Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the fifth chapter of this story! A bit earlier than you expected, I'm aware, but I'm really excited to have this finished. Also, I've changed the name for a third (and hopefully last!) time. During the long waits between chapters, I have a lot of time to think about the story and further develop it. Recently I made some massive changes to the story, completely uprooting the existing plans and replaced them. Don't worry, none of the current chapters are affected, but all the late-game stuff has been changed. I changed the title and summary to more accurately portray the new themes I created.

Another bit of news! I actually purchased a commission for Caldera, which now features as the cover image. I waited a very long time for it and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. You can view the artist's work on DeviantArt under the name ShimizuAmatuska. I would put the link, but I know FFN gets really finicky with links.

Beyond that, we're coming to the conclusion of Caldera's Arc! Buckle up and get ready my friends, 'cause this is gonna be a wild one! Without further ado, onto the story!


"Welcome to the arcade!"

Aviar's big smile and outstretched arms failed to relieve Caldera's unease. It was a rather large space without many windows, creating a moody atmosphere that contrasted with the array of multicolored lights from the machines. A variety of people populated the space, many operating the various machines present.

Caldera looked around. "What is this place?" she asked.

Aviar asked Seraph that same question a minute beforehand and had the answer prepared. "A place where you hang out and play different kinds of games. You got video games, claw machines—all kinds of stuff."

The Rogue tilted her head. "And… what are those?"

"Stop asking questions, let's go have fun!"

They found a machine that converted paper bills into coins. Using Omar's generously donated money, they prepped themselves with all the coins they would need. They searched for something to spend their coins on but weren't quite sure where to start. The problem was soon remedied when Aviar dashed to a machine.

"I remember this!" he exclaimed, looking at the game on the screen. "Seraph, this is the one we used to play all the time at home. You got it for us ages ago."

"Don't get too flooded with nostalgia," Seraph commented through the earpiece. "Remember, you have a partner."

Caldera managed to catch up with Aviar, meeting him at the game. As soon as she did, she was mesmerized by the screen. "Ooh, what's this?" she asked.

"It's a fighting game," he answered. "You take control of a character and use it to fight another. Trust me, it's fun."

"Hmm…" she mused, looking at the controls on the game. "What are these?"

"The joystick is to control movement, and the buttons are your attacks," he explained. A small smile crept onto his face when he noticed a second set of controls on the other side. He inserted a few coins into the machine. "Wanna try it?"

She gave a nod. "Let's do it."

Controls in hand, Caldera chose a character with an oversized sword and a few too many belts. Aviar had her select the 'Easy' difficulty, and the game was afoot. The first stage loaded and the enemy character rendered.

"Alright," Aviar began. "Move to the enemy and use the buttons to damage him. Try not to get hit, either."

Caldera obeyed, making her character run and launch a few attacks. The enemy retaliated, throwing out a counter-assault. "Move backward to block," Aviar instructed, and Caldera's character shielded himself from the enemy attacks.

She fared well against the first opponent, but Aviar knew it was because of difficulty settings than anything else. "There are more guys you have to fight and they'll gradually get harder and harder."

Caldera nodded, too focused to respond. She went through stage after stage, completing each one with less health as their difficulty increased. Her whiffed strikes and lack of strategy left openings which the AI exploited. Caldera was even sweating in the final fight, where she and her enemy brought each other down to critical health.

Aviar, noticing her depleted health and timer running out, stepped in. "Alright, there's something you can do called a super move. Let me take the joystick and place your hand over the third button. Press it when I tell you to."

Maneuvering around her, he grabbed the control stick and blocked against the enemy's pressure. He watched as each attack hit the shield, waiting for the final move to miss and create an opening. It was almost there, just another string of attacks and it would be perfect. Just a little more… there it was!

"Now!"

Aviar jerked the joystick and Caldera smashed the button. Their character unsheathed his sword and lunged forward, hitting the enemy in the brief window. He unleashed a flashy combo of sword strikes and powered up for a huge attack, defeating the enemy in the final blow.

YOU WIN!

"That was amazing!" Caldera cried, throwing her arms upward in triumph. Aviar laughed with her in their collaborative victory. He was surprised at how she could even make a completion of a game on easy difficulty seem exciting. "How did you do that?"

"I used to play this game a lot when I was younger," he answered, smiling at the flooding memories. "I guess you could say I'm kinda good."

Caldera raised a hand to her chin. "Can I fight you?"

Aviar gave her a look. "You what?"

A smile appeared on her face as she eyed him. "I want to see if you're as good as you claim."

Checking the machine, he noticed the second set of controls that had slipped from his memory. He looked back at Caldera, shrugging as a smirk forming on his own face. "As you wish."

Aviar selected the Versus mode and took hold of his own controls. Caldera picked the same character while he navigated to his own. One wearing an overcoat and wielding two knives. The stage loaded, characters said their opening lines, and the game began.

FIGHT!


PLAYER 2 WINS!

Aviar wondered if he should've gone easier, but it was too late. He cast his eyes to the loser of the match. He wondered how she was going to react, whether it be an outburst or something else. However, Caldera appeared much more tranquil than he was expecting.

She turned her head, directing her narrowed eyes at him. Her were lips pressed together in a straight line. "I see… so you were hiding some combat skills from me, after all!"

"Huh?" Aviar regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

"I was right, human! You said to me that you weren't a threat, but then how do you explain this!" she exclaimed, pointing at the screen of the arcade game.

Aviar had no clue if she was seriously accusing him of something, playing a very weird joke, was just that competitive, or if it was a weird combination of all those things. He chuckled nervously as he tried to address her point.

"T-This is just a game. It doesn't hurt you in any way, and it's nothing serious. It's just harmless fun, alright? Nothing to get worked up about."

"Hmm…" Caldera mused, drawing her face closer to his. Aviar found it hard to keep his eyes on hers. He felt like he was being judged somehow. "Very well," she nodded, turning away from him and looking around at the arcade. "What other games are here?"

Aviar let out the breath he was holding. "Crisis averted."


Stepping back through the front doors of the arcade, Aviar squinted at the sudden onslaught of the afternoon sun. He stretched his arms above his head. "Well, that was fun," he said to Caldera as they began to walk along the street. "Sorry we weren't able to get anything from the claw machine. Those things are probably rigged, anyway."

"Yeah, that was fun!" was Caldera's cheery answer. "I had no idea humans had so many wonderful things. I'm so glad I was able to see them today."

"Good thing you believed me, huh?" Aviar chuckled, referencing their previous encounters. "And we're not even done yet! There are still some things I want to show you."

"Yeah… I did," Caldera replied, her voice much lower. Her head dipped, concealing her face with the rim of her hat. Aviar noticed the action and moved to stand in front of her. "Hey, what's wrong?" he inquired.

"You weren't lying to me, and despite you clearly taking my side I still rejected the kindness you showed me. I even tried to kill you. For that… I'm sorry."

A small smile appeared on Aviar's face as he chuckled. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not mad at you."

Caldera glanced at Aviar's hand with a curious gaze, studying it for a bit before looking back up at him. "You're not?" she asked. Her eyes were big and she had a small frown, much like how she looked in the restaurant. Aviar hated that look.

"Of course not," he assured. "Remember what I said about making mistakes? That was a mistake you made, but you fixed it by going with me anyway and apologizing. Now, you're all the better for it."

He laughed as a thought came to mind. "Seems you're more human than you thought."

Caldera's eyes shifted, a smile spreading across her lips. "I… suppose."

"Av...iar…"

Seraph's fragmented voice came along with a flood of static, obscuring the message. Aviar fiddled with the earpiece but couldn't get any clearer reception. He turned his gaze to Caldera, who watched him with an odd expression. "I have to take care of something. I need to you stay here, okay? I'll be back soon, I promise."

Before Caldera could object, Aviar jogged away on the sidewalk. As he moved away the connection smoothed out more and more until he swerved into an alleyway, where the line was loud and clear. "I hear you, Seraph. What's going on?"

"Why did you leave Caldera!?" was her immediate response, sounding much angrier than Aviar expected.

"I was moving to get better reception. I didn't know how Caldera would've reacted if she found out that I was talking to someone. She might've seen it as breaking her trust, or something."

"You didn't have bad reception! I messed up the connection and I was trying to stop you while I was fixing it!"

Upon hearing the news, Aviar rubbed his forehead while groaning at his own stupidity. Seraph sighed on the line and continued. "Whatever, I'll just keep an eye on her for now. What I was trying to tell you is that you're being followed."

Aviar immediately put his hand down. "Followed? By…"

As his eyes bothered to process to his surroundings, he noticed someone else was with him in the alleyway. "...who?" he finished, staring wide-eyed at the person crouching by the wall across from him. One glance at her blonde hair and green eyes was enough to recognize her.

"Hey, Cyrene…" he began, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "What's new with you?"


Caldera hadn't moved an inch from where Aviar told her to stay. She had to defy every instinct in her body to do so but she managed. Holding her hands back her back, she swayed on her heels as she looked to where he ran off. "I hope he comes back soon," she mumbled.

She noticed several groups of people walking past her and realized she was on her own. Without Aviar, they felt large and oppressive. Like if she were a child being trampled under a crowd. She withdrew from the walkway until she ran into a wall, where she let the rim of her hat conceal her face.

"Can I really fit in this world?" she wondered to herself. "I feel like an outcast again."

Upon saying that last sentence, she hummed a bit. "He said he knew what that was like—to be an outcast. What did he mean by that?"

A gust of wind blew through the hair, billowing her dress and causing her hair to wave. Her eyes were drawn to the nearby people as a smile appeared on her face. "I guess that doesn't matter," she concluded, thinking back to all the experiences they shared in the past few hours. "He's done so much for me, anyway."

No longer feeling quite as shy as before, she kept her face exposed as her smile lingered. She continued to watch the people pass by, analyzing each of their unique faces and wondered what their stories were.

"Hey."

"Hello!" she called back by reflex, giving a bow. Afterward, she looked up to see who had greeted her.

It was a man around the age of a young adult, his black hair slicked back with a little too much hair gel. He wore a small pair of black earrings and had a strut to his walk as he approached Caldera. Upon reaching her, he inserted his hands into the pockets of his denim jacket.

"Saw you down from the street," he said, jerking his head in that direction. "Have to say, you are lookin' fantastic."

Caldera giggled at his words. "Thank you," she responded, giving a small bow.

He eyed her reaction a bit curiously but continued. "Anyway, I was thinking you and I could go get a drink. Then maybe… I dunno… come back to my place? Whaddya say?"

"Uh…" Caldera trailed off, looking away. "I… don't know what you mean," she admitted sheepishly.

The man reared his head back, raising an eyebrow at Caldera's words. He shook his head and regarded her once more. "Huh. I mean, a beauty like you must've seen at least some action before. Are you with someone?"

Caldera scanned the surrounding area, seeing that nobody else was standing by the building. "No... I'm just with you," she responded, not sure how she should have answered the question.

The man spun around, groaning in frustration. "How sheltered are you?" he asked more to himself than to her. Letting out a sigh, he looked back at the girl. "Hmm… have you ever kissed anyone? Little peck on your crush, maybe?"

"I don't know what that is, either. I'm sorry…" Caldera responded. She wore a smile, but her eyes looked apologetic for all the things she didn't know. She felt bad that she couldn't answer the questions sent her way.

"Why am I not surprised?" he chuckled in disbelief as he covered his face with a hand. He groaned as his hand slid. "Man, this is ridiculous."

He lowered his hand from his face and guided his eyes to Caldera's. A smirk crept across his lips and she gave him a confused look. "Tell ya what, darling. Let's change that."

He stepped forward and seized her left hand. She recoiled at his touch but he grabbed her neck and pulled her closer to him. Caldera's face distorted in shock and horror, eyes wide open and mouth agape. Unsure what to do, she watched as the man's face advanced closer, his lips inching nearer and nearer to hers…


"Oh. Hello," Cyrene responded, her voice sounding like she wasn't pleased to see him. Pocketing her phone, she rose from her crouched position and regarded Aviar with a hard glare. "You've proved to be quite a nuisance. Yggdrasil's meddling in the Helfarke's affairs has put us at odds."

Aviar's eyes widened as he tried to back away, the wall behind him thwarting his efforts. "How did you know I'm with Yggdrasil?"

Cyrene didn't respond to his question. Rather, she took a step forward and continued to glare. "For that, I must eliminate you before you intervene with my mission any further."

A knife dropped from her coat sleeve and into her hand. Sweat rolled down his forehead at the sight. He glued himself to the wall behind him, preparing to sprint away at any moment. She took another step forward and right as Aviar was about to book it, she stepped back.

Her facial expression shifted as she turned her head away, raising a hand to her ear. Aviar stared at her with a raised brow, not sure if he should still run or if he was safe. Still paralyzed from his fear, Cyrene turned her eyes back to him. She sheathed the knife in her peacoat.

"Lucky you," she remarked as she turned away and walked from the alleyway. "You get to continue unharmed."

Right before she left the alley she cast one last glare at him. "For now."

When Cyrene was completely out of view, Aviar let out all his stress in one huge breath. "How can a blonde school idol be so damn terrifying?" he mumbled to no one in particular. He rose a hand to his earpiece. "See? This is why we need Shadow."

"Get to Caldera. Quickly!" came Seraph's frantic voice over the line.

Aviar's relief turned to fear once more. "What? What's going on?"

"Just shut up and do it!" she snapped.

Aviar sprinted out of the alley and back on the street. Adrenaline pumping, he sped to where he left Caldera. She and the man the man with her came into view. Caldera's extended hand held a flaming orb as fire wrapped around her arm. He pushed himself to sprint even faster at the sight.

Shouting as he approached them, Aviar seized Caldera's extended arm wrenched it away from the man. The conjured fireball erupted into the air, exploding into a brilliant display of dancing flame and fireworks, dissipating soon after. Had he been one second too late the man would've taken the entire explosion directly to his face.

The man was unharmed but his whole body trembled, eyes stapled open in shock and standing a few feet away from them. Aviar glanced at him then back to Caldera, who was cowering beside him. "What was he doing to you?" he demanded.

Caldera didn't respond immediately, staring wide-eyed at the black-haired man in front of them, almost in fear. She kept touching her lips with her fingers. "I… don't know…" she finally answered between breaths.

Aviar guessed what had happened. Before he could get angry, however, he caught an eyeful of their surroundings. The crowds of people traversing the sidewalk stopped in their tracks and stared at the two, creating a ring of judgmental eyes. When Aviar looked back at the man he spun on his heels and sprinted away without a word.

Quickly surveying the people, Aviar shook his head and snatched Caldera's hand. "C'mon, we have to go. We can't stay here," he ushered as he dragged her along, uttering various curses under his breath. The people moved away as he advanced past them, retreating from what felt like a crime scene.


"Will that be enough?" Cyrene asked, holding out her cell phone with the camera app running.

"Wasn't enough to trigger the alarm, but it may be what's needed to convince the higher-ups for mobilization. It was caught on a couple surveillance cameras, so that'll make it easier," the captain explained through her earpiece.

"And the witnesses?"

"Don't worry about them. Intelligence will take care of that."

"Do I keep tailing them?"

"No. Head to the nearest deploy station and suit up. The rest of us back here will keep an eye on them. We'll guide you to them once you're ready to move in."

"Understood."

Cyrene turned and disappeared into the reforming stream of civilians on the road, all having recovered from the shock of the incident. As the crowds of people resumed their daily activity, the city felt normal once again. Even if it was just for a moment.


The late afternoon hours crept forward and the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky. The bright blue sky shifted to hues of orange and pink, rolls of clouds moving into view with the gusts of wind. Trees still held their green leaves, not yet turning to the picturesque yellows, oranges, and reds of autumn weather. Combine the landscape with the sunset and it was really a sight to behold.

"Wow… that's so amazing!" Caldera exclaimed, gazing toward said sunset.

"It really is," Aviar agreed.

After the fiasco that occurred earlier that afternoon, Aviar pulled Caldera away from downtown for a while. They left the densely populated district and traveled to the hills on the outskirts of the city. While not super large, they still had some impressive size. Aviar brought her to a park where they found an excellent view of the city below, the sun beginning to touch the horizon.

Leaning forward, he rested his arms on the guardrail between them and the steep drop. Together they stood in silence, admiring the sunset and enjoying the view. It was a truly tranquil moment for them. No sounds but the wind ruffling the trees, no chatter of nearby people, no worry of being followed. It was just them enjoying the moment together.

In the minutes of silence, Aviar turned his gaze to Caldera beside him, who was mesmerized by the view. For the first time that day he was able to look at her without fear of what rash decision she may make, and took the time to soak her in. When he did that, he realized Omar was right. She was beautiful. Her face looked so soft and delicate, and her eyes were a perfect splash of color you could easily get lost in. Her smile looked so adorable, and it seemed to brighten her face. Her skirted dress only enhanced her look, appearing so elegant with her long and vibrant hair. Maybe one day a lucky guy would be her boyfriend.

Aviar pushed the thoughts away from his mind, turning away. He frowned. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. He made a vow to help her, and he was going to see it through. For the most part, he was successful in delivering that promise.

He sighed, breaking the silence. "I'm really sorry that happened to you," Aviar spoke, referring to the earlier incident. "I shouldn't have left you there like that," he continued, rubbing his forehead and sighing. "I was so stupid."

Aviar buried his head in his arms. Caldera turned to him, offering a sympathetic gaze as she reached a hand toward him. She gently laid it on his shoulder where he twitched at her touch. Raising his head, he met her eyes. They seemed to soothe him.

"You said it yourself," Caldera said. "It was a mistake. You told me we all make mistakes. So, I…" her eyes shifted away as she tried to remember what to say. "...forgive you."

Aviar chuckled, looking away. He realized she mimicked the same thing he did to her, right down to the hand on the shoulder and proclamation of forgiveness. She had used his own words against him, telling him to follow his own advice. With a newfound smile, he continued to watch the sunset.

"Thanks. Anyway, I promised I would show you that no everyone was trying to kill you. Do you think I did okay?" he inquired with a laugh, looking back at her.

"Yes," she responded, still gazing at the sunset. "This world is so much better than I could have ever imagined. I never thought that humans could be so kind and wonderful. It never occurred to me that everything could be so… beautiful. It makes me wish that I could be a part of it."

Aviar raised an eyebrow at the final comment, noticing the gloominess in her face that wasn't there before. Her voice had gone low and her eyes turned somber, as well. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You've done so much for me and I've had a lot of fun today. However, the longer I stay here, the more I realize that I don't belong here."

Before Aviar could object she continued. "I think I understand why the humans want me dead. They view me as an outsider because of what I am. They're afraid of what I'm able to do and it how I might ruin their world. Now I see why. With a world as beautiful as this, who wouldn't want to protect it? From someone who destroys it like me."

She looked down at her hands, closing them into fists. "As long as I'm not human, I can never be accepted. No matter how much I want to be."

Aviar had stopped looking at her by the time she finished speaking. His grip on the guardrail tightened and his brown hair shadowed his eyes. He almost shook in aggravation of what she said. It just felt… incorrect. He wanted to say 'No, you're wrong,' or 'That's not true,' but the words refused to come to him.

Together they stood in silence, but the air around retained its solemn aura. Caldera turned to Aviar, who was still staring blankly. "I remember something you said to me… and it confused me. You said that you knew what it was like to be an outcast and that you knew my pain."

She tilted her head. "However, you seem… normal. You fitted in well with the other humans and they didn't hate you or try to kill you. What did you mean by that?"

Aviar smiled. That was the question he needed. He felt the blockage in his throat disappear as he chuckled. "That's funny," he said. "Because the truth is… I'm not actually human."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Surprised?" he laughed. "I'm just like you. I have special abilities I can't explain. Although, I'm not from here. I grew up in a distant land with other people like you and I. Our powers meant a lot to us and we constantly trained to control and harness our abilities."

He rubbed his forehead before continuing. "Me, on the other hand? Nothing. Sometimes it worked but I could never develop control of the powers I'm supposed to have. So, I watched as my friends showed off their cool abilities while I had to stand back and watch, feeling like a failure for it."

Taking his hand away, he smiled at her. "I don't know all of your pain but I know what's it like to be an outsider in your own home. When I came here, I ended up fitting in with humans more than I ever did with my own kind."

Aviar turned to her and took her hands into his. Caldera gasped, unsure of how to take Aviar's action. She looked up from her hands and at him, where he stared into her fiery eyes. "If I can be accepted in this world, then I promise you can, too."

"But… I'm not—"

"That. Doesn't. Matter," he interrupted. "You love this world, don't you? It doesn't matter if you're not human or if people have tried to kill you, you can still be a part of this. I am living proof that it's possible. If you want a home, then I will go to the ends of Gaia to make that possible. No matter the struggle, I will always help you and be there for you."

His grip on her hands tightened. "Even if everyone else sees you as an outsider, at least know that I will always accept you. If I have to stand alone against the world, then so be it because I will never abandon you."

Emotion flooded over Caldera's face as tears welled up in her eyes. Her head dipped as she sobbed, never having felt so elated. "Thank you…" she choked between sobs. "...so much…"

Aviar smiled at her. He was happy to see her in that overjoyed state and moved to hug her. However, an invasive thought flashed across his mind. This seemed familiar. Too familiar, in fact. He raced through his mind, identifying what caused the feeling. Straining his memory, he searched for whatever it was until…

The dream! That's what it was! The recent events resembled those of the dream with uncanny accuracy. He remembered reaching his hand out to the purple-haired girl and saw a muzzle flash before waking up. If reality was mimicking that dream, then he'd be seeing a flash right about now.

Aviar's eyes shot to the distant hills, scanning the scenery for that muzzle flash. The landscape didn't resemble their form in the dream but he surveyed them anyway, waiting for it to occur. Seeing no flash, he felt a little relieved. Uneasiness still ate away at him, however, and he didn't know why.

Seraph had been quiet, which he was grateful for, but it was strange for her. Aviar let go of Caldera's hands. "Hey Seraph," he muttered. "What's the status on…"

"Above you!" she cried.

His head switched upward where he saw a figure plummeting toward him. Reflexively, his arms shot up where something sliced across his hand. He yelped at the sudden burning and snatched his hand away. It stabbed into his abdomen, forcing a yell out of his lungs before he took a blow to the chest. He flew into the metal railing and onto the ground as he cried out.

"Aviar!" Caldera shouted, her eyes wide in horror.

"Guah…" he hissed. He moved to rise but shouted as a sudden onslaught of pain shot through him. A hand raced to the throbbing wound in his stomach, clutching it as his teeth gritted. The area was damp and felt like he touched a wet countertop. Looking down at his hand, he gasped when it was covered in blood. The red liquid also seeped from the gash in his other palm.

Aviar hissed again as the burning rose and fell in intensity. Any movement seemed to agitate the wound even further, keeping him grounded. The most he could do is sit and suffer through it until he could attempt moving again. Wasn't lethal, but it hurt like hell.

"Crap, are you alright!?" Seraph exclaimed.

"I'm fine…" he grunted, heaving heavy breaths in and out of his chest. He choked out a weak chuckle. "...I think."

He looked up from his wound, eyes widening at the sight. Cyrene stood in front of him, this time complete in her Firefly Unit. Adorned in black metal and with a red visor covering her face, her long blonde hair spilling out the back of her helmet. "Hmph," she scoffed, casting the bloodied knife at Aviar's feet.

His teeth gritted in anger as his eyes narrowed. "Cyrene…" he growled.

"I warned you, Aviar," she reminded him, her voice a bit distorted from the augmentation of her helmet. "You can only blame yourself for this."

She turned away from him and to Caldera, who still stood terrified at the sight. She reached for her shoulder and pulled out a handle. Flicking it, a green laser blade materialized from the end. A strong gust kicked up, blowing Caldera's black sun hat off her head. "No one to save you now…"

Aviar could only watch as she gripped the handle with both hands, preparing to swing. He threw a hand forward as his eyes enlarged in abject horror. "NOOOO!"

"Tyrfing!"

The plasma blade collided with the flaming sword in Caldera's hands. Her brows were furrowed and her teeth were gritted. Her eyes seemed to glow, burning holes into Cyrene's visor. "You…" she snarled. She pushed her blade aside and detonated a fireball point-blank, launching Cyrene away. "I've had enough of you!"

A cyclone of flames burst underneath Caldera's feet, wrapping around her body before dissipating. She stood complete in her Coat of Arms, the same armor that Aviar first saw her in. "I was having fun…" she continued, holding Tyrfing forward. "It was such a wonderful day. For the first time, I was able to experience this world. I even made a friend."

She visibly shook in anger, the fury in her face evident through her contorted expression. Her eyes literally glowed and flames began to flare around her gauntlets. "But you ruined all of it! I've done nothing to you but you still want me dead!" she shrieked.

The soldier had recovered from the blast, back to her feet some distance away with the laser blade in hand. Caldera held her glare and kept her sword pointed. "So, if you can't leave me alone…" she started. "Then I'll just have to kill you!"

Aviar paled at the statement. From her facial expression alone, he could see she was serious. She would forego everything he taught her and stop at nothing to kill someone, only justifying the Fireflies' actions in the process. "Caldera!" he shouted. "Please don't do this!"

Ignoring his plea, Caldera plunged Tyrfing into the ground. Cyrene sped toward her with her blade at the ready. Caldera's hair began to wave as her eyes glowed, and her armor gleamed brighter than before. "Come! Help me unleash a calamity!" she shouted, flames bursting from the sword's concrete sheathe. Unable to move, Aviar covered himself as best he could.

"Dyrnwin!"

A massive pulse of flame discharged from the weapon, wrapping everything in the park in a brief flash of fire. The trees and nearby foliage were set ablaze and it horribly scorched the ground. Uncovering himself, Aviar stared wide-eyed at the damage surrounding him. He looked down at his shaking, bloodied hands. He wondered how the hell he survived that blast unscathed, not even noticing the black particles that floated around his form.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Seraph shouted in his earpiece. "Just hang tight, I'll be there as soon as I can!"

Aviar heard the line cut between them, but it hardly registered in comparison to what he saw. Caldera held a massive sword about her own length. Its thick blade had the appearance of amalgamated stone and metal as red-orange veins smoldered and pulsated through it. Like magma was flowing through the weapon. It was far too large for a girl her size to conceivably wield. Or anyone else, for that matter.

An aura of flames materialized and surrounded her body, partially cloaking her form in fire. Her hair flowed like a living fire, and her eyes continued to literally glow in their brilliant color. "Oh, no..." Aviar muttered as he beheld the sight before him. Even if he didn't have powers, Aviar could feel the magic flowing from her like smoke belched from the flame.

"Now," she hissed, adjusting the massive blade as she prepared to swing it. "You die!"

Cyrene, who had also survived the initial blast, almost appeared taken aback by Caldera's new appearance. It was hard to tell, thanks to her helmet but there was uncertainty in the way she shifted her body. Nevertheless, she energized her laser blade and readied herself. The Rogue swung Dyrnwin, sending a wave of flame toward her. Cyrene lept over it and sped to her.

Pulling the sword back, Caldera slammed it into the ground with an explosion of lava. The soldier maneuvered around the attack and struck her a few times with the laser blade. Cyrene dodged another swing that cleaved through a tree, taking to the skies and avoiding an empowered swing.

At this point, Aviar had noticed droplets of flame appearing on the ground from seemingly nowhere. Looking up, he found its source. Literal globs of liquid fire dropped from the clouds above them like a rainstorm. Eyes widening at the sight, Aviar awkwardly shifted and maneuvered around the dropping flames, limited by the stinging of his injury.

Caldera growled at Cyrene hovering in the air and stomped her foot. A row of fissures cracked toward her location and erupted into a massive geyser of lava. Avoiding the geyser, Cyrene fired her hook at the Rogue and sped toward her, kicking her in the face. Dazed, Caldera grabbed the soldier's foot and slammed her into the ground. Cyrene rolled away before Dyrnwin collapsed on her, creating another lava explosion.

She barely got to her feet before Caldera continued her assault, viciously swinging the massive sword as Cyrene ducked, lept, or otherwise dodged it. The blade hacked through any structure that stood in its way, launching pieces of concrete as Cyrene maneuvered around the environment. With her laser weapon in hand, she deflected several strikes of the huge blade until she hit a perfect parry, catching Dyrnwin with her weapon.

As their swords held, Dyrnwin's edge began to glow and smolder in an orange-red color as the radiance of its molten veins also intensified. The luminous components brightened into a flash as the entire blade detonated in a great explosion. Cyrene was flung away from the blast, colliding with the ground and sliding some distance away. The handle of her laser blade landed near her, split in two and sparking with loose electricity.

The soldier rose to her feet, slower than she had previously. Her suit cracked in several places and the visor was scratched up, but it was still intact. Caldera still held Dyrnwin in her hands, which she slammed into the ground. Cyrene activated her jetpack to avoid that trail of flames that raced to her. Her main weapon disabled, she resorted to staying in the air.

Caldera swung her weapon at her. The soldier dodged the fire strike and subsequent explosion where she activated her arm-mounted guns, pelting the Rogue with bullets. More enraged than harmed, Caldera kept swinging the blade at Cyrene as she swept around the air. The Rogue only succeeded in destroying the battlefield even more through her whiffed strikes and indiscriminate explosions, all the while more liquid flame fell from the sky, starting to melt into the concrete.

Aviar had since found shelter under a still-intact sunroof in the park that seemed to be flame-retardant. He was some distance away from the action, still watching silently at the destruction ongoing before him. Cyrene's turrets clicked as they ran out of ammunition. Unholstering her sidearm, she continued blasting away at Caldera until it also exhausted its bullets.

The Rogue appeared just as fine as before, or just wasn't showing it. Cyrene continued to maneuver around her relentless assault with nothing left. Her suit sparked with green electricity, coursing through the metal plating and into her arm. She fired the grappling hook, charged with the surging energy. Caldera side-stepped it, where it attached to the ground and lost its charge.

Seizing the grounded line, the Rogue jerked Cyrene to the ground, severing a wing of her suit with a swing of Dyrnwin. Cyrene turned to Caldera where she received a savage punch to the face. Stumbling away, the Rogue swung the colossal blade again, striking Cyrene right across her face.

The complete front of her helmet shattered as the force flung her away, where she lifelessly tumbled and rolled to a stop, many components of her suit broken off. Her body remained still, not even attempting to rise from the ground.

The flaming rain ceased falling, but Caldera still held the giant blade and was still coated with a fiery aura. She stepped forward, not uttering a word, and advanced to Cyrene's unconscious form. Aviar stumbled from underneath his shelter, barely able to stand on his weak legs. "Caldera!" he yelled, still clutching his wound.

She didn't seem to hear him, not stopping, twitching, or turning around to look at him. Grabbing Dyrnwin with both hands, she began to lift it. Aviar's pupils narrowed as she did. "No!" he shouted as he hobbled closer. "Don't do this!"

His pleas continued to fall on deaf ears, and Caldera kept raising the sword. "If you kill her, there's no going back! It's something you can't apologize for!" he tried to warn. "Don't be the monster she thinks you are!"

But the Rogue kept going, Dyrnwin well above her head and ready to fall on the soldier. "Caldera!" Aviar cried. His legs gave way and he collapsed onto his knees. Looking up he saw the edge of the giant sword start to glow. His heart sank into his stomach at the sight, eyes stapled wide and breathing shakily. In his panic he didn't see the black energy swirling around him, flowing like a dark flame.

He watched as the blade's molten veins intensified in their color, and Caldera started to swing it downward.

STOOOOOPPPP!

An inky black disk flew from the hand Aviar smashed the ground with. It flew forward pierced through Caldera, cleansing her of the flaming aura and disintegrating her massive weapon in the process. Weakened, she fell to her knees and collapsed onto her side. Seeing what had happened, Aviar stared at his hands in unbelief. "How the hell did I do that…?" he muttered.

Shaking his head, he crawled over to Caldera and rolled her onto her back. Her eyes were closed and were generally unresponsive. He checked her pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt it. However, her breathing felt low and shallow and felt more infrequent than it should've been.

Aviar stared at her sleeping face, not sure what he should do. He noticed how pleasant it looked when it wasn't contorted in anger or rage. He sighed, grateful that he somehow managed to end the recent confrontation. His eyes drifted back to her face where they stopped on her soft, pink lips.

Kiss her.

He scoffed at the intrusive thought that infiltrated his mind. Immediately, he shoved it away. It was ridiculous to think about that, especially in the current circumstance. Chuckling to himself, he shook his head and continued to examine Caldera. However, he noticed her breathing became even less frequent and her face began to pale.

You can save her. You just have to kiss her.

It didn't even feel like his own thought that time. It felt like an invisible companion or a distant mentor imploring him to act. It confused him. Was she dying? How would a kiss help? He thought his first kiss would be reserved for someone he loved. To say he loved Caldera was laughable. They only met a few days prior, it would be impossible.

As the thoughts raced through Aviar's head, seeds of worry started to settle within him as he watched her declining health. With no better options, he leaned closer to her face before stopping. He never kissed anyone before, so he wasn't quite sure how to do it, but he hoped whatever he did would suffice. "Sorry…" he whispered. Closing his eyes, he brought his lips to hers.


He let go of the kiss, staring back into the crystal eyes of the girl. Nothing else registered to him. Not the ravaged scenery, not the fact that they were hovering high in the air, nor the fact that her outfit began to dissolve into light. He was happy just like that, losing himself in her as they began their lofty descent.

He could stare at that beautiful face for an eternity, forever lost in her eyes and plum-colored hair. Her name echoed in his mind like he hadn't recalled it in years, but his lips were used to saying it. As they touched the ground, he seized the thought and finally recalled her name. A smile came to his lips and he spoke it…


"Tohka."

Aviar pulled away from Caldera, looking at her as if she were that purple-haired girl. However, when his eyes adjusted, and he saw her face, his expression shifted to one of utter confusion. "What…?" he exclaimed as his eyes widened, wondering why he just addressed Caldera by that name and what that whole vision was about.

However, his confusion was halted when he saw the girl lying in front of him. Her eyelids twitched a bit, fluttering up and down before they opened completely. Aviar chuckled, happy to see her awake. She turned her head to him, looking into him with her flame-colored eyes. "Shido…" she uttered.

Upon saying that, Caldera gasped. A light started to form at her chest, and she began to scream and shriek in complete agony. Aviar scurried away, simultaneously frightened and concerned at what was happening. Her back arched as her fists clenched, the light in her chest intensifying along with her cries.

At the peak of Caldera's screaming, something shot out of her chest. Her shrieks squirming suddenly stopped. After lying still for a moment, her armor combusted into flame, soon completely burning away. Underneath she was adorned only in a short nightgown.

Aviar's eyes were drawn to a small object floating above Caldera's sleeping form. He rose to his feet, oblivious to the pain in his stomach and approached it. Reaching out, he snatched the object and examined it more closely.

It seemed to be a shard of some kind. It had two jagged points at each end and a bulging center. It looked like a blackened fragment of rock with molten veins, like Dyrnwin's blade, with a glowing magma center. The center would pulse, sending a wave of light through the miniature magma flows like a heart.

"We meet again, Aviar."

Startled by the sudden voice, he whipped around to face it. However, his tension wasn't quelled when he saw the figure standing there. They wore a black long-sleeved garb or coat with thick leather gloves and boots. A hood was pulled over their heads and a bird mask concealed their facial features. Finally, a cloak of black feathers hung from their shoulders.

"Do not be alarmed. I am not here to hurt you."

Their voice echoed and reverberated with a metallic shroud, but sounded presumably male, and the of their features were concealed by the clothing. Aviar took a deep breath and tried to relax but kept wary eyes on the figure. "Who are you?" Aviar asked him.

"I am the one who spoke to you after you first met Cataclysm. Although, I believe you call her Caldera now."

Aviar mulled over the encounter in his head, unable to recall a plague doctor figure anywhere. He remembered the duel with Cyrene, the giant fireball Caldera created and then passing out. However, it clicked when he remembered the voice in his dream. The same metallic, echo-y voice of this figure.

"That dream…" Aviar started, rubbing his head. "...the one where you asked my name, that was you?"

He nodded. "I apologize for my abruptness, but I had to make our meeting short."

Aviar breathed, not sure what to say. His mind burned with so many questions from their previous encounter, but he still didn't quite trust whoever this was. In his silence, the figure turned his head turned to Aviar's hand, eyes invisible behind the black sockets of the mask. "I must congratulate you, Aviar. You've cured her."

Aviar looked at his hand, seeing that he was still clutching the strange shard that was ejected from Caldera. Looking up, he gave the figure a confused look. "Cured?"

"Now," he said, reaching out with his gloved palm. "Hand it over."

Reflexively, Aviar stepped away. He didn't even know what the strange object was, and the fact that this figure was demanding for it did not sit well with him. "What even is this thing?" he inquired, narrowing his eyes. "And why do you want it so badly?"

"That thing is a disease," he answered. "It was the source of Caldera's volatile and destructive magic, but you cured her of it. If you never want it to hurt her again, you must give it to me."

Aviar still eyed the figure, looking at his still-outstretched arm. He fiddled with the shard in his hand, remaining completely still and not planning to give anything anytime soon.

The figure appeared to sigh. "I know you don't believe me, Aviar, but you have to trust that I'm on your side. I don't want Caldera to be plagued with this any more than you, and this is the only way I can guarantee that."

Aviar looked at him one more time. "Quickly. Before she comes."

He could very well be lying to him, Aviar knew that. At the same time, he may not be lying and truly wanted to help. It was just impossible to tell. Aviar looked at the artifact in his hand, and back up at the figure. He felt like he wasn't able to refuse and still wasn't sure why the figure wanted it. However, if meant an end to Caldera's pain, it would be a good trade.

With a shaky step and a trembling hand, he placed the object in the figure's hand.

Pulling his hand back, the figure closed his fingers around the shard. It crumbled into black dust and was seemingly absorbed into him. "You've made a wise choice, Aviar."

Aviar frowned, doubting the accuracy of that claim. He simply hoped that his decision wasn't as terrible as he thought it was. His thoughts fluttered to their previous encounter, but he recalled the weird vision he had afterward. The one with the purple-haired girl. The one he called 'Tohka.' The thought also sparked the memory of Caldera, who called him by a strange name, too.

He gasped when he remembered it was the same name the figure mentioned.

"When we first met, I remember you telling me that I should remember a name," Aviar declared. "I think… it was Shido."

He looked up at the stranger. "Who is this Shido? And who is Tohka?"

The figure remained silent as if he were reminiscing. "I don't remember. I recall his name but nothing of his identity. Perhaps I once knew him, but I only have a recollection of his importance. Tohka is the same."

Aviar scoffed. "If you don't remember, then how am I supposed to?"

"That girl, Tohka. What did you feel when you see her?"

He sighed, scratching his head as he brought up the memory. "I was happy, I guess. She was beautiful, and I wanted to stay with her forever. I felt like I would anything for her, even taking a bullet. Literally."

He hesitated before continuing. "I… loved her."

"Those feelings aren't yours." the figure declared. "What you saw weren't visions. They were Shido's memories. His recollections, his experiences. Tohka… she sounded like someone special to him."

Aviar fell silent, thinking back on those experiences with the purple-haired girl named Tohka. Someone else's memories? But they felt so real. Surreal, in fact. He found it difficult to grasp the concept.

"That is the key, Aviar. You can relive his memories. You alone can uncover his identity and learn who he was."

He looked up at the figure with a confused expression, something not registering to him. "But… why? What's so important about him?"

"Because he was forgotten. Ever wondered why he isn't standing before you and only our fragmented memories remain? I view this as an omen, a warning for the future to learn the past. I fear that lest we learn his story, we shall share his fate."

Aviar froze at the news, unable to respond. He was left puzzled at his words, pondering what this 'fate' was and how Shido was even tied to it. It left a million questions circling around in his head. The figure spread his arms apart, a black rod forming from his hands and solidifying into a cane.

"That void within you, those feelings of worthlessness. He can answer for it. You just have to look."

He tapped the ground with his cane, and a black pool formed underneath his feet. "Best hurry, Aviar. Time is running short. For the both of us."

"Wait!" Aviar cried, reaching out a hand. A million questions raced through his head and he wanted to ask them all. He took a breath, calmed himself down, and formulated at least one question to ask. "Who are you? Really?"

The figure began to sink into the black pool underneath his feet. "In due time, child. In due time."

His head disappeared beneath the pit and it closed after him, leaving an ordinary section of concrete. Aviar took a step back, inhaling a shaky breath. So much had happened in such a short amount of time and his head was having trouble processing it all. He rubbed his forehead to soothe it.

"Aviar!"

He spun around at the voice, and he saw Shadow had appeared on the walkway. She was adorned in her own Coat of Arms, complete in the cloak and hood she showed off earlier that week. Dashing to Aviar, she threw her arms around him, causing him to cry out at the sudden stinging of his stab wound.

"Thank God you're okay…" she sobbed, burying her head in his chest. "...I was so worried."

"Yeah, I'm alright. I think…" Aviar chuckled. "What happened? Seraph and I were wondering about you all day."

"Cyrene…" Shadow answered between sobs. "...she threatened to kill me if I went to you or Seraph. I was so scared… I didn't know what to do! When I saw the explosions, I thought she was trying to kill you! I… just didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"It's okay…" Aviar tried to comfort her, wrapping his own arms around her and caressing her hair. "You made the right choice. Look, I'm here and I'm alright. You don't need to worry anymore."

He didn't know if she did make the right choice but concealed the detail to console her. Shadow kept crying into his chest, letting out all her pent-up stress and emotion. Aviar held her in his arms, staring out at the horizon. The sun had already dipped below the horizon and night was going to come soon.

They didn't stand for long before a new guest appeared in an unconventional manner. She dropped from the sky and landed with a thud. A massive pair feathered wings sprouted from her back, furling behind her as she rose to her feet. Despite the alarming feature, Aviar immediately recognized her chocolate eyes and gleaming face.

"Hey, Seraph!" he called weakly. "I found Shadow."

Hearing his words, Shadow detached herself from him and spun around to see Seraph. She ran and collided with her for an embrace, causing Seraph to grunt and chuckle. "Honey, where have you been? I was worried about you."

Aviar slouched, grasping his injury. "Cyrene made a threat to kill her if she went to either of us. That's what she told me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, honey…" she breathed, patting Shadow as she held her. Aviar stood and watched them, not saying much else. He couldn't help but admire Seraph's folded wings, the symbol of her mastery. She always looked so majestic with them, especially when paired with her Coat of arms.

Seraph looked up at Aviar from her hug. "How's the wound?"

He peeled his hand away from his abdomen, showing the stab. "Better than better. Still hurts to move, though."

"Hmm…" she hummed as she studied it. "Nothing a little healing magic can't fix. You'll be okay."

"Heh, thanks."

Seraph and Shadow pulled apart from their hug. Shadow stood aside, still sniffling and wiping her tear-stained face. Aviar decided to give her some space, and Seraph glanced over at the unconscious bodies of Caldera and Cyrene. She looked back at Aviar. "What happened after I left?"

"Uh…" Aviar trailed off. He looked to where the strange figure had disappeared and back at his mother. "...it's a long story."

"Hmm. Well, I guess you'll have to tell us the riveting tale tomorrow."

She strolled over to Caldera, reaching out with her arms and lifted her off the ground. "Anyway, we can't leave her here. We'll take care of her until she wakes up. It's getting late and it's been a long day. I think it's time we go home."

"What about Cyrene?" Aviar inquired.

Seraph cast a cursory glance to the girl in question, soon directing her vision back to him. "Eh, she'll be fine. The Fireflies will pick her up so I wouldn't worry."

She sighed. "Think you can take him home?" she directed to Shadow, who nodded.

"Good. I'll meet you guys there," Seraph stated. Gliding to the metal railing, she looked over her shoulder as her wings unfurled. "Oh, and Aviar?"

His head popped up to look at her, where she sent him a smile.

"I think you took Caldera on a fantastic date."

Aviar rolled his eyes at the comment as she took to the skies. He let out a shaky breath, attempting to release the stress that never quite left him. There would be a lot of explaining he'd have to do, and several unanswered questions still plagued his mind. A part of him hoped he imagined the meeting with the strange figure but he knew it was very real, and it would be a while before he could talk about their conversation.

"Wait, you did what?" Shadow exclaimed.

Yep. Definitely a lot of explaining to do.


And that's a wrap! Can't believe I've made it this far, but the first major arc is complete. Admittedly it's taken much longer than I would've liked, but I want to thank you for sticking around regardless! I'm super happy at the reviews I've received and it's always nice to know that someone is reading and enjoying your work. It's been hard at times but I intend to keep trekking onward and complete this story no matter how long it takes me.

That being said, I'll probably disappear for a bit as I plan out the next arc. So, don't worry if I go another three months without uploading, especially since school will be starting up soon for me. If I go like... two years without uploading, then you should get worried XD. Beyond that thanks once again for reading, and I'll be back with the next exciting installment of this story!