•The Return•

I watched as Lilli woke up, sat up, and rubbed her eyes. She coughed weakly.

"It's morning." I greeted with my damaged voice.

Lilli nodded, her eyes still closed. She looked very tired. "It is." She pointed to the pot. "Water?"

I stood up and put some hot water in a glass for her. She took it. I put her blanket over her shoulders.

"Nightmares again?" I asked. "You weren't asleep much."

She nodded and took a sip. "I can't stop having them.."

I put a few more pieces of wood into the stove and shut the door. I sat next to Lilli, hugging my legs.

She shivered. "You wanna know.. Don't you? It's the same dream every time."

"I was curious..." I pointed out.

She took a deep breath after taking another sip. "It's always the same.. And it's not scary.." She looked over to me. "I'm running from something- or someone.. And I don't know where I am or where i'm going.. I'm confused and afraid."

"There's nobody in the dream?"

"There's... Two other people... One holding my hand... And the other is ahead.." She tried her hardest to think. "We're all running in someplace dark."

"You don't know the people there or where you are?"

She shook her head and took a drink. "It really bugs me.." I nodded.

She sighed, handing me the wooden doll. I took it and put it into the fire.

"I think we should go back to Romdeau..." Lilli said. "I don't think there's anyone else out here.. And staying near Romdeau gives us a better chance of surviving..." She looked down at her cup. "Gives me a better chance to survive."

"Okay... When?"

"Today." She wearily stood up. "We could go now."

I stood and took her cup, putting it on the stove. "You sure you'll be okay?"

Lilli smiled. "I'll be fine. I'm just tired.. Maybe if I get closer to Romdeau i'll start to feel better."

"Like you're homesick?"

She shrugged. "Possibly."

I started to pick up some supplies and put them into a small satchel. I slung the worn and dirty strap over my shoulder. Lilli wrapped herself in her faded blue blanket and coughed.

"Ready?" I asked.

She nodded. We then walked outside into the cold, desolate wasteland, closing the door one last time behind us. Lilli followed me forward.

"Bye bye house." Lilli quietly said.

I gripped my necklace and led the way. Lilli followed behind, coughing.

"Do you ever dream, Nami?" Lilli asked.

"No."

"Oh..."

"Do you have something against AutoRevs?" I asked, stepping over a pipe.

"I... I don't know... It just made me feel.. Off about it.."

"Maybe something happened back home." I pointed out.

"Maybe... Do you think we knew each other in Romdeau?"

I looked over at the dome in the distance. "Probably not.."

"But we ended up out here together." She coughed.

"I wonder what we did.. What happened..."

"Yeah.."

"I need to take a break." Lilli said as she sat down on the cold ground.

I turned around and walked back to her. "We're getting closer." I smiled.

Lilli smiled a little. "Eventually we'll get-" She broke into a coughing fit. "Get there."

She looked very tired. "Do you think you'll make it there?"

She looked at me strangely. "Mhm! I'm not gonna die or anything!" She shivered as the wind blew again. "It's just a little cold." She smiled reassuringly. "I'll make it.. I just need a little break."

I sat next to her. "Do you think we'll find a way inside the dome?"

"There has to be a way in somewhere." She grasped my locket around my neck and pulled it close to her. She opened it, making it ping through the empty piles and dirt. "I like this thing."

I looked at the inside of the top of the locket, studying the expertly painted orange flower. Lilli rubbed some of the dust off of it. The outlines sparkled, using the tiny amount of sunlight this wasteland knew. The slow and depressing melody played on.

"Do you remember how you got this?" Lilli asked, coughing again.

I shook my head. "I... No.."

"That's okay." She paused. "I think we'll both remember eventually.. Maybe we need something familiar to jog our memories."

I nodded. We sat there for a while, listening to the locket, until Lilli was ready to walk again. We stood and began walking towards the dome. I led the way, Lilli shuffled her feet behind me.

The wind frequently blew against us, not as powerful as yesterday. Lilli weakly coughed behind me. I kept glancing back to make sure she was there and was okay. She wrapped herself in her navy blue blanket to keep herself warm. Her light pink jacket was too light to keep in any warmth. She wore a light purple dress and white slip on shoes.

I suddenly heard a thud as Lilli fell to the ground. I quickly turned around and hurried over to her, rolling her onto her back.

"Lilli?" I asked.

She didn't answer. She seemed to be asleep with a pained expression on her face. I sighed.

"We should of waited..." I sighed. "Come on then. We should keep going."

I did my best to pick her up. I wrapped her in her blanket and hoisted her on my back in a piggy-back-ride fashion. I was thankful that Lilli was smaller than me. Her arms hung over my shoulders. I began walking again.

We didn't seem to be too far away from Romdeau. Once we get to the dome we can make another home and wait until Lilli got better. I sighed, hoisting Lilli higher on my back. I kept on walking, humming to myself. My voice sounded very electronic, making my hums fade in and out. I hated my voice now. It wasn't me. It wasn't right.

I kept on walking with my only companion supported on my back. Romdeau remained in my sights, getting closer and closer.

Lilli was sick again.

~|AUTHOR'S NOTE|~

Memories will begin to return!

I'm excited for Nami and Lilli to return to Romdeau! It'll be fun and exciting!

Sorry that this chapter is also poorly written! It will start to get better next chapter since they won't be traveling around.

Please keep reading and review!

~|Adelina|~