Chapter 22 - Reunion

"Kaden does not have the smallest clue that you are in Aestus right now." Elder Aira explained. "I truly wish that you two would have been reunited under better circumstances, but this situation right now was the main reason I had agreed with your offer during the Elder's Gathering. With the chance of him being broken down mentally by that trial, a long time friend like yourself would be better than anyone else here to help him."

As Elder Aira explained her reasoning to Aaron, the two of them walked through the heart of Aestus where all eyes were locked onto them. One of the leaders of their village accompanied by a man dressed in all black, who has never been seen here before. Aaron couldn't help but notice the overwhelming amount of gazes that were being placed onto him.

"Calm down Mr. Cooper, curiosity is only human nature. Even more so when you reside in a place that isn't frequently visited like here. These people won't do anything to you, especially since I'm with you."

"...Yes ma'am." Aaron hesitantly replied.

After another fifteen minutes of walking they arrived at the Aira's residence which was being guarded by Damien at the front. As they were approaching the house a thick stream of water wrapped around them and blocked the path ahead of them. Aaron and Elder Aira turned around to find Mai standing behind them.

"I came back and found Elder Alex and Elder Mildred inside the house." Mai stated. "Before I could even take a step inside they asked me to leave for the time being. I told them how I came to check on Kaden but they didn't care about that and ordered me to leave. I figured something was about to happen here."

Mai turned her attention directly towards Aaron and inspected everything she physically could.

"Who's this?" She questioned.

"Mai, I'm sorry to tell you this, but what's going on right now doesn't concern you." Aira answered.

"What do you mean it doesn't concern me? I'm being told that I can't enter my own home and check up on someone I consider a friend and yet it doesn't concern me?"

"...Friend?"

"Yes! A friend. Besides the twins he's the only person that hasn't talked to me just because they pity me or have some ulterior motive. All I want to know is whether or not he's fine."

"He's fine Mai."

"Then who is this?!"

Elder Aira was getting ready to dodge the question once again, but before she could Aaron replied ahead of her.

"I'm Aaron Cooper, I'm also a friend of Kaden."

"Wait, how."

"Me and Kaden have known each other since we were kids."

"...But if that's true..." Mai said as she looked over to Elder Aira.

Aira nodded her head in approval of what Aaron was saying.

"...If that's the case then I'd like to talk to you. It'll be brief."

"Mai-"

"I'd also like to talk if possible." Aaron stated.

Elder Aira looked at him in disbelief before turning to Mai with the same expression. Both Mai and Aaron stood in silence, standing with unwavering confidence in their propositions. After a few seconds of internally deliberating to herself, Elder Aira turned towards the house and called out to Damien.

"Yes Elder Aira." He replied as he sprinted over.

"Five minutes." Aira stated firmly. "These two have five minutes to converse privately before you bring them inside. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Damien replied.

"And you two?"

"Yes ma'am." Aaron replied.

"I understand." Mai replied.

Without saying another word Elder Aira calmly walked off and entered the residence. Damien walked away just enough so the two would have their privacy.

"What's your name?" Aaron questioned.

"Mai Aira."

"Aira? Oh so she was-"

"My grandmother, yes." Mai stated. "Please no more questions about me right now, we only have five minutes. Is it true that you and Kaden are long time friends."

"Yeah."

"So that means you're also from another world?"

"As crazy as that sounds yeah, yes I am." Aaron answered.

"It's not as crazy now since you're the second person I've encountered from another world."

"...Thank you." Aaron said.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"That guy was never the best at making friends, or I should say friends that genuinely cared about him and didn't just use him for his money. And to think the friend he made was a female at that."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Aaron answered. "But again thank you, it really eased my heart to see that there's someone here that cares about him enough to stand up to one of the Elders."

"I just wanted answers." Mai clarified. "Ever since he's came here it feels like I've been directly involved in everything surrounding him. From finding him on the mountain to training him to use water essence. Through all of this I've become invested in helping him. And now that there's potentially something wrong with him I'm being left in the dark? I don't like it."

"I understand. Once you've shared enough good times with someone, it makes you want to be there for them during the bad times as well. Trust me I get it."

"If you really do, then I'll trust you. Aaron Cooper."

"...Thanks."

.....

Elder Aira slowly crept open the door of the room which Kaden was occupying. He was still lying on the bed, fixed on his side facing towards the wall. He wasn't asleep and was fully aware whenever someone entered the room with him.

"Kaden?" Aira said to test if he was awake.

"..."

"If you can-"

"I still don't feel like talking." He said interrupting her. "That's to anyone."

"...There may be someone who will change that."

Elder Aira quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind her. Kaden stared holes into the wooden walls as his thoughts ate away at his psyche. Thoughts of how he was only being a burden to the people in Aestus that are trying to help him. Thoughts of how his decision to go back to the other world was plain selfish and would only be beneficial to himself. Thoughts of nobody caring whether he came back or not. Thoughts of everything his father telling him in the trial being right. Thoughts of killing himself.

Knock Knock

"Go away." Kaden said sternly.

There was a slight pause before the door opened despite Kaden's response to the knocking. After sitting in silence for a few hours now, Kaden's hearing had become quite sharp. He was able to tell that whoever opened the door didn't enter the room right away. They stood outside for a moment before reluctantly taking a single step into the room. Then another, and another, and another. Kaden once again heard the door close, but there weren't anymore footsteps. With anxiety pouring into Kaden's body, he was nearly inclined into turning to face this person. However, before curiosity could've taken control over Kaden, the voice which then landed upon his ears did so first.

"Kade?"

A chilling wind blew over Kaden as his body moved on its own to investigate the origin of this voice. A voice that he never imagined he would ever hear again. A voice which filled him with both relief and grief simultaneously. The voice of his best friend.

"A-A-Aaron?" Kaden questioned as he slowly turned in his bed.

The person who fell beside him in his final moments before, was now standing before him once again. Kaden hesitantly crawled out of the bed to face what seemed to be his best friend. Emotions that he couldn't express even with a thousand words pulled him in a thousand different directions.

"Long time no see huh?" Aaron said with a grin.

Kaden swiftly raised his hand towards Aaron and fired off an intense gust of wind which slammed Aaron into the door behind him. Staggering down to his knees, Aaron held his head and winced in pain before trying to compute what happened.

"Don't do this!" Kaden said with a shaky voice.

"Why'd you-"

"Don't! If you think this would help me, you're so so wrong. This is the last thing I need."

"What do you mean?" Aaron questioned as he looked up to a furious Kaden.

"I'm still new to this world so of course there's still so much I don't know. What I do know though is that those Elders are capable of too much. What are you? A clone? Illusion? Whatever it is I don't want it."

"...Kade, it's me."

"NO!" Kaden replied aggressively. "...Anybody else I don't care. Not my friend, please."

"...We both attended Palm Cove Elementary School."

Kaden mouth glued shut as his heart rate began to rise exponentially.

"You were one grade ahead of me so you occasionally bullied me, however you never did anything that actually hurt me in anyway. You were one of the fastest kids in the school and showed it off every chance you got. I was never the biggest sports fan but you taught me how to play basketball and always picked me on your team during recess."

"This... isn't real." Kaden muttered.

"When I was eleven you came over to my house to have a sleepover during a hurricane. We literally just slept the whole time because after the power went out we were to scared to move around."

"...N-No."

"In high school you spent the first two years building up the courage to ask out Tyesha Ader, just to find out she doesn't even like guys." Aaron said with a grin.

"...Aaron?"

"Yeah buddy... it's me."

"It's you?" Kaden questioned as he dropped to his knees.

"Alive and well, surprisingly."

Kaden chuckled lightly as a single tear carved a straight path down his left cheek. His head steadily dropped towards the floor as more tears formed in his eyes, and his laugh became slightly heavier. As if it were natural, the shaky laughter transitioned into uncontrollable crying after just a few seconds. Aaron wrapped his arm around the back of Kaden's head and carefully pulled his head onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry... so so sorry..." Kaden tearfully said as he rested on Aaron's shoulder. "I-I never meant... to drag you into anything. It's because of me... because of me we died. Because of my ignorance. It only should've been me."

"Kade listen. The only part of that situation which I regret is the fact that I couldn't save you. If only I reacted faster or tried to diffuse the situation quicker, we would still be alive over there."

"I don't wanna hear that." Kaden said. "You could say all that but at the end of day I got you killed. There isn't a bigger mistake that I could've made."

"Yeah, but look around you." Aaron said as he pushed Kaden away. "We're still alive. Sure there wasn't anyway to know that something like this was even possible, but if we're here now we should make the most of it. Don't wallow in your past mistakes, just recognize them so you never make a mistake like that again. I forgive you. So even if you can't right now, you should make the time to eventually forgive yourself. This is a second chance, so don't mess it up again."

"So you're saying I did mess up?" Kaden asked with a grin.

"You messed up big time but like I said it's alright." Aaron replied while laughing.

Kaden joined in on the laughter while wiping the tears away from his face.

"...I can't even describe how much I owe you bro." Kaden said.

"If that's the case I actually have something I need you to do for me."

"Before that, how the hell did you even get here? Have you been in this world as long as I have?"

"Listen bro, I've been through a lot in the short time I've been here."

"There's no way you've been through more than what I've experienced." Kaden exclaimed as he rose to his feet.

"I guess we got some catching up to do."

The two took their time bringing each other up to speed on what they've encountered since arriving in this new world. As they laughed and reconnected, Elder Aira stood outside the bedroom door. A warm smile grew onto her face before she quietly left them alone.