AA TUC: A Promise

Renai entered Happi’s home with a certain amount of trepidation.  He was used to his friend being anxious; it was something they had in common, a certain underlying sense of caution to how they lived.  But this…this was different.  It was not the fear of what could be he had heard in the Valanu’s voice when they’d spoken, but the fear of what was. 

He had known Happi for a few years now, having met him while working a job for the Cruix City offices of the local Coalition.  They had hit it off nicely enough, and had kept in regular touch ever since.  This marked the first time Renai could think of in their friendship that Happi had seemed genuinely worried.  The Floauna could still remember his friend’s voice, obviously tired and hoarse even over the phone.

“Things are…difficult right now.  It’s hard to explain, honestly, and there’s a lot about what’s going on I really don’t know yet.  I’m trying to find the answers, but the situation’s…it’s tricky, Renai.  It’s really tricky.  And I don’t know how much of it I should really tell you over an open line.  So please…I know it’s short notice, and I’m sorry, and I wish I didn’t have to pull you into this, but please.  Make your way to my home on Cruix as soon as you can.  We need to talk.”

Renai had tried to press the matter, but the most he could get out of Happi was that he and his family were not in any kind of mortal danger, and even then it sounded as if there was a “yet” unspoken at the end of that statement.  “Things have been a bit odd,” Caldonius had told him when the two had met for Lunch (since Renai always made a point of meeting the spirited fashionista whenever he came to Cruix), “People falling ill, and what have you. More cross-species than usual, you know….”

The Floauna could only hope it was that simple.

“Hello?” he called out as he entered; he had knocked on the door outside and waited for several minutes before nervousness got the better of him.  “Happi, are you home?”

“I’m right here, Renai,” Happi answered, stepping out from another room, “Thank you so much for coming.”

The Valanu was smiling and dressed in his Coalition uniform, but Renai could immediately see he was unwell: his eyes were baggy, his skin was pale, his hair was ragged, and he was sweating profusely.  “Sorry if I didn’t answer the door,” Happi said, voice still hoarse, “I was a little busy…plus, my fever isn’t doing my hearing any favors.”

Renai was immediately at his friend’s side.  “It’s fine, honest,” he said sympathetically.  “I’m just glad to see you’re…well, somewhat alright.” 

That got a much-welcome little laugh out of Happi as he approached his friend.  “I have seen better days, I’ll admit,” he said, “but…well, like I said on the phone, it’s complicated.”

The two shook hands firmly, with Renai patting Happi on the shoulder for good measure.  “How complicated?” the Floauna asked.

Happi slowly let Renai’s hand go, turning away from him and walking back toward the room he’d come from.  “Very,” he said.  “It started last week, though at the time I didn’t think much of it.”

He cleared his throat a little before facing Renai again.  “Me and Alyicia…we both came down with something pretty nasty.  We both thought it was just a common bug, so we knuckled through with some meds and thought it’d pass soon enough.”

“But?” Renai asked, walking up to the Valanu.

“But we’re both still pretty sick…and a couple days ago my Telekinesis stopped working.”

That gave Renai pause.  He was admittedly no doctor, but there was no flu or common ailment he could think of which could do that to a Valanu.  “And I got off easy,” Happi continued, stepping in to the room behind him and motioning for Renai to follow.

Inside, there were three Valanus in their animal form, all huddled together in the corner.  Renai recognized them by their colors immediately; it was Happi’s wife Alyicia, and their two children Axxi and Harlow.  Like Happi, they all looked less than healthy, their feathers and fur thinning and ruffled around the edges, eyes deep and groggy, shivering even as they kept close to each other.  “They can’t change into their humanoid forms,” Happi explained, kneeling down next to Alyicia and stroking her head softly.  “They became stuck like this around the same time I lost my Telekinesis.”

“You think it’s connected?” Renai asked, even as he welcomed both the children comfortingly into his arms. 

Happi nodded gravely.  “It doesn’t make a lot of sense,” he said, still petting Alyicia soothingly, “No disease I know of should be able to do this.  But until it runs its course…assuming it does….”

He sighed heavily, clearing his throat again.  “I’m barely in good enough shape to take care of my duties with the Coalition,” he said, “and frankly, I’m not comfortable leaving my family alone for too long while they’re in this condition.  Renai…I know it’s asking a lot of you, and very suddenly, but I can’t think of anyone else I could trust more to-“

“Yes,” Renai cut him off immediately, still holding the children close, both of them nuzzling against him.  “Absolutely.  I’ve had some Vacation time coming for a while now, and it won’t be too hard to call them in.  Your family will have me for as long as they-and you-need me.”

Alyicia placed her own head against Renai’s shoulder, whistling weakly but graciously.  “I can’t thank you enough for this,” Happi said, placing his hand on Renai’s other shoulder.  “I owe you the world for this, Renai.”

The Floauna shook his head, however.  “You don’t owe me anything,” he told his friend, standing up so that he could address the rest of his statement to the whole family, “I know how important Family is, and I love all of you.  I will do everything I can to help take care of you.”

He took Happi’s hand again, holding out the other and letting the children nuzzle softly against it.  “And that’s a promise.”