OOC: Magic has given me permission to control Ace and Toukan for this post....wait, didn't I control one of his characters last post?
? Anyway, here's the post!
IC:
~-
Relief For A Friend -~
Kitridge nodded in agreement with Nick; it could be a trap, but a part of her didn't think it was the case. Remaining silent she listened as Ace explained, laughing,
"Well you see...Rain thinks everyone hates her. And that’s because she hate all but three breakfast burritos. Where she puts it all is a mystery."
She allowed herself a laugh when Rain giggled, having seen the kids through various times on the ship. "Really? That's what this is all about? They don't hate you Rain, if my dad could tolerate me trying to poison him every single time he made me mad, then they'll be able to look past this. Besides, I've done the same thing too, meetings like that are really boring for kids."
Kit was positive she might have earned a couple of looks, but the only one she was focused on was Rain. Noticing the sudden unfocused look on her face, Kit turned her attention to the guys present in the room; remaining silent for several moments she listened as they talked about things.
I wonder how Timmy's been doing, he seemed really upset by what Masquerade had said. she thought to herself.
Why should you care about that stuff? Don't tell me that you're falling for him; don't you remember what happened last time?
She mentally waved off the warning; there wasn't any point in acknowledging it. She heard the beginning of a snarky retort in her mind, but Kit brushed it away; instead her attention was drawn to Rain as she took off running out of the room. Sighing, Kit stood up and started to follow the girl as she called over her shoulder, "Sorry Nick, but I want to make sure Rain's okay; we can talk later, 'kay?"
Without another word, Kitridge ran from the room; feeling that Toukan and Ace were hot on her heels, Kit hurried after the younger girl, scanning her surroundings for any trace of the girl that she was searching for; sliding to a stop, she suddenly realized where her feet had taken her and that Kana was sitting right outside of Timmy's bedroom door. "Come on Kit, we've got to find Rain and make sure she's okay!" Ace snapped, a little annoyed with the fact she'd stopped running.
Looking at Ace, startled, Kit nodded and saw a concerned look on Toukan's face. "I'm fine, and I'm sure Rain's fine." She said reassuringly; the last thing they needed was for the adults (well, the closest that this ship HAD to adults, anyway) they trusted to be losing it in front of them. Walking down the corridor, she heard something from Timmy's room and watched as Kana pushed the door open, ready for anything that was on the other side.
“--still there. Weakened. Pushed down and locked up for the time being. But still there. And so are those scars on my heart," a familiar voice said.
Timmy.
She fought back the urge to cry out in happiness; instead Kit hurried to the door and pushed it open, knowing that Toukan and Ace were right behind her. She watched as they went past her to say hello to Rain, Ace even giving her a hug and saying that he was worried about her. She was glad that Rain was safe; Kit didn't have to ask if Timmy meant the Hybrid, she was positive that's what he was talking about.
Remaining silent for several heartbeats, she said softly, "You're okay." Several different hidden meanings were in that one sentence; but what they all were was unknown, even to her.
~-
Take A Chance, Roll The Dice -~
Stella stared up at the full moon; the curl of Moonlight Hill seemed to be resting against its swollen face. A smile touched her face as she stared down at her transparent hands, a healthy dose of irony touching the look; it was funny that she'd been turned into a ghost for this world, considering her abilities over illusion. A quick shake of her head followed another rueful smile; she couldn't enjoy the scenery, she'd been ordered to wait here while Sononea decided their next move. Stretching, she hopped down from the top of the hill, feeling the presence of the others near by, all of them were just normal and didn't dictate...
On second thought, there was just one.
The girl that had shadows that coiled across her skin, the same one that could have the darkness answer her beck and call. She knew that it would be crazy to confront the girl by herself, but something about her felt similar to her own powers. Stella shook her head, dismissing the notion that had flashed across her mind with that simple motion; instead she walked toward the wall of the cemetery, a smile spreading across her face. Stella slipped through the stone wall and searched for the area she wished to exit to.
Stepping into the town square, she caught a glimpse again of the girl, knowing that she wouldn't be seen, Stella floated closer.
Who is she? Is she a new addition to Sononea's army? Why do I feel such a dark power resting within her?
~-
Just Look Around This Room -~
Aria listened to Masquerade's chatter, yet she didn't add in any commentary. There was nothing to add, not from a mindless puppet. She followed behind Masquerade and Aaron, briefly wondering if the other boy was okay since he wasn't here. He'd always had a stronger will than her; or maybe she was wrong on that thought? She didn't know anymore, and she didn't want to know anymore.
"Come on Rose, you're not honestly giving up are you?"
"What are you doing up so late? You do know that King Cecil's going to be mad if we're late tomorrow, right?"
"It's okay, they'll come back pretty soon, I know it; and as soon as they do everything's going to be okay, you just wait and see. You just have to hold out a little longer, please."
Biting her lip softly, Rose wished that the three guys were there so she could slug them. They always treated her like a child; sure she was one, but still....
Shaking her head, Aria felt a smile start to grace her lips, not even paying attention to the meeting that Sononea was having; instead she did notice when he'd slipped off back to the tent, distracted by something. Aria shook her head for a moment, glancing in Masquerade's direction, she thought to herself,
I wonder how the other baddies are doing, and who's Ceal? An odd spark of curiosity shining in her thoughts; sure she'd heard of the man before hand, but she hadn't had a chance to personally meet him.
Reaching a hand up, her gloved fingers curled around the necklace that rested there, the last gift she'd gotten on the night of the Hybrid's assault. She smirked slightly at a joking thing her father had said to her once after the fight with the Creator; he'd meant it in a joking fashion, but it did seem to be the family's motto with how often her parents had done it.
Lie, cheat and deceive.
Repeat until caught, then find a way to get out of the situation alive.
Yeah, that sounded about right for her father.
~-
So Much of Her Remains -~
He met the strike head on, steel sliding along steel, as the younger man dropped down from the sky. Shoving back on the teen's lance with his own, the dragoon had just enough time to bring his right arm up, blocking the attack from his second opponent with the shield he held in his hand.
Pushing both of them away, he lept into the air; after a moment, he felt gravity take over and he began the return trip to earth. He let it take him, using the momentum to shove his lance into the ground, creating a shock wave on impact that left the other two staggering.
Kain straitened, watching as Jet and Matt clambered quickly to their feet. Watching the brothers, the older dragoon said softly, "Pathetic. If you had been against an opposing dragoon and not in the practice ring, you would have been dead and not winded. You must remain light on your feet; grounded, but ready to jump at a moments notice. You can't let pain of any sort distract you..."
Kain's words trailed off as he looked from Jet to Matt, seeing himself at their ages all over again. Their nearly identical looks of determination masking the pain that all the Highwinds had been feeling for months now. Kain relaxed his stance, changing from Red Wings Captain and Holy Dragoon into a stern father with a hidden softness in his eyes.
When did I turn into my own
father?
"We've been going at this all day; take the next hour to rest and get something to eat. I'll see you two later."
Nodding at the two, Kain waited while Jet and Matt returned the gesture before they ran off in the opposite direction. Then, turning on his heel, Kain left the practice yard in the opposite direction, his thoughts going over familiar ground.
Edge had sent Cutter to forge an alliance with another world about three months ago. Truth be told, Kain hadn't thought it was a wise choice to send not only a young girl, but one that had recently lost a good friend on such an important mission. But then again, those ninjas had pretty damn good poker faces, and a girl in her teens would be less likely to be met with hostility in times like these. Didn't change the fact that this was still Edge's daughter they were talking about, though....
Kain hadn't realized that he'd entered the castle until he saw a familiar head of silvery-blond hair just ahead of him. It seemed that Ceodore had seen him too, slowing his pace, the prince nodded to the dragoon and said, "Captain, I hadn't expected to see you right now..."
Kain smiled slightly before saying, "I called a break to the training session. Matt and Jet were heading to get something to eat, if you were interested in talking to them."
Clicking his heels together, Ceodore said quickly, "Thank-you, Captain!" Then he was off to find his friends. Kain shook his head, laughing slightly. The boy really was just as earnest as Cecil; he was glad to see Ceodore finally coming into his own.
But the smile slid from his face as, in the wing that held the residential quarters, he came across one door in particular that stood slightly ajar. Kain's heart froze in his chest, especially when he heard the softest of breaths from the other side of the portal.
Pushing the door further open, he stepped into a room that hadn't been touched in six months. The room looked to belong to a young woman; a hairbrush lay on the vanity, a few strands of blond hair still caught in the bristles gleaming gold in the late afternoon sun streaming through the window. The garments that went under the dragoons armor were in evidence in the closet, but so was the sleeve of a delicate evening dress. Kain remembered how proud she had been when she'd tried the dress on for the very first time; she'd spun around and around, doing a full circuit of the room as he laughed at her delight.
His eyes trailed to the bed, where a woman sat on the neatly made coverlet, staring at the book that was on the pillow while she held a small, framed picture in her lap. Kain was already moving toward her before he even saw the tears in her emerald green eyes.
Reaching the bed, he sat down and, gently, pulled her into her arms. Stroking her hair, he said softly, "Don't cry, Bluebell; please, I can't bear to see you cry."
She turned toward him, her hands curling against his chest as the tears continued to trail down her face. "Why? Girls shouldn't be taken away like that. She was just a baby Kain; my sweet, beautiful baby girl..."
Kain didn't say anything else, he just kept stroking her hair as Bluebell cried into his shoulder. She'd gone through so much; his continual infatuation with Rosa; his betrayal of first Cecil's trust, then her own when he took advantage of her willingness; the necessity of abandoning their family to Cecil's care to keep the boys and Rose safe.
Their history was tainted with so much darkness, but he thought that had been put behind them when they'd come back to help Cecil regain his sense of self and stop the Creator two years ago. He'd gotten to know his sons who had grown up in their absence. Everyone remarked about how much they looked like him, how the dragoon talent had obviously been handed down from father to sons.
And Rose; she'd been the spitting image of her mother. Tiny frame, bright green eyes and golden hair. Kain had been pleasantly surprised to find out that she had chosen the path of dragoon as well, even when her talents favored her mother.
It was a cruel twist of fate then, that had allowed them to grow close as a family, only to lose Rose in an assault by the Hybrid's six months ago. Jet and Matt were still reeling, and it was rare to see Ceodore with the smile that he had earlier. His own heart still ached for his lost daughter. But Bluebell...
Kain was afraid she'd never recover from Rose's death.
