Love Can Mend {An Aphmau Fanfiction}

Dante

Phoenix Drop was almost like a winter wonderland. Rooftops and streets were covered by a light snowfall, and the woods and hills had at least a foot of snow everywhere. A light breeze blew, creating little tornadoes of snow.

Nana was next to me, snuggled against my side. My arm was around her, holding her close and keeping the two of us warm inside.

The two of us were sitting on our front porch, watching the sun set over the ocean. The water wasn't frozen, but it sure was cold. I had slipped the other day on the dock and almost fallen in.

The door opened, and the kids came out. Nekoette had a tray of hot tea and Dimitri had several blankets. They sat down, Nekoette leaning against Nana and Dimitri next to me.

"Thank you children." Nana said, her free arm wrapping around Neko. I did the same with Dimitri, and for a while, our family sat in amiable silence.

It was disturbed by a shout ringing through the air. I was on my feet in an instant, looking around for the source.

"That came from the gate!" Dimitri said, and when I turned to look, I noticed Richard running towards the main gate. I ran after him, and I heard children calming Nana.

As I approached the gate, I saw a man on horseback with pale skin, blue hair, and turquoise eyes. He reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

When he spotted us, his eyes widened and he came towards us. "Please, I need help! It's the Lady Cadenza! She needs a healer right away!"

Kyle was already opening the gate, and Alexis was by the man's side. He slid off the horse, giving the reins to Alexis. Her eyes were wide, and she looked over at me as I came over.

"It really is Cadenza! No one else had that kind of hair." I saw that she was right. Orange red hair spilled down a woman's back. She was wrapped in a coat and a blanket, and boots covered her feet. But her skin was pale, almost the same color of the snow. I couldn't see her chest moving, and fear struck my heart.

"Sir, please follow me. I'll take you to our healer. Just, keep her warm!" He nodded, and followed my brisk pace. I noticed that he wasn't wearing boots, only thick woolen socks. He was shivering himself, and I knew that he must have sacrificed his own warmth in order to keep Cadenza alive long enough to get here.

"What's your name?" I asked, heart pounding. He took a second to respond, mind clearly numbed slightly by the cold.

"M-my name's K-Kacey. B-by any chance, is there-"

"Papa!" Nekoette ran towards me, face glowing from the cold.

"Are you alright Neko?" She nodded, coming up to me. "Mama just wanted to make sure that everything was alright. Is everything alright?" She added the last sentence with a bit of hesitation, glancing back at Kacey.

"Yes sweetheart, everything's fine. But can you tell Mama to meet me at Thalia's house? And to bring Donna and Zoey?" She nodded, turned, and ran back towards our house.

"Is that your little girl?" Kacey inquired, shivering slightly and pulling the unconscious Cadenza closer to his chest.

"Yep. Nekoette's her name. Oh, can you cover her hair? I want as little people as possible knowing about her presence here." He nodded, pulling up the hood of the cloak over her striking hair. Then a thought struck me and I laughed at myself.

"I'm terribly sorry! My name is Dante, and I'm the second-in-command in Phoenix Drop." He nodded, shivering again. I noticed the action and pulled off my cloak. I wrapped it around his shoulders, giving him a smile. "No sense in you freezing to death after saving Cadenza from the same fate." He chuckled slightly, but his energy was almost completely sapped.

"Here we are." I lead him towards Thalia's house, knocking on the door as hard as possible. After several seconds, she pulled it open, hair swept up with a leather tie. Her apron covered a plain white dress, marking her as a healer.

"What's wrong Dante? Is your family okay?" I nodded, stepping to the side so she could see Kacey.

"They're fine. But this man found Lady Cadenza. She's almost dead Thalia. Can you do anything-" before I could finish, she pulled us inside, motioning for Kacey to place her on the nearest cot.

"How exactly did you find her? What has happened?" Thalia was kneeling at her side, placing a hand against her frozen skin.

"I was hunting near New Meteli when I saw a boat in the swamp. I got closer, and when the crew arrived and left, they left someone on shore. I went to see who it was and I..." He faltered, staring at Thalia. "I-Is there a problem?" She stood, thoughts of Cadenza forgotten.

"No matter how many years pass, I don't think I ever could have forgotten that voice for as long as I live." His eyes widened and he took a step forwards, taking Thalia's hands in his.

"You can't be..." She grinned, and with a start I noticed her eyes were filling with tears.

"But I am." She whispered, before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tight. "I'm alive."