A Warm Welcome

"RUN!"

The dirt was struck up from the paths and into the sky.

The people I made eye contact with had all fallen on their behinds, staring at me like I planned to kill them, and dispersing.

Their mentality in seeing me was irrational until I remembered who I was.

I am Sky Asterio.

I'm not sure what it means, or what kind of life I lived before this one, but I do know that I was feared, as a person who could've slain the entire world if I so wished to do so.

I understood, but I still wasn't sure why it hurt me so much to realize that I would be hated for the rest of my life.

I could do it on the Isle, but Orion was right. I never even thought about what people would think of me here on Earth.

I made it, sure, but nothing has changed.

This was still the Isle, through and through.

The city in front of me unraveled as I finally got the sun out of my eyes. On my left-hand side stood buildings that scraped the grey clouds in the sky. There were green hills to my right, which had helped me in blocking the sun. Everything was clean, everything was bright, and everything was okay down here.

There weren't any dead people or filthy people in the streets.

There were children playing in the fields.

This was... a life I couldn't remember without seeing it firsthand.

This is it. I like this. I want this to be the life I live from here on out.

"You're Sky Asterio." I heard in front of me.

From the collapsed opening to the ship we took from The Scorched Isle to Earth, I stepped down the slope to meet a girl with red hair and green eyes at eye level. She had a straight face and looked very annoyed while looking at me.

"I am. And you are?" I asked her, watching her clothing rustle in the light wind.

"The name is Ruby. I was Zeal's assistant on Earth before he was killed on The Scorched Isle. Do you want to explain to me how that happened?" She asked as if she was insinuating that I did it.

I assume that nothing I tell this woman would change how she thought of me... however, being dishonest here would do me no good.

"My friend killed him. Do you want to explain to me why he killed all of my White Stone Brothers?" I asked her in return. She wasn't impressed with my question, and completely dodged it.

"Nice try, but I know Zeal wouldn't do anything like that. And, before you try anything stupid, you should know that I have guards all around here that are ready to take you down at any given moment." Ruby told me again, pointing to her right-hand side. I didn't even bother looking.

Yeah, this girl was like a brick wall. Nothing I said got through to her.

"Who killed the White Stones then? If it wasn't Zeal, then I assume it was me, wasn't it?" I asked Ruby again, and she nodded.

Whatever lies Zeal told these people... they were working.

"I killed Demos, for killing one of my friends, and I killed Orion for holding such a tight grip over the Isle. Zeal killed Talion in front of me, Xian on The Scorched Isle, Elo on The Isle, and then he was killed on The Scorched Isle after he tried to kill me. That's what really happened." I told Ruby, but still, she wasn't convinced.

"You expect me to believe you killed Orion? Not even Zeal could do that." She said sharply, squinting her eyes at me.

"Tell me, did Zeal mention anything about Orion's daughter, Aegis? Did Zeal take her under his belt after he killed Orion?" I asked her again. On that comment, Lisa, the girl who watched over Aegis while the fight with Orion and then Illya went on, came over and handed her to me.

"Or, what about Orion's wife, who's with me, and can tell you the truth?" I asked Ruby again, adjusting Aegis in my arms. She was a really quiet baby...

"It's true, you know? Nice to meet you, Ruby. My name is Moon Achamo, and I was the wife to Orion Danafall." Moon told Ruby.

"I'll believe her for now, but Sky Asterio, you will come with me and sit in jail until I decide what to do with you," Ruby told me.

"Oh, he won't go alone." I heard from behind me.

With swaying brown hair and white roots on her head, Illya put her hand on my shoulder and pushed herself in front of me, holding out her arms so as to accept the punishment.

"I'm sure you know of me, Ruby. Maybe I look a little different, but my name is Illya Asterio, and I am The Deity. If you imprison Sky, I will be going with him." Illya said.

"There's two of you?! And The Deity, of all people?!" Ruby asked, drawing a blade on her hip and positioning herself backward.

"You haven't forgotten about me already, have you?" Dani asked, jumping off the side of the declining ramp and letting Faith come up beside her before standing next to me.

"You again..." Ruby mumbled while looking at Dani.

"You shouldn't imprison Dad, he already decided he would live on Earth and wouldn't destroy it. You don't have anything to be worried about, Miss Ruby." Faith said, holding onto the edge of my shirt.

"I have plenty to be worried about. Having The Deity and Sky Asterio here speaks nothing but an ill omen. There's not a threat we can't defend ourselves from without either of them, so they'll be fine in jail. Dani, and the child, you two are free to stick with the rest of the group and follow us to refuge. We'll supply food and other amenities in your group home." Ruby stated.

"I'm going with Dad!" Faith shouted out, sticking close to my side.