[Slilent Type]

This just kind of poped in to my head one day and refuses to leave me alone, so I decided to post it here and on ff.net, any constructive criticism would be appreciated those people can be cruel. Caro seems a little ooc to even me, but she has a lot to process. I promise other characters will be in the next chapter this will be encompassing a lot. So here is the start of a rare Epic Caro/Erio fic

Spoiler for LONG:

She floated in an unnerving darkness. She could feel something else amongst the darkness, something bad. A loud low growl filled the air. “Ferid?” she called, out of confusion as much as fear. The growl came again only louder, sounding more massive and closer. “Voltaire?!” she called out again louder and more terrified. Again, the growl only got more terrifying, now clearly sounding hostile.

“Ferid! Voltaire!” She cried out into the darkness, now desperate for some refuge. Suddenly, two points of red pierced the blackness, and even though she yearned for the safety of the light, she knew that there was no safety in that crimson glow. Her fears only intensified as the lights began to swell, growing from the distant glint of starlight to the size of the midday sun; while still far off, it was clearly coming. “Ferid!” She cried again, only to hear that monstrous growl turn to a roar. The glow continued to grow as well as the darkness between them. “Voltaire!” She shouted, as what now was clearly eyes grew to the size of mountains. With the face of doom quickly approaching all but one name faded from her mind. “Erio! ERIO!!”
Suddenly, she heard herd her name and in an instant gravity returned. She plummeted faster then she thought possible. She forced her eyes open to see where if she was rid of the monster. Indeed, not only had it stop, but also now she could see an outline of what it was, a dragon of immeasurable size. Then twelve lights raced toward the dragon right before everything went black.

Once again, she heard her name, louder, clearer, closer, and best of all so familiar. Her eyes opened to the sight of Erio’s face, full concern leaning over her. Tears built up as joy and security swept over her, shot up and wrapped her arm around his neck faster than her partner could say another word.

“Caro,” he gasped at the speed at which latched on to him, after a few seconds he took the hint and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s ok. We’re all right here.”

Erio’s mention of that word “we” finally forced Caro to take note of the rest of the room. Looking over Erio’s shoulder, she saw that Mira and Tanto were also in the room, and quickly reddened at the realization that she had woken up the entire base in the middle of the night. Caro let go of Erio and bow apologetically. “Sorry!”

“It’s fine, Caro” Tanto assured her.

“Really,” Mira quickly agreed. “Are you going to be alright? I don’t think I’ve heard you scream like that in all the time you’ve been with us.”
Caro mustered her best smile before she replied. “Yes.” It wasn’t really a lie, she assured herself. She would be fine after she got back to sleep, but was still quite shaken. She glanced at Erio, he was looking at her like he wanted to say something. Clearly, she was not too good at lying.

“Ok then,” Mira replied as turned around and walked over to the other bunk. Before anyone could ask what she was doing, she grabbed the pillow and ripped the top sheet off the bed, then turned about. “You know Caro we’ve got to train you to lie better.” She told the younger girl as she rolled the sheet around the pillow. “Erio,” she addressed the teen, tossing him wrapped pillow. “You really need to speak up when it is so obvious you want to say something.”

“Mira!” Tanto objected swiftly. “Don’t you thing that’s a little much?”

“No,” she answered firmly, shooting him a harsh look. “She’s still shaken and Erio obviously wanted to offer. Besides, Erio is hardly the type to try anything inappropriate with a vulnerable young girl who trusts him so implicitly.” Mira then put on one of the most pleasant and strangely terrifying smiles those in the room had ever seen “Even if he were, surely he wouldn’t want to… disappoint his family and friends. Just think of how the Black Goddess, White Devil, Fallen Angle, and all those respected comrades would react if we had to tell them that, plus Caro’s dragons probably wouldn’t like it too much either.”

“Uh,” Tanto tried to recover from not only the awkward allegation, but also the rather unnerving images that came to mind considering what the two had told him and Mira about their comrades. “Well I guess that’s true. Fine, if they want to, I see no harm in it.”
Erio gulped looking rather terrified by Mira’s words. He still managed to nod his head.

“Good,” Mira replied before letting out a yawn. “Well, see you two in a few hours.” She grabbed hold of Tanto’s arm and started towards the door.
……………………………………………………..
The teens stared at the door, still trying to process what had just happen. Everything about this situation was embarrassing. Both a collage of emotion; Caro felt ashamed of this childish treatment, even more so that she couldn’t bring herself to object to it, and she was most ashamed of who she had let see her this way. However, it was precisely because of whom he was that she didn’t want him to leave. Erio on the other hand was embarrassed by just how much he wanted to be here, how much it meant when he heard her scream his name, and how much Mira’s words scared him. Thus, both sat silent in the dark, trying to think of what to say. Finally, Erio started to unwrap the sheet.
Seeing her partner, getting ready to sleep on the floor filled Caro with guilt, even more so as she began to notice the temperature in the room. “Erio-kun” she started hesitantly. “You don’t have to…”

“I don’t mind, Caro.” He cut her off readily. “I mean, I can’t remember the last time that you screamed from a nightmare.”
It was true, she hadn’t screamed in her sleep since she first came to live at the preserve, she rarely even had nightmares, but she still didn’t want him to sleep on the cold floor for her sake. “At least use the other bed!” she plead rather insistently. No sooner had the words left her lips did she realize how they could, and apparently did sound.

Erio just stared at her, hurt and confusion plastered on his face. She really couldn’t blame him for feeling unwelcome in the sheer force of her words came out with. “Caro, if you don’t want me…”

“NO!” she nearly shouted, embarrassing both of them again. “I…It’s…cold. You could get sick.”

“It’s alright.” He assured her again, looking perfectly resolute, although it quickly faded. “It’s just nothing helped.” A helpless fear crept across his face. “You just kept screaming and calling for help.” Then the emotion in Erio’s face changed again, as it shifted to relief. “Finally, I grabbed hold of you, and like flipping a switch you stopped screaming. So I want to stay as close as possible, just in case.”

Caro didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t even considered the effect of the night’s events on him, and they clearly had a dramatic effect on the boy. That fearful, helpless look lingered in her mind. She could not recall another time she had ever seen such a look on the boy’s face. Caro blushed so intensely that her felt as if they were burning, and she really didn’t know why. Then she uttered something that she never imagined she’d say. “Then why don’t you sleep with me?” She couldn’t believe she said it, but at the same time, she meant it. She received no response from Erio, her words might have surprised him even more then herself. Both their faces reddened deeper and Caro diverted her gaze. “You said you wanted to stay as close as possible and you won’t be cold.”

The dreams came again, but it seemed that Erio’s arms held her fears at bay. Thankfully, this one brought a great deal of clarity. Once again, the dream took place in darkness, but it wasn’t a void like space, more like a cave. This time six shadows moved through the dark each distinct, but three commanded her attention a short haired woman about Erio’s height carrying a spear, another figure a full head higher and seemingly unarmed, and most of all a four winged dragon bringing up the rear. The two at the front simply seemed familiar, but she instantly recognized the dragon as her protector, Voltare only fifteen to twenty times smaller. The shadows rushed onward finally they came to vast cavern with strange torches tracing some kind of design, and at the center an alter. Suddenly the torches flared and all went white.

The next thing Caro knew she was staring at her bedroom wall. The whole ordeal was even more troubling now that they seemed to be more than simple nightmare. Still laying here like this she couldn’t help but feel safe. Caro looked over her shoulder at the face of the still sleeping boy, and turned back towards the wall deciding simply to enjoy the moment: the safety of Erio’s strong arm, the warmth of his chest pressed against her back, calming sound of his breathing. Suddenly, her reverie was shattered by something poking her in her bottom. Instantly, her face was blazing as she realized what it was. Her mind was in a frenzy, she was becoming dizzy as her face grew hotter. She could feel herself fading, until she heard something that made her heart skip a beat.

“Caro,” Erio mumerd in sleep.

“Me?” She asked herself in utter disbelief. She had never even considered it possible that Erio thought of her that way. Why would he…? Caro’s thoughts derailed as Erio shifted in even closer, and brought the hand resting so protectively on her shoulder under her arm and right onto her breast. Caro had finally reached her braking point; in a fit of unprecedented panic, she elbowed the sleeping boy with all the might she could muster.
She barely registered as she tried to come to grips with the when Erio hit the ground, her mind never been in such a frenzy. Then she heard something that pushed the entire situation, Erio groaning like he was waking up. The thought of having to face Erio, to tell him why she did what she did, to tell him what he did; it was simply too much her mind began to fade all and went black.

The sun’s warmth on her face caused her to rouse once again, and within seconds, she jolted up as she realized how long she had been out. She rushed to get dressed and report for duty. Approximately two minutes later, she rushed through the small outpost, looking for one of her superiors. She finally found Mira at the kitchen sink. “I’m sorry! Privite 1st class Caro Ru Lushe reporting for duty.”

“Caro,” Mira greeted her with a smile as she turned away from her task. She walked over to her, hands still dripping. “Did you sleep any better?”

“Yes,” she answered with her normal enthusiasm, after all her sleep was not the distressing part of this morning. Her anxiety was already on the rise at the mere thought of it, in fact she was just realizing that she was watching the exits. “Where are Tanto-san and Erio-san?”

“Well, they went to bring supplies to outpost two.” Mira replied before she turned and walked back towards the kitchen. “They should be back by the time that you finish your breakfast.”

Caro was caught off guard by the implication. Even after all this time, it was touching to think that she would still be shown such care. However, it came off a little bitter sweet, as she could not help feeling a little relieved at the delay in facing Erio.“You didn’t have to…”

“Don’t be silly Caro,” Mira assured her as she opened the microwave. “You are an important member of this team. Do you really think that any of us would let you go hungry?” She took out a plate wrapped in plastic out. She felt the top. “Good still warm.” She closed the door and placed the plate on the table.

“Thank you.” Caro said sincerely before she took a seat at the table. “Mira-san,” she asked weakly. “I think, I might have to go see Voltaire.”
Mira just looked at her stunned for a second at the abruptness of this request. “Is this about your dream?”
Caro simply gave a timid nod. “I had another after…Erio came to slee…stay with me.” She struggled to explain, embarrassment quickly overtaking her as the events of the morning came to mind; embarrassment that only grew as she noticed her stuttering. She could only hope that Mira would not call her on it. “I saw a far younger Voltaire and five others moving towards some sort of alter.”

“You think that it is some sort of memory?” Mira asked confused and concerned. “Caro has anything like this happened before?”

Caro hesitated a moment, while she never had her dreams invaded before, the experience did remind her of when Voltaire first sort her out, but she had been told that the events around forging a pact of summoning was sacred and not to be discussed with those outside the tribe. Still, she would now fit into that category herself and Mira was only trying to help. “It is kinda like when I first met Voltaire.”

The older woman’s eyes widened a second at the subject; Caro had talked about her old life, but how she got her dragons was always a topic that much to her and the other Nature Preservation Core members’ aggravation was strictly avoided. The scientist in her was rabid at the opportunity probe the matter, but she could not bring herself to do that to Caro. “I see...well I guess it is good thing that you and Erio never use your sick days. How long should I put you down for?”

Caro smiled gratefully at Mira. She could only imagine the restraint it took her friend to let the matter drop. “Thank you, Mira-san. This should not take more than a day.”