Brothers Come Home

Ariana was stirred back to awareness by the triumphant sound of level gain. She very quickly looked into her status screen and pumped the five levels of points into her magic pool. She looked around and saw everyone still trying to hold together.

She quickly stirred up some kelp from below and tied it around everyone she could, and with her arms waving out, she forced each piece to sprout a large air bladder. Everyone was pulled up to the surface.

When they got to the surface, Ariana saw their horse treading water and panicking. She quickly summoned several kelp bladders to keep it afloat as well.

Everyone's ears rang as the sound of lapping water and waves became audible again.

The tattered chunk of platform that remained of the ferry shot back up to the surface and splashed down flat again.

Everyone paddled back to what remained of the platform, doing their damnedest to catch every gulp of air they could get away with. Ariana soon after resurfaced with a breath. 

Eventually, everyone was sitting on the platform in silence. 

Ariana's legs dangled in the water as the waves rocked the tiny remaining bit of deck. The strange string instrument floated along and bumped into Ariana's knee. The neck and the wheel had snapped. 

She saw all of the items floating out in the water, at least the things that could float. Everything else presumably sat at the bottom of the bay. She saw their cart out in the distance, or rather, what remained of it. 

The fight broke them. 

Everyone. 

There was some crying coming from the children. 

They must have been so frightened. 

Was there something she had done? 

When she had arrived in this world, White Tusk attacked Loomholm. Maybe her garden was attracting the boars. When she met Koichi and Ellie, they got attacked in Lumie because of her decision. Ellie nearly died because of the attack in Reddenton. They attacked her because she interfered with them. And now, this Hydra monster had attacked the boat. She was the one it tried to eat. She was the one it struck with the beam. 

Her shoulder was still bleeding from the chunk taken by the Hydra's beam. It stung a great deal. The pain in her chest from taking the first blast still lingered as well, but the tightening in her chest of a difficult truth hurt even more. Maybe she was to blame for everything that had gone wrong. She was the one to put all of these people in danger; all of these people that she claimed were family. 

What sort of mother would put their family in danger like that? 

She was a mother... 

No... 

No, she wasn't. 

She hadn't been for years now. 

She'd just been projecting a hole in her life onto others. 

Onto these people. Onto her neighbors. 

Onto Ellie, Sophie, and Hayden. 

...Onto the Demon Lord Xander. 

She'd abandoned her new home on a whim, dragged these total strangers into the jaws of death, all for the selfish dream of being a mother again. 

She'd forgotten what Alex being in this world would mean. 

He would have to die to come here. 

What kind of mother would hope for their son to be dead?

No mother at all...

She wept.

The low sorrow of the ferry was only interrupted by lapping waves. The water was too choppy to see the stars any longer.

All at once, Ellie stood up, teeth gritting, fists clenched, took a deep breath, and screamed out hoarsely at the moon! 

It scared everyone, including Ariana. 

Ellie screamed again with her fists held high at the celestial witness. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

WE BEAT THE MONSTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!

WE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!"

All but the waves had gone quiet as she caught her breath. 

She screamed again with a resounding passion to what remained of her voice.

Sophie joined her from a seated position, still sobbing slightly and screaming at the waves.

The two sounded like maniacs. 

Hayden took a deep breath and belted out a real and true "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWW!!" echoing across the bay.

This outburst seemed to redouble the passion of Ellie and Sophie as they screamed out triumphantly!

Some of the children joined them in yelling for victory! 

One of the fishermen joined the shouts, then a musician, and one by one, everyone cheered for the victory against the Hydra! 

Ariana panned her gaze at all of them, their happy faces, and some of them even started laughing. 

One of the fishermen leaned over to Ariana, practically cackling. "This'll make for one hell of a fishing story!"

The tears continued to stream down her face, but she couldn't help the smile and the laugh escaping. She hugged the fisherman, and he reciprocated with a hearty smack on the back. She leaned over, still laughing, to embrace Ellie and Sophie. Hayden joined them and shouted another enthusiastic cowboy cry. 

A little while later, everyone had settled down again, but morale was as high as it was during the party. 

Ariana didn't know if she really was what drew the monsters. What she knew was that she'd come to love these people like flesh and blood. Hayden, Ellie, and Sophie were as important to her as Alex, and she would protect them like she would her own son. 

As for the demon lord... maybe he wasn't Alex, but that didn't matter. She met all of these wonderful people and was welcomed so warmly, and they so desperately wanted to go home. Even if there was barely a snowflake's chance in hell that she could convince the demon lord to stop the war, it would be worth it to see these people, her new family, home safe. 

Wherever Alex really was... she prayed for him. She prayed that he was happy and healthy, living a long life, and surrounded by loved ones every step of the way. 

She held her family so very close. 

Her arms were full and warm. 

As things settled down, one of the musicians sang. His tones lifted spirits. 

Bro-others co-ome, ho-ome to me-e

mother is waiting, here by the se-ea

sand here is warmer, and the performer

has come to town with his toys and candy

Bro-others co-ome, we're waiting for you

 Pretty girls here all say they adore you

That girl named Clover, she came on over

Said that she's saving hot tea to pour you

Brothers come homewaaaard, ooooh

Brothers come homewaaaard, ooooh

Brotheeeeers, cooome hoooooooome

There were several more verses, and slowly others joined. It seemed every demonfolk knew this song by heart. She listened carefully to the words, and when she felt she knew them well enough... she joined as well. As she sang along, the song sailed across the bay, and the bay sang it back to them. She could feel a magic to the song, one that relieved all pain and tiredness. She didn't even notice the wound on her shoulder vanishing. Little did she know, this was Mermaid's Grace in action. 

The folks kept singing songs and cheering as the sun rose once again. 

Ariana took a long diving trip down to the bottom to retrieve what she could, thankful for the Water-breathing skill, and sent everything she found back up to the surface with kelp bladders. She also used this method to patch what she could of the ferry and make sure everything stayed afloat. Some were disappointed by the state of the retrieved items... but they were able to keep the spirits up with songs and jokes. "You were terrible with that, anyway." "Weren't you saying you needed a new one?" "That hole makes it easier to carry!"

She felt a warmth from more than the rising sun. They gave a direction, and to the tune of their music, she waved her hands before her and swayed. Her magic rolled the waves along behind them, pushing the ferry back on course. 

Hayden stood next to her and grinned. "Those two really gave their all."

Ariana looked over at Ellie and Sophie, who were joking around with the passengers. She just smiled along with him. 

She was happy.