Chapter 14:
A Farewell and Goodbye
Tsuyo fell to the ground, seemingly dead, his eyes glazed and staring up at the sky, his body in nearly the same position in which Barex now lay. The body lurched and dark, translucent gas began to seep out of his mouth and flow, carelessly, to Amira's hand. She raised her hand, guiding the gas back into her own mouth, her eyes closed. Ky-Kie raised her head slightly to look at the fallen body of the man who struck down the boy she loved. Her eyes swimming widely in her head while she fumed, she had wanted to kill him, to take a life for a life. But she had been too weak, she let death cloud her abilities and now it was too late, that witch Amira had beaten her to it and now she had nothing.
Her body lurched off the ground with such amazing speed that many people didn't know what happened until they felt the ground shake. With one powerful blow, Ky-Kie struck the ground with her fist; she was only a few inches from Tsuyo's head. The ground split, Amira sighed and stepped backwards, Kye running to her side, still looked confused at the awful things she had said before. Drops of tears fell into the ground which was now split open farther down than they eye could see. Tsuyo's body tipped backwards, headfirst, into the hole and fell, and fell, and no one could even tell it was falling anymore.
Ky-Kie's fist hit the ground once more, closing the hole, then she continued to pound the ground, her rage turning into sadness, she could taste the salt from her tears and the blood from Barex on her lips. It made her sick, she wanted to throw up but couldn't, she could do anything for herself or Barex, besides slam the ground with her fists hoping it might jog Barex's body back to life.
"Poor Ky-Kie…" Jeri turned to Barex's body which lay a few feet from where Ky-Kie continuously slammed the ground. Katilix heard and nodded, turning to rest her puffy eyed face on Chlainamos' chest. Hoping to hell that it was all just a dream and nothing had really happened to their beloved captain.
Terrad had no idea what had just happened as he rushed around the medical ward of the main building, finding something, anything, that could heal Yami's injuries as quickly as possible. The sense of danger had not passed, leaving him in distress that if something happens, he would not be able to protect Yami in her current state. She lay, sprawled out and unconscious on the nearest bed to the big double doors which led into the hallway. Her pulse was slow, he was sure she had slipped into a deep coma like sleep due to the massive amount of damage done to her body.
"Where the hell is that bottle?!" He searched frantically, up and down, inside every cupboard and on every shelf, finally returning to his unconscious girlfriend with an armful of assorted bottles of medicine and a few syringes which had multi-colored liquid inside them. "What do I do? GRAH! If only Ky-Kie were here." He turned to the window, noticing Ky-Kie on the ground, Barex still lying motionless, many people huddled against friends for comfort and Tsuyo was nowhere to be seen. Also he noticed Azula still standing rigid, as if awaiting orders, by a tree near Barex. He thought nothing of it, he was busy right now, and they would have to handle this situation on their own.
Amira back stepped into Kye, not realizing he had been standing there, she turned to him with a straight face.
"You know I didn't mean a single thing I said to Tsuyo right?" Kye nodded, but didn't give Amira the feeling that the nod was sincere. "I would never ever call you a servant and you are my best friend and I love you." Kye nodded again, staring down at Ky-Kie, wondering if he should say something to comfort her, he knew what it was like to lose someone you cared a lot about. In fact, nearly everyone there was not only thinking about Barex's death, but the death of friends and loved ones from before they had joined the 7 Key Squad, and even…during their time on the Squad.
"Barex…I…Can't go on…not without you. " Ky-Kie's sobs filled the dense air with even more sadness. Each person wept into the arms of friends. Finally Ky-Kie's fist ceased its senseless pounding of the ground and removed her fist which dripped with blood, having cut it on several sharp rocks. Her fist had made a one foot deep hole in the ground. Her fist throbbing, her arm numb where it had been slashed, she turned and crawled back to the lifeless body of Barex. She lay on him and sobbed into his chest, heaved her chest up and down and her breaths cut out of her, sharp and quick. Her good hand slid off his chest onto the ground beside him and pumped the ground. Barex's body began its decent into the ground, a much slower and sadder thing to watch then that of Tsuyo's plummet into his earthen grave. She followed his body until she was level with the ground then watched its decent from a crouching position above the hole. Every member that was able began walking towards the hole which would be Barex's final resting place. Tears rolling down each of their faces, even Chlainamos shed a solitary tear as he watched the leader of the 7 Key Squad fall and disappear into the ground, the earth beginning to hide his body from their eyes as Ky-Kie moved it over him.
Yami twitched as Terrad stuck a third needle into her right arm. He jumped when he saw her moving, he knew the medicine was working!
"I'm right handed you know?" Her voice was shrouded with amusement at Terrad's obvious lack of knowledge in the medical field. Medical books explaining practical and serious medical practices were strewn all over her bed and the floor. Her arms attempted to pull her into a sitting position but a hand put light pressure onto her chest, slowly urging her back down. Her eyes followed the fingers of the hand to the wrist, then shoulder and then to the happy tears that flowed down Terrad's face. He hugged her with such longing that she could swear he broke another bone.
"Are you feeling alright?" His hand moved to wipe the tears from his eyes but Yami's were already there, touching him lightly, slowly moving her fingers across the bottom of his eyes and smiling at him.
"I am fine, thanks to you." They embraced, unaware of the makeshift eulogy happening beneath the third floor window.
Rain began to fall, mixing with the tears of the shapes below the clouds on the ground. Or was it really tears falling from the sky? It didn't matter; nothing mattered but the loss of the guy who kept this makeshift family functioning.
It was the death of a Great Leader.