The brisk fog wrapped itself around his horse's legs, the night breeze
chill expression. He looked up to the lonely sky.
When are you going to go back? The horse asked suddenly.
"I don't know." He replied icily, the horse threw her head.
Are you ever going to go back? She shot. He glared at her, she knew he didn't feel comfortable with these questions.
"That's none of your business." He snapped.
I think it is, considering that I'm the one who is carrying you. She remarked, he sighed a irritated sigh. They continued on. In the shadow of the trees, a malicious evil watched them, waiting to make it's move. It saw it's chance to attack. Lunging forward, it drew six bizarre shaped, razor sharp swords. The horse reared throwing her rider from her back, he hit the cool ground, hard, but quickly regained his stance.
"Shadowfate, run, hide!!!" He shouted, she was hesitant, but ran and hide in the bushes, he watched her and turned back to the creature, unfortunatly, a second to late, as one of the twisted blades slashed his face. He fell to the ground, his face was cold and wet, he felt faint all of a sudden, the gash ran from the bridge of his nose to the bottom of his left ear; he knew that if he let this thing win, then others would be in danger. Finding all the strength he could muster, he lunged at the beast, spear drawn, and fully intent on killing just whatever it was. Something wasn't right; everything was blurry, he could barely tell where the thing was, he saw yellow and red, so he followed his instinct. The spear dove into the creature and it screamed in pain an unearthly shriek, that made him cringe upon hearing the awful sound. It pushed away and slithered frantically, he stood there for a moment before collasping to the ground, unconscious. Shadowfate, who had watched the whole thing from the shrubs, ran to his side. She heard the sound of a cart coming, she looked to see a covered wagon with a mule pulling it, the driver seemed to be a large, statly man, with a funny mustashe, there was also a girl with him, she looked fairly young, with long, bright red hair and a white dress. Shadowfate wished she could ask them to help but she couldn't give her secret away to some strangers that would probably cage her, and leave him alone, to die. The cart came to a stop beside them, the little girl gasped and stood up on the seat.
"Romani thinks he needs help!" She shouted, the man nodded his head.
"I think Romani's right. Cremia, come help me get him in the back." He called, a young woman hopped out of the back, she looked like an older version of the little girl in the front. She also gasped, and ran over to help. The two of them hauled his body into the back and the older of the two girls sat in the back with him, Shadowfate followed behind, now the mule was pacing so they were going fairly fast and she had to canter to keep up. The little one turned around, and watched Shadowfate.
"Romani thinks that horse is his,"
"Why does Romani think that?" The older girl asked.
"Cause the horse is following us." The older one looked out and raised an eyebrow.
"I think you're right."
He slowly awoke, his face hurt, he felt dizzy, but he could see better now, he looked over and saw a little face staring back at him. He blinked, and she smiled.
"Hi!" She piped up, "I'm Romani and we found you on our way home, how do you feel?" He was alittle taken aback by her sudden outburst.
"Ummmm.....I've been better." He stammered. Romani giggled.
"Romani wants to know what your name is?" He was a little confused as to why this child addressed herself in third-person.
"My name is Kain." He said, she giggled some more. "What's so funny, Romani?"
"Romani likes your name."He smiled and looked over on the other side of him.
"Shadowfate!" He wrapped his arms around the horse's neck, Romani giggled some more.
The King of Baron stood on the balcony, the moon was full and it lit up almost everything as far as he could see. The gentle breath of the evening wind, wrapped around him as if someone was wrapping their arms around him. He sighed, not even the soothing breeze could calm his restless mind. His mind was chattering a million question all aimed at one person. Kain. He had left 7 years ago, no explanation, before the wedding and corrination, just after they arrived back on Earth. Cecil couldn't understand why he would leave. Two slendor arms wrapped loosly around Cecil, it was Rosa, the Queen of Baron.
"What's wrong, Cecil? Why don't you come back to the party?" Cecil sighed. Rosa rested her head on Cecil's shoulder. "You're thinking about Kain again aren't you?" He nodded.
"Would you give it up already, Cecil? Kain's not comin' back." The couple turned to see the young king of Eblan. Cecil glared at him, Rosa gasped slightly.
"Edge! How could you ever say that, Kain will come back!!" She snapped. Edge rolled his eyes, Rosa scowled at him.
"C'mon Rosa, we both know that he's not going to come back." Rosa walked over to him, and slapped him as hard as she could.
"Don't you EVER say that, he will come back, and don't you forget that!"Edge was taken aback by her abuse. She stormed out, Cecil looked at him.
"You'll get no sympathy from me." he scoffed, and turned back to the balcony.
"I AM entitled to my own opinion." Edge snapped.
"Well keep it to yourself!" Cecil barked. He stormed out of the room, Edge turned and followed.
"C'mon Cecil, think about it, he left 7 seven years ago and didn't even tell you why-"
"Edge-"
"And he didn't stay for the wedding-"
"Edge-"
"Or the Corrination or-"
"EDGE!!!" Cecil eruptted, Edge recoiled. "I don't care what you think, Kain WILL come back, whether you like it or not!!"
"Shadowfate?" Kain asked staring off into the distance, Shadowfate looked at him.
Yes Kain?
"The thing that attack us, I don't think that was any ordinary monster."
Yes? She became more anxious.
"It needs to be dealt with..." Shadowfate leaned closer to him. "But I'm not strong enough to do it on my own."
Then you mean we're...? She studdered with anxiety. He looked at her and smiled.
"Yeah. We're going back." Shadowfate reared and whinnied in joy. Kain laughed. "C'mon we can make it there by morning if we leave now." He hoisted himself up into the saddle. Shadowfate did a little dance before galloping towards Baron Castle. Two evil yellow eyes stared at them, watching them leave.
"Baron....."I hissed to itself before slithering off into the darkness.
Dawn broke over the country of Baron. The village rooster crowed, the fog began to lift and recoil back to the Mist Cave, the creatures of the valley and the forest began to stur and awaken, a hooded figure rode towards the castle, causing little animals to escape to the safety of their holes. He approached the castle gates.
"Who goes there?" A guard demanded as the figure came.
"I wish to speak with the King." He said coldly. The guards looked at each other.
"What business have you with the King."
"I bring a message of great importance." The figure's voice became very husky. The guards looked at each other again then at the figure suspiciously. "You should not judge a person by their appearence. Now I will said it again, I wish to speak with the King." He said firmly, the guards went back to their posts and opened the gate. The figure smiled and nodded his thanks to them. God, It's been so long since I walked this courtyard, he thought to himself, smiling as he rode.
Feel good to be back? Shadowfate whispered.
"Yes." He sighed dismounting, he looked around as old memories came flooding back to him. He began towards the throne room, and inturn was stopped at the entrance.
"What business do you have with the King?"
"I bring an ergent message." The guards looked at him distrustfully."Is there anything I can do to convince you to let me in?" The guard looked down on Kain.
"Tell me who you are and I might consider it." Kain sighed.
"Alright." He said and pulled off the hood, the guards looked at him wide-eyed.
"Master Highwind?!" Kain smiled.
"Now will you let me in?"
"Of course! Please wait here."
"Wait!" Kain stopped the guard. "No no, don't tell, just let me in." He said pulling the hood back on. The guard rolled his eyes.
"Alright, but if we get fired your ass is grass." Kain grinned sheepishly, as he entered. The King and Queen looked at him, the children hid behind the green haired Caller and the King of Eblan put his hands on his hilts. To them he was a stranger like this, and Kain used that to his advantage, being the trickster that he was.
"Greeting, Miladies." He said mockingly. The King shifted uneasily on his throne. "You are skeptical of me, you find me threatening, though I am not. And I am not, though you think it, a stranger to you." Now they were confused as hell, exactly as Kain had wanted it.
"Who are you, stranger?" Cecil demanded.
"Didn't I just say I'm not a stranger?"
"Alright, refresh my memory. Who are you, person I've met before?" Cecil said, Kain chuckled.
"Even as a King you still have the same sense of humour." Kain said laughing. Cecil looked at Kain, confused, Kain smiled. Perfect, he thought. Cecil is confused as hell. Kain reached to his belt where his helmet hung at his side. Edge took hold of his swords, Kain pulled the helmet out and Edge whipped out his swords and was ready to attack. Kain held the helmet infront of him, facing them, Cecil stopped Edge and gazed at the helmet.
"Kain's Helmet..."He whispered, Rosa gasped. Cecil looked at Kain. "Where did you get that?" Kain smiled.
"I bet he killed Kain." Edge growled, Cecil looked at the helmet. It was pretty beat up, the webbing on the right dorsle fin was ripped to shreads, the muzzle of the dragon shaped helmet was cracked.
"Did.....you kill him?" Cecil hesitated, he was afraid of the answer.
"You could say that." Kain said insidiously. Cecil furrowed his brows. "I did kill the evil Kain." Cecil could not undersatnd why this man was toying with him.
"What do you mean 'evil Kain'?" Rosa asked.
"The one who kidnapped you, Rosa, and the one who betrayed your freindship, Cecil." He said coyly.
"He did kill him! I say we hafta do something about him." Edge barked. Cecil scowled at Edge.
"Edge, that's enough."
"Don't be so eager to deal out death and judgement, Edge." Kain smirked. "You always have been, especially towards me." Edge's eyes widened.
"Who are you?" He demanded, Kain grinned.
"Do you really want to know? Alright then." He said and took off the hood. Cecil's eyes widened, Rosa gasped, Rydia dropped to her knees. Kain just stood there smiling at them.
"Kain?" Cecil whispered, Kain nodded. Cecil rose from his throne, slowly he walked to his friend, he could not believe his eyes, Kain was finally back, after all these long years he'd finally returned. Then he noticed the scar that ran across Kain's face. Kain looked down for a second then back at his friend. "What happened?"
"It's why I came back. Cecil I need to tell you something of great importance."
"What is it?" Cecil asked.
"There--" He was cut off.
"Kain!" It was Cid, the chunky engineer. "Where in the name of Asura have you been?" He demanded in his rough voice.
"What do you care? Last time I checked you wanted nothing to do with me." Kain said raising an eyebrow. Cid scratched his head.
"When was that?"
"Umm.....before we left for the Moon." Kain said.
"I don't remember that."
"I do, we were saying our goodbyes and you said, very loudly, to Cecil, that you wanted nothing to do with me and that he should not take his eyes off me for a split second. Mind you I felt pretty shitty about myself then and you saying something like that really didn't help that, thank you be the way." Kain said and turned away.
"Well, I had a right to feel that way." Kain turned back to him.
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did." Kain folded his arms infront of him.
"Esplain." Kain scoffed.
"Well you did all those bad things and I don't think any of us trusted you."
"Well seeing as Edge was the only one in the party who didn't trust him, and Yang doesn't really trust anyone." Cecil said. Cid looked down.
"Well, at the time I meant it, but I take it back." Cid whined, Kain raised an eyebrow. "C'mon, let's stop all the fuss and ammafuedin'. Today is a joyous occasion, LET'S PARTY!!!!" The Children screamed in joy.
"Rosa, have you seen Kain?" Cecil asked, during the party. Kain seemed to have disappeared, he was pretty good at that, he always had been, and this was no exception. Rosa shook her head, Cecil sighed. "I really have to find him." He said and went off to find him. Kain stood on the balcony and gazed at his home, the courtyard, the castle walls, all the places that he thought he'd never see again, well not willingly. "There you are!" Cecil exclaimed upon finding his friend, Kain turned to meet him. "What are you doing out here, why don't you come back to the party?"
"You know nothing about me, do you?" Kain smirked.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't remember that I don't like parties?" Cecil laughed.
"Oh right, I forgot." Kain smiled and shook his head. "Wait, what was it that you needed to tell me?"
"Right, it's about how I got this. A while ago, I was riding somewhere, can't remember where, and something came at us, and I fell off Shadowfate. She ran and hid, 'cause I told her to, but the thing that came at us slashed my face with I think a sword. Then got back up but I could really see it, 'cause my eyes were really messed, but I did manage to drive my spear into its shoulder. But that thing is still out there, I can feel it, and I don't think it was a normal monster."
"You didn't see it at all?"
"I didn't, but I think Shadowfate did." Said Kain. They went down to the stables, Shadowfate stood in the corner with her head down. "I think she's asleep." Kain whispered.
"Then we shouldn't bother her. We can ask her tomorrow." Kain nodded and left the stables to go back to the party.
Kain stood in a place that was shrouded in darkness. He could not see anything around him, he wasn't such there was anything to see. He heard something hissing behind him, he turned to see a pair of gleaming yellow eyes staring back at him, they started to move closer to him, slowly they came, hissing all the while. Kain wanted to run, but he couldn't move, he couldn't break his gaze on the eyes. They seemed sort of feminine in a way, but that's not relevent. As they approached a figure began to appear in the shadows, it looked like a woman, with firey red hair, and a veil across her face, but she had six arms and the bottom half of her was a snake. This Naga approached him until she was about a foot away from him, she smiled wickedly from behind the veil, and drew six swords, each one was a mangled piece of sharpened metal. Kain tried to run again, but he still stood there, the Naga shreeked and reeled up on her tail, the swords about to come down on Kain.
Kain jumped up in a cold sweat.
"It was just a dream." He whispered. "That thing, that Naga...she, she was the one who attacked me." He got out of bed and went to the window, the moon hung lazily in the sky obscured only by the occasional bat that flew by. The ubiquious stars twinkled with a traquility matched only by the Siren's song, the air was sweet with the smell of dawn approaching. Everything was still and calm, everything except Kain, his mind was spinning trying to find answers to question he didn't even know. He held his helmet, it was banged up and broken, he still didn't think that he was true to his Dragoon heritage, he felt that he was disgracing the Dragoon name by wearing it.
"Kain, you the finest dragoon I have ever had the privlage of teaching." Was what his teacher said, all these voice began replaying in his head. His teacher, his father.
"You are most worthy of the Dragoon name, you are the Dragoon." and Cecil.
"Alright, finally you are a dragoon, and a damn good one. I hope our new jobs won't interfere with our friendship." He had said smiling. 'Interfere with our friendship', and after everything I did we're still friends. He thought.
"I don't get it, how can he still trust me, how can we still be friends. I kidnapped Rosa in spite of Cecil, I stole the crystal from him, I nearly killed him, I betrayed him countless times and yet he still trusts me and is still my friend, I don't get it. How, how can he, how can we...?" Kain rambled on to no one, looking out his window.
"Because our friendship could never ever be broken." Came a voice from behind, Kain whipped around in surprise to see Cecil.
"Dammit, didn't you ever learn to knock?" Kain retorted raising an eyebrow. Cecil smirked at him.
"Did I scare you, Kain?" Kain folded his arms.
"Of course not."
"No of course not, I could never scare you Kain ." Kain glared at him.
"That's mean."
"But true."
"No, it's not." Kain said and sat down on his bed. "Everyone gets scared sometimes, even me."
"You're thinking of startled."
"No, I mean scared. Think you for example, you'd get scared if you're kids were in trouble."
"Well, what are you scared of?"
"Couldn't tell you."
"What?"
"I haven't found out yet." Said Kain chuckling. Before anything else could be said screams were heard outside. Both of them ran to the window, down below lay two bodies, they had been horribly mutilated. Kain immediately grabbed his spear and ran downstairs and outside. Cecil chased after him.
"Kain what is it, what's going on?" Kain didn't answer him, he ran off into the shadows and Cecil did not dare follow him, he turned back inside. "He's gonna get himself killed." Cecil said to himself. Kain stood in the shadows, his eyes frantically searching for anything. Suddenly he saw a tail it looked snake-like in appearance, he crouched and launched himself into the air, up high in the air he could see the naga, he launched his spear at her, she screeched and reeled him pain, he landed pulling his spear from her and jumping back to where he was. The Naga slithered out clutching her chest where he had stabbed her.
"You fool, you can't win your kind will bow down to the great Chaos, and there is nothing you nor your little friends can do, you're all doomed!" She hissed in a shrill unearthly voice. She raised her hand and shot a fireball at him, which Kain dodged, but before Kain could counter her attack, she disappeared behind a wall of flame.
"Kain!!" Cecil called, Kain turned. "Are you alright?" Rydia, Rosa and Cid followed close behind.
"What happened?" Rydia piped up, finally.
"What was it?" Asked Cid. "What killed those guys back there?"
"Yo, guys. Easy, I barely know myself." Cecil furrowed his brows.
"You lie like a rug, Kain."
"What?"
"You know what killed those guards, and what gave you that." he snapped jabbing his finger in Kain's face right where the scar was.
"Umm.....See Cecil, I never saw it, sooo......I don't know what it was." He stated.
"How could you not see it?" Rosa asked.
"Well, it did slash my face, but when I got up, I couldn't see shit. Everything was blurry as hell."
"Then how the hell did you not get killed?"
"Well I could see the colours so I just followed instinct." Before anymore questions could be asked, Rydia screamed and pointed at something, where the naga had stood (stood?) there was a Demon dog, its firey red eyes piercing, fire danced down it rigid back, it growled and snarled at them.
"What is that?" Before anything could be say, it lunged at them, but they dodged in different directions.
"God, what I wouldn't give to have my Ice Spear."
"ICE!" Rydia shouted, throwing her arms up. Little glittering specs began to swirl around the Hell hound, it recoiled from them, the specs began swarming around it. It howled, Kain put the head of his spear in the ice specs which froze to it. He threw the frozen spear at the hell hound, killing it, it desintagrated into a pile of ash. "Where did that thing come from, there are no monsters like that anywhere in this world."
"Then maybe it came from underground." Rydia shook her head.
"No, there's nothing like that there either." Kain stood staring at the pile of ash. That naga sent it. He thought.
"Kain? You okay?" Kain looked up.
"Ya, I'm fine." He looked at it again. "The naga sent it, I'm sure of it." He said out loud.
"What Naga?" Cecil asked. Kain looked at them frantically.
"Did I say that outloud?"
"Yeah kinda."
"My bad, don't listen to me, I've taken one too many hits to the head." He said sheepishly, they started to approach him, trying to pin him in the corner so he'd talk. "Hey, c'mon guys, gimme some room." They wouldn't stop, Kain started panicing. Damn my big mouth! He thought.
"I want him! Bring him here!" Gruff voice commanded. "Perilisks, Fly!!" Two giant birds flew into the night sky.
"Guys, c'mon." Kain whined, he didn't want to tell them, he wasn't even sure he was right. And I think he was getting a litte closteraphobic. Finally he snapped. "GET AWAY FROM ME!!" He yelled, the others looked at him like he was insane. "Please." Kain finished, Cecil scowled at him and lowered himself slightly. Kain knew Cecil was going to tackle him, but being a dragoon he could dodge him easily. Cecil lunged at Kain, and Kain jumped out of the way, he stood in the middle of the courtyard. Two large winged figures appeared in the sky and approached he castle swiftly, they screeched, Kain and the others looked up to them. One swooped down towards Kain, he ducked, but was grabbed by the second one.
"KAIN!!!!" Kain's feet kicked wildly in the air "Let him go!!!!!" Cecil ran after them as far a he could, finally he stopped. "KAAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed as he watched the birds fly out of sight. Cecil dropped to his knees and punched the ground as hard as he could, cracking the stones but spliting his knuckles in the process.
"Why would someone want to steal Kain?"Rydia whispered
When are you going to go back? The horse asked suddenly.
"I don't know." He replied icily, the horse threw her head.
Are you ever going to go back? She shot. He glared at her, she knew he didn't feel comfortable with these questions.
"That's none of your business." He snapped.
I think it is, considering that I'm the one who is carrying you. She remarked, he sighed a irritated sigh. They continued on. In the shadow of the trees, a malicious evil watched them, waiting to make it's move. It saw it's chance to attack. Lunging forward, it drew six bizarre shaped, razor sharp swords. The horse reared throwing her rider from her back, he hit the cool ground, hard, but quickly regained his stance.
"Shadowfate, run, hide!!!" He shouted, she was hesitant, but ran and hide in the bushes, he watched her and turned back to the creature, unfortunatly, a second to late, as one of the twisted blades slashed his face. He fell to the ground, his face was cold and wet, he felt faint all of a sudden, the gash ran from the bridge of his nose to the bottom of his left ear; he knew that if he let this thing win, then others would be in danger. Finding all the strength he could muster, he lunged at the beast, spear drawn, and fully intent on killing just whatever it was. Something wasn't right; everything was blurry, he could barely tell where the thing was, he saw yellow and red, so he followed his instinct. The spear dove into the creature and it screamed in pain an unearthly shriek, that made him cringe upon hearing the awful sound. It pushed away and slithered frantically, he stood there for a moment before collasping to the ground, unconscious. Shadowfate, who had watched the whole thing from the shrubs, ran to his side. She heard the sound of a cart coming, she looked to see a covered wagon with a mule pulling it, the driver seemed to be a large, statly man, with a funny mustashe, there was also a girl with him, she looked fairly young, with long, bright red hair and a white dress. Shadowfate wished she could ask them to help but she couldn't give her secret away to some strangers that would probably cage her, and leave him alone, to die. The cart came to a stop beside them, the little girl gasped and stood up on the seat.
"Romani thinks he needs help!" She shouted, the man nodded his head.
"I think Romani's right. Cremia, come help me get him in the back." He called, a young woman hopped out of the back, she looked like an older version of the little girl in the front. She also gasped, and ran over to help. The two of them hauled his body into the back and the older of the two girls sat in the back with him, Shadowfate followed behind, now the mule was pacing so they were going fairly fast and she had to canter to keep up. The little one turned around, and watched Shadowfate.
"Romani thinks that horse is his,"
"Why does Romani think that?" The older girl asked.
"Cause the horse is following us." The older one looked out and raised an eyebrow.
"I think you're right."
He slowly awoke, his face hurt, he felt dizzy, but he could see better now, he looked over and saw a little face staring back at him. He blinked, and she smiled.
"Hi!" She piped up, "I'm Romani and we found you on our way home, how do you feel?" He was alittle taken aback by her sudden outburst.
"Ummmm.....I've been better." He stammered. Romani giggled.
"Romani wants to know what your name is?" He was a little confused as to why this child addressed herself in third-person.
"My name is Kain." He said, she giggled some more. "What's so funny, Romani?"
"Romani likes your name."He smiled and looked over on the other side of him.
"Shadowfate!" He wrapped his arms around the horse's neck, Romani giggled some more.
The King of Baron stood on the balcony, the moon was full and it lit up almost everything as far as he could see. The gentle breath of the evening wind, wrapped around him as if someone was wrapping their arms around him. He sighed, not even the soothing breeze could calm his restless mind. His mind was chattering a million question all aimed at one person. Kain. He had left 7 years ago, no explanation, before the wedding and corrination, just after they arrived back on Earth. Cecil couldn't understand why he would leave. Two slendor arms wrapped loosly around Cecil, it was Rosa, the Queen of Baron.
"What's wrong, Cecil? Why don't you come back to the party?" Cecil sighed. Rosa rested her head on Cecil's shoulder. "You're thinking about Kain again aren't you?" He nodded.
"Would you give it up already, Cecil? Kain's not comin' back." The couple turned to see the young king of Eblan. Cecil glared at him, Rosa gasped slightly.
"Edge! How could you ever say that, Kain will come back!!" She snapped. Edge rolled his eyes, Rosa scowled at him.
"C'mon Rosa, we both know that he's not going to come back." Rosa walked over to him, and slapped him as hard as she could.
"Don't you EVER say that, he will come back, and don't you forget that!"Edge was taken aback by her abuse. She stormed out, Cecil looked at him.
"You'll get no sympathy from me." he scoffed, and turned back to the balcony.
"I AM entitled to my own opinion." Edge snapped.
"Well keep it to yourself!" Cecil barked. He stormed out of the room, Edge turned and followed.
"C'mon Cecil, think about it, he left 7 seven years ago and didn't even tell you why-"
"Edge-"
"And he didn't stay for the wedding-"
"Edge-"
"Or the Corrination or-"
"EDGE!!!" Cecil eruptted, Edge recoiled. "I don't care what you think, Kain WILL come back, whether you like it or not!!"
"Shadowfate?" Kain asked staring off into the distance, Shadowfate looked at him.
Yes Kain?
"The thing that attack us, I don't think that was any ordinary monster."
Yes? She became more anxious.
"It needs to be dealt with..." Shadowfate leaned closer to him. "But I'm not strong enough to do it on my own."
Then you mean we're...? She studdered with anxiety. He looked at her and smiled.
"Yeah. We're going back." Shadowfate reared and whinnied in joy. Kain laughed. "C'mon we can make it there by morning if we leave now." He hoisted himself up into the saddle. Shadowfate did a little dance before galloping towards Baron Castle. Two evil yellow eyes stared at them, watching them leave.
"Baron....."I hissed to itself before slithering off into the darkness.
Dawn broke over the country of Baron. The village rooster crowed, the fog began to lift and recoil back to the Mist Cave, the creatures of the valley and the forest began to stur and awaken, a hooded figure rode towards the castle, causing little animals to escape to the safety of their holes. He approached the castle gates.
"Who goes there?" A guard demanded as the figure came.
"I wish to speak with the King." He said coldly. The guards looked at each other.
"What business have you with the King."
"I bring a message of great importance." The figure's voice became very husky. The guards looked at each other again then at the figure suspiciously. "You should not judge a person by their appearence. Now I will said it again, I wish to speak with the King." He said firmly, the guards went back to their posts and opened the gate. The figure smiled and nodded his thanks to them. God, It's been so long since I walked this courtyard, he thought to himself, smiling as he rode.
Feel good to be back? Shadowfate whispered.
"Yes." He sighed dismounting, he looked around as old memories came flooding back to him. He began towards the throne room, and inturn was stopped at the entrance.
"What business do you have with the King?"
"I bring an ergent message." The guards looked at him distrustfully."Is there anything I can do to convince you to let me in?" The guard looked down on Kain.
"Tell me who you are and I might consider it." Kain sighed.
"Alright." He said and pulled off the hood, the guards looked at him wide-eyed.
"Master Highwind?!" Kain smiled.
"Now will you let me in?"
"Of course! Please wait here."
"Wait!" Kain stopped the guard. "No no, don't tell, just let me in." He said pulling the hood back on. The guard rolled his eyes.
"Alright, but if we get fired your ass is grass." Kain grinned sheepishly, as he entered. The King and Queen looked at him, the children hid behind the green haired Caller and the King of Eblan put his hands on his hilts. To them he was a stranger like this, and Kain used that to his advantage, being the trickster that he was.
"Greeting, Miladies." He said mockingly. The King shifted uneasily on his throne. "You are skeptical of me, you find me threatening, though I am not. And I am not, though you think it, a stranger to you." Now they were confused as hell, exactly as Kain had wanted it.
"Who are you, stranger?" Cecil demanded.
"Didn't I just say I'm not a stranger?"
"Alright, refresh my memory. Who are you, person I've met before?" Cecil said, Kain chuckled.
"Even as a King you still have the same sense of humour." Kain said laughing. Cecil looked at Kain, confused, Kain smiled. Perfect, he thought. Cecil is confused as hell. Kain reached to his belt where his helmet hung at his side. Edge took hold of his swords, Kain pulled the helmet out and Edge whipped out his swords and was ready to attack. Kain held the helmet infront of him, facing them, Cecil stopped Edge and gazed at the helmet.
"Kain's Helmet..."He whispered, Rosa gasped. Cecil looked at Kain. "Where did you get that?" Kain smiled.
"I bet he killed Kain." Edge growled, Cecil looked at the helmet. It was pretty beat up, the webbing on the right dorsle fin was ripped to shreads, the muzzle of the dragon shaped helmet was cracked.
"Did.....you kill him?" Cecil hesitated, he was afraid of the answer.
"You could say that." Kain said insidiously. Cecil furrowed his brows. "I did kill the evil Kain." Cecil could not undersatnd why this man was toying with him.
"What do you mean 'evil Kain'?" Rosa asked.
"The one who kidnapped you, Rosa, and the one who betrayed your freindship, Cecil." He said coyly.
"He did kill him! I say we hafta do something about him." Edge barked. Cecil scowled at Edge.
"Edge, that's enough."
"Don't be so eager to deal out death and judgement, Edge." Kain smirked. "You always have been, especially towards me." Edge's eyes widened.
"Who are you?" He demanded, Kain grinned.
"Do you really want to know? Alright then." He said and took off the hood. Cecil's eyes widened, Rosa gasped, Rydia dropped to her knees. Kain just stood there smiling at them.
"Kain?" Cecil whispered, Kain nodded. Cecil rose from his throne, slowly he walked to his friend, he could not believe his eyes, Kain was finally back, after all these long years he'd finally returned. Then he noticed the scar that ran across Kain's face. Kain looked down for a second then back at his friend. "What happened?"
"It's why I came back. Cecil I need to tell you something of great importance."
"What is it?" Cecil asked.
"There--" He was cut off.
"Kain!" It was Cid, the chunky engineer. "Where in the name of Asura have you been?" He demanded in his rough voice.
"What do you care? Last time I checked you wanted nothing to do with me." Kain said raising an eyebrow. Cid scratched his head.
"When was that?"
"Umm.....before we left for the Moon." Kain said.
"I don't remember that."
"I do, we were saying our goodbyes and you said, very loudly, to Cecil, that you wanted nothing to do with me and that he should not take his eyes off me for a split second. Mind you I felt pretty shitty about myself then and you saying something like that really didn't help that, thank you be the way." Kain said and turned away.
"Well, I had a right to feel that way." Kain turned back to him.
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did." Kain folded his arms infront of him.
"Esplain." Kain scoffed.
"Well you did all those bad things and I don't think any of us trusted you."
"Well seeing as Edge was the only one in the party who didn't trust him, and Yang doesn't really trust anyone." Cecil said. Cid looked down.
"Well, at the time I meant it, but I take it back." Cid whined, Kain raised an eyebrow. "C'mon, let's stop all the fuss and ammafuedin'. Today is a joyous occasion, LET'S PARTY!!!!" The Children screamed in joy.
"Rosa, have you seen Kain?" Cecil asked, during the party. Kain seemed to have disappeared, he was pretty good at that, he always had been, and this was no exception. Rosa shook her head, Cecil sighed. "I really have to find him." He said and went off to find him. Kain stood on the balcony and gazed at his home, the courtyard, the castle walls, all the places that he thought he'd never see again, well not willingly. "There you are!" Cecil exclaimed upon finding his friend, Kain turned to meet him. "What are you doing out here, why don't you come back to the party?"
"You know nothing about me, do you?" Kain smirked.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't remember that I don't like parties?" Cecil laughed.
"Oh right, I forgot." Kain smiled and shook his head. "Wait, what was it that you needed to tell me?"
"Right, it's about how I got this. A while ago, I was riding somewhere, can't remember where, and something came at us, and I fell off Shadowfate. She ran and hid, 'cause I told her to, but the thing that came at us slashed my face with I think a sword. Then got back up but I could really see it, 'cause my eyes were really messed, but I did manage to drive my spear into its shoulder. But that thing is still out there, I can feel it, and I don't think it was a normal monster."
"You didn't see it at all?"
"I didn't, but I think Shadowfate did." Said Kain. They went down to the stables, Shadowfate stood in the corner with her head down. "I think she's asleep." Kain whispered.
"Then we shouldn't bother her. We can ask her tomorrow." Kain nodded and left the stables to go back to the party.
Kain stood in a place that was shrouded in darkness. He could not see anything around him, he wasn't such there was anything to see. He heard something hissing behind him, he turned to see a pair of gleaming yellow eyes staring back at him, they started to move closer to him, slowly they came, hissing all the while. Kain wanted to run, but he couldn't move, he couldn't break his gaze on the eyes. They seemed sort of feminine in a way, but that's not relevent. As they approached a figure began to appear in the shadows, it looked like a woman, with firey red hair, and a veil across her face, but she had six arms and the bottom half of her was a snake. This Naga approached him until she was about a foot away from him, she smiled wickedly from behind the veil, and drew six swords, each one was a mangled piece of sharpened metal. Kain tried to run again, but he still stood there, the Naga shreeked and reeled up on her tail, the swords about to come down on Kain.
Kain jumped up in a cold sweat.
"It was just a dream." He whispered. "That thing, that Naga...she, she was the one who attacked me." He got out of bed and went to the window, the moon hung lazily in the sky obscured only by the occasional bat that flew by. The ubiquious stars twinkled with a traquility matched only by the Siren's song, the air was sweet with the smell of dawn approaching. Everything was still and calm, everything except Kain, his mind was spinning trying to find answers to question he didn't even know. He held his helmet, it was banged up and broken, he still didn't think that he was true to his Dragoon heritage, he felt that he was disgracing the Dragoon name by wearing it.
"Kain, you the finest dragoon I have ever had the privlage of teaching." Was what his teacher said, all these voice began replaying in his head. His teacher, his father.
"You are most worthy of the Dragoon name, you are the Dragoon." and Cecil.
"Alright, finally you are a dragoon, and a damn good one. I hope our new jobs won't interfere with our friendship." He had said smiling. 'Interfere with our friendship', and after everything I did we're still friends. He thought.
"I don't get it, how can he still trust me, how can we still be friends. I kidnapped Rosa in spite of Cecil, I stole the crystal from him, I nearly killed him, I betrayed him countless times and yet he still trusts me and is still my friend, I don't get it. How, how can he, how can we...?" Kain rambled on to no one, looking out his window.
"Because our friendship could never ever be broken." Came a voice from behind, Kain whipped around in surprise to see Cecil.
"Dammit, didn't you ever learn to knock?" Kain retorted raising an eyebrow. Cecil smirked at him.
"Did I scare you, Kain?" Kain folded his arms.
"Of course not."
"No of course not, I could never scare you Kain ." Kain glared at him.
"That's mean."
"But true."
"No, it's not." Kain said and sat down on his bed. "Everyone gets scared sometimes, even me."
"You're thinking of startled."
"No, I mean scared. Think you for example, you'd get scared if you're kids were in trouble."
"Well, what are you scared of?"
"Couldn't tell you."
"What?"
"I haven't found out yet." Said Kain chuckling. Before anything else could be said screams were heard outside. Both of them ran to the window, down below lay two bodies, they had been horribly mutilated. Kain immediately grabbed his spear and ran downstairs and outside. Cecil chased after him.
"Kain what is it, what's going on?" Kain didn't answer him, he ran off into the shadows and Cecil did not dare follow him, he turned back inside. "He's gonna get himself killed." Cecil said to himself. Kain stood in the shadows, his eyes frantically searching for anything. Suddenly he saw a tail it looked snake-like in appearance, he crouched and launched himself into the air, up high in the air he could see the naga, he launched his spear at her, she screeched and reeled him pain, he landed pulling his spear from her and jumping back to where he was. The Naga slithered out clutching her chest where he had stabbed her.
"You fool, you can't win your kind will bow down to the great Chaos, and there is nothing you nor your little friends can do, you're all doomed!" She hissed in a shrill unearthly voice. She raised her hand and shot a fireball at him, which Kain dodged, but before Kain could counter her attack, she disappeared behind a wall of flame.
"Kain!!" Cecil called, Kain turned. "Are you alright?" Rydia, Rosa and Cid followed close behind.
"What happened?" Rydia piped up, finally.
"What was it?" Asked Cid. "What killed those guys back there?"
"Yo, guys. Easy, I barely know myself." Cecil furrowed his brows.
"You lie like a rug, Kain."
"What?"
"You know what killed those guards, and what gave you that." he snapped jabbing his finger in Kain's face right where the scar was.
"Umm.....See Cecil, I never saw it, sooo......I don't know what it was." He stated.
"How could you not see it?" Rosa asked.
"Well, it did slash my face, but when I got up, I couldn't see shit. Everything was blurry as hell."
"Then how the hell did you not get killed?"
"Well I could see the colours so I just followed instinct." Before anymore questions could be asked, Rydia screamed and pointed at something, where the naga had stood (stood?) there was a Demon dog, its firey red eyes piercing, fire danced down it rigid back, it growled and snarled at them.
"What is that?" Before anything could be say, it lunged at them, but they dodged in different directions.
"God, what I wouldn't give to have my Ice Spear."
"ICE!" Rydia shouted, throwing her arms up. Little glittering specs began to swirl around the Hell hound, it recoiled from them, the specs began swarming around it. It howled, Kain put the head of his spear in the ice specs which froze to it. He threw the frozen spear at the hell hound, killing it, it desintagrated into a pile of ash. "Where did that thing come from, there are no monsters like that anywhere in this world."
"Then maybe it came from underground." Rydia shook her head.
"No, there's nothing like that there either." Kain stood staring at the pile of ash. That naga sent it. He thought.
"Kain? You okay?" Kain looked up.
"Ya, I'm fine." He looked at it again. "The naga sent it, I'm sure of it." He said out loud.
"What Naga?" Cecil asked. Kain looked at them frantically.
"Did I say that outloud?"
"Yeah kinda."
"My bad, don't listen to me, I've taken one too many hits to the head." He said sheepishly, they started to approach him, trying to pin him in the corner so he'd talk. "Hey, c'mon guys, gimme some room." They wouldn't stop, Kain started panicing. Damn my big mouth! He thought.
"I want him! Bring him here!" Gruff voice commanded. "Perilisks, Fly!!" Two giant birds flew into the night sky.
"Guys, c'mon." Kain whined, he didn't want to tell them, he wasn't even sure he was right. And I think he was getting a litte closteraphobic. Finally he snapped. "GET AWAY FROM ME!!" He yelled, the others looked at him like he was insane. "Please." Kain finished, Cecil scowled at him and lowered himself slightly. Kain knew Cecil was going to tackle him, but being a dragoon he could dodge him easily. Cecil lunged at Kain, and Kain jumped out of the way, he stood in the middle of the courtyard. Two large winged figures appeared in the sky and approached he castle swiftly, they screeched, Kain and the others looked up to them. One swooped down towards Kain, he ducked, but was grabbed by the second one.
"KAIN!!!!" Kain's feet kicked wildly in the air "Let him go!!!!!" Cecil ran after them as far a he could, finally he stopped. "KAAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed as he watched the birds fly out of sight. Cecil dropped to his knees and punched the ground as hard as he could, cracking the stones but spliting his knuckles in the process.
"Why would someone want to steal Kain?"Rydia whispered