Xyder Zephyr - POV;
"Geez, Sats. Your boobs look bigger naked," Evie blared loudly from inside the room.
"Evelynn! Shh!" Satella hushed her.
"Don't worry Cherry, some boys like smaller ones to. But still, shove these in there to pad 'em up a little," Evie continued.
"Not so loud!" Cheryl scolded.
I stood outside the rooms in the hall as I waited for the three girls to get completely ready for Lord Astra's celebration. Dagan and the others accompanied by the Ailani siblings had already departed for the venue. Evelynn, who had dragged Satella and Cheryl along with her to do their shopping for a much longer had only just returned about half an hour ago. As such they were now scrambling to prepare in time and I had decided to wait with them so they wouldn't have to travel through the late evening streets alone. It wasn't like Evelynn would have let me leave even if I wanted to however.
"I have to say though Cherry, you have a great figure. From here those cheeks are perfect, and I'm not talking about the ones on your face either! Damn girl, flaunt those hips!" my sister cheered from inside.
As much as I tried to banish my wicked thoughts, my youthful mind couldn't help it and it began to paint a series of... not so appropriate images. Evie's carefree banter from behind the locked door only fueled this.
"So you're Xyder Zephyr," a blue haired girl addressed me as she suddenly appeared in the hall.
"Aquari- no... you're not her," I cut myself short as I turned to the female who bore a striking resemblance to the Neptulus Regulus Heir, "You were one of the people on Aquarius' team right?"
"I am. Isla Neptulus. Aquarius is my cousin," she responded, scanning me from head to toe, "A suit huh? That's a far departure from the t-shirt you always wear that's two sizes too small."
"Yeah well, I had something to do today," I explained.
"Right, right. So you couldn't have the common decency to atleast pick up Aquarius from the room and escort her to wherever you're headed, huh?" she remarked.
"What?"
"You can't fool me. Lord Damon and Aquarius suddenly got all dressed up this evening but they wouldn't tell the rest of us what was happening. They just said they had 'somewhere formal' to be. It's some kind of party or something right? Rumors travel quick, and word is that some members of Zephyr and Neptulus will be there."
"No way, how could something like that leak!" I muttered, a bit surprised.
"It didn't," Isla giggled, "The rumour part was a lie. I just put two and two together when Aqua suddenly started asking me what she should wear and if a boy would like this or that. Then you appeared in a suit and it all made sense."
"Oh."
"I can't say I approve of her taking a liking to you though," Isla sighed.
"Taking a liking?"
"As much as I'm grateful that you protected her during our match, I don't know if you're the kind of man that deserves her. She's too pure for this world... you on the other hand seem to be a sleazy player. Playing around with multiple girls at once and making them fight over you... that's a new low."
"Wait, where'd you hear that from?!"
"Oh, that one is an actual rumour that's been making the rounds," she noted.
"Yikes... is that really how I look?"
"Anyway," she moved on, sticking out her finger at me, barely an inch away from my face, "If you even think about playing around with Aquarius, I'm going to make things very unpleasant for you. The moment you decide you want to get close, it's her and her alone... got that? You might be a demon-angel-person-thing and you can do all of that crazy crap but I'm not scared of giving you hell. 'Kay?"
Her expression was somewhere between a warm and genuine smile but it bled nefarious intent.
"But don't be afraid of me, I'm a really nice person! Don't get the wrong idea 'kay? I just get a bit protective of Aqua. She's like a sister to me!" Isla assured.
Something deep in my heart warned me that no good would come from gettimg myself involved with this girl.
"Ah, Xy! Are you ready?!" Evie squealed as she burst out of the room, "Come on out you two!"
Two girls stepped out of the dark room gingerly. If I had to be totally honest, my heart skipped a beat seeing them. Satella boasted a well fitted, scarlet gown emboldened by a flaming pattern. She looked to her left with flushed cheeks and her right hand on her left arm nervously. Cheryl meanwhile was clad in a beautiful pink gown sporting a butterfly motif. Her head faced forward, however her eyes quivered along with her clenched fists and her deep red face openly displayed her embarrassment.
"Soooooooo? Don't keep us waiting! What do you think?!" Evie pressed me eagerly.
"Huh? Oh! Well... um..." I tried to form my thoughts into words however the chilling feeling emanating from Isla who glared at me as she too awaited my response was too much. It was as if I knew that if she didn't like my answer, Isla would smite me where I stood.
"Well, would you look at that! It's almost time! We have to hurry!" I blurted out as I made my way down the hall rapidly.
"Wha- hey!" Evie complained, folding her arms and watching me angrily as I departed. Satella and Cheryl both grew visibly saddened by my refusal to respond. I felt bad about it too but Isla's pressure wasn't something I felt I could handle.
****
Indira Astra - POV;
"Indira? Are you ready? Indira?" Emilia called out as she knocked on my door. I sat at the corner of my room, curled up on a chair and deep in thought as I ignored her.
"I'm coming in," she announced as she slowly peeked inside. She glanced across the interior before her irises landed on me.
"Indira? What's wrong? Your father is waiting to take us to meet with Zephyr and Neptulus," she told me.
"I can't," I muttered.
"Can't? What can't you do?"
"Face them. I can't face Xyder and the rest of Zephyr... not after what I did. I hurt them. I almost killed them. I saw it that day, after the fight. They hate me. Xyder couldn't even look at me. I heard it in his voice too. Xyder tried to hide it but it was crystal clear. He didnt want to have anyhting to do with me again. It's for the best if I just stay here," I mumbled sadly.
"Indira..." she whispered my name as she sat beside me and placed a calming hand on my head, "I wasn't a part of this family at the time but the bond between Astra and Zephyr is a strong one that has lasted for the past decade. Though the formal relations between the two clans as a whole have always been shaky, the bond between the Regulus families forged by Kristæl Zephyr and your father was truly special. But you know, it wasn't just those two that were close. You've begun to remember haven't you? You've begun to regain some of those memories we suppressed from your childhood. Think back Indira. Recall the relationship once shared between Grisha and Kristæl and you will remember something more."
"Think back? Remember?" I repeated.
"Yes. Some time ago, I was going through some of your father's oldest belongings back home in Astra City. That's when I happened upon this. Take it. It will help you remember and it certainly belongs to you," Emilia said as she removed a beautifully framed image from her purse that had been kept in pristine condition and handed it to me. I stared at it, a bit shocked, as the familiar scene greeted my eyes.
"I won't force you to go with us. Nariko, your father and I will go on ahead. If you feel as if you've changed your mind however, call me and I'll be here to get you," she assured me with a smile and a kiss on the top of my head, before leaving me alone to contemplate upon the picture in my hands.
****
Xyder Zephyr - POV;
"Took you guys long enough," Jacqueline called out when Satella, Cheryl, Evie and I finally arrived at Lord Grisha's designated venue... and what a venue it was! Being the business mogul he was, Lord Grisha had rented an entire building for the night that catered heavily to parties and events. Along with the intricately designed walls, embossed doors, pristine furniture and clean windows, he had hired a host of chefs, waitresses and other personel to tend to all of the preparations and our needs. The wide, spacious, central room served as our primary celebratory area.
Gathered around trays of sandwiches, sweets and drinks were Naomi and her siblings, Dagan and the rest of our friends from Zephyr, Regulus Damon Neptulus accompanied by Aurora as well as his second wife, Delilah, and of course Regulus Grisha Astra who stood beside his wife and Nariko.
"The main attraction has arrived," Lord Damon joked as he shook my hand and pat me on the back. His wife bowed her head slightly and I emulated.
"Xyder!" Regulus Astra exclaimed as he stepped quickly towards me with open arms.
"Lord Grisha," I responded as he held me for a moment in his embrace before taking a step backwards. Emilia smiled and greeted me with a hug herself.
"This is it my boy," Lord Astra decleared as he held onto my shoulders, "You have accomplished a formidable task by toppling the great evil that was Blaze."
"I didn't do much. It's you, Lord Damon and Catherine who did the majority of the real work to corner them," I told him.
"That's far from true. Zephyr may have been tracking Blaze and their crimes for some time, Neptulus may have provided the greatest counter to Blaze's flames in the battle and Astra may have been able to convince the Heirarchy to take action against Duran but none of this would have borne fruit had you not brought us together. Once the truth is revealed to the world, you will be heralded as a Hero!" Lord Grisha insisted.
"Even so, I still owe it to each and every one who stood by me: my friends from Zephyr, the Ailani's, Neptulus and you Lord Astra. You and the rest of Astra who stood with us... speaking of which, where is Indira? Aquarius is missing too but I heard she was supposed to be here already," I pondered aloud.
"Well... about that. Indira's feeling a bit ill," her father responded.
"That's certainly not true," Emilia denied her husband blatantly, "Indira is still at home. Aquarius went over to be with her when she heard."
"Is that so? In that case...."
****
Indira Astra - POV;
"Indira, I know you feel terrible about what happened but I can't watch you like this," Aquarius pleaded as she sat across from me, "Staying here won't fix anything. If you go to them and explain that it was an accident, they'll understand. Trust me. I'll be there with you. I promise it will be fine."
"I want to trust you. I want to go make things right," I told her, "But what if it doesn't work. What if he still hates me?"
Aquarius looked at me silently for some time before continuing, "Indira, you never were one to care about what others think."
"But this time I do. This time I really do," I said under my breath, "Especially after seeing something like that."
"Knock! Knock!"
The door to my room sounded off as someone tapped on the other side.
"Indira? Aquarius? It's me," a gentle voice called as a woman walked in the half-closed entrance.
"Lady Emilia? You've already returned from the soirée?" Aquarius answered.
"Yes, but I brought someone along with me," my step mother explained as the door slowly opened fully to reveal a second individual standing tall beside her. Aquarius and I both found ourselves staring in shock at the distict figure.
"Come on, you two. What's the hold up? The party can't get under way without two of its key figures," Xyder grinned at us.
****
The trip to the celebration was a bit of an awkward one. Aquarius and I were both seated at the rear of my mother's personal luxury sports car while she sat beside Xyder who was adamant in driving for her.
I found myself unconsciously fixing my hair and smoothing the wrinkles in the yellow bodycon dress my mother had convinced me to wear. Though she tried to hide it, I still noticed Aquarius trying to touch up her makeup subtly.
"Xyder, you really have amazing talents and abilities. I have been watching your battles recently, and you truly do demonstrate a high level of skill and battle awareness," my mother fawned over him like a teenage girl.
"Thank you," he laughed.
"Not only that, but you're so strong and handsome too. Do you have a girlfriend?" she pressed curiously.
"A girlfriend? Um, no actually. I don't," he responded casually as he looked into his side mirror and prepared to change lanes.
"Oh? That's interesting. I'm sure girls are all over you," she teased.
"Yeah, it's... complicated," he sighed.
"Well, if you're interested, I could always introduce you to my younger sister. She's told me before that she likes you, and of course, being the daughter of our father, she is a high official of the World Heirarchy. She's already twenty-three but a little experience is never a bad thing," my mother winked at him.
Xyder seemed to grow flustered by her proposal and, for some reason, I felt myself becoming annoyed by it.
When we arrived at our destination, my father was eagerly awaiting, though he and Regulus Neptulus seemed to have already downed a few shots together, unable to wait any longer.
"Friends!" my father raised his wine glass and addressed everyone as we all gathered in the main hall, "Today marks a very special day. For too long, the tension between the Elemental Clans have grown and the relations between them have been ever shifting. Many say that it is our fate to be enemies as the greatest powers of this world but I say nay! We have shown to the world and proven that such enmity need not live. We have shown that, though the clans are powerful alone, together we are even stronger! And it was together that Zephyr, Neptulus and Astra took down the tyrannical Duran Blaze and his corrupted Clan. Zephyr has led the charge against this brewing evil and placed its trust in us to come to their aid. Today, I proclaim that we shall consecrate an everlasting bond between our peoples. Never again shall there be bad blood and strife between Zephyr, Neptulus and Astra. From this day forth, we are brothers eternal and we shall stand as a pillar to the possibility of united powers. Xyder, you are the embodiment of Kristæl's will; his splitting image. He lives on in you! Will you stand in his stead to represent Zephyr in this oath?"
Xyder rose to his feet along with Regulus Neptulus.
"Let us offer a toast to Zephyr! To their victory in the upcoming tournament finals!" my father declared.
"To the swift end of Blaze's schemes!" Regulus Damon chimed in.
"To a persistent friendship between the people of Astra, Neptulus and Zephyr!" Xyder concluded.
The entire room erupted in cheers, myself included. The alliance of three of the Elemental Clans would certainly mark a great change in the world and a shift of power once the news was made public, but most importantly, it would pave the way for peace.
The rest of the night became an informal gathering. Everyone began to converse with each other and the relationship between us strengthened tremendously. The hours flew by quickly and before long, it was well past midnight. My father and step-mother stood near their vehicle as they chatted gleefully with Lord Damon and his own spouse. The rest of us teenagers and millennials on the other hand continued to fool around inside.
"Look at you. Gaining the respect of my dad and being placed on a pedestal as his equal. I'm sure you're feeling especially good about yourself," I snickered at Xyder.
"Even my father holds you in very high regard," Aquarius noted.
The three of us stood alone at the top of the staircase just outside of the entrance. Aquarius and I had been killing a few minutes until our parents were ready to depart when Xyder decided to join us.
"What can I say? I've been doing as much as I can to prepare myself to take over the role of Regulus. If I can get the blessings of Lord Grisha and Lord Damon, then I'm certainly on the right track. When I eventually adopt the title, they are the ones who I have to look to to learn about leading an entire clan, but really the ones who I will work longest with are none other than you both," he responded, "I'll be depending on the two of you to help me carry our people to new heights!"
"Aren't you getting a bit too excited? Aqua and I aren't going to be taking charge until maybe twenty years from now. Your grandfather on the other hand may as well kick the bucket any day now!" I snickered.
"It's true. You will be taking the title much earlier than is the norm. It's much like Regulus Astra actually," Aquarius pondered aloud.
"Well when you put it like that..." he trailed off. A moment of silence followed but I was the first to break it, bringing up a topic that had been plaguing me all night.
"Xyder... I'm sorry," I apologized.
"Hmm? For what?" he questioned.
"For hurting your friends. Please believe me, I-"
"Stop right there," he interrupted, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I know now. It wasn't your fault. It was them. Blaze was pulling the strings to enable such tragedy. They drugged you with some nefarious substance that affects your control over your power."
"Drugged?!" Aquarius gasped.
"I never knew making such a thing was even possible. Those bastards dabbled in some truly terrifying things," he murmured, "But you know, even if Blaze wasn't involved... even if you did hurt them on your own, I still shouldn't have treated you the way I did because it was an accident and it was never your intention to cause them such harm. I was wrong and for that, I am truly sorry."
"Xyder..." I whispered.
"The others know the truth as well. You risked your life to save our friends. Both of you did. I am forever grateful and in your debt for what you have done for us. We never could have pulled this off without you," he bowed.
"I told you everything would be alright, didn't I?" Aquarius smiled at me.
"Indira!"
"Aquarius!"
"Coming!" us girls shouted in unison to our beckoning parents.
"I'll see you both again soon," Xyder waved as he turned and opened the door to return to his friends. I watched him as he retreated and hailed his allies. Exhaling deeply, I psyched myself up for what was to come.
"Xyder! One more thing!" I shouted, running towards him.
"Ye-" he began to speak and look back but he was cut off when I planted my lips against his own.
The members of Zephyr, the Ailani siblings and Aquarius, all of whom had been witness to my bold move, seemed to freeze on the spot. With a wink, I pulled away and hurried towards the exit once more.
"Oh my God! Cheryl's soul is leaving her body! Don't go into the light! Stay with us!" Disas squealed, holding on tightly to the girl.
"Not you too Satella!" Jacqueline cried out. You could almost see them desperately tried to contain the fleeting lives of the distraught girls.
Xyder just stood wide-eyed and with an ajar mouth, completely consumed by surprise. He slowly brought his fingers to his mouth as if unsure of what happened.
"Hurry up Aquarius, or you'll lose your chance," I giggled as I rushed past her, "I'll leave you behind."
"I-i-i-i-i-i-indira!" she blurted out as she sped after me as fast as she could in her glass heels. I just laughed as I headed towards my parents' car. I looked once more at the image my step-mother had given to me earlier as I did and an overwhelming joy filled me.
In it, my father and Kristæl Zephyr sat at a table in our home, both erupted in boisterous laughter. My blood mother, Shera, cradled baby Nariko beside my father while sporting a gentle smile. Catherine Zephyr and Cynthia Zephyr sat next to their husband; the former stifling a chuckle while the latter boasted a wide grin. The five adults were fixated on the scene happening infront of them... a scene where two toddlers: a desperate Jack and a jealous as well as angry Evelynn were trying their best to pull away a happy, smiling Indira from the confused little Xyder who she hugged tightly.