Airborne Wings

Chapter thirty-four- Ember

"What are you DOING out here?!" Terra asks. "Come inside!" She beckoned Ferno inside of the tent.

"Tell me you aren't hurt... OH! Did you come because you heard my prayer? No, that's just silly." Terra sighed.

"I saw you. You told me to come here. I knew that I needed—" Ferno felt a surge of pain shoot through his brain. He doubled over and clutched his head with his talons.

"Ferno— get back to camp! WE NEED YOU!"

Shot through his head. He felt another shot of pain. He screamed as he felt something stab him in the eyes. And then the pain stopped.

"What— why—what— are you okay?!" Terra whispered. Ferno didn't exactly understand why, but tears streaked his face and plopped down on the wood planks of the Merchant Tent. Terra hugged Ferno until his tears stopped. He felt terrible— he wanted to go back to Grace. To his baby life. He wanted to cuddle with Grace by the fire. He wanted Grace to kiss his beak and tell him he was the most precious animal she'd ever met. He wanted Zahra to give him raw meat under the table during dinner. He wanted Koi to play Ball with him like he was a dog. He wanted to go home. But was Grace's house really Ferno's home anymore? No— it wasn't FERNO'S home. It was EMBER'S home. He wasn't Ember anymore though— right? Or was he Ember the whole time?

Was he just a nobody who wasn't helping anyone after all? Was he just like Hera— lying to everyone and not doing anything? Did he betray Grace, and because of that, lose a place at her home? He didn't know what he wanted—he thought Terra would help him understand. But now it was clear to him that she was her own person, and she didn't like Ferno the way he liked her. Not only that, she wasn't someone that he could just claim— he realized that now. But now, he had to leave her.

"Terra... You are free to go back home. I know you never wanted to help me— your brothers decided for you. I'm terribly sorry that I didn't realize it until I was separated from you. Now, I must go... I want you to live a happy life— one away from a monster like me. I'm not Ember anymore— I'm Ferno, the one you tried to kill. ...We must part our ways—"

"NO!" Terra screamed, making the merchant and Leif jump. "Don't leave me!" She sobbed, sliding down to the floor. "After I've just reunited with you... You don't understand anything about how I feel! I came with you because I wanted to! I am going to have a happy life WITH you, not WITHOUT you! My brothers didn't decide for me— we all decided for ourselves. I could have left at any moment I felt like! So don't leave me!" Tears slid down her cheeks and hit the ground with light 'plop plops.'

"Let me come with you," She sniffed. "Please?" She looked up at Ferno sadly. Her face made Ferno want to help her. He couldn't resist—"Kyra, Koda, Eve, Terra, Peacock, let's go. We must go back to Phantom and the others— they are in trouble." Ferno said.

"HEY!" Leif yelled. "You're forgetting about someone!!!" She glared at Ferno angrily. "And stop acting like you're Ember! You don't have the egg!"

"...And Leif. Let's go! Oh, and Leif, I am Ember. But I'm Ferno now. And the egg hatched— Chimera is just sleeping."

Terra butted in; "...Ferno? You aren't Ember anymore? Did you not learn your lesson already? I told you— names are not things that can be changed. Ferno is but a title, an award, from the Goddess of Fire. She gave it to you because you are strong and brave just like the hero—Ferno. You are still Ember. ...Right...? Or... Are you not... the one I love? You know I was named Terra, but my Title was Wren, right?" Terra started crying again. "All that work... All for nothing..."

Wait... She did say something about that... That means I really am still Ember. World, I was never Ferno, was I? ...I'm Ember, and no one else. Ember felt a shower of yellow light surround him, holding Ember in a nice embrace. It was warm, just like his Maturing. He sighed happily and let the warmth take him away.