Ruins of the Heart [Rosa]

[Kain Highwind]

Birds were singing cheerfully. Loud and louder. It could be a happy day with the bright sky and clear wind he could feel against his skin. It was dancing through his hair just like he enjoyed. He could have closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. But no... He couldn't. It wasn't possible with the view before his pale blue eyes.

The Castle of Baron was now ruins.

The tall man stopped his steps, his dark gray cloak surrounding his slender form and waving around his frame with the soft wind. A scarf was wrapped around his head, covering his nose and mouth, only revealing his piercing blue eyes. Though, long strands of blond hair was sticking out, falling down to his shoulders.

It wasn't easy to recognise Kain Highwind like this.

With unbelieving eyes, the tall man gazed ahead into the sight before him.

Ruins.

The Castle was in ruins now. It was burned down and collapsed, leaving nothing from it's past glory and beauty. There was no longer smoke, everything had started and ended long time ago. He was late, away, distracted; while all this happened.

His home was now gone. All these years, he dreamed of returning home one day. And now he was here, but it was gone. The timing was wrong and a sharp pain hit him in the chest, spreading in his body. He felt numb, while Kain continued his steps into the ruins and passed from familiar places from his past.

The ground he used to train to become a Dragoon was ahead, now cracked and destroyed. Nothing was left to recognise. The hidden parts of the castle was there, where he used to run with Cecil and spend hours doing nothing, while they were very young. They mostly laid down and watched the sky, making shapes of the clouds. The wing of the castle where his room was long gone. Everything was collapsed, only a little remained standing. But nothing was going to be the same. Baron was beyond repair. Their beloved kingdom was gone.

His steps were light, not even making noise on the rubble he walked on. After checking around enough, the hooded man found a rock to sit on. His elbows rested against his knees, his slender body was bent forward. Pale blue eyes were fixed onto the stone floor under his feet. He was silent, thoughtful and certainly heart-broken. He could have been here to defend Baron. That was what was expected from him. It was what he expected from himself.

But regret wasn't going to change anything at this point. It was useless and only caused more burden than anything. Being a soldier, Kain knew better than that.

He turned his eyes up at the sky to watch the clouds... Just like the old days. But at the moment he couldn't think of any shapes. His mind was elsewhere. Kain was wondering of his friends' whereabouts. Where was Cecil and where was Rosa? Were they alright? They had to be. Both were strong, both could get through many difficult situations. And they did...

But once again, Kain was alone and left out of things, while it was completely his choice this time.

[Rosa Joanna Harvey]

Rosa despaired to see her house like this. With a haggard face she looked at the few papers she held in her hands. They had been able to save most of the important things they had needed after the castle had been destroyed, and now she had important scripts in her hands. With a sigh, Rosa sunk to her knees and then sat down, stretching her legs out even with the chaos around her and closed her eyes for a moment. Since this had taken place three days ago, she had been almost in constant motion. Though Rosa had dealt with plenty of problems in her life by herself, this had wearied her beyond her imagination. The years with her faithful husband to care for important matter such as the castle being attacked must have done something to her. Or perhaps it was that she was advancing in age and that they had lived in peace for so long. Things like that made you start to become soft, which was another reason she took her bow and arrows out almost every day to remain sharp with her abilities.

Sure...they had lost their home, the home of her childhood, but was it really all that bad? Rosa still had her husband and son, as well as two of her best friends. No...it wasn't that bad, which made her nod firmly, scooting her legs up to stand and stretch slightly. shuffling the papers together, Rosa took another look at Cecil's previous office and then started to climb back out. Just thinking about her family made her want to get back to her husband, slumbering in the house of a kind older couple that had allowed them to stay until the reconstruction of their house. The hours after the attack had happened, she had pushed herself until she had absolutely nothing left to give. Dead on her feet, she had been running purely on determination while they got the wounded and dead sorted out. Since that day, Rosa had gone to each family to personally tell them of their sons death. Her heart was heavy with that duty, why had they died when her own family remained? Thankfully very few had been killed, and so she felt a little better about it.

Walking through the ruins was unnerving. These were the hallways she had ran through as a child and had raised her son in...and now they were destroyed. It saddened her greatly. After a time she tried to mentally block the thought. Material possessions didn't matter much, as long as she had her family. Rosa was thankful she had sent Ceodore off at the first sign of trouble, and trusted that the Captain she had put in charge of her young son would have kept him safe where he had taken him. With her husband back, he and Rosa could start picking the pieces back up. It would take time, but they could overcome this challenge, as they had every other one. The only reason he wasn't by her side now was of the injuries he had gotten. While not life threatening, he had been completely exhausted in his attempt to get back to her from the portal he had been sent through.

When she finally emerged from the ruins, she took a deep breath of the fresh air and then closed her eyes, letting her shoulders relax.

Everything was going to be okay...

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Words:; 749
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Kain
Location:; Baron Ruins
Outfit:; Something I shall make?!
Notes:; --
Listening To:;[/color] The Packer game

[Kain Highwind]

Time flew.

He wasn't sure how much time passed while sitting here. Too much memories and too much thoughts were in his head. Truthfully, Kain always seemed to have something occupy his mind. Some believed this was the reason of his behaviour, explaining his personality with it. Yes, he was a man of a few words, but that did not mean he was always too deep in thoughts. There were times he would settle down on top of the highest tower and watch the skies, feel the wind against his skin and enjoy it.

The sky was his playground.

After some time, the man in cloak pushed himself off of the rock to find a clearing. A small area with green grass... It somehow was managed to remain unburned in all these ruins like some piece of miracle. What the more interesting was how it was one of the spots Kain favoured as a little boy.

Just like in old days, he settled down on the grass and finally allowed his body to lay down. It was comfortable and his one arm was right under his head like a pillow. His pale blue eyes were fixed on the skies for a while. Yes, it was really like the old days with how he watched the clouds and thought of shapes. But soon he was half hooding his eyes, only to close them altogether for a rest.

This was his home. His beloved home. The only place he actually belonged to, yet he chose to abandon it for years. It could be burned, destroyed and even vanished from existence. But that wasn't going to change the fact it was his home.

Some things could change with time. This wasn't one of those.

Perhaps, he fell asleep. Maybe Kain was only resting his eyes. There was a certain time passed in silence and without opening his eyes. Only they were sharply opened, when he was sure he had heard of something. Kain always trusted his instincts. When he was suspected of something, he pushed further into it.

At first his face turned at the direction of this faint sound. No, it wasn't the wind. It wasn't birds or other small animals either. This was someone.

A person.

Pushing himself up on elbows, Kain half sat at first. Then he was getting into a crouching position, one hand resting against the soft grass. It smelled so fresh and lively.

Making sure he was in cover, the man in cloak started to move to take a glance of who the person was. His cloths were successfully hidden by the dark grey cloak. His face was also covered by his hood, just revealing cold and calculated pale blue eyes. And they were now seeing the figure ahead, as he remained covered behind some rocks.

It was a woman. Blond, fragile and elegant. She was beautiful. No, she was the most beautiful woman in his eyes.

It was Rosa.

Kain could and would recognise her anywhere. Anytime. She was his friend. Rosa was his first love, while it always remained one sided. Kain could say she was still the only love for him, even when the feelings were never returned. But it didn't matter.

This had to be one of the things that never changed.

Yes, he felt guilty about what his heart told him, while he watched his best friend getting romantically involved with the woman Kain loved. They got married and even had a wonderful child. He had to be happy for them. That was what real friends did, was it not? Perhaps, yes. Certainly, yes. Kain felt happiness for them, it was true.

But only, his jealousy pressed heavier.

No longer feeling like hiding his presence, the hooded man rose on his feet, now tall and proud. He had a certain elegance in his nature. Now he started to approach at the woman ahead, his cloak was waving with the playful wind, dancing around his legs. Though, he still didn't reveal his face. Not yet.

"What is a queen doing in the ruins of a fallen castle?" He asked, his tone cold and calm. Almost emotionless. "Why are you alone? Where are your guards?"

Perhaps, he sounded too dangerous with this approach. It could be taken as an open threat.

[Rosa Joanna Harvey]

Rosa remained where she was, soaking up the sunshine for a mere moment. Sometimes people took for granted exactly what life could bring. They took for granted the little moments, and now that this had happened and she had almost lost everything, Rosa would never again take for granted those little moments. Raising her arms toward the sky, she finally opened her eyes to gaze at big blue sky with a wide, carefree almost girlish smile on her face. It had been a long while since she had really gazed at the sky and be thankful for what she had. She could see how much she really had, even with her home destroyed. Homes could be rebuilt, but lives lost...that was something entirely different. She couldn't imagine life without her family around her.

She was still gazing up at the sky with a happy smile when the voice spoke out. Almost instantly Rosa completely froze, terror gripping at her chest and keeping her in a vicelike grip. Her first thought was that it was Kain, but the man that had done this to her...he had sounded as if he could be Kain's twin. Was it their attacker that had come for a second round? Rosa instantly reached back for her bow as her eyes swung down from looking up at the sky, instantly ready for battle. What she laid eyes on made her knees weaken in relief. "Kain...", she said, voice heavy with that same relief she was feeling. Her hand dropped from where she had grasped at her bow to defend herself. She was so thankful that it was her childhood playmate instead of a psychotic man that could transform into chaos bahamut. "I thought...", she started in distress, before she managed to get a hold of herself and not say anything else on that subject.

His question about what she was doing there caught her by surprise, though she supposed it shouldn't have. "I...was looking for documents," she started, a little hesitantly, her green gaze searching his helmeted eyes, as if imploring him to show some kind of emotion. She hated that he had turned into a man that almost never showed anything. If she had one regret in her life, it had been that she had hurt Kain when she had married Cecil. Rosa had been in love with her husband from the time she was a little girl, and had been blind of Kain's affection as anything more than a sister until after Cecil had begun to reciprocate her feelings. After that it had been too late... Rosa had never meant to hurt him, but as an adult she knew that she had, and probably still did. How long had it been since she had spoken to him in a relaxed, friendly way? ...How long had it been since she had spoken with him at all? Tears bit at the corners of her eyes when she looked at him, wanting to reach out and apologize, but carefully keeping herself in check. When it came to Kain, she would have to walk the fine line between caring and affectionate, careful to try and not hurt him more.

It hurt her knowing that she could probably never get that affectionate relationship back with him. He had been such a good brother figure to her growing up, the best friend of her husband. Sometimes she thought that what her and Cecil had lost was as much as they had gained with their relationship. Her eyes quickly dried of the unshed tears as she controlled herself completely, her gaze simply turning weary with sadness while she looked at what she could see of his face. Though most of it was covered, the part she could see lacked emotion.

His next words instantly put her on guard again. Kain had been a dear friend, a brother of sorts, but he had also attacked her multiple times and...well, his choice of words made her wonder if he didn't have the same intentions at the moment. She felt mean...thinking such thoughts, but they were borne from previous knowledge of his actions. She was weary to explain to him why she was here without guards, and was almost tempted to tell him some were inside when he asked. She couldn't lie though...not to Kain. If he became aggressive...she would have to deal with that when it happened. Though she might not be as strong as him exactly, Rosa was a force to be reckoned with when it came to her bow and arrows. "Many of the soldiers were harmed in the attack," she mentioned, carefully trying to judge his reaction (hard when he had his headgear on) and quickly continued. "The rest are recuperating from their wounds or weariness, and I believed I would be in no danger.", she finished. Though she hesitated to ask him the next question, she finally chided herself for such foolish thoughts and lifted her chin proudly and courageously, giving him a look of controlled questioning. "...Am I? Am I in danger Kain?", she asked softly, inquiring of his intent. He would know what she meant with that question. Yes...yes he would. And he would not mislead her.

If she asked about any danger and he posed any to her, he would tell her. She was sure of it.

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Words:; 1096
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Kain
Location:; Baron castle ruins
Outfit:; Something I shall make
Notes:; --
Listening To:;[/color] Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi

[Kain Highwind]

As he approached at the beautiful blond woman, he could take in the sudden change in her expression, from a happy smile to panic. It was saying a lot without even in need of the use for words. Rosa was reaching for her beloved bow, feeling in need of a weapon. Something had triggered in Rosa to give her negative feelings and thoughts toward Kain. Of course, she had thought he was a stranger for a brief moment. But then she was able to recognise him, even through the hood and the cloak and offered a more relieved expression. She had let go of the weapon, no longer needing it. They have known each other for too many years to recognise each other in anywhere and any form. So that wasn't a surprise for Kain's account.

The unfinished sentence worried the Dragoon, but he didn't push for it. He didn't ask what she thought. If it was important, Rosa would tell. Kain always believed in her honesty.

As the blond woman answered his question, Kain could notice she wanted to see his eyes. While the Dragoon wouldn't want to disappoint Rosa, he didn't do anything yet. In fact he stood with a good distance in between them. His arms couldn't even be seen under the cloak, if they were hanging at his sides or crossed over his chest.

So Rosa was here to get some documents, but Kain did not enjoy this idea of her wandering in ruins like this. Though, his expression was carefully hidden beneath the hood, so nothing was shown. Just like he noticed, she was alone here, which was explained with many soldier being wounded during this attack. The Dragoon already had many questions about how this attack happened and who was behind it. He was curious of the events since he was feeling out in the dark. But he couldn't ask further. Not yet.

Not when she was asking him if she was in danger or not.

Kain noticed he was holding his breath and his throat felt dry. Should Rosa feel in danger? Should she trust him?

He wasn't sure how things came to this point so fast. They had a strong friendship in between each other and a one-sided crush, which grew into something bigger with time. Then everything went down the hill with the magic Kain found himself possessed in. It leaded to betrayal and his secrets being revealed. There were some things those should have stayed unspoken. There was a very good reason why the Dragoon remained silent about it and this was proving he was right. It seemed to be too late to return what they were before.

Rosa had good reasons to ask Kain that question. She had a very good reason to feel unsafe.

His pale blue eyes were on Rosa for a long moment. He spoke no words, just kept his gaze on the blond woman. He was completely unreadable at the moment.

Then he half turned away from Rosa and pulled the hood down from his head to reveal his face. Long blond hair was soft, running down his shoulders smoothly. "I understand your suspicions on me. I cannot blame you for them." He said and pulled his cloak off to reveal the Dragoon armour he was wearing inside. He allowed the dark grey cloak fall down to the ground.

Only with a few long steps, he was able to close the gap in between them. Then Kain was looking down, right into Rosa's eyes. His uncovered face was still emotionless, except for a hint of disappointment. Yet his eyes were almost piercing. "I have apologised for my crimes and I am willing to apologise again, if that is what you desire." And with that he was kneeling down before Rosa, his eyes were still on hers.

"But end my punishment here, please. I have paid enough and I don't deserve more."

[Rosa Joanna Harvey]

She still thought that perhaps she shouldn't have asked the last question that she had. Though Rosa wanted to know the answer...and knew that he would tell her -or at least she thought she knew- there was still something about the question. It seemed as if she was attacking him, but she meant nothing like that. No, she only meant to seek protection for herself. If she needed to fear Kain, Rosa wanted to know. Would it alter the results if she did know? Perhaps, perhaps not. A lot had to do with mental attitude. Even though he was more powerful than her, if she had the time to prepare, the outcome might be different. Or so she thought. Rosa waited for him to say something while she waited for the worst. Yes...she was waiting for him to determine the outcome for their visit. She loved him deeply, different from Cecil, but it was still there, and did not want to fight with him. If it came to that however, she would without hesitation. Life experiences made her realize what to do in many situations, even if this led to confrontation.

Her breath she hadn't even realized she was holding was released when he said that he knew why she felt the way she did. He wasn't going to attack her. Though he hadn't actually said it, she felt it. She was so happy that her knees once more felt a little shaky. She hadn't even realized how much pressure she had been feeling moments ago. She had felt such dread that she might actually have to fight her friend yet again. Hadn't they all had plenty of suffering over the years? Did they need anymore? No. They had suffered enough. Rosa would love...no, she implored that they could be the same as when they were children. That was, however, impossible. They had changed from the persons they had been back then, their life experiences having shaped who they were now. No...they were no longer those young children with dreams of what they would one day become. They were now living in the moment, living in the lives that they had created. Rosa's one regret was that she had lost a best friend, a brother on her journey to who she was now.

Or had she?

Yet again Rosa sharply took in a breath when Kain turned away, watching silently while he removed his head gear. When he turned back toward her, Rosa was caught between her affection and her sense of duty toward him. Despite that, she smiled at him, delighted that he had uncovered his face to her. He hadn't done that....not to her in so long it was almost as if she forgot what he actually looked like. He was a striking man, and still looked strong, just like was to be expected from him. What hit her most though, was the sadness in his eyes. While he walked closer and closer, the smile from her lips slipped more and more, until once again she could feel the same knot of apprehension deep in her stomach. Finally she had to tilt her head back to be able to see him, yet the sadness was still there. It struck a chord within her...pierced at her. Was she simply reading into things? He was...after all, void of any other expression on his features.

What he said caused her to bow her head slowly, knowing that he, perhaps more than her and Cecil, had suffered greatly. Unfortunately she could not hide from his searching gaze, for the next moment he was on a bent knee, looking up to her as he implored for this to be over. Rosa once more felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Reaching out a delicate hand, she rested in on his shoulder. "Please Kain, please stand.", she begged. "I do not wish for you to kneel before me as if waiting for your execution.", she said mournfully. "I would never desire an apology for actions that were shown so long ago. If actions were never forgiven, I fear I would be hated by all of Baron." Once more she begged for him to stand. "Please stand Kain. It is I that should be apologizing to you." Once more she bowed her head, eyes glued to her feet. It was the truth.

Would he forgive her?

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Words:; 921
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Kain
Location:; Ruins
Outfit:; Something...*lazy*
Notes:; --
Listening To:;[/color] --