AN: The previous chapters have been edited to correct any mistakes, removing excess ellipses, changing awkward dialogue (of course, your mileage may vary on that) and just overall improving the story. From now on, I aim to write the story to a higher standard. I promise that the next two chapters will be quite dramatic, and there are still several arcs planned to follow! Special thanks to MoldyJellyBean for his support. Please check out his story, too! Also, reviews are much appreciated.
Chapter 43: Blue Sky
|Furaha Household|18:00 pm|
"Cool!" Zao shouted. "Your old place is amazing. It's way better than my parent's place!"
"Well, my dad is in charge of an oil corporation, so he's got money to burn!" Amara said. Zao was amazed at just how grand the house was. It was certainly prettier than her apartment, that was for sure.
"I can just imagine the feast he'll have prepared! Trout, haddock, cod, tuna!" Zao said, practically drooling.
"Well, I did tell Dad you love fish, so he'll probably have prepared a huge selection of all the ones you like. Which doesn't really narrow it down." Amara said.
"That sounds great. Anyway, I finally get to meet your old man! Is he really as cool as you said he was?" Zao asked.
"Oh, he is. See for yourself. You'll get to see him soon!" Amara said, as she rang the doorbell. "Don't look so nervous! I already told Dad all about you!"
"What, even that time when I woke up and I had paint all over my face?" Zao said.
"No, I didn't bring that up. How did that paint get on you, anyway?" Amara asked. He had blue and pink stripes over his cheeks, and a red nose...I must try not to touch paint when I'm drunk.
"I don't remember. Must have been one heck of a night. Oh, here he comes!" Zao said, standing up straight. If he had been wearing an army uniform, he would have looked the ideal soldier.
"Ah, here he is. You're looking sharp, Zao!" Rudo said, smiling. "Nice to meet you. I'm Rudo Furaha, Amara's father."
"I'm Zao Yuria. It's an honour to meet you, sir!" Rudo and him shook hands, and Amara felt pleased. They seemed at ease around each other, and she couldn't imagine anything going wrong.
"Don't stand there all day, you two! Make yourselves comfortable." Rudo said, as he lead them into the living room.
"Wow!" Zao said, leaping onto a chair. "This is the coolest house ever! Everything's so fancy - It's even better than Nathan's place!"
"Who's this Nathan person?" Rudo asked.
"A friend. Don't you remember, I told you I went to his place for a barbecue?" Amara said, sighing. "Anyway, how's Tomas? I haven't seen him for a while!"
"He's fine. Actually, he's coming over too. When I told him your new boyfriend was coming over for dinner, he insisted on meeting him. Don't worry, Zao, they'll be plenty of fish for everyone." Rudo said.
"Sweet! What kind?" Zao asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Salmon!" Rudo said. Zao looked a bit disappointed, as salmon wasn't his favourite type of fish. Still, he was already having fun - although Amara couldn't imagine him not having fun. It was yet another thing she adored about him.
|Aeternus HQ|18:30 pm|
In the meeting room the Ater Vox frequented, all of them sans Nihane were seated around the round table. A Divine Spark was soon to arrive, and they were anxious awaiting it's arrival. The end of their efforts was approaching faster and faster after a lull that lasted an entire decade. They sat in stony silence, waiting for someone else to speak.
"Is Nihane going to be alright?" Nina said, finally breaking the long silence. "He was so angry yesterday, and I haven't seen him since! He wouldn't even respond when I knocked on his door..."
"Big deal, he never does." Pierre scoffed. "He never tells us anything."
"He certainly does tend to withold information. However, he has been more elusive than usual, which concerns me. It is clear to see that Nihane's personal ties to Amurdad mean more to him than we realised." Archibald said. Nina looked down, and sighed. "After all, if Amurdad had not been destroyed, he would have likely continued to live there, and the city would have flourished. Perhaps none of us would even be here."
"Interesting...in any case, we should respect his wishes and stay away from Inanis, for the time being. At least, not until the Nova Albion Divine Spark approaches." Carlos said.
"Yeah, but it's rather boring waiting for it to commence. Come on, we don't even know where it's gonna be yet!" Pierre groaned.
"There's no need to be so impatient, Pierre. We've narrowed it down to three locations, so we merely wait a few more days to determine which one it shall be." Archibald said. "Carlos, any updates on the Traesto incident?"
"None whatsoever. Clearly, whoever was capable of that power is also a master of hiding. We may be facing stronger opposition than we thought." Carlos said. "It is of little consequence, of course. For now, they lack the capacity to halt our activities."
"Speaking of which, I wanted to tell you about the progress on the 'Fusion' experiments. Of the fifteen candidates selected for Round 1, all of them became Shadows. Only five of them were able to fight back to a reasonable degree." Josephine said. "Not only that, it seems there is no way to revert the fusion."
"Wonderful! For once, all of you are working hard!"
Nihane Kronos stepped through the door, and took his seat. Nina breathed a sigh of relief, but he rolled his eyes in response.
"If the experiments are going as well as Josephine says, I think I know exactly how to proceed with the Divine Spark. I've picked out several Ornatu Legion members to expose to the experiment. However, this time, we carry out the process in front of those fools." Nihane said, with a twisted look in his eyes.
"How come?" Pierre asked.
"Must you be so impatient, Pierre? Calm yourself. There's one in particular I'm keen to see undergo the fusion. He's already been through a rather intense sequence of tests, so now we can push him to his limits!" Nihane cackled.
"You don't mean -"
"That's right, Josephine. We subject Adrian Gale to his final evaluation."
|Furaha Household|18:36 pm|
The doorbell rang, just as Rudo was showing Zao one of Amara's old drawings.
"That'll be Tomas. Allow me." Rudo said, as he walked over to the door.
"Tomas is your dad's business partner, right?" Zao asked.
"Yeah, that's right. He's pretty cool!" Amara said, relaxing back on her favourite chair. "Here he is! Stand up and introduce yourself!"
"Hello, Amara!" Tomas said. That reminds me. My dad's other self is dead, but what happened to the other Thomas? Did he go into hiding? Wait, this isn't the time for that.
"Hey! How've you been?" Amara asked.
"Same as ever. No one died, and nothing blew up, so all is well!" Tomas said. "Ah, this must be the fisherman Amara's going around with!"
"Yeah! I'm Zao Yuria! Good to meet ya!"
"Likewise. I am Tomas Weiken." Zao and Tomas shook hands. "Rudo tells me you're a fisherman working at Legarte Harbour. What's that like?"
"Well, me and the other guys are on a boat most of the day, usually around the harbour, but sometimes we'll be in Saragel. It's a bunch of older guys. I'm the only one under fifty there! See, my grandad's the legendary Deo Yuria! He caught a fish THIS big once!" Zao said, stretching out his arms.
"I see. It's nice to see you're following in his footsteps." Tomas said. "Of course, his footsteps were actually interesting to follow."
"Well, my job may be boring, but it certainly put food on the table. Speaking of which, it's time! First time more than two people have been in the dining room for a long time!" Rudo said.
"He must get lonely all by himself. Especially with such a freaking huge place!" Zao said.
"I suppose, but I do call him all the time. You've noticed that by now, right?" Amara said. "Come on, that salmon isn't going to eat itself!"
"Well of course not. Although that would be kind of badass." Zao said, his imagination running wild. The four of them sat down to dinner, ready for a somewhat interesting night.
|Shirley & Lucy's Apartment|18:59 pm|
It had been a long weekend for Shirley and Lucy. The girls had received a visit from Shirley's parents, who weren't too happy about her still living with Lucy. They weren't particularly fond of Lucy, considering her a bully. Of course, the first time they met her, she had reduced Shirley to tears, so it wasn't the most favourable first impression to make.
Shirley had been hard at work with her piano tutoring as ever, and she still loved the soothing melodies her fingers made from the glorious instrument. However, she felt as if there was something else she could be doing with her life. When she was at the karaoke night with Amara and the other girls, she felt truly alive. Her singing had been the best out of the group, and she loved every minute of it.
Perhaps she should organise another night like that, just to be able to perform like that again. Maybe she could even perform in front of crowds, singing her favourite tunes all night long. Lucy simply laughed when Shirley told her - it wasn't the first time she felt like changing her path in life. Her parents gave her a lot of grief over this, too. Even so, she just wanted to sing.
"Hey, what are you up to?" Shirley said, as she tickled Lilith's belly. The black cat meowed, glad for the attention.
"Oh, just texting Karen. She was out with Roger earlier, at the theatre. She's like a different person after she got back with him! She was awesome before, but now she's like super ultra mega cool. And it helps that Roger is kind of cute - not as cute as Blaine, but he's still got it!" Lucy said.
"You and him are getting really close, huh?" Shirley said. She sat down besides Lucy, waiting for their favourite show Crystal View to start.
"I know. I never thought we'd get along so well! At first I thought he was just another man with a dirty mind, but he's so sweet." Lucy said, blissfully. "In fact, he's asked me to come to his house next Tuesday!"
"Wow, really? It's dangerous around there, though." Shirley said. "You will be careful, right? There's a lot of thugs around Kanaloa. Remember a few years back, when I told you about those guys who broke into that old lady's house?"
"That was pretty scary. But I'll be alright, Shirley! Actually, Blaine said that Dan guy he's always talking about will be there. So why don't you come, too?" Lucy said.
"Me? Well, I'd be worried about you going on your own. Go on then! If anyone tries to get in our way, I'll put those tae kwon do lessons to good use!" Shirley said, striking several poses with her legs high in the air. Lilith jumped onto Shirley's raised leg, and didn't want to let go.
"Well, it might work if they're allergic to cats!" Lucy said. She clapped her hands, and Lilith leapt off Shirley's leg and onto Lucy's lap. "You know, the girls in this show are such bitches to each other. Why can't they be like us?"
"I dunno...you're probably bitchy enough for the two of us!" Shirley said. "You're always whining about how dumb Colette is, or how big a pervert Juan is, or-"
"Oi!" Lucy said, tossing a cushion at Shirley. She simply kicked it right back at Lucy, with her refined technique, and got her in the face. The girls burst out laughing, as the jazzy tune for Crystal View started.
|The Mole|19:20 pm|
"You're lookin' better today, man!" Blaine said, downing another glass.
"Sorry, big guy, I've just been having one of those weeks. So is Roger coming?" Dan asked.
"Nope, he's out with Karen the night. Lucky for him." Blaine said.
"Seriously? The dude's been out with her every night this week! One minute it's the theatre to see a play, the next it's to watch some shit adapted from a play!" Dan said. "Oh, I saw that Kyle kid earlier. You know, I bet he'll ask that Serena girl out any day now."
"Really? Well, it's pretty obvious he likes her. Trust me, no high school kid hangs out with a girl like that and is just her friend. Remember me and Trish?" Blaine said.
"Yeah, I remember. She pulled your pants down in front of the whole school. But I think we got our revenge with that prank call scheme. Same again?" Dan asked.
"Sure, but get me a double this time." Blaine said.
Just then, a familiar athletic man with ginger hair walked up to the bar, and stood behind Dan. Just as Dan was about to pay for the drinks, the man got out his own wallet.
"I'll get these. Oh, and I'll have a pint myself!"
Dan looked behind him in surprise, and Blaine stared in confusion. It was Karl, wearing a red jacket and blue jeans.
"Hey!" Blaine said, smiling. "Haven't seen you since that barbecue! How ya been?"
"Pretty good!" Karl said. "It's been a great start to the season. And I've gotten a lot of fan mail, mostly from teenage girls."
"Way to go!" Dan said, grinning. "Good lookin' guy like you must get all the fans screaming, right?"
"Um, yeah!" Karl said, sheepishly. "Well, they were screaming loud as hell last match. Everyone thought we were gonna lose, but then I managed a hat trick and we won!"
"Wait, how did your hat let you win a soccer match?" Blaine asked. Karl gave him an odd look, and he realised he had just said something incredibly foolish. Something they would not let him forget for a long, long time.
"You moron, he means three goals in a row!" Dan said, and he and Karl laughed heartily.
"So how come you're here, anyway? I thought guys like you went to all the cool clubs in Saragel?" Blaine asked, desperate to change the subject.
"I felt like a quiet drink for once. Besides, every time I got there…I know this makes me sound kind of a douche, but I'm always surrounded by girls when I go there. It sucks being popular sometimes!" Karl said.
"I should go sometime. Then all those chicks would be after me! No woman can resist this goatee!" Dan said.
"Dan, you haven't been out with a woman for years. The goatee isn't half as sexy as you think it is!" Blaine said, shaking his head.
"I dunno, it's not a bad look! When I first met Amara, I had a beard going on. It worked, too! Well, the fourth time I spoke to her, it did." Karl said, blushing.
"You sure it wasn't just her saying yes to get it over with?" Blaine joked. "Anyway, I met Lucy in here a while back. So even here, you can find some great girls!"
"Well, I'd rather stay single for the time being. I just thought me and Amara would be together forever, but…well, things got really bad. It's all my stupid fault, really." Karl said.
"Oh? What happened?" Dan asked.
"I just kept getting worried about her. I dunno why, but every time she went off without saying something, I got crazy and ran all over trying to find her. Whenever she was late, I kept thinking something awful had happened to her…that sort of thing." Karl said, sadly. "To be honest, I…don't really want someone else."
"Is that right? Well, she's with that Zao guy now. Not much you can do about that." Dan said.
"Yeah, I know. If I could go back and stop myself from being that way, I would. No point talking that way now, though."
"Oh, cheep up. Sometimes these things happen! At least you two are still talking! Come on, we'll keep you company tonight. How about some darts?" Blaine said.
"Okay! Then if I win, you guys have to buy the next round!" Karl said, drinking his beer.
"Fine. There's a quiz here later on, so stick around! We'll need you for the sports round!" Dan said. Karl laughed, a bit happier now. "One sec. You guys ask about the darts!" he said, then he went to the bathroom (which was a lot less foul than the alternate Mole's).
"So, how are you and Lucy?" Karl asked.
"Great. I gotta say, ever since me and her met, I've felt better than I've done in years! Oh...I shouldn't say that in front of you, should I?" Blaine said.
"No, that's alright. It just hurts when I see Amara with Zao. Every time they're together, I feel jealous. Then when I think about it, I feel awful. Zao's such a good guy, so upbeat about everything. Getting angry at him feels so wrong..." Karl said, looking down at the floor. Blaine didn't quite know what to say. If it were him and Dan in this position, he'd probably beat the crap out of him.
"Listen, dude, you're still young. I used to think I'd be a lifelong bacherlor, but look what happened. So just...wait a bit longer!" Blaine eventually said.
"Thanks, man. I'm glad I came out tonight. Now then, darts. My aim is unbeatable! Get ready to lose!" Karl said, clenching his fists. Blaine chuckled, ready for another battle.
|Nova Albion - Albion Manor|19:28 pm|
The Albion family home was one of the most exquisite manors in Nova Albion, a district partly famed for it's sprawling estates. It had been in the family for countless generations, and apart from modern renovations such as a swimming pool, a tennis court, and other leisure activities, it had barely changed at all. In his childhood years, his father invited many friends to enjoy these new facilities, and each time it was a blast. Reginald really knew how to host a party, more so than Nathan did. Nathan moved out some time ago, but he knew that he stood to inherit the family home someday. When that time came, he would be head of the family. Another generation would begin, with him at the helm.
Nathan hadn't visited his father at his home for a long time. They saw each other at work every day, so it wasn't like he rarely spoke to him. However, he had finally mustered the courage to come round. He couldn't stand not knowing the truth. Every second he thought about it, it sent a shiver down his spine. The notion that his father could betray his mother seemed impossible, but the letter he still had in his pocket was proof.
Knocking on the door, he waited anxiously. Any other day, he would have been happy to come to his childhood home, but now he couldn't help but think sordid thoughts. If his father could have one mistress, who was to say he didn't have more? He had been in university for quite some time. Eventually, his father came to the door.
"Nathan! What brings you here, lad? Don't you see me enough at the office?" Reginald said, with a warm smile. His good mood wavered, as he noticed Nathan's indignant stare. "What's the matter, fellow? Where's that lovely Priscilla hiding?"
"She's not here. I wanted a word with you alone, father. Can I come in?" Nathan asked.
"You don't have to ask. Come in, I'll bring you some of your favourite ginger ale." Reginald said. Nathan walked inside, and sat down in the grand living room. Josephine could have been here, he thought. That prospect made him feel sick.
"Alright, what on earth is going on? You're acting a bit strange tonight. You show up alone, barely speak, and you've got a face like thunder! Don't tell me you two had a lover's quarrel." Reginald said.
"Oh, and you'd know about those, wouldn't you?!" Nathan shouted.
"Don't you dare raise your voice to your father! Me and your mother, god rest her soul, had our share of arguments, but we always found a way to solve them!" Reginald said.
"Dad, I can't keep it a secret anymore. I found this!" Nathan furiously pulled out the letter, and shoved it into his father's wrinkled hand. "It's real, isn't it?!" Reginald read the letter, and his eyes widened with horror. It clearly was familiar to him, every word of it.
"How did you find this?" Reginald asked.
"It doesn't bloody matter! Father, how could you?" Nathan asked. He didn't notice, but tears were running down his face.
"This is ancient history. Me and your mother had a fight, the worst one of our marriage. You weren't there. It was when you were at Priscilla's, studying for an upcoming test. I was convinced she wanted a divorce...we both said some rather hateful things that night." Reginald said.
"So you made a pass at one of your employess?!" Nathan shouted.
"Keep your voice down, lad! I did not exactly make a pass at her. Josephine Johnson was new to the organisation, and she was a wonderful asset. She knew her job better than I did, and I always liked to come to her office and thank her for a job well done. Actually, the company could have been in real trouble if it weren't for her." Reginald said.
Nathan didn't say anything, but all he could think about was his dad and Josephine in the office, kissing each other. It made him shudder, and he just noticed the tears falling from his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, but his father had likely already noticed.
"We got talking. Josephine had just lost her husband, and she was all on her own. I tried to comfort her, and offered to share a drink with her that night. That was when it all started. We were both rather inebriated, and she kissed me. I was still angry with your mother, so I didn't feel guilty...at first." Reginald said.
"How long did it last?" Nathan asked. "Why her, of all people?!"
"It finished years ago! In fact, when she left, she went to join Aeternus. So me and your mother stayed together, and she and I never spoke again." Reginald said. "After me and Josephine ended our affair, I tried to make it work with your mother. We did, but I never got around to telling her the truth."
"She never knew?" Nathan asked.
"Of course not. I couldn't tell her that for all these years, I was with another woman. I nearly lost her once before, and I couldn't lose her again. Even after you left home for university, I still couldn't do it. Now she's no longer with us…all I can hope for is her forgiveness." Reginald said.
"Father...I can't believe this..."
"I know. Everyone always thought me and your mother had the perfect relationship behind closed doors. It was a lot more turbulent than you think, but I swear on her grave I loved that woman. Nathan, please don't hate me for this. It's in the past now." Reginald.
"Not for me, it isn't!" Nathan said, standing up. "Dad, I'm sorry! I can't get my head round this... I have to go!"
"Nathan, I-"
"Don't try and stop me! I can't look at you right now!" Reginald watched as Nathan stormed out of the house. Hearing about his father reminiscing about that despicable temptress was too much to bear. Perhaps it would have been better, not knowing the truth. Now, every time he turned up to work, he'd have to face his father, and he could never think of him the same.
Josephine Johnson, I'll kill you for this! I swear it!
|Furaha Household - Dining Room|19:35 pm|
"That was delicious." Zao said. "Mr Furaha, this salmon was the best I've ever tasted. I don't think even my grandpa could beat it!"
"Relax, Zao, there's no need to call me that. I'm Rudo. And I've always had a talent for cooking! Which Amara didn't inherit, it seems!" Rudo said.
"Come on, Dad, a lot of things can go wrong when you microwave meals!" Amara said, groaning.
"How did she survive when she was in college?" Zao asked.
"She just went to the burger joint most nights." Tomas said, amused.
"The only reason I ask her to come here is so she can get a good meal once a week!" Rudo joked. Tomas and Zao both laughed, as Amara's face turned red.
"Guys, knock it off! I'm not that bad! At least I have someone to teach me now." Amara said, looking at Zao.
"Huh? Me? Well, it couldn't hurt, right?" Zao said.
"Don't be so sure, Zao. The girl can't even boil an egg." Rudo said. "Perhaps that's why they call them starving artists!"
"Speaking of which, how's your new job going? It's been about two months, yes?" Thomas said.
"Yep! It's been wonderful, actually. Ever since it started, a lot of great things have happened. It's been hard work, though. And some of my co-workers can be a pain. Still, I've learned a lot from working there." Amara said, smiling.
"Reminds me of you and your father. We never got along at first - it got so bad, we got into a fist fight outside the building." Tomas said, fondly.
"You sound a little too happy about that." Zao said, with a look of incredulity.
"I know it sounds strange, but afterwards, we just kind of felt we had let go of our animosity. So we started talking, and lo and behind, we become friends." Thomas said. "In fact, that was the day I first met you, Amara. Didn't you notice the bruises on our faces?"
"Oh, that's what those were?" Amara said. She did recall them looking a little worse for wear, but she was just so happy that her father was slowly becoming his cheery old self. This was several months after her mother had passed away, and Amara remembered that she started to cope with the loss sooner than her father. Something had happened that made her realise how lucky she was.
"Well, it was quite a while back. You were such a cute girl back then, always drawing in that notebook of yours!" Tomas said. "Of course, you haven't changed that much."
"Yeah - she's still cute!" Zao said. "C'mere!" Right in front of her father and Thomas, he kissed Amara tenderly on the lips.
"Well well well. Nice to see he's as romantic as the last one." Tomas said.
"Looks like he's a keeper." Rudo said. "I'd like to declare a toast. To Amara, my wonderful daughter!"
"To Amara!" Zao and Tomas both called, as the three men clinked their glasses.
"Guys, come on. I'm just an artist for a magazine! Anyway, did you see that episode of Happy Hour last night?" Amara said.
Soon, the dinner party turned to idle banter, over the oil corporation, Zao's grandfather, and even what Karl was doing. Rudo had been fond of Karl, but he seemed even more approving of Zao. The idea that he wouldn't like her new boyfriend, especially so soon after her last break-up, was no longer an issue. Now, she had everything she wanted.
Zao made her feel happiness like never before. To see him smile was hardly a rare occurrence, but she looked forward to it nevertheless. His carefree attitude, his gentle touch, and his love of the sea made her love him even more. She couldn't ask for a more perfect man.
However, she once felt the exact same way about Karl. Before he become overprotective, he too made every day with him a moment of absolute bliss. He wasn't quite as easy going as Zao was, and had a competitive streak, but seeing that radiant ginger hair made her heart race every time. When she ended their relationship, she had never felt so alone. For countless nights, she asked herself - had she thrown away her chance at true love?
Now, she realised she hadn't. Zao was her second chance, and she was determined not to waste it. She couldn't afford to fall to the Shadows now - in her eyes, she would destroy all of Aeternus and go home, holding Zao's hand.
"So Rudo, did you catch that fish yourself?" Zao asked, teasingly.
"That'll be the day! No, I ordered it in specially. It's one of the perks of being a millionaire." Rudo said, grinning. Amara laughed, as they began eating the red velvet cake.
I wish every night could be perfect like this. I don't need anything else.