Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Legaia or its characters, this story is fan work, and no profit will be made from it. Sue me and die, okay?

Sightseeing

Chapter One: The Final Stop

"Noa! Gala! Come check out the view!"

Vahn stood, carefully balanced on one of the sculptured wings. We were atop Mount Dhini, our final stop before we would turn home. The sun was setting, streaming brilliant orange hues over the mountaintops.

Seeing as both Noa and I were unresponsive, Vahn called out again, "Hey, what're you two waiting around for? Come look, it's gorgeous!"

"I don't wanna, Vahn." Noa plopped down in the wet grass and looked at her toes.

I suppose Noa had a good reason not to want to look. From here, Mt. Dhini, you could see far off over the Range Divide, to the hardened shell seru that had engulfed Conkram, and all of Noa's family along with it... save for her brother Cort. It had taken a lot of persuasion from Vahn to get Noa to come this far. When the tragedy had befallen Conkram, Noa had Terra to blame... but after Terra was gone, well... I suppose she felt so guilty for blaming Terra, and ultimately for her death, that she just denied that any of it had happened to begin with, despite Vahn's desperate efforts to make her feel better.

It was because of Noa that Vahn decided that the three of us should go sightseeing; to see all the wonders of the world that were gone while the Mist was around, in hopes that it would make us all feel a bit better. However, Noa was unresponsive. When we stopped to see Cara and Grantes in Buma, Cara had hugged Noa tight, as she had heard the news, but Noa just stood there until she let go.

Noa was trapped in a shell; but unfortunately for her it wasn't the same one as the rest of Conkram.

"Gala, are you coming or not?"

I paused. "Alright, Vahn." It was true, there was also something here that I didn't want to see. But I climbed up to the top of the wings, and joined Vahn in looking down at the scenery below.

It truly was a beautiful view. Mossy-green mountains seemingly untouched; rocky rivers carving through them like veins that give them life, golden rays of sunlight dancing on their edges. But the gray mountains were still there - the ones without forests or any sign of life, desolate jagged slate that separated what once was Conkram from the rest of Karisto. Beyond them everything appeared exactly as it did the day we left that place.

To the east lay Nivora Ravine, but it was different than usual. After we had defeated Koru, the snow had started to melt... but the change was especially visible now that it was nearing the month of Ripening.

And to the west, well... the ruins of Uru Mais were probably there, and maybe you could see the coastline and the home of the Soren... but... I didn't want to look.

"Yeah, Vahn, it is a nice view." I forced a bit of a smile and jumped down from the rock, and walked over to Noa, who was watching a ladybug that was on her knee with an empty gaze. I looked over at Vahn, who was still looking down onto the mountains. "Well, I think it's time that we should have dinner, Vahn. What do you think, Noa?"

Noa was as silent as always, and blew at the ladybug a little bit and it flew away. Not really expecting an answer, I reached for our dinner basket, taking out the meal that Mrs. Usha had prepared for us and setting it out on a small tablecloth.

Vahn immediately jumped down right next to Noa, grinning and reaching for a particularly large serving of fresh Lippian stew that he had specially requested. Some things about him reminded me so much... but I shook away that thought, picking up my sandwich.

Noa, thankfully, had already bitten into hers. I suppose she really was making progress... when we first found her, she had refused to eat anything, but when Vahn and I had stopped eating as well, she cleaned her plates from then on.

I sat and ate my food in silence, watching the sun set. I had finished my meal and drifted very far off in thought, when I heard a small, muffled laugh, from none other than Noa! Next to me, Vahn had been scarfing down his stew like some sort of wild animal, but he had stopped once he heard Noa's giggle. Her face was still expressionless, but that had definitely been her voice.

Vahn and I both smiled, and he picked up his bowl and slurped out the rest of its contents. Leaning back, with his hands behind his head, Vahn fell back into the tall grass, and slowly began to speak. "So... what do you guys plan to do after we get back home?"

It was sort of a deja vu, Vahn had asked us this question one time before, when we were still traveling to get rid of the Mist. Vahn looked around at us. "Noa? Gala?"

I leaned back a little, my arms folded loosely. "Hmm... I've been thinking about going to the temple in Sol, if Master Zopu will allow me. Ever since Deez's passing, the monks there have been without anyone to guide them, and I would be honored to teach in his place."

Vahn looked up at me cheerfully. "Of course he will Gala, you're a great teacher, and he knows it." He turned his head over to Noa. "What about you, Noa?"

Noa sat cross-legged in the grass, her hands in her lap, her emerald eyes resting their gaze on the empty plate in front of her. We watched her sitting there for what felt like way too long, not really expecting her to reply. But, after some time had passed, she opened her mouth to speak.

"I... want to go home."

That's it for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed reading my story. :D This is my first fanfic in six years, so please be nice and review it, okay? :3