If Rain were going to fight in this forsaken war, what kind of person would Noble be if she didn't join her to defend their home?
"Going…with me? You can't!" Rain paled, panic rising within her for the first time since her mother's arrival.
"I am pretty certain I can." Noble would have to blow her cover as a secret Saint, but did that matter if she was going to enter the war after all?
"People will find out we are related!" Rain pressed her hands together.
"Are you embarrassed by me?" Noble arched her brow.
"What? No!" Rain shook her head. "But Clan Song…"
"…will be able to track you down?" Noble had suspected this was the real concern all along. "I have a solution. I will trade my services for your pardon. As long as I fight for the Queen, you would be safe from any prosecution in that Skinwalker incident."
"I won't let you indebt yourself to Song like that. You can't join the war!" Rain was frantic. "I wouldn't forgive myself if you did."
"Forgive yourself? There is nothing to forgive!" Noble placed her hand on Rain's back and patted it gently.
But the girl wouldn't be comforted. She stood and began to pace.
"Don't you see? If you follow me to war, Dad and the boys will be left unprotected. They need you. And what about the Dreamer and Awakened Academies? Those students need you as well."
"Sarai can look after our boys. And Zenkai is managing the Dreamer Academy. I am sure I can find someone suitable to run the Awakened Academy in my absence." Noble felt her daughter's emotions spike.
"Did you say run the Awakened Academy?" Rain wobbled as she turned on her heel.
"I might have been promoted to Provost while you were away…" Noble rubbed the back of her neck. She hadn't meant to let that slip.
"Mom! That's fantastic!" Rain nodded. "And it proves my point. You are too valuable. The school needs you to nurture the next generation of Awakened. We will need every one of them when this is all over."
"But…" Noble wanted to object, but Rain continued undaunted now that she had found her footing.
"And if you go to war, Auntie Sarai will follow. You want to protect me, and she wants to protect you. She followed you into a Nightmare, remember? I think going to war after you would not make her bat an eye."
Noble did not like to hear that, but she could not outright disagree. Sarai was fiercely loyal. Her personal safety was of no concern to her when it came to helping others. Who else would be willing to follow Noble into battle if she dove into the fray?
Would other Awakened who would have otherwise remained neutral follow her lead? Some former students certainly might.
Should anything happen to them, Noble would feel responsible.
'I would be a traitor to my own cause…'
Hadn't she just been fostering a spirit of peace and neutrality at the Academy?
All that hard work would go to waste as soon as she announced a side. As much as she hated to admit it, finding someone else to run things would be the same as conceding her position, if not permanently, then at least until the war was over. After that?
Well, that would depend on which side won…
"That is…less than ideal." Noble chewed her lip.
Rain nodded, her tone grave.
"I can't go if I know there is no one to protect the people we love most, and even if Autie Sarai stays and does an amazing job, I know you would do a better one. We each have our place, Mom. You can do far more good here, and the world would not be the same without the part you play. As for me, I'm still looking for my spot. What I know is this is part of my journey to find it."
"I thought you liked building things, not tearing them apart." Noble had noted how fondly Rain spoke of her time in the construction and survey crews.
"I do. Who knows? Maybe a little destruction will help me appreciate the rebuilding of it even more." Rain seemed strangely at peace with her choice. Confident, she was ready to take whatever came.
It was wrong to ever believe that, though. Noble had learned that from experience over and over again.
Rain would have to learn that for herself.
Noble only hoped that her darling daughter would still be her sweet, caring self when it was all over.
"So…you won't go to war?" The younger girl asked hesitantly.
"For now? No." Noble shook her head. If she did join the fighting against fellow humans, Child of Promise knew she would regret it.
As a Saint, she could wipe out entire swaths of Awakened—people just like her sweet Rain.
Noble looked at her daughter with sadness. As a mother, she could not knowingly kill someone else's child.
Noble placed her head in her hands. "I won't go to war."
"…But you will let me go, right?" Rain bit her lip.
Noble looked at her daughter from between her fingers. How could she let her child go off to be slaughtered by her fellow man? Faith.
'Sunny won't let her die.'
Even if the Dark Lord was fighting on Valor's side, she could not see him allowing Rain to be harmed under any circumstance.
"Against my better judgment. Yes, I will let you go. If I can't talk you out of this terrible decision, I won't stop you." Noble lifted her head to meet Rain's eyes.
"Thank you, Mom. I won't let you down." The girl promised.
Noble shook her head sadly.
"You never do."
The ladies embraced, knowing full well that this would be the last time for a long time–at least months or even years. The pain of the parting made Noble feel as if a piece of her soul were being ripped away, and she clung to Rain for as long as the girl would allow.
"I love you, Rainy."
"I love you, too, Mom."
Noble felt something drip onto her hand. She did not know when she had started crying, but the evidence of it was spilling from her face. Rain was sniffling too, her heart thumping so loud that Noble could hear it.
"Rainy…"
"I'm fine, Mom. I'll just miss you, that's all." Rain pulled back and wiped the tears from her face. "Give my annoying little brothers my love and tell them to behave themselves. And Dad…"
The girl began to tear up all over again.
Noble forced a smile. "He's not going to be happy, you know. I guess I get the joy of being the messenger."
Rain rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry about that. Tell Dad…tell Dad how much he means to me and that I am just trying to do the right thing. Tell him I love him and give him a hug from me. He means two worlds to me. All of you do."
Noble kissed her daughter's forehead.
"Stay safe, Rainy."
"Do I have a choice? I have a hunting date with my mother that I promised. I need to take out my brothers too. None of you would let me forget it if I went back on my word." The dark-haired girl smiled softly. "I'll be careful."
Noble glanced at the balcony window and the first rays of morning. She sighed.
"One more thing…"
Just then, there was a knock at the door.