pal o' mine

They give her to you when she's very small, almost the smallest a person can be, and you still able to hold them in your arms. They give her to you when she can't do anything but cry, and you look at her and you forget how to cry - wasn't it just so very recently that all you did was cry?

Except that Panacea grew up much faster than that, because she'd wanted to. Because she was just that odd sort of grown-up little child.

Panacea would stop Ashera crying, certainly. But she'd never begrudge her little sister that itch.