Don't Fall, part 28

FIC START!

The storm above raged, and the survivors of Fabul watched in horror as their queen rallied them to run as far as possible from the gigantic Sand Worm-like creatures. Shelia screamed out, giving orders. She couldn't stand the sight of seeing the Troian Skyseer being ravaged by the worm. She told half of the men to defend the civilians, and half of them to start attacking it. Sakinah felt her body being flung around at full force until it let go of her, and she fell back to the whims of gravity. She smiled for a moment as her weight sent her towards the ground. Every inch of her body ached, and her shoulder still bled heavily from the teeth that had seeped into her flesh. She thought of the life she wanted to share with Kain. She thought of the people she met over the course of her life. The people she loved, the people she failed, the people that had all the faith in her, and she whispered and apology to them. She promised to fight, to grow, to do all she could as she journeyed to find her answers. Her mind faded out completely the moment her back hit the ground, and Queen Shelia let out a shriek. She had no magic, or any other fighting ability. As she ran out to check on her new friend, the monks kept her from going any further.

"Forgive me for being late, Mother."

Shelia turned around to see her daughter standing there, somewhat bruised up, but still alive and well. It wasn't uncommon to see her with laserations like that from time to time, considering the girl was a monk through and through, just like her father. "...I'll start forgiving you for being late if you actually start being on time for once, young lady," she scolded. "What happened? W-Where's your father?!"

"Master is coming," she said, taking a fighting stance. "So hold on. I left the moment Sir Kain had set me free, he went on to help Ceodore after I left."

"You couldn't possibly take on that monster yourself," Shelia said, frought with unfathomable parental concern. "Ursula, please-"

"I'm not going to try to take it on myself," Ursula said, shaking her head. "There's no way I could. That's not the plan. So. Go take care of the people. I'll be fine."

"Lady Sakinah is not fine-"

"I realize that," she said, tired of her mother's nagging. "She'll be fine. Someone'll have a Phoenix Down, or can cast Raise, or something. I know Ceodore and Sir Kain know some white magic. We'll be fine. Now-" The monster was coming closer, and it lunged for Shelia the way it lunged for Sakinah just moments before. Ursula jumped up to greet it with a claw to right in the teeth, which caused it to flinch back. It didn't deter the attack, but she had caught its attention. She then flipped and attempted to kick it's head - or what she thought was its head - with all of her strength behind the motion. It slid back a bit before trying to counter her, and Ursula landed back on her feet. "...damn!" she swore under her breath. This thing was hard to hit. It seemed to understand how they fought and how to avoid their attacks. She grit her teeth and braced herself, biding for time. "...c'mon, Father..." she whispered, "why aren't you here yet? This is when you... always... jump in..." She closed her eyes, knowing that this was going to hurt, but she wasn't going to take the chance of it attacking her mother. Taking a bite or two wouldn't be that bad, not if it was to protect one of the people she loved the most. As the monster lunged for her, knowing that she had the most ability to stop it, Ursula heard the high-pitched 'shhhwiiiiiing!' of a sword over her.

"Get back, foul demon!" She immediately looked up with relief, knowing that voice very well. The youngest member of the Red Wings, Ceodore, had rushed into intercepting that attack meant for her, and meeting it with the business end of his sword. Blood splattered out, causing the snake to rear back and yell in pain. The prince of Baron landed back on his feet right next to Ursula and smiled at her. "Tell me you weren't going to just let it eat you, Princess."

"I was buying everyone else time to get here, and that meant I had to protect my mother and the people," Ursula said. "I know you want to be as chivalrous as your father, but..."

"I know far too well that you are so much like your father that would be impossible," Ceodore answered. "We will discuss this later once the danger has been taken care of. Please. Work with me."

"...yes," she agreed, and the two decided to put their powers together, unleashing Twin Rush. It seemed as if her claws weren't able to do much damage at all, though, and she was worried about that. Between the two of them, the only one doing any damage to the monster was Ceodore. Would her father be unable to damage it too? They exchanged blows with the monster and healed each other as needed, but they didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

"I hate to say it," Ceodore muttered, "But we need help."

Queen Shelia had led the people far away by now, but she couldn't help but watch on. That boy was akin to family to her as much as her own daughter was. She knew his parents very well. They were upstanding people, leading the world into new prosperity. She was ready to try to find a frying pan and jump into the fray herself, but there was no way she could do that. She almost started to run to them, until a hand touched her shoulder and interrupted her thoughts.

"You need not fret, my love," her husband's voice said softly. "I'm sorry I made you worry, but-"

"You're sorry?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "...just go get rid of it, and then I'll give you a thrashing for making me worry. Both you and your bullheaded daughter!"

"Um. Did you forget? She's your daughter, too."

"Yang Fang Lieden, I swear..." she grunted. "Go... do what you're best at."

"Very well." Yang ran into the battle, holding his hands up in an attack stance.

"Master," Ursula said. "This has been difficult..."

"Aye, it has," he agreed. "You've done well to protect everyone this far. And you as well, Ceodore. Cecil will be most proud of your accomplishments while here."

"Thank you, sir," Ceodore said, very proud to have received praise from someone as prestigious as King Yang. "If I may ask, what of Sir Kain?"

"You should know as well as we all do, Ceodore. Kain is fine," Yang answered him. "Do not doubt your mentor."

"I do not doubt!" Ceodore snapped, knowing that he wasn't supposed to speak in that tone, but he couldn't help himself. "I... worry."

A body landed right next to him as if it had fallen from the sky. "A natural response given the situation, but if all you do is worry, you will not be able to attend your duties." They all knew it was Kain when he turned to look at them. No one else had the ability to ride the wind as he did, after all. Kain noticed a body had fallen onto the ground in a puddle of blood, and when he went to investigate, he let out a gasp of horror before he reached into his pocket and lifted up a bright red feather. Flame-like energy swirled around Sakinah, and her eyes opened slowly. He could see her breathing at the very least. Good.

The monster, instead of trying to attack them, turned to attack the castle instead. The homes and fields were all ready destroyed by the numerous tremors caused by this creature. There wasn't much of the castle left now, either. Ceodore and Ursula used their band attack together yet again, and Yang gathered up all of his inner strength before attempting to release his most devastating, concentrated blows. It didn't seem to have much interest in them, probably because it hadn't managed to kill them yet. Kain leapt up as high as he could and came back down to attempt ramming his spear right through the huge worm's head. As the worm flung its head around in an attempt to be rid of the dragoon, he just jumped back next to Sakinah.

As Sakinah sat on her knees, bent over and in so much pain that it would have been easy to just fall right back over, she felt something in the earth below her that wasn't anything like a tremor. She put her hands out against the soil, sensing how rotten it had become, but something else, too. A faint... energy? She concentrated on it and tried to call out to it, but she didn't understand how to manipulate magic. "What... what is this?" she asked.

"Is something amiss?" Kain asked.

"Concentrate on fighting," she reassured him. "I'll be fine, since it doesn't seem concentrated on me now."

"...Sakinah..."

"...Kain..."

"...forgive me."

"You haven't done anything wrong," she said. "If anything, you... never fail to come to my rescue."

"As long as you will allow it, I will always-"

"Kain." She turned to look up at him, her eyes shimmering with the happiest tears she'd shed in quite a while. "...If all you do is worry, you will not be able to attend your duties."

He let out a chuckle. "I had forgotten my own words..."

"I'm not worried," she said. "Not with you nearby."

"Sakinah."

He grasped hold of his spear that much tighter and forced himself up into the sky yet again. The rest of the party did all they could to try to save what was left of Fabul castle, but there was literally nothing left. The gigantic snake writhed back into the ground, seeming to have found whatever it was that it was looking for, and the sensation that had caught Sakinah's attention faded away. She shook her head, defeated. Was that yet another failure to add to the growing tally? She believed that it was something that would've helped them, if only she could reach it. The rest of the party gathered back together, confused as to what the hell that thing even was. After a few Cure spells from Kain and Ceodore, Sakinah was able to get up off her knees. She suddenly grasped onto Kain as tightly as she could, and he returned her affection gently. The fact that she was safe, even if she now had a scar through her shoulder from facing a true battle on her own. Shelia gave Yang and Ursula some tough love in her usual scolding, but still cried in their arms regardless, thankful that if nothing else, they were both safe.

"What do we do now?" Ursula asked once they had all calmed down.

"There is only one thing to do," Kain replied. "We head to Baron and call for all of the world's leaders to come together and stop this monstrocity before it causes more harm."

"But what of the people?" the queen asked. "We can't just leave them."

"No, you're right," Yang said with a nod. "Urusla."

"Master?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"You will be the Fabulian Royal representative in our stead, as you are princess of Fabul," he said. "Your mother and I will take care of the people here. You go to Baron and address King Cecil on my behalf."

"Yes!" she nodded. "I am honored!"

"May Ceodore keep you safe."

"I'll do my best, King Yang," Ceodore agreed, blushing at that.

"Perhaps the Harvey and Leiden families will indeed become one by the end of our years," Shelia said. "You always were somewhat brotherly with Cecil, my love."

"Not to mention Kain being a late bloomer himself," Yang said, letting out a laugh.

"Excuse me," Kain said, wishing he was wearing his old helmet that kept his current expression hidden from other's sight when he started to turn red.

Sakinah looked up at the sky for a moment, focusing on the moon above them. She wondered what she had gotten into by leaving Troia and seeking her answers. Now the journey was so much more than just a quest to understand herself better. She took in a deep breath, listening to the banter between everyone. They were all ready saying goodbyes, readying themselves for next thing to do. From one thing to another...

"Sakinah?" Kain called her from her thoughts. "Are you not coming with us to the port?"

"Of course I am," she said, shaking her head. "I have to come with you."

"No. You do not have to. I will not impose."

"You aren't imposing. Let me rephrase what I said," Sakinah said as she let out a cough. "I want to come with you. Besides. You are supposed to take me to the place where you found your answers so I could find mine. You promised you would."

"Then please stop daydreaming," Kain answered. "We go."

"Right."