Half the Fallen Angels
Episode 10: Return to Avalon City

Yuna and Devan are in space. They jumped off the edge of the clouds and drifted rather quickly towards the bottom. Devan was behind Yuna as both her hands held onto her shoulders.

"I thought we were going through that river" said Devan.

"It will be faster if we jump and fly like this" said Yuna.

"yes too. The fairies can come and go through the edge of the clouds. Then why built the river lane and the big white gate in the cloud tunnel?."

"Eee. Maybe the river and the gate were made for newcomers other than fairies to pay a visit to Rayyana."

"Oh so. Means also for fairies like Luna whose wings have not yet grown."

"Hm... Yes", Yuna assented.

Devan recalled the scene when he was in the canoe this morning. In one of the Culumbus Clouds, a little fairy boy who was being raised up so that his small hand could reach the fruit on it. And the little elf boy had wings on his back.

Desperate Devan's heart intent to ask. But he doubted whether this could be questioned. Remembering earlier he was like commemorated by the paddler's grandfather not to ask this question.

"Ee..hey.", call Devan in doubt.

"Yuna. My name is Yuna", respond to Yuna with a smile. "Your name?", continued Yuna.

"I'm Devan."

"Hey Devan's. It turns out that you are not a bad man, yes", said Yuna kindly.

"Of course I'm not a bad guy. Do fairies not like humans?."

"No, kok. Precisely we fairies really like humans, even some we respect. It's just, there's something different about you. Do you remember?, said our grandfather. From the beginning I saw you, I felt like I had to be wary of you even away from you, even now."

"I understand. Ever since the fight, I also began to doubt my humanity. Sorry Yuna, my presence makes you and the fairies uncomfortable."

"Hm, no problem. I don't care about that intuition either. My sister Luna believes that you are a good human being. I don't think it's any harm if I follow his intuition."

"In hindsight, only Luna who from the start did not suspect anything to me. I don't know what because she's so innocent?, I feel like Luna is a little different from the other fairies."

Yuna's face was slightly jolted after hearing Devan's words. Yuna was silent for a moment.

"Devan, we'll be there soon" said Luna softly. He shifted the topic.

After that, the two of them did not speak anymore. Yuna flew faster towards the land, making the wind around them noisy so as not to allow them to talk to each other.

A few moments later…

Yuna slowed down her flying speed. It slowly landed on earth. Now the two of them reached a lake, where Devan and Luna had previously started to walk into the clouds.

"We arrived" said Yuna.

"It's probably ten times faster than being handsome."

Devan looked around for a moment.

"alright. I think I'm gonna be enough to get you here."

Yuna then turned around, she began to bend her legs and prepared to fly off.

"Wait!.", said Devan.

"Hm?".", Yuna then turned around, not so flying.

"Actually I kind of forgot my way back" said Devan hesitantly.

Yuna understood Devan's intentions.

"Mm, okay. Let's fly again" Yuna said with a gentle smile.

They also flew back. Devan looked down. He recalls the direction he came back and tells Yuna the direction they were flying.

"Oh god. What happened to this small forest" Yuna said.

Devan silence. He let Yuna look at the dry scenery below them.

Soon the two of them flew over Gardum Village, and saw the entire village sprawled.

Yuna surprised. He breathed, covering his mouth with both hands.

"Devan?".", call Yuna. He turned his head to the side, gesturing to Devan behind his back.

"Let's just calm Yuna. They are not dead" Devan replied.

"Not dead?. You mean?".", Yuna was curious, her face was worried.

Devan silence. He saw the whole village from above. As he expected, the location of the residents lying down were not all the same as in his memory, his entire state changed compared to when he came before.

"Later, after you take me, try to come to this village again, Yuna."

"Why?."

"You'll understand something."

"All right" said Yuna. At the same time, he was confused too.

After a while, they finally landed. Now they've been near Devan's bike. They chatted for a while, then separated. Devan drove back on his motorbike, and Yuna turned low with her wings.

***

Devan drives fast with his motorbike. Some areas he passed through. It's been about four hours since Devan split up with Yuna. The sun had gone west, but it was still far from setting.

Devan returned to Avalon City using the same path as when he left, passing through several places he had previously visited.

***

After a long drive, Devan stopped in front of the train station. It was very late. He decided to rest there.

That night may have been midnight. Devan saw the highway, not a single vehicle stopped in the middle of the road. He parked his motorbike and entered the station.

Devan goes down the stairs, turns once, walks towards the subway station. There's no one. On the ceiling of the station there is a digital clock that shows 23.53 hours.

"Near midnight. No one deserves."

Devan then walks towards the store inside the station. He felt hungry and wanted to find food, because he did not eat all day.

Devan thought about breaking down the door, thinking the owner would not wake up because of his arrival. However when he had retreated a few steps preparing to break down, he had only been silent for a moment.

"It's not a good way."

Devan also abandoned his intentions. He went to one of the long chairs and sat down.

Devan was hungry, but he was more tired. His eyes began to feel heavy, and his mouth evaporated. Devan turned his head to the back of the chair, he saw a digital clock hanging from the ceiling. 23.59. He then reversed his position again and returned to yawning.

Devan sleepy. In his sleep, he looked to the side. He saw an old man sitting pensively in a long chair that was located a little far from Devan's chair wearing army-style clothes, but shabby.

Devan just looked and ignored him, then laid himself on the long chair with a slanted sleeping position facing forward. His eyes were soft and slowly closed.

In front of him was a woman with a suitcase beside her, standing on the edge of the train tracks, with her clothes soaked that the water dripped down.

Devan then fell asleep on the station's long chair.

***

Devan wakes up from sleep. He lifted his body slowly and sat down leaning against the long chair. He hugged the fingers of his hands and then spread them forward.

He sat still for a moment. Rubbing his face. Shortly after, he turned around. Looking at the clock shows eight o'clock exactly.

"Because I'm all the people in this town are getting up late" said Devan himself.

After sitting for a while, Devan then went to the public toilet and then went out to his motorbike. He went back on his journey.

***

A few hours have passed. Devan didn't stop much and stop like he had when he left before. He had not even eaten to relieve his hunger. He kept on going and thought he should go back to the city he woke up to.

Until one day he felt he had to fill his energy by eating and drinking. It was noon by late afternoon, now Devan has been in the stopover city 'Desert Miles 47'.

That afternoon was a bit crowded. The highway saw more cars coming to a halt. Of course, some of them hit the barrier or stopped on the sidewalk.

"I hope no one is the victim because of my arrival."

He parked his vehicle next to the shop there. Then go inside the store, take some bread and some drinking water.

In the shop there were several people lying on the floor. Including the cashier's guard near his desk.

After Devan finished taking some of that food, he again walked out. Suddenly, his steps stopped.

Devan then took out a pen and tore off a piece of paper located on the cashier's desk. Devan walked to the storefront where he picked up the food and drinks.

Moments later, Devan returns to the cashier and leaves behind a piece of paper with a note. He put it on the cashier's desk and put something on a little piece of paper so as not to fly in the wind.

A piece of paper was written the brand name of the item he took along with the price, as well as a sentence written 'Excuse me. I'll be back later, paying for what I took.' under that list.

After that he went out of the shop to his motorbike, and devoured all the food and drink. After that, he took his motorcycle to the vehicle's fuel station to refuel his motor.

Devan then resumed his journey out of the Stopover City.

***

A few hours passed again. The sky has shown its strength. The sunlight gives off a red-orange glow. It was already very submerged in the west direction.

Devan has reached the edge of Avalon City, the 'town where he woke up'. He drives with the sights and conditions he has seen. But this time he was not as disturbed as before.

He began to approach the city center. Large buildings and skyscrapers are already in the vicinity. But he just circled around in an uncertain direction in the city. He has returned, but he does not know what to do next, except to try to find clues.

And finally, after only a few moments of Devan circling, behind the turn, he saw a middle-aged man standing upright in the middle of the highway.

Devan sees him, and he also sees Devan from his position. Devan stopped at the edge, then got off the bike.

Devan walked a few steps towards the middle-aged man, but he stopped. Devan hesitated, after seeing more clearly the middle-aged man's gaze. The man looked at Devan, but not with a friendly look.

Both Devan and the middle-aged man stood still. But after a while, the middle-aged man knew he was in Devan's presence without Devan seeing when he stepped.

"Who are you?. What business are you here for?", said the middle-aged man arrogantly.

***

One day ago, in the morning.....

Yuna flew low, watching the dead trees and the yellowing ground. He looked on with sadness and concern.

Then Yuna flew a bit high and went towards Gardum Village. He landed in the middle of the village, looking at the people lying on the ground.

He approached one of the residents. Yuna then spread her wings, and placed her hands on the chest of the resident.

"His body is still connected to his. He's not dead yet. Butii.", Yuna spoke to herself, at once confused by herself.

Shortly after, all of a sudden the residents all woke up.

"Eeh?".", Yuna's reaction.

In the middle of it, Yuna noticed the villagers were returning to carry out their activities. The residents went back to socializing and doing their routine as usual.

However, that was where Yuna felt her strangeness. The residents acted as if nothing had happened. They seem to have forgotten what just happened to them.

"Why.. can this be?", asked Yuna herself.

Yuna then flew towards a higher position in order to see more of Gardum Village. However, his breathing reflex jolted, he unexpectedly, one of his hands holding his mouth.

Yuna looked at the land and the trees around the village. At the same time, the air Yuna felt suddenly felt moist, and the breeze blew very comfortably over her.

(..... "Later, after you take me, try to come to this village again, Yuna."

"Why?."

"You'll understand something." ....).

"So then?, Devan.", said Yuna after she remembered Devan's previous words.

"Every phenomenon I see here, is it because of you?, Devan.", Yuna asked herself, feeling sorry for Devan.

***