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Nikholas "elf" F. Toledo
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DiScLaImEr!!!
RAYEARTH is the property of CLAMP/ Kodansha
Sometimes I get to thinking why I even bother to write this darn thing.
Then it hits me: Because it makes me happy.
So there!
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<http://nikholas-f-toledo-zu.webjump.com/reunions.html>http://nikholas-f-tol
edo-zu.webjump.com/reunions.html
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Reunions and Tragedies
CHAPTER VI
A Crack in the Mirror
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He was leaning against the doorway as he watched her from the
shadows. She stood in front of the open windows, hugging herself as
if trying to keep everything inside her from falling apart. He had
never seen her so vulnerable and so alone - he found it quite
disconcerting to see her like this.
He pushed away from the doorway and called out softly, "Hey,
did your pet just die or something?"
She whirled around, her eyes widened with surprise only to
fill up with tears. But her lips were smiling, so he guessed it
wasn't really that bad. He smiled back and held out his arms.
"Oh, Innova!" she cried.
Suddenly, she was in his arms, laughing and crying at the
same time. They both fell on the rug, with him taking the brunt of
the fall.
"I was so worr-"
He placed a finger against her lips, effectively silencing
her words. "Hush, I'm here now."
"Welcome home," she whispered, taking his face in her hands
and leaning forward to kiss him.
There was something akin to desperation in his kiss. He felt
it welling up from the dark recesses of his being and, for a
moment, he was afraid. He tried to temper it, tried to hide it from
her but to no avail. He tried to pull back but she wouldn't let
him.
She searched his eyes, "Something's wrong, I can feel it."
"It's nothing."
"Don't you want to talk about it?"
"Not, just now," he said, then he suddenly smiled, putting
all her fears to rest. "There will be a feast tonight to celebrate
our victory over Fahren. I was planning to get some rest, I was
rather tired from the trip home. I just came by to check up on
you."
"Oh." She seemed rather embarrassed, "I'm sorry for being so
insensitive. Of course, you're tired." Suddenly, she brightened up,
"Why don't you sleep here instead?"
"Only if you'd stay beside me."
She pulled away from him. She blushed quite prettily, but
there was also a firm note of chastisement in her voice, "Innova-"
"I promise not to do anything," he reached out to stroke her
hair, "I just need to hold you. That's all."
"Alright."
* * *
He managed to get back to the same old routine. He could tell
that she suspected that something was wrong. She wouldn't ask him
outright because he knew that she respected his privacy - but
things could only go too far. There was a strain between them that
continued to build up as the days passed.
It didn't help when the Pillar appointed her to take care of
a particular dark-haired young girl. He had always wondered if the
Pillar did it as some kind of a joke. If he did, it was definitely
in bad taste. If he could have had his way, he didn't want to see
that girl, much less have anything remotely to do with her. The
girl was a grim reminder of a nightmare that transpired back in
Fahren.
He arrived one day to find her teaching the girl how to
polish a sword. He never doubted that the girl would open up to her
- what irked him was that he was starting to get jealous of the
affection she was showering the child.
"I see that you two are having fun." He didn't mean to sound
so cold - she looked up with a puzzled frown on her face. The girl,
on the other hand, simply glared at him, openly resentful of his
presence.
"Innova, I didn't notice you were here." She got up, wiping
her hands on a piece of cloth.
The girl tugged at her skirt, "Miss, may I be excused? I want
to play outside."
"Just a moment," she leaned down to wipe the girl's face
clean and smiled, "There you go. Now run along and remember to come
back before dinner."
"Yes, Miss."
_Smart kid,_ Innova thought to himself as he watched the girl
make her escape.
"I was wondering when you'd be stopping by."
He walked up to her and nonchalantly replied, "I was busy."
"Sure you were. The Pillar working you to the ground that you
don't have time for me anymore?"
He stopped just a few inches from her and teasingly tapped
her nose, "Why don't you just come out and say that you missed me?"
She immediately turned red, "Why you- mmmph..."
He put an immediate stop to her words as well as her thoughts
by simply putting his lips against hers. She gasped and he took the
opportunity to deepen the kiss.
And just when he thought that he was finally going to have
his way, she pulled back and whispered, "Innova, we need to talk."
He could hear the agitation in her voice and tried to push
down the invading feeling of dread, "Sure, what about?"
Of course he had to ask. It was nothing more than a pathetic
attempt to make it appear that everything was fine in his world -
when they both know that it was not the case.
"About what's been troubling you since you came back. You've
been quite distant lately -," he was about to protest when she cut
him right off, "and don't bother denying it."
"And how about you - lately, you've been spending more time
with that child than with me," he argued right back at her.
She heaved a sigh, "She was given to me to take care of,
remember? Besides, Asuka has nothing to do with this. It's between
you and me and the fact that you're hiding something."
He remained stubbornly silent.
"Don't shut me out, Innova. What happened back in Fahren?"
He knew this was coming. He pulled away from her and walked
towards the windows, keeping his back to her when he answered, "We
won, which only proved our superiority over the Dragon Court. Those
pompous power-hungry bastards dared to invade Cefiro, now they must
pay the forfeit."
"What forfeit?"
"Why, Fahren, of course - it only seems fair, doesn't it?
Ironic that they ended up loosing their land and people to us when
they were the invaders in the first place."
"What? I thought the war was over. The Pillar has no right
take over Fahren! His role is to protect Cefiro from conquerors,
not become a conqueror himself!"
"And why not? Are we just going to wait until they manage to
gather their forces once again and launch another attempt on
Cefiro?"
"The Land will not be pleased."
"The Land has dictated our lives for us long enough!"
"But, Innova, the Land knows what is best for -"
"NO, IT DOES NOT!"
"Innova!"
"Don't you think it's about time the people of Cefiro start
living for themselves? We need a leader who knows how to think for
himself and his people without any interference from the Land."
"And you believe that it's HIM?"
"Yes. Finally, after centuries of waiting, we have a Pillar
who knows how to protect his people as well as rule over them. One
who doesn't need to have the Land tell him what to do."
"And you believe that taking over Fahren and lording over its
people is the right thing to do? You just brought us down to the
level of those 'pompous power-hungry bastards'," she said, using
his words against him.
"You don't understand," he started bitterly.
"You're right, I don't." She sighed. "I just want to live in
peace, and so do most of the people of Cefiro. And I believe those
same sentiments are shared by the common people of Fahren as well."
"Peace you say? I'll tell you a simple fact, my dear. Peace
is the absence of an enemy. The best way to achieve peace is to
conquer your enemy before they can strike you down."
Then, as an afterthought he added, "And by the way, don't get
too comfortable with this set-up." He warned, "Asuka won't be
staying here forever, you know."
She seemed rather perplexed at the sudden change of topic,
"Her parents are dead - you told me so yourself. And I'd be more
than happy to adopt her."
"The Pillar has other plans," he succinctly replied, glancing
covertly at the door. "Besides, why would you want to adopt when we
planned to have children of our own?"
She blushed, clearly flustered, "I, you - What I mean is..."
There was a crash.
She glanced worriedly at the door, "Asuka must've heard us
talking, I have to explain -"
"Stay here. Don't worry, I'll talk to her."
It didn't take him long to find the girl. She was standing at
the edge of the lake, throwing stones across the surface of the
water.
"I'm beginning to think that the sole purpose of your
existence is to take away everything I hold dear," the girl said
without turning to face him.
He remained silent. He couldn't blame her for thinking that.
For some odd reason, he actually understood her anger. She needed
to lash out at someone and who better than him.
"She a beautiful, decent, warm-hearted woman," the girl cried
out brokenly, "She doesn't deserve a deceitful, murdering monster
like you!"
Innova clenched his fists. He had never come so close to
inflicting pain on a defenseless being as he did that moment. He
was so angry he actually considered slapping her.
"Shut up," he muttered in a clipped icy manner, "Just shut
the hell up, if you value your life, Princess."
"Do you think I still care? The only thing that kept you from
slaughtering me like you did with the rest of my family was that
the Pillar needed me to gain control of Fahren."
"Don't flatter yourself. The Pillar could do without your so-
called influence. You may be the sole heir to the throne of Fahren
but here in Cefiro, your nothing but a worthless brat. The only
reason why you still breathe is because I willed it so."
He heard a gasp and found her standing behind the alcove. She
was looking at him with those beautiful, terrified eyes. Asuka ran
and hid behind her skirt. He cursed under his breath and started
towards them.
"Stop! Don't you dare come anywhere near us."
"Sie-"
She laid a gentle hand on the child's head. When she spoke,
she kept her eyes on the child, her voice deceptively calm, "This
child will not be used as a pawn for your sick games. I will have
to ask you to please leave. Now."
"Listen to me -," he pleaded desperately.
"Enough!" she screamed and drew her sword, pointing at him,
"I don't know you. The man I used to know as Innova is dead."
He never realized that words could wound just as fatally as
any blade. He was losing her and there wasn't anything he can do
about it. At the same time he cursed her for her naivet�, for being
chained to the old ways and especially for her lack of trust in
him.
* * *
They never talked to each other after that. It was as if the
Fates themselves conspired to keep them apart. It was only week
later when disaster struck...
"My lord! The prisoner has escaped! His room was empty - I
believe he might have gone out of the window and rappelled down the
tower." One of his two corporals showed him a fine, almost
invisible, but surprisingly strong nylon string.
"Seal all the inner gates of the Castle and tell those at the
watchtowers to keep a sharp look-out. He couldn't have gotten far
with his wounds. And you -," he pointed at one of the soldiers,
"Take some men to search the forest. While you, get some people to
guard the stables. Move!"
Innova rode towards the outer gates of the Castle - the
guards stationed on the watchtowers informed him that they haven't
seen anyone leave the Castle - yet. It was then that he heard the
sound of the alarm, only it was the fire alarm.
"My lord, come quickly! The workshop is on fire!"
"WHAT!"
He wheeled his horse around and prayed desperately that he
was not too late. He could smell smoke and saw a huge blazing fire
from the edge of the forest. His soldiers had already formed a line
from the well, passing buckets filled with water to put out the
fire.
"NO!" Innova jumped off his horse, screaming as he made a mad
dash for the burning building.
"My lord! Don't go in -!"
One of the windows shattered and he saw her looking straight
at him. Then it happened - it couldn't have been more than a
quarter of a second before they heard a thunderous crash as the
ceiling caved in.
"Sierra!"
Innova fell to his knees - his chest constricted painfully
and he found it very hard to draw breath. He doubled over as pain
streaked across his entire being. His eyes clenched shut as his
body racked with sobs. He pounded the gravel until his fists were
bloody. He didn't even feel the pain and continued on till he heard
the bone of his knuckles break.
"Innova, stop it."
He looked up to see the Pillar staring at him with something
close to pity in his eyes. Looking around, he found the same
expression stamped on every soldier's face who was under his
command. Pity was the last thing he wanted from any of them. He
unsheathed his sword - the sword that she made for him. It was only
right that he should die by it as well...
He suddenly felt his head snapped back from a sharp blow, he
skidded across the gravel and finally blacked-out.
The Pillar whispered, "Sorry, old friend. But not just yet."
* * *
It took quite some time, but he eventually managed to crawl
out of the pit of despair from which he hurled himself into. There
was only one corpse found in the charred remains of the workshop
and Princess Asuka was nowhere to be found. They believed that the
spy may have escaped with her and set fire to the armory to waylay
their pursuers.
Innova swore revenge. He will not rest until his sword has
drunk the blood of that Autozam spy.
"It's not the same. It will never be the same."
He unsheathed his sword, the light reflecting against the
blade. For a moment, he caught a flash of her beautiful face. The
realization came - swift, unexpected, and painful.
"Pardon my lord, but the Pillar sends for you," the guard
quietly said.
Innova acknowledged with a nod. It was time to put her
memories to rest. He turned and walked out of the newly restored
workshop without a second glance.
____________________
The air was filled with the ceaseless squawking of crows;
they were perched on the gnarled branches of a dead tree just a few
meters away. He wiped the sweat from his brow, squinting against
the harsh sunlight.
"The heat must be driving them mad," he muttered, thinking
that the noonday sun was more oppressive than the barren wasteland
that surrounded him.
Dust stirred as he traced a circle on the dry cracked earth
with the tip of his huge scimitar. He stood at the center, closed
his eyes and focused his energy towards the circumference of the
barrier. Grasping the scimitar's hilt with one hand, he murmured an
incantation and drove the sword into the ground.
"Hiyaaaah!!!"
The blast spread outward, the explosion drowning out the
crazed squawking and flapping of wings. As the dust settled, he
looked up and felt something warm rain upon his face. A black
feather drifted onto his open palm, half-burnt and stained with
blood.
"Better."
He jerked around at the lone applause that intruded upon the
deathly silence. His mentor stood at the edge of the cliff behind
him, watching him with those cold unflinching golden eyes.
"A vast improvement compared to yesterday's pathetic
attempts," he continued, looking at his student, who was standing
in the middle of a half-mile-wide crater.
Innova knew that he had done his job well - the Ferio who
stood there before him was nothing compared to the naive young
knight he once knew. Years ago, the boy was sent on a quest to
prove his loyalty to the Pillar by retrieving an enchanted weapon
from the Lake of Eterna; but after a month, he was never heard of
again.
Speculations arose upon his disappearance, but they all died
down when the months stretched into years and everyone safely
assumed that he failed and perished like all the others who came
looking for the mythical sword.
That was until they found him two weeks ago, near the Forest
of Silence.
The young knight was labeled a traitor and was about to be
persecuted when the Pillar himself pointed out that Ferio's memory
was conveniently erased. It didn't take a genius to figure out who
was responsible for that...
* * *
Innova's smile was grim when he faced the Pillar, "Your witch
has a lot to answer for."
"True," the Pillar's gaze fastened on the markings on the
young man's forehead, "but this time her meddling just saved his
life." He signaled to one of the armed men guarding the doors.
"Lead Ferio to the anteroom - he can wait for Innova there."
"Well, are you going to break Alcyone's spell?" Innova asked
the moment Ferio left the room.
"Do you want me to?"
"I don't know." Innova leaned at the window ledge to look
down at the courtyard.
"He'll be more useful to us without his past..." The Pillar
pointed out, "The final decision is entirely up to you. I trust you
to do what's best, Innova."
* * *
And he did. The young knight was a blank slate to start over
with, one without divided loyalties, repercussions and doubts.
Ferio turned out to be the perfect pawn.
"Clean up. The Pillar is expecting us an hour from now."
____________________
"There." Guru Clef pointed at the floating crystal mountain
that housed the shrine of the last Mashin.
Unlike the others, this mountain was made up entirely of dark
crystals. Black lightning slashed across the ominous storm clouds
surrounding it, followed by a deafening thunderclap. The air was
alive with barely restrained energy - like a wild beast straining
to be let loose.
"This guardian is obviously not particularly fond of
visitors," Lantis observed.
"At present, only three living people in all of Cefiro knew
of its existence before you. The last knight to visit this place
didn't come back alive."
Lantis looked at the Guru inquiringly.
"The only way to reach the temple is from underneath; head
straight for the eye of that storm. Don't even think of approaching
it from the sides - those lightning bolts will fry you before you
get to set a foot on that mountain."
"Did Zagato -?"
"Yes, and he failed. So did the Pillar."
Lantis was silent. The call of challenge was all too
familiar, the chance to put things right was even harder to resist.
"If I succeed, I want you to send the three Knights back to
their own world. This was never their fight to begin with."
Guru Clef nodded. "It's good to know that you made the
decision to stay this time." He looked at the shame that briefly
flitted across Lantis face. "Cefiro has chosen you for its
champion. Though you do have a choice on whether to accept or to
refuse that role. Should you refuse, the Knights automatically take
your place. They, on the other hand, do not have an alternative."
The kailu was stunned. "You mean, back then, when I...?"
"The consequence of your desertion was for more than you ever
bargained. They had to take up where you left off, Lantis. There
was no other choice."
Lantis's hands clenched into fists as he sent a summoning cry
to the dreary heavens. A crashing thunderbolt split the air - as
the smoke cleared, a magnificent black stallion stood before them.
Lantis swung himself on the horse's back, his face set in grim
determination as he looked down at the Guru.
"Know this. I don't give a damn about this world or your war.
Your Pillar could destroy this Cefiro for all I care. But I will do
anything in my power to spare those three girls the pain of
witnessing another tragedy." He wheeled his horse around, ready to
do battle against the elements. "Go back and send them home. The
Pillar is none of their concern - you will not force them to go
through another bloody nightmare."
Guru Clef watched him as he streaked across the dark
forbidding skies. The end has begun, the path had been chosen, and
the prophecy was being fulfilled.
____________________
"Keep your head down and don't look at anybody." Gryff led
Umi towards one of the tables and pulled out a chair for her. "Let
me do the talking while you concentrate on trying to look
inconspicuous."
She hunched her shoulders and tucked her chin. The barmaid
plunked two frothing mugs of beer on their table and gave Gryff a
saucy wink.
He grinned back. "Hello, business seems to be doing quite
well tonight."
"Oh, it is," the voluptuous green-haired barmaid bouncily
agreed, "By the way, my name's Illana."
"Illana, can you tell me where the manager is? I'd like to
ask about board and lodging for the next two days."
"Manager?" She blinked owlishly at him.
"This is great. A bimbo whose brain is inversely proportional
to her bust size," Umi muttered under her breath.
"The one who owns this place," Gryff explained.
"Oh, he's dead," she cheerfully replied. "He was nailing a
shoe on a horse and got kicked in the head five years ago. It was
all so sad..." She suddenly went all teary-eyed and started
sniffling. A sweatdrop appeared beside Gryff's head as he offered
her a hanky. She graciously accepted and noisily blew her nose,
then demurely offered it back.
"No, y-you can keep it," Gryff said on a pained grin.
"Really? Ooooh, you're so kind, young sir." Illana started
rubbing herself on his side, "And may I say, very handsome, too!"
and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Ah-uhm, huh-ah-heh-heh and so are you." Gryff tried very
hard not to leer, although a thin trickle of blood was starting to
come out of his nose.
Umi's eyebrow twitched as she unconsciously made a grab for
one of the mugs. Gryff was quick to notice and slapped her hand
away.
"Ouch!"
"Ah-ah-ah." He shook his head while wagging his finger in
front of her nose. "Don't even think about it - that drink packs
more wallop than a mule's kick. I don't want you disgracing
yourself by getting drunk in front of all these people."
"Disgrace myself?!" Umi's temper flared, "For your
information, I had no intention of drinking it."
"Really? So what exactly do you plan to do with it?"
"This." She grabbed the mug and threw the contents at Gryff's
midsection. "I thought you needed to cool down!"
"Oh dear!" The barmaid was quick to dab at his clothes with
her apron.
Gryff growled at Umi, "Why, you little -!"
Umi got up and slammed both hands down on the table. "Don't
you dare underestimate me!"
"What this commotion all about?" A blond woman wearing a
leather apron over a wool tunic stepped forward.
"P-P-Presea?" Umi stuttered, staring at the blond woman who
just stepped into the fray.
"GRYFF?!" the woman cried in disbelief upon seeing him. "What
in the name of Cefiro are you doing back here?" She marched up to
them and disengaged him from the busty barmaid's ardent embrace.
"Uh, hi! I'm back, Sie- Yeowwww!" he screamed as the woman
twisted his arm. "H-hey, is this how you welcome an old friend?!"
It took a while for Umi to snap back into action. "What's
going on here? Presea, where are you taking him?"
The woman stopped in her tracks, "Don't worry, missy - unlike
Illana, I have no intention of stealing him away from you. I
promise to bring your boyfriend back to you in one piece."
Both Gryff and Umi blushed beet-red.
"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!!!" "SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!!"
they screamed in unison.
The woman just grinned and shook her head. "So you say..."
____________________
The thundering sound of the horses' hooves almost drowned out
the frightened screams of the crowd. A piercing whistle was heard
above the commotion and halted the entire imperial entourage.
Someone took charge and started giving orders to the Pillar's elite
guards.
"Block all possible routes! The assassin must not escape.
Remember, I want him alive," Innova shouted. Upon passing Ferio, he
whispered, "Kill him."
Hikaru held the child tucked protectively under her cloak.
She felt him stir and drew back to smile reassuringly at a pair of
wide, frightened blue eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked, absently
noticing that they were in fact a few feet above the ground. The
ground began to move; the child gasped and clutched her cloak
tighter. The horse neighed impatiently; a gloved hand reached out
to stroke its neck, immediately calming the creature.
"My son! Oh, my dear boy." A woman was running towards them
and was blocked by the armed guards. "Please, I beg you, let me
through..."
"Let her pass."
The guards immediately did as they were told.
Hikaru was surprised to feel the deep rumble of the spoken
command behind her back. She wanted to turn around, but the man
tightened his hold around her waist, preventing any further
movement.
"Mommy!" The child tearfully called out as Hikaru handed him
back to his mother's arms.
"Thank you, oh, thank you very much for saving my son's
life." The woman cried, holding her son close to her heart.
Hikaru awkwardly cleared her throat. "Could you - I mean, do
you mind putting me down? Please?" Instead of slackening, his hold
shifted under her legs as he placed his free arm across her
shoulders. He dismounted the stallion with ease and bent down to
set her on her feet.
"I - ah, thank you." Hikaru found herself peering at his
eyes, shadowed by the visor of his helmet. He was staring at her
and, to her mortification, she couldn't help but stare back. Her
brow knotted in confusion. There was something strangely familiar
about him...
"You're hurt."
"Huh, excuse me?" She belatedly realized that he was holding
her hand. He rubbed his thumb upon the sore band around her wrist.
It was starting to turn blue. There was going to be a bruise there
tomorrow.
"I'm sorry, I must've grabbed your wrist too hard when I
pulled you off the ground."
"Oh, it's nothing, I'll be fine. Better a bruise than being
trampled on by a horse." Hikaru smiled and tried to tug her hand
away.
"NO." His abrupt tone seemed to surprise him more than it did
her. "Here, let me," he continued in a more gentle tone as his hand
hovered over her bruised wrist. Soothing warmth flowed over her
skin as a faint bluish glow emanated from his palm.
"Hikaru!"
She turned and saw the guards made way for Fuu, who was
heading towards them. "Over here, Fuu!" she called out.
"Oh, Hikaru. I'm so relieved that you're all right." Fuu was
on the verge of tears when she hugged her close.
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Fuu. But I just couldn't
stand by and watch that boy -"
"I know, b-but, for a split second, you hesitated, right in
the middle of the stampede!" Fuu swallowed audibly, "You almost
died out there."
"Your friend's right," the man quietly said.
Fuu humbly bowed toward the stranger. "Thank you for saving
my friend's life."
The man spared her no more than a passing glance until he
noticed the green stone on the glove she was wearing. He nodded
stiffly to acknowledge her thanks before turning to Hikaru. She was
wearing a similar glove with a red stone set at the center.
"Try to be more careful next time," he said as he mounted his
horse and reared it around. The soldiers followed suit, with the
crowd converging on their heels. Soon, the Imperial entourage was
back in their formation.
Ferio reappeared from an alley and rejoined the group.
"Have those girls followed," Ferio heard the Pillar say as he
rode next to Innova. He glanced back at the two departing figures.
He had a vague memory of the girl in the red cloak being rescued by
the Pillar himself during the stampede. His mentor seemed perplexed
at the Pillar's unusual order but complied nonetheless by sending
one of their spies.
"It is done," Ferio reported, flinging the blood off his
sword with a sharp flick of his wrist before sheathing it behind
his back.
"Good." The Pillar glanced briefly at Innova. "You've trained
him well."
Innova inclined his head. "Thank you, Sire. But there's a
small matter concerning an Autozam spy seen entering the town
yesterday."
"Gryff?"
Ferio secretly shuddered at the malevolent smile that slashed
across the Pillar's usual cold fa�ade.
"Interesting. You would've thought that the rat learned his
lessons years ago." The Pillar continued, "I'm leaving him to you,
Innova - get him and bring the Princess Asuka back to me."
"Consider it done, Sire."
___________________
"So, you're not after the Pillar for revenge?" the woman
asked as she poured a liberal amount of liquor into a shot glass
before giving it to Gryff.
"Not yet." Gryff accepted the drink and tossed it down.
"First, I have to help them find the Blade of Eterna."
She stopped short of drinking her wine. "Do you have any idea
of what it is you're looking for?"
"All I know is that once we get that enchanted sword, those
three girls can finally go home and I'll be free to seek my revenge
on that bastard."
"You've got three girls for traveling companions?" his host
asked suspiciously.
"It's a long story." Gryff frowned at the sly look on her
face, "And it's not what you think, either!" He decided to change
the topic and the mood as well, "So, tell me, what do you know
about this mythical blade?"
"What makes you think that I would know anything about it?"
She was apparently not happy with his verbal evasive maneuver.
Unfortunately for her, Gryff was stubborn enough to stick to the
issue at hand.
"Sierra, you were not the Mistress of Armor for nothing."
Sierra took a sip of her wine before finally giving in.
"Well, like all enchanted weapons on this planet, that sword
evolved from an escudo. It was said that the longest-ruling Pillar
of Cefiro once wielded that enchanted sword."
"Then it must be very old."
Sierra nodded, "Ancient, and very powerful. Can you imagine
as to what level that sword has evolved into?"
Gryff's brow knotted in confusion. "Hold on, I think you just
lost me there. How in the world can a sword 'evolve'?"
"A weapon made from an escudo is no ordinary weapon. It
evolves every time its owner's ability increases. The weapon can
only be handled by its owner and nobody else."
_So that's why Umi's sword turned into water when I touched
it._
"That means that the sword is useless, since the owner is
already dead." Gryff angrily stood up, overturning his chair, "We
traveled all this way for nothing!"
"Not exactly." Sierra twirled the wine in her glass.
"But you just told me that only the owner can handle the
sword."
"That is true. But there's always an exception to every
rule." Sierra waited for him to take his seat once again before she
continued on with her story.
"The former Pillar returned the sword back to the Lake of
Eterna before his death. It was the first time that such a thing
was ever done. His only wish was that the sword lives on even after
his death. The spirit of the lake guards the sword up to this day,
waiting for one worthy of wielding it once more." She finished her
drink and eyed Gryff over the rim of her glass. "And that is how it
came to be called the Blade of Eterna."
"Interesting."
"Now its your turn." She poured him another drink before
asking, "What do you need it for anyway?"
"Are you trying to get me drunk?" he asked the question
aloud.
"No. Just making sure the conversation flows freely."
"We need it to set the rightful ruler of Cefiro free," he
truthfully answered after downing his drink.
Sierra shook her head. "The sword is powerful, but it cannot
bring the dead back to life."
"Emeraude's not dead."
"What?!" Sierra immediately took the bottle away. "I think
we've both had enough."
Gryff prevented her from getting up from her chair by simply
placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's true. Sol Zagato guards her
as she sleeps. Encased in crystal, but not dead."
"And the Guru?" Sierra felt the stirrings of hope after years
of despair.
"Guru Clef left the tower before we did - I don't know where
he's going, but he went off with Lan-" Gryff stopped himself in
time, "- a friend of ours."
Sierra was silent for a long time. Her eyes were filled with
worry when she finally spoke, "Gryff, the young lady with you -
she's a Magic Knight, isn't she."
Gryff saw no reason to hide the truth from her, "Yes."
"It's just as well that you're not going after the Pillar
now. You might find yourself in more trouble than you've bargained
for."
"What do you mean?"
"He's in the city, Gryff."
"What!"
"Remember your promise, Gryff! If you go after him now, you
risk the lives of those girls as well."
"Damn," Gryff pushed back from the table and started pacing
the room in frustration. "Good thing I decided to split our group
in two. Umi and I took the north entrance, I told Fuu and Hikaru to
take the west gate."
"And they will be arriving here shortly?"
Gryff just realized the trouble he brought upon his friend.
She deserved to know the truth. "Yes."
____________________
Lantis sensed that something was wrong even before his feet
touched the ground. He felt her intent before he saw the attack,
shielding himself against the deadly icicles that flew at him.
"Alcyone," he muttered under his breath. He remembered Guru
Clef telling him that the Mistress of Magic serves the Pillar of
Cefiro. But was it possible that she was after the Mashin herself?
"Did you come here to pay the Guardian a visit?" she called
out from her high perch on top of the ledge behind him. "You need
not go inside the temple to plead your case - I'll be more than
willing to give you what you seek, right here at the front gate."
"No, thank you. But I don't think you possess anything that
is of great interest to me."
Alcyone's shrill laughter rose in crescendo with the howling
winds. "Your impudence is quite astounding."
She was getting ready to attack, he could feel her gathering
power from the chilling winds that swirled about her.
"Ice Spear!"
Shards of ice materialized out of thin air and were suddenly
rushing at him. Lantis's sword flashed to life, lighting crackling
along its length as he focused his power onto it. He slashed the
air in front of him, causing the shards of ice to shatter into a
million tiny pieces.
"Good, but not good enough!" Alcyone suddenly materialized
above him, causing a torrent of icicles to rain down on him. She
wasn't satisfied and immediately summoned a tornado that plowed her
enemy into the ground. She was suspended in mid-air, riding the
updrafts as she watched with malicious glee the havoc she had
wreaked.
"Too bad, and just when I was having- aaaaah!"
She was caught in a ball of pure energy; it was like being
strapped to a metallic plate repeatedly hit by lightning bolt. She
fell to the ground, dust billowing upon impact.
Lantis walked up to where she landed and looked down.
Electricity still crackling around her body, she managed to brace
her arm against the ground and lifted her eyes to look at him.
Surprise. Confusion. Tenderness. Anger.
A myriad of emotions passed before her face.
But in the end there was Spite.
She kept her head low, her shoulders shaking. It took him a
while to realize that she was laughing. It started as a deep rumble
at her throat, escalating to a giggle, which soon came out in a
horrible burst of maniacal laughter.
"Amazing, you look exactly like him," she said in a barely
audible whisper, "Except for the scar, of course - Ice Blade!"
He was caught off guard, barely managing to shift sideways to
avoid a blade of ice that would have cleanly cleaved his head in
half.
"Guru Clef did his job well - send him my regards, kailu,"
she said, eyeing him with great interest as the winds gathered
around her, drowning out her voice. "I almost can't wait for his
Majesty to meet you."
And with that the winds engulfed her. As quickly as it came,
it collapsed upon itself, taking the Mistress of Magic with it.
___________________
"Remember, call me Presea," she instructed as they left the
room and headed back to the mess hall. "I'm living a pretty quiet
life now, and I want to keep it that way."
"I'm really sorry for barging on you like this, Sie-" Gryff
corrected himself just in time, "I mean Presea. Look, forget about
it - we'll just find another place to stay. I don't want to get you
into trouble."
"No." Presea gave a defeated sigh, rolled her eyes to the
ceiling and finally smiled before conceding, "You can stay."
"Yes! Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthank..." Gryff started
kissing her hand, "I knew your soft, loving heart couldn't possibly
turn this poor, weary traveler away." Her placed her hand over his
heart and gazed at her like an adoring puppy. "I don't know how to
repay you..."
"Gold is nice and would be very much appreciated."
"And here I thought you actually cared."
"Look, Gryff, I only agreed because I'm more concerned about
the safety of your companions. You're in luck - I only have two
vacant rooms left."
"WHAT!" Gryff's mind protested at the picture Presea wanted
to project. "W-waittaminute! B-b-but, there are four of us!"
"No problem, the beds are big enough for two." She winked
slyly, "You can always share it, you know."
He glanced at the table where he left Umi. Apparently, she
wasn't alone anymore; Fuu and Hikaru were sitting there with her.
"Looks like the gang's all here."
"Three, Gryff?" Presea raised a delicate eyebrow. "And all of
them pretty. You're quite a lady's man, my friend."
Gryff ignored her gibe as he led her to their table.
"Presea, I would like you to meet my traveling companions,
Hikaru, Fuu and Umi."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." She summoned her help.
"Illana will show you to your rooms. I believe you all would like
to freshen up before dinner."
"Thank you very much, Miss Presea," Hikaru said.
"We really appreciate this," Fuu intoned.
"I have only one request." Presea smiled before continuing,
"I would like for you all to come over to my private quarters and
share dinner with me tonight."
"I will be an honor and a pleasure, my lady," Gryff gallantly
replied, bending over to kiss her hand.
Umi secretly fumed, _Why, that slimy, skirt-chasing, smooth-
talking bas-_
"And, Umi..."
She blinked in surprise when she heard the older woman
whisper beside her ear, "Huh?"
"Come along with me, dear." Presea linked her arm through
hers, "We really must do something about your hair..."
____________________
The warm water was a welcome relief after several days of
hard travel. Hikaru couldn't help but let out a purr of pleasure as
she immersed her weary body in the tub.
She piled her hair on top of her head and poured some scented
oil into the water before closing her eyes, relishing the relaxing
effect of the subtle fragrance and the gentle lapping of the water
around her.
Slowly, she feels her senses spiraling into oblivion...
* * *
"She's real, so very real," he whispered in awe as he stared
at the vision within the mirror. He had known her, loved her in his
dreams. But she wasn't an ethereal being, existing only in his
dreams anymore. She was of flesh and blood, an intriguing mix of
woman and child.
"Can you hear me?" he asked, caressing her cheek through the
mirror, "My beautiful Flame." She arched her neck and seemed to
turn towards his touch. He trailed his fingers down her nape and
cupped her shoulder, urging her closer, lifting her from the water.
The upper slopes of her breast prickled as they came in contact
with the cold air. "Ah, yes." Her hair spilled down her back,
making him long to bury his fingers in those silky tresses. "I'll
be coming for you, soon." And with that, he leaned into the mirror
and kissed her lips.
* * *
Hikaru awoke with a gasp. She brought her trembling fingers
against her lips, as if searching for an imprint of a kiss. Her
eyes stared unseeingly at the whitewashed wall, her heartbeat
thundering in her ears. The water was now cold but her skin felt
flushed, as if hungering for a touch, a caress...
"Oh, dear." Hikaru brought her knees up and leaned her
forehead against her knees. She clenched her eyes shut and
swallowed hard, willing her heartbeat to slow down.
"What's happening to me?" Her voice wavered with confusion
and fear.
She got up and reached for a towel, wrapping it around her
still-damp body. Suddenly, there was a quiet knock on the door.
"Who's there?" Her hands tightened on the towel.
"Hikaru, it's Fuu. You'd better hurry up - the others are
waiting for us."
"I-I'll be right out. Just give me a minute."
____________________
"There's no way I'm sharing this room with you!" Umi
indignantly stamped her foot. She learned about their sleeping
arrangements just after dinner, right after she said her goodnights
to Hikaru and Fuu.
No wonder Gryff was unusually quiet throughout the meal. It
was only when she was about to close the door on him when he
finally decided to pop up the subject of sharing the room.
Gryff decided that a diplomatic approach was the best way he
could get her to agree. At the moment, considering Umi's volatile
temper gone to hell, it was the ONLY way. "Look, we're both tired.
If it makes you feel any better, I'll do the gentlemanly thing and
stay downstairs until you're all tucked up and asleep."
"The gentlemanly thing would be for you to go downstairs and
stay there!"
"Umi-" Gryff flinched as she slammed the door on his face.
The sound of the bolt sliding home wasn't that inspiring, either.
Umi listened behind the door, waiting for him to either start
begging or beating down the door in anger. But all she heard was a
muttered curse and the sound of his boots as he bounded down the
stairs.
"The nerve of that creep," she said, squashing the tiny
flicker of disappointment when he didn't even bother to argue his
case. Either way, she had no intention of ever sharing a bed with
that jerk.
The bed - there was only one - was a huge four-poster with a
bolster and masses of pillows. Off the bedroom was a bathroom where
she spent a long time soaking in the warm bath. Finally, she
climbed into bed. And it was a climb - the bed was several feet off
the floor. She removed the bolster and the extra pillows, turned on
her side and vaguely wondered where Gryff was going to spend the
night, since she just kicked him out of their room.
"Probably with that barmaid!" Umi angrily muttered as she
tossed on her side and willed herself to sleep.
____________________
The Pillar stood at the balcony, staring at sleeping city
that was laid beneath him. His eyes flicked toward the gilded door
as the guard led Innova into the room.
"Well?"
"Our men are still trying to confirm the information about
the whereabouts of the Autozam spy."
"And the two girls?" Innova detected a tinge of impatience in
his tone.
"They're staying at the Twin Blade, an inn located just half
a mile east of our stronghold."
"Good. Have Ferio go there tomorrow night."
"Forgive me, sire, but don't you think Gryff's demise and the
whereabouts of Princess Asuka should warrant more interest than
these two girls?"
"Ah, Innova. How many times have I've told you not to be
deceived by appearances?" He held out a small crystal sphere in his
hand, it glowed and began to levitate from his palm.
Innova stared at it and immediately understood what the
Pillar meant. He never expected this, it was just too easy.
"Surely, those girls can't be the-!"
"The Knights," the Pillar finished for him. "Oh, but they
are." He sent the crystal sphere floating towards Innova, "Never
underestimate the enemy - it could very well prove to be your
downfall."
Innova closed his hand around the sphere and tucked it
securely within the folds of his robes. "I will keep that in mind,
Sire."
____________________
"So, girls, what do you think?" Presea grinned, so pleased at
the sight of her superb handiwork.
"I-ah, hmmm..." Fuu paused to carefully consider what she was
about to say. "Yellow does seem to look good on you," she tactfully
said.
Hikaru, on the other hand, was a lot more frivolous with her
comments, "I think he makes a beautiful girl." She looked him over
and smiled, "Especially with his long hair brushed loose like
that." She peered closely at his chest and began to poke at it.
"You didn't have to endow him so generously, though," Hikaru said
with a tinge of envy in her voice.
Presea couldn't help but snicker at that remark, which earned
her a dark glance from her 'masterpiece'.
'Squeeesh'
"Hey! Fuu, stop that!" Gryff crossed his arms over his
'breasts' and glared at the fair-haired girl. Her curiosity
obviously won over her tact.
"They feel real, too." Fuu pushed her glasses up her nose and
turned to Presea. "What did you use?"
"Goat bladder filled with water," Presea proudly supplied.
"We had to borrow Umi's bra to hold them up. All in all, he makes
quite a fetching barmaid, don't you think?"
Gryff turned beet-red as the girls burst out laughing. Their
laughter was immediately cut short when Umi herself entered the
room. She was wearing a beige vest over a white cotton shirt and a
pair of trousers. Her hair, cut at chin length, was tucked behind
her ears and covered with a brown wool cap.
"This is stupid," Umi muttered.
Presea grinned, "Oh, and by the way, meet my new stable boy."
- end of chapter vi -
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Surprise! Surprise!
I'm baaaack!
Yup, I'm still breathing.
And to all the people who are still following R&T (hello? Anyone left?),
thanks.
Bet you guys couldn't give a damn to what happened to this particular
fanfic writer. It's just as well, because I'm in no particular mood to
expound on the number of excuses I came up for not posting anything for
the past year.
Everyone's entitled to his/her/its opinion.
C&C, reactions (violent or otherwise), or a blowtorch pointed at this
particular author's head :) will be very much appreciated.
elf
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