Chapter Text
“Get in! Get in!” Arin called to him as he reached the entrance.
Lloyd hopped into the Land Bounty, his eyes darting around the vehicle. “Is that everyone?”
“You’re the last one,” Nya nodded.
Lloyd hit the close door button, the metal of the rear snapping shut as he pointed towards the driver’s hatch. “Gunn it, Zane!”
“Hold on!” He warned as the vehicle jolted forward, sending everyone back, clinging to whatever seat or poll was positioned nearest to them.
“Where exactly am I gunning it to?” Zane asked.
“The First Realm, yeah?” Arin suggested. “That’s where we we're trying to get to?”
Lloyd’s eyes shifted over to Akita who stood in the corner, remarkably unbothered by the rocky ride. “That okay with you?”
“Better than being here,” she shrugged.
“To the First Realm it is!” Lloyd directed.
The Bounty took a quick turn, sending everyone stumbling to the right.
“And what exactly are we gunning it from, again?” Sora asked, raising her voice above the engine and positioning herself to catch Riyu, who was sliding frantically around the floor.
All eyes pointed to Akita. “Raiders. A large group of them. They come in, they take what they want, and they don’t care about casualties.”
“That warning call, was that them?” Nya asked her, the team beginning to stabilize as the vehicle found its path.
“That was the leader,” Akita nodded. “She runs the whole operation. The yell is a warning to leave, or else be collateral damage.”
Nya sighed. “I recognized it.”
“I didn’t hear it,” Lloyd butt in. “What was it?”
Just then, the sound came again, all heads turning to the back window to see its source.
“It’s Ultra Violet,” Nya confirmed, staring back at the approaching envoy with dread. There was a large hoard of raiders exploding out from the tree line, all moving in different directions, and some of which had certainly clocked the Land Bounty by now. At the center of the chaos was a familiar pale face decked in royal purple atop a monstrously extravagant motorcycle.
“Great,” Arin groaned, trekking his way toward the left side of the vehicle where the side door sat. “Just one more person trying to kill us.”
“Well, maybe not trying to kill us specifically,” Sora offered, squeezing onto Riyu as the bounty hit a bump.
“I don’t know. I feel like if she knew it was us, Ultra would definitely want to kill us specifically,” Lloyd bemoaned, attempting to grab the back of the nearest chair, which aimlessly swiveled as the vehicle bounced.
“Well, I think they’re about to know that it’s us!” Arin warned, peering out the now open side door at several members of the raid who were quickly catching up to them.
It was only a second later that a large impact shook the vehicle from right side, a number of warning signals flickering to life in the cockpit.
“What was that?” Sora yelled.
“An unfavorable amount of damage!” Zane answered.
“They’ve hooked us!” Arin added, still hugging the door frame.
Akita’s head flicked to the rear of the vehicle. “Open the doors!”
“What?!” Lloyd exclaimed.
“I’m doing it!” Nya yelled as she reached for the release button.
The back door once again snapped open, and without a moment's notice, Akita had transformed her body and leapt out the back.
“What is happening?!” Arin screamed, his voice now taken by the wind.
The wolf’s form landed atop the lead rider who had made contact, forcing him to swerve out of control, and crashing into the riders adjacent to him.
“Epic wolf stuff is happening!” Sora excitedly yelled back, letting go of Riyu, who chirped in delight at the action. Sora stumbled to her feet in the motion of the vehicle, casting her concentration to one of the bikers who remained in pursuit. Her eyes began to glow, as the bike beneath them stuttered before suddenly falling to pieces.
It was then that a loud thud came from the roof, all eyes shooting upwards.
Riyu growled at the impact, jumping into a defensive stance.
A blade burst through the ceiling, everyone scattering from its entry point.
“Okay, enough of this,” Lloyd yelled, shooting an orb of energy upwards as it phased through the metal.
A muffled yell came from above. A thud from the ship’s right followed shortly after.
Nya had exited onto the side deck with Arin in an effort to observe the situation. “I think Akita’s got the last one on our tail!” she yelled back,
“But who’s got Akita?” Sora questioned, looking out at the wolf which was slowly losing ground behind the Bounty’s speed.
“Oh! That’s my turn!” Arin jumped, scampering to the backdoor, and shooting out his grappling hook.
The canine seemed to recognize the gesture as it was thrown at her, her teeth taking hold of the rope without a second thought.
“One last thing!” Nya jumped forward before Arin could retract his weapon, flooding the ground just behind the vehicle, lifting Akita momentarily, and creating a miniature swamp to ensure any attempt to follow them would be more that much harder.
Arin quickly recalled the rescue rope, the now thoroughly muddied animal whipping into the Bounty, followed by the prompt snap of the rear and side doors.
A brief flash of light, and the dog on the floor had transformed into an equally soiled personage, lying on her back alongside her rescuer.
“Heck yeah!”
“Yes!”
“Great work everyone!”
The cheers filled the space as everyone acclimated to the adrenaline rush.
“Thanks for the quick thinking,” Akita smiled.
Arin sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m just glad it worked!”
As Akita stood, she reached out a hand to the boy, helping him up.
“How far do you think we’ll make it today, Zane?” Nya called up into the diving chamber.
“We move until we get there.” Akita asserted. “We can’t risk stopping.”
There was a moment of silence before Lloyd spoke up. “Well, we will need to stop for the night. The Bounty is going to need repairs, we need to find and prep food, and all of us are going to need rest.”
Akita shook her head. “Right. Of course.”
“We should be fine though,” Sora reassured her, gesturing to the back window. “It doesn’t seem like anyone is interested in following us any further.”
“And if they are, we’ll move fast enough now that they’ll have a rough time tracking us,” Nya added. “I’m sure Zane’s already calculated the perfect spot for us to make camp and lie low while we pull ourselves together, right Zane?”
“I’m evaluating our options currently, but we have several of them,” Zane confirmed. “Regardless, we should be able to make it to our destination before tomorrow night.”
“Plus, we have enough of us now that we’ll be able to sleep in shifts pretty easily,” Arin added.
“See,” Lloyd pressed. “Nothing to worry about. We’re safe.”
Akita winced at his last statement, her eyes still frantically searching the vehicle. Everyone seemed to be aware of the newcomer’s heightened alert level, Lloyd most of all.
“Nya, how about you and Zane hammer out those plans for the night,” Lloyd suggested. “And you three go above deck to watch our tail and check for damage, okay?” He gestured to the kids.
A flurry of affirmations spread through the space, accompanied by an enthusiastic chirp from Riyu, before the group splintered across the bounty, Lloyd’s attention resetting back to the noticeably tense Akita in front of him.
“It’ll be okay. We do this kind of thing all the time,” He offered a smile as reassuring as he could convey, the gesture recognized but not quite accepted by his companion.
“Every time something like this happens, I have to move. Fast. And efficiently. And until I can’t anymore.” Akita stressed, her eyes still frantic. “I feel wrong just sitting here, I have so much energy,” She held up her muddied hands in front of her, both of them visibly shaking with adrenaline. “I need to do something-”
“Hey, it’s okay.” Lloyd quickly took her hands, gripping them firmly in his own. “You don’t need to worry about anything, we’ve got it all covered.”
“You’re not listening,” Akita shook her head, an increased panic entering her voice. “I need to do something, I need a place to direct my energy, something to focus on, give me something to focus on-!”
“Right, okay!” Lloyd agreed, his mind fully latching on to the problem. “Let’s get you something to focus on. Right now how about you just focus on me, and take some deep breaths, okay?”
“Okay,” Akita nodded, her lungs lurching for more air, her gaze focusing on the bright green eyes in front of her.
“Why don’t you try and remember all the insults you’ve wanted to call me since I’ve been here, I’m sure you’ve got plenty of those,” Lloyd grinned.
Akita chuckled through her nerves. “You know I would have already said them if I had them.”
“Good point,” Lloyd nodded, his eyes too now focused on hers, strangely unable to break their connection. “Let’s think of something else then...”
A beat passed between them filled with heavy breaths and unblinking eyes, the tension slowly dissipating from Akita’s fingers. No matter how panicked her instincts told her she should be, she found her mind slowly calming as she centered her gaze where she was told. Maybe it was the act of focusing, but she couldn’t shake the idea that maybe it was just… him.
The air outside of the Land Bounty felt crisp. A slight breeze peppered the sky, and as the sun continued its descent for the day, the camp which the team had begun making for themselves was busy with movement. There was a group repairing and prepping the Bounty for sleep, a group starting dinner preparations, and a group who were in charge of the fire. Being very experienced with the last task, Akita found herself riffling through the firewood pile her group had collected, her attention quickly drawn by the dragon approaching on her right. Riyu’s trot came to a halt as he smiled through the large stick in his maw.
Akita quickly reciprocated his expression, reaching for his contribution. “Thanks, bud! That’s a great one.”
Riyu squawked with pride at the complement.
“I think this should be enough for the night,” Nya determined, following just behind the dragon with her own haul of branches which she promptly added to the stack.
“Let’s get things started then,” Akita agreed, now sorting through things in search of smaller tinder to start the fire. Nya knelt down to join her in her sort, and Riyu excitedly circled the pile in anticipation.
“If we have any wood that seems damp, let me know, and I should be able to dry it out,” Nya added.
Akita glanced up from her search, a small bundle of twigs in her hand. “That’s a nice trick to have up your sleeve.”
Nya grinned, nodding. “It’s come in handy a couple of times.”
“Well, I think this will be enough to start our flame,” Akita concluded, evaluating her selection. She shifted over to the center of their cleared fire pit, beginning to build a small cone of tinder.
Nya shortly joined her with some slightly larger branches. “I’ve got some mid size stuff for once we get going. I can go get a lighter-”
“I’ve got it,” Akita cut her off, reaching for one of the pockets on her person, and pulling out a small block of flint. Her other hand reached for her dagger, and with no delay she began striking the two together. Nya sat down next to her, watching as sparks formed and then took hold on her tinder after only a few attempts.
“You’ve certainly got a handle on that thing,” Nya commented, slowly introducing some new twigs into the flame.
“You get a feel for it when you do it every night,” Akita shrugged, gingerly returning her items to her person.
The two took turns sliding larger and larger branches into the fire, the dancing movement of the warmth the center of both their attention. Riyu had finally settled down, curling up next to them as the flames stretched further. Their silence had formed a rich lather before Akita eventually asked the question which had been sitting at the front of her mind. “So, you know the leader of the raiders?”
Nya glanced up at her companion, her mind jumping back to earlier that afternoon. “Yeah,” she answered. “Ultra was a long-time thorn in our side back in Ninjago. Started out in the Sons of Garmadon, but kept kicking after they disbanded, managed to break out of prison multiple times; she was always up to something.”
Akita’s gaze turned down as she took in the information.
“What’s she like now?” Nya asked, leaning forward to try and open the conversation.
Akita glanced back up at her as she organized her thoughts. “She and her group are the reason I travel. I had tried to form a long-term lodging for myself, and I made the mistake of trying to defend it when they came.” She lifted her chin, gesturing to a scar which was hidden just underneath.
Nya’s head tilted to get a view of it, her eyes narrowing “How long ago was this?”
“Just a few months after the merge,” Akita answered.
Nya sighed. “Yeah, I guess I’d have a hard time feeling safe after that too.”
“Safety is an illusion,” Akita countered, reaching for another branch to add to the fire. “The world is perpetually unsafe. Nothing can be protected for certain, and threats can appear from anywhere, at any time.”
Nya tracked her movements, unsure of her sudden hostility. “But hey, safety in numbers, right? It’s good that we’re all together now,” she offered.
Akita hummed in thought, angling her wood as it caught flame. “Increased numbers do provide increased protection, but they also create a larger target to aim at. It’s a tough balance to walk.” She glanced back at Nya as she let go of her addition, the bluntness of her words now registering. “But… your group seems increasingly capable, so that certainly helps level out the risk.”
Nya offered a shy smile. “Right.”
Akita resigned herself back to her spot on the ground, her eyes returning to the fire as she tried to course-correct the conversation. “I understand there are team members elsewhere. Is that all people I would remember or-”
“Most of them, yes.” Nya nodded. “There’s my brother Kai and then Cole. You would know both of them from the Never-Realm. And then we have another new recruit named Wyldfyre. I think you two would probably get along well,” she smiled.
Akita sat for a moment, running some mental math. “You’re missing one then, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we, um…” Nya’s smile faded as she let out a sigh. “We lost Jay in the merge. I don’t know if you remember, he was the one with the freckles-”
Akita’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Fluffy hair, very loud.”
“That’s him,” Nya grinned at his description, her eyes lost in the distance.
Akita stared at her a moment as the memories from the brief time they had shared in the Never-Realm flooded back. “You two were partners, yes?”
Nya’s lips thinned as their relationship was mentioned, this time resigning herself to a simple nod.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Akita bowed her head in reverence.
Nya’s eyes stayed locked on the skyline, her lips finally opening again with a large gasp for air. “You know I still keep up hope that he’s out there somewhere,” the sudden strain in her voice was prominent. “But… somehow that makes it even harder, you know?”
Akita sat silent a moment, unsure of how much to say. “How long had you been together?”
“That's a bit of a complicated question,” Nya chuckled.
“I didn’t mean to-” Akita quickly receded.
“No, it’s alright,” Nya sighed. “We've just been on and off over the years, but it started pretty much the moment I met him.” She laughed. “I was only fifteen.”
Akita studied her companion, the new rawness exposed feeling almost sacred to her. “Sounds like it was bound to work out if you kept finding your way back to each other for that long.”
“We had been pretty happy the last couple years,” Nya conceded, the ghost of a smile threatening to materialize. “Honestly though, I sometimes felt like I was just waiting for things to go sour again.” She paused, the silence heavy. “But maybe that wasn’t us, maybe that was just me, you know? And the last thing I want to do is start reinterpreting things now that he’s gone, but-” Nya’s thoughts were interrupted by a gasp for breath too shaky to ignore.
Akita quickly moved closer, her hand instinctively grasping Nya’s. “It’s okay,” she assured her. “I know how difficult loss can be, but just because they are gone does not mean they are not with us.”
“Yeah,” Nya sighed, her hand tightening grip, and a tear leaving her eye. “Anyway, you don’t need to hear about all that.” A pained chuckled left her lips as she attempted a smile, gently pulling her hand away. “I’m probably boring you to death.” She rolled her eyes, attempting to lighten the tone.
“I don't know. I’m always open to hearing a good romance story,” Akita offered. “Even if it doesn’t have a happy ending.”
Nya grinned. “You know, if you want to hear a great romance story, you should really be talking to Zane.”
Akita’s eyes shifted over to the droid across the camp preparing their food. “Zane has a partner?”
Nya sighed. “He and Pixal were the cutest couple you’d ever seen. And they’ve been through some of the worst things imaginable together, but they were so stupidly in love that it always seemed to work out.”
“Were they together when he was…” Her sentence trailed off, but her meaning was understood.
Nya hummed in affirmation, she too now tracking her teammate. “We lost Pix in the merge. I can't imagine it's been easy on him, despite how he plays it off.”
Akita’s gaze returned again to the fire as she thought. “I had no idea.”
“Honestly though, he’s the only one on the team who’s figured this stuff out,” Nya shrugged. “I’m a mess, my brother’s been stuck in a perpetual situationship for years, I’m not sure Cole even knows he’s actively in a relationship, and Lloyd-” Nya glanced at Akita. “Well, you know Lloyd’s whole deal.”
“I certainly do,” Akita nodded.
“I don’t suppose you’ve fared any better?” Nya asked.
Akita let out a deep sigh, her eyes sliding into the distance, her gaze reaching for somewhere else. “I’ve spent most of my life alone, struggling enough as it is just to survive. I haven’t had much occasion for… any men in general, none the less romance.” Her gaze drifted across the camp to the boy in green which had taken up so much of her brain space in the past few days. “I’m not sure I’d even know where to start.”
Nya studied her new friend for a moment, gauging how best to respond. “I hear that.”
Akita’s attention tracked back to her teammate, a little more lost than when it had left.
“The only advice I can give you is that when it comes to this stuff, the only thing you really can do is trust your instincts.” Nya stole a quick glance over at Lloyd. “...wherever they might lead you.”
Akita’s eyes sunk down to the fire, another sigh leaving her lips. “If you don’t mind, I think I just need to clear my head. I might go on a walk for a little while.”
“Sure,” Nya agreed. “I can keep watch on the fire.”
Akita made her way to her feet, glancing back at Nya. “Thank you.”
There was a second stir as Riyu perked up from his nap, now tracking Akita’s movement.
“I’ll make sure someone comes to get you once dinner is ready,” Nya added.
“Yes, that would be great,” Akita nodded, a newly invigorated Riyu now circling her feet. She chuckled a bit at her new play buddy. “I appreciate it, but I really just want to walk alone.”
Riyu tilted his head, a bit disappointed.
“Besides, Nya needs your help choosing the perfect sticks for the fire anyway.” He circled around her feet once more before trotting back over to the fire.
“Hey, stay safe out there by yourself,” Nya advised. “You know, even if safety is an illusion and all that…” she added, a sly smile on her lips.
Akita smiled, the illusion seeming to catch up with her.
“Thanks.”
Akita felt her head far too clouded for comfort at the moment. She hadn’t talked to this many people in quite some time, and she knew that was a part of it, but there was something else. Something nagging. Something she’d never quite felt before. Well, that was a lie. She had felt like this before, she just wasn’t about to admit that to herself
because it was the last time she had been around him.
She didn’t know what to make of the feeling. It was nerve wracking, and giddy, and exciting, and sickening all at the same time. It was new, it was confusing, and worst of all it seemed completely out of her control. In fact, it appeared to be more in control of her than the other way around, and that felt very troubling. She certainly wouldn't say she enjoyed it, despite the fact that she had this strange impulse to keep running into it every time it approached her, and this twisted longing to feel it again whenever it ended. Regardless, it was now very clear to her that it was in fact him who seemed to make her feel this way.
Surely this feeling could not be what she suspected it was…
right?
Maybe it would be best to forget that right now. Find something else to focus on. Food. Maybe some food would help?
After a quick glance at her surroundings Akita knew exactly what she was craving. She grabbed her katana from her back, slashing it through the fauna which surrounded her path. “There should be some around here,” she muttered to herself.
Though her swings were aimed in front of her, her eyes scanned the ground hoping to find her prize. It was only a few strikes more before her sight met what she was looking for.
“I knew it!” She slid her weapon back into its holster before reaching for a different one- her dagger. She used the smaller blade to skim off a wealth of bright pink berries from the small cluster of bushes she had found.
“You shouldn’t eat those,” A familiar voice came from behind her.
Akita threw her head back with a smirk. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“They always do bad things to your stomach. You regret it every time,” he warned.
“I don’t care, I like them.” She turned around, defiantly displaying the handful of berries she had pulled from the foliage and tossing them in her mouth.
Kataru smirked back, his arms crossed. “I reserve the right to say I told you so.”
“I would expect nothing less from you.”
Akita felt her smile melt into sincerity as she looked at her brother, his features just as distinct as the last day she saw him.
Kataru leaned back against a nearby tree. “Well, I’ll give you this, you did get to see those strange friends of yours again.”
“Don’t call them names!” Akita harped, turning back to the bush to harvest more berries. “I can’t understand why you don’t like them.”
“I never said I didn’t like them!” Kataru chuckled. “I just find them strange.”
“Well, for the record, it has been very nice to see them again,” Akita asserted, slipping the berries into a pouch at her side. “It’s been a while since I’ve had… actual people to talk to.”
“Ouch,” Kataru droned.
“As sane as our little chats keep me, I can’t help but shake the feeling that sometimes we are speaking in circles,” Akita coyly remarked, playfully gesturing with her dagger.
“I give the best advice, I’m your brother!” Kataru raised a smug eyebrow.
“No, you’re not,” Akita’s voice came out quick and pointed, her face softening as she realized how sharp she had spoken.
The face before her looked back knowingly. “Well, what would you tell him if he were here?”
Akita sighed, looking out into the trees. “I don’t know. But he was always better at these types of things.”
“What type of things?”
“Relations, romance, friendships,” Akita listed. “talking to people, all the human interaction parts of being a human.”
Kataru smiled back at her. “So, what is it? Friendship or romance?”
Akita side-eyed her brother. “I don’t know, that’s why I need you.”
Kataru looked at her skeptically. “You sure you don’t know? You’re still debating whether the optimistic idiot who couldn’t read a map is going to be good for you?”
Akita chuckled. “I can teach him how to read a map.”
“Uh huh,” Kataru nodded. “And what are you going to do about the idiot part?”
Akita sighed. “Look, I don’t even know what these feelings I have are yet. Maybe it’s just a nostalgia rush. Maybe it’s talking to someone other than you for more than an hour. Maybe I’m sleep deprived, and I’ll feel totally normal about him in the morning,” she reasoned.
“Or maybe you’ve got a crush on someone from an entirely different dimension who hasn’t thought about you in almost a decade-”
“No.” Akita cut him off. “Don’t try that.” Her voice softened, looking down at her dagger still weighing in her hands. “We know he thought about me.”
“What are we thinking about?” A new voice came from behind her, making her jump.
Akita spun around to face it, blade readied, doing a quick double take back to Kataru, now vanished from his spot by the tree.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to spook you-” Lloyd quickly apologized, arms raised in surrender, his cheeks reddening.
“Lloyd,” Akita sighed, once again sheathing her dagger and hiding her face. “It’s fine, I was just… talking through some things.”
“Hey, I totally get it,” Lloyd assured her. “I tend to do that a lot too.”
Akita let her hands slip from her cheeks, a smile peaking onto her lips. “Yes, I recall you having quite the chatty impulse when you think you’re alone.”
Lloyd shrunk, his hand instinctively running through his hair. “Well, I still do it, in case you were wondering.”
Their gazes lingered on each other as they shared a smile, having fumbled their way through the introduction of the conversation.
“Did you need something?” Akita broke first, glancing back at the path he had approached from.
“Right!” Lloyd refocused, his mind catching up with him. “No, I just came to tell you that dinner is ready, whenever you are. Zane and Arin put together a stew for us.”
Akita grinned. “I’m sure it will be delightful.”
Their smiles both faded as the conversation lulled. “I’m sorry to drag you out with us like this,” Lloyd’s face turned apologetic. “I know you didn’t sign up to trek out to the First Realm-”
“It’s fine,” Akita cut him off. “If anything, I feel bad intruding on your mission. I hope I don’t slow you down.”
“Of course not!” Lloyd assured her. “You can stay as long as you like. I know the old team likes having you around, it seems like the kids already love you, and… I know you and I work well together.”
Akita stared at the center of her confusion in ponderance. “Do you like it?”
“Working with you?” Lloyd asked.
“With the kids,” Akita smirked, turning around. She lowered herself back down to her berry bushes to continue her harvest. “I never really thought of you as a teacher, but you seem to connect with them pretty well.”
“Yeah,” Lloyd followed her moves. “I like it a lot. It really gives you a sense of purpose, you know? They’re good kids. I love seeing them grow and realize all the potential they have inside them.” He lowered himself to join her on the ground as he rambled. “I swear they are going to be so much better than me someday. They’re already so bright.”
Akita paused her work to glance up at him. “Oh, they certainly seem brighter than you do.”
They both chuckled, the breeze that now surrounded them carrying their laughs somewhere distant.
“What about you?” Lloyd asked, his voice growing careful. “I don’t suppose you’ve met any new friends in the past few years you’d like to gush about.”
Akita grew silent, her hands now halted in their work. “No, not exactly.”
Lloyd looked at her intently, still searching for an entrance point. “Look, I don’t know what all you’ve been through, but it seems like things have been tough, and if you want to talk about it-”
“We don’t need to talk about it,” Akita stopped him.
“But do you want to talk about it?” he pressed.
Their eyes locked on each other for a weighted moment, both of them recognizing the minefield they had entered. “It’s been… difficult,” Akita placed her words, her eyes finally shifting. “But I’ve made it through so far. That’s what matters.”
“I don’t know,” Lloyd gently countered. “I’ve made it through some pretty rough stuff. That doesn’t always mean I was okay on the other end of it.”
Akita remained silent, refusing to meet his glance with one of her own, her fingers fiddling with the grass beneath her.
“I mean, I can’t even imagine what it must have been like, being without contact for that long.”
“I have plenty of practice surviving on my own.” Her tone had a pinch of accusation in it. “It’s the only option I have.”
“What about one of the villages around?” Lloyd suggested, his voice still gentle. “I know it’s sparse out here, but communities have popped up everywhere-”
“And what?” Akita groaned, lifting her gaze to face him. “Travel thirty miles and try to fit into a population with no one I know, no one even remotely like me, and who might even see me as a threat? Who might unknowingly be a threat to me? Abandon the land, the last thing I have left of my people, and try to force myself into cultures I do not know, and people who will never understand me?”
Lloyd recognized the accumulation of years worth of struggle in her voice. It was something he recognized too easily. “Maybe,” he pressed. “If it means finding a community. No one deserves to be alone that long, certainly not you.”
Akita glanced away, refusing to entertain his opinions.
“Look, I don’t know your situation as well as you do, but I remember what it was like being alone after the merge, and it’s the most miserable I’ve ever felt-”
“And so you’re here to chastise me?” Akita reeled up, her tone sharpening. “For what? Not going out and adopting unsuspecting children like you did?” She stood, beginning to storm off.
“That’s not what I’m saying-” Lloyd closed his eyes in conflict.
“So why exactly are you talking to me?!” Akita stopped, spinning around to berate him.
“Because I care about you!” Lloyd rose to meet her. “And when you care about someone, you like to know if they’ve been hurting, so maybe you can help them!”
Akita’s eyes narrowed, a predator’s instincts lying behind them. “You think I need your help?”
“Yes, I do.”
“I need no one.” Akita asserted, stepping forward. “I survived on my own for sixty years in the cold of the longest and harshest winter any realm has ever seen without a single soul to aid me, so I certainly can manage a few years of some simple land disruptions.”
“And I’m sure you could keep yourself alive until the end of time if you needed to all on your own,” Lloyd conceded. “But I think you’d probably be a lot happier if you didn’t force yourself to do it on your own.”
“I do it on my own, because that’s how I know I can survive.”
“But you don’t have to be in survival mode anymore!” Lloyd pressed. “The world is healing! There are communities everywhere, and solutions being built, you should be a part of that!”
“And what is it you think I’d gain, thrusting myself into a society that does not know me?” Akita questioned.
“I don’t know. For starters maybe, a home?” Lloyd stressed, exasperation filling his voice. “A proper home, maybe with some furniture, and belongings, and people who you care about, instead of empty abandoned buildings that you run from every time a threat comes by-”
“You think I pulled us out too quickly.”
Akita stepped back, her voice suddenly quiet, almost timid. Her hands instinctively hid her face, embarrassment catching up to her.
“You think we should have stayed-”
“What? No-” Lloyd reached for her, attempting to keep up with the swerve in the conversation.
“You think we could have fought them off-”
“I think you made a good call,” Lloyd stopped her, gently taking hold of her forearm, wooing her complexion back open.
Akita’s eyes peaked back out at him.
“We weren’t prepared for a fight. They were. You would have been the only one who knew what to expect, and there was nothing tangible even worth fighting for.” Lloyd took both her hands in his, tempting her eyes back towards him. “Look, this is what I’m talking about. I know you can make the right call to save your skin. You have nothing to prove on that front. Regardless of the situation, you don’t owe me a justification for what you do.”
Akita finally met his eyes, the sincerity of his intentions finally sinking in.
“You know why? Because-”
Lloyd’s eyes caught on something else. Akita couldn’t tell what, but it seemed just over her shoulder. His eyes quickly wandered into the middle distance, their connection now completely detached.
“Because I trust you.” The statement, though clearly meant for her, seemed almost to confuse him as he said it.
Akita, concern beginning to boil inside her, gripped his now limp hands in an attempt to draw him back to her.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Lloyd’s attention snapped back as she spoke, the look on his face still blank. “Yes, I… sorry,” He shook his head, a nervous laugh leaving his airway. “I just need to go. I’ll see you back at camp.” His presence pulled away from her, tugging her hands upward as he left.
Stunned and confused, Akita glanced over her shoulder, looking for what it was that had caught his eye. There seemed to be nothing at odds in the trees behind her, or on the ground. As far as she could tell, the only thing of interest he would have seen was the end of her polished steel sword handle which poked out just above her shoulder.