The Reason Why, Part 1: Reasons

The woman sighed, looking at the young girl who so calmly asked the question. "Because, little one, there are some in this world who are not.....not right......and cannot listen to those who know what is best for them. These nasty beings decide to hurt others to get their way...including, quite sadly, the most innocent of children."

She paused, somewhat uncomfortably. "It....is very complicated, I'm afraid. But that is not the problem. The problem is that they have more on their side than we......myself and my friends......thought."

The woman sighed and, after brief glances around her, pulled up her left arm. "Sector 6G cleared", she spoke into the wristwatch. "Request permission to leave."

There was silence on the other end, followed by a solemn male voice. "Any survivors?"

The woman turned back to the little girl, now hugging her stuffed teddy bear for safety. "Am I okay?" The woman smiled a bit and nodded, then turned back. "One, sir -- a little child-girl, about 7-8 Ear-"

"I'm eight!" the girl half-yelled, causing the woman to smile a bit. "Eight...Earth years old. She appears to be unharmed."

The man seemed to pause, then sighed. "She will be safe with you. She cannot know....."

"But sir, she--"

"Know what?" the girl asked.

"No buts" finished the male voice. "Keep the girl with you, or send her to your home and daughter...although considering your daughter's foul mouth-"

"It's better than nothing, isn't it?" the woman replied, getting a touch angry with her boss. "Out," she muttered in a low voice before turning back to the girl, brushing a spot of blood from her face as she knelt down.

"You'll be safe at my home, little one -- my daughter will look after you while I rest for a while."

The little girl nodded; she seemed to understand the situation, but the woman felt that she knew something...more. "Do you have any video games?" she asked as they began walking, to which the woman smiled and nodded.

====

It was a few minutes later when the girl spoke again; things had been silent beforehand, with the woman trying to figure out several matters and how to explain them.

"But what about you?"

The woman stared off, her clean right hand tightly grasping the much younger girl's left. "I will be fine, but I need to calm down.......this costume is very aggravating."

"Oh, okay..." She looked up at the woman. "Huh?"

The woman smiled a bit. "Oh, yes...you don't think I really have hair like the freshest and prettiest lilacs of Arus, do you? And I am most certainly too old for school."

====

The two continued walking, hand-in-hand, onward down the barren, lifeless street. Again, Nadimia broke the silence: "But then.....who are you?"

The woman paused, causing the girl to do the same. "My name is......" Another uncomfortable silence, the second in less than a half-hour. "Miss McCoy." She smiled, looking down at her. "And who is my new friend?"

The girl shifted her feet. "Can we keep walking?"

"... Yes, of course."

As they walked, the girl smiled. "My name is Nadimia."

"Alright, Nadimia...I want to help you find your parents, so do you know their names?"

The young girl seemed to think for a moment. "Well, my mommy's name is Naida, but my other mommy's name is Nanami."

Miss McCoy stopped suddenly. "No..." was all she could utter before falling onto her knees, staring hard into the distance as her hand fell from Nadimia's. "Impossible......"

"Huh?" Nadimia asked, her face that of concern and confusion; why should her parents' names cause anything like this? Miss McCoy turned, unable to speak until after her blank stare refocused itself. "......It is nothing, little one."

"Then why did you do that?"

Miss McCoy smiled at this. "I just felt a bit tired, Nadimia -- I'm alright." She carefully got back up and straightened her outfit, then reached an arm back out.

"Now let's go home."