Chrono Cross: Star Stealer
Disclaimer: You fanfic-aholics know how it goes. All characters and places from Chrono Cross belong to Squaresoft. The plot and the original characters are mine, however.
Chapter One: The Radical Dream
"Oi Mate, sorry I haven't been talkin' to ya lately, but I'm sure ya understand. I've been real busy lately. I raided Viper Manor, but there was no sign of that Frozen Flame or Lynx. I guess ya know all that already, though, if ya are some sorta gaurdian angel like Jade says. I do hope ya didn't mind me tellin' her about ya, by the way," the girl sighed. "I don't mean to be a bother, but I do wish you'd say somethin'. I've got no idea who ya are or why I can't stop thinkin' about ya, but I know I've gotta find ya somehow. Well, anyway..."
"Oi, Star-Stealin' Girl! Who are ya talkin' to?"
Kid pulled her gaze away from the sea and the sunrise to look instead at the scruffy young woman who had interupted her. "Just the blue-haired boy again, Jade."
"Oh, yer angel's still around? Take good care o' my Kid, ya hear me?" The second comment seemed to be adressed to the ocean before them, but Kid knew that her friend was talking to the mysterious boy of her dreams. The small but notorious gang of theives known as the Radical Dreamers liked to believe that all dreams, especialy the most unusual ones, had meaning, hence their name. Even so, Kid had only mentioned her dreams and visions to her closest friend. Jade had been the one to find the terrified young girl who claimed to be the only survivor of the orphanage which had been destroyed by a demi-human named Lynx. Jade agreed to train the child until she was strong enough to seek out her revenge. Almost immediately, young Kid had taken Jade as her new role-model, even going so far as to copy the older girl's accent. She had attempted to immitate Jade's braided hair as well, but at first she did not know how to braid, and instead came up with her scorpion-tail design. Even after she found out how to braid her own hair, she chose her style over it.
Kid briefly allowed her mind to wander down memory lane, recalling a night spent with Jade after a particularly difficult training session several years ago. Little Kid had been too tired to walk back to the hideout, so she and Jade had set up camp in the woods. She had asked her mentor if she was a good thief yet.
"I bet ya could steal the stars themselves, Kid," Jade had replied, and from then on, Jade's special nickname for Kid had been Star-Stealing Girl.
"So Kid, ya still plannin' to go off on yer own again?" Jade asked after a short pause.
The younger girl shrugged in a carefree manner, hiding the anxiety inside. "Yeah." Although she had known the dream boy since the night Lucca's orphanage had burned, she had not dreamed or even thought about him until one week ago when she had been sailing alone near Cape Howl. She had actually collapsed in her boat, and only awakened at sundown to find the last memories of what seemed to be a strange dream flying swiftly away. Not wanting to worry her friends, she had not mentioned her collapse when she returned to the Dreamers' hideout.
Now the dream boy haunted her every night, and even in the day. He never spoke, and all she knew was that she had to find him.
"Well, good luck, then. Don't do anything I wouldn't." Jade instructed with a wink, then watched quietly as her student and friend prepared her small sail boat for another journey. Kid only looked back once as she began to sail away, waving a cheerful farewell to Jade and the other Radical Dreamers who were working on varius things nearby.
"So, as I was sayin'..." The thief continued once she was out of Jade's hearing range, "Here I come, Mate." A smile of anticipation for the coming journey crossed the girl's face as she stood boldly, hands on her hips, and one foot placed on the sturdy steering wheel. She took in a deep breath, her bright blue eyes staring ahead with excitement. Something told her that she was in for a real adventure.
She was not sure where the best place to search would be, but something told her that her goal was in El Nido. She decided Termina was the best place to start. It was the largest city, and therefore an obvious choice for someone who needed information. The only problem was that the Radical Dreamers' current hideout was on the mainland, and the only way into El Nido was through a narrow pass made deadly by the raging current. The wind was kind, and in just a couple hours the pass was before her. Kid delicately alligned her boat as best as she could, hoping that she would be able to shoot through the straight pass without much trouble.
The water around her sped up when she neared the entrance and found herself quite suddenly walled in on either side. she braced herself, knuckles turning as white as the wild water as she gripped the wheel with both hands. She had never taken this path before, having crossed over the cliffs on her trip to Viper Manor. There had been another boat waiting for her on the other side, but for some reason she and Jade had been unable to arrange such a thing this time. Jade had asked her again and again to wait until the arrangement was possible, but Kid simply could not wait to find out who her so-called angel was.
A powerful jolt brought her back to the present and she scolded herself harshly for losing her concentration, even for a mere second. Her teeth gritted as the side of her boat scraped loudlt against a rock. It was the only cassualty, however, and with a yell of victory, she rocketed out into open ocean, her light-weight boat actually flying above the water's surface from the force of the current. An unusually strong sense of deja vu hit her, but it was over in an instant as the boat came down and walls of water soaked everything. The El Nido Archipelago area was small, and Kid could already see the main island, a promising brown and green blur on the horizon.
Kid was never sure if she had good luck or bad luck. She would think bad luck for all the times she'd been the one to get caught in a tight or dangerous situation, yet she always had good enough luck to get out of it without much harm done. She just hoped that good luck would hold out in this storm... Of course she would have to be caught in a squall, she thought. What's a true adventure without a storm at sea? During her time with the Radical Dreamers, she had been caught in storms before, and luckily knew ways of staying relatively safe. When the sky became too dark and the winds too fierce, she lowered the sail to prevent her small craft from being capsised, and used the sail cloth instead to cover the boat in an effort to keep most of the rain out. Not wanting to catch cold, she huddled uncomfortably under a waterproof blanket, fished some travel bread out of her packed supplies, and waited.
And waited... and waited... and fell asleep. She figured that even if something bad happened, she would not have much luck fighting a storm.
"Hey Girly, you alive?"
Kid opened her eyes, squinting at the small figure standing above the spot where she lay. She could feel sand beneath her, and smell the salty sea. "Who are you?" she asked grogilly while trying to sit up. The movement awakened a sharp pain above her left ear and she moved a hand to her head, feeling the dry blood that no doubt covered a nasty cut.
"DonCHA move to much. That storm wasn't very nice to ya. My names Korcha." The boy talked in a mild but peculiar accent. "You look real familiar, but I know I've never metCHA. Maybe we were destined to be together!"
Ignoring his last comment, Kid stubbernly pushed herself to her feet, trying to hide her dizziness. "Where's my boat?"
"Oh, you mean that pile of drift wood?" Korcha asked with a rather sarcastic tone in his voice, pointing to the wreck a short way away. "Sorry about that, though I had nothin' ta do with it. Maybe I can help ya get a new one."
Like all her other weak emotions, Kid refused to show her sorrow for the faithful little craft. She decided to rummage through the flotsum and jetsum for her supplies, but only made it five steps before blacking out. Korcha jumped to her side, scolding the unconcious thief for getting a concussion. Unable to carry her on his own, he just cleaned her wound and kept her comfortable until she woke up.
The concussion was minor, and Kid awoke again after only a short rest, very embarrassed for having actually fainted. Korcha knew her type, however, and reassured her that it could happen to anyone, even strong sailors like her.
"So, where am I, and how can I get to Termina?" she asked rather than comment on the complement.
"You're in Guldove, and I can take ya to Termina. You should rest a bit first, though, donCHA think?" Korcha suggested, pleased to have a chance to travel with the firey but beautiful girl.
"I probably don't have much of a choice," she admitted, resisting the urge to touch her head again, "but ya better not try anything just 'cause I'm cute."
Kid spent the next night in Guldove, and in the morning she and Korcha set sail for Termina after she had finally retrieved what supplies were still usable from her wrecked boat. Korcha flirted with her at first, but shut up after she warned him that she would kick his arse so hard he kissed the moons, which he soon learned was her favorite threat.
Once they had docked in Termina, Korcha asked to accompany her. At first she refused him, but after much arguing and even begging, all of which caused her head to start hurting again, she finally agreed. After all, she knew that she would probably need access to his boat, as well as some help with her search, which she had told him about during the trip. Korcha happily paid for one room at the inn. Kid was tempted to get her own, but was rather short on money and decided not to let it bother her. There were two seperate beds, at least. After shopping for fresh supplies and storing extra baggage at the inn, the pair split up and began to search for any information concerning a mysterious blue-haired, blue-eyed boy.
They had no luck all day long, as well as most of the next. And then, at the end of the day when the sun was setting, Kid happened to be wandering alone near the outskirts of the city when a vague figure caught her eye. It was her dream boy, his back turned to her. His hair was covered by a brightly colored bandana. Startled and excited, she ran towards him, feeling as if she was on the verge of remembering something important, but just before she could touch him, he vanished. Sorely dissapointed, Kid stared at the place where the familiar boy had stood, realizing that it had been nothing but a mirage. After contemplating the vision for a long moment, she finally returned to the inn, and her dreams that night proved to be much more helpful.
She was standing on a picturesque beach, gazing out across the endless ocean as she so loved to do. She noticed suddenly that instead of her ussual traveling clothes, she was dressed in a white gown, which did not please her very much. Her hair style had also been changed. Most of her long golden locks hung free, except for a single braid down the back which was decorated with a large pink bow. She wondered who had changed her clothes, but for some reason it did not worry her as much as she expected it to.
Before her very eyes, her blue-haired angel materialized, a faint but pleasent smile gracing his features. He held out a hand, his mezmerizing eyes never leaving her own. Tentatively, she reached out her own now bare hand, and the moment their fingers touched, a feeling of warmth and joy coursed throughout her body, making her eyes light up and a smile appear. So this was where he was waiting. With some difficulty, she tore her eyes away from the charming boy, examining her surroundings, but not recognizing them. As soon as the question of where she was popped into her head, the dream shifted. Now she and the boy were back in Termina in the exact spot that she had seen him before. In fact, the only change in the vision was that now his right arm was raised, his index finger pointing south.
Opening her eyes as soon as the dream ended, Kid jumped out of bed, grabbed her dagger and bag of supplies from a small table, and darted across the room to shake Korcha into wakefulness. "Oi! I know where we gotta go!" When the demi-human rolled over and burried his head under the pillow, Kid snatched it away and beat him over the head. "Bugger you! Get up already!"
Korcha sat up in annoyance, using both arms to shield himself from the soft and puffy pillow of doom. "Leave me alone, ya brat. I wouldn't wanna marry a girl who wakes me up every morning with a pillow. Now what the heck do ya want?"
Kid rolled her eyes, but quietly hoped that this meant he would stop hitting on her. "I said I know where we have to go. I saw that boy in a dream and he showed me a beach that's supposed to be south of here. I think I'll find him there," she explained, trying to remain calm.
Reluctantly, Korcha abandoned the comfortable bed and began to gather their things. Kid had already put on her boots and gloves, as well as collected her belt with her dagger. Everything else she had slept in.
"I'm guessing ya don't know how far south this beach is, right?" Korcha grumbled, slinging the pack of food, first aid items, and extra elaments over his shoulder.
Kid shook her head, but did not give her companion time to complain. "We'll just sail along the edge of the island until I see it. If it's not on this island, we'll go farther south."
With Kid being too excited to sit still, they left right away, following the island's rim so that Kid could see the beach all the way. It did not take long at all before she stood up and pointed, causing the boat to shake frightfully. "That's it!"
Korcha steered the boat into the shallows of Opassa Beach, letting Kid jump off and splash her way up to the place where she had stood in her dream. Stopping her headlong dash with energy to spare, she looked around swiftly, making her sunlit hair fly from side to side. After a minute of silence with no sign of the boy or anyone else, she folded her arms over her chest and sighed. "Oi Korcha, there's a village near here, right? Maybe that's where he is..." Without waiting for a reply, she made her way inland while Korcha made sure his boat was securly docked, and also hidden to prevent anyone from stealing it, before running to catch up with her.
They traversed Lizard Rock stealthilly, but in the end were not quick enough to avoid a fully grown komodo dragon that decided to rid its territory of the trespassers. Startled by the huge reptile's sudden appearance, Kid jumped out of the way, slashing fiercly with her curved dagger. The beast flinched from the knife wound, and she took the time to use a Fire Pillat elament, scorching the poor creature badly. Realizing that it had made a dangerous mistake in challenging the pair of travelers, the unusually wise komodo dragon chose to escape, leaving a trail of blood which showed that Kid had done more damage than she had first expected. She briefly wondered when she had become such a skilled fighter, but would not voice her thoughts for fear of causing Korcha to think that the easy victory had been nothing but a lucky accident, which it had, or so the Radical Dreamer assumed.
Amazingly, they made it to Arni without having to deal with any other agressive creatures. The village looked slightly familiar to Kid, and that only increased her suspicion that she was in the right place. Just as they had done in Termina, Kid and Korcha split up to question anyone they met. It was Korcha who wondered onto the pier where a beautiful girl with long red hair stood watching several children who were playing in the ocean water. When he described the boy as Kid had described him to Korcha, the girl, who had introduced herself as Leena, was mildly surprised.
"I used to know someone exactly like that, but I'm afraid he died years ago..." she explained sorrowfully, not meeting Korcha's eyes. It was clear even to the flirtatious young demi-human that she still missed her lost friend, and he decided not to burden her with more questions, and excused himself quickly before running off to find Kid.
"There's gotta be a mistake." Kid argued when Korcha told her about his talk with Leena. Kid just could not believe that she was hunting for a boy who was alread long dead.
"Well, didCHA find anything else, then?" asked Korcha with slight irritation. Why did she have to be so difficult?
"No..." Kid muttered, "but I'm not givin' up. Maybe he's no in Arni, but somewhere else near Opassa Beach. There are still some places we haven't look yet, ya know. You try the woods around the village. I'm gonna explore that cliff on the western shore. I think it's called Cape Howl."
Korcha could only agree as the ever-determined girl hurried off to acomplish the task which she had assigned to herself.
When Kid breathlessly reached the peak of Cape Howl, she could only glare at the scene before her, for there at the very tip, backed by the ocean and the blue sky, was an ominous grave stone. Biting her lip, Kid knelt to read the grave's inscription, still deviantly doubting that she was the end of her search.
R.I.P.
Our beloved Serge...
When her eyes fell upon the name that was carved into the stone, a shockingly clear image of her dream boy flashed in her mind. She forced herself to finish reading, although she was already very upset.
Died age 7
Nobody can take anything away from him.
Nor can anyone give anything to him.
What came from the sea, has returned to the sea.
"Is that it?!" she shouted, standing and stomping her foot to release her emotion. "Why the hell did ya want me to come here if yer already dead, Serge? What am I supposed ta do about some damn ghost?!"
"Shut up, you silly girl," a frighteningly familiar feminine voice with a strong accent commanded from somewhere behind Kid.
Disclaimer: You fanfic-aholics know how it goes. All characters and places from Chrono Cross belong to Squaresoft. The plot and the original characters are mine, however.
Chapter One: The Radical Dream
"Oi Mate, sorry I haven't been talkin' to ya lately, but I'm sure ya understand. I've been real busy lately. I raided Viper Manor, but there was no sign of that Frozen Flame or Lynx. I guess ya know all that already, though, if ya are some sorta gaurdian angel like Jade says. I do hope ya didn't mind me tellin' her about ya, by the way," the girl sighed. "I don't mean to be a bother, but I do wish you'd say somethin'. I've got no idea who ya are or why I can't stop thinkin' about ya, but I know I've gotta find ya somehow. Well, anyway..."
"Oi, Star-Stealin' Girl! Who are ya talkin' to?"
Kid pulled her gaze away from the sea and the sunrise to look instead at the scruffy young woman who had interupted her. "Just the blue-haired boy again, Jade."
"Oh, yer angel's still around? Take good care o' my Kid, ya hear me?" The second comment seemed to be adressed to the ocean before them, but Kid knew that her friend was talking to the mysterious boy of her dreams. The small but notorious gang of theives known as the Radical Dreamers liked to believe that all dreams, especialy the most unusual ones, had meaning, hence their name. Even so, Kid had only mentioned her dreams and visions to her closest friend. Jade had been the one to find the terrified young girl who claimed to be the only survivor of the orphanage which had been destroyed by a demi-human named Lynx. Jade agreed to train the child until she was strong enough to seek out her revenge. Almost immediately, young Kid had taken Jade as her new role-model, even going so far as to copy the older girl's accent. She had attempted to immitate Jade's braided hair as well, but at first she did not know how to braid, and instead came up with her scorpion-tail design. Even after she found out how to braid her own hair, she chose her style over it.
Kid briefly allowed her mind to wander down memory lane, recalling a night spent with Jade after a particularly difficult training session several years ago. Little Kid had been too tired to walk back to the hideout, so she and Jade had set up camp in the woods. She had asked her mentor if she was a good thief yet.
"I bet ya could steal the stars themselves, Kid," Jade had replied, and from then on, Jade's special nickname for Kid had been Star-Stealing Girl.
"So Kid, ya still plannin' to go off on yer own again?" Jade asked after a short pause.
The younger girl shrugged in a carefree manner, hiding the anxiety inside. "Yeah." Although she had known the dream boy since the night Lucca's orphanage had burned, she had not dreamed or even thought about him until one week ago when she had been sailing alone near Cape Howl. She had actually collapsed in her boat, and only awakened at sundown to find the last memories of what seemed to be a strange dream flying swiftly away. Not wanting to worry her friends, she had not mentioned her collapse when she returned to the Dreamers' hideout.
Now the dream boy haunted her every night, and even in the day. He never spoke, and all she knew was that she had to find him.
"Well, good luck, then. Don't do anything I wouldn't." Jade instructed with a wink, then watched quietly as her student and friend prepared her small sail boat for another journey. Kid only looked back once as she began to sail away, waving a cheerful farewell to Jade and the other Radical Dreamers who were working on varius things nearby.
"So, as I was sayin'..." The thief continued once she was out of Jade's hearing range, "Here I come, Mate." A smile of anticipation for the coming journey crossed the girl's face as she stood boldly, hands on her hips, and one foot placed on the sturdy steering wheel. She took in a deep breath, her bright blue eyes staring ahead with excitement. Something told her that she was in for a real adventure.
She was not sure where the best place to search would be, but something told her that her goal was in El Nido. She decided Termina was the best place to start. It was the largest city, and therefore an obvious choice for someone who needed information. The only problem was that the Radical Dreamers' current hideout was on the mainland, and the only way into El Nido was through a narrow pass made deadly by the raging current. The wind was kind, and in just a couple hours the pass was before her. Kid delicately alligned her boat as best as she could, hoping that she would be able to shoot through the straight pass without much trouble.
The water around her sped up when she neared the entrance and found herself quite suddenly walled in on either side. she braced herself, knuckles turning as white as the wild water as she gripped the wheel with both hands. She had never taken this path before, having crossed over the cliffs on her trip to Viper Manor. There had been another boat waiting for her on the other side, but for some reason she and Jade had been unable to arrange such a thing this time. Jade had asked her again and again to wait until the arrangement was possible, but Kid simply could not wait to find out who her so-called angel was.
A powerful jolt brought her back to the present and she scolded herself harshly for losing her concentration, even for a mere second. Her teeth gritted as the side of her boat scraped loudlt against a rock. It was the only cassualty, however, and with a yell of victory, she rocketed out into open ocean, her light-weight boat actually flying above the water's surface from the force of the current. An unusually strong sense of deja vu hit her, but it was over in an instant as the boat came down and walls of water soaked everything. The El Nido Archipelago area was small, and Kid could already see the main island, a promising brown and green blur on the horizon.
Kid was never sure if she had good luck or bad luck. She would think bad luck for all the times she'd been the one to get caught in a tight or dangerous situation, yet she always had good enough luck to get out of it without much harm done. She just hoped that good luck would hold out in this storm... Of course she would have to be caught in a squall, she thought. What's a true adventure without a storm at sea? During her time with the Radical Dreamers, she had been caught in storms before, and luckily knew ways of staying relatively safe. When the sky became too dark and the winds too fierce, she lowered the sail to prevent her small craft from being capsised, and used the sail cloth instead to cover the boat in an effort to keep most of the rain out. Not wanting to catch cold, she huddled uncomfortably under a waterproof blanket, fished some travel bread out of her packed supplies, and waited.
And waited... and waited... and fell asleep. She figured that even if something bad happened, she would not have much luck fighting a storm.
"Hey Girly, you alive?"
Kid opened her eyes, squinting at the small figure standing above the spot where she lay. She could feel sand beneath her, and smell the salty sea. "Who are you?" she asked grogilly while trying to sit up. The movement awakened a sharp pain above her left ear and she moved a hand to her head, feeling the dry blood that no doubt covered a nasty cut.
"DonCHA move to much. That storm wasn't very nice to ya. My names Korcha." The boy talked in a mild but peculiar accent. "You look real familiar, but I know I've never metCHA. Maybe we were destined to be together!"
Ignoring his last comment, Kid stubbernly pushed herself to her feet, trying to hide her dizziness. "Where's my boat?"
"Oh, you mean that pile of drift wood?" Korcha asked with a rather sarcastic tone in his voice, pointing to the wreck a short way away. "Sorry about that, though I had nothin' ta do with it. Maybe I can help ya get a new one."
Like all her other weak emotions, Kid refused to show her sorrow for the faithful little craft. She decided to rummage through the flotsum and jetsum for her supplies, but only made it five steps before blacking out. Korcha jumped to her side, scolding the unconcious thief for getting a concussion. Unable to carry her on his own, he just cleaned her wound and kept her comfortable until she woke up.
The concussion was minor, and Kid awoke again after only a short rest, very embarrassed for having actually fainted. Korcha knew her type, however, and reassured her that it could happen to anyone, even strong sailors like her.
"So, where am I, and how can I get to Termina?" she asked rather than comment on the complement.
"You're in Guldove, and I can take ya to Termina. You should rest a bit first, though, donCHA think?" Korcha suggested, pleased to have a chance to travel with the firey but beautiful girl.
"I probably don't have much of a choice," she admitted, resisting the urge to touch her head again, "but ya better not try anything just 'cause I'm cute."
Kid spent the next night in Guldove, and in the morning she and Korcha set sail for Termina after she had finally retrieved what supplies were still usable from her wrecked boat. Korcha flirted with her at first, but shut up after she warned him that she would kick his arse so hard he kissed the moons, which he soon learned was her favorite threat.
Once they had docked in Termina, Korcha asked to accompany her. At first she refused him, but after much arguing and even begging, all of which caused her head to start hurting again, she finally agreed. After all, she knew that she would probably need access to his boat, as well as some help with her search, which she had told him about during the trip. Korcha happily paid for one room at the inn. Kid was tempted to get her own, but was rather short on money and decided not to let it bother her. There were two seperate beds, at least. After shopping for fresh supplies and storing extra baggage at the inn, the pair split up and began to search for any information concerning a mysterious blue-haired, blue-eyed boy.
They had no luck all day long, as well as most of the next. And then, at the end of the day when the sun was setting, Kid happened to be wandering alone near the outskirts of the city when a vague figure caught her eye. It was her dream boy, his back turned to her. His hair was covered by a brightly colored bandana. Startled and excited, she ran towards him, feeling as if she was on the verge of remembering something important, but just before she could touch him, he vanished. Sorely dissapointed, Kid stared at the place where the familiar boy had stood, realizing that it had been nothing but a mirage. After contemplating the vision for a long moment, she finally returned to the inn, and her dreams that night proved to be much more helpful.
She was standing on a picturesque beach, gazing out across the endless ocean as she so loved to do. She noticed suddenly that instead of her ussual traveling clothes, she was dressed in a white gown, which did not please her very much. Her hair style had also been changed. Most of her long golden locks hung free, except for a single braid down the back which was decorated with a large pink bow. She wondered who had changed her clothes, but for some reason it did not worry her as much as she expected it to.
Before her very eyes, her blue-haired angel materialized, a faint but pleasent smile gracing his features. He held out a hand, his mezmerizing eyes never leaving her own. Tentatively, she reached out her own now bare hand, and the moment their fingers touched, a feeling of warmth and joy coursed throughout her body, making her eyes light up and a smile appear. So this was where he was waiting. With some difficulty, she tore her eyes away from the charming boy, examining her surroundings, but not recognizing them. As soon as the question of where she was popped into her head, the dream shifted. Now she and the boy were back in Termina in the exact spot that she had seen him before. In fact, the only change in the vision was that now his right arm was raised, his index finger pointing south.
Opening her eyes as soon as the dream ended, Kid jumped out of bed, grabbed her dagger and bag of supplies from a small table, and darted across the room to shake Korcha into wakefulness. "Oi! I know where we gotta go!" When the demi-human rolled over and burried his head under the pillow, Kid snatched it away and beat him over the head. "Bugger you! Get up already!"
Korcha sat up in annoyance, using both arms to shield himself from the soft and puffy pillow of doom. "Leave me alone, ya brat. I wouldn't wanna marry a girl who wakes me up every morning with a pillow. Now what the heck do ya want?"
Kid rolled her eyes, but quietly hoped that this meant he would stop hitting on her. "I said I know where we have to go. I saw that boy in a dream and he showed me a beach that's supposed to be south of here. I think I'll find him there," she explained, trying to remain calm.
Reluctantly, Korcha abandoned the comfortable bed and began to gather their things. Kid had already put on her boots and gloves, as well as collected her belt with her dagger. Everything else she had slept in.
"I'm guessing ya don't know how far south this beach is, right?" Korcha grumbled, slinging the pack of food, first aid items, and extra elaments over his shoulder.
Kid shook her head, but did not give her companion time to complain. "We'll just sail along the edge of the island until I see it. If it's not on this island, we'll go farther south."
With Kid being too excited to sit still, they left right away, following the island's rim so that Kid could see the beach all the way. It did not take long at all before she stood up and pointed, causing the boat to shake frightfully. "That's it!"
Korcha steered the boat into the shallows of Opassa Beach, letting Kid jump off and splash her way up to the place where she had stood in her dream. Stopping her headlong dash with energy to spare, she looked around swiftly, making her sunlit hair fly from side to side. After a minute of silence with no sign of the boy or anyone else, she folded her arms over her chest and sighed. "Oi Korcha, there's a village near here, right? Maybe that's where he is..." Without waiting for a reply, she made her way inland while Korcha made sure his boat was securly docked, and also hidden to prevent anyone from stealing it, before running to catch up with her.
They traversed Lizard Rock stealthilly, but in the end were not quick enough to avoid a fully grown komodo dragon that decided to rid its territory of the trespassers. Startled by the huge reptile's sudden appearance, Kid jumped out of the way, slashing fiercly with her curved dagger. The beast flinched from the knife wound, and she took the time to use a Fire Pillat elament, scorching the poor creature badly. Realizing that it had made a dangerous mistake in challenging the pair of travelers, the unusually wise komodo dragon chose to escape, leaving a trail of blood which showed that Kid had done more damage than she had first expected. She briefly wondered when she had become such a skilled fighter, but would not voice her thoughts for fear of causing Korcha to think that the easy victory had been nothing but a lucky accident, which it had, or so the Radical Dreamer assumed.
Amazingly, they made it to Arni without having to deal with any other agressive creatures. The village looked slightly familiar to Kid, and that only increased her suspicion that she was in the right place. Just as they had done in Termina, Kid and Korcha split up to question anyone they met. It was Korcha who wondered onto the pier where a beautiful girl with long red hair stood watching several children who were playing in the ocean water. When he described the boy as Kid had described him to Korcha, the girl, who had introduced herself as Leena, was mildly surprised.
"I used to know someone exactly like that, but I'm afraid he died years ago..." she explained sorrowfully, not meeting Korcha's eyes. It was clear even to the flirtatious young demi-human that she still missed her lost friend, and he decided not to burden her with more questions, and excused himself quickly before running off to find Kid.
"There's gotta be a mistake." Kid argued when Korcha told her about his talk with Leena. Kid just could not believe that she was hunting for a boy who was alread long dead.
"Well, didCHA find anything else, then?" asked Korcha with slight irritation. Why did she have to be so difficult?
"No..." Kid muttered, "but I'm not givin' up. Maybe he's no in Arni, but somewhere else near Opassa Beach. There are still some places we haven't look yet, ya know. You try the woods around the village. I'm gonna explore that cliff on the western shore. I think it's called Cape Howl."
Korcha could only agree as the ever-determined girl hurried off to acomplish the task which she had assigned to herself.
When Kid breathlessly reached the peak of Cape Howl, she could only glare at the scene before her, for there at the very tip, backed by the ocean and the blue sky, was an ominous grave stone. Biting her lip, Kid knelt to read the grave's inscription, still deviantly doubting that she was the end of her search.
R.I.P.
Our beloved Serge...
When her eyes fell upon the name that was carved into the stone, a shockingly clear image of her dream boy flashed in her mind. She forced herself to finish reading, although she was already very upset.
Died age 7
Nobody can take anything away from him.
Nor can anyone give anything to him.
What came from the sea, has returned to the sea.
"Is that it?!" she shouted, standing and stomping her foot to release her emotion. "Why the hell did ya want me to come here if yer already dead, Serge? What am I supposed ta do about some damn ghost?!"
"Shut up, you silly girl," a frighteningly familiar feminine voice with a strong accent commanded from somewhere behind Kid.