It had been a really, really bad day...everyone had been on the verge of death. They had gotten ambushed by a monster on Garu Plains and been nearly killed when a nearby group of monsters caught the scent of blood and heard the sounds of battle. Shulk had been the first to realize and used Monado Shield, which helped...but Sharla had been knocked unconscious and things went down from there. Keyara had given into the ether and killed the monsters with their help and had recently left to regain herself. Willow had followed her to make sure she'd be okay, the ether-controlling homs hadn't objected but told Willow to keep a distance. Currently Keyara was standing alone in what looked to be an odd symbol...it looked like...wings?
'What is this place?' Willow thought as she looked around. 'I don't remember a place like this being on Garu Plains.' She thought as she watched Keyara look at the symbol.
Keyara took a deep breath before she sat down and the symbols began glowing as ether poured into her and Willow rose a brow. Why would Keyara absorb more ether if she was trying to dispel the ether? Suddenly Keyara's eyes widened in pain as she clutched her head and quickly stood.
"Keyara?!" Willow shouted as she came from the bushes, heading toward Keyara. Keyara looked up, purple eyes tinted red as she growled. "STAY BACK!" Keyara shouted but her eyes grew wider as pain racked her body.
She screamed as ether swirled around her violently and Willow stopped to try and stand her ground as wind picked up. Suddenly everything began fading away and Willow gasped as her eyes widened a fraction.
"KEYARA!" She screamed but everything flashed and she closed her eyes to shield them.
When she realized she didn't heard anything, she opened her eyes...suddenly realizing brick walls surrounded her. Confused she looked around, seeing a wide array of objects around the room; ranging from sea shells to weapons, from pictures to feathers. Confused she walked toward a black feather and noticed a card before the feather. She looked at it, seeing the name Kuvian written on the card. The word High Entia was written below the name making her look at the feather in shock. A black winged high entia? Suddenly the door slammed open, making Willow look toward the door and almost gasp though her face was neutral. That was...Keyara? As a Goddess? She saw Keyara throw the bag she was carrying at the wall and it went through Willow, shocking her as she realized this was the past!
"WHY?!" Keyara cried out, shocking Willow. "Why does life have to be so cruel?!" Keyara shouted as she collapsed and she saw harsh waves of ether pulse from Keyara's body as the wings trembled.
'What's going on?' Willow wondered, looking around in confusion. If this was the past...then...why was she seeing this? Keyara was usually good about keeping her past hidden from everyone, even Willow.
"Why are mortals so fragile?" Willow heard Keyara's weak voice question and looked at her, seeing the sad purple eyes glowing. "Why do they die so easily?" Keyara seemed to ask herself and Willow noticed a picture had fallen out of the bag.
She was thinking of picking it up but Keyara picked it up before her, shocking Willow. When did Keyara move? Keyara caressed the picture framing and Willow noted the family on it. Was that a Machina with a High Entia? Was that their children? Willow looked at Keyara with some pride and surprise. Keyara had fulfilled her wish of bringing unity?
"What if I became a mortal?" Keyara suddenly asked herself, eyes going wide as she suddenly realized something. "I would finally understand how mortal's work, how life would be...how everything would be. It wouldn't be permanent..." Keyara said as she placed the frame on the shelving. "But I would finally understand how fragile mortal lives would be. And to keep me as myself I would keep my ether ability, that way I can protect myself." Keyara said but Willow realized Keyara's mouth wasn't moving. Where these her thoughts?!
'I'd also keep the Monado, I don't want Zanza getting a hold of that thing.' Keyara's thoughts seemed to echo inside of Willow's head, making Willow look in the same direction as Keyara as she saw the Monado. She slightly glared at the weapon, remembering everything the Monado did to Keyara, herself and the others.
Suddenly the scene around her changed to what looked like a cloudy area, and looking to her feet she noticed cobblestone steps. The whole area was blue as the sky with what seriously looked like clouds lining the area around her.
'This place looks familiar...I think I was here once when Meyneth had control of me. This is Meyneth's domain.' Willow realized before two voices rung out. "Become a mortal?!" those voices sounded familiar.
Spinning around she saw Meyneth and Zanza with Keyara standing before them, bouncing like a little girl. She ran toward them to hear their conversation...this was all about Keyara becoming a mortal. Why did Keyara want to be a mortal? Was it really what Keyara told her? Had she really fulfilled her purpose to where she felt like she wasn't needed? Or was it what she was seeing? As she neared she noticed Zanza was acting...very unusual, his eyes showed glee yet his face was neutral. What was he thinking?
"It'd be best to be a Hom's." Zanza suddenly commented, grabbing her attention as she noticed it also grabbed Keyara's and Meyneth's attention. "You have the natural body of a Homs; being a Nopon is too much work, machina too much time, High Entia would be painful; as a Hom all you would lose is your wings and most of your abilities." Zanza reasoned and Willow looked as Keyara began bouncing, but Meyneth seemed wary.
'Of course Meyneth would be wary.' Willow thought with a glare directed at Meyneth. 'She cares about everyone else except those she uses.' Willow thought with disgust as she remembered when Meyneth used her body.
"Okay, but what of your powers?" Zanza's voice brought Willow back to what was happening as Keyara began thinking.
"Oh I know, they go to you two!" Keyara exclaimed making the two god's jerk back in shock and dumbfounding Willow.
'Is she stupid?!' Willow briefly wondered. 'Giving those two more powers is reckless and idiotic when it comes to Zanza. Of course he'd abuse the power he's given.' Willow thought as Meyneth sighed, grabbing her attention.
"Alright, we will give you this one wish. Don't mess up and get killed." Meyneth scolded and Zanza nodded, indifferent.
"I understand Meyneth." Keyara stated seriously as ether began to swirl around her.
Willow watched fascinated as the ether seemed to morph her body...when suddenly Keyara screamed in pain. Willow saw the feathered wing rip from her back and her eyes widened just a fraction. What the hell?! Keyara went through this! She was never told about the pain she bared when she became a mortal. "It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would when I became a mortal. So you don't gotta worry about that when it comes to me." The words Keyara spoke long ago rang in her head...why did Keyara lie? Another screamed pierced the air as she saw the mechanical wing fall apart and get torn from her back and she twitched a little...it looked painful!
Suddenly the ether turned red and Willow gasped as she looked around to see the source but she heard Meyneth scream from Keyara. Willow was shocked how quickly this went bad when suddenly green ether swirled around the red ether and spiralled downward around the red ether turning it blue. Willow narrowed her eyes before Alvis appeared before her between Meyneth and Zanza, hand outstretched toward the spiral of ether.
"Alvis?!" Willow shouted in shock, he was around during this time?
The ether died down and she saw Keyara slump to the ground and she ran over but stopped as she heard a chuckle. Turning around she saw Zanza was grinning darkly, malicious glee in his eyes.
"She's powerless." she heard him whisper and she glared darkly at him. "She's weak, useless...I can finally put my plans into action." he mumbled and she growled before making her way toward Keyara as Alvis wrapped a blanket around her.
"I'm sorry." she heard Keyara say and noticed Keyara looked vulnerable, nothing like her Goddess visage but looking too similar to the Keyara she currently knew. 'She completely changed...just to be a mortal. To understand mortals...to live among us! But she lost a lot and she was dealt a great deal of pain as well.' Willow thought, and suddenly she saw Keyara wobble and a voice sounded in her own head.
"We warned you!" the voice said and suddenly everything flickered before she was cloaked in darkness.
"...illow! ...ake up. Willow, wake up!" a voice shouted from the darkness, before she felt her senses return. "Please Willow, wake up!" the voice begged and it sounded like Keyara.
Realizing what she was being asked, she slowly opened her eyes and noticed Keyara was holding her upright a little. The worry was obvious in her purple eyes as she watched Willow slowly come to, relief was also seen but mainly worry.
"Are you okay?" Keyara asked as Willow slowly sat up. "I came to my sense's and realized you were passed out, are you okay?" Keyara asked Willow, worried.
"Hm?" Willow looked at Keyara, before she registered her question. "Oh, oh yes; I'm fine." Willow stated before looking around. "Where are we?" Willow asked and Keyara shrugged.
"I don't know, but we need to find the others. I'm sure they're worried about us." Keyara said as she stood, getting ready when Willow called for her. "Hey, Keyara?" she questioned, and Keyara turned to look at her.
"Yeah Willow, what is it?" Keyara questioned confused. Willow looked like she was about to say something, but stopped last minute before shaking her head. "Nothing, never-mind; don't worry about it." Willow said as she stood, but Keyara looked unconvinced.
"Are you sure?" Keyara pressed and Willow sighed. "Yes, I'm sure Keyara, let's go." Willow said and the two left the clearing.
'That was odd, that was completely different from what Keyara told me. She didn't tell me she endured pain, didn't tell me Alvis was there, didn't tell me the ether warned her! Why didn't she tell me the full truth?' Willow wondered as they headed back, her staring at Keyara's back. 'I guess there are more secret's I have yet to learn about Keyara.' Willow thought as they regrouped with everyone else.
There was still much to learn about Keyara, Willow realized and soon enough she would learn the whole truth. For now though, she figured what she saw she would keep to herself as she tried to piece everything together. Only time would tell her everything she needed to know about Keyara, and about Keyara's past.