Destiny Island

Chapter 62

Amber and Ignacio were just sitting and holding on to each other, wondering if they would ever see their friends again.

Amber's confidence dwindled as more time passed without any signs that either of them would be waking up any time soon.

She squeezed Ignacio's hand in a death grip, and she was unsure whether she was trying to comfort him or herself. Guilt started spreading through her body, a disease that couldn't be stopped.

What if something went wrong? What if she had sent her friend to her death. They might both end up dying in Royce's poisoned mind.

"They'll be fine," Ignacio said.

"How can you be so sure?" Amber asked.

"Because I believe in you. You had faith in your friend, and that's why you let her go.

Now, you are second-guessing yourself because it's in our nature to do so, but I have faith in you. I have confidence in your judgment, and know that everything will be alright." Ignacio said.

Amber wasn't sure what was more shocking for her, that someone had so much faith in her, or that Ignacio would say something like that to anyone.

The man she had first gotten to know would never have said something as emotional as that, but they had both changed. They've been changed by the island, by each other.

It occurred to her that they had gone through more emotional growth in a matter of days than some people did in years. She wasn't sure if it was the magic of the island or the special connection they managed to build, but she was happy it had happened.

Before she had the chance to answer anything, to question anything, she could see that Royce and Jade were starting to move. Their closed eyes started slowly blinking open, and Amber felt as if a boulder of worry had been removed from her shoulders.

"You are okay," Amber said.

As she said that, she hugged the sleepy Jade, holding on as if she might disappear any second. It was a relief to see that her friend was awake and unharmed.

"What took you so long, man?" Ignacio asked Royce shaking his hand vigorously.

"Oh, you know, I ran into some heavy traffic," Royce replied with a grin.

"Men!" Amber said.

Although her tone sounded disapproving, she couldn't stop a huge grin from spreading across her face.

Many things might have changed for them, but Amber understood that one thing that couldn't be changed was the nature of men. She didn't mind that since it was part of who they were.

"Now what do we do?" Ignacio asked.

"Now, you promise not to hurt Ci Nada." Avo Jana's voice said.

As they looked around, they could see a ghostly apparition of Avo Jana standing next to still sleeping, Ci Nada. The expression on her face was firm but kind.

"Why should we? She hurt us and then came back trying to hurt us even more. Don't you understand that she tried to kill us?!" Ignacio yelled.

"Yes, I understand all that, but I bound her powers now. Well, they did." Avo Jana pointed at the elves.

"She can't harm you. Would you harm someone who can't defend themselves? How would that make you any better than what you see as evil?" Avo Jana asked.

"Yes!" Ignacio said immediately.

Amber started gently stroking his face straightening away the wrinkles that formed on his forehead and slowly turning his head towards her. He tried to avoid catching her gaze, but when he finally did, she could see that he remembered that he was better than that.

"No, I guess not." He answered.

"I am glad to hear that because I need you to hear her story. You need to understand that she is not evil. No one is every only bad, there is so much more to it than that. What we see as evil are just harmful actions, but even a good person can do wrong things." Avo Jana said.

"How can you say that!? Of course, she is evil, she is pure evil! She tried to kill Royce for no reason!" Jade said.

"And yet he lives. Do you truly believe she couldn't have just murdered you while you slept, without anyone knowing, without anyone being able to stop her? Wouldn't a truly evil person just do that?

She has lost her way I admit that. Rage has been her guide for far too long, but deep down in her heart she wanted to be stopped, that's why she kept playing games with you instead of killing you instantly. She needed someone to help her put a stop to her rage." Avo Jana said.

No one knew how to answer that. Amber could see Avo Jana's point, and what she said made sense. However, it was so difficult to fight against human nature, to fight against the need to categorize things; good or evil, black or white.

Soon enough, Ci Nada started shifting and awakened to everyone staring at her. However, the person that awoke looked to them completely different. When the mask of anger and hatred fell off, all that was left was immeasurable pain.

No one could at that moment refuse to hear her story, they were so hypnotized by the depth of her pain, the semblance of which they had never experienced. So they just sat in silence waiting for her to start telling them the story of her life.

"Tell them." Avo Jana said to Ci Nada.

She used the tone of voice one would use with a scared child, but Amber wasn't surprised since Ci Nada seemed broken. It was as if after all the anger was let out, there was no fire left burning in the fairy's heart.

"Very well, I might as well share my shame with them. I owe them that much and more." Ci Nada said.

"Long time ago, I wasn't the dark fairy that you all know and despise. I was still called 'dark fairy' but at the time it had a completely different meaning.

It only meant that I was the fairy of the dark hour. That I was in charge of some of the beauties that night hides in its heart.

It also meant I was more comfortable in the night hours, I felt more energy then. While most of my friends slept during the night, I was enjoying the beautiful gems of the night that could be found if one truly looked.

Avo Jana was the only one who could partly understand my preference since she could see the beauty in everything. She often kept me company on my night excursions. At the time we were very good friends, you see.

Life was good, I was happy with what I had. I never interfered in the lives of others. I had a few good friends whom I cherished and yet it felt like something was missing, that one person who could understand me completely. The one who could accept me just the way I was. Let me speak plainly, I was desperate for love, as any other being on this planet.

And after one chance encounter with captain Calico, I thought I had found what I was looking for and so much more.

He was the first human I had ever met, I didn't know how well they could lie. I usually stayed away when there were humans on the island. I was generally cautious when it came to them, but I was simply enchanted by Calico.

From the first moment I met him, he was nothing but kind to me, and I didn't see...I didn't know...

Avo Jana, I couldn't tell, I was too naive. I am so sorry." Ci Nada said.

"It's okay. You couldn't have known, he was too cunning." Avo Jana said.

"Give her a second."Avo Jana added.

"No, no, I am okay." Ci Nada said.

"I thought he was a good guy, but he turned out to be a monster." Ci Nada said.