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Chapter 15
Eyce
Frost Isle

As I awoke early the next morning, confusing thoughts from last night came flooding in.
“Sorry, but I cant save some world that’s probably in my head so…. I can’t do this…. when I get off this aircraft I’m going home…somehow!”
As I walked down the hallways I thought, Crashing a aircraft is just like crashing a car or a computer…. it shouldn’t be too hard… I just need I started as I looked out a bay window and saw a small but snow covered island, That’ll work.
I ran up and down the hallways until I found the engine room.
“Show time.” I said as I went in and found the computer-like engine I type a command to “land”. And it worked! The aircraft was programmed to land right on that island.
Once we landed, I got off the aircraft as quickly as I could before the crew woke up. I ran. I ran until I couldn’t run anymore. But I still needed to keep moving. Soon the sun began to set. I kept walking. Something told me not to stop. Several times I felt as is there was an earthquake, but nothing shifted or cracked.
By the time I had reached the other end of the island it was dark, cold, and I was all alone. In a way it was kind of nice, being alone I mean. But not for long. Ahead I saw an outline of a fire and three rather large figures. I walk closer to see if they were human or not.
“Hello?” I said calmly, with one hand on my gun.
The tallest one stood. She was about 9-10 feet tall and to top that off she had snow white hair and bright blue skin.
“Who goes there?!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“
“Who are ye?!?”
“My name is Eyce. I’m sorry to have startled you…Bu-“
“Sit down little one. Warm yerself.” One of the others said.
“Akram!!! Don’t be invitin’ strangers! Especially human beans!”
“I am sorry little one. You’ll have to excuse Troia. Ya see she has a bad temper and might have a few foul words from time to time.…”
“I don’t mean to be rude but…what exactly…are you?”
Troia let out a laugh loud enough to fill a movie theater.
“ We’s Frost giants. Ya probably don’t be knowin’ the island yer on do ya?”
“No, actually I don’t.”
“Frost Isle” the third said timidly.
“Well, Eyce,” started Troia “Were is ye hailin’ from?”
“Not from here. Actually I’ve been trying to get back there but I really don’t know how to say it. I don’t know my way back there and I don’t speak any other language that people would understand.”
The giants all looked at each other and started to talk in a Latin sounding tongue.
“But we’s hasn’t changed our language. Just talking the same. What language is ye speakin’?”
“English. Why?”
“It’s just that…that language doesn’t exist.”
“Then what she speakin’?” asked Akram.
“I know!" exclaimed Troia, "Me uncle Gru-nor will know! He’s the smart one."
“Doesn’t he live on Hein?” asked the third giant timidly.
“Well, little one, would ya want to see him?”
“I guess so.”

















Chapter 16
Kal
Lost

“It’s fixed!” shouted Rikku
“Finally!!!” exclaimed Reno, “Hey Kal! Its fixed, let’s go!”
I stood staring at footprints that led out to the other side of the island.
“What’s wrong?” asked Rikku.
“She left.”
“Who left?”
“Eyce….”
“RENO!!!! GET YOUR LAZY BUTT DOWN HERE!!!!” shouted Rikku.
He came down and they started to argue.
“I’m going after her.” I said blankly following the footprints. I wasn’t going to lose anyone else.








Chapter 17
Eyce
Discovery on Hein

“Are you this is the safest way?” I asked walking along the ice as the Lock dangled at my side.
“ Course it is,” Started Troia, “If you travel by aircraft…the winds will knock ye down. And besides if I can walk on this ice without it breaking then so can ye.”
“Were almost there, see?” said Akram… he stood about one foot shorter than Troia
“Finally!” I said.
As we walked on the frozen inlet to another larger island I saw…something that looked similar to the last temple I saw at Iroh.
“Come on.”
“Oh sorry!”
It was buried into the wall of a plateau. Incredible really.
“Come on!!”
I walked along with them until we came to the side of the plateau.
“How are we gonna get up there?” I asked.
“Ya use yer noggin.” Said Troia as she placed her hand on a stalagmite and pushed it down to reveal something close to an escalator. As we ascended to the temple I had realized that I would have gone here with Kal, so why did I leave if I was going to go here anyway?
“UNCLE????!!!!” shouted Troia, “WHERE ARE YE??”
I expected someone about twenty feet tall. Or maybe even taller, from the way Troia talked about him…he had to be.
“I’m coming, I’m coming…” said a rather short….dwarf.
“Uncle…what ‘appened?”
“Blasted frost fairies….made me short….”
It was so hard not to laugh…not even to giggle at his height.
“And who’s this long lout? I don’t like the look of him.” He said staring at me.
“Uncle that’s a human bean…and it’s a girl.”
“Really? By Jove, humans have changed…they looked different in my day.” He said with a scowl.
“Yeah, nice relatives, Troia. I didn’t know they were short on manners and height.”
“Well I never,” the little man started, “I have a whole corridor full of knowledge you don’t know.”
“Try me.”
He snorted, ”We'll see.” He said as he started to walk down the corridors and turned into a rather large room. When we reached it I was really surprised and impressed. It was a library!
He walked around the room as if he was looking for some certain book. He searched for a while and finally found what he was looking for. He carried it over to me and was about to open it when I saw the cover and immediately began to quote one of my favorite passages:
What is-sea-born dies on land,
Soft is trod upon.
What is given burns the hand-
What is gone is gone.
“How can someone like you quote something like this?!?” he asked rather shocked.
“ The Last Unicorn is like my all-time favorite book!”
He smiled a great big fang-toothed smile and said, “I am glad to make your acquaintance fellow great reader! I’ve never known a human to have read that book. Congratulations!”
“Oh,” I said feeling pleased, “Now that we seem to know each other…can I ask you a few questions?”
“Certainly.”
“OK I’ve got some whoppers. But first, lets start with the basics. How come people don’t know what the English language is, but we don’t have any trouble understanding each other?”


Chapter 18
Eyce
Thoughts of You

As I waited patiently for the old midget giant to find an answer in one of his books, I continued to look through the shelves to see if there was anything of interest.
One, in particular, caught my eye. On the cover was a picture of two people dancing….it made me think of him.
***
“I’m excited!!!!” shouted Elsie Jane
“At least one of is..” I said
“Oh come on…its PROM!!!”
“Woo-hoo.” I said sarcastically.
“Why don’t you ask if Zack is going?”
“N-“
“If you don’t I will.”
“Fine. I will.”
***
“Zack?” I asked
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to the dance?”
“I don’t know….probably not.”
“Just go!”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to.”
“Why?”
“Ok…this is going to sound really idiotic and stupid but…Ok I want you to come because I put a lot of time into my dress and stuff to impress you! I know it sounds corny but oh well!”
“Uhhhh…”
“Uhhhh what?”
“O…k.”
I sighed, “Your not coming are you?”
“Well, I have a girlfriend and I don’t want to be dumped for two-timing..”
“Oh…. Well, there goes that bit of joy.” I said sarcastically.
“What are you talking about?”
“Just quit thinking so hard and just show up ok?”
“Maybe…I’m having a third thought about not ever showing up to any dance! But I’m still not sure.”
“Well, that’s that…ok fine …I don’t care.”
“Yeah you do.” He said as he cocked his head.
“Nope.”
“I know you do.”
“Nope…Jerk.” I said folding my arms.
“Wait, do you have feelings for me or somethin’?”
I should have just kept my mouth shut, maybe things might have gone better if I did. But it all came out like a gushing out “Yes! Several times before you chipped pieces off my heart and now you ripped it out and burned it into cinders.”
“By not liking you back? I just like you as a friend and that’s all I want!”
“No…I love you…..I really do.”
“ It may seem plausible, but it’s impossible.”
“I guess it goes in one ear and out the other doesn’t it? Is it that meaningless to say?? If you don’t care then say it to my face! I’m not ticked off I’m just at war with myself. Inside its constantly raining and I don’t know what to do. I’m alone. And even though I already said it, I’ll say it again I love you...iloveyouiloveyou! Not the strong form of like, love!!!!”
“ I’m only saying the truth… I don’t love you back.”
“A-alright….that’s it.”
“…We’ll just stay friends, right?” he said putting his hand on my shoulder.
“…….”
“Ok fine, ignore me I’m not mad.”
“I’m not sure right now.” I said, shrugging off his hand.
“Why? Cause you can’t go out with me and live “Happily Ever After”?”
“No….”Happily Ever After” doesn’t exist.”
“Exactly! Now were on the same page! I’m happy that you understand.”
“Sure….”


The thoughts came flooding in. I wanted to forget the sad memories and just concentrate on the happy ones…memories of when he did come to love me. But at the same time I was afraid that if I forgot any memories of him, even the sad ones…I’d forget him…and that was something I didn’t want to do. So I continued to hang on to the few memories I had left.




Chapter 19
Eyce
Answers
“Here it is!!” Shouted Gru-nor.
“Really? Lets see!” I said excitedly
“According to this…. the language doesn’t exist…. I’m sorry.”
“Oh….then how can I...
“Understand us? Simple, you will it so.”
“Will? Whaddya mean, will it so?!” I asked, rather shocked at his answer.
“There are a lot of mysteries of life and one is the special gifts some people have, like your gift to understand beyond language.”
“Yeah, I’m not quite satisfied with that answer, but lets move on.” I don’t know why I asked it, but the next thing I blurted out was, “ Who is Kal?”
The old midget giant stroked his chin, “Ah, Kal. I haven’t heard that name in a long while. Well, first I’ll explain. Have you ever heard of the race called Souls?”
“What? No.”
“Souls can be humans, elves ,and even giants like Troia and I who refuse to die completely. When their bodies die, their souls live on. The soul has the strength to create an image of the body they had been in originally. But they don’t have a heart. To survive they need a living being to share a heart with. These living being who share their hearts are called Lifelines.
“Lifelines… And are you telling me Kal is a Soul?”
“ Yes.”
“And so who is Kal’s Lifeline?”
“Her name was Rayne, but she died long ago.”
“Then how does he survive?” I asked.
“He is living off of the memories of her heart. But he can’t stay this way forever. His skin will start to decay and soon he will be nothing more than dust.”
“But…what if she was alive? Would have they stayed together, and have been happy?”
“Yes. As long as they both stayed pure. If something was to go wrong, or if they couldn’t stay pure and they did something of pure evil, the Soul would become a Regalia.”
“You mean those things with the red eyes and the black cloaks?”
“I’m afraid so. the Regalia are Souls twisted by evil. And they only target one person in the entire universe. The Regalia seek out the Jactare to destroy.”
“The what?”
“The only person who can open and travel through the gates of this world into the next.”
“And she is the only one who can forge a new Staff, right?”
“Ahhh, yes,”Gru-nor’s eyes widened in surprise. “So you’ve heard of the Jactare?”
“Yeah. And there can’t be any replacement if she doesn’t want to take the job?”
”She has no choice, even if she wanted to give up that position she would have to die so that the next Jactare could be born.”
“I guess I can’t run away anymore then can I?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’m her…and I was afraid of doing this task….but I guess I can’t run. I have to face my fears…don’t I?”
“You’re-y-you’re….Come this way quickly.”
He led me out of the library and down the corridors. While we were walking I saw the same picture I saw at Iroh of the girl with three doors and three glowing objects above her hands. This time the picture was on a wall and the words they read something different: “The Only Dependable Thing About the Future is Uncertainty.”
There was more to this picture. Outside of the doors were two dragons. One was black as ebony and the other…white as snow.
But I couldn’t see anything else new because the rest was frosted over.
“Well, come on we don’t have much time,” said Gru-nor impatiently.
“Sorry, I’m coming.”
As we continued down the corridors we came to a uniquely carved black door with rubies placed randomly about it.
“Through this door is where were going…can you reach the knob?”
“Yeah.” I said as I opened the door to reveal one of the most beautiful rooms I ever saw.
“Wait here.” He said as he disappeared into the room and came out with a ring.
“Give me your hand,” He said as he put the ring on my right hand ring finger. “This isn’t one of the elements, but it is a kind of tracking device. Once it is on your hand it will call out to the Key and its owner, the Praeses. The Praeses will find you and escort you to the last location….but only you are permitted there… to find the unknown element.”
“And that is?”
“the Chain.”
“If you know the names of the elements, why do you call them unknown?”
“Because they don’t appear as what they are called.”
“Oh,” I said fingering the Lock, “I think I’d better get back to the aircraft. Good bye.”
“Godspeed Jactare!”


















Chapter 20
Kal
Found

As it began to get darker, her tracks were harder to follow. But as I reached the end of the island, a long strange howling started ringing in my ears. I new the Jactare was calling.
I began to run across the frozen inlet ahead of me. I needed to find her, now.
. Suddenly the howling stopped. I stopped. And before my eyes…was Eyce.
“YOU,” she started as she charged toward me, “Did you know I was this Jactare person?!”
“Truthfully, yes.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me early?!” she said even angrier.
“Because you wouldn’t have had come with me.” I said staring at her green eyes.
She thought about it for some time and said, “Are you hiding something else from me?”
“I’m a Praeses.” I said, “ and I have the second element, the Key.”
“Wait a second—wow, that means we have two out of the three elements. I was told that the Praeses, meaning you, would lead me to the third, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” I nodded.
She sighed, “You know, if you had just told me the truth…I might have believed you… don’t leave things out anymore, OK? Because it looks like we’re in this together.”
“ And no more disappearing, OK? Come on let’s go. Reno will probably send out a search party if we don’t get back soon.” I said as I grabbed her hand and started back across the ice.
***

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???” shouted Reno as Eyce and I climbed onto the aircraft.
“Out finding the second element. Why?” Eyce asked.
He stuttered out a few inaudible words while I just stood there with a straight face.
“What? Did you think I was vaporized by some three-headed monster?” she said jokingly.
“Well whatever happened , I’m glad you’re back.”
“ Reno, you need to set us on a course for the Tanar.” I said , putting my hand on Eyce’s shoulder.
Reno looked at both of us, and nodded in understanding, “Alright. Lets go find that third element.”







Chapter 21
Eyce
Assault

As I walked down the hall I saw Rikku staring out one of the windows.
“What’s wrong?” I asked
“Oh, hi!” she said as she turned on her smile, “Nothing, I was just looking at the birds…I don’t get to see them that often…and I like their wings…cause they get to see anything…its like their free…so free.” She said trailing off, staring at the birds.
“You know, wings are a sign of freedom…to those who have none.”
“who told you that?” she asked.
“Zack did.”
“Ooooo who’s Zack??”
“Just a friend.”
“Really?” she said with a questioning smile.
“Rikku…” I started.
“Sorry, I’m just curious!” she said smiling
I felt the aircraft jerk to a fast stop.
“What was that?”
Reno’s voice came booming over the intercom. “ All hands to battle stations!!”
“What?” exclaimed Rikku. “ Who would attack us here in—“
She was cut off by large assaults into the aircraft cracking the windows by which we were standing.
“Rikku!!” I barley choked out, trying not to inhale any of the smoke. The aircraft lurched again and this time… it started to going down.
With a lot of force and engine fuel, the crew managed to stay up in the air. The assaults didn’t let up. I lost my balance and fell through one of the windows, but I was caught by the hand…by…Kal.
“Hang on I’ll pull you up.” He said as he started to lift me up. He was holding on to me with one hand and with the other a broken rail about to rip off the aircraft.
“No…” I said, “Let me fall.”
“Are you crazy???”
“Maybe.” I started. “ But if you pull that railing out you and I are both gonna fall and they won’t know where we are…so let go!”
“N-“ he started as he shook his head.
“Now! I’ll be okay…I’ll land in the water…and there’s an island less than a mile away…so. I’ll meet you there okay? Now…let go.”
Finally, he let go. I started to fall… and instead of hitting water, I hit something cold and devastatingly hard…it was the deck of the enemy aircraft!
At first I was stunned… I began running down the hall trying not to be seen.
“Roku.” I whispered, “Get me outta here.”
As thy wishes. Open the hatch below you …and beyond that is the exit.
I looked down and I tried to open it. But before I could get it open, someone’s hand came and with a cloth held it to my mouth. I tried to pry it off but unfortunately they got the better of me…so in other words…I passed out.
***
I woke up to see another stone ceiling.
“Ooooo my head.”
“Don’t move. You hurt your head, remember?” A voice belonging to a young man about the age of 22. He looked quite handsome actually.
“No…who…who are you?”
“You don’t remember do you? Its me…Dark Skys Greed…but you usually call me Greed, remember?”
“Not really…Where am I?—Who am I?”
“You don’t remember anything? Anything at all?” he asked slyly. “Your name is Kaylie , you’re 19, and you’re back at the castle—your home. Alright?”
I tried to remember anything about myself but couldn’t. “Really?”
“ Yeah. You just rest a bit and when that headache of yours goes away…well, we’ll talk later.”
“My eyes hurt too… its like I’ve got bugs in them or something.”
“ Well here let me see.” He said examining them. “…Nope nothing that I can see. They’re gray, just like they always are.”
“Gray?!?” I asked with confusion. “ I thought they were—“
“No, they’ve always been gray…look just get some rest…ok?”
“Yeah, sure.” I said as I laid back down to go back to sleep.


Chapter 22
Kal
Regretfulness

“Kal…KAL, WAKE UP!!!!!” boomed Rikku’s voice. I sat up.
“Where are we?” I asked looking around to see nothing more than a beach and a forest right behind me.
“The Northern Shoals… we crashed here. Are ye OK?”
“Yes… I’m-” I winced. My left arm was throbbing.
“How bad is it?” she asked,
“It’s nothing—I’m fine.”
“Well,…what would Rayne want you to do?”
I glared at her.
“Never, I repeat, never say that name again!” I said angrily.
“Well if I don’t yer not gonna do anything about it!!! And besides Eyce wouldn’t want ye to be this way either!!”
“Why would you bring her up in a time like this??”
“You care about her don’t ye? And besides, she looks an awful lot like Rayne….and that’s why you agreed to take her wasn’t it? Ye just needed some one to reinforce your memories didn’t ye??”
“That’s not—“ I started.
“Didn’t ye?! I know ye! Thy is probably scared that if ye goes to save her bad things will happen, just like last time. Ye can’t predict the future and ye can’t live in the past either.”
Rikku was right of course, I was afraid of helping someone again…because… the last time I did….I lost Rayne.
“Do you really think things won’t repeat themselves?”
“I’ll make sure of it, ye buffoon.” she said gently.
“Hey! You guys!” said a familiar voice. Out of the forest walked Akane, the young priestess I had carried off of Iroh. She was tall, thin, with brown hair, eyes the color of the sun, and skin as dark as tree bark. We hadn’t seen much of her on the aircraft because of her injuries.
“Akane! Are you hurt? Did you see anybody?” I said rising to my feet ignoring the pain shooting up my arm.
“I’m sorry, no, I didn’t see anybody else besides you and Rikku…but I also have good news! We have safe passage on this island!”
“Who told you that?” ask Rikku.
“The tree spirits did…and there’s a sanctuary in the forest. I just came from there.”
“Well let’s go! Maybe we can find the others on the way.” said Rikku hopefully.
Akane led us through the forest to an opening. The opening held a very large sanctuary and inside was all the priests, priestesses, and warriors of Iroh, Hein, and Tanar! They were talking excitedly among themselves. Most of the conversations were about how they would rid themselves of Obscurus. They seemed surprised at the sight of us. Apparently they were expecting someone else.
One of them, an elderly priest, came up to Akane and started gesturing and talking in a language I hadn’t heard since….well, since Rayne was still alive.
“What are they saying?” asked Rikku.
“He is angry because he wanted her to bring the Jactare with us.”
“Why would he expect the Jactare to be with us?”
“Because she was on the aircraft. It was Eyce.”
Rikku’s eyes widened in surprise, “You’re serious? What are they saying now?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Yes I d-“
She stopped. Akane came back over with a curious look.
“Kal, do you know where she is, Eyce I mean.”
“Why do you want to know?” I asked.
“ Stop being so stubborn and just answer the question.”
“She fell from the aircraft and landed in the enemy aircraft.”
She went back and told the elderly priest what I had said. The priest raised his hands and commanded to room to be silent. He began to speak. Akane came back to stand with us as I translated the words to Rikku:
“The Jatare has fallen under the authority of the Empress.”
All of the priests, priestess, and warriors in the room came into an uproar. Shouts of disbelief were suddenly silenced by the sudden appearance a young man in the uniform of the Empress’s Guard.
He spoke, “The Empress is dead. Obscurus has taken over her body She has imprisoned the Jactare in her castle. I have come to warn you so the fight will be fair..” Everyone in the room began to murmur among themselves.
Rikku looked at me, “Kal, wouldn’t Eyce realize were she was, and try to get way?”
The guard turned and pointed a finger at Rikku. “But what if she didn’t know who she was? Then she’d stay quite easily.”
How did he hear her say that? I thought as I glared at him, for I did not trust him. “And what do you intend to do? And how do you know this? What made her forget? And whose side are you on?” I said walking toward him
“So…you never change, White Cloud.” The guard said,
“You’re one to talk, Dark Skys.”
The negative energy began to build between us. I felt a murderous rage building up inside me.
“STOP IT!!!” shouted Rikku as she came up and put space between us, “No fighting or I’ll-“
“You’ll what?” started Dark Skys.
From the first time I met Rikku, I realized…not to make her mad.
“This.” She said as she hit him hard on the head with a shield she had retrieved from the nearest wall.
“And that goes for you too!” she said pointing at me.
“Got it!” I said backing away from Rikku, but looking for Dark Skys over her shoulder. He had disappeared.
“I’m sorry, now please, proceed,” she said, indicating to Akane to translate to the priest.
“..Uh…right.” said Akane, puzzled at the exchange between Kal and Dark Skys.


Chapter 23
Eyce
Ball gown

As I walked down the stone corridor, I heard the whistle of an aircraft. I looked out and saw…Greed
“Greed is back!” I said excitedly to myself as I ran to the down the steps to greet him.
“Greed,” I said trying to catch my breath, “Your back…safely I trust.”
“Course m’lady. I wouldn’t dare upset you.”
“You’re back safely and that’s all that matters and besides, you kept your promise…didn’t you?”
“What promise? M’lady you…didn’t even know I left until I had already gone.”
“Oh…,” I said, “ Wait- he’s not back yet is he?”
“Who?”
“I don’t know…I keep getting mixed up—but how many times do I have to tell you not to call me “m’lady” it gets pretty annoying, just call me by my name…my real name.”
“Of course m’…ah...uh...sorry. Kaylie.”
“Is that my name?? I thought it was –“
“That’s your name…your memory hasn’t been that good since the accident.”
“Oh…well the Empress wants me to help her with something so I have to go back inside. See you later.” I said, starting to walk back up to the castle.
“Why don’t you-you know, smile?”
“Oh…um, no, see you later ” I said walking away.

***
“Your Highness, you wanted to see me?” I said to the Empress
“Oh yes, of course. I have something for you . You are attending the ball, right?”
“Ball?”
“In your honor.”
“Tch, yeah- I mean, of course. Yes.”
“Then we must find you something to wear.” She said mysteriously
“I thought you wanted me to help you.”
“Oh we’ll do that later dear. But first, lets find you one.”
“Alright.” I said, “ I guess.”









Chapter 24
Kal
Massacre

As I stood staring out one of the windows of the outer wall of the sanctuary, tapping my fingers on the stone windowsill. Dark Skys had departed and the warriors, priests and priestess were preparing for battle. I couldn’t help but feel that something was going to go terribly wrong.
“Ye know,” started Rikku as she walked over to me, “ Ye taps his fingers any longer, there is going to be a groove engraved there.”
“Oh,” I started, “I didn’t see you.”
“Thy is worried?”
“A little bit.”
“Don’t worry. Dark Skys isn’t going to betray us.”
“ Oh really,” I started, “ Its not him I’m worried about,” I said, “Its her.”
“Eyce?” she asked
I nodded. “If what he said is true… then there won’t be a world to save…because no one has proved that the Chain exists, I mean have you even heard about a temple on Tanar for the Chain? Besides, what’s in legends…because…”
“Because what?”
“Because… really, if you think about it…there isn’t a third element.”
“WHO TOL-,” She stopped to lower her voice, “Who told ye that?”
“Rayne did. Just now.”
“Rayne has been gone and dead three years now,” she said. “ But I believe you. You see, Rayne has been talking to me too. She told me that Reno would be alright…”
“ I bet he is…he doesn’t ever plan on dying that easily, you know.” I said trying to comfort her.
“I know…its just—“ she stopped and pulled a two-pronged spear from its sheath, “They’re here.”
“Now?”
“Now. I feel them coming.”
“Go. I’ll come shortly after.”
“Are ye going to call her out?”
I nodded. Rikku let out a smile. She started to run down the halls to warn the others that the Empress’s guards were here—Obscurus’s guards.
As she did that, I drew my sword and thrust the tip of the blade into the stone floor.
“Aid me in battle once more, Irianna.”
As thy wishes.
I then backed away from the over-sized sword. In a burst of white light came forth a white bird-like dragon. I then hauled the sword back out of the stone floor and said.
“If you would be so kind as to terrorize the people who are trying to destroy all of the priests , priestesses, and warriors.”
She nodded and flew out right through the ceiling.
“That should stall them for while.” I said running after Rikku.
***
“Is everyone ready?” I asked Rikku.
“Yeah. The ones that are elders are in hiding. They’ll be fine. And the ones that can fight—“
“Will fight.” Akane said cutting off Rikku, “We are already in stations…who are you fighting for? Hein, Iroh, or Tanar?”
Our answers seemed to blend. Akane, for Iroh. Rikku for Tanar, for one of the smaller islands was near her home. And me…well I fight for Hein, because that was the first place I met Rayne.
“Then you know which side of the island your best fighting ground is.” She said as she ran to meet with her own kind. Rikku did the same.
The Northern Shoals was the island known as “Holy Ground”, because some say it was where the Goddesses stood their ground against Obcsurus in legend. But the outcome wasn’t what they expected. The Goddesses managed to seal Obcsurus away, but because she escaped, she broke the Fourth element…The Staff of Eternal Promise. The staff was forged out of the three elements, the Key, the Lock, and the Chain. When the Staff split, the elements went shooting off in three separate directions and in the process formed three different climates for each island they landed on. Iroh was hot and desert-like, Hein, a frozen wasteland, and finally Tanar, an island that was completely made of swamps. Northern Shoals had all of these climates on one island. So now the people from those islands that gathered here would take a stand on the part of the island with the climate that they knew well.
Here they would make their stand on familiar ground.
As I reached my part of the island…I ran across Dark Skys.
“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you trying to protect Eyce… the Jactare?” I asked.
“But really…did you think I’d ever be on your side? That’s a laugh.”
“So…” I started, “You haven’t changed at all… always a double-crosser.”
“ Now I’ve come to bring you a message. The Empress Obscurus is giving you the opportunity to come back and join her army…again. But, if you refuse….this island and all the inhabitants…will go up in smoke. So, what’s your answer?”
“You already know my answer.”
“Still that persistent about saying no, eh? Well if you had said yes the last time I asked…Rayne would still be alive.”
“I’m the persistent one? No, you are…and this time…you’ll be the one to die.” I said pointing my sword at him.
“You know what’s really funny?” he said drawing his blade, “ I still remember what it was like to slit her throat…”
Our swords clashed and I could hear the rest of the island sounding war cries as fresh blood was to be spilled on the ground. I could also hear Irianna groaning. Overhead Irianna and a black dragon were fighting in mid air. They threw deadly blows of claws and fire at each other.
Our swords clashed like the sound of thunder. While the island’s battle raged around us, our own personal battle went on exhaustingly, until a burst of tricolor light came from miles and miles away. And even though I had never seen anything like it…I knew… that the end of the battle was near. The elements were coming together to forge the new Staff. As the light was still shooting across to the sky… my sword—the Key--disappeared. I was completely weaponless but, taking Dark Skys by surprise, I seized his arm, and nearly snapped it in half. As soon as he dropped his sword I grabbed it and held the tip right against his neck.
“I never knew foul play to be your style.” He said staggering away.
“You know, some warriors die by their own sword…”
“Yeah…insane ones.” He said trying to back away from the sword.
“But somehow…they’re all remembered. Hey,” I started as I pushed the sword closer to his neck, “I thought you wanted to die that way. Am I right?”
“My idea was falling on it.” He said backing up and tripping so that he laid flat on his back.
“Ah well, bon voyage.” I said thrusting the sword into his heart, twisting it so that I made sure that he had died. I staggered to my knees.
“Irianna.” I called. She flew down to my side, exhausted from her fight.
What does thy wish.
“ I need you to do something.” I said. “ The end is nigh. There is still a chance that we can win this fight. Go to Tanar. Find the Chain, and take it to Eyce, understand?”
Perfectly.








Chapter 25
Eyce
Memories of the End

As I walked down the hallway with the dress that the Empress had given me, I felt as if… this wasn’t my life.
“I mean, come on, Kaylie? What kind of a name is that? It doesn’t seem like mine.” I said to myself as I walked back to my room.
I closed the door and sat down on my bed…there was something on my mind…something…long since past.
***
“Do you really have to go?” I had asked.
“Yes I do. And besides you’re all set up with the apartment and you don’t need me anymore…so I’m going.” He had said
“Why are you doing this…are you planning to die out there? You could easily ju-“
“I’m doing this…for my own reasons. Besides, I won’t be missed.”
“I’ll miss you….” I said
“Why? I’m not that important…”
“You are to me….”
“Will you miss me?” He said smiling, “Why will you miss me?”
“ I’ll miss you because you’re someone who saw me for me and…I love you.” I said. “You were the first…to show me what happiness can really be like…and what I’ll miss…is those long walks we take, the conversations, the-“
“Really?"
“You know, everyone says that love hurts, but really that’s not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts. Losing someone hurts. Everyone confuses these things with love, but in reality, love is the only thing in this world that covers up all the pain and makes us feel wonderful again. So please…don’t push me away…because…I mean it when I say that I love you and I don’t want you to leave…cause I’m afraid.”
“Afraid?”
“That I’ll lose you.”
“You’ll never lose me. I’ll come back if you promise to smile for me when I get back…ok?”
“Only if you come back! And to seal the deal...” I said as I pulled off a pin I had been wearing, “Take this…and give it back to me when you get back.”
“A lilac? Why a lilac?”
“Because the lilac is the flower of first love.”
“ I didn’t know that…but I have another symbol of love for you.” He was holding a small blue box in his hands. He got down on one knee and said “ When I get back…will you marry me?”
“Yes.” I said in amazement as he slipped the ring on my hand. He was about to say something else but he had to leave. But, he couldn’t keep that promise…because two years into it…he was supposed to come home in less than two months….a letter came to my front door.
“Are you miss Eyce Sawyer?”
“I am….whose asking?”
“I’m afraid to say that Private Freely was killed in the line of duty.” He said handing me the official letter explaining everything that had happened. ”Oh and this was found among his possessions.” He handed me a small package.
“Thank you.” I said quite solemnly, as I shut the door in the man’s face.
“Who was that?” asked Elsie drowsily.
“Here,” I said handing her the letter that the man had given me.
As I walked into the other room, I could hear her loud sobs…I opened the other package and inside was the lilac pin. I set it down on the kitchen table. I walked back into the other room only to have Elsie wrap her arms around me as she held me and cried….I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t crying…it made me feel…heartless.

The memory ended with something warm and wet running down my face. I got up to go to the mirror…but it only came down harder, I was crying, hard. Then, I felt light, like the wind and I just noticed that my eye color had changed. From gray to green. I looked down at the table and saw two robotic-like bugs that had gray flat irises connected to their backs.
Taking the closest thing I could find, a hairbrush, I smashed them so hard that the was a dent left in the table. The tears had washed the bugs that were controlling me, making me forget everything about myself. But no longer.
“What the crap am I doing in a dress???” I said as I looked around the room for clothes that were actually mine.
Fleeing down the hall to find a way out of the palace I ran into a room…and when I entered… I saw dead people hanging on what looked like- invisible wires. They were just hanging in mid air!
“Like them?” asked the Empress mischievously “You were leaving weren’t you?” The Empress stared at me with an eerie gaze. “Ah well, I guess I can’t do Halloween anymore now can I?”
Out of nowhere she put a knife right up to her forehead, thrust it in her head, and slit a cut down her face to her chest. She then pulled the skin of her head apart to reveal someone quite young…and completely see-through.
“Well, well, well. Isn’t this splendid… you find my stash of costumes and-“
“COSTUMES!?!?!? THESE ARE LIVING PEOPLE!!!”
“They were once.” She said fully stepping out of the Empress’s body.
“Who are you?”
“Little old me? I’m Obscurus…and you’re about to die… so I can destroy all that I can see and Goddess Iriel will finally die.”
“What? No-never!”
“Catch .” she said throwing the orb-like incense burner at me. I caught it and realized it was the Lock! “ May the last of your possessions be destroyed with you! ”
I glanced down at the Lock There were words on the side of it that I hadn’t seen before. Something told me to read them out loud:

“Isn’t it funny how day by day, nothing changes,
but when you look back, everything’s different.
Isn’t it unusual that life is lost right when you gain happiness
But love always remains the Eternal Promise.”

The words seemed to roll off my tongue like a spell. It was more than a spell! It was
the catalyst needed to bring all of the elements together to forge the Staff of Eternal Promise. In a burst of light, Kal’s sword, the Key, came forth. It hovered in the air, joined by the Lock, that rose from my hands. But there was no Chain! We never made the rest of the journey to Tanar! Obscurus would not be destroyed-she would destroy all of us!
As I looked fearfully at Obscurus I saw something white moving through the open window behind her. As it came closer, I recognized it as the white dragon I had seen in the painting in the temple at Hein! It flew as close as it could to the castle and blew a long breath of fire into the room that dissolved into a ball of white light. It floated into a triangular formation with the Key and the Lock. It must be the Chain! I remembered Gru-nor’s words “The elements do not appear as they are called” So…the Key was a sword, the Lock was an orb and the Chain was…was…a lilac pin? Had that dragon brought the wrong thing? Why is it calling my name? Is it…mine? It must be the third element because it joined with the Key and Lock. It turned into a bright glowing light.
My hand reach out for the light . I touched it. The light swirled around me and gave me a feeling of wondrous strength. As it swirled away it morphed into a beautiful large staff. The sword became part of the long blue center pole. Wrapped around it was the black pearls of the orb. The top of the staff was a golden disc. Inside the disc was an emblem of a lilac. At the bottom was the orb dangling on a blue cord connected to the staff.
“Don’t you dare touch that.” Said Obscurus rather frightened by the staff.
I reached out…and barely touched the Staff when a gigantic burst of tricolor light came forth and it engulfed Obscurus. Obscurus’s screams of rage were silenced as the light she had been engulfed with began to shrink. As the light shrunk, so did Obscurus until absolutely nothing was left. I stood in silence and horrified at what I had just witnessed. As I stood there I heard a voice calling my name.
Eyce, the mighty Jactare. I am Iriel. I thank you for saving our land from pure destruction. But now that Obscurus is destroyed…the essence of her dark spirit lives on in the staff…please, destroy it.
Somehow words came to me. I began to chant .“Choose in a way that you wish to depart and keep this land that has entrusted its life to you alive.” The Staff shattered and each part went flying off in its own direction, I grabbed the lilac pin as it flew past me. In a split second I was flying through the skies over Tanar. As I fell to the ground, my side was pierced by a tree branch. I could barely breath.

Chapter 26
Eyce
Tanar
After waiting for what seemed like hours, I heard the splash of footsteps coming near. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was Kal!
“Kal!” I exclaimed in pain and relief. “How did you find me?”
“I just knew that you would be here. Tanar was to be the end of our journey in the first place. That, and a funny little dwarf-giant told me of a tracking ring that he had given you. He said that if I could find that ring, I’d find you.”
I started to chuckle at the memory of Gru-nor but ended up groaning in pain at the branch in my side.
“Are you--hang on I’ll get you off of that.” As Kal pulled the branch out of my side, my shouts of pain were so loud that it seemed as if the whole island echoed. And blood was everywhere…I suddenly began to feel very weak.
“Kal?” I asked wearily.
“Yeah?”
“Why…wh-“
“Don’t say anything you’ll be fine just-just hang on.” He said as he took me gently in his arms. He put his hand on my side to try and stop the blood from flowing.
I remembered the I first time I was in his arms, when he carried me out of the forest. I wanted to tell him how much he had come to mean to me. But I started to cough up blood.
“I don’t have much time…so….” I stammered out.
“So?”
“So I n-n-need…you…to.”
“To what? What?”
“To tell me—…that….you…feel…the…same…way…as…I do…about…you. ” I said as I breathed one of my last breaths…and as I did… the arms of Kal seemed to never let go…they tried to keep me in this world.
“Yes…I do.” Kal whispered to me.
“Kal….I can hear…your… heart …beat.” I said as I finally let go…with a smile on my face.
“Yes…” he said “I know you can.”




Epilogue

So here I am, back to where I started. Back to being a normal college student. But that summer day I walked out of the woods, I knew that some things had changed forever, I feel that I have grown up…that I’ve moved forward in life. Some things I’ve learned to let go of and other things I know I can hang onto. Like a best friend or like the memory of love.
Maybe fairy tales have got it all wrong…well, in some cases, maybe they have it right. The hero can save the damsel and get all the credit. But the story behind the story will always be different. Maybe the damsel saved herself. Or maybe the knight in shining armor and the damsel saved each other. Or maybe the knight in shining armor arrived too late. And in many stories there had to be more that just “the hero”. There had to be major supporting characters too. Like dwarf-giants. Or maybe aircraft captains. ….and maybe, a guide to the final destination.
So, each of us have our own version of a fairy tale. As I think back on my own story, I feel older, wiser and even like I’ve been through one happy ending. I feel that I don’t need to hide behind sorrow, and that I can finally let Zack rest. I’ve found that throughout this journey, I can tell myself that it’s alright to smile, laugh, and even cry.
But for those who have listened to my story, I can assure you that I will be going back…because our story isn’t over….its only just begun.