Halfway there

Mouse looked around the rafters and smiled. He leaned against a support beam and closed his eyes. Soon a forest world appeared around him and he walked happily through the forest touching the trees and shrubs as he passed. He stopped at a beautiful flowering plant and admired it's scent. "Its perfume comes alive in the evening." Mouse turned around and smiled at Tofana. "Hello there... I see you have been keeping yourself busy around here."

"There is a lot to see in this place, and it grows everyday... I haven't even made it to the edges yet... I wonder, what is at the edges? Will I see Mouse's memories, or something else there?" He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "No idea... I thought this was the only thing in my mind."

"So, did you find others to join with?" Mouse nodded. "Yes, and they are quite a bunch of interesting people. Some of them remind me of Garrn and Sai."

"Who were they?" Mouse smiled. "You could say they are brothers, I grew up with them and ran the streets with them. We kept each other safe, until that event at least." He looked at Tofana as she hugged him. "They must be important to you... At least you found a good team then." She held him by her hands. "They better be strong, and have a strong chance in completing the ritual." Mouse nodded and sat down leaning against a mossy tree trunk. "They are strong, also they have scars on parts of their body."

He watched her sigh. "What is it with men and scars... I have scars all over my body... Do you want to see them?"

"Hahahaha... Not like that. The scars are the ones like on my hands."

"Ahh... Than you are in the right team." Mouse nodded. "The old shadow told me to find a team who could either sense my legs, or had scars like me."

"Wise man that old bag is."

"Yes... But I don't think he would like being called an old bag, especially from you." He looked up as Tofana pointed to her chest. "What about me? Why can't I say that he is an old bag? You and I both know he is an old bag, who knows way too much about what happens in Athlos." Mouse shrugged his shoulders and looked at her frowning. "Doesn't really matter anymore does it?"

"No it doesn't... Mouse..." Mouse shook his head. "I want to ask first." He chuckled as she waved her hand at him. "What is it?" He felt his face start to heat up and turn red. He looked down at the grassy floor, and felt the grass on his fingertips. "Do you... Are you..."

"Just say what you want to say... You can be an idiot at times you know that?" Mouse looked at her. "You tell me that frequently, and I am sure that you won't stop reminding me either." He saw her smile and start to chuckle.

"Sooo, what do you want to ask?" He saw her sit closer to him. "Do you blame me for trapping you here? This is like a prison to you, you can't go outside, and can't see how things are. The touch of rain or a cool breeze..." He looked down at his legs and touched them with his hands. "Are you happy being here in this forest in my mind?"

"Slllapppp!"

"You really are an idiot." He looked at her and saw tears in her eyes. "I'mmm sor..." He cursed himself as she stood up and walked away from him. He felt his heart fall in his chest. She saw her stop moving and turn around looking at him. "I told you, I was scared of fading... To be here and spend all my time with you Mouse... That makes me happy. Finally, I have peace in my life. No more fear or pain, no hurt or suffering... I am happy, and never have I blamed you or have hate for what you have done... I am only happy... Thank you Mouse..." Mouse stood up and ran to her holding her tightly close to him. "Sorry... I just want you happy... If you are happy here, than I will do everything I can do to make this place a happy place for the both of us."

"Y-y-you mean that Mouse?" Mouse nodded while holding her tight. He could feel tears fall down his face. He let her go and held her face in his hands, wiping her tears away with this thumbs. "I mean it... Lets make this place our home, and when my time has come to an end, we shall still be together."

"Moussee... You better keep your word... I have been waiting a long time to hear those words... My life has been very lonely." Mouse held her hand and walked through the forest with her. "Can you tell me more about this place?"

"Well, it is in your mind... It is big, and... that's all I know." Mouse smiled. "Very useful information..."

"Ouch... that was my arm... Why did you pinch me?"

"For being an ass... Come I want to show you something." Mouse rubbed his arm and followed Tofana through the forest and stopped at a clearing. "This is new... It only appeared recently. What do you think will happen here?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I am not sure..."

"It is your mind after all. How about you think of something, and we can see if it will appear here?" Mouse nodded and sat down on the ground. "I will give it a try." He closed his eyes, and started to picture a large tree with large boulders and rocks around it forming a natural house around the base of the tree. He smiled. "Peaceful..."

"Mouse... open your eyes, and look... Did you create that in your mind?" He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the large tree and house in front of him and nodded. "That is exactly what I imagined." He looked at her. "What do you think?"

"It is beautiful... Let's go have a look inside." He watched her start to run to the large tree and followed her. He ran inside and saw her sitting on the stone table staring at him. "It is beautiful Mouse... The only thing missing is a place to bathe..." Mouse pointed. "Lets have a look behind the house shall we?"

He watched as she ran out of the house and around the tree to see a stone river flowing through the forest, and behind the large tree. She touched the water. "It isn't too cold at all... Mouse you really are a romantic person it seems." He smiled as flower bushes and fruit trees started to line the river surrounding the area with a beautiful perfume. "This will keep you company and have privacy when you want to bathe."

"Hahaha... You are funny... There is only you and me in this place, and maybe this is the way it will be until we both fade together, and I have nothing to hide from you, as you have nothing to hide from me."

Mouse smiled. "True, I might be the only other person in this place, but to bathe around fruits and flowers. Very relaxing..." She nodded at him and sat on a stone, putting her feet in the water. He saw her patting the stone next to her. "Come sit, and enjoy the moment with me." He nodded and sat next to her, placing his arm around her. He felt her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. "Your heart beat is strong Mouse... Very calming." He smiled. "It will be hard to leave this place each time I wake..." He saw her look up at him. "You have to, you can't stay here until everything is complete... Especially the mission." Mouse nodded. "Don't worry, that mission will be complete. I will be a guard, and have access to the Supreme... He will die by my hands..."

"And the jewel he wears... Its important that it is destroyed as well." Mouse nodded stroking her long hair. "That too. Both will be destroyed, and your mission will be complete."

"Thank you Mouse... I'm glad I fell for you, and asked you to finish what was started." He smiled. "Do you remember much of the ritual you were in, and any advice you can give me?"

"The ritual?" Mouse nodded. "Its a test of your abilities... They need people to open those doors... For some reason they are important to the Supreme... If you have the ability to open the doors, you will be selected as the guard." Mouse nodded looking around. "I believe I have the ability to open the door."

"Don't ever open that door Mouse... If the Supreme wants it open, there must be something very bad behind that door. Please promise me that you won't open it at all." Mouse nodded. "I promise... I won't be touching those doors... Whatever they are. Instead I will find a way to make sure those doors will never open, and be forever closed."

"Thank you Mouse... That is the best thing to do. Keep the thing that the Supreme wants behind those doors locked forever. So if the ritual is called again in the future, they won't have a chance in the future." Mouse nodded. "I agree..."

He looked at her. "Another thing I am thinking about is those things we called taint, actually have a name... They are called Trolaiths... Borgis has indeed been very busy... I plan to remove him as well."

"As long as the Supreme is the final goal... If all his attendants are killed it is fine with me." Mouse nodded and pulled an apple from a branch and took a bit of it. He smiled. "This is delicious. Take a bite, you will like it too." He watched as she wrapped her fingers around the apple and took a bite. "Hmm... Yes you are right, it is delicious..."

He watched as her eyes closed, and when they opened she looked at him with a serious look. "What did you do to this apple?" Mouse smiled. "I thought you would like to see what I see, and hear what I hear, when I am around Athlos... Now you can see everything, and also talk with me while I am outside."

"Really?" Mouse nodded. "I don't think I can make you walk around with me, but I will work that out as well... You here in my mind is nice and wonderful, but I also want you with me outside too." He clenched his jaw. "I will find a way for us, to have a life in here, and also out there." He waved his hand and the air shimmered in front of them showing the rafters where his body was resting with grass and moss growing out of the timber he was sitting on.

"The trees really love you Mouse... I am a little jealous. I have to fight for your affection it seems." Mouse shook his head and kissed her forehead. "I think not... I know where my true affection is. Even the trees themselves know my heart and who it really belongs too."

"Mouse... You really know the right words to say... Only sometimes, but when you do they work."

"Hehehe... Ouch... Watch your elbow... My ribs are there."

"Hmph... you deserve it for laughing." Mouse sighed and looked around causing the shimmering air to fade from their view. "Enough of looking at my body... I should be looking at another body instead."

"What do you mean Mouse?" He smiled and kissed her gently. "I should be giving you the attention you deserve... Especially since you have been waiting a loooooonng time."

He saw her smile. "Yes, a long time indeed." She slipped off the rock and into the water. He smiled as she surfaced and started to remove her clothing throwing it onto the rocks around Mouse. "Come on in Mouse, the water is fine, and I am here. What else can you ask for? The only thing missing in this river is you." He smiled and slipped into the water gathering Tofana in his hands. "You are all I ask for... you and nothing else."

Mouse bent down and started to kiss Tofana while she started to remove his clothing.