There was something to have been said of the weather, how even the slightest changes in any given day could end up having such a pronounced effect on the people of the region. Miserable conditions, highlighted by a torrential storm which had travelled through Magnolia only days earlier, seemed like distant memories, with a warm, if not even relaxing feeling within the air that brought with it a second wind of energy throughout. In truth, she had not really noticed the change, more regarding the weather as merely a simple byproduct of being within Magnolia, though feeling more  like that of a jail cell than anything else. Granted, a far larger jail cell than what anyone could feasibly imagine, but nevertheless one in which kept Leyaria trapped within its dimensions and walls.

Her head lay slooped slightly against the outer walls of one of the local taverns, fatigue having already set in as the heavy sun which held itself high above gave indication enough that barely even midday have arrived. The realization caused Leyaria to let out a sigh. Time seemed to move slow, with each other feeling as though it lasted a day, and each day more akin to that of a year than anything else. Had she been alone entirely, the goal of reaching Oak would have felt far more and more like a hopeless dream.

"I'm awake, Geth," she muttered as she felt the gentle nudge against her shoulder. Her head turned slightly in its direction, the faintest of smirks upon her lips as she looked towards the golem-like creature whom in spite of everything which had befallen her, still remained by her side. Her acknowledgement prompted a small inaudible sound to echo from the creature, indicative of it being pleased. It was a thought that lately had rarely crossed through Leyaria's head; that for as much as she might have been suffering, dealing with this corruption that was slowly taking her, so too was Geth, and perhaps worse. She had at least a faint grasp of what was going on. Geth didn't.

She flashed another time at the creature as she began to help herself up, pushing back from the tavern's wooden finishing back onto her feet. Taking but a few steps, Leyaria paused as she came across one of the tavern windows, her reflection - though poor - apparent within it. Her smile eroded into a frown as she came to really notice just how she looked. Her clothes were mangled, at a quick glance appearing to be little more than rags at this point. Her hair, while not covered in grime or dirt, appeared haggard all the same, as though it had been subjected to the elements without any care put towards it aside. Though more and more the thought of actually making it to Oak Town was becoming more of a dream than anything, she tried to keep optimistic.

"What do you think Geth?" She spoke aloud, her eyes never detracting from the sad version of herself within the window. "Think it might be time that we get something a bit nicer than this?" It felt like she was talking to herself, which to at least some degree was true. Geth, though perhaps far more aware than what Leyaria gave it credit for, didn't often convey it or show it. Rather, this served more as a way for her to answer to herself a more important question; if she should have just given up. Not just on reaching Oak Town, but on giving the letters that she had written to Bianca in the first place. Reaching into the small sack in which she kept close to her possession at all times, she couldn't help but have a tiny heart attack whenever she opened it, worried of what might have happened to the letters since the last time she had seen them herself.

No damage. A small relief. She had come to entrust making sure that nothing happened to those letters more than she had her own life at this point. Giving them another quick glance over, checking not only for any damage but also reading what she had written, she could feel the tears beginning to develop.

Before letting anything further happen, she composed herself as best she could. While it was hardly a rarity for people to forget where they might have been or the setting around them, Leyaria had no interest in drawing even more attention to herself than she perhaps already was. After all, a populated area of Magnolia, in the day, with nice weather, while she stoo there with a unique golem-like creature, dressed in what essentially amounted to rags, all the while fighting against a growing demonic corruption? It was hardly a position that she could afford to break down in alone.

The feeling of a slight tug upon her leg brought her back to reality, as Geth was again nudging at her, hoping to if not determine what's next, to at the least make sure that Leyaria was alright. She gave it a weak smile as she put the letters back into the sack. "It's OK buddy," she lied. She hated lying, but that was all she could say at this point; rather than admitting to herself that things were probably for nothing.

As composed as perhaps as best she could have been, Leyaria shifted her focus away from the worry that plagued within her mind. The prospect of getting to Oak Town, it was hardly one of a challenge. There were no shortages of jobs that she could have done, though the ability to conceal her growing demonic presence - one in which some of the more illuminated minds would be able to decipher - was always a risk. There were carriages that perhaps could have cut the travel down to barely more than a day if she were so inclined.

Issues like that were not what worried her.

Rather, it was the fear that after so much time since she and Bianca had had their previous encounter, there was no telling what might have happened to the woman she cared so dearly for. The nightmare had played itself in Leyaria's memory constantly since they had last parted ways. The sight of the woman within the makeshift hospital, her hysterical cries replaying constantly just as accurately as when she had been there, the entirety of it felt as though it were an immovable object upon Leyaria's heart. Would she have returned to the same woman who had shown compassion to her so long ago? Was she still in mourning? Did she blame Leyaria? Perhaps that was feared Leyaria the most.

What if she were to return to Oak Town, to meet Bianca after so long, only to find out that she was not welcome or the object of contempt and rage for Bianca. It tore her apart worrying, though it was impossible not to believe that Bianca had to have believed that, if even to some extent. But to never know, to allow that worry and panic to foster, Leyaria could not allow for that. She had to know. Whether Bianca cared even in the slightest for her still. If she had all but forgotten her. However it might turn out, Leyaria needed to know.

Then she could die happy.

It was hard not to hear the loud commotion coming from the tavern, even with all of the people in the streets. Even having been there for what seemed like hours now, it awed Leyaria that there had not seemed to have been any decline. If anything, there were more people. People just beginning their day, reversing plans to remain sheltered to enjoy what little of the comforting weather they could, or those who had otherwise been occupied throughout other parts of Magnolia, with each person that came within Leyaria's sight as she scanned the crowd there was a story to be told. A motivation to their actions.

The feeling of a nudge upon her arm began the turning of her head towards where she had last seen her companion. Geth had been impatient in the past, but never to this degree. Almost ready to scold the golem-like creature for the change in attitude, Leyaria found whatever thought that was running through her head interrupted as the pressure from the supposed nudge turned into that of a force pulling upon her. Without anywhere near enough time to process what had happened, she found herself on the ground, the fact that she had enough time to throw even an arm out to brace her fall being a miracle.

She landed hard upon the ground, most of her weight absorbed into her arm as a sharp pain radiated from the limb throughout her body. The hard cobblestone ground provided little help elsewise, as the rough stone scraped against the ragged clothes she wore, a burning sensation radiating through her legs as they skidded in her descent. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. Was there an attack upon Magnolia? There were not nearly the amount of cries and panic to satisfy that likelihood. Lifting her head to survey what happened, the frame of a woman came to view. A woman whom Leyaria had never seen before, her features largely hidden from where both she and this mysterious figure lay, though clearly enough a woman of a more physically impressive frame than she.

"Are you OK?" Leyaria called out, almost instinctively. What had just happened remained an unknown. Had Leyaria been at fault? Who knows how long she had been standing there aimlessly. It was hardly a stretch to believe that she may have been in this woman's way. "I'm so sorry," she spoke, hoping that whatever happened to the woman was less punishing than what Leyaria was feeling in her arm right then. Darting her eyes down a moment, there were few, if any, injuries that were apparent, but the pain which she had first felt had not disappeared. Rather, it lingered, worrying her that she may have done more damage to it than she wanted to admit to herself.

Trying to balance her focus between both her arm and the state of the woman, Leyaria almost didn't notice the feeling of a slight tug upon her other arm. Geth, the loyal companion as he had ever shown himself to be, standing beside her, no doubt worried for what might have happened. Though unable to convey any emotion in its face, Leyaria knew it worried. "I'm fine Geth," she lied, not wanting to cause it to fear what might have happened to Leyaria's arm. Its grip released as it took a small step back, just enough such that Leyaria could get to her feet. She flashed it a weak smile to signify her appreciation as she turned back to the woman, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulder as she hoped to help the woman to her feet. "Ma'am, are you alright?" She asked, wincing slightly as the adrenaline faded from her, bringing her injuries to the forefront.

Fate. Destiny. Whatever one might have called it, Leyaria had become so disillusioned as to believe in it anymore, but to believe that this was anything other than that, even she would have a hard time disbelieving it.

She didn't know exactly where it was or what it was, the likelihood of things, just the pure chance of things playing out as they did. It were more likely that she would have died a hundred times over from the demonic taint that even now afflicted her than for her to have come face to face with the woman who she had dedicated the remainder of her time towards finding. To have it happen, it left her stunned.

At first, she didn't know how to respond to any of it. The pain from her arm echoed out, Leyaria applying as much mental fortitude as she was able to distract herself from the pain. Even now as she was helping the woman to her feet, she could not tell just what had happened, who had been at fault, or if this woman was harmed herself. Until she had a reason to believe otherwise, Leyaria was convinced she had done something to prompt this collision. Grace wasn't exactly a trait in which she was known for. Being in the way, on the other hand, was certainly one. The woman had not said a thing up to this point, her eyes staring intently on Leyaria for a moment, all the wondering just what it was that she might have been looking at. They weren't eyes of rage or of anger, but rather, they appeared like eyes focused on remembering.

A spike of pain radiated through her arm suddenly, causing whatever Leyaria was wondering to momentarily vanish in the wake of the unexpected sensation. It was not until after the pain resided that she wholly processed what happened, the tight grip upon her chest, the woman having secured Leyaria in a tight hug, one that needless to say caught her off guard. She was about ready to push the woman off of her before she heard the sound escape from the woman's lips, before she heard the woman call her by her name.

Her eyes widened. Her mouth was left ajar, a million questions wanting to escape while not a sound echoed out. Who was this woman? How did she know Leyaria? She spoke in riddles, her tone implying joy, but for as much as Leyaria thought within her mind, she could not figure just who it might have been. She continued to just listen to the woman, not speaking but listening instead. It was then that the woman said something that Leyaria could not believe. She was Bianca.

Bianca.

Leyaria stood there, her arms, having had previously been in an awkward hug around the woman suddenly went limb. She could barely stand. She could not move, nor think, nor do anything other than stand there for the briefest moments before her body gave up on her entirely. So often she had dreamt and imagined that this would not have happened, that an encounter between her and Leyaria would never have happened, no matter how much she had hoped it would. Even today, only but a few minutes ago, the thought raced through her head that this dream of hers was nothing more than a fool's errand. And yet, here they were. Even as the words played over and over again in Leyaria's mind, she couldn't believe it.

Tears began to flow down her cheeks, wave upon wave of emotion rushing through her, to the point where she found herself unable to even support her weight. Had it not been for the woman whose grip remained around her, Leyaria would have simply collapsed. Rather, it was nothing short of a miracle that this revelation did not cause her to outright faint. She wanted to say something. Anything. Yet, for as much as she wanted to, nothing could escape her mouth. She was stunned.

But to hear Bianca, to hear the joy in her voice, something that she feared she would have never heard again, words could not have hoped to express how excited and happy she was. She listened with elated glee to every word that Bianca said, not entirely processing just what it was she said, but rather instead just appreciating that she was here, that whatever fear and panic she dreaded over potentially facing, they were gone. Bianca was alive. She remembered Leyaria. She still cared for her.

She cared for Leyaria.

Leyaria felt the soft grip of a hand wrap around her own hand, as she was seemingly lifted off of her feet, being guided in some direction by Bianca. As to where they were going, she didn't know. In that moment, she didn't care. This was more than anything she could have imagined. Being guided through the streets, Bianca's hand ensured the two would not drift apart. Too much time had already passed since the last time they had met. Leyaria was not interested in having that happen again. Yet, even in spite of that, in spite of how excited she was, she still wanted to say something, but it felt like an absolute struggle to even let out a single thought.

It took some time, but she was finally able to say at least something to the woman.

"I missed you Bianca..."

[Exit]