I wont ramble on about nothing this time...for once. I'll just say thanks real quick to all of my reviewers who have been reading all this time and have been patient with my slow updates. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Twelve
Nothing's Changed. Disaster When I Left, Disaster When I Returned.
The Prima Vista had flown all through the night and into the next morning. Baku for some reason seemed to have something against stopping for the night, which Blank assumed was because Baku was never the one who had to stay up steering the thing.
"We'll be able to see Gerudo soon," Draco announced to Marcus who was standing outside on the bow of the airship with him. Marcus had been doing his usual cleaning chores, Draco just standing and watching the view.
Marcus stopped his mopping and walked over beside the human-disguised dragon. "How big is it?"
"Fairly, small for an island," the brown haired man replied. "The only inhabitants on it are the Gerudo and a few nomadic groups. The landscape is mostly desert."
"As is the rest of the Forgotten Continent."
A small meowing sound came from beneath Marcus's feet. "Ah, Kilala. How did you get out here?"
"She sensed something was wrong," a young feminine voice answered from behind. "Draco, I sense it too. Something is wrong, isn't it?"
The dragon didn't answer Kaira. He kept staring, his eyes fixed on the ocean where his island would soon appear.
"I knew something bad would happen when we came back," Kaira said, sounding rather disgusted with herself for having agreed to come. "We're not meant to go back there, Draco. At least, I'm not."
"Stop worrying yourself," said another voice from behind the three. Zidane walked over to them nonchalantly. "Whatever the reason is you left, it's in the past. But right now, you gotta go back. So get over it. Do you wanna find out more about the person who's trying to kill you or not?"
Draco shrugged in surprise. "The missing link actually said something intelligent."
"Thank y– H-Hey!"
Kaira kept quiet. She had been uneasy about her homecoming ever since the idea came up for them to go there. She had left the island two years ago when she was thirteen, along with Draco and Kilala. The three ventured across Gaia, using their wings as transportation. No specific destination. Not a care in the world. Just traveling and living off the elements. Kaira missed that life. It hadn't been all that long ago since she had lived that way, but now that she met Tantalus, now that she was wrapped up in this whole ordeal, she couldn't go back to that life. Not for a while anyway. Now, instead of enjoying herself free-flying over the ocean on her way to nowhere, she was flying over the ocean cooped up in this overly decorated air-polluter on her way to an island full of people who wanted nothing to do with her.
Kilala paced beneath everyone's feet in anticipation of something. She knew something everyone else didn't.
"Hey, Kaira," Zidane called. "Are all of the Gerudo able to control fire like you and Kilala can?"
"No, why?"
"Oh...well, then I think your island is on fire..." the genome stated bluntly.
"What!" Kaira and Draco shouted in unison. Kaira ran over beside Draco to the edge of the airship.
"Is it really smoke or just a cloud?" Kaira looked at Draco in askance.
"Don't ask questions now," he commanded. "Just come!" The man leapt off the side of the airship, shocking Zidane and Marcus. The two men looked down from the airship expecting to see Draco falling, but instead saw a large rust colored dragon gracefully lifting himself along the air currents. Kaira hopped over the edge to follow him, her feathery black wings appearing from nowhere and lifting her onward. She was in no hurry to get to the island and dreaded that she had to arrive sooner than everyone else. But greater than her fear of returning to her home, was her fear of Draco's wrath. With a loud sigh which Draco was too far away to hear, the wolf eared, raven winged girl flew behind him hesitantly.
About fifteen minutes later, the airship landed smoothly on a sandy beach. Blank, Marcus, Zidane, Dagger, Eiko, Ruby, Cinna, Baku, and Kilala all climbed out of the airship and onto the scorching hot island.
"Ahh..." Eiko groaned. "It's so hot here!"
"Well, you're the one who agreed to come," Zidane pointed out. "No one made you."
Eiko glared at him. "What are you saying? That you don't want me here?"
"Eh, I...All I said was..." Zidane sighed and shut his mouth. If he had learned anything about Eiko (more like women in general) since he met her, it was that he could not for the life of him win an argument with her.
"Blank," Dagger spoke. "Do you sense anything?"
"Sense?" Blank asked back.
"Well," she hesitated, feeling rather nosy for even asking. "You can sense blood, can't you?"
"Oh, is that what you meant? Yes, I can."
"And?" Marcus joined the conversation.
"Their village has been slaughtered," Blank said more casually than he probably should have. Luckily, neither Kaira nor Draco were there to hear him.
Everyone gasped.
"They've been what?" Dagger exclaimed, knowing full well what he said, but not wanting to believe it. "Who would do such a thing?"
"Who do you think?" Blank asked, starting the hike down the clear dirt path that he assumed led to Kaira's village.
Garnet fell silent. She had said too much. Dagger really liked Blank as a friend, but she always felt like she had to watch what she said around him. She didn't know why she felt this way. It wasn't as if he was the type to get upset easily. Maybe she just sensed that there was always something troubling him deep inside. Call it a Summoner's sixth sense.
The group followed Blank down the dirt path, the scent of ash soaked the air. To Blank's nose, that scent was mixed with blood. They were confused at first as to whether they were going the right way, but Kilala quickly diminished that doubt. She knew exactly where she was.
Meanwhile, Draco and Kaira stood speechless at the entrance to the small village. Draco kept his expression stoic, while Kaira glanced around wide-eyed at the smoldering houses and ashen corpses still lying on the ground.
Two young women walked out of one of the stone buildings near Kaira and Draco.
"There's only a few more, I th– " the girl paused, starring in shock at Kaira and the dragon. "...Kaira...?"
The red haired wolf-girl gazed emotionless at her burn covered, old friend. "Navrul...I'm glad you're alive."
The girl that Kaira referred to as Navrul struggled to breathe. She was overwhelmed at the sight before her. First the only home she ever knew was destroyed, and now her best friend who had been missing for years had returned. "Kaira!" the girl shouted, racing towards Kaira as fast her injured legs would carry her. The other woman with her followed behind at a slower pace.
At reaching Kaira and Draco, the navy haired girl jumped Kaira, wrapping her arms around her in a hug. The two teens slammed against the dusty ground. "I can't believe you're here! Alive!" Navrul shouted. "And Draco," the girl continue, standing up from on top of Kaira, who also stood up once she was able to. "Were you two together this whole time?"
"We were," Draco answered. "Had it not been for me, I guarantee you she wouldn't be back here right now...alive." He emphasized the word 'alive' just as Navrul had. "We weren't planning on coming back to this island at all, but our plans were changed."
"Not planning on coming back?" Navrul repeated his words. "But..." The girl sounded hurt.
"Kaira," the older woman said. "We are so glad to see you alive and well." The woman was far older than the other two. Well into her fifties, she was one of the village elders, a sage of their kind. "I believe it not to be a coincidence that you should return at such a time as this. For it was under these circumstances that you first disappeared."
"Under what circumstances?" A man asked from behind Kaira.
It was Zidane. Dagger stood beside him in front of the others as they all approached the ember covered village.
"What a horrible sight..." Ruby stated, standing beside Blank.
"I'll take your word for it," Blank replied, half joking.
"How can you even make a joke about something like this?" Ruby asked, flustered at how uncaring he seemed.
"There's just," he paused and sighed. "something I don't like about this place."
"Kaira," Navrul whispered. "Who are they?"
"They're why our plans were changed."
"Quite a large crowd you two have brought back to us," said the old woman as she counted how many of them there were. "I apologize that you all have come at such a bad time. Please, come with us and we'll do what we can to make you comfortable here." The woman grabbed Navrul's arm and motioned for Kaira and her guests to follow.
"Ah!" Zidane exclaimed as they all followed the old woman. He had suddenly noticed Dagger crying. "What's wrong?" He always hated when women cried.
"It's just...this scene...the flames...the dead...it all seems too familiar. I loved my mother, really I did. But I sometimes find myself dwelling on the thought of how she could have done something so heartless..."
Zidane walked silently beside her. It had been almost two years now since her mother died, and a year since Zidane had come back to Alexandria after the whole incident was over. But Zidane noticed that Dagger still didn't seem to be healing emotionally. He felt bad for her. And he always tried to make her laugh and comfort her. But he wondered if she would ever be able to fully let go of the past and focus on the present. "Dagger..." was all Zidane said. He wrapped his arm around her in an attempt to comfort her, no lecherous intentions behind it this time. For once, Garnet didn't object.
The group of ten had been led to a house in a section of the village that hadn't been burned. Everyone they passed seemingly stopped what they were doing and gazed at the group. Not only was it unusual to see a group of strangers here, it was also unusual for more than half of those strangers to be men. Also, the name 'Kaira' was overheard time and time again among the people they passed.
"I don't understand why you didn't wanna come back," Blank said to Kaira as the group rested in the stone house. "It seems like everyone here missed you like hell."
"So it seems," Kaira answered. She meant the words literally, feeling as though it only seemed like they were happy she was back.
"Kaira, stop holding a grudge," Draco said sternly. "Are you not even the slightest bit happy to be back?"
Kaira sighed. "I guess I'll go and see if anyone else I know is still alive," she said, completely ignoring Draco as she always did. "Anyone wanna come with me?"
"I will," Blank responded, sighing slightly. "After all, I guess I am the reason we're here. Might as well see what we can find out."
Blank had learned, over the years of being with Tantalus, the art of perfected acting. He gave off the impression to everyone else that he was reluctant to even be here and that all he wanted was to find out about his past and leave. Ha, Blank just laughed at how oblivious they all were. Even Kaira had no idea that all he really wanted was to spend time with her.
The two – with Kilala following beneath them– walked around the village, stopping frequently while people either gave Kaira hugs and kisses, or scowled and rebuked her for showing her face here. It seemed to Blank like everyone here knew who she was. Was she really that well known? Kids that had been told to stay inside rushed to their windows to see the wolf-girl. They as well seemed to be divided, taking sides as to whether Kaira was the hero or the antagonist. Although Blank couldn't visually see the expressions on everyone's faces or the children in the windows, he could hear their words clear as day: every "Welcome home!" and every "How dare you come back!"
Blank couldn't help but get the feeling that not all of the attention was on Kaira. Were people watching him too? Then again, when you can't see anyone else, it's understandable to be a little self-conscious.
"Oh, Kaira!" another woman walked up to them, she appeared to be around thirty. "I heard you were back, but I had to see you for myself." She gave Kaira a hug.
"I'm glad to see you're well, Kiri." Kaira smiled. "Now you, I believe."
"Huh?" Kiri looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing," Kaira answered. "I'm just glad to see that whatever happened here didn't kill you too."
"Oh...you mean no one told you what caused all of this?"
"Well, I assumed it was this Garron person. I know that he's come back."
"Yes..." she answered. "It was Garron's doing...but he didn't destroy the village."
"Then who did?" Blank joined the conversation.
"...Nikora..." Kiri hesitated to say the name.
"What!" Kaira yelled.
"Who's that?" Blank asked her.
"She's the leader of the Gerudo...How could she destroy her own village?" Kaira sounded distraught at the idea of this.
"I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you, Kaira," Kiri seemed just as hurt as Kaira did. "I know how much you look up to her. We all looked up to her."
"I don't understand," Kaira tried to make sense of what she had just been told. "He had to have done something to her! There's no way Nikora would do this otherwise."
"Lets just pray to Bahamut that that's true," Kiri answered. "And that he wont hurt her any worse than that."
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Gah! I didn't wanna end the chapter like this. Am I dragging this out or something? I'm not meaning too... Well, since this chapter ended up taking up so much more space than I thought it would, I promise you the next chapter WILL be up soon. I'm eager to write more! The next chapter is called "Two Pasts, One Island" and you'll finally get to learn more about Blank and Kaira's pasts. Ah, I can't believe how much closer this keeps getting to the conclusion! I'm so excited! Lol, sorry. Please review!