#papa raiden

I’m sorry, I talked about fight club

To E,

I am unable to take you to school myself this morning. My deepest Apologies, young one. But an item of great importance has been tampered with, and it needs my urgent attention. Please be careful and accompany your friends to school. After, please remain at the meeting spot until I arrive. I may not be there immediately, but trust that I will be there. Use the whistle should an emergency arise, but only in an emergency. Stay vigilant, and do not trust anyone but your two friends and your teachers.

May the Elder Gods Protect you, young one,

Raiden

雷守

This was the note Elliot found on her kitchen table when she set out to head to the meet up spot. The previous day had gone so well, she had almost forgotten her unusual circumstances. At first, she was worried it wasn’t actually from Raiden, but it matched his neat handwriting and vocabulary perfectly, confirmed by the signature old Kanji he signed everything with, meaning ‘Thunder’ and ‘Protector’.

Elliot felt a tinge of worry throughout the whole day, wondering how dire the situation could have been for him to not even tell her in person. She knew how important his role was. He only missed picking her up if something truly dire occurred. Even during her more rigorous classes that required much more attention, she still had trouble focusing on things.

When it came time to walk to the meet up spot, the whole time she kept her guard up. She personally didn’t think anything could really happen. It was Kensington for crying out loud! The most dangerous person there was maybe Markus’s older brother, Julio. The kid had been a high school drop out, or rather was expelled. He was a bit of a pyromaniac. There was only so many times a kid could set fire to different parts of the school before the fire department became fed up with him.

The streets were surprisingly barren, given it was a Friday. But Elliot’s confusion was answered when she noticed rain clouds approaching over the horizon. Sure, the local kids loved the rain, but the adults preferred to stay inside during it. It was quite difficult to focus on work when you were being drenched in rain. Not to mention the threat of lightning, something she hoped would be absent this time around in Kensington.

Elliot made her way past the old part of town that once was lined was shops and shoppers, but had since become mostly abandoned due to the buildings’ ages. Having been built in a time when the toxicity of lead and other materials was unknown, the buildings were all since condemned. The area was in the process of being torn down and rebuilt, but the progress was slow, and many buildings still sat vacant. It was a part of town really only cars drove down, being the only driving road that lead South towards the base. The curious or mischievous kid would occasionally make their way down, much like Aelga and Isolde, but other than that, it was nearly deserted. Perfect for a thunder god to make a dramatic entrance.

Elliot turned into the small alleyway she always met up with her guardian at, careful not to make a whole lot of noise. Just as she expected, Raiden was nowhere to be found. Sighing, Elliot sat her bag down near a wall at the back of the alley, and took a seat next to it, beginning her wait. Elliot felt herself tensing from the ominous clouds looming in the distance. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to center herself.

He won’t make you wait long, Elliot. Just breath. You won’t get struck again. The chances are so slim, it’s nearly impossible.

But not zero…

Elliot shook her head. She need a distraction. She pulled out her phone and began trying to find memes to look at. Sure, it was brainless entertainment, but sometimes an endless scroll of crappy memes from years gone by on Google images was the kind of distraction she needed.

Elliot tried focusing on the crappy jokes when she was interrupted by a familiar shout just a few buildings over.

“Boys and girls, friends, welcome to the final round!” Came the voice of an announcer. SHIT!

The tournament!

Elliot had been so focused all day on Raiden’s absence, she’d forgotten that today was the final round of the tournament, and Elliot had a terrible feeling about it. She knew she was supposed to stay put, but a nagging feeling in her chest kept telling her to check it out. Combine that with a twinge of curiosity, and Elliot stood up and began trotting over towards the sound of the gathering dcrowd. If anything, Elliot wanted to cheer on her friend.

Carefully making her way through the back alleys and abapndoned sidewalks, Elliot crept around a corner and into an old alleyway. She was met with a very small crowd of kids surrounding an open area with a few figures standing parallel to one another, with one in the center. Elliot moved past some of the kids, trying to work her way into the crowd to get a better look.

On one side, Isolde and Aelga stood, fists balled and ready. Isolde wore a tank top and athletic sweatpants. She was in a fighting stance, and poised to strike. Aelga wore a red short sleeved hoodie with the hood up. She glared at her opponents across from her. Markus cracked his knuckles, wearing a sweatband and his fists wrapped in bandages. Next to him was who Elliot assumed was Julio, but it was hard to tell with so many kids blocking her view of him. In between the two parties was a child wearing a basketball jersey, with her hand raised in the air. The clouds looming came closer and closer into view, heavy and gray with rain. If Elliot hadn’t been so focused on the fight before them, she wouldn’t heard the sound of natural thunder in the distance.

“Remember: who ever gets knocked to the ground for more than ten seconds is out. No weapons. Three rounds, best 2 out of 3. Ready?” Came the girl.

Aelga gave a slight nod, as did Markus. Both stared at eachother with more venom than Elliot had ever seen either capable of. The child in the middle stepped back closer to the crowd, and chopped the air with her hand.

“Round 1…”

“FIGHT!”

The moment the girl’s shout was heard, Aelga lunged at Markus. Isolde threw a punch at Julio. Aelga nearly toppled Markus to the ground, had he not managed to land a punch to her face, sending Aelga staggering. She winced in pain, the area around her eye beginning to swell. Aelga shook it off and charged back at him again.

Isolde had trouble landing any hits on Julio. The boy was tall and lanky, and wasn’t known for physical strength or even any speed. He was thin as a pencil. Somehow he managed to evade Isolde’s hits. He didn’t throw any punches, though. Just kept dodging Isolde’s hits. The boy slowly made his way in Aelga’s direction. Isolde seemed to catch on, and pivoted behind him. She ran up to the side of the alleyway, and jumped, then kicked off against the wall. Her hands were clasped together, and she hooped her arms around Julio’s neck. She hung on his neck, causing him to lose his balance and choke a bit. Momentarily, Isolde managed to keep him away from Aelga.

Meanwhile, Aelga and Markus exchanged blows, sort of boxing each other. In a few seconds, Aelga seemed to lose her balance, leaving an opening for Markus. He landed another blow to her face, sending Aelga staggering back. She put a hand to her mouth, and saw blood on her finger. She looked back up and Markus and charged full force at him.

Aelga tackled him to the ground, and pinned him there. He struggled, but Aelga managed to keep him pinned for almost 10 seconds. But just in time, Julio managed to shake off Isolde, and bolted for Aelga. He kicked her hard in the gut, sending her flying a bit out off of Markus.

The whole fight, Elliot’s gut feeling began growing more and more dreadful. Something was off about Julio. He wasn’t normally this active at anything. Sure, he was stronger and older than all of them, but he was never this precise. It was hard to explain but he just seemed more…experienced than usual. It didn’t help that his demeanor was completely out of character. Normally, he was completely apathetic about most things. He usually looked a bit intoxicated and tired, disheveled and ungroomed. Here, he looked like someone made a poor attempt at cosplaying a stoner.

In the distance, a loud crack of thunder could be heard, causing most of the kids to look up in surprise. Elliot squeaked in shock. Little did she know, this would be her undoing. Her noise was unintentionally loud enough, that most everyone in the crowd looked directly at her, staring. Julio grew a devious grin, disregarding the approaching Isolde. She rammed towards Julio, but he just swung his arm and threw her to the ground. Julio began making his way towards the crowd, laser focused on where Elliot stood. A few kids already started slipping away from the crowd, backing up cautiously.

“Julio! What’re you doing?! We almost got them! Come on!” Markus cried between blows from Aelga.

“Can it, pipsqueak!” Barked Julio, sounding far gruffer than usual. Markus’ eyes widened, color draining from his face.

“Julio..?”

Oh shit…

Elliot fumbled to reach the Sky Whistle, slowly backing away as she did. Kids parted in the crowd around her, some running. By the time Julio stood before her, almost all of them were gone. Julio’s vice grip clamped around Elliot’s collar, just before she had a chance to grab the whistle.

“GET AWAY FROM HER!” Screamed Aelga, who was charging at Julio. He simply smacked her swung his free arm around, throwing Aelga to the ground a hood 7 feet away.

“AELGA!” Isolde ran to her sister’s side. Markus went wide-eyed, frozen in fear.

“Finally, I can lose this stupid mug,” came a gruff, Australian voice from Julio, completely different from the real Deal. The man put a hand to his chest, clicking an invisible button. The Julio facade faded, revealing a tall, muscular man with only one eye, the other had metal and a red light where it was supposed to be. He didn’t wear a shirt, and had a lot of chest hair and a beard. Around his chest he wore a metal sash of sorts, with a large, red metal core in the center of his chest. The man smelled terrible of alcohol and tobacco.

“Honestly didn’t think it’d be this easy. Heh…like takin’ candy from a baby,” the gruff man said.

Markus balled his fists, and glared at the man, tears welling up in his eyes. Isolde put a hand over Markus’s mouth, and tried backing away with both her sister leaning on Isolde’s shoulders and restraining Markus. Aelga’s eye where she’d gotten punched was swollen now, and beginning to turn purple. She looked furious, but a hint of fear glinted in her eyes. She gritted her teeth, a strong desire to lunge at the strange man was no doubt evident in her mind. But it seemed the fear was holding her back.

Elliot tried grabbing the whistle again, whilst kicking around against the strange man. As she finally gripped the whistle, the man snatched it up in a swift motion, snapping the cord. He just ignored her kicks.

“Aw, you got yourself a little whistle! How cute! Sorry, luv, but that ain’t gonna save you now,” he said as he tossed the little wooden artifact down the alley. The man began to turn his attention towards Isolde and co who were trying to quietly step out of the alley. She didn’t blame them for running. There wasn’t exactly anything they could do. If anything, they could at least call for help. Elliot tried to distract the man to buy them some time.

She began swigging her legs rapidly, almost hitting the man, and swinging her good arm against his chest. Isolde stopped and gave Elliot a sympathetic look. Elliot just mouthed, “Go!” At her friend, making a waving motion with her right arm.

“Oi, kid, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. You’re worthless to me dead, ya know,” the man said calmly. Elliot just glared at him, then, once she was sure her friends and Markus were out of the alley, she pivoted her head and bit down on the man’s arm as hard as she could. The man dropped her collar for a moment. Elliot took no time and tried booking it out of the alleyway, screaming for help as she could.

Elliot didn’t even make it 2 feet before the man grabbed her again, this time by the throat, lifting her up a good few feet above the ground. She tried gasping for air, hands clawing at the man’s vice grip.

“See, now look what you made me do, ya little shit,” the man said in a low, ominous voice. His red eye glistened, almost glowing.

Elliot’s breath quickly became blocked. She gasped for air, but it felt as if with every gasp, the man’s grip tightened. Her vision went blurry and tears began to creep their way into her eyes. She tried kicking and struggling against the man, but her limbs began to feel heavier and heavier to lift. Elliot was so disoriented, she neglected to notice the rain beating harder as lightning became more and more frequent. One struck just behind the man, and once the flash subsided, an extremely pissed but familiar white and blue figure appeared, wearing a traditional Japanese hat, rain pouring off the sides of it.

Lightning arched from the figure, before he lunged at the man, causing him to lose grip of Elliot’s neck. She immediately fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Lightning launched from all around the figure as he threw blow after blow at the strange man. Electricity arched all around the alley, mostly landing on the strange man. However, none of it ever came into contact with Elliot. Actually, it practically danced in a circle around her. The rest of the electricity was erratic and almost violent in its movement. The sparks that surrounded her seemed almost…alive. It still scared her, though. She began to find her vision again, and looked over at the figure. It was Raiden, much to her relief, fist-fighting the strange man.

Suddenly, a laser shot from the man’s eye. First it was pointed at Raiden, who managed to dodge it, letting it hit a nearby brick wall. But the man quickly grew a horrible grin and turned his head directly at Elliot.

She didn’t even have time to react. She just stood there, frozen in fear. Wisps of vague memories flashed through her mind that were followed by waves of terror rushing through her. All at once, she was practically paralyzed. However, once the beam became only a few feat from her, a bright blue light intersected, and stopped it in its tracks. The lightning that had surrounded her arched in opposition of the laser, and completely blocked it. The man’s other eye grew wide, as if confused. Raiden took his chance, charged at the man, and launched an aerial kick at the man’s head.

Elliot, however, didn’t process any of the events. A deluge of bits of memeories of something she couldn’t quite reach flooded her mind, utterly paralyzing her with fear. She tried snapping out of it, focusing on Raiden. But this only worsened things. The look of fury of his face, the lightning arching from his eyes, him standing over her…it all felt like trying to put together a puzzle that lost all its pieces long ago. All she knew were the flashes of pain and fear, and the vague images of her guardian’s fury.

Raiden continued to block hit after hit from the man, throwing a few punches here or there, waiting for an opening. He could already sense Elliot’s fear. He needed to tend to her soon, but Kano proved to be more than a difficult opponent. When he managed to dodge Kano’s signature laser beam, he almost went for an opening, until he saw Kano’s head tilt towards Elliot. Rage surged through his being, more electricity arching from him. Raiden put a hand out, focusing on the protective lightning barrier that he’d surrounded Elliot in.

To make the barrier, a small part of, well, himself was placed in it. In truth, he’d essentially split part of his electrical form to surround her whilst his physical form fought Kano. The electricity was incapable of harming her, but it was still plasma and energy. It could easily block an energy attack.

He reached out, focussing the electricity in front of Elliot. This seemed to surprise Kano, giving him an opening. Raiden immediately charged at him, flying full-force at him. He could feel Elliot’s fear and anxiety growing. He didn’t have time to completely end this. He just needed to incapacitate him, or at least long enough to get Elliot out of the area. But by the looks of things, she’d need a bit more attention than he’d initially thought. Luckily, he’d formed a plan.

Raiden held a hand out whilst moving with Kano in the tempo of the fight. In his outstretched hand an ornate, tall bo staff materialized in electricity. It fit perfectly in Raiden’s hand as he began swinging it around rapidly, hitting Kano square in the jaw. Again and again and again. Kano staggered back against a wall, spitting out something bloody.

“Heh…didn’t think you’d care this much about some weak little ankle-bitah…” Kano sputtered between coughs of blood.

Raiden’s fists both balled in fury, electricity arching from them. His reaction gave Kano just enough time to grab his hunting knife.

Kano knew retrieval of the kid was a no-go at this point. Retreat was his only option. But not without a little parting gift…

“GYAAAH!” Roared the thunder and Raiden as Kano drove the knife into Raiden’s side. Raiden gripped the wound, as Kano drove it out and limped away from the scene. Kano quickly hit a button on the cracked core on his chest, and in a flurry of static, was gone.

Raiden kneeled down, hand on the fresh wound, rain pouring down onto the scene. He took a deep breath, allowing the pain to subside momentarily as the wound quickly closed itself, leaving only the blood on his gi as evidence of the stab. He stood up, turning his attention to the trembling figure before him. The electricity had mostly stopped arching around the alley, save for the barrier surrounding Elliot.

Kneeling down, he inspected Elliot’s body. At first, she’d have seemed fine. But upon closer inspection, he found dark bruising around her neck, and she seemed ghost pale. Both from the cold of the storm and the fear racing through her. He felt her pulse, the whole time she never even acknowledged his presence. Her heart was racing to an alarming rate, her breathing shallow and rapid. Telltale signs of her panic attacks-but this one was different. Last time she had one, she at least acknowledged his presence. No, this was far worse.

A flash-back.

Raiden put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her. No response. He gently pulled her upright, looking deep into her eyes. They were practically glazed over, full of tears. He gently pulled her closer, setting her on his lap. He took a breath, then gave a gentle, small jolt to her. Her eyes began to focus. Once she seemed to be back to reality, she took one look at Raiden, and jerked away, falling backwards against her right arm.

She rasped an attempt at a scream, gripping her arm. She mouthed a much bigger scream, but only a small bit of noise came out. It seemed her windpipe was still swollen.

Raiden put two hands out. “Easy, thunderbolt. It is just me. You do not need to be afraid,” he whispered gently.

Elliot sniffled, trying not to cry, but failing miserably. Her heart raced, fear emanating off of her in waves. Elliot looked fearful and uncertain, a look he hadn’t seen on her since…that day. Raiden’s heart broke again, reliving every thought that ran through his head before he made one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

Elliot tried choking back a sob, but failed. As soon as the tears started flowing again, she rushed back to Raiden, burying her face in his gi. He slowly wrapped two arms around her torso. She silently cried into his shirt, letting all the emotions flow in a torrent of pain. Raiden would’ve kept her there just to let her cry, but he could see a bit of blood creeping out of her bandages. It seemed a blister popped when she’d hit her arm. The bandaging was in place for a reason; her arm was still an open wound.

She couldn’t risk infection. However, her aversion to the hospital wouldn’t be something that’d help her current emotional state. He thought for a moment, hesitant to take his next course of action. He’d never hear the end of it from General Blade, but few places were safe for her right now.

Raiden stood up, rising to his full height. Elliot barely even noticed, thanks to Raiden basically holding her now. He supported her legs with one arm and her back with the other. Elliot just continued to silently sob. In a flash of blue, both were gone from the wet, dark alleyway.

When the flash subsided, Elliot looked up with her watery eyes just a bit to see where’d she been taken. It was hard to see details with how much her tears distorted things, but she was able to make out one thing: she wasn’t in Utah, anymore. In fact, it looked like she was in Japan.

Intricate carvings of Asian Dragons lined the walls, along with several tapestries and paintings of heroes and triumphant battles in Earthrealm’s name. Behind Them was a large, ornate wooden double door that had more dragons carved around it. The floors were wooden planks treated to look a gorgeous red wood color. Several windows were dotted around the entry way, most of them had opaque paper covering them. A few in the front gave a view of a training courtyard, but it was hard to see past them with all the water covering them from the rain.

Raiden let Elliot down back to her feet, and immediately began leading her down the hallway. She wobbled a bit, but managed to keep herself steady. Raiden put a hand on her left shoulder, immediately feeling that usual electric current she always felt with him. This one felt a bit more conscious though. The voltage seemed to be higher, and she actually felt her muscles contracting in response. Just a little, but it did help keep her focused on something.

Her breathing was still shallow and quick, heart pounding from her anxiety. Her mind would sometimes wander back to the blurry images that flashed through her head throughout the initial panic attack. When the panic grew again, taking Elliot out of the moment, she’d feel a jolt from Raiden again, grounding her mentally.

Raiden had never thought he’d be caring for a toddler. But he’d made a commitment to Elliot, and when she had magically reverted to a toddler, well, he had no choice. Problem was, Elliot’s memories of being a toddler and her current memories had blended, causing her to essentially be a weird amalgamation of herself.

This caused Elliot to be incredibly clingy. Her little self never had any real family to give her affection and emotional support, and her current self only had Raiden for family. Elliot refused to be away from Raiden for very long, if at all.

In meetings, she always had to be with him. Meditation; she’d try to sleep next to him. A quiet stroll through the gardens? The kid would play in the grass or dirt next to him.

Elliot would cry if she was away from him for very long. It seemed she had abandonment issues, and all she wanted was to be around him. Raiden was reluctant at first, just because it was hard to effectively focus on a special forces meeting when you had a toddler on a child leash on you at all times, but he couldn’t bring himself to break away from her. Elliot’s little eyes filling with tears tore him apart.

And this, children, is how the god of thunder found himself trying to meditate with a 3-year-old curled up on his lap, sleeping. She’d gotten bored pretty quickly and given her own circadian rhythm had been completely broke since the age incident, it didn’t take long for her little body to fall asleep.

Raiden had practically mastered meditation in his uncountable years in a human body. Having a tiny human sleeping next to him was nothing. Elliot was technically supposed to sleep at the old safe house, but Raiden both preferred to spend his nights at the Sky Temple, given his inability to leave Elliot, and personally found the idea of leaving a toddler alone, even just to sleep, a bit unsafe for his liking. Even in her current state, Elliot was still his daughter.

Thus, the ritual had been somewhat of Elliot’s bed time routine since she regressed to the physical and mental state of a 3-year-old. Raiden would assume his normal night time meditation routine, finding a spot that caught his fancy in the many gardens throughout the Sky Temple and assume his Lotus position as usual. Elliot, even if he tried to put her down for bed, would always follow him. She was like a puppy, one track mind laser focused on following Raiden. He’d try to keep her in her (or rather, his old bed room before it had been taken over by teenage Elliot) bed room but she’d always sneak out and find him. He could sense wherever she was thanks to her inherent connection to the Jinsei.

After a few nights, he found it simply easier to just let her be, keeping her from falling over a railing or jumping into a koi pond whilst she toddled behind him. Elliot was silent most of the time whilst she slept anyway, so it was honestly some of the most peaceful moments throughout his day with the child.

Elliot sat curled up in Raiden’s lap as he tried his best to focus on his breathing. He contemplated things, primarily his current situation. How would Elliot be restored? It had been two weeks and still she was just as small as before, and Havok was still after her and the twins for reasons neither he nor Fujin could grasp. Honestly, it was probably a good thing Elliot was so clingy. She needed constant vigilance when in public, so many in the Red Dragon were after her.

Water gargled nearby, a small pond with a spring in it surrounded the little island in the garden. Raiden sat in the lotus position, floating slightly as he always did when meditating in the center of the island. A small Sakura tree had blossoms falling from it, overhanging the whole pond and island. To get to the island, one needed to float over the pond, or tread through the shallow water, leading to mostly Raiden and Fujin only using this particular garden.

The night sky was filled with stars unobstructed by light pollution. Elliot always found the stars mesmerizing, even as a small child. She’d stare up at them as she drifted off to sleep, fumbling with the floppy ears on her little onesie.

It was a yellow, electric mouse onesie Cassie had chosen for her. Apparently, the character was quite popular with small children, worldwide. It felt fitting for a tiny child of the thunder god. Elliot seemed to like the onesie, and that’s all he cared about. As Elliot had completely drifted off to sleep, she shifted from sitting to almost laying down, using Raiden’s knee as a pillow. She was so small, especially compared to him. Raiden hadn’t changed from his every day attire, armor and numerous layers still present. It left quite a sight, a toddler wearing a bright yellow onesie curled up in the lap of a serious and stoic looking 7-foot-tall thunder god.

Elliot’s chest rose and fell, peaceful sleep enveloping her. An almost silent snore escaped her. Raiden could sense her emotions calming as she fell deeper into sleep. Since the incident, he had elected to rely more on his intuition than before with her. Toddlers were much harder to read but much more important to monitor.

She shifted a bit, grumbling out a whimper. He could sense some fear emanating from her. He opened his eyes from his meditative state, and sighed. Even as a small child, she was still plagued with nightmares. He stroked her head, gently pushing back her hair. He pulsed a harmless electric current into her head, silently viewing her dream.

She sat alone in a field, in her teenage form, crying Raiden’s name as shadowy figures formed around her, hands on her shoulder, speaking something to her, before placing a hand on her shoulder. Elliot grimly nodded as the figures led her away. Perhaps…was her true consciousness showing?

Raiden tried his best to insert himself into her dream gently. He materialized from electricity, standing just 20 feet from her. His perspective shifted from an overhead view of the field to one seeing from his figure that appeared. His voice echoed as he spoke.

“Elliot!” He chimed. She turned, looking hopeful. “Raiden!” She tried running to him, but the shadowy figures held her back. “Raiden! What’s happening? I know after that blast from that skeleton dude, something happened to me. It’s like I’m dreaming…everything feels so muddy. What’s going on?”

“Your body and mind have reverted back to that of a 3-year-old. Your body and mind are confused. I am unsure how we can restore you,” he echoed, a slight electric crackle sounded as he spoke.

“The only time I feel like I’m awake is when my body is asleep, I guess. I’m trying to reach you! I can’t hear anyone else’s voice when my body’s awake but your’s! I don’t know why!” She cried, trying to resist the shadowy tendrils wrapping itself around her.

“This is a magical issue, it seems. I will restore you, Elliot! Follow my voice! Keep trying to reach me!” He replied, willing as much as he could to go toward her. But no matter how much he willed, he couldn’t get his dream body to move. It was like his feet were covered in cement, and his powers didn’t seem to work at all here.

“I’m trying! Raiden!” She cried before the shadowy tendrils enveloped her completely, pulling her into a warp in the ground around them. Raiden was pushed out of her consciousness, opening his eyes back to reality. Little Elliot was almost crying, face scrunched in fear as she whimpered. He gently shook her trembling form. “Little one…” he whispered, before catching himself and trying again, a bit louder this time. She hated Fujin’s nickname for her, and only allowed him to call her that. Even Raiden wasn’t allowed to call her that. But he had his own nicknames he was exclusively allowed to use for her that she much preferred.

“Young one…” No response. He sighed. “Thunderbolt…” he whispered gently. Elliot’s eyes fluttered open, a soft, hopeful squeak escaped her. She looked up at Raiden, tears forming in her eyes.

“I am right here, thunderbolt. It is okay. Your nightmares cannot hurt you. Just look at me,” he whispers to her, his hat covering her head as he bent down to her eye level. She just looked up at him, sniffling, before nuzzling into his torso. “I don’t like the monsters…” she whimpered.

Raiden held her in his arms, still sitting cross legged with her in his lap. His neck craned down to cover her with his hat, keeping her focus on him. She kneeled where she sat, fumbling with her little mouse ears on her onesie. She still was filled with so much anxiety. He cupped her face, meeting her eyes, he smiled at her reassuringly, the glow of his eyes the only thing illuminating the little scene. What was that song she loved from that show?

In a low, soft, baritone voice, Raiden tried reciting the lyrics to her favorite lullaby.

“Leaves from the vine,

Falling so slow,

Like fragile, tiny shells,

Drifting in the cold.”

Elliot’s little voice followed suite, completing the lyrics, an old memory from her true self surfacing itself. “Wittle soldier boy, come marching home.”

“Brave soldier boy,” Raiden began, a small tear welling from his eye. Memories of two souls he once held like this came rushing to him, flooding his mind.

Lao…Liu…What I wouldn’t give to have you two here with your sister…

“Comes marching home,” Elliot finished, mesmerized by the words. She swayed, sleep pulling into her. But before she could fall into sheep’s embrace once again, she noticed her Ray-Ray looking sad. She wasn’t sure how to help him…but remembered what he’d always do when she was sad, and tried to emulate.

A small grabby hand reached for the brim of Raiden’s hat, tipping it a bit, snapping him from his stupor. As Elliot’s grip released it, she groggily squeaked words that melted Raiden’s heart, they were so cute.

“I’m right here, Ray-Ray…I won’t let any bad guys make you sad!” She said half asleep, head lulling into sleep. Raiden caught her, laying her back down against his knee. He smiled.

He may have lost so many champions and warriors, regrets piling through him, but he still had Elliot. The girl he almost killed, but saved. He’d broken her, but he managed to save her. No matter what, he’d at least be able to say he was able to protect at least her.