The story so far:

---- Aija and the others are on the South-Land. They are waiting for the Leadership to attack. Goldstar is alive. They lost the Premiere, Leigh, Tailyn, Arah Lin. Ze is getting better in his training. The war comes to an end when Iernei spaceships arrive. Aija finds her brother Rei and Vincent alive. Aija and Thieron tell Goldstar all that has happened with them. Aija and Thieorn want to go to Ierne to give Aa'di Irih'va the Avo. Luka didn't expect to survive this long. He now feels at home with Thieron and Nala. Zuri goes home. She asks her parents to go to the South-land with her. They refuse. Xan accepts Var-Inu's offer to get an Iernei body. Xan is now Iernei. Thieron talks to Aija; she says she's confused and needs time. They all go to Ierne. Zuri roams the Palace. She meets Ze, who tells her he doesn't like Nala and makes Zuri doubt her relationship with Nala. Aija asks Irih'va to remove her bond with Thieron. He agrees and accomplishes it. Goldstar gives Premier Zhaleh a plan to use against the Leadership. Thieron wakes after the bond is removed. He misses Aija. Aa'di Irih'va asks him to go home and then to join the Ithi'hra to work with him.

----Thieron convinces Nala to go home. Xan learns from Aija what really happened to him; he feels hurt. He wants to warn his family about the experiments to save his siblings. Goldstar finds out Vincent is Ytean-human. And that he was responsible for his reputation. He is upset. He chooses to leave behind 'Goldstar' and be Rei. It is Ze's wedding day. He's happy. Diya and Nova are present. Ruyanir's and Ze's wedding takes place. Ze challenges Na'thwir for the position of Zayr chief. Thieron goes to Zya'ara with everyone. Meets his family after years. The Company is on their way to attack again. Aija and Thieron fight with the Zya'araeans against the Wy'sith. Aija gets dragged away from Thieron. Nala and Luka struggle to shield Eiva and Afe. Nala is losing control over her shield. Zuri arrives to help. Thieron panics when he loses Aija. The ji'var attack him, but AIja finds him. Together they manage to kill the metal-controller, but when the Utzrn withdraw, Thieron realises it's to drown them. Aija calls Tai'un for help, and tells him she'll do anything in return for help. Tai'un uses the Avo to help them. Xan meets Vaughn, they spend time in Sier Ghat.

----Aa'di Irih'va has lunch with his grandfather, who tells him about his parents.

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****24 ZURI****

Lightning brightened the room, its following thunder booming like an explosive finding home on the ground.

Zuri flinched.

Zuri thought with each battle, she'd cope better. It's turned out wrong. With each, she grew increasingly bilious and frantic. Each sharp sound, each sudden movement anguished her.

Another flash of lightning lit the dark room. Dhr'aar growled beside Aija, who lay asleep for the second day in a row. Zuri sat by her, waiting for her to wake. Most of the Ru family had come to check on her. Luka, a Priority Soul, slept too. Nala had come to check on Aija and left to be with Luka. Thieron had come once every hour as he had when Aija had slept on the spacecraft, making Zuri staunchly suspect something went on between him and Aija. Even at Ze's wedding, Aija and Thieron had barely spoken to the other but had captivated the entire audience's attention as if it were their day, not Ze and Ruyanir's.

Dhr'aar's snarls soared, his eyes on the door. It opened, revealing M'nrn. The girl didn't wait for Zuri's permission; she walked in, a tray of food in her hands. She handed it to Zuri, who accepted it, thankful. She'd been hungry but was afraid of leaving Aija to wake up alone.

M'nrn eyed Dhr'aar, wary. He continued baring his teeth at her, growls quieter. Zuri didn't understand the enyr's tartness regarding the girl; to Zuri, she was fine.

Once the girl left, Zuri dug into the warm food. Comfort food filled the tray with hot soups, rice, curries, and cold sweets.

Roè Eiva had locked several of the Utzrn soldiers. Of course, with that large a number, many had escaped on rousing on the fields. Roè Eiva had contacted some organisation called the Wu'ryh and the Ytai government. Many officials from both bodies of law had overtaken the Manor, over-brimming it with activities. Zuri understood neither, both imposing with their stern impassivity. Zuri took effort to avoid them; their eyes lingered longer on her whenever she passed an official. So far, none had stopped to question her, but perhaps, they reserved the interrogations for Roè Eiva. Nala had told Zuri that the Ithi'hra were furious with the attack. The news of it had spread all over Ytèan. She worried it would create long-standing issues, for the Utzrn must know an attack against Ytèan was an attack against all the Ithi'hra members. Nala hoped a large-scale war wasn't on its way.

After eating, Zuri freshened up and let Dhr'aar out when he pawed the door. Returning, she found Aija slowly blinking awake. Not wanting to alarm her, Zuri moved softly, taking her place by Aija. Aija mumbled something incomprehensible, waking slowly.

"Ai?" Zuri said under her breath.

"Zu?" she opened her eyes. "Isn't this becoming a habit?" she half-smiled, still sluggish, slurring her 's's'.

"I don't care as long as you wake,"

"As long as I wake up to you,"

Zuri smiled. She assisted Aija to sit.

The girl hugged her, "I love you, Zuri."

Zuri's tummy flipped; she held Aija closer.

"I love you. I wish I'd said it before we left to fight. I thought I'd never see you again; I thought we'd all die. Thank you for making it. I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"I don't, either, without you, Ai."

"I've had enough of fighting."

Zuri squeezed Aija tight in her embrace. "I don't know a place without its fights."

Aija sighed.

Zuri waited as Aija wobbled to the bathroom to freshen up after refusing aid. Once settled in bed again, Zuri brought Aija on track with all that had happened since the Utzrn had fallen.

"Xan's back. He was upset at his timing. He was here until Roè called him to help. He looked instantly better when asked to help."

"I'm glad he wasn't there for another fight."

Zuri agreed. "Thieron's been checking on you; a lot."

Aija lowered her face, turning away from Zuri to the rain outside lashing at the windows. Her movement was brisk, yet, Zuri didn't miss the faint blush that graced her cheeks, imbuing colour to her otherwise wan skin.

"What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing," Aija's reply came quick.

"If you're confused, I'd think of your own words. What you told me about Nala helped. I can never say it as you did. But you get what I'm saying; one chance."

Aija remained inert, still facing away. But she clenched her jaws, and Zuri knew she'd gotten her point across.

Zuri was still ambiguous with her judgement of Thieron. But who was she to criticise him when she'd accepted Nala for who she was? And, it honestly appeared like Thieron cared for Aija. It should be interesting, considering how tumultuous their relationship had started off. But, in her own words, Aija needed a chance.

"I've hated him for so long, I don't know what I'm without it," Aija whispered, so softly, it was barely audible over the hammering of rain.

Zuri brushed her hand over Aija's in gentle strokes. "You'll learn,"

Aija's eyes landed on Zuri's, intense. "You're back with Nala?"

"I am,"

Aija broke into a smile, etherizing her earlier graveness.

****

Zuri left Aija to rest and went to see if Luka was up.

A restful lull had overtaken the busy frenzy with barely any Ytai in sight. Zuri found it calming. She weaved her way through long hallways and steep stairs to Luka's room in the Manor.

Getting back with Nala had been the toughest and simplest thing she'd done. She'd been terrified of facing the girl, but once she'd stood in front of Nala, with her watching Zuri as if she were the best thing in the world, nothing else had mattered. Zuri had simply walked over to Nala and kissed her. And they were back together.

At the bend of the staircase connecting the first and second floors, Zuri saw Nala. She was about to call out to her but stopped when a Ytai man approached her. Nala lowered her head, increasing her pace.

"Iro'h," the man called after her.

Nala halted, not turning around.

"It is you. You were here all along?"

Nala swung around. Zuri hid behind the wall, listening, glad for the translation-rune.

"Z'our," Nala acknowledged the man.

Z'our. The boy who'd attacked Nala's brother; the reason she'd left home. He'd grown too.

"I saw you last night. I thought I'd imagined you." Z'our spoke. "You look the same but taller. You look exactly like him."

Zuri heard Nala take a sharp breath.

"Won't you ask me about them?"

Nala didn't respond. Z'our waited, but Nala remained silent.

"Come home, Iro'h,"

"All this time, and...," Nala trailed off. "I can't believe it's you, I see."

"I've changed,"

Nala scoffed. "Apologise. Apologise, Z'our. It's because of you I had to leave."

Z'our didn't speak at once. Silence prevailed. Then he said, "I am sorry, Iro'h. I am. Come home; it's been years."

"Like you care,"

"I know they do."

"I hate you so much."

"I deserve it. I'll wait till Lh'ean's first tomorrow. I'll take you home if you want."

Zuri heard footsteps going down. She guessed it was Z'our's but didn't want to take a chance. Another set of footsteps went downstairs, and Zuri braved the moment, taking a peek. Nala was the second to leave. Zuri let Nala go, knowing she'd want to be alone. Zuri huffed, suddenly tired; tired of battles, everything happening, the constant disquiet that enveloped them. On Earth, on Ytèan. Maybe even Ierne. Exhausted by the push and pull that came with family and relationships, unceasing.

But people needed family and other relations, even with the unrelenting worry that came with them.

All Zuri wanted, for now, was to take a break from it all, to leave,s to explore new worlds. But, perhaps, it was essential that Nala returned home first.

Zuri stood alone in the darkness, thinking of ways to influence her girlfriend to visit family. Nala was important to Zuri. She knew without making amends with her family, Nala would remain incomplete.

Their first stop would be Urè. 

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