From the Ashes

Chapter 1

The memory was still sharp in her mind. Though only a year had passed, Fidget could still remember his face as he smiled up at her as the lava swept across his bruised and battered body. That smile still haunted her dreams. A smile of happiness. Sadness. Regret. And a wish. Fidget didn't know what that wish was, but it was there. She'd seen it in his eyes.

And just like that, he was gone. As if he'd never existed. She no longer cared about taking the Blade of Ahrah back to her people. She would trade the thing, sell it for mere pennies if it would just bring her friend back. If it would bring Dust back.

She'd seen it though, and she knew it wasn't a dream. The wisp rose from the depths of the volcano where Dust's ashes lay mixed with that of molten rock and sulphur, glowing pale blue against the darkening sky. The blue was the same colour as the fur on her friends face. And what's more, the Blade of Ahrah emerged right after it, flying away as it did just before she met Dust for the first time.

And at that moment, she had hope.

Fidget shot after the sword as fast as her small wings could carry her, leaving behind the last of the Moonbloods and Ginger, a girl who cared about Dust just as much as she came as little surprise as Dust had the soul of her deceased brother inside him, right along with the soul of Cassius, the most powerful warrior the world had ever seen. Together, the two souls melded together in Dust's body formed the Sen-Mithrarin, as the Moonbloods so affectionately called him. He was created to save the Moonbloods from demise. Born of the dust, he would seek out General Gaius and take him down once and for all, ridding the world of the homicidal maniac and his army.

He died for the Moonbloods. Fidget had internally cursed them for it, wishing they would die and bring Dust back instead. But those thoughts were quickly crushed as the sword and the wisp flew through the forest. Fidget knew where it was taking her. Home. Back to the swords resting place. Where it belonged from the beginning.

The blade suddenly stopped, and Fidget knew. The road ended here. Ahrah slid into the ground, burying its point in the earth where it had rested for many years before Dust called it from this very spot.

It was where Fidget hovered now, a full year after her friend's death, floating a few feet away from the Blade of Ahrah. A few times, when she was alone with the sword, she attempted to speak to him, but received no reply. She tried calling out to Dust, hoping to see some change in the blue glow. But there was never any response.

But maybe she could try again.

Fidget flew down to hover in front of the sword, watching the blue aura curl and shift gently, like dust blowing in the wind.

"Dust?" Fidget whispered. "Can you hear me, Dust?"

There was no change in the glow, but she didn't expect any other response. However she knew that if Dust truly was here, he would listen to every word she had to say. That was the kind of friend he was.

"I miss you, Dust," Fidget said, her ears curling downwards. "I wish I could talk to you again. You were the only one who ever believed in me. You even said you needed me."

The blade continued to glow as normal, but Fidget tried to convince herself that the dance of the aura was resonating with her voice, even if deep down, she knew it wasn't true.

"I need you Dust. Ginger needs you. We all need you. We want you back, Dust. Why did you have to go away?" She said these words all the time. They never made Dust return, but it was what she felt. She fought back her tears, not wanting to cry again.

"Talking to the sword again, Fidget?"

Fidget turned, hoping she didn't have any tears in the fur on her cheeks as she stared at the other Nimbat. This one had glossy, coal black fur and blue eyes. Her name was Nynia, and Fidget had always hated her. Blue eyes became her bane because of this Nimbat. But Dust's had been different. His were warm and full of light. Nynia's were cold and uninviting. Just like her persona.

"Listen, it's my shift now, so if you're done crying over it, I'd like to get my job done, thanks," Nynia said, crossing her arms, her white paws standing out like snow on her black fur.

"Go ahead," Fidget stated, flying away from the sword, not wanting to be in her presence another second. Nynia was the one who spread all those tales of Fidget crying over Ahrah on a daily basis after what happened to Dust. Nobody else could see the blue aura emanating from the blade. Everyone else thought she was full of it. After all, Fidget had been the one who lost Ahrah and disappeared for several weeks, only to return, following the sword back to its resting place. They barely allowed her to go back to guarding it. They only started giving her shifts again to stop her from whining. Everyone always told her that her voice was annoying.

Fidget flew into the tree she called her home and picked one of the cherries from the branches, munching on it slowly. Even eating fruit reminded her of Dust. They'd found an apple tree on their way to Archer's Pass, and they'd feasted on apples as they walked, Dust carrying most of the load. Between the two of them, the apples they'd picked were half gone by the time they reached the top. They'd spent some time with Haley and Matti, where the rest of the apples disappeared while they talked. Fidget still remembered teasing Dust mercilessly all the way down the mountain about how Haley was 'giving him the signals' and asking if he too thought she was cute. After hours of badgering, Dust finally managed to admit that Haley was sort of cute, but Fidget could tell girls weren't exactly first and foremost on Dust's mind and dropped all talk of such things altogether.

Fidget sighed, staring at the cherry pit in her paw, the fur stained slightly red from cherry juice. Why did everything always go back to Dust? Would she be stuck forever in the past, dreaming of those moments she spent with him? She couldn't even eat cherries in peace without thinking about him.

And yet, those memories were all she had left. She didn't want to let them go. Ever. She would never admit it, but she loved Dust. Not in the whole I-want-to-kiss-you-and-be-with-you-forever sort of love, but the kind that was impossible to describe. She cared about him and wanted to see him happy, but she wasn't attracted to him in that manner. He sort of felt like...her brother in a way.

Fidget sighed heavily and lay back on the branch, trying not to think of days where she sprawled herself out on the ground beside Dust's fire as he looked over his map, wondering where they should travel next. Her green eyes closed slowly, and she eventually drifted into sleep, the sound of a crackling fire in her mind.

...

She was awoken by shouts and cries of panic. Fidget nearly fell out of the tree when she heard someone shout that one of the Blades was gone. Could they mean Ahrah? Her panic subsided when she remembered that there were four other Blades of Elysium in various parts of the forest, each guarded by their own clan. But why would they be shouting about missing blades if different clans guarded different swords?

Unless Ahrah really was gone...

In a panic, Fidget flew out of the tree and raced through the forest to where Ahrah rested. Much to her joy, the blade remained, guarded by a male Nimbat named Fenrei. He looked over at her with surprise, his green eyes blinking with curiosity, brown fur glowing reddish in the rising sun.

"What's going on, Fidget?" He asked. Much nicer than Nynia to say the least...They'd been acquainted for years anyway. "I hear shouting."

"I'm not sure. I heard someone say one of the blades had disappeared, so I came over here to see if Ahrah was still here."

"Right, you have an...attachment to this one..." Fenrei said, staring at Ahrah for a moment. Fidget glanced at it too, and did a double take. The blue aura seemed to have grown overnight. It looked ready to burst from the blade.

"Did you find out which blade was missing?" Fenrei asked.

Fidget shook her head.

"You might want to then. I'm on guard duty for another half hour," Fenrei looked a little irked at the thought of watching the blade while all hell was breaking loose.

Fidget wasted no time. She turned and flew back to what could be considered her clans village, though all it was really a grove in which Nimbats gathered. Which was what they were doing now. Fidget didn't recognize some of them, which told her one of the neighbouring clans had lost their sword. One of them was telling their story at that moment.

"...came from nowhere and just snatched Elsorah up. Gone the next second," The Nimbat said, looking about ready to faint. "I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Poor guy must've been the one watching the blade when it was stolen.

"Can you tell us what the thief looked like?" Another Nimbat asked.

"He was one of the village creatures. The wingless ones. He had white fur and pointed ears like a fox or a wolf."

Dust? Fidget couldn't help but think.

"He was wearing black, gold and red clothes and his eyes were so harsh, yellow like a hawks but filled with fire."

There was no way that was Dust. She felt disappointed, yet relieved at the same time.

"And the worst part was the monsters. There were so many."

"Monsters?" Fidget whispered. She backed away slowly, listening to the frantic Nimbat's tale. She trembled. Dust had to come back. He had to. If he didn't, she'd take Ahrah herself and do what she could, even though deep down, she knew she didn't stand a chance.

Fidget turned and flew into the woods, heading towards Ahrah. Fenrei was still there, staring at the sword as if waiting for something interesting to happen. He'd get it alright.

"Fidget?" Fenrei titled his head as she whipped towards the sword. "What are you doing?"

Fidget grabbed the hilt of Ahrah and gave it a sharp tug. "Elsorah got stolen by somebody," she grunted, still pulling on it. "We might need this."

"Fidget, this is foolish. You can't just take the Blade of Ahrah. If you don't stop now, I'll have to take you to the clan elders by force!"

"See what I care!" Fidget snarled, yanking on the blade some more. The blue glow was whipping around her hands like fire, though she felt no pain.

Fenrei flew behind Fidget and grabbed onto her, trying to pull her away from the sword.

"We, need, Dust!" Fidget cried, every word fuelling her arms as she yanked on the sword.

"Who's Dust?" Fenrei grunted, trying to pull her away.

Fidget didn't respond, keeping a sharp grip on the sword as she gave it one final tug. The Blade of Ahrah shifted slightly, tilting to the side as the two Nimbats flew backwards from the sudden release in tension. The blue glow that surrounded Ahrah suddenly exploded outwards, a violent wind flooding across the clearing. Fenrei and Fidget flew into a tree and slid to the ground.

"What's going on?!" Fenrei cried, covering his eyes as bits of earth and debris flew into the air from the force of the sudden wind. "I can't see! There's too much dust!"

Fidget wanted to keep her eyes closed, but she couldn't take her eyes off the swirling wind. The dust storm blew violently around Ahrah, pieces of earth and dirt flying into the two Nimbat's faces.

And just like that, the dust began to settle. Fidget and Fenrei finally managed to open their eyes to look towards Ahrah. Fidget's eyes widened as a figure began to take shape behind what remained of the dust cloud. And as the cloud finally began to settle, Fidget saw the face of her dearly beloved friend.

"Dust..." Fidget whispered, her wings whirring to life behind her as she unconsciously flew towards him. He had no hat, and his eyes were closed, his silvery hair blowing in what remained of the wind. He still wore the clothes she remembered so clearly. It was Dust. All he had to do now was open his eyes.

But as the final gust of wind faded, he fell, hitting the ground with a soft thud as his legs crumpled beneath him. A soft moan escaped his lips as his nose twitched. His eyelids fluttered open as Fidget hovered over him.

Fidget couldn't help but smile, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared down at Dust, waiting, anticipating that moment.

And then it came.

Recognition.

"F-Fidget?" He gasped.

"DUST!" Fidget dropped like a stone, landing hard on his chest and knocking the breath from his lungs. She clung to his shirt, sobbing pitifully as his hand reached up to touch her head, his eyes slightly misty with confusion and happiness.