The two men were worlds apart. One of the two was a soldier who had dedicated his life to the doctrine of the military- a man who knew how to take and give orders. The other man knew no authority but his own. The first of them upheld all the values of the Church and, until only recently, had stood for all that it had preached, had been the very apotheosis of its creed and values. The other man had rejected the teachings of the institution, had violated their most precious laws and had made others do the same. The first man valued organizational integrity more than anything else. The other was headstrong and highly independent, even within a group, and had been a loner for years. The first man believed in the importance of logic. The other was a man of the heart and emotions. The first man kept his opponents at a distance. The other liked to let his fists do the talking. The two stood now, facing each other, the space between them mirroring the uncrossable gulf of years and principle that would forever keep them apart- one was on a ship, the other was on the dock. "You called for me," Kyle said simply, his clear blue eyes never losing their calm, never betraying a trace of emotion. The wind toyed with loose yellow strands of his hair as he bobbed in time to the ship's own gentle riding of the waves. "That I did, Cavanaugh," the other man responded, amusement radiating from his features despite his injuries. Though he was leaning on a crutch, covered almost from head to toes in bandages and supported by his watchful sister, the man's eyes were far from dead. The azure pupils glinted with a youth that wasn't physical in nature. "We don't have much time," Kyle told the older man, ever wary of the small, but crucial details. "Already others have sighted the tower. Every second we waste means someone other than us is closer to the Heartstone." "Or death by the hand of its owner," Cid winked down at the dragoon. Kyle snorted slightly, letting his emotional masks down a bit. He suddenly found the wooden deck of the Northern Cross very interesting and directed his eyes at a splotch of brown there. "Shizuka told me who you were," Kyle said, continuing his impromptu inspection of the oaken boards. "You used to be one of the Warriors of Light. You fought alongside Father Onias and the other legends. You taught Syeira magic. And you faced the one known as Siegvin." Cid merely nodded. "That I did." Kyle averted his gaze from the ship floor and pierced the man above him with a cold stare. "You used to be a heretic." "I still am," Cid reminded him. "And so are you, if I be so bold." "Shizuka also told me that you had something important to see me about." Kyle eyed the man for any reaction. "Was she wrong?" "Not at all, impatient one," Cid said smiling. "What I have to say does indeed carry great weight. But only, of course, if you're willing to listen." "Of course I am," Kyle said. "What is it then?" "The Knight of Water will recognize the blade on your naginata. You do realize that, don't you?" Kyle remained silent. "It would do well to know what to answer should the knight wonder what such an accursed blade is doing with a man like you," Cid advised. "Is that all?" "Not at all," Cid said. "Here. Catch!" Kyle caught it easily. Looking at the small bundle of filmy material, Kyle couldn't even tell what it was made of, much less what it actually was or used for. For a moment, a role reversal of sorts took place- Kyle's face was the one with emotion now. He was confused. Cid's face was unreadable. "You'll know when the time comes," Cid said mysteriously. "I wish I could thank you," Kyle said, a little annoyed. "But I really wouldn't know what for." He slipped the material somewhere on his person where he fully intended to forget about it at a later date. At least it was light and flexible. "If that will be all..." Kyle turned to walk away. Cid's smile broadened. "You remind me of your father." Kyle only turned in time to see the old warrior's back disappearing from view, assisted by Cecilina. On the young man's face was a mixture of sorrow, anger and befuddlement. "Good luck, young Cavanaugh. We will be praying for you." At this last statement, Cid and his sister vanished from sight. Kyle watched after them, unsure what to think. And then, slowly shaking his head, Kyle turned to go and tell the rest that it was time to move out. The old monk was a man who believed in doing what was right, a man who valued familial ties, loved his friends and helped those in need. He was a man who had seen his share of blood, suffering and conflict, and only wished to set the world right again. Kyle smiled. Perhaps they weren't so different after all. ***** ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** Final Fantasy Legacy Knights of The Round created by Brian Stricklin hosted by Improfanfic ***** Chapter 40: Shale and Shadow by Mads ***** ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** ***** The mechanical construct called the spider-walker had now been crawling over hills, transversing meadows, crossing streams, skipping over forests, strolling through roads, and padding its way across the countryside for almost a week. And that meant only one thing- its novelty had long since packed up and flown to the Moon Empire or elsewhere as distant. "Are we there yet?" It seemed as if every time one of the spider-walker's legs descended and met earth, the slight jolt accompanying it would be punctuated by another of Mika's hearty, relentless queries as to the status of their jaunt. Davin rolled his eyes. "No," he said, keeping his eyes on the road- or on the stretch of grassland he was using as a road, as it were. "No, we aren't." "What's the use of teaching you how to drive this thing if you can't make us get there faster?" Mika complained and leaned back on one of the few passenger seats the vehicle could accommodate inside its rather cramped interior. "Are we there yet?" "No," Davin repeated, unwilling to be distracted too much. Smiling slightly to himself, he said, "And if you don't quit that asking, I'm turning this thing around RIGHT NOW!" "Chyeah, right," Mika smirked. The walker shook a bit as it punched through a line of small trees. "Are we there yet?" "Noooo~ooo," Davin singsonged and upped the speed a notch. From beside them, Marcine could only smile and shake her head. Only Davin would have the tolerance to answer Mika's questions every single time and not be annoyed to the point of strangling the persistent little girl. "Are we there yet?" "Nay, my irritating little alchemist." Tuning out the rather predictable conversation occurring between her two traveling companions, Marcine returned to perusing the piece of parchment Davin had shared with her earlier. It was certainly interesting, and not only for the poetic rendition of the legend of the knights written on it. The arrangement of the words itself seemed to hold a hidden meaning of some sort- a puzzle which Marcine found to be a nicely distracting way to pass the time, at the very least. "Are we there yet?" Mika called, idly toying with a Davin-like puppet that had also survived the demolition of her old house. He seemed to be doing a fairly passable version of a Ryukin folk dance. Where did that girl *get* all that energy? ***** "Are we *there* yet?" a voice wailed from behind a screen of bushes. Pearl looked back at her "partner", increasingly feeling the urge to go about her quest for the elusive Heartstone alone. By any means possible. It had only been barely a few days since she and Zarela had entered the Great Russa Forest, and already, Pearl was seriously contemplating the feasibility of a one-woman mission to the Knight of Time and Space. The alternative seemed almost unbearable. "Are we theeeeeere yet??" "*NO*, we aren't," Pearl replied curtly, continuing on forwards, careful not to damage the plants she was moving aside. "We're not even a quarter of the way there yet." "Why does it have to be so *far*!?" Zarela could be heard whining from beyond some tall overgrowth. "My feet hurt, I have bugs in my hair, I'm thirsty... why couldn't we take any chocobos with us!?" "You should know," Pearl grated, barely restraining herself from doing something she might- she *knew* she would- regret later. "Chocobos are terrified of this place. And for good reason." This reminded her of something. "Hey!" Pearl called out, stopping in her progress forwards to shout to the knight barely keeping up with her. "Are you stepping over the greenlace and cowfern like I told you to? Are you ducking under branches instead of cutting them off like we had agreed?" There was no answer. "Are you even *listening* to me? Zarela?" The only sound was that of her own suddenly racing heart and hastened breathing. "HEY! ZARELA! ARE YOU STILL OUT THERE!?" This time, there *was* a response- of sorts. "GET YOUR FILTHY LITTLE PAWS OFF OF ME, YOU MANGY LITTLE VERMIN!!! Wait 'til I get my hands on Gustav! PUT ME *DOWN*!!!" "Kupo! Kupopopoku!!" came a chorus of what eerily sounded like moogle laughter. Pearl managed a sigh before starting after the source of the voice at a dead run. "ACK!!! DON'T TOUCH ME *THERE*!!! @#$##!@!!" ***** Kyle, Shizuka and Jil were staring up at the large emerald column that was the Tower of Water. The Northern Cross floated idly beside it, anchored. Not being very far off, and the ship having a captain like Jil, they had reached the tower in record time- which, they found, really wasn't doing them a damn bit of good. "Ye'd think," Jil mused, "that there'd be a *door* in case company might be arrivin'." Kyle looked down at the small ninja girl beside him. "Shizuka, can you scale those walls?" "This one is afraid she cannot, Master Cavanaugh," Shizuka said in a slightly apologetic voice. "The sides are too smooth to hold onto, and the top is too high to provide somewhere for a hook and rope to find purchase." Making a small sound of disgust, Kyle turned back towards the looming tower. "Well, I'm always open to suggestions." Reill stepped up. "What if we rammed the side of the tower with the ship, sir?" Jil graced Reill with a withering look. "Then again, maybe that's not such a hot idea," Reill muttered, turning pale and then retreating into a nearby staircase. "The tower be inaccessible," Jil told Kyle, as if to drive the point home. "Have we come all this way only to be stopped cold by something simple as this?" Kyle gave no answer. He folded an armored arm across his chest and rested his chin on the other hand, deep in thought. "Not necessarily," he said finally, after a while. "Have ye come up with somethin', Kyle?" Jil asked, curious. "You *could* say that," the dragoon nodded and then stepped towards the ship captain. "Do you trust me?" Jil blinked. "Aye, that I do, Kyle," she said, frowning. "But what does that have to do with-" He took her by the waist. "HOLY-! What be the meanin' of this, ya cur!" Jil yelled indignantly. The crew present began praying for the soon-to-be-departed soul of one Kyle Cavanaugh. Kyle reddened a bit and then said, "Hold on tight." "Wha-?" Kyle turned his attention to Reill, who had peeked his head out of the ship's innards. "Reill! Take Shizuka!" A flash of instant realization swept Reill's features and he nodded. He hurried over to Shizuka and wrapped his arms around the petite young girl. The Ryukin ninja offered no resistance. "Kyle Cavanaugh!" Jil ranted, completely scandalized at what she saw and at the arms currently holding her tightly around her torso. "I never took ye t'be the type to take advantage of helpless women! Ye forget, however that I nae be so helpless, and so help me, I'll-" Kyle had taken that time to warm up his Boost armor. He looked at Reill, who was doing the same. "NOW." With mighty leaps, the four were suddenly airborne, driven upwards by a carefully compressed and then released burst of boost energy from their equipment. "WOAH!" Jil eeped and threw her arms around Kyle's neck, panicking. "This one fears Mistress Fallensand's grip is disallowing Master Cavanaugh his breathing," Shizuka observed as their speed stabilized. "Master Cavanaugh is turning a strange shade of red." Reill smirked. "Well, he *told* her to hang on tight, didn't he?" As the Northern Cross' crew watched, the four semi-spiraled towards the heavens and towards the very top of the Tower of Water. ***** Bolgan was a mechanical genius, but he almost always failed to take into account human comfort or convenience. The spider-walker simply became too hot to stay inside of after some time of use- about six hour's worth. It wasn't anything that would damage the machine itself, but it made its occupants feel somewhat close to being roasted alive like slabs of meat on a spit. "Ah, I am so GLAD to be OUT of that thing," Marcine gasped, taking in as much as she could of the cool, sweet country air, practically stumbling out of the walker's hatch. "Me too," Davin admitted, wiping some sweat off his brow and fanning his chest with his shirt front. "It's like someone cast a constant Flare on us or something..." He looked over at Marcine and smiled. The girl had her eyes closed and was loosening her blouse. "Gwaaaaa-" Davin mouthed. Marcine opened her eyes and blinked at Davin. "Hm?" Davin spun and then did an extremely awkward walk towards a clearing. "I... I saw something off to that side! Yes! I think I did! I'll just go take a look at it! Oh, whaddya know? A tree! Fancy that..." Marcine just blinked. Then, as Davin went about his suddenly strange behavior, the young mage noticed something. "Where's Mika-?" Turning around, she came face to face with who she was looking for. That wasn't entirely accurate, however. Half of Mika's face was concealed by large hands covering her nose and stifling her scream. Wide, frightened eyes stared at Marcine from behind skewed glasses. The alchemist's captor gave Marcine a toothy grin. He was holding a knife to the small girl's neck. "Hello, Legacy," came the mocking voice. "We've been looking for you." ***** Pearl made three guesses as to what had happened to Zarela, and all of them involved moogle. Pearl only hoped to the three gods that she was wrong- the guesses all involved internal organs on the wrong side of the body as well- namely, outside. "Dammit, these moogles can really hide if they want to," she swore, almost forgetting to go through the proper precautions as she fought her way through leaves, twigs and branches. "Where the heck did they get tooOOOOOOOOOO-!!!" Pearl found herself plummeting several feet down a steep forest cliff. ***** "The boost armor's overheating a little, sir," Reill told Kyle, who nodded. "It was a pretty high jump and with passengers too." "We'll have to leave the boost component here then," said the dragoon commander. "They might weigh us down and the boost engines won't stand up to saltwater very well anyway." "Saltwater, sir?" Reill asked. "Call it a hunch," Kyle gave by way of explanation. And then, less sure of himself somehow, he turned towards the back of one Jil Fallensand, who was folding her arms across her chest and looking very cross indeed. "Why dinnae ye tell me about your plan?" Kyle tensed slightly, actually unsure himself as to why. He shifted a bit in discomfort. "We'd... wasted enough time trying to figure out how to get in already- also, I thought that you, being the sensible seaman of ways that you are, would immediately agree to such a plan. I... saw no point in asking you first." Jil suddenly turned towards Kyle, arms still folded. She took several steps towards Kyle and locked gazes with him. They were almost at eye level to each other. "Well the NEXT time ye get a brilliant idea in that head of yours, TELL me before ye go about treatin' a ship's CAPTAIN as if she were nothin' more than a piece of CARGO to be lunked and carried about! Do we have an understanding, Cavanaugh?" Kyle swallowed. "Err... yes, ma'am." Exhaling angrily, Jil turned and then stalked inside the high door they had landed on. "Well then, let us be off. Nae sense wastin' any more time gawpin' about here..." Wordlessly, the three behind her followed. Behind Kyle, when he was sure no one was looking, Reill snickered. Kyle glared at him. ***** "Mika!" Davin cried as he rushed over beside Marcine. A hand had reflexively alighted on the sword by his side. "If you hurt her, I swear to you, I'll-" "Shut up, ye're not the boss a' me!" the man snarled and pressed the dagger in his hand against Mika's neck. Davin's hand paused in its reach for the Ashura blade. "Oh, Mika," Marcine mumbled behind Davin, almost in tears. The savage-looking man grinned and then whistled loudly. Several figures emerged from the glade behind him and joined their comrade. They were all wearing more rugged versions of the Manakyr mage robe. "Now imagine our luck when we found that youze people were passin' by our little haven," the man croaked wickedly. "And just as we wuz recievin' orders from the top te look out for youze too. They'll be a-rewardin' us well for this, won't they, boys?" Cruel, hyena-like laughter burst from the rest of the mages behind him at the cue, their owners then slowly moving closer towards Davin and Marcine. Marcine's eyes darted from one figure to another and then her mouth began to move rapidly. "Spears of heaven's wrath, harbingers of the god's fury. I call upon thee to char your foes with divine retribution! Tri-Bo-" "HALT!" the Manakyr holding Mika said, tightening his hold on the girl, making her squeal in pain. "None a' that now. You'll ALL come with us nice and quiet-like, youze hear? Unless, of course, youze wants to be taking a li'l ole bath in this here girl's blood now?" Sadistic laughter streamed from his crew again- they were obviously enjoying this to no end and they intended to take their time. Beyond them, dark clouds began to grace the skies, blocking out the sun's light and bringing the promise of rain. Davin, in the meantime, was seething. Every muscle within his voluntary control was tense with emotion, his every tendon straining to make real the movements he had outlined on his instinctive map. Cold sweat peppered his forehead and trickled down his face, putting salt on his lips. It was getting steadily colder. Vapor fumed out of his mouth at every breath. Inside him, something else was rising. A rage, almost murderous in nature, like none he had ever felt before, was spurring him to action, begging him to indulge. And underneath it all, something from outside him was aggravating it, enhancing the allure of the wrath, offering support and power- the dark disembodied pull of the Ashura blade. Only another force, this one from the Heartstone embedded in the sword handle, was preventing it from fully influencing Davin. Barely. Davin blinked the wetness out of his eyes. Thunder snapped in the distance. "Ohoho," Mika's captor laughed at Davin's discomfort. "Lookit. I think we made him mad!" He pulled his dagger away from Mika's neck and pointed it towards the swordsman, taunting him. "Youze may be mad, but you can't do a bloody thing about it! First, we'll kill you, kill the girl and then take the Legacy to the bosses! But not before we've had our way with her first, of course! AHEIHAHAHAHAHAHAA!" The Manakyr troupe chorused the sentiment. Lightning flashed. "AHEIHYEIHAHAHA- *OOF*!" Mika quickly removed her elbow from being buried painfully deep within her hostage-taker's belly. Spinning, she swung with all her might the only weapon she had available to her- her chemical satchel. Teeth gave way in the Manakyr's face as the pack's large buttons and hard contents wreaked havoc on his tender flesh. The besieged man stumbled backwards, howling in pain. His comrades immediately began the chants of several spells. It had already been far, far too late by the time the bag had left contact with the first Manakyr man's skin. The thunder from the close lightning boomed, and then the rain began. As the air became filled with the falling droplets of cold moisture, it became rife with the screams of dying men as well. The grass ran crimson with their mingled blood, the ground stained scarlet by its flow. The last of the Manakyr squad's men fell onto the ground dead, split into more parts than he had fingers. Sick thuds announced the ends of their descents. The swishing of sword swings accompanied the music of dropping water. Davin breathed heavily, the water from the heavens running down his face and darkening his clothes. His blood-stained sword was still in his grip, slowly being made immaculately silver again by the falling condensation. Mika, who had run to Marcine as soon as she was free, stared in shock at her brother. Marcine was doing the same. The haze that the sudden downpour had created didn't let them see what had just happened very clearly, but they had a fairly good idea, nevertheless. They were actually thankful for the mist that had concealed the massacre- for massacre it was. Davin was in disbelief himself. It had all happened in the space of three seconds. ***** Kyle and his party reached the center of the tower. "A whole 'nother bunch of nothing," Reill observed, whistling to himself. "Will wonders never cease?" Ignoring him, Jil turned to Kyle with a questioning look. "There be nothing in here, Cavanaugh. Be the Knight afraid of us then if he-" "This one kindly requests everyone to direct their attentions to the left," Shizuka said in a low voice. They did and beheld a startling vision. The man before them folding his arms and staring at them suspiciously was made entirely of flowing water- his armor was corals fused together in a colorful carapace. The light shone on and through him, warping in interesting ways to the flow and wave of his skin, almost as if he were inlaid with silver. "The Knight of Water, I presume," Kyle said calmly. "You are correct," the spectre said. "Though you may call me Shale." There was silence for a moment as they looked at each other, going about the business of evaluating the other visually. The next one who spoke was Jil. She stepped forwards, a kind of fascination in her eyes. "Ye be th' Knight of Water... ye've lived almost all your life in th' waves, haven't ye?" Jil's breathing came in excited puffs, a gleam was in her eye. "The sea be yer home... Ye know all her ways and all her needs, don't ye?" A tender look swirled in the knight's inhuman eyes. "And you, madam, are a woman of the waters," he said with his watery voice. "One who has dedicated her life to living life on the ocean surface, forever fascinated by the hidden world of the ocean depths and its denizens." Jil nodded breathlessly. The knight smiled. "Perhaps," Shale said finally, "You people can explain to me why it is that my Tower and I have been awakened after so long a time." "We'd only be glad te," Jil said, eyes warm. ***** Shapeless masses littered the meadow, their true natures obscured by the falling rain. Marcine hugged Mika tightly as they looked on at Davin, who had fallen to his knees, unmoving. "Davin...?" Marcine tried, golden hair pasted to the sides of her face by the rain. Davin was trying to understand the events of but a few seconds ago. Against all expectations, he had seen in black all the time he was dispatching the Manakyr, seeing in slow motion in contrast to the red-tinted view and blurry sight that intense anger conjured. He had utilized something dark and twisted inside himself, something he had known was there all along- he had just never acknowledged its existence, had not even dared to explore the possibility. That something left a feeling of nothingness in his core. Was this what Gyn had been warning him about? Was some of the ancient demon called Ashura still residual in its blade? But no, it *hadn't* been the sword, not mainly. The Heartstone embedded in the hilt had prevented whatever damage the Ashura sword might have done. But... He had felt every swing of his sword, had known it every time steel tore through flesh and bone- had felt the sudden rush of black, oh, so black energy fill him at every kill. Black energy... from the outside? He attempted to reach out to it, if only to establish that it was there. That was when the darkness swallowed him. Davin slumped facefirst into the wet grass. "DAVIN!!!" ***** Siegvin looked up at the roiling heavens. Water streamed down his smooth metal mask, wetness massing his dark hair into untidy clumps about his head. Lightning streaked across the sky above him, illuminating the face of the the mysterious clock tower of the Knight of Time and Space. ***** "A touching tale," Shale nodded after Jil was done. "Truly, I am moved." "But you won't be giving us your Heartstone right off, will ye," Jil said, smirking at the knight. "Am I right?" "You are correct," the ancient hero said again, what looked like a grin appearing on his literally fluid features. "There be some form of test or another then," Jil guessed, "te prove our worthiness for the stone, as t'were, right?" "You are correct again, Miss Fallensand." Jil turned to Kyle. "I thought as much," Kyle said, eyes closed in thought. He opened them to look into the knight's eyes. "What do we have to do?" Shale's smile vanished. The floor disappeared from underneath them. ***** Davin found himself somewhere pitch dark. Everything around him was blackness, but yet... he could see himself. It was as if he was standing in the middle of some great void. The confused geomancer felt around for the spirits and found none- there weren't any to find. In fact, he didn't think there WAS a place for spirits to reside in this dark place either. "Where am I?" Davin wondered to himself as he looked about, taking in the black nothing. The blackness that had swallowed him... it had not come from the sword. Whatever it was that he had tapped momentarily from himself and the Ashura blade had merely allowed the intervention of something else, something from the *outside*... Davin felt a presence behind him. "Who's there!?" he yelled, spinning about and drawing his sword, already beginning to be badly shaken. The darkness seemed to close in on him, suffocating him, threatening to snuff him out. He briefly recalled his time as a living block of mineral and shook the thought out of his head. He shuddered. Before him stood a set of jet black armor facing him. The metal was chipped and rusted in places, and those, along with the countless scratches on it everywhere gave it a look of great age. It held a long sword in one hand. The armor's stance was awkward- it stood with shoulders slumped forwards, head hanging before it as if it were too heavy for his neck to carry. It was completely motionless. Whatever face it had was hidden behind a black visor with two dark slits for eyeholes. Davin held his sword before him in a defensive stance. "Who are you?" Davin called out to it, sizing it up from a distance. "Can you tell me where I am?" It didn't say anything. Davin thought that whatever it was might very well be dead. The visored helmet looked up and the black knight was suddenly rushing towards Davin at a terrifying speed. The young swordsman barely managed to parry a strike for him as the armor raised an arm slightly to angle its weapon as it sped forward. The armor skidded to a halt somewhere nearby. Davin resumed his stance but was highly perturbed now. Whoever it was in the armor had charged him without moving its feet- it had *floated*. "WHO ARE YOU!?" Head and shoulders still thrown forward, the armor raised its free hand to point a finger at Davin. "yooouuuu. me sense yoooouuuuu when kill many...when angry....... brooooouught me heere..." "What are you saying?" Davin asked it, not relaxing his stance. He couldn't make out what the armor was saying to him. "What are you talking about? I didn't bring you he-" "me brouuuuuught meeee...but youuuuuu allowed meeeeee in....." An image suddenly appeared behind the armor, hovering in the black. The scene that had occurred in the meadow played out, making Davin relive the moments of the incident as if he were watching a moving, living record of some kind. He narrowed his eyes and regarded the thing before him. "Who... WHAT *are* you?" The armor creaked slightly as its limp arms swayed but said nothing. ***** "Davin! Davin!? Wake up, Davin, please!" "It's no use," Marcine sighed as she finished another incantation. "He isn't under a Sleep spell, he's not injured, and he's not conscious. Cure hasn't worked... I don't know what else to do..." They were inside the spider-walker again, sheltered from the rain. Davin's head was cradled on Mika's lap, a tired Marcine beside her. "Davin!" Mika wailed, hugging the lifeless form of her brother and shaking it, willing it to come to life. She turned her tearful eyes towards Marcine. "Marcine! What if he's... What if he's-..." Marcine reached out and held the sobbing girl. Mika cried into Marcine's blouse. The older girl stroked the younger's hair soothingly and held her tightly, tears coming to her own eyes. "No, no he isn't," Marcine assured her charge, crooning softly. "He's still breathing, isn't he? He'll be fine..." "But why doesn't he wake up?" Mika's breath hitched several times before she could continue. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed even harder against Marcine. "What if he *never* wakes up?" "He'll wake up," Marcine told her, burying her face in Mika's hair, her own tears flowing freely now. "Shhhh... shhh... I know he will..." "What happened, Marcine? What happened to Davin? What happened when he was fighting back there? When he... when he-" Marcine wiped a tear from her eye and held Mika. She looked down at the sleeping form of Davin lying before her. "I don't know, Mika..." Only the rhythmic rising and falling of the chest showed that Davin was alive. Otherwise, he was as still as a corpse. "I don't know..." ***** Davin was staggering now, barely holding on to his weapon. The armor that had attacked him wasn't moving, but Davin could feel something else assaulting him from all sides, making him edgy, making him lose concentration. His eyes shifted nervously from side to side as he felt sure of the dark pressing in about him, exerting an unbearable pressure on his mind and body, making him jittery and tense. Davin raised his left hand to wipe the sweat off his upper lip. And reeled backwards as he literally escaped death by a hair's breadth, having just raised his blade enough to deflect a potentially fatal thrust directed at his abdomen. He almost lost his balance and caught himself just before falling over. The black armor whizzed past him and then floated slowly to a halt after a while. It turned towards him again, arms swinging saggily about its shoulders like overhanging vines. Davin cursed under his breath- he wouldn't be able to defend himself effectively at this rate... Reaching behind him, Davin pulled out the Phoenix Shield and held it in front of him with his left arm. The black set of armor came to life again. This time, Davin was able to track its beeline towards him- it was moving slower than it had than before, and Davin was ready. *The blow will come from the direct front,* Davin thought, mind racing and trying to ignore the hungry dark about him. *His sword should glance off my shield at an angle and then-* The armor stopped just before the shield and raised its sword overhead. "Wha-" "sword weave in drunken dance of destruction- SPLIT!-" ***** A loud sound startled the two girls awake. "What happened?" Mika asked, alarmed. "I don't know," Marcine whispered, holding the other girl. "It sounded like a cracking sound..." The two investigated and then the apparent cause was found right away- the Phoenix Shield that had been strapped to Davin's back had snapped in two halves, right down the middle. The two young girls stared at each other, wide-eyed. "Wha- what's going on, Marcine?" Mika said in a soft voice, scared. "I still don't know, Mika," she admitted. She held the two broken pieces of the shield and looked down at them dejectedly. "Things just aren't making sense now..." "What do we do, Marcine?" The troubled mage looked at the child beside her and saw a look in her eyes that gave her a start. She recognized that look. It was a look of fear, of sorrow... but also one of trust. It was the look that small, badly frightened children gave their bigger, more confident brothers or sisters- it was a look that she knew must have been on her own face a myriad of times in the past when she herself had sought the loving protection and guidance of Kyle. Marcine gave her a reassuring smile. "We go on." "Huh?" Mika mumbled from behind her satchel, which she was hugging tightly, uncomprehending. "Go on?" Marcine closed her eyes and nodded once. "We go on to Dwarvenhome and stop the third crystal from breaking. We go on and finish what we started." Doubt filled the smaller girl's face at the proposition- and, Marcine noted happily, hope as well. Marcine smiled. "It's what Davin would have wanted us to do." Mika smiled herself and then wiped the wetness from her eyes with her sleeve. She sniffed. "Now," Marcine said, turning and regarding the multitude of levers, buttons and gauges on a panel to the front of the walker. "How do you use this thing?" ***** Kyle broke the surface of the water, taking in large, ragged breaths of precious air. Beside, behind and all around him, the sound of limbs thrashing in the waters could be heard. "JIL! SHIZUKA! REILL! Are you guys all right!?" he shouted hoarsely, using what little energy he had to spare from keeping himself afloat. "This one is having some trouble staying above water," Shizuka gasped. "But otherwise, is still capable of fighting." "We're okay!" Reill called out. "But watch out, I think that thing's gonna make another pass at us!" Kyle bit back an obscenity. Since the four had fallen into the cylindrical pipe full of water that was the Tower's lower half, they had been harassed by a gigantic fish-like creature. None of them had seen it very clearly- the thing moved with the speed of a demon and seemed to be all over the chamber. It was a miracle that it hadn't bitten off someone's head yet. "Arr, ya smarmy dogs," Jil spat out saltwater as she shook a fist in Reill and Kyle's direction. "Would ye all stop all that movin' about and let me a'concentrate? It be hard ENOUGH to try and spear that oversized minnow down here without having to bear with YOUR ceaseless flailing about!" "This one thinks that the difficulty lies with Master Reill and Master Kyle's armor," Shizuka explained as she panted while leaning against the curved chamber wall. "The heavy steel prevents them from floating without paying much of their attention to what they do..." "Besides, you can't do much damage to it, not this way," Kyle coughed out, doing his best to stay above water. "The water stops your shurikens dead cold- we're out of our element and out of our league, apparently." "Well YE may want to give up," Jil snarled, taking out two more of her sharp steel stars. "But *I* nae be about te be fishfood for the likes of our friend down there!" "INCOMING!" Reill yelled. A geyser of water and scaly flesh erupted from the center or the chamber, pummeling those present with strong waves and splashes of water. The creature housed by the Tower opened its maw to reveal rows of jagged teeth before slamming back on the water surface, battering the hapless humans. "It be playin' with us!" Jil told the others, humiliation tingeing her cheeks. "It be knowin' that we nae be able te fight back!" Kyle surfaced beside her and Jil put herself under his arm to keep him from going under again. Kyle gave her a look of gratitude. "We- we need something to even the odds somehow," Kyle sputtered, knowing that he would hate the taste of salt for a long time after this, if he were to survive the ordeal. "We need some way for us to level the playing field..." "Too bad none of our friends be here now, eh?" Jil chuckled almost resignedly. "We sure could be usin' their help about now..." "Friends..." Kyle mused, remembering something. Hastily, he pulled out the bundle of filmy material he had been given earlier. "Jil! Do you know what this is?" he asked hurriedly, almost making no sense of his own words. "Why, that be..." Jil stared wide-eyed at the stuff in Kyle's hand. "They be airskins! They be the stuff in the Shahagin's breathin' sacs! Where'd ye get by so much of it, Kyle?" "A friend," Kyle murmured, silently sending Cid his thanks. After a moment of relieved silence, Kyle opened his eyes. "How do we use it?" "We take some and pull it over our heads really tight," the ship captain directed Kyle, demonstrating by pulling some of the thin material and wrapping it about her head tautly, paying close attention to her nose and mouth. When she spoke again, it was as if through glass or some other substance. "The Shahagin have these here skins in their breathin' sacs to let them breath underwater. They be able te produce this naturally when they be needin' te be replaced after a while," Jil told Kyle. "But I think we be havin' enough for what we need." Kyle nodded, understanding. Kyle pulled some of the film onto his face. Seconds later, Reill and Shizuka were similarly equipped as well. The four dived. Underwater, the airfilm melded onto Kyle's head as if it were a second skin. And to his amazement, he was actually breathing while underwater. He could see why these things needed to be replaced by natural means, though- the film was slowly eroding in the saltwater. The film also helpfully provided each of them with perfect vision beneath the waves. They espied their quarry, who seemed puzzled that it couldn't sense its prey's previous helplessness anymore. Reill readied his spear, Jil armed herself with a largish knife, and Shizuka had her ninja daggers. Kyle brandished his Ashura Lance, eyes sharp. "Time to go fishing..." ***** "shield uuuuuselessssssss," the armor hissed, forcing its blade onto Davin's with horrendous strength. "musssst attaaack aaalwaaaayyyyss... alwaaaayyyyyssss kiiiill..." With a grunt, Davin pushed him off and charged with a yell. "deadly blade swing and swirl with gleeful grace- SLASH-!" the armor roared. Davin jumped back to avoid an impossibly fast sword strike seemingly coming from all directions at once. It hit the unseen floor, rupturing it and revealing grey, wound-like openings. These healed themselves almost instantaneously. The armor had fallen back into one of its lifeless lapses. Davin's energy was dwindling- he didn't know if he could last much longer against this veritable killing machine. ***** Though they now had the capacity to breath underwater, Kyle and his party were still creatures of the land while their opponent was a beast designed for the three-dimensional nature of aquatic space- they were doing all they could just to hold their own. The giant fish had become much more serious now, realizing that the time for playing was over- it was time to feed. The large dark shape swam past Kyle, knocking against his armor and interrupting his attack. "Dammit," he bubbled through his film. "We just aren't moving fast enough!" Just above him, Shizuka tumbled in the aftermath of her own assault. This had produced two reddish gashes on the creature's hide but little of anything else. The big fish decided to go for game with less tough skin. It slithered through the bluegreen surrounding them in a direct line for Jil. "MISS JIL! Get out of the way!" Reill warned as he did futile combat with the passing fish, seemingly ignorant of his presence. "It's headed straight for you!" Jil stood her place, holding her falchion before her. "Come on, ye," Jil dared the animal as it drew closer and closer. "There be nae yet a fish born that can kill me..." A large body caught the creature's muzzle just as it was about to ram into Jil, sending whoever it was towards the wall. The two slammed there, the impact carrying over to the rest even underwater. Jil stared in bewilderment. "KYLE!" "Think of this as an apology," Kyle grated, sore in his midsection but otherwise all right. He was right. The fish-thing wasn't very good at eating through starsilver armor and it wasn't very good at doing much of anything except toying with its food either. The creature suddenly began to panic. The morsel it had foregone was now clutching at its long muzzle, refusing to let go. It thrashed wildly about, trying to shake the clamp-like grip of the dragoon loose. Aquadynamic structure jeopardized, jaws sealed shut, the fish was helpless. "NOW! ATTACK IT NOW!!!" Kyle roared, exerting his all to keep his prisoner from tearing loose. "NOW!!!" Making full use of the window of opportunity the maneuver provided them, the other three descended upon their target. The fish was thrashing it large tail about, fighting back as best it could, but to no avail- the humans had it trapped. None of their weapons could do any one serious wound, but an array of numerous, smaller attacks soon dealt enough damage to the creature to have it visibly weaken in its struggle. Meat dangled in tatters about its frame- clouds of reddish fluid began to fog the water. Suddenly, Jil ceased her assault. "That be enough, lads," she said softly. Reill and Shizuka stopped momentarily to look at her. Jil averted her eyes. "We've proven enough. 'Tis beaten..." Kyle looked down at the creature's head held tightly by his interlocked arms. The perfectly circular black eyes there were scared, frightened, fearful of death. The fish's movements were but mere twitchings now, halfhearted attempts to escape its merciless captor in a last hope of fleeing with its life. Kyle let go. Without even a look in any of their directions, the creature turned tail and disappeared somewhere in the depths as fast as its torn fins could propel it. In a brief cover of small bubbles, it was gone. Collectively, the group heaved weary sighs of relief. There was a flash of light and then Shale was before them. "An impressive display of resourcefulness, strength, sacrifice, teamwork and compassion," the knight observed, nodding solemnly. "You have my respect." Then suddenly, as if by some form of magic, the chamber wasn't water- logged any longer. The party found themselves fully healed, standing in the middle of a banquet hall dressed in a finery that rivaled that of the Church's temples. "Eat, drink and rest," Shale told them. "And then afterwards, the Heartstone." ***** It was a meal that they were not likely to forget soon- the four couldn't resist taking Shale up on his offer to feed them. Even Shizuka, who didn't look like a big eater, was almost immobile from being gorged with indescribably-delicious dishes. "Erp," she said, reddening and then covering her mouth shyly with both hands. "This one excuses herself." Reill leaned back against his seat and moaned. "Damn... I never knew seafood could come in so many different forms... Man, I'm stuffed!" "Mmmph," Jil agreed, working through a mouthful of strangely tasty sea cucumber. Kyle, who had eaten the least of the four, wiped his mouth with a napkin and then looked at the knight seated at the very head of the table. "Thank you for the meal," he told the lord of the Tower. "But I'm afraid we've spent enough time dealing with idle courtesies. Time is crucial in our journey." "So I have gathered," Shale nodded and then rose. The rest of them followed. "Kyle Cavanaugh," Shale announced. "Approach." Kyle did as he was told. Shale stepped up to him. "Present to me your weapon," Shale ordered. After a moment's hesitation, Kyle took his naginata from where it was leaning near his seat and held it out to Shale. The water man eyed it and then reached into his coral armor. His hand disappeared into it, the armor rippling as if it were liquid. The hand resurfaced, a bluish green stone in its grasp. "Behold," Shale told them. "The reason why ships are routed from this place, why I protect it- the source of all my power beyond the ocean." He held it out to Kyle. "I present it to you as a sign that I recognize you and your mission, a gift to aid in your noble quest." Kyle stood rigid, showing no emotion. The others stood behind him without comment, as if they were attending some kind of ceremony. "This," Shale said, "will protect you from the corrupting properties of your blade as well." Kyle remained stoic. Shale held the Heartstone against the naginata shaft just below where the blade began. Both items began to emit a strange greenish glow. "Judging from your good heartedness," Shale murmured as he worked, "the pull of the blade hasn't gotten to you yet... Though I am sure you have heard its call at one time or another." Kyle said nothing. The merging was complete. Shale looked up from his handiwork and stared Kyle in the eyes. "I will be here always if you ever are in need of any assistance within my power to grant," he assured him. "Take my Heartstone with my blessing." Kyle bowed deeply then, holding his naginata tightly. Jil, Shizuka and Reill looked at each other and then bowed as well. It seemed the only right thing to do. "Thank you, sir knight," Kyle said, head still down. "We will remember those words." Shale nodded. A staircase appeared leading to the very top of the tower. ***** What seemed like ages had passed since Davin had woken up in this weird nightmare of a place. Every second that ticked by increased what he had thought to be his maximum uneasiness- his claustrophobia ate at him with an fury like nothing he had ever felt. The periodic lightning-fast sword attacks the armor made on him every now and then didn't help any either. "trooooouuuble breeaaaathing?" "S- shut up," Davin told it, hating it. His grip on his sword hilt tightened. "afraaaaaiiiiid?" "Only of being bored to death by your talking," Davin shot at his adversary, glaring. "I liked you much better when you weren't saying anything." "afraid usssssselessssss. defense uselesssssss... only attack. only killlll ussssefulll..." "Leave me alone," Davin said softly, closing his eyes from exhaustion. He refused to look at the scene the cruel lord of the dark seemed to enjoy dangling before him, the scene of the event that had brought him here. Davin could hear it, though- the bloodcurdling cries of the expiring Manakyr rang in his ears, making his mind's eye replay the scene in his imagination anyway. "Why are you doing this?" Davin said tiredly. "Who are you? What do you want to tell me? What do you want me to do?" "afraaiiid uselessssss," the armor insisted in its throaty voice. "only kill ussssefull..." Davin looked up at the image that teased the corner of his eye. This one was new. It was of Marcine driving the spider-walker forwards, Mika clutching her satchel by her side. "Marcine... Mika..." Davin smiled, feeling as if he hadn't smiled in an eternity. "killllllll alwaaaaaayyyyssssss..." Davin's head spun towards the armor then, rage contorting his features and boiling his blood. New vigor crept its way into his veins- his eyes took on a murderous look. "I swore to protect both of them," Davin declared hotly, gearing himself, suddenly forgetful of the bewitching terror of the darkness. "And I'll destroy ANYONE who tries to hurt them!" Tittering madly, the armor sped forward, sword at the ready. Davin ran up to meet him. The armor had expected as much- a full frontal charge. It, however, hadn't expected the nature of the charge. Davin could imagine surprised eyes going wide behind his foe's slitted helmet visor as he went about his onslaught. "Deadly blade swing and swirl with gleeful grace- SLASH!!!" The black armor was flung back forcefully from the multiple-direction blows of the sword technique. It clattered to the ground, skidding and twisting in unnatural positions. The execution wasn't perfect, but it seemed to do the trick. Black energy mirroring that which Davin had felt before dissipated at the conclusion of the move. Davin swung his blade once hard, as if to rid it of clinging blood, though the blade was clean. All of his fear had been completely erased now. He stared intensely at the armor picking itself up from the heap it had become. "Stand up," Davin dared it, adrenaline coursing through his system. "Let's get this over with." The armor shook, rattling the ebony plates on its frame. Davin's eyes narrowed. "Are you trembling now?" he asked it. "Are you scared that I might kill you here and now?" The black armor pointed a finger at Davin. "feaaarrrrr gone yessssssssssss... attack... killllll! no more fearr! attack!" it proclaimed, shaking with heavy personal amusement. "youuu leaaarn killll!" And then, to Davin's amazement, the armor began to spin. And then... "sssssshhhhaaaaadooowwww sssswooooooorrd ssssskillssss...." "air and skin and bone and steel surrender to separation- SLICE-!" "sword weave in drunken dance of destruction- SPLIT!-" "deadly blade swing and swirl with gleeful grace- SLASH-!" "inhabit flesh and steel as malignant needle- STAB-!" "open new wounds and spill old blood- SKEWER-!" "armor give way to unstoppable seed of death- SHATTER-!" "limbs depart, heads roll, fly from the body- SEVERE-!" Davin saw each move executed with perfect detail, the nature of the techniques already becoming permanent in his mind. The armor turned to him. "sway forth to the beat of murder- SLAY-!" Davin blinked. The black armor's sword was in him, through him, impaling him with its length. Davin looked up at the tittering armor. He had seen how the move was done with crystal clarity, but there was no way he could have avoided the speed at which it dispensed instant death. The armor pulled its sword out of Davin's heart roughly, making the stunned swordsman stagger backwards, clutching his chest area. He looked down. There wasn't a scratch on him. The black armor became still, and behind it, Davin could see that scene in the forest glade playing out one more time- only, it was different. Every second had been broken down into parts, revealing to Davin what it was that he did then, the true form of the raw technique he had used on the unfortunate Manakyr. "mindless charge into the fray, no mercy unto the enemy," the armor croaked ominously. "decapitate and destroy, bring sudden end to life, shortened sweetness sighing away- SLAUGHTER." Davin stared at the fading image and then at the armor. It cackled. "leaaarrrrn kill" Davin sheathed his sword. He stood before it with a new confidence, a strength that he thought he had lost. He was not afraid any longer. "Thank you for teaching me those," Davin said. "I will use them." The armor stood still, unresponsive yet again. "However, I will only use the other ones," Davin said with resolve, clenching his fists. "I will not SLAY. I will not SLAUGHTER. I will not kill until it is absolutely necessary." A disgusted sound escaped the armor. It shivered with what seemed to be great anger. "yoooouuuu killl! ussee killll moves for killl! youu-" "What I decide to use your moves for are MY business," Davin said with finality, challenging the armor to defy him. "You gave them to me and I thank you for them." The armor became still. "That's all that you wanted, wasn't it? To teach me those?" There was no answer. Davin relaxed a bit. "I would appreciate it if you could kindly return me to my friends now, please. It's very important that I be with them." The armor didn't move. A bright white light appeared behind Davin, making him look. He turned towards the armor, a smile on his face. "Thank you." The armor was suddenly in front of him. Before Davin had any time to react, the armor plunged its left hand into its chestplate, shattering the metal there, making a brittle crackling sound. It encountered something soft and yielding and pushed onward. The armor pulled its hand out. Tendrils of rotten, brownish material clung to the hand, temporarily holding it back and then disintegrating into dust. The hand held a jet black piece of stone in it. When Davin took it in his hands, the armor stepped backwards and then turned to float away. The white light began to surround Davin. The elementalist looked stunned, to say the least. Davin reached out, the black Heartstone in one hand. "WAIT! Are you-" *Ye wouldnae want to shake hands with the Knight of Shadow, nae ye wouldn't...* the dwarves had said. The knight wasn't holding the sword, Davin saw for the first time- it was *attached* to the the blade. "youuu no longerrr afraaaiiiid..." the black armor rasped, its image starting to dim and dematerialize. "youuu ssssstrong... of coursssse.. flesssshhh of my flessssshhhhhh... sssstrong.... of coursssseeee of courssssse....." *You look familiar...* Gaia had said. "goodbye, davin." "WAIT!" Davin cried. The light engulfed him completely. ***** "Marcine! Marcine, come quick!" Marcine was immediately by Mika's side. "What is it?" "Davin! It's brother Davin! He's waking up!" Davin opened his eyes groggily. "Marcine?" "OH, DAVIN, YOU'RE AWAKE!" Marcine cried, throwing his arms around the geomancer. "We were worried sick about you!" Mika shoved Marcine aside and began shaking Davin roughly by the collar. "Don't you EVER do that to us again!" Breaking down, she hugged her brother tightly. Marcine wiped tears from her eyes. "Wha... what happened?" Davin muttered. "How long was I gone?" "You were out for almost an hour," Mika told him matter-of-factly. Then, as if to show him she was alright now, and no longer scared, she joked, "Another minute and we might have decided to bury you!" "An hour?" Davin asked, unbelieving. "That felt like years... or days, at the very least..." Mika's grin broke down and she hurled herself at Davin again, sobbing. "We were SO SCARED!" "What happened, Davin?" Marcine asked gently, helping Davin onto a seat, propping him up. Davin knew now. When he had left the place of the black, it all became clear to him then. "The darkness... he incorporated himself into the darkness... he must have done it a long time ago... for his own reasons..." "Davin?" "His domain is within the shadows themselves... I didn't feel any spirits because he WAS the spirit... the spirit in the shadows... it's only because of my geomancy that I was able to call him out... to reach him... to *meet* him." "Davin? What... what are you talking about?" Davin looked up at Marcine, eyes dark and mysterious. "I met the Knight of Shadow." ***** Davin rested, feeling as if he had no energy left in his body at all. He looked with loving eyes at his sister who was busy mixing something for him to consume and at Marcine, who was operating the walker. "We... we have to get to Dwarvenhome as soon as possible," Davin had said, had even attempted to stand up. "We... we might not have any time left before the crystal..." "The crystal can wait," Marcine had said, pushing him down slowly but firmly. "You're in no condition to travel or fight. I'll have to take you to the nearest town first. You'll need a few days to recover." "No... no time to rest... if we go full speed now, we can get there in two weeks or less. We..." "Shhh. Rest." Marcine had smiled at him then. "If we get there and the crystal breaks, the world ends. If we don't get there and the crystal breaks, the world ends." Her eyes had suddenly become shimmery with moisture. "But if you die before the crystal breaks, then... the world might as well end." Davin sighed silently and caressed his blade sheath. He thought of his desire to protect his charges at all costs. He thought of the new power he had at his disposal. He looked at the rock in his hand. It was so black and smooth that it was reflective. His tired yet determined face looked back at him from the Heartstone depths. With its presence, the Heartstone of Holy's power from on his blade hilt seemed complemented somehow, supported in a way. The Ashura Blade was completely still, even to Davin's geomantic questings. Davin sighed and prepared himself for slumber. He was very tired. Siegvin would have a nasty surprise waiting for him if they ever met again. Holy Blade and Shadow Sword. Davin was ready. ***** Kyle looked around the ship- it seemed to be deserted. The rain steadily pounded onto them from above. "ARRR, YE SCURVY DOGS!" Jil called out, annoyed at the unexpected absence of her crew. "What be the meanin' of this!? Where be ye!?" "This one has searched the deck," Shizuka said from behind them, having conducted her inspection speedily and stealthily. "This one has found Mistress Fallensand's men." "Lead me to them!" Jil said, cross and ready to mete out some punishment. Shizuka did as she was told. Jil found her men standing about listlessly near the deck edge. She couldn't see what they were doing on account of the heavy rain. "AR, ya blasted twits!" she hailed them, mad that nobody had noticed her arrival. "What are ye all doing over there!? Get back to yer posts before I keelhaul the whole lot of ya!" I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WILL BE NECESSARY. Jil blinked. Kyle ran up to her side and stared up at the shape lingering beside the Northern Cross and behind the screen of rain. In fact, all of Jil's crew and Reill was staring high and up at the massive form hovering close to their ship. Even Shizuka seemed moved. Lightning streaked across the heavens, momentarily illuminating the silhoutte. Green scales glimmered. Wet Sleeper armor shimmered with the sudden flash, dark emerald in the night sky. SEEKERS OF THE HEARTSTONES, ENEMY OF THE FALLEN ONE, Leviathan declared. I WISH TO SPEAK WITH YOU. ***** Pearl woke up to the smell of something sweet. She opened her eyes to see herself inside a tiny hut of sorts. It was dark inside. She counted fifteen insistent aches tormenting her body. "Owwwww," Pearl groaned, remembering the fifty foot drop she had miraculously managed to survive. But who- A spoon full of that sweet-smelling substance poked itself at Pearl's face. She turned to look at whoever wielded it. "Kupo?" ***** "PEARL! You don't know how GLAD I am to see you!" "The feeling's mutual, I'm sure," Pearl deadpanned. "Quick! Let me out of here so I can kill every one of these wretched little creatures and then we can get out of here!" Zarela chattered eagerly, eyes bright. Pearl gave her a pout. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Zarela put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Like what?" "For one thing," Pearl explained, "I'm in no condition to take on an entire village of moogles, even if I wanted to." Pearl stood before Zarela, her arm in a makeshift cast of twigs and cloth. Pearl's clothes were torn in many places as well. "Point," Zarela nodded. "What else?" "Neither are you," Pearl said, cocking her head to the side as she looked at the other woman. "Whaddya mean?" Zarela blinkblinked. She looked down at herself. She had been stripped completely of her armor, leaving only her brightly colored undergarments. In addition, the unarmed knight was inside a wooden cage, the lid firmly shut by a moogle lock mechanism. "Ooooooh, this," Zarela said. "Don't worry. This is only temporary. I'll get my hands on my armor and Gustav soon enough." Pearl checked to see if all their weapons and equipment were still lying in a heavily-guarded pile off to the side where there could only be one direction of approach. "Somehow," Pearl monotoned. "I severely doubt that." A small paw tugged at her pant leg. She looked down. A moogle gestured at her to follow it. ***** Zarela leaned over through her bars to whisper at Pearl, who was sitting beside the cage on a stool, sipping a cup of something. "What are they doing?" "Near as I can make out," Pearl told her, sipping. "They're dancing." And indeed, the moogles *were* dancing. The white creatures romped about in dazzling patterns, swirling around rhythmically to the beat of moogle music being made in the background. The melody was hypnotic, almost magical. "Why?" "I dunno," Pearl said. She sipped the contents of her cup. "This stuff is good." Abruptly, the dancing and the music stopped. A black moogle jumped up in front of its only audience, Pearl and Zarela. "Kupo, kupopopo, kupo ku!" "What's it saying?" Zarela whispered to Pearl. "How am *I* supposed to know," Pearl said irritably. "Do I *look* like a moogle to you?" The black moogle did a dance of its own to the music of its singsong "Kupo kupo!"-ing. It gestured towards Zarela and then to Pearl and then to Zarela again. "I think it's trying to say something about you and me," Zarela confided in Pearl. "REALLY?" Pearl gasped, caught up in mock surprise. "You think!?" "Yes, I do," Zarela nodded, eyes dead serious. Pearl sweatdropped. "Kupo, kupo!" the black moogle said and then pointed at Pearl. Happy, cheerful music filled the air, the moogles about danced deliriously. It dropped its arms. The dancing and music stopped. "Kupo, kupo!" it said again and then pointed at Zarela's cage. Every moogle present turned its back to it and started tossing dirt behind them with their feet. Pearl was grinning. "Zarela, I think they're trying to say that-" "I *KNOW*!" Zarela spat. A vein throbbed on her forehead. The black moogle signaled the others to stop. It pointed at a line of trees near the clearing they occupied. Several other moogles parted the plants to reveal a large cave mouth. The black moogle pointed at Zarela and then at the cave. It made spinning motions with its arms and then pointed at Pearl. "They... they want me to go in *there*?" Zarela gaped. "But... but I don't like the dark!" "They probably want to give you a chance to prove yourself," Pearl said mostly to herself. "They want to give you another chance on my account..." "So... if I get in there and do whatever it is that they want me to do there," Zarela calculated. It looked like hard work. "They'll let you and me go, right?" Pearl nodded. "It might be safe to assume that..." "Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Zarela said confidently, putting her hands on her hips. "Once I have my armor, have Gustav, and my Holy Sword skill, I can do ANYTHING at a-" The moogles massed around her cage and carried her to the cave, undergarments and all. "HEEEEEYYY!!!" Zarela wailed. "NOOOO FAAAAAAAAAIIIIIR!" Pearl sighed and walked on after them. ***** TO BE CONTINUED....... ***** Author's Notes: I apologize for Jil. I'm awful with accents. ^_^; If you haven't figured it out yet, the ship's new name's the Northern Cross. Why? Ask Terence. ;p Composing this was a blast- I can't remember the last time I enjoyed writing something so much. Okay, so that was a lie. I had a great time writing something else recently too. Bleh. :p Anyway, if my fanart was any indication, I am a fan of Zarela (I like Syeira and Madonna too, but I digress). This is why I set her up in what I felt would be a very prime position for development and growth. Next Author- I leave her fate in your loving care. Good luck. ^__^ Oh, and... [has his harem (nonexistent) perform the Dance of a Thousand Thanks for Terence, Demota and Lurker for prereading] Most of those belly swings are directed at Terence, who has ALWAYS been indispensable as a guide to the writers of Final Fantasy Legacy everywhere. He should be given an award or something. ^_^ Godspeed. Mads signing off. ^__^ "All your Yuffie are belong to ME."