#also i came up with itanas sister on the spot. so that's fun.

[moth--moss--main]

Calm down - Tatana

Warning- don't read this if you want to be completely blind going into my webcomic Ocean Alexandra. No MAJOR spoilers, none of this would surprise anyone who I've explained the story to. Should be mostly safe. This story is somewhere on the edge of the canon.

Itana had a long day. He'd been up later than usual working on repairing his board. He's doesn't like feeling the distressed energy it always gives off, and he's thinking it's getting into the minds of his new friends.

He knows the location signal is beyond repair, so back home they can't find him, only see the distress signal, and he's worried what they'll think if that signal stops, but at the same time he's worried for the camp.

Ohmaie looks worse than when he met her. Not even using his cat form can he help her calm down to normal levels. Her anxiety just started climbing exponentially. Itana knows she hasn't been able to sleep the last few nights.

The other's have mentioned nightmares, too. Okamo has it bad, Fakuzhi is saying she can handle them, bit Iitat says he hasn't had any.

Itana is unaffected by the magic's signal, he knows how to block it from his mind. He feels selfish, though, so he's staying up as last as he can force himself to work on disabling the signal. So far he can't find anything. You're not supposed to be able to stop it without fixing the whole thing. He can't do that.

He finally laid down to sleep when he heard movement on the other side of the tent. Itana ignored it and tried to relax. He's exhausted, so hopefully it should take no time at all to fall asleep...

"NO!" Iitat screamed suddenly, his voice full of fear and desparation. Itana jumped at the sound and sat up quickly to look over.

Iitat was sat up staring at the ground, he was breathing heavily and Itana instictively switched to his cat form to see better. He could make out Iitat's face better, he could see tears in his eyes and an unforgettably out of character face. He changed back, he couldn't look at him, it felt wrong.

Iitat raised his hands to cover his face, saying nothing, he looked and felt broken, even when he wasn't near him Itana could feel how broken he was.

Nervously, he moved closer and placed a hand lightly against Iitat's back, he felt the other tense up at the contact but he didn't pull away like Okamo likely would have.

"I'm sorry about the nightmares," Itana said softly. He didn't know what to do. Nightmare's were rare on Overpower. Usually you got them as a kid if you got sick but eventually you grew out of them. He was certain comforting a 35 set Outshine would be very different than his sister had been when she was six and he was thirteen. He didn't think a tight hug and overpower childrens' songs could help someone he'd fought with at stadium.

Iitat hadn't said anything, Itana could tell he was still crying, though if only slightly. He could feel the stronger emotions Iitat was giving off.

"I'm supposed to be stronger than this..." Iitat finally said. His voice was soft and barely a wisper. Itana barely caught what he'd said, but it surprised him.

That's what Gailie had said. When she was six most of her friends had outgrown their nightmares. She thought she was weak for being scared. Maybe... maybe this wasn't completely different.

"It doesn't make you weak. When you're there, they feel vivid and real. You're allowed to be scared because you'd feel like that if it really happened. I don't know about Outshine, but in Overpower your fears don't really matter. You can be afraid of whatever, even Cartein has fears. If you weren't scared, I would be," Itana said. Iitat didn't move, but he relaxed.

"You're really trying to make me feel better, huh?" he asked. "It isn't really going to work like that. You can tell me what I know a million times, that doesn't mean I can get used to it."

It's nowhere near as easy. Makes sense, his sister looked up to him and used to think he was as good as Cartein when she was six, she'd beleive whatever he'd said, even if it didn't make sense to her. He was dumb to compare someone and complicated and unique as Iitat to someone as sweet and familiar as Gailie.

"I'm here," Itana said. He wasn't sure where exactly the line had come from but he said it anyways. He felt a strong wave of emotion pass over Iitat. It was another wave of sadness. He'd said the wrong thing.

"Please don't let me lose you again..." Iitat said, his voice light and shaky. Itana could only make out the "please."

Then Iitat turned to face him, before Itana could even begin to think of some response to stutter out, he felt arms around him and he was pulled into a tight hug. He instantly held him back.

The feeling was stronger from this close, and Itana felt his own eyes filling with tears, he only wished he knew what Iitat had seen so he could help.

Slowly he could feel Iitat calming down, and Itana felt himself smile. Shortly after he could tell Iitat was oksy he spoke up.

"I'll be right here for you as long as you need me," Itana said. "Okay?"

"Can you promise to keep everything here between us? Forever no matter what?" Iitat asked. His voice was soft but it was easy to hear when he was so close.

"Of course," Itana replied.

"I want... I... Can you hold me...? I mean... uh... to sleep I just... I'm scared... if I know you're holding me then I can't... I won't..."

"Of course," Itana replied, cutting him off as the familiar feeling of sadness started rebuilding itself. "You can't and you won't. I promise."

"...thanks, 'Tana..."

"You're welcome."