Behind the Flames .:H2OVanoss:.

.:Chapter 18:.

          "You mean.. you..." Jonathan's voice hiccuped. Is his best friend back? Can really it be true?
          "I remember, Jonathan!" The smile upon Evan's lips proved it all. "I remember the times we would play on the beach; When we would train in the forest; Run through the streets of our hometown! And then- then when it was destroyed by my own kind... My memories and strengths were stolen from me, replaced with false beliefs and teachings that they forced on me. I was so wrong, and I made so many mistakes and I hurt so many people- but I know now!" His amber eyes overflowed with tears while his heart performed flips with all the renewed emotions.
          He grabbed Jonathan's shirt and pulled him into a tight hold. Burying his face into Jon's shoulder, he wept and shivered. "I didn't realize how lost I was... How much I did lose... I'll never forgive myself, but I swear I'm going to change, whether you accept me or not!"
          Now it was Jonathan's turn to tear up. He was so confused but at the same time, the happiest he'd ever been since the day they were separated. He had Evan back now; the real Evan. He calmly brought his hands up to accept the hug, feeling the soldier relax in his arms and calm in his breathing.
          "Heheh.. don't be silly, Evan. We'll always accept you. All of us." he gestured around. "We aren't just friends. We've always been more like the family we never had." He rested a hand on his friend's charcoal hair and pet it slowly.
          There was another sad sniffle behind him. He didn't expect it to be, but Marcel's eyes were red and moist. When Evan pulled back up the two met in an emotional hold.
          "Marcel, I-"
          "Apology accepted, Evan. I always knew that you were still in there, and someday, the time would come for you to realize everything.. But don't expect me to forgive you on trying to kill me, yet!" He sniffed again and wiped his eye with a chuckle. "I know you'll do great things in the future, for the sake of all nations- Damnit, tears! I'm not usually an emotional person so don't get used to this!" He violently wiped his face and turned away.
          A couple people laughed. "Alright, whatever you say, tough guy." Jonathan sighed happily. He looked around at the half-cautious, half-relieved faces that were on everyone. All of them, except Tyler.
          The man was still pacing around, with consistent nervous glances at the two of them. The emotion displayed on his face was not distrust, or happiness, or anything everyone else felt. Instead, it looked rather angry and worried; Almost broken..?
          "Ty-"
          "Can everyone walk? We need to get out of here as soon as possible." Tyler cut off Jonathan immediately.
          Evan met Tyler's eyes briefly, and pain flashed in both of them. What unseen conversation was going on here?
          "I can walk. I just might stumble a little bit." Evan stretched his legs and took the hand Brian offered him.
          They stood up as Brian pat him on the shoulder, mumbling, "Glad to have you back, man."
          "Glad to be back." He responded. Tyler had already walked out of the shrine in deep thought, with a few others in tow. They kicked the small chunks of melting ice cluelessly as they left.
          Jonathan was about to leave, following behind Evan and David, when he spotted Lui staring into the hole. "Lui? Are you ok?"
          The smaller man jumped in surprise. "Wha- ya, ya, I'm alright. Just.. thinking..." His voice trailed off.
          "Heh, aren't we all." He curiously joined him by the opening in the wood floor. "What are you thinking about?"
          He didn't answer at first. Instead, his stressful eyes searched the deep water until he whispered, "...Can you keep a secret..?"
          Jon stared at him. "You have my word-"
"Guys, we need to get out of here, and I think we gotta do it fast!" David jogged back in with Evan at his side.
Jonathan scrunched his eyebrows. "Why? What's wrong?"
Evan ran up to them and quickly pulled them away from the hole. Keeping a firm grip on Jon's arm, he told them, "Because I just remembered that we fought and froze a giant serpent before we went down there. And I don't see any giant serpent anymore." He kicked a large piece of ice that Jon failed to notice before. "It looks like it might have played dead and escaped when we were gone- also, take a look at where we came in."
'Wait, we fought a giant serpent-?!' the memory was foggy, but it flew back to him almost immediately. He gazed in bewilderment upon the entryway, which had been torn apart by something obviously huge. It was carved into a perfectly circular tunnel, with splinters and broken wood dangling from the ceiling or drifting in the water.
          Evan tugged at Jonathan's arm, then began leading the way to the outside. "I don't want to be around when it comes back. If we move quickly and get out of the swamps, I think we can avoid it, wherever it went."