Part 5 – Flames

"Amber… I—"

"Just tell me how you know that name!" Amber snapped.

Raven closed her eyes, knowing she'd have to tell the truth. "Last night I came to talk to you and heard you and Pride arguing. I couldn't help but listen… I'm sorry Amber, I really am," she whispered.

"How dare you? What makes you think you can just eavesdrop on a private conversation like that?" Amber demanded viciously. She stormed away from Raven, spinning to face her again after a few feet.

"I said I was sorry!" Raven insisted, beginning to get a little defensive.

"That's not good enough Raven," Amber retorted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well that's not my fault. You shouldn't have kept all of that from me anyway. What's the big deal? You were in another tribe before this one and you left! It's not the end of the world!" Raven said derisively, rolling her eyes.

"It was the end of my world," Amber yelled brokenly.

Raven's anger faded a little and she took in Amber's distraught expression. The cousins stared at each other for a few moments, before Amber broke the gaze and practically collapsed on her and Pride's bed. Raven's lips parted and after gaping at her for a second, she rushed over to her. She knelt on the floor by the bed, looking up at Amber.

"I really am sorry. I just wanted to know why you were so upset is all. I never meant to betray your trust!" Raven cried.

When Amber looked up, tears streaked her face and Raven felt cold shock go through her. She had never seen Amber like this and it frightened her. Archer and his marriage proposal faded into the background in comparison to this. Something was seriously the matter with her cousin, and Raven wanted to know what.

Raven rose from the floor and sat beside Amber, stretching a skinny arm over her cousin's back. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

Putting the backs of her hands to her eyes, Amber gulped for air. "I should have told you… but I didn't want to. I didn't want you to know how much of a fool I had been—"

"Amber, you've never been a fool in your life," Raven insisted immediately, squeezing her arm.

"But I was. I fell in love… I was blind, so blind. I couldn't see anything but him. I couldn't see the truth staring me in the face!" Amber said in a distant voice.

"Him? Bray? What did he do?" Raven asked tentatively.

"He lied. If only he had told the truth in the beginning. If only… I'd still be with him," Amber said tearfully. "I would have gotten over it… but it was the lie that I couldn't get over!"

"If he'd told you, you never would have come here though. We never would have found each other. You never would have married Pride or had Robin…" Raven said softly.

"I know, I know. I'm just being stupid. I wouldn't give you or Pride or my baby up for anything. But it still hurts. It's partly the reason the tribe know me as Eagle… I just— I prefer to be called that. It helps me to forget everything that happened before I came here," Amber whispered.

"It's behind you. You're here with us now. He's in the City, right? Bray's gone. You'll never have to see him again Amber," Raven consoled her.

"But Pride wants me to. He wants me to make peace with Bray," Amber incredulously. "It's like he's testing me to see if I love Bray more than I love him, which is… ridiculous! Pride means everything to me! He saved me from dying… again."

"What?" Raven questioned, confused.

"Something happened… something awful. There was an explosion. It was after it that I ran away from my tribe. I never spoke to Bray, or any of them, I never told them I was leaving. I think they must have decided that I was dead. It's the only explanation they would have come up with."

Raven was reeling from this. "Dead? They think you're dead? Amber—"

Just then, the door opened and Pride breezed in with Robin. Pausing at the sight before his eyes, he frowned. "Amber?"

"I'm fine. I just— I told her… about Bray"

"Amber," Pride whispered compassionately.

Sensing they needed to be alone, Raven stood up. "I'll go. You two should talk. I'm sorry Amber."

"Don't be. It needed to be said. I'm glad you know," Amber replied, as Pride took Raven's place and wrapped a protective arm around his wife.

Raven nodded silently and walked across the hut. Closing the door gently behind her, she exhaled loudly. From her vantage point up on the balcony, she could see the sun beginning to slide across the sky toward the horizon. She had a lot to think about tonight and knew that sleep would be a luxury - if it came at all.

-O-

Luke stared at the moon. He always thought of the Supreme Mother, of Trudy, on nights like this. It had mostly been at night when he had gone to her with Brady, when he had spent hours talking with her… it had been on a beautiful night like this when they had slept together. His breath caught in his throat, and he shook his head. He knew it was a sin to think of the Supreme Mother in this way, but he couldn't forget what had happened between them. He'd been drawn to her, not because she was the Supreme Mother, not because she was the one his tribe and its teaching revolved around, but because of her and her personality, her beauty.

The nights he'd spent with her made him both happy and sad. The hours he'd spent talking to her about their lives and their hopes, watching her sleep, hearing the delight in her voice when he would arrive… it all stayed with him constantly. He would take the secret of his liaison with Trudy to his grave. He just hoped he could keep the other secret regarding her – the secret of her escape.

The Guardian, though suspicious, though angry, had believed the suicide story. He had of course gone after her, but it was too late. The Guardian had reached the edge of the cliff to find nothing but a robe fluttering in the wind. The river flowed into the sea, but not before turning into dangerous rapids. The mother and child were surely dead after that fall.

Their future was uncertain now. The Guardian prayed continuously to Zoot, asking for guidance. The Chosen waited for a sign, to tell them what to do, where next in life they should head. Luke, he mourned. He mourned for his lost love and for the child he had grown to adore.

-O-

"The market was crazy today, wasn't it? I don't think I've seen so many kids at it," Bray said, putting his arms behind his head.

"Me either. It just shows that people are willing to cooperate with a little encouragement," Danni smiled, sitting beside him.

"Yeah it does… which give me an idea. I've been thinking…"

"That's asking for trouble."

"Hey!" Bray grinned. "I think we should try to hold another Tribal Gathering," he said, his head filling with ideas about this new venture.

"Another?"

Bray took in Danni's confused expression for a moment before realising why she was confused. Danni had not been with the Mallrats to witness the first, somewhat disastrous, Tribal Gathering down on the beach.

"In the early days of the Mallrats, a heap of tribes came together for a gathering. Ebony and her Locos caused some trouble, there were some slave traders holding Dal, things got a bit crazy… but I think we're ready to try again," he said to her, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Really? I'm all for it – but will the other tribes feel like that? And what about the Chosen?" Danni asked worriedly.

"What about them? Trudy told us they think she's dead and they've already been here. Why would they come back? I'm more comfortable with letting them fade into the background Dan. And as for the other tribes, right now we're really getting on well with them, things aren't as strained as they were, tribe leaders are talking more often, the streets are safer now without tribes attacking each other. Danni this is it… this is the perfect time," Bray said in an excited voice, a visionary gleam in his eye.

"You're right, this is the perfect time." Danni nodded, her expression telling him that she was thinking about all the possibilities.

"I'm glad you agree. I'm going to need you to help me organise this. Ebony's going to want a look in of course and Lex will have a fit if I don't include him in the plans… but you're the one I can't do without," Bray told her softly.

Danni laughed gently. "I'll do my best Bray – I swear. I want this as much as you do. My father's part in the downfall of the entire world, it's been a tough secret to carry around. I'm just glad I can help to rebuild it."

"And you're going to do a great job of it."

Danni smiled at him with admiration. "We're going to make this city great Bray, we're going to make it great," she said in a hushed, excited voice.

"I know," Bray laughed with pride, squeezing her close to him. "I know."

-O-

Spike sat in his darkened room at Militia headquarters, the Horton Bailey Hotel. After Zoot's disappearance, Ebony had made sure that one of her first acts as leader of the Locos was moving the tribe out of the ruined rail yard. She had set her sights on the best hotel in the City, drawn in by the luxury of the place. Spike hadn't agreed with the move then and still didn't agree with it now. The rail yard had been the scene of so many victories, so many triumphs that had made the Locos tribal royalty.

Just before the death of the last adults, there had been a great battle in the already derelict rail yard between the just-formed Locusts and the police, who had been dropping like flies, infected with the Virus. Spike had watched Zoot make his first kill that day, taking down a police officer with his own gun – a truly great moment to witness. How could Ebony have forgotten that and all of the other momentous events that had happened there?

Leaning forward, Spike idly shook a box of matches in his hand. He struck one, watching the flame burst to life. Spike continued striking matches, letting each fall to the carpeted floor, singeing it harmlessly, before fizzling out. Burning this place to the ground would satisfy him no end. He watched as the last match died with a sigh.

But not tonight. Spike stared at a shaft of moonlight on the floor. Someday though. That thought gave Spike comfort as he lay back on his bed. His dreams were filled with visions of triumph, vengeance and glory. And all of it was framed by the flames Ebony's downfall and his own birth as leader of the Locos.

-O-

"Have a nice time?"

"You know, I could have you shot for such a casual tongue in the presence of your superior."

"Could… but won't."

Ram shook his head and hit Jay on the arm lightly. "You're right Jay, I won't. I like you too much. Maybe all that peroxide has done something to your brain – but you're actually improving. I'm proud to have you as my second in command."

"Is that a sincere word I hear from our fearless leader?" Jay joked, cupping a hand to his ear.

"Yeah, first and last time," Ram shot back.

They both laughed softly to themselves and stared straight ahead of them.

"You didn't answer my question – did you have a nice time?" Jay repeated, totally crossing the line that Ram had set down for officer / leader relations. If it had been anyone else asking this, they really would have been shot. But it was Jay. Ram trusted Jay and vice versa. They were more brothers than Jay and his real brother Ved.

Ram squared his jaw. "As good a time as one can have with wives who don't love me," he replied evenly.

Jay's eyebrows rose briefly. "They love you," he said automatically.

Ram looked at Jay sceptically. "They don't love me Jay – they fear me. Siva can barely stop the nervous shake every time I touch her and Java's mind is always somewhere else. Maybe I pushed it too far with the whole two wives thing," he finished with a nonchalant laugh.

He tried to hide it, but he knew that Jay could hear the underlying pain. Ram had married them both out of sheer egotistical desire. He had wanted two girls fawning over him, two partners and two wives more than he deserved. They had agreed to the union out of fear, hopes of power, shock… he didn't know. But one thing he did know was that they had not done it out of love. He didn't know why he kept the charade up, why he continued this lie he was living. Maybe it was to punish them for making him think they loved him.

"Ram, do you even know what too far is?" Jay asked, lightening the mood a bit.

Ram pretended to consider it. "Not really, no."

"Thought as much."

"So what are you doing out here at this time of night? Plotting my death?" Ram teased, running a hand through his thick hair.

"No… just looking at the City," Jay replied.

Ram followed his gaze. "You can't see anything. There are no lights," he said derisively.

"Okay, I'm looking at where the City would be if I could see it," Jay corrected with wry sarcasm. His tone became serious. "Are we ready for this?"

Ram instinctively knew what he was talking about. At least talking about conquest was less complicated than talking about women. "Don't doubt us now Jay. We've come too far."

"I'm not doubting," Jay said defensively. "Just… are we ready for war?"

"There won't be a war. Do you think these kids want to live without regular meals, running water or electricity for much longer? They barely got by when the Virus started affecting them. From what we've heard, if one of the City tribes hadn't been so enterprising as to get off their asses and go and find the Antidote, they'd all be dead now," Ram snorted.

"What City tribe?" Jay asked.

"The Mallrats. I was briefed about them by my reconnaissance officer when he checked the City. They're the most powerful tribe in that urban sprawl apparently. Even my wives ex-tribe, the Locusts, hasn't been able to take them out. Their leader even became a Mallrat… and here's a nice surprise for you – she's Java and Siva's kid sister," Ram said gleefully.

Jay's lips parted. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I just got confirmation on it from the recon officer. He was doing some more scouting around and found out this tasty little morsel for me. Maybe I'll make my duo of wives a trio, hhmm?" Ram chuckled, nudging Jay.

"You're crazy," Jay shook his head.

"No, I'm ambitious. Ambitious enough to bargain with these Mallrats. We're going to need an ally if we want to bring the Techno way to this city. Their influence would be helpful… and what with little Ebony being a Mallrat, well, it's going to be like a family obligation one might say. I'm her brother-in-law! It would only be polite!" Ram said cheerfully.

"I love the way you think Ram," Jay marvelled, his sharp mind gleefully imagining the future he and Ram were forging.

"So do I Jay. So do I."

-O-