eeva Leena (apparently, he hadn't finished the blue streak he'd started back in the battle), looking as if he would murder the first person who got in his path. And from the way he was heading straight for Erts, Tune suddenly got a very bad sense of foreboding and hurried over.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Gareas bellowed as he stopped in front of Erts. "NO! WERE YOU EVEN THINKING?!"
Erts slowly lifted his head, revealing his blotchy, tear-stained face. He didn't look as if he'd be able to answer Gareas, which was definitely not a good thing.
By then, all the other Pilots except for Teela had all emerged from their Ingrids. Yu instantly retreated to his usual dark corner to presumably watch the dispute, but Rio placed himself directly in front of Gareas in an attempt to save Erts's life. Not that it was going too well.
"Garu, get a grip!" Rio was saying, grabbing his friend's arms. "He made one mistake!"
That was not the right thing to say.
"He didn't almost get YOU killed!" Gareas shouted in Rio's face, nearly knocking him over.
While Rio was stalling Gareas (for the moment, at least), Tune knelt beside Erts and slipped her arms around him, careful to avoid his skin. She knew it was pointless to ask if he was all right, and instead chose, "Can you stand?"
Erts shook his head weakly, his eyes trained on the puddle of vomit before him.
There was a yelp as Gareas literally tossed Rio over his shoulder and stomped forward. "Well?! What do you have to say for yourself, kid?!" he snapped.
"I'm…" Erts began, then stopped.
"What? You're SORRY? Is that it?!" Gareas grabbed Erts and hauled him up by the collar. "Don't you dare insult me by telling me how pathetic you are!"
Tune finally found her voice. "Stop it!" she cried, trying to pry Gareas's fingers from Erts's suit.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Gareas yelled in her face, causing her to back up quickly.
Tune whimpered uncertainly, then shook her head in determination and tried again to free Erts.
Gareas snarled and backhanded her, sending her sprawling across the platform. "I told you to--!"
Tune's head was spinning from the slap, and when Gareas trailed off, she was afraid that he'd somehow caused her to go death. Then she looked up.
For some reason, Gareas was on his back, and there was blood pouring from his nose.
Erts was now, very noticeably, standing on his own, and there was crimson dripping from his right hand. Gone was the trembling cherub from before. The noble seraph had finally returned in all his fierce glory.
"Never," Erts whispered in a voice that was heard all too clearly, "put your hands on Tune. Ever."
Both Gareas's and Tune's jaws dropped in disbelief. Rio, Phil, and Leena were all frozen, looks of shock on their faces. Yu and his younger sister were, not surprisingly, indifferent.
It would not last.
Gareas recovered first, leaping to his feet with the reflexes that had no doubt helped him become a Pilot. The disbelief in his eyes had melted away to smoldering anger. "Then I'll just put my hands on you," he said in a frighteningly calm voice. "Then we'll see how quick you are to screw up in battle."
Tune could almost hear Erts's last straw snapping.
"Screw up?" he asked, his eyes flashing dangerously. "SCREW UP?!" Then Erts did something very unlike him. He threw back his head and laughed. It was not a laugh of humor, but one totally void of feeling.
Tune shivered as the laugh echoed throughout the docking bay. She imagined it was the way a triumphant Victim might laugh.
The laughter died abruptly. "So I screwed up, huh?" Erts asked quietly. "Well, that's all fine and good, but WHAT ABOUT YOU?!" He nearly screamed the last part, jabbing his finger at Gareas for emphasis, though he hardly needed to.
Gareas didn't move an inch.
"I wouldn't even be here to screw up, if you hadn't screwed up first and GOTTEN MY BROTHER KILLED!"
Gareas's anger crumbled away at once, and he looked extremely ill.
No one else dared to speak.
"But since we can't DO anything about that, I guess we'll just focus on why I screwed up," Erts continued, not looking the least bit merciful. "Obviously, I'm a telepath, or I wouldn't even be here." He glared at Gareas. "Do you know what it's like for a telepath to fight the Victim? Do you even have a clue?"
Gareas didn't answer.
"I can hear them," he whispered. "I can hear them plotting, planning to destroy us. But worse than that, I can hear it when we destroy THEM. More than that, I can FEEL it because I'm an empath. Do you know what that's like?! To FEEL those deathwails IN YOUR HEAD?!" His eyes narrowed. "LET ME SHOW YOU!"
Tune realized at once. "Erts, no!" she cried. "Don't!"
It was too late.
Gareas's mouth opened in a silent scream, and he fell to his knees.
"That was just a taste," Erts said softly. " A taste of what my brother went through for all of you. A taste of what YOU dragged me into…by screwing up." He sounded much more like himself now, and exhausted. "Now, you look me in my eyes and tell me who really screwed up out there when it mattered most."
Somehow, Tune knew at once that the dispute was over. At least, for Erts it was.
Erts turned around and knelt in front of her, carefully cupping her glowing red cheek in his clean hand. "Are you all right, Tune?" he asked.
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he apologized, hanging his head. "I know Ernest would have, but…"
He trailed off uncertainly, as if the full weight of what he'd just done had hit him. Fresh tears spilled down his face, and he looked away, not wanting her to see him cry.
Tune was not looking at him, but at Teela. The First had suddenly appeared, saying nothing, as usual. She stopped on the platform, taking in the scene, and then walked past Gareas without so much as a glance. She stopped behind Erts and placed a hand on his shoulder.
The look on Erts's face was one of wonder. He'd never been this close to any Top, much less Teela.
"We are sorry for your pain," she said sincerely in a quiet tone, "and your brother will be dearly missed." Her voice rose a bit, taking on a more commandlike quality. "But I will need you to help us, Erts. WE will need you to help us. Can you do that?"
Erts nodded, trying not to look star-struck.
Teela leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Sleep," she said simply, looking to Tune as well. "Tomorrow will be better." She reached down and placed Erts's hand in Tune's. "Sleep," she repeated, nodding, almost to herself.
Without a word, Erts and Tune stood up and walked away.
No one moved until they were gone. Then Leena swooped down to help Gareas up, and Teela made herself scarce. Rio continued to stare for a moment, then turned to Phil. "Well," he said, chuckling uneasily, "that was different."
Phil smacked him lightly on the forehead and sighed. "Idiot."
* * * * *
"Aren't you going to sleep, Erts?" Tune asked.
He did not turn away from the window. "No, I don't think so. I'm afraid of what I might see."
Tune shifted her legs nervously, suddenly aware that she wasn't helping as much as she'd hoped to. "Then may I ask you something?"
"Of course," came the instant reply.
"Why did you protect me?"
"I didn't."
She could see his reflection focusing on her cheek. "I'll be fine. Just tell me why you did it. Please?"
"I didn't want you to get hurt because of me. I could tell you were important to my brother, and not just because you were his Repairer. Anyway, I…" He paused, lowering his head. "I thought it's what Ernest would've done…what he would've wanted me to do. To take care of you, because you wouldn't do it yourself. Although…he never mentioned how brave you are."
Tune blushed. "I'm not. I just couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to you."
"Why?" he asked softly. "Because I look like him?"
"No. Because I promised Ernest that I'd look after you the best I could."
Erts smiled. "Then we'll have to look out for each other. I do have a request, though."
"Yes?" The willingness to help was clear in her voice.
"Promise me you won't be afraid to touch me from now on. I've spent my whole life being treated like a hazardous chemical, and it's really not a very nice way to live."
"Oh…I'm so sorry, Erts," Tune said quickly, looking mournful. "You must've felt awful when I wouldn't come near you…"
"Actually, I was too scared to notice at the time. But I do appreciate the concern."
"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "It's just…I'm never really sure what to say to anyone, much less you…"
Erts shook his head. "I don't believe there's any way you could ever hurt me, Tune…except, if you didn't spend time with me. Then you'd be just like everyone else."
Tune looked uneasy. "But…what would I say?"
"Nothing," Erts replied. "Just being with me would be enough. Just so I wouldn't be…alone."
"I don't want to be alone, either," Tune said softly.
Erts's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh…I'm sorry, Tune. I didn't know."
"You couldn't have. It's not something I talk about." She sighed. "I seem to keep losing everyone…"
"It's not your fault," he said at once.
"I know. But that doesn't help as much as you'd think it would."
"Let's make a pact." Erts came to sit next to her. "To never leave each other alone. That way, we'll always have at least one person in our lives."
"A pact?" she asked uncertainly.
"Look." He took her hand in his own. "Two links, one chain. Together, we're stronger."
Tune smiled slightly. "It's not much of a chain…"
"Sure, it is. We've already got three links."
"Three?"
He nodded. "You, me…and Ernest. He'll help us stay together, wait and see."
"You really are an angel, aren't you?" Tune asked, wiping away the start of a tear.
Erts blushed. "Not that I know of."
"You are. You're love and loyalty and…and beauty. Like Ernest was…"
"Well, if I'm just an angel, doesn't that make you my goddess?"
Tune looked away, her cheeks flushing. Then she paused. "You know…Teela's never kissed anyone."
Erts could feel the red returning to his face. "Oh?"
She nodded. "I think it's a sign. A sign that you were meant to be a Pilot."
"Then our chain must be a sign, too," he said, squeezing her hand. "Teela wouldn't put us together for nothing."
"Maybe…maybe you're the one of the Next," Tune whispered, looking at him in awe.
"The who?"
"Sometimes, I can hear Teela talking to the Ingrids. She keeps telling them that the Next will arrive."
"I think you're overestimating my importance, Tune. Why would the Ingrids be waiting for me?"
Tune shook her head. "She made it sound like the Next was a group of Pilots, not just one. You could be the first. It was a been a while since we've gotten a new one up here."
"But isn't that a good thing?" Erts asked.
"I don't know. The longer we stay, the harder it is to let go when someone finally does…leave."
They looked at each other for a long moment, knowing without telepathy what both were thinking.
"We should get some sleep," Tune said at last, rising to leave the room.
Erts suddenly looked anxious to keep her there. "Tune…" he said hesitantly.
"Yes, Erts?"
"Could you…stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?" He expected her to look offended, or puzzled at the very least.
But Tune only smiled and sat down on his pillow. "Come here," she said, patting her lap.
Erts's eyes widened. "Um…"
She giggled, a hint of red rising to her cheeks. "No, silly. Just lay back. My mother used to do this for me when I couldn't sleep."
Erts relaxed a bit (but only a bit, suddenly aware of how pretty Tune really was) and laid down, resting his head in her lap. He nearly jumped when her fingers brushed his forehead.
"It won't work if you don't relax," she said by way of gently scolding him.
Erts nodded and closed his eyes, trying not to wonder if she'd done this for Ernest. He had a vague suspicion that she hadn't. But any thoughts he had seemed to melt away as Tune's gentle fingers stroked his hair. He could hear her humming softly, and regretted the fact that she was using it to put him to sleep. Erts was quite certain he'd never heard anything more lovely. In seconds, his shoulders sagged, and he was asleep.
Tune smiled as she looked down at him, lightly tracing his face with her fingers. "Sweet dreams, Erts," she whispered before closing her own eyes.
The End.
Summary: Tune's observations on Erts's first day as a Pilot.
His Brother's Keeper
By: Nate Grey
[email protected]
Tune wasn't the first to admit that the final details of the battle had been hard to discern from Gareas's cursing (that had actually been Leena). But she did get the gist of it: the battle had gone badly, and someone was definitely to blame. She had a horrible feeling that it was poor Erts, too.
Like many of the Pilots of the Reneighd Klein before him, Erts had been forced to adjust rather quickly. Less than an hour after he first set foot onto GIS, he and the others had left to fend off an approaching Victim swarm. Teela had known about it first, of course. Tune had a feeling that even if Erts had sensed it before the Top, he wouldn't have said anything. He seemed so reluctant to be a Pilot, and even more hesitant when battle was actually mentioned.
Unlike any of the Pilots before him, though, Erts Virny Cocteau had to replace Ernest Cuore. The task in itself was completely impossible, and made even more unlikely by the fact that the two were (or had been) brothers. Tune could tell that Erts was still mourning his brother's death, and that he would continue to do so for quite some time. She was torn between telling him that would get him into trouble and sympathizing with the unfortunate young man (still a boy in her eyes, really). After all, she had lost Ernest, too.
Much to her regret, though, Tune had barely said two words to Erts the whole time. She kept hearing Ernest in her head, telling her how worried he was about his little brother. "They're going to make him a Candidate, Tune," he'd said. "It's the worst thing they could ever do to him."
She hadn't understood then.
"I hope he never makes a decent rank," Ernest had said solemnly, knowing in his heart it was wishful thinking. "I don't want him to have to face the things I do every single day. He's even more sensitive than I am. It'd be like putting him into a living nightmare…only it's horribly real and he can never wake up."
Tune had been so afraid of upsetting Erts that she hadn't even touched him. That was probably for the best; she didn't want him reading how frantic with worry she was. According to Ernest, Erts was both a telepath and an empath; he was doubly attuned to the emotions of others.
Erts had even looked fragile, too. Where Tune liked to think of Ernest as a lonely, noble seraph, Erts was more of a quivering, frightened cherub. He was beautiful in an almost feminine way, like his brother, but much shorter. Tune had barely kept her maternal instincts in check, for she wanted so much to wrap him up in a comforting hug; he seemed so desperate for reassurance.
Instead, she'd left him to face the most unforgiving entities in the universe: the very same that had taken his brother from him. Tune hadn't stopped regretting that choice yet, and she probably never would. She made a silent promise that the instant she had a free moment, she would take Erts aside and apologize for the way she'd acted.
Assuming, of course, that Erts would come back from the mission alive…or that he wouldn't be murdered the instant the other Pilots were free of their Ingrids.
* * * * *
Tune was the last to enter the docking bay, and she instantly regretted that. There was a sickening smell wafting through, and she found the source rather quickly.
Erts had thrown up barely two steps out of his Ingrid. He was still hunched over the ghastly orange-green puddle even now, shuddering uncontrollably.
And if that had been the extent of the problem, perhaps Tune could've handled it.
But just then, Gareas came tearing out of the damaged Eeva Leena (apparently, he hadn't finished the blue streak he'd started back in the battle), looking as if he would murder the first person who got in his path. And from the way he was heading straight for Erts, Tune suddenly got a very bad sense of foreboding and hurried over.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Gareas bellowed as he stopped in front of Erts. "NO! WERE YOU EVEN THINKING?!"
Erts slowly lifted his head, revealing his blotchy, tear-stained face. He didn't look as if he'd be able to answer Gareas, which was definitely not a good thing.
By then, all the other Pilots except for Teela had all emerged from their Ingrids. Yu instantly retreated to his usual dark corner to presumably watch the dispute, but Rio placed himself directly in front of Gareas in an attempt to save Erts's life. Not that it was going too well.
"Garu, get a grip!" Rio was saying, grabbing his friend's arms. "He made one mistake!"
That was not the right thing to say.
"He didn't almost get YOU killed!" Gareas shouted in Rio's face, nearly knocking him over.
While Rio was stalling Gareas (for the moment, at least), Tune knelt beside Erts and slipped her arms around him, careful to avoid his skin. She knew it was pointless to ask if he was all right, and instead chose, "Can you stand?"
Erts shook his head weakly, his eyes trained on the puddle of vomit before him.
There was a yelp as Gareas literally tossed Rio over his shoulder and stomped forward. "Well?! What do you have to say for yourself, kid?!" he snapped.
"I'm…" Erts began, then stopped.
"What? You're SORRY? Is that it?!" Gareas grabbed Erts and hauled him up by the collar. "Don't you dare insult me by telling me how pathetic you are!"
Tune finally found her voice. "Stop it!" she cried, trying to pry Gareas's fingers from Erts's suit.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Gareas yelled in her face, causing her to back up quickly.
Tune whimpered uncertainly, then shook her head in determination and tried again to free Erts.
Gareas snarled and backhanded her, sending her sprawling across the platform. "I told you to--!"
Tune's head was spinning from the slap, and when Gareas trailed off, she was afraid that he'd somehow caused her to go death. Then she looked up.
For some reason, Gareas was on his back, and there was blood pouring from his nose.
Erts was now, very noticeably, standing on his own, and there was crimson dripping from his right hand. Gone was the trembling cherub from before. The noble seraph had finally returned in all his fierce glory.
"Never," Erts whispered in a voice that was heard all too clearly, "put your hands on Tune. Ever."
Both Gareas's and Tune's jaws dropped in disbelief. Rio, Phil, and Leena were all frozen, looks of shock on their faces. Yu and his younger sister were, not surprisingly, indifferent.
It would not last.
Gareas recovered first, leaping to his feet with the reflexes that had no doubt helped him become a Pilot. The disbelief in his eyes had melted away to smoldering anger. "Then I'll just put my hands on you," he said in a frighteningly calm voice. "Then we'll see how quick you are to screw up in battle."
Tune could almost hear Erts's last straw snapping.
"Screw up?" he asked, his eyes flashing dangerously. "SCREW UP?!" Then Erts did something very unlike him. He threw back his head and laughed. It was not a laugh of humor, but one totally void of feeling.
Tune shivered as the laugh echoed throughout the docking bay. She imagined it was the way a triumphant Victim might laugh.
The laughter died abruptly. "So I screwed up, huh?" Erts asked quietly. "Well, that's all fine and good, but WHAT ABOUT YOU?!" He nearly screamed the last part, jabbing his finger at Gareas for emphasis, though he hardly needed to.
Gareas didn't move an inch.
"I wouldn't even be here to screw up, if you hadn't screwed up first and GOTTEN MY BROTHER KILLED!"
Gareas's anger crumbled away at once, and he looked extremely ill.
No one else dared to speak.
"But since we can't DO anything about that, I guess we'll just focus on why I screwed up," Erts continued, not looking the least bit merciful. "Obviously, I'm a telepath, or I wouldn't even be here." He glared at Gareas. "Do you know what it's like for a telepath to fight the Victim? Do you even have a clue?"
Gareas didn't answer.
"I can hear them," he whispered. "I can hear them plotting, planning to destroy us. But worse than that, I can hear it when we destroy THEM. More than that, I can FEEL it because I'm an empath. Do you know what that's like?! To FEEL those deathwails IN YOUR HEAD?!" His eyes narrowed. "LET ME SHOW YOU!"
Tune realized at once. "Erts, no!" she cried. "Don't!"
It was too late.
Gareas's mouth opened in a silent scream, and he fell to his knees.
"That was just a taste," Erts said softly. " A taste of what my brother went through for all of you. A taste of what YOU dragged me into…by screwing up." He sounded much more like himself now, and exhausted. "Now, you look me in my eyes and tell me who really screwed up out there when it mattered most."
Somehow, Tune knew at once that the dispute was over. At least, for Erts it was.
Erts turned around and knelt in front of her, carefully cupping her glowing red cheek in his clean hand. "Are you all right, Tune?" he asked.
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he apologized, hanging his head. "I know Ernest would have, but…"
He trailed off uncertainly, as if the full weight of what he'd just done had hit him. Fresh tears spilled down his face, and he looked away, not wanting her to see him cry.
Tune was not looking at him, but at Teela. The First had suddenly appeared, saying nothing, as usual. She stopped on the platform, taking in the scene, and then walked past Gareas without so much as a glance. She stopped behind Erts and placed a hand on his shoulder.
The look on Erts's face was one of wonder. He'd never been this close to any Top, much less Teela.
"We are sorry for your pain," she said sincerely in a quiet tone, "and your brother will be dearly missed." Her voice rose a bit, taking on a more commandlike quality. "But I will need you to help us, Erts. WE will need you to help us. Can you do that?"
Erts nodded, trying not to look star-struck.
Teela leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Sleep," she said simply, looking to Tune as well. "Tomorrow will be better." She reached down and placed Erts's hand in Tune's. "Sleep," she repeated, nodding, almost to herself.
Without a word, Erts and Tune stood up and walked away.
No one moved until they were gone. Then Leena swooped down to help Gareas up, and Teela made herself scarce. Rio continued to stare for a moment, then turned to Phil. "Well," he said, chuckling uneasily, "that was different."
Phil smacked him lightly on the forehead and sighed. "Idiot."
* * * * *
"Aren't you going to sleep, Erts?" Tune asked.
He did not turn away from the window. "No, I don't think so. I'm afraid of what I might see."
Tune shifted her legs nervously, suddenly aware that she wasn't helping as much as she'd hoped to. "Then may I ask you something?"
"Of course," came the instant reply.
"Why did you protect me?"
"I didn't."
She could see his reflection focusing on her cheek. "I'll be fine. Just tell me why you did it. Please?"
"I didn't want you to get hurt because of me. I could tell you were important to my brother, and not just because you were his Repairer. Anyway, I…" He paused, lowering his head. "I thought it's what Ernest would've done…what he would've wanted me to do. To take care of you, because you wouldn't do it yourself. Although…he never mentioned how brave you are."
Tune blushed. "I'm not. I just couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to you."
"Why?" he asked softly. "Because I look like him?"
"No. Because I promised Ernest that I'd look after you the best I could."
Erts smiled. "Then we'll have to look out for each other. I do have a request, though."
"Yes?" The willingness to help was clear in her voice.
"Promise me you won't be afraid to touch me from now on. I've spent my whole life being treated like a hazardous chemical, and it's really not a very nice way to live."
"Oh…I'm so sorry, Erts," Tune said quickly, looking mournful. "You must've felt awful when I wouldn't come near you…"
"Actually, I was too scared to notice at the time. But I do appreciate the concern."
"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "It's just…I'm never really sure what to say to anyone, much less you…"
Erts shook his head. "I don't believe there's any way you could ever hurt me, Tune…except, if you didn't spend time with me. Then you'd be just like everyone else."
Tune looked uneasy. "But…what would I say?"
"Nothing," Erts replied. "Just being with me would be enough. Just so I wouldn't be…alone."
"I don't want to be alone, either," Tune said softly.
Erts's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh…I'm sorry, Tune. I didn't know."
"You couldn't have. It's not something I talk about." She sighed. "I seem to keep losing everyone…"
"It's not your fault," he said at once.
"I know. But that doesn't help as much as you'd think it would."
"Let's make a pact." Erts came to sit next to her. "To never leave each other alone. That way, we'll always have at least one person in our lives."
"A pact?" she asked uncertainly.
"Look." He took her hand in his own. "Two links, one chain. Together, we're stronger."
Tune smiled slightly. "It's not much of a chain…"
"Sure, it is. We've already got three links."
"Three?"
He nodded. "You, me…and Ernest. He'll help us stay together, wait and see."
"You really are an angel, aren't you?" Tune asked, wiping away the start of a tear.
Erts blushed. "Not that I know of."
"You are. You're love and loyalty and…and beauty. Like Ernest was…"
"Well, if I'm just an angel, doesn't that make you my goddess?"
Tune looked away, her cheeks flushing. Then she paused. "You know…Teela's never kissed anyone."
Erts could feel the red returning to his face. "Oh?"
She nodded. "I think it's a sign. A sign that you were meant to be a Pilot."
"Then our chain must be a sign, too," he said, squeezing her hand. "Teela wouldn't put us together for nothing."
"Maybe…maybe you're the one of the Next," Tune whispered, looking at him in awe.
"The who?"
"Sometimes, I can hear Teela talking to the Ingrids. She keeps telling them that the Next will arrive."
"I think you're overestimating my importance, Tune. Why would the Ingrids be waiting for me?"
Tune shook her head. "She made it sound like the Next was a group of Pilots, not just one. You could be the first. It was a been a while since we've gotten a new one up here."
"But isn't that a good thing?" Erts asked.
"I don't know. The longer we stay, the harder it is to let go when someone finally does…leave."
They looked at each other for a long moment, knowing without telepathy what both were thinking.
"We should get some sleep," Tune said at last, rising to leave the room.
Erts suddenly looked anxious to keep her there. "Tune…" he said hesitantly.
"Yes, Erts?"
"Could you…stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?" He expected her to look offended, or puzzled at the very least.
But Tune only smiled and sat down on his pillow. "Come here," she said, patting her lap.
Erts's eyes widened. "Um…"
She giggled, a hint of red rising to her cheeks. "No, silly. Just lay back. My mother used to do this for me when I couldn't sleep."
Erts relaxed a bit (but only a bit, suddenly aware of how pretty Tune really was) and laid down, resting his head in her lap. He nearly jumped when her fingers brushed his forehead.
"It won't work if you don't relax," she said by way of gently scolding him.
Erts nodded and closed his eyes, trying not to wonder if she'd done this for Ernest. He had a vague suspicion that she hadn't. But any thoughts he had seemed to melt away as Tune's gentle fingers stroked his hair. He could hear her humming softly, and regretted the fact that she was using it to put him to sleep. Erts was quite certain he'd never heard anything more lovely. In seconds, his shoulders sagged, and he was asleep.
Tune smiled as she looked down at him, lightly tracing his face with her fingers. "Sweet dreams, Erts," she whispered before closing her own eyes.
The End.