A Walk By The Old Trail

[06.12.00] » by Soul Hunter

Seventy.

No... this can't be right. Handy resin-based eraser, making brisk tracks on the rough paper. Jeweled locks moving to and fro as the son of Seagull shakes his head repentantly.

"Man, shouldn't have given away my battle meter to Mr. Kramer. How the heck am I gonna keep count now?"

Seventy-two.

"Or maybe I haven't gotten sixty yet."

The whiff of rubber trails into his nostrils once more as he annoyingly deleted the figure from his note.

"Ahh! I give up!" Kiros blurts out while hurling the piece of paper away. "There goes my record..."

"Do you always have to keep a tally of all the monsters we kill, Kiros?"

"This is not a tally, Laguna. This is a point system I'm planning to use someday."

"Someday? Someday when?"

"I don't know..." the son of Seagull retorts. "When I establish my own school?"

"School?" Laguna scoffs. "You mean like a 'school' school? What are you planning to teach? Hair styling techniques?"

Kiros frowns, not even remotely amused by Laguna's mindless joke. "No, you dingbat! I'm planning to found a military academy."

"Okay, okay. Just kidding, dude. You don't have to get all antsy."

"For once, Laguna, why don't you try taking some things seriously for a change. Oh wait... you are serious sometimes. But the way you conduct yourself you're still ending up saying something ludicrous."

"Don't start, Kiros."

"Like... heh... heh heh!"

"I'm warning you, Kiros..."

"'Love makes...' heh heh... 'Love makes the world SPIN'?! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

It was Laguna's turn to frown, his eye brows meeting in an ugly, crumpled nexus while watching Kiros rolling about the dusty ground, guffawing his heart out. Deeming the moment a total waste of his time, the former Galbadian soldier opts to turn his back on his friend, making slow steps as he drags his seemingly lead-weighted feet off the barren trail.

"Hey, Laguna! You can dish out but you can't take?" Kiros hollers after his comrade. Laguna didn't answer.

"Oops, looks like I overdid it this time." Kiros thought. "Laguna, hey... I'm sorry. I was just kidding, bud."

"Don't worry about it, Kiros."

"Oh man... I said I'm sorry."

Laguna turns to Kiros, surprising the latter with his uncharacteristically sullen face.

"No, really. It's not you Kiros, so don't worry about it."

Perceiving something amiss, Kiros relinquished his amused mood before approaching his friend. "What's wrong, Laguna? Anything bothering you?"

"Well..." Laguna started. "It's... it's... ahhh! I don't know what to think anymore."

"It's about Raine, isn't it?" Kiros came back. "You're thinking about how hard it will be for you to leave her behind?"

Laguna maintained his silence. Kiros draws a deep breath, then rests a sympathetic hand on the azure-clad man's shoulders.

"I thought you wanted to pursue your dreams, bud. I thought you wanted to travel, see places, and write about what you see."

"Yeah... I want to do all those things. All my life, I've been itching to land my feet on places unheard of, locations hardly seen by man's eyes. That's all I've always wanted to do."

"Okay... okay. And... let me guess. Now you're not sure anymore because of Raine. You're losing interest in your dreams. Am I right?"

Laguna tosses a sad look at Kiros. "No... you're wrong. I still want to do those things. I'm still aching to go after my dreams."

"So what's... oh... ohh okay! I see what your problem is. You're torn, right? You don't know which one to choose; whether to embark on your adventure or to stay here with Raine."

"And Ellone."

"Whatever. Man, you really got yourself messed up this time. And, as always... handy ol' Kiros to the rescue. So what can I do to help, Laguna?"

Kiros' naturally smug attitude diminished upon seeing Laguna turn his back on him. Scratching his head, the dark-skinned warrior tried out anew to call on his friend's attention. "Hey, Laguna?"

"Not this time, Kiros..." he solemnly answered. "I need to figure this out on my own..."

Kiros watches as his comrade slowly walks away, head posing a heavy look as they peer on the ground covered by the lush Winhill fauna. He then sighs, crossing his arms over his chest while pondering on how he could aid his long-time friend.

"Oh boy... there's gonna be a lot of cramping legs in this little town tonight."

--------------------

"What is 'love'?"

"Huh?" Raine's right eye brow raises while throwing a suspicious glance toward Ellone. "Where in the world did you get that?"

The little girl giggles. Normally, in a moment like this Raine would feel the urge to pick Ellone up and eagerly cuddle with her adorable little form. But this time, curiosity got the better of the Winhill maiden. It's not everyday that a four-year old blurts out with a subject normally understood only by the more mature generation.

"Ellone, aunt Raine is asking you a question. Now where did that come from?"

Ellone's diminutive lips assume a cute pout. "Uncle Laguna told me. He says he likes looking at yoo because he loves yoo."

"Really?" Raine's face begins to glow. "What else did he tell you?"

"Uncle Laguna also told me that he will miss yoo. Aunt Raine, why will he miss yoo? Is he going away?"

"Oh..." the pub mistress retreats, visibly disappointed. "Y... Yeah... uncle Laguna is leaving..."

Ellone's smile abruptly disappears, and was replaced by a distinctively glum expression. "But... but why? He doesn't like me anymore? Is he mad at me?"

"No. No, it's not like that, Ellone." Raine retorts while hurriedly rushing to the little girl's side. "Laguna isn't mad at you. He will never be mad at you because you're a very good girl."

"I don't believe yoo..." Ellone returns, her tiny voice starting to crack. "If he's not mad at me, why is he going away?"

Raine bites her lips while tenderly wiping off the minute drops of tears forming around Ellone's eyes, all the while trying to hold back the moisture threatening to well out from her own.

"Because... uncle Laguna needs to do something..." was all Raine could answer to the distraught girl's question.

"Then why don't he do it here? I'll help him. Yoo will help him to, right? And Mr. Kiros will help him too. We can all help him."

"Oh Ellone..." Raine muttered, holding the girl close to her in an effort to offer comfort that she herself desperately needed. How can she explain it to this fragile soul? How can she release the words that will surely bring another wave of immeasurable sorrow to an exhausted heart? The heart of an innocent girl who has yet to recuperate from the tragedy of losing her parents to an inevitable yet senseless fate that took their lives away in trying to protect this little girl from the baneful hands of an evil sorceress' minions?

"Oh God..." her mind wails. "How could you let this happen to this girl... how could let this happen to us?"

Raine's memory became filled of the images of a recent afternoon not unlike this one. An afternoon filled with hope stemming from an unexpected yet welcome solitude that left her establishment barren, save for herself and Laguna. She knows he is just about done with his chore of repairing a splintered window, a result of a scuffle with a stray Lefty. She can still feel the sheer anticipation filling her heart as she eagerly takes out her prized audio CD from the cabinet. On that afternoon, Raine planned for Laguna to hear the popular song of love for the first time, hoping that it will lead to a tender moment between the two of them.

She didn't wait long before the unsuspecting Laguna strutted up to the second floor bedroom. Raine eyes him passionately, admiring the way his lean yet powerful form undulates with every step. Laguna smiles at her, a smile that she returned with ardor. Briefly turning away, Raine starts for the CD player. She was just about to push the gleaming medium into the slot when his hands landed on her shoulders.

Looking up, the well-known Winhill maiden became perplexed when she saw the sad hue on Laguna's eyes. For some reason, the melancholy being reflected by those diamond eyes traveled through the space between them, infecting her helplessly with the same ominous sadness that she's feeling at this very moment.

Raine hates goodbyes. Especially when it's coming from people she cares for deeply. Unfortunately, people don't usually get spared from the things they loathe. A sad fact of life that everyone has to learn to cope with.

And this is one of those things.

She admits to herself that she should have expected this, knowing from the start that it was never his desire to stay in a quiet and boring town like Winhill. A guy like this? All he wants is to travel. She can't keep a conversation with him without a mention of the grand adventures that he yearns for. Add to that his annoying penchant for being easily distracted. And goodness gracious, how this guy snores!

There's nothing else in this world Raine wants more than to spend the rest of her life with Laguna.

"Raine..."

"Yes, Ellone...?"

"Please tell uncle Laguna to stay. Please...?"

Raine tries to force a smile through her lips. "I will. Don't worry, sweetheart. Uncle Laguna will not leave us."

The moment was interrupted by a series of footsteps. Raine looks toward the stairway to see Kiros arriving.

"Where's Laguna?"

"Oh..." he nonchalantly retorts. "I left him just outside of town. Says he needs to gather some mushroom for the salad. I just hope he won't suddenly develop a taste for Funguars."

--------------------

Loud scraping sounds echo through the dusky hours, resonating into the ears of owner of a shop located at the outskirts of Winhill. The big-bellied guy impatiently lifts himself from his couch and rushes for the door. The scowl in his face worsens upon setting eyes on the owner of the lead feet.

"Laguna you sonovagun! Stop dragging your lazy legs and let me watch some TV!!!"

The sullen ex-soldier briefly glances at the shop owner, them promptly ignores his contemptuous holler. It's either he got used to all the times this man snarled at him in the past, or he simply doesn't care. It's more likely the latter, considering the anvil mercilessly weighing his emotions down at this very moment.

Laguna eventually made his way to the town border. He slowly bends down to pick a resplendent daisy from the ground, and then begins to pluck out its petals one by one.

"She loves me, she loves me not... she loves me, she loves me not..." he murmurs with every delicate petal detaching from the blossom's face. It stopped on the phrase 'She loves me not.' Laguna scoffs, then picks up another daisy.

"I'm going, I'm staying... I'm going, I'm staying..." he mumbles anew. Laguna sighs, stopping short of three remaining petals before tossing the dilapidated flower away.

"Decisions, decisions..." Laguna softly echoes, trying in vain to cheer himself up.

In vain.

He used to be so good at this. Most of the time hilarious, albeit at some circumstances when humor seems to be out of its place and uncalled for, Laguna still meets success like no one ever has in alleviating seemingly grim circumstances with his own brand of levity. Sometimes annoying, but often just plain funny.

This time, it's not working. However he tries to tell himself that things will eventually get better, the weight in his tormented heart still persists, stubbornly clinging on the vengeful intent of bringing him on the brink of insanity.

"Man... I'm going crazy!"

Laguna promptly lowers himself to a sitting position before closing his eyes. He has attempted it countless times already, with not so much as a semblance of enlightenment or relief. Yet now he still tries. He still years for an answer to this excruciating choice he has to make. He thought before, not too long ago, that it would be wiser to not stray from the path that he has set himself on to. He has already made his choice. He will leave Winhill behind. He will leave Ellone... and Raine... behind.

"It'll only be hard at the beginning." He used to assure himself. "It'll go away eventually."

The more the day approaches, the less he believes of this theory. And he know only too well why.

"I'm in love with her... I'm in love with Raine..."

He softly curses at himself for admitting this. If he didn't, he surmises, things would probably be a lot easier. Laguna would not have this difficult a time in carrying on with the pursuit of his ultimate dream.

But he also knows that if he didn't admit this, he would only be fooling himself.

Laguna thinks back, at the numerous instances when he almost allowed a moment of impulsiveness to consume him. It will definitely make things easier. Forget about dream. Stay in Winhill. Stay with Raine. Marry Raine. Simple.

But then again, he feels a big part of him will die the moment he completely abandons his ambition to become a traveler and a journalist. He wanted this so bad he had at one time to content himself with the Galbadian army just to provide himself the means to do so. He has seen some places, witnessed a handful of events. Unfortunately, his duties in the military prevented him from approaching this endeavor from his artistic point of view. Back then, instead of a pen, he was holding a machine gun.

This is his chance. He knows it only too well. This is his time. To hell with anyone or anything that will get in his way this time.

"Did I really mean that?" he ponders hard. Raine is getting in the way. And so is Ellone. Did he really mean what he just said?

Laguna searches his heart for an answer. A bitter taste lashes on this tongue upon receiving it.

"Laguna...?"

The confused ex-soldier turns to the sight of his friend, Kiros.

"Raine is looking for you. She says dinner will be served soon."

"Oh... okay..." he softly replies. "Tell her I'll be right along."

But instead of walking off, Kiros opted to stay beside his friend. A long silence permeated between them before Kiros broke the ice anew.

"So... have you made a decision?"

"I... I don't know what to do..."

Laguna felt Kiros sit down beside him. The two men just sat there, their gazes fixed on the western horizon where the crimson rays of a retiring sun are giving way to the golden brilliance of a magnificent moon. Then, it was Laguna's turn to disturb the stillness.

"Incredible, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Kiros curtly returned. "It's so beautiful here. And peaceful, and quiet... not the kind of place where you want to settle."

Laguna answered with a moan. Kiros opts to continue.

"But then, you really don't settle for anything... and I'm seriously wondering if it's about to change very soon."

"You think?" Laguna replies. "Is that what you think I should do?"

"No. Hell, I'm not thinking about it at all."

"Hey! I thought you're my friend, Kiros."

"Heh, no no no. You're reading me all wrong, Laguna." Kiros retorts, after which he moves to face Laguna directly. "All I'm trying to say is that you're the one who knows where you should go... or not go."

"But that's just it." Laguna blurts out. "I don't know anymore. A part of me wants to stay here with Raine and Ellone. I care about them deeply, perhaps more than I've cared about anyone..."

"And..."

"And..." he continues. "I don't want to leave them behind. I thought I had the worst thing coming before when I failed to return to Julia. But this is even worse. It's like I'm going to die on the first day of not being with them..."

"With her..."

"... Yeah... with her..."

"Is that what your heart is saying?"

"I... I guess so..."

"Then follow it." Kiros exclaims with resolve. "I know this phrase is getting old, but still... follow your heart. Be honest with yourself, and listen to your heart carefully. It's the only way for you to extricate yourself from this dilemma."

"Kiros... do you think Raine wants me to stay?"

"Honestly...? I believe she does. But don't take my word for it. Go ask her yourself."

"Thanks... uhh... can you do me a favor?"

"Sure..."

"Please see how she's doing. I want to do so myself but I'm not exactly feeling up to it right now."

"Alright." Kiros quips while lifting himself up. "But try to come over in a few minutes because dinner will be served soon, okay?"

"Okay..." Laguna replies before pulling out another daisy from the ground.

--------------------

The bowl only weighs a few ounces, but strangely enough, Raine is currently finding the item a lot heavier than it normally is. Feeling an uncanny weight in her being, she nevertheless drags herself to the kitchen to get a batch of corn chowder.

Gloomily, she takes note of the scrumptious dish's ingredients while scooping them up into the bowl. Potatoes, corn, some corned beef and green peas mixed in a concoction that is exuding such a tempting aroma that it can entice even the most adamant of diet-conscious fitness buffs.

She smiles. Around Winhill, Raine is not only renowned for her matchless skill in flower arrangements. She is also famous as one of the best cooks in this small town. People used to keep telling her how lucky her future husband will be. Consequently, a soothing warmth caresses her heart at the thought of Laguna being that lucky man.

And just as abruptly, the ecstatic sensation comes to an end, brought about by the unwelcome yet inevitable onset of reality with the knowledge that he doesn't really plan on staying with her. Her arms consequently grew weary as they planted against the kitchen table to keep her from collapsing to the floor. In the midst of her ordeal, Raine felt a faint yet sharp pain at the center of her chest.

"Anything I can do to help?" Kiros suddenly blurts while entering the kitchen.

"Yeah..." Raine answered softly. "Please take this to the table for me."

But just as the sensitive Kiros is reaching out to get the bowl from Raine, she all of the sudden grabbed him by the wrist. He was mildly surprised by this unexpected move.

"Kiros... where's Laguna?"

"He said he'll be right along. Why? Hey..." he reacts upon feeling the coldness in Raine's hands. "Are you alright? You don't seem well."

"Nah, I'll be fine." she answers, her voice trailing ever softly. "It's just that..."

"I know... I know what you're feeling right now." he comes back, gently placing the bowl down on the kitchen table.

"You don't suppose it's... um... possible to..." Raine stammers. Kiros coaxes her to continue.

"... talk him out of leaving?"

"I can try. Why not? But..." he trails off before going on. "... Would you rather try doing it yourself? I think he'd like it better that way."

"Really? But... but what if he's already made up his mind? What if I can't do anything anymore to convince him to stay?"

"You'll never know until you try."

Raine falls silent, contemplating on the possibility that Laguna just might care enough to listen to her. However, the adamant influence of negative thoughts prevailed in her tormented psyche. In her mind, Raine thought it would simply be too much for her to accept in the event that the man she longs for turns a deaf ear on her heartfelt desire for him to stay with her. There's just too much at stake, she surmises, bringing her to a debilitating sense of helplessness that she can't shake off however much she wants to.

Raine again braces herself to hold back the tears threatening to burst forth. With glistening eyes, she fixes a begging gaze on her new friend.

"Kiros... please go and see how Laguna's doing. I just wanna be sure that he's okay. And... tell him I made his favorite."

"Sure thing." he quips before walking out of the kitchen.

Halfway across the pub, Kiros abruptly stops himself upon taking notice of a trend that is fast becoming prevalent.

"Hey..." exclaims at the realization of just what he's been doing for the past hour. He makes a quick turn about and heads back to the kitchen. There, he sees Raine, alternating between preparing the grilled salmon and wiping the tears off her eyes. Kiros clears his throat in an attempt to catch her attention.

"Uhrm... You know, Raine, I really think you two should talk about this yourselves."

--------------------

Groaning incessantly, a wandering Geezard raises its hideous nostrils in the air, detecting a whiff of a potential victim that it hopes will relieve its gnawing. It turns its unsightly eyes to the left and consequently locks on to a lonely figure slowly gaiting along the old trail of worn out grass leading out of Winhill.

Dinner.

Shrinking back into a shallow depression, the Geezard freezes itself still, bracing every nerve and every muscle in prepation for its patented ambush attack. However, its prey stops abruptly. The beast watches as Laguna turns to one side, suddenly alert.

Impatience getting the better of the lizard creature, it suddenly spring out from its hiding place to meet Laguna head on. The former soldier just looks at the ugly beast.

"Do yourself a favor and go home." said the weary Laguna. And as if comprehending what he just voiced out, the diminutive monster takes two steps back, then promptly retreats into the darkness.

Laguna's shoulder droops, an evident sign of exhaustion that has been besetting him since coming back late that afternoon from a very rigorous round trip to Deling City and back. But he knows he really would not feel this worn down if not for the emotional bombardment plaguing him. He's been thinking for hours now, and yet he still can't come up with a decision.

Tomorrow is the last day of the interview for Timber Maniac's new team of roving reporters. If he doesn't get on the first morning train, he might never get this opportunity again. Laguna has got to make up his mind once and for all.

--------------------

The old lady was just about to call it a day when she spots a familiar figure quietly strutting down the dirt road. Adjusting her thick eyeglasses, she smiles upon recognizing her former apprentice, Raine.

"Hello, dear. What brings you out at this late hour?" the lady greets her. Raine reciprocates the warm salutation.

"Hi, Cathryn..." she retorts. "Uhh... have you seen Laguna around?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. He walking here a few hours ago. I thought he was on his way home. But strangest thing, he suddenly turned back." Cathryn answers with a suspicious look. "You two haven't been fighting now, have you?"

"No, not at all..." Raine trails off. "It's just that..."

The old lady didn't advance in age for nothing. One look at her erstwhile pupil and she knows that something unpleasant is weighing down on her heart. Almost automatically, maternal instincts take over, prompting Cathryn to approach Raine with a tender caress on her forearms.

"Whatever it is, dear, I'm sure things will work out for the better." the older of the two remarks before walking back into her house. Raine spent a few moments just standing on that spot, pondering on her former teacher's words.

"I wish..." she quips before continuing on her way. The night is lovely, almost hypnotic in its stillness, disturbed only by a slight breeze blowing from the sea.

Normally, a night like this easily immerses her into a melange of thoughts... visions of a near future when she would someday meet a man who will offer her the day of promise. She would breath deeply and smile, her visions reflecting the heartfelt yearning she has longed for ever since the moment she was introduced, albeit passively, to the concept of romance owing to a soon-to-be immortalized song that melodiously awakened her slumbering heart. Back then, Raine longed to someday run into her knight in shining armor, one in the mold of that proverbial prince charming described in the song.

"Hmp..." she scoffs. "Be careful what you wish for."

She had thought her heart's desire had finally come to fruition. It was shortly after a night that saw her engrossed in that same reverie as she stares longingly into the clear, starlit night sky. Raine had never regreted offering her generosity to a man brought in by her neighbors after he was found along a not-so-distant beach, unconscious and severely battered. She never had a semblance of regret in nursing him back to health, and consequently forging an impromptu partnership of a housekeeper and a monster hunter of Winhill.

And though fate seems to bring about a heartbreaking culmination of that night's event, Raine still can't feel any regret in her heart.

Her lips form a nostalgic smile, recalling past events of utter bliss brought about by hopeful moments spent in the company of Laguna. Initially, she had tried to repel this gnawing emotion, despite the fact the she knew from the start that he is the one. The moment she laid eyes on his helpless form, she knew.

He is the one.

"I can try to convince you to stay, Laguna." she starts. "But... even if I can't..."

Raine feels that knot again in her throat.

"... I... I'll wait for you. Even if it takes forever."

--------------------

"It's getting cold out here." Laguna mumbles. Briskly running his hands over his arms, the confused warrior surmises that this chill is not normal. He must have caught something from the hurried trek to Deling City.

A faint sound emanates from his pocket, which reminded him of the pair of items he purchased in a jewelry shop in the Galbadian capital. His original plan of rushing off to the city was to get something for Raine's birthday, which happens to be tomorrow. The day he is to depart for far away Timber.

"Tomorrow..." he whispers. "I say good bye to them tomorrow..."

His finger draws itself to his left eye, wiping a glimmering, liquid bead from its distinct corners. He has never been good at dealing with heart aches, not that he's found himself frequently enough in that situation. But he thought, no matter how experienced he becomes in the distasteful, perhaps nothing could still prepare him for a moment like this.

"Why am I doing this to myself?" he blurts out while slapping his chest with a closed fist.

The metallic sound again resonates from his pocket. This time, it's a little louder. Laguna then opts to take out one of the two shimmering trinkets, subsequently slipping it on to his finger. He smiles, while his heart basks in unmitigated bitterness.

"Raine would have loved this." He thought while pulling the ring off his fingers and tucking it back inside his pocket. He begins walking again, seemingly intent in going as far away as he could from the town which has brought about the happiest moments in his fabulous life. He tries to pick up his pace, but for some reason Laguna just can't bring his feet to obey his commands. It's like being in a nightmare.

A self-imposed nightmare.

Suddenly, he can't find a good enough reason anymore for doing this to himself. He stops abruptly, bringing the small ornaments inside his pocket to another chiming fit. As if they're trying to tell him something.

Don't be an idiot.

And all of the sudden, he knows.

He knows.

Laguna takes out the train ticket from his back pocket and promptly tears it to pieces. It was then followed by an immensely comforting feeling in his heart, as if a great weight has just been lifted off him. And he only knows too well the spring from whence this peace is emanating from.

"I love her. I really, really love her."

Feeling a compulsion that he can't shake off, Laguna again pulls out one of the rings from his pocket. His motion as fluid as a refreshing summer breeze, the enlightened soul thoughtfully slips the platinum piece on to his fingers again. This time, he has no intention whatsoever of taking it off.

"Laguna..."

"Oh...h-hi..." he stutters. "Hi, Raine."

"What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"Oh... uhh... nothing. Just thinking, I guess."

"Well..." Raine flashes the loveliest smile Laguna has ever seen. "Let's go home now before your supper gets cold."

"Raine..."

"Y-Yes...?"

Laguna falls silent, with nothing on his face but a loving gaze and a bashful smile. How will he start? What words should he use to tell her how he feels?

Raine eyes him with a questioning yet tender look. "You want to tell me something?"

Why this? He knows he's got everything figured out. Laguna's heart is ready to leap out of his chest, unto Raine's hands with an intent to let her know that he loves her too much to leave her behind. He desperately wants her to know that he's staying. That he wants to be with her for the rest of his life. But he just can't find the words.

"Nothing..." he snaps before abruptly turning around to walk away. But Raine is not going to have this. She will make him stay if it's the last things she does.

"Laguna, wait!"

Again, he knows.

With one deft move, Laguna turns back while pulling out the other ring from his pocket. As if led by some unseen force, their hands instantly meet. A heart-melting warmth travels through their hearts as Laguna's fingers adoringly press on Raine's soft hands. Her heart skips a beat just as Laguna's other hand slips the ring on her finger.

Time froze around them as Raine gazes unbelievingly at her now ringed finger. Her heart shouts out, wanting desperately to believe that this icon of eternity is representing what it ought to represent. Sheer anticipation possesses her soul as she looks up to Laguna... and the ring wrapped around his finger.

And all of the sudden, she knows. This is it.

The day of promise.

Rustling resonance resonates as a gust blows over the tall grass. The moon shines, ever so brightly, bearing witness to the two intertwined souls sharing this moment of bliss on the old trail.

THE END