Stranded

Chapter 8

"My love, after this most boring meeting, why don't we hide away for a while? I missed you last night…don't ever leave me like that again, my love…"

(smack)

"…Sir, may I let the emissiary in?"

"Huh? Wha… of course, yes…"

(Trumpets blare. Flags rise. The door opens and a figure carrying a lance emerges from the other side)

"Kain!"

"Kain?"

"His Majesty sent me to you. He wishes your presence in Baron immediately."

"Kain, how dare you even…"

"Rydia! Let the dragoon speak. His words intrigue me."

"It is as I said. Their Majesties Cecil and Rosa wish for your presence in Baron as soon as possible."

"Kain, you can't expect me to even move myself from my throne if you can't give me a good reason to. You should know that by now."

"I am only ordered to say that you must, for it concerns the well being of many kingdoms if you don't. I can't stay and wait for answer. If I get a no, I will turn my airship to Mysidia and seek help there."

"See here now, those lazy mysidian mages don't have anything special. What do they do, make ice cubes? Compared to our ninjutsu?"

"Should I take that as an accepted invitation?"

"Rydia, pack. We're going to Baron."

"I think I'm ready, but really Edge, don't you think that…"

I'm ready also. Get the blasted airship here and we'll be on our way."


The land was quiet. In mere seconds after the rage that Bahamut put forth, the island became shrouded in blackness. Rydia paid it no mind. She ran to the landing point of the injured dragoon.

Rydia screamed. The whole black covered island echoed with the cry of the summoner.

Kain lay spread-eagle on the mossy ground, Helmet and lance thrown off at a distance. His gorgeous blonde hair was streaked with mud and blood. Rydia laid down next to him, caressing and preening his hair, whispering meaningless nonsense to him.

"Oh, no, Kain…" Rydia looked at his closed eyelids, and moved them downward towards his chest, which was unsteadily rising.

Rydia brought forth the last magic strength left in her, and with all she had left, whispered the spell she was unable to cast she was a child.

"Cure…" she said, as tears landed on his cheeks and Rydia gasped for breath.

The summoner didn't expect the magic to work. She couldn't cast white magic. How could it?

Kain's eyes fluttered.

Had it?

A moan left his mouth.

Rydia gasped again and clutched her chest, and smiled. She lowered herself and placed her lips on his.

Warmth flashed between them, like an electrical impulse. Rydia slowly moved her lips from his, and another moan, but one of pleasure, escaped him.

A hand found the back of her neck and slid her closer. He reached upward and locked onto her. He slowly slid his tongue to her dry, cracked lips. She parted them invitingly, and allowed his tongue to snake in and out as she combed his hair with her fingers. She never wanted to leave his side. To think that when she first crashed on this island she had wanted him to disappear forever.

There was something about this island, all right.

But maybe it wasn't all bad.


"Cecil, why haven't they returned yet?" Rosa fidgeted with a curl on her head. Cecil looked warily toward the door, wishing it would open and Kain would fly through the door.

"All we can do is wait," he muttered.

"No! That's all you ever say! Gosh, why'd we even send them on a collision course with that island! Why even bother? So what if the reincarnation of Zemus takes over the world? Instead, we killed 3 of our friends!"

"Rosa, you're distraught. They haven't lost before, have they?"

"What are they supposed to do on that island! Zemus wasn't an idiot! He used the tower of Babel as a connection between The Lunar Subterranean and the Earth, we all found that out before, and that certainly wasn't a fluke! And the island, when viewed from the moon, lies directly on top of the tower! What better place to hide a piece of your life in case you die? He was reincarnating himself on that island! He created a portal through which he could come back in case he was defeated, and Rydia and Edge and Kain were all just falling into his trap!"

"Cid, go ready an airship." Cecil stood up from his throne and walked towards the gates.

"I'm leaving in an hour."


Rydia wrapped her arms tighter around Kain's waist. She tucked her head between his arm and his chest. His arm held her shoulder, and his lips on the top of her head as they lay peacefully in the slowly clearing black sky under the island.

The mysterious feeling surrounding the island was gone. And not in one place was there a symbol. The symbol that marked the dangers of the island, they were all gone. Rydia felt no curiosity about anything any more. All she felt was love. Coming steadily to her from the man next to her. She had never felt this with Edge.

Edge.

Where was he?

He hadn't moved since the shadow threw him.

Rydia's eyes snapped open. She shook Kain until he was awake.

"Kain, Kain we have to go! We have to find Edge!"

Kain sat up and looked at Rydia for a moment, then got up and impassively said, "Ok. Let's go."

Rydia didn't register that expression (or lack thereof) and just ran through the woods. Under the now gray sky, Rydia became afraid. How long had he been lying there? Edge had barely been able to move from injuries before the final throw of the shadow. As much pain as he had put her through, she didn't think she could bear it if…

If he hadn't…

What if he hadn't?

She was so caught up over the safety of the ninja that she didn't even notice the airship gliding silently overhead.


Author's notes: O gosh, finally, one more chapter and I'm done! DONE, I SAY! Anyway that was a ridiculously long wait for an update, so I'm gonna be surprised if ANYONE reads this at all. The Cecil and Rosa scene maybe cleared a bit of the island up, but it'll all pull together in the last one, I swear. A little romance, and now the hard part of saying no to Edge (if he makes it…hee hee hee, wouldn't sparks fly then…oh boy, do I have a decision to make here! That's what happens when you make up a story as you go along, I guess.) Until (a hopefully quicker) next time.

The Magnifique