Hi again, I haven't been feeling much like writing recently, but I was playing ff3 again and got to the floating tree part (I deleted my game where I was further ahead than that by accident-it was a very sad time) so I was playing it. the first part of this one is my version of what happened then. Of course, I firmly believe it takes much longer to heal aftr such an event, so the end part of this reflects that. Also, this is an Arc/Refia interaction (just friendship, I have many plans for Arc and Ingus). I will most liked write other stories that come before this one as I play the game many times over because I am very sad that way.

Anyway, read, review and most importantly, enjoy!

3.

Arc watched as Ingus fell before the onslaught of blows. Hein must have seen that Ingus took command during battle, that without him they would fumble. That Luneth would become reckless, and that Arc, their offensive magic user would fumble and fail. He wasn't like Luneth or Refia, he wasn't able to take control, to know what he must do. Ingus made the plans, Arc followed them.

Luneth had fallen next, taking a blow that could have killed Refia. Arc didn't know if he had survived, his mind getting cloudy with confusion. He was spitting forth spells as fast as he could manage, feeling the tingle every time Refia healed him.

He was their last hope. If Ingus and Luneth were still alive then he was the only thing standing between them and a horrible death by Hein. Refia's healing could only do so much.

Then Refia fell, and he was alone. Sending spell after spell, item after item, not caring that each time Hein struck he was getting weaker, he didn't have time to care. Hoping everytime that one spell, one item, would work, and that Hein would crumble to the ground like any enemy before. But each time Hein stayed standing, a hideous grin stretched across his skull face.

The attacks left him weak, kneeling on the ground, staring wide eyed as Hein approached him. He was going to die. They were all going to die because he hadn't been strong enough.

He cast his eyes back towards the others, looking at their prone bodies. He steeled something inside himself. The same thing he had steeled when he left his home village in search of ghosts, the same thing he had steeled when he had asked Luneth if he could journey with him. Drawing a breath, he dug in his robes until he found something he could use. He couldn't hear anything Hein was saying to him, it was all just screeching, clacking sounds.

This was never going to work. Hein was too powerful. But it was all he had.

"I'm sorry." he whispered to his friends.

He turned back, forcing himself to his feet, facing his death head on. He hurled the item into the air, and with as much command as he could muster, he yelled.

"ANTARCTIC WIND!"

And he waited for the death blow.

"Arc…? Arc!"

Arc sat up with a start, a spell on his lips and ready to be uttered. Warm fingers stopped them as they settled over his mouth. "Arc, calm down. You were having a nightmare… again."

It was Refia.

Arc relaxed as soon as he knew he wasn't being attacked. But tension was still evident in his frame. "Th… Thank you… for waking me that is. I'm sorry I woke you…" he trailed off quietly.

"You didn't wake me. I was on watch." Refia said, looking over to where Ingus and Luneth slept on, neither in any great shape to stay up all night to keep watch. She looked back at Arc, a small, reassuring smile gracing her features. "Are you alright?"

"Yes" Arc responded, almost automatically, though it was far from the truth. This nightmare had been haunting him for days now, two or three times a night. He just couldn't get over what had happened.

"You want to talk about it? My father says it's better to share the problem, that way it gets smaller." Refia offered; in a tone that would let Arc back out if he wanted.

Arc gratefully took this escape. He didn't need anyone else to know about how it haunted him. He was sure it would never bother anyone else like this.

They sat in silence for a time, the little fire cackled gently in the background, watching the two sleeping figures.

"You know," Refia said quietly.

Arc looked over to her, but her attention remained on their friends. He waited for her to continue.

"I don't know what I would have done if it had just been me." she continued, head tilted thoughtfully. "I mean, I could have kept myself healed, protected from the worst of the blows maybe, but I would never have been able to defeat him. Not by myself. I know what Luneth would have done; he would have attacked and attacked until he died. Ingus… now he's a little harder, he could have maybe done it, after all, he can use both kinds of magic, but he doesn't have the energy to use enough spells." he stopped, frowning thoughtfully, then turned her head to look at him. "How did you do it?" she asked.

Arc blinked, he had been following her words, knew what she was referring too, but still, the question surprised him. "I don't know." he answered honestly.

"Well, whatever it was worked." she smiled at him. "We never would have won without you."

He blinked at her, surprised. He had never even considered it that way. For the past three days he had been drowning in self-pity, over the fact that he could have gotten them all killed. It hadn't even struck him yet that they were all alive, injured, but alive. That he had succeeded. Hein had fallen.

"I'm sorry." he said then.

Refia looked at him, confused. "What for?"

"For being so wrapped up in what didn't happen." he sighed, not looking at her.

She frowned at him, he knew she did. "Arc," she began gently. "You were the last person standing between him and us. That's a lot of pressure, for anyone to handle. I think you're entitled to be wrapped up in whatever you want for a while. I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful, and they are too."

Arc didn't say anything for a while, just processing what she had said.

"Now, I'm tired, and it's your watch." Refia grinned, settling down onto her back for a moment before curling up on her side towards the fire.

Arc watched her back for a long moment. "Thank you." he whispered, hoping not to disturb her.

"Your Welcome." she whispered back, before yawning and shifting slightly to get comfortable.