Kingdom Hearts: Kingdom Hearts: Light Chaser

Qamar's legs were indeed shaking, but she was not going to buckle and fall. She was going to prove she was strong to them. No matter how hurt you ever got, Qamar soldiered through it and would eventually get the pain to stop. When Aria commented on the 'little princess' title, Qamar immediately regretted it. "N-No I...I'm sorry I didn't mean it like I was making fun of you...I...I was trying to be cute?" she said, looking a little upset that it was taken the wrong way. "And I'll be fine, I was joking about being hurt. I've been through a lot worse. Believe me." she smiled. "In fact..." she shifted a little and used her leg to support Aria's bottom as her left hand moved to reach inside her loose corset. She pulled out the medicine she mentioned earlier and ended up taking it herself. "This'll help me till we get back to Mode's. And no, Aria, I am not putting you down. You said it yourself, you'd rather not walk. I can tell you got really hurt, I saw the scar...it's best you don't move too much."

She then started to walk, the shaking that was present before had now disappeared. By now, the blood had dried and her legs were just stinging as she walked. "Honest, I'm fine. Please don't worry about me." she mentioned, glancing down at Aria. "Look, I'm kinda awkward sometimes and I say the wrong things...but I mean well despite all that. And I really do want to help you Aria, I do. But I have to mention this now." She cleared her throat and looked down at the girl. "You can't stay here. Purely because I really don't think Master Thallasa is gonna let you. I know you want to help, but that...Quietus thing...it might come back, ya know? I don't...I don't want to lose anyone else..." she spoke, her eyes forlorn as she trudged along. "I really care about you...probably almost as much as anyone else and I barely know you. You just...you're a great person. You make things happier just by...by being yourself. I kind of envy you in that regard." she chuckled. "But everyone's different, I can't expect to have everyone liking me, can I? Damned if I don't try, though..."​

 

​

Chrono listened to what Tinarah was telling him and thought about each and every part of it. To hear that she wanted to go back was a shock and not something that he had considered. It wasn't exactly something that Chrono wanted her to do either. Ignoring how she would be in a whole different realm, it would be a somewhat relief to know that she'd be with people that she considered to be 'family'. Stamatis seemed alright and he's never met 'Uncle' Fost at all. The problem however was Torrin, well the Torrin of that realm. Going back to that realm would mean that she would have to deal with him again that wasn't something something he wanted his sister to go through once, let alone twice.

Then there was another problem, one that more so affected him than anyone else. He's never been one to keep someone away from something that they really wanted to so, regardless of who they were. Despite all the risk and the likely worry he would have to go through, the fact of the matter was that being there made Tinarah happy. Something that he'd wanted for her for some time now. He was conflicted as he didn't know what to say at all.

Thus he sat there, silently, for a bit before breaking it with a sigh. "I honestly wasn't expecting that to be what's wrong." There was another pause before Chrono continued. "You sure that you want to go back. I know you spent five years there, but the risks are still there." Chrono could practically hear Tinarah's voice retell everything she had been through while there. "Everyone has something that their strong at and well we can help you make friends." Optimism and hopefulness. He wanted this to be true, but she's actually tried while he's kept his distance to make things uncomfortable for her. Some brother he is.

Once again Chrono sighed, this time running his hand through his hair. "If I'm being honest, I'm not sure to to feel about you going back to that realm, but if its something that'll make you happy though, maybe something might happen after those 'risks' are dealt with." A compromise, more so with himself than Tinarah. Without those risks, it'd be one less thing to worry him. He stood up having said all that and reached his hand out for his sister to grab. "Sure, no problem." A part of him wanted to offer to carry her, but he didn't quite now how she would take it given that she was older.

 

​

It seemed like everyone around Aria was suffering in some form or another. Everyone was needing help or healing, but there was only one of her. It was overwhelming to say the least, but she vowed to do what she could. She spent so much time alone that she promised herself that when the chance would arise, she would do her best to interact and talk to others.

"I wasn't planning on staying here," Aria quietly replied. "I was sent out to find the Princesses of Heart that were still out there. Other wise I would be back at the castle now and not with you guys. Even though I think everyone is fine now because Take closed the keyhole. Something about the darkness seeping out of it and it was locked away. So everyone is safe... But seems like this world needs help repairing from all of the damage done and some may need a break. I ain't staying though, as much as it sounds tempting to take a break... But yeah, as I said, my job and reason to be able to be out of the castle is to find the last of the princesses of heart before the Light Chaser does. And Qamar..." She looked down as she was being carried, finding it kind of awkward but accepting this was going to have to be for a bit. "You're right, I don't know you well. And you don't know me that well. I don't understand completely the effect I have on others. But... it'll just take time to get to know people and time things out," she said with a little smile. "I mean, it takes a while to read others emotions; if they want to talk, if they want to be alone... If they're happy, sad, or mad so you can be careful with your words and time it accordingly... I mean, I get it wrong sometimes... But it'll come in time."

Spoiler: Tales of a Princess- Children Can Be Cruel, Part 2

Age 10

Aria yelled out in pain and frustration, kicking at the thick, wooden wall once more.

A howl echoed back in reply.

The girl gasped and fell silent, her eyes wide in the dim lighting of the enclosed space. There were tiny holes around her, letting in cool air and some light. She heard the howls again, this time they were closer. Her heart crawled up into her throat as her ears pounded heavily. Wrenfel were huge in size, and were known to break wooden fences and even some barn doors down if there was enough of them pushing on it.

She heard the padding of heavy feet, and heard the snarl of an animal. The ten year old froze in her box, not daring to breathe loudly. She could hear loud sniffing by the tiny holes and shut her eyes tightly. Wrenfel. It had to be wrenfel…

There was a loud bark as something heavy landed above her. And then again close by her feet. Aria whimpered as the creatures tried to break open the wood again and again. She heard it begin creak under the heavy paws and shut her eyes.

A howl sounded off in the distance, making the large creatures around her silent for a moment. Suddenly, they moved off and ran away, leaving Aria alone once more.

Aria kept herself quiet for the remainder of the time she was in the box. She didn’t know how long she was in there. She couldn’t move around freely like she wanted to and her limbs began to cramp up after a while. Was she ever going to be found? Was she going to die in here?

It had become colder and darker in the box as time wore on. Aria didn’t know how many times she closed her eyes and nodded off. There wasn’t much else she could do. She tried to roll the box and break out a couple of times, but didn’t have the strength anymore. Her mouth felt like sandpaper, and her stomach was growling loudly.

A muffled voice broke Aria out of her dozing. She laid there in silence, wondering if it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Was someone looking for her?

“Aria?!”

Aria gasped. “I’m here!” Her voice weakly cracked. “I’m here! I’m right here!” She began kicking at the box again and slamming her aching shoulder against the wooden walls again. “Don’t leave me! I’m here!”

“Aria, where are you?!”

“I’M HERE!” She yelled out, pounding on the box harder. Tears were streaming down her cheeks again. “I’M HERE! UNCLE LANAR!?! AUNT ANJA?!”

“Look, down there!”

Aria heard the sound of feet sliding down rocks above her and shouting of people. “HELP!” Aria yelled out again, still making as much noise as she could. “GET ME OUT OF HERE!”

“Oh my god… Someone get me a crowbar, NOW! Hang on, Aria, we’re going to get you out. Someone get Lanar! We found the girl!”

Aria was crying and hugging herself tightly. “O-okay. Please hurry,” she called out to the voice outside the box.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you out. Alright, step back.”

There was the sound of something chipping at the metal lock, and Aria covered her ears to block the loud sound out. Soon the padlock fell on the ground, and the box lid opened.

The cold air washed over Aria, making her curl up instinctively. She was then gently grabbed and coaxed out of the box. She wasn’t sure who pulled her out, but she was glad to be freed and wrapped her arms around her rescuer. The girl broke down into sobs as she was hugged and picked up carefully.

“Children are cruel,” the Gero’s voice muttered, hugging Aria close to him. “Come now, I will take you to your aunt and uncle.” He lifted the small child up and looked at the others around who had been searching for her. “She is alright. I will see to it that she is delivered safely home.” He assured them.

Aria was shivering violently from the cold evening air pressing around her and from how weak she had become being cramped up without food and water for so long. She buried her head into Gero’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding her face from the rest of the search party.

The men looked around at each other once Gero declared what he was going to do. Some shrugged their shoulders while others scratched at their head as they stared at the box the girl was shoved in.

“Take her home then,” one of the men spoke up with a nod of his hat. “Anja and Lanar will be relieved she’s safe.”

There were some standing on top of the hill with bright lanterns, watching what was happening below and keeping an eye out for the party. This would be the time the wrenfel would be the most active, and they were outside of Lanar’s property line by a good half-mile. There was a small boy with the group, around eight years old. Tobin, the one that tried to speak up for Aria much earlier. He watched on with wide eyes as he saw where Aria ended up. He was the one that ran back when he could and told the adults what happened, even though he was threatened he would get beat up if he told. None of the other boys involved were there, only him.

Aria sobbed in Gero’s cloak and tightened her fingers around his clothes as she shook. “I’m sorry,” she gasped out softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I’m sorry I disobeyed. I’m really sorry…” She swallowed hard and coughed from being so upset at herself and for what happened. The words of the boys still circled her head, that she deserved this and she was the cause of everyone’s unhappiness and misery of late.

“No, it is not your fault. Do not blame yourself for this.” He spoke as he walked forth. “I’m just glad you’re safe. It will be alright. You will be okay.” He said with warmth in his voice. “Sometimes life will be unfair and there may be nothing you can do to make it right. The only thing you can control is how you act in the situation.” Gero stopped in front of the home belonging to Aria’s guardians and took in a deep breath. “I worried about you. You may not be my child but I consider you to be family to me.”

Aria sniffed and rubbed at her eye, allowing Gero’s words calm her down. She rested her head on the old man’s shoulder and wiped the stray tears away with her sleeve. “You’re my family too, Grandpa Gero,” Aria whispered as she closed her eyes and hugged the elder more tightly.

The front door swung up in a rush, and Anja and Lanar rushed out to meet the pair. “Aria!” Anja exclaimed with tears streaming down her own face.

Aria’s head perked up as she heard the familiar voice of her aunt. “Aunt Anja…”

Anja met Gero and Aria partway and hugged them, crying in relief. “Thank goodness you’re okay! We were worried sick about you!” Anja held Aria’s face in her hands and kissed the child’s head with relief as she tried to hold back the rest of her tears. “Are you hurt?” She asked as she did her best to inspect Aria while she was being held. There was a good sized goose egg on her head, and bruises and sprains unseen from the tumble down the hill in the box. “Oh dear… what did they do to you?”

Lanar rubbed his neck with his good arm and anxiously looked on to the trio. He didn’t wish to overwhelm Aria with all the fussing his wife was doing. He cleared his throat, which made Anja stop her inspection. “Let’s get her inside where it’s warm, Anja… and get her fed and hydrated, settled in for the night. Maybe we’ll squeeze in a cup of hot chocolate in all of that.” He offered a small smile to Aria and a wink, and then approached when Anja stepped back a little. He ruffled Aria’s hair gently, his heart nearly breaking when he saw how scared she seemed. Her cheeks were tear stained, her eyes somewhat glassy, and she was trembling badly in Gero’s arms. He wanted so badly to take all the pain away from her and make it right again. Lanar subconsciously wiped the tears from Aria’s cheek and then looked to Gero, nodding his head slowly as he controlled his emotions. “Thank you, for finding her…”

Aria shifted in Gero’s arms and went to embrace her uncle. Lanar, seeing the cue, scooped the girl in his arms, holding her on one side of his body while she laid her head on his shoulder. He hugged Aria close to him and gently swayed in place while laying his robotic hand on her hair and stroked it to try to comfort her as he talked. “Will you stay with us for a little longer?” He asked. He knew what the answer was, but he wanted to be polite. They had important things to discuss after all.

“There’s no need for thanks.” Gero said,smiling at the family. “I wish I could stay, truly, but I’m afraid I must go.” He stepped closer and patted the girl gently on her head. “Be safe, Aria. And be strong for me.”

“Wait,” Anja spoke up, looking to her husband and Aria and then back to Master Gero. “Is she really safe here? After all that has happened lately...?” The last thing Anja wanted was to give up their guardianship of Aria. They did the best they could to protect her and keep her safe up to this point, but in a way, the woman couldn’t help but to feel like she failed Aria tonight in some way.

“I considered that myself as well, but I came to the conclusion that she should stay here.” He paused for a moment to consider his next words. “If she were to be taken from you now, that would defeat the purpose of ever bringing her here. Her parents wished for her to have as normal a life as possible. That is what I want for her as well. That includes all the hardships that come with being a child.” He looked at Lanar’s mechanical arm and sighed. “I will admit that there was some danger present that I had not foreseen but there is no place that is ever truly without its hazards. In time she will grow and be stronger for it. I can already see the good influence both of you have had on her. Breaking you apart because of this would harm her more than anything else.”

Both guardians were surprised by Master Gero’s words and glanced at each other. They were expecting for Aria to be taken away that night, but to hear she would benefit staying here in the long run… It both confused them and put their troubled minds at ease.

Aria was laying her head against Lanar’s shoulder. She heard every word that the wise old man said and felt her shaking gradually stop. She had faced many terrifying things up to this point, both in sleep and in consciousness. But she couldn’t have gotten through it without her aunt and uncle. She lifted her head up and slipped out of Lanar’s arm, and then went to Master Gero. She hugged him tightly around his waist, her heart filled with love and admiration for the grandfather figure that had helped her all through her childhood. “Thank you,” she whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks once more.

 

Illiana saw her brother in front of her. 'Koa! Where you going?!' Koa had started to walk away. Getting further and further away from his sister's reach. She reached out to him but it felt like her hand was nowhere near him. 'Koa!! Come back!!' With each passing second, he was fading away into the darkness around her. 'Come back!! Don't leave!! Come back!!!' Illiana's eyes shot wide open as her arm reached out. "Koa!!" In the next instant, the pain in her wounds shot through her body. "Aggh!!" Illiana grabbed her right side and squeezed her eyes shut. She opened her eyes again and saw Boreas. She looked around and felt as if she was floating. She looked once more and realized he was carrying her. "Where are we? And why are you carrying me?" Pain had shot through her wounds again. "Though if I'm going to be honest. I don't know if I'll be good to walk." After a few more moments, another realization had hit her. "Wait! Where's Koa?!?! Where is he????? Koa!!" Illiana squirmed a little bit trying to look for her brother. The pain got worse the more she squirmed. She looked and looked but didn't see him anywhere. "No......Not again...." She squeezed her side a bit before looking at Boreas. "What's going on?" She wanted to remain as calm as she could without showing any weakness.

 

"I think I understand I mean...I grew up just me, my father, and my mother until I was like..." she stopped herself, the pain in her head returning. "A..Anyway, I didn't have any friends since..well...I was made to do things that weren't nice." She sighed and listened to Aria some more. "No you're not a weak princess who needs protecting, that's for sure. It's just, there are stronger things at play that we have to protect you from, you know?" she said this as they approached the mansion. "Can I just...stick around you a little longer? I hate to admit it but...I'm...feeling really lonely right about now, believe it or not." Qamar spoke lowly, not wanting to be heard.

She stepped into the mansion and sighed at the destruction. "This is bad..." she muttered. When Thallasa asked if anybody needed additional healing, Qamar quickly moved over and stood in front of the Master. "Please help me with my legs." she asked as she literally landed on her bottom, gripping Aria as she fell backwards. "Crap, I'm sorry." she said, wincing in pain. "My...they...they finally gave out!" she laughed. "But um...are you okay?" she asked Aria. "And you, Master Thallasa. Do you need your communicator back? The line went dead when I spoke to Master Aster." Qamar spoke, still sitting on the floor and still holding onto Aria.​

 

Boreas listened to Torrin's explanation about Darkness still infesting the world while external forces were sealed off. So they had just delayed it's fall if they were to leave now. And he intended to take it all on on his own? Torrin asked him which one had died. "The one you addressed when asking for my help in taking care of them. Dentro." Boreas said. So he intended to fight all this darkness on his own? After taking a blast like that? He knew Torrin was tough, fighting the Light Chaser an his students for a year, you needed to be tough. If Torrin wanted to send his close friend away then so be it. The villains didn't seem to be an issue that was theirs to solve at all but rather the natural order of things and he simply raised an eyebrow at Torrin when he told Qamar not to call Aria little princess. "You really want to take on all that on your own? I mean those villains seem to be part of the natural order of things around here, but that still leaves whatever is still sending this world to it's destruction." Boreas asked his friend.

Boreas was simply listening to the exchange between Aria and Qamar when in his arms Illiana stirred and demanding his attention. She moved beneath the cloak he had wrapped her in. "We're still on the Plaza where we fought the chasers, the reason I am carrying you is that you were out cold and we're making ready to go to the Mode mansion, we couldn't leave you behind so I am carrying you. They tried to use magic to help you and Qamar patched you up but you remained out cold. If you want to try and walk leaning on me if you need to say so I'll put you on your feet, if not just lay back." She then asked about Koa. "He is not here anymore, he disappeared in a flash of light, both him and the other vanished when I had her on the ground." Boreas recounted. "We've all taken a beating today we're going to head back and rest up."

With a desire to try and walk made clear, Boreas set Illiana down on her feet and helped her walk back to the mansion, when Illiana noticed she was wrapped in her cloak she handed it back to him. He attached it back to his super suit and walked on. He was kind of glad that he didn't have to carry her all the way as he stumbled a few times from how tired he was but he recovered quickly. Once inside the mansion he stopped by Thallasa for a moment lingering there, considering to take her up on the offer of healing but there were others off far worse than he was he could always ask in the morning, he headed for his room to get out of the super suit and back into his normal clothes. He sat down on his bed still in his super suit and fell asleep with his keyblade by his side and his hand holding the burn heal Take had given him, unused.​

 

​

With everything going on, it was a little overwhelming exactly to get all the information needed, and he figured at that point it really would be best for everyone to get some rest. When they got back to the Mode Mansion, Take looked around and got a good eyeful of the damage around. He was probably going to find himself up all night helping clean here. He didn't know if he'd be able to get sleep at all but he wasn't really thinking too much about that.

Take walked towards the living room and looked up towards the statue in the middle once more. Somehow through all the chaos and damage it was the only thing still standing in one piece. It really wasn't anything he deemed spectacular before but now he knew what laid within it. Maybe it wasn't the permanent location of the keyhole, maybe it showed up there only this once and found another place it would appear in the future. But he still found the whole experience of locking a keyhole so odd. He doubted he'd ever do it again, but that didn't stop him from thinking about it differently.

At this rate, Take had the headpiece of the costume off and was so focused in on the statue, he really wasn't paying direct attention to what others said. He just stared.
​

 

​

Take realized Tinarah was there a moment or two after she had asked if he was okay. What with him being hyperfocused on the statue and everyone else being hurt, he didn't know if someone else walked next to him. He looked at Tinarah and replied, "I'm alright. A little banged up but really out of everyone I got out of it without many scratches..." when she asked what happened with him and what was up with the statue, he turned back towards it and said, "You know how Thallasa went searching for the keyhole? Well, Torrin was trying to contact her and she finally got back and Torrin sent me over to where she was to help seal it." he raised his gloved left hand up and pointed relatively towards it's chest and said, "It was right there, right about where the heart would be."

The boy lowered his hand and let it fall back to his side as he continued, "I don't really know how to explain it but, in the moment I was sealing the keyhole, it felt like I could briefly see the whole world... not like clearly and really all that visually but still as if I could see the whole world. Then the light flashed and the keyhole flickered and faded away. And that's when the heartless stopped pouring in." he sighed a bit and scratched the back of his head, "I am wondering if I could have saved a lot of trouble if I was just a bit faster or a bit stronger but... I don't know how much I'm dwelling on that. I'm more curious how something that seems so insignificant can end up hiding something so special."

Takehiko stared at the statue a bit longer before he finally looked at Tinarah and said, "But enough about that, are you okay?"
​

 

​

Take listened to her replies trying to understand it from her side, but he really couldn't help but feel the way he did. But that didn't really matter at this point. He watched her body language a bit and said, "I'm grateful all of you made it out either way. But please don't neglect yourself here." he got quiet and said, "I might be the pot calling the kettle black with that. I haven't gotten healing and I probably should... I just...." he tried to figure out how to justify the hypocrisy there and he really couldn't, "I just. I don't want to see anyone here drop because they kept pushing themselves when they need to rest and heal." he was almost glaring in Torrin's direction as he said that before looking back to Tinarah, "Teammates are supposed to worry about each other after all."

Takehiko paused again as he thought about how many people have died so far and he admitted, "I don't think this is going to be the end of seeing lives lost. But if I can... I'll protect those I have the power to save." he looked Tinarah in the eyes and in a rare moment of lack of emotional restraint, his smile broke through just a bit more and a small chuckle came out as he said in a break of his monotone, "So get healing, I'll shove a potion down your throat if I have to."​

 

​

"I know," Aria said softly in reply to the comment that she had to be protected. "That's kind of why I want to do my best so I'm not a burden to you guys. I mean... I feel like I hold us back a lot." She didn't bother to ask her about the not nice things Qamar was meant to do. That could be saved for another time and another place.

As Qamar continued to talk, Aria understood the feeling of loneliness. She heard here and there that Qamar was having a hard time associating with everyone else... And with her best friend dying in her arms just only a little bit ago, Aria could see why Qamar didn't want to be left alone. "I can stay for a bit," she said with a small smile.

Just then, Master Thallasa asked if anyone wanted to be healed and it was then Qamar did as Aria predicted she would do, and she fell. Aria let out an omph when Qamar fell down, wincing a bit. "J-Just fine," Aria said as she held up a thumb to say that she was okay, trying to hide the pain. She took this as her cue that she was free from Qamar's arms and gently rolled off of the girl, getting to one knee as she struggled to stand back up again. After she staggered up, she held on her side. "She's first, I'm doing better," Aria insisted to Master Thallasa. She then glanced around the room, seeing that Take and Tinarah were talking with one another and smiled a bit. But she made a promise and decided to stick by Qamar. She then saw Torrin heading to his room, knowing that he felt guilty for causing her pain. But as she said to herself and him, she could never bring herself to blame him for what happened. Had Torrin not been there when he was, she wouldn't be literally standing here with everyone else right now.

She looked down at Qamar, smiling at her. "I'm fine, really," she insisted. "Everyone's been really helpful to me."

 

​

When she mentioned she would get healed but only if he got healed too, he grumbled a bit but then finally nodded in understanding, "I was going to wait until everyone who was critically injured was healed but... okay." he walked with her over towards Thallasa before saying, "Hey Master Thallasa? Tinarah needs healing. I need healing too but she needs it first." he crossed his arms a bit while he waited and then immediately said, "Uh... if it isn't any trouble..."
​

 

​

Tinarah's explanation did help put some things into perspective and more so clarify some of the things that he had assumed. That said it didn't quite mean that how he felt changed all that much. "I'm not saying that you should leave them to that fate, no one should have to go through all that, but instead of leaving things to chance it might be better go after you know what caused that Torrin to turn out like that." He had given his two cents while being the make shift crutch for Tinarah to walk back to the mansion.

It seemed like whatever they were going to do it would be tomorrow, least according to Thallssa who had also offered them additional healing. He gave Tinarah a nod when she had said that she was going to speak with Take and when she did, Chrono found himself walking towards Aria who had been by Qamar's side. "So what happened while we were fighitng?" At the time he had been preoccupied with pay too much attention to hers and Take's conditions when they got back, but he did noticed the crimson stain before Boreas took the time to treat her.

 

​

Aria decided to not help Qamar back up until Master Thallasa had healed her. In the meantime, Chrono came over and she straightened to attention, only to wince and lean against the wall. She already explained to Boreas what had happened earlier, but she figured she would have to give this report multiple times. "Well, we were looking for Master Thallasa cause the world was falling apart. And then Torrin found her via communication with keyblade or something... Don't ask me how it works, he just stuck it in the ground and then told us what was going on with her side."

She rubbed at her waist away from the cut, trying to soothe the throbbing nerves carefully. "We got the report that the keyhole was here in the mansion, and Take was sent to go take care of it while Torrin and I fought off the Heartless. And then that big heartless, Quietus? It aimed a giant fireball at me and Torrin. Torrin tried to stop it with his powers, but something went wrong and I stepped in and did something..." She rubbed at her head now. "Still not clear on what happened exactly, so don't ask me about that either. So then, I got stuck in my nightmare somehow. I tried to wake up, but it was keeping me unconscious and started to choke me out." She pointed to the bruises on her neck that still lingered there. "And then Torrin somehow got in my dream and saved me. I also got this cut thing from that... whatever it is," she said, pointing to her now exposed abdomen that had the fresh, somewhat crooked stitches in them. Again, she was never going to tell anyone that it was actually Torrin who did it. As far as she was concerned, the monster played dirty and used her as a shield. "Then Take came over with Master Thallasa after sealing the keyhole, and woke me up along with Torrin... And so here we are now..."

Aria trailed off as she held her arm and glanced down to the floor. She didn't exactly what to do with herself at this point. She was tired, but she didn't want to sleep. She was hurt, but healing could wait on her. Everyone used as much as their reserves as possible to get her at least up and walking again. "... I... Heard what happened with..." She glanced at Qamar who wasn't too far away from her and cut it off at that. "Seems like things were bad on your end too... Are you okay?"

 

"But Aria your...stomach..." Qamar said, looking at her legs. Those would heal quickly. They were just pricks from thorns. Aria's injury was far more life threatening. Chrono came over and asked about what had happened with Aria. As Aria explained, Qamar stared at the wound on the girls' stomach. She looked at it hard and long, frowning. "That doesn't look like....a..claw...scratch." she spoke lowly, not bringing attention to it. She wasn't sure if it was caused by a blade, but claws would cut far more unevenly than that straight cut. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of her suspicions. Once Aria finished with her report, Qamar tilted her head. "You need to sit down, Aria. Your wound is bad. I don't mind carrying you, I'll take you to your room, but please sit down again. I'd hate for that to open back up." Qamar spoke, nodding at Aria.

Aria referred to what happened with Qamar. Qamar stared at the ground and looked at her hands. There were still smears of dried blood on them. "He...he died protecting me...he died...doing what he did best." she said this and clenched her fists. "I was useless. I got caught and he gave his life for me...I don't understand why he'd do such a thing for something like me." Tears did not come to her eyes this time. Overwhelming sadness had dried those up within minutes of her initial realization. "I think I'll be okay as soon as I can get this thing to connect to my Masters..." she pressed on the pin again and cleared her throat. "Did things clear up?" she asked, waiting and hearing no reply. She gave up on that quickly. "Just take this away, Master Thallasa. I think it's broken?" she then glanced at Aria once more.

Suddenly, a realization hit and Qamar pulled out her first aid kit. "Aria, sit down, I know what I can do!" she smiled and present the kit. "I can wrap a clean bandage around it to help keep it clean and from infection! And this..." she pulled out a bottle of disinfectant. "Can get rid of those icky germs hanging around. What do you say?" she suggested. "I'm pretty good at covering wounds...I've learned how to do it pretty quickly growing up." she smiled.​

 

Chrys had a lot of thoughts at that moment, but she wasn't sure if any of them were really questions. Not much point questioning how the Master had known about Dentro; he was capable of senseing far more than they were. There was no point in asking the Light Chaser why the other wielders were so insistent on protecting the darkness after seeing what it did to the world around them, Dentro, and even their own friends. The innerworkings of an individuals mind were not easily known, and she was not sure she wanted to know what ideas they might have had in their heads. She also didn't feel like she had the right to pry into such things, even if the master did know. One true curiousity did occur to her though.

"I suppose... I would like to know what happened to Tinarah... She was older than when I saw her last."​

 

​

"Your nightmare did that?" There wasn't even an attempt to hide the disbelief in his voice, well disbelief mixed with surprise. The proof was there and he had seen it for his own eyes, yet that's what made it all the harder to believe. This was the same nightmare that she had told him about, which was worry some to see that it could physically harm her. At the same time, Chrono was thankful none of his nightmares had an physical effects on him. The rest of her explanation had brought up more questions, but Chrono didn't ask any of them. However Torrin managed to get into her dreams, he was glad that he did as it allowed Aria to still be standing before them. "Is the nightmare gone then?"

"Yeah, I'm fine mostly." Adalric's death had still been a surprise to see, but it didn't hit him as hard as it had to have hit Qamar. Chrono knew that he'd gotten off lucky compared to everyone else and he knew exactly why. Whatever that quirk of his was had occurred a fair amount of times throughout the battle, allowing him to avoid attack that would have landed if not for it. If he knew what it was or how to control it, then perhaps he could put it to better use. He glanced down at Qamar who was eager to treat Aria's wound, wounds that could just be healed by Thallasa's magic.