The star i saw that day

Chapter 10: The Darkness Ahead

Walking in those caves, I lost track of time. A few times we met some demons, but otherwise we were just walking. This one time we made it to a point where the cave parted ways. Four caves. We all looked at each other then we divided into pairs, and went in. We held contact to each other with communication lacryma. The first ones to turn around were Celeste and Gwydion. They told the rest of us, that they went back to the start and went down the same cave as Daichi. I myself was walking with Hiroshi.
"So, about the other day..." he started.
"It was a mistake." I added, and he turned silent. So without saying it like I was mad I continued,
"It shouldn't have happened, you're my friend and that's it. I don't feel anything for you."
"Is that so?" he asked with an amused smirk, which only made me feel worse.
"Yep, nothing."
Then he suddenly stopped and turned towards me, still with that smirk on his face. I swallowed and when he was right in front of me he laughed,
"Relax Leila, I ain't gonna jump onto you." he turned around and added, "Until you ask me to that is."
Right as I was about to answer him back, we heard the others in the distance - seems we had the right tunnel. And when the others had caught up, we continued into the seemingly never endeíng darkness. When we finally made it to the opening, none of us went out to begin with. As soon as Nephele had checked the surroundings, she waved us out one by one.
"Hey Hiroshi." Nephele wispeared, thinking I couldn't hear them.
"Yeah what is it?"
"You love her... don't you?"
He seemed shocked, "What?"
"Leila. You love her right? You wanted to talk to her, that's why you went with her in the tunnels."
"Is it that obvious?" He asked blushing, rubbing the back of his neck.
She laughed a little and punched him on the shoulder, as everyone looked back at them almost asking them "what's so funny?"

****

"They got out of the cave, dark empress."
"Send the element four, they should be able to deal with it."

****

For a few hours we were just walking, with nothing but cliffs in sight. Then the ground started rumbling, and hadn't we stopped, we would've all fallen into the giant hole that formed in front of us. I slowly went to the edge of the hole, and looked down; no bottom in sight. A voice then sounded from the darkness underneath me.

"I had really hoped you'd all fall in. That could've really made this so much easier."
"Oh Terra, you think too low of them."
"And you, maybe, a little too highly my friend."

Four people slowly appeared, talking to each other as if we weren't even there. Then as they ended their conversation, the one of them with blue hair turned towards us.

"Hello." she said, "We are known as the element four, we have been sent here to eliminate you."

Was Ahmya really scared that we would get all the way to her castle? What if she really thought we could actually defeat her? She had never sent more than one after us, except for in the fairy king's forest.  They were an experienced team, used to fight together. Then - without any warning - an arrow flew past my head. She, who the arrow was pointed at, didn't notice it and the arrow just went right through her.

She looked down at her stomach where Nephele had hid her, "You cannot touch Cordelia of the sea, with a mere arrow." she then declared as she just looked cold at us.
"Just as you cannot burn Bast of fire." the man supplementet her,
"Neither can you see Audra of the wind."
"Nor harm Terra of the earth in any human way."

****

The fight went on for a long time, each blow not seeming to harm any of our opponents. Of course, maybe it would've been an easier fight, if I had just used my full strength; but I knew I had to save as much as possible for Ahmya.
"What's wrong little girl, only know how to use healing magic?" the one known as Bast asked me.
I just smirked at him, "You'd like to know that wouldn't you?"
Throughout our fight he threw a comment like that at us a few time. My guess is, that it was just his way of making us lose focus or something. Even so, it was a little frustrating that he would be joking around and and annoying us. Once, and only once, did he succeed on such a thing; and hadn't it been for Omair casting a shield above me at that very moment, I would probably be ashes now. Happily it gave me some time to think, and cast a spell.
Ever since Omair had joined us, I had been getting closer to him. And almost every time I needed someone to cheer me up I could be sure that he was ready. It felt as if I had gotten that little brother I never had.

****

When we had finally knocked the element four unconscious, we pushed them down the hole they came from; got ourselves healed up and continued our journey towards the castle. After the sun had set and we had stopped for the night, Hiroshi came over padded me on the shoulder, and whispered,
"Can we talk?"
I turned to him and smiled.
"Yeah, of course what is it?"
"Somewhere else."
I furrowed my eyebrow, "O-okay...?"
I followed him, away from the camp behind some rocks, and looked confused at him. For a little while he just stood there, like he was building up the courage to talk to me or something, but then he started,
"Back in the cave," He stopped and took a deep breath, "d-did you mean what you said to me? That I'm nothing to you?"
"I never said that you're nothing to me..."
I would have said more, but before I could continue he asked me,
"So what happened on Domthua - you don't really think it was a mistake?"
"I do actually," I looked up at him, he seemed sad, "you're just not nothing to me. You're my friend."