"...pledge to you our faithfulness and devotion. We honor you for your sacrifice, delivering us from evil..." In a small chapel on a hilltop, moonlight streaming through an open window, a young woman knelt in prayer. She was an ordinary girl, leading an ordinary life, and aspired to nothing more than to be the wife of one of her village's young men. "...grant unto us your courage, your wisdom, your purity, that we may..." But there was something within this girl, something that set her apart from all others. Something that caught the eye of forces far greater than she could imagine. "...protect us from darkness..." (Is she the one?) "...in your names..." (She is... if she wills it.) "...for all eternity..." (There's no harm in asking, then.) "...by the grace of the Three. Amen." She sat there for a long moment, a faint breeze caressing her face, then Clea Manakyr lifted her head and saw the Light. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- FINAL FANTASY LEGACY Knights of the Round Begun (and herein continued) by Brian Stricklin Chapter 58: Mother and Child -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The giant wolf lay on the ground silently, its chest rising and falling in steady breaths. Davin watched the slumbering form a bit nervously; he was still tired from the battle in the library, and the huge creature would have an advantage if it woke up and decided to turn violent. "Are you sure it's safe?" he whispered. "Positive," Lumina replied firmly. "Fenris has been Ivan's companion for a long, long time - almost since he left Siegvin, in fact." The geomancer raised an eyebrow. "He used to be friends with Siegvin?" "That's what I've gathered. He's never liked to talk about his days as a Sleeper, but when Odin was cast down and became mask-boy, Fenris voluntarily became mortal to join him." A voice at about waist height piped in: "Can I keep him, big brother?" Despite himself, Davin chuckled. "I dunno, Mika... a Sleeper is a big responsibility." Standing nearby, Marcine raised her hands tentatively. "Should I wake him up?" Lumina considered this, then shook her head. "From the looks of things, he's been running non-stop ever since he left Ivan. Sleeper or not, that takes a lot out of you. Right now, more than anything else, he needs rest." "How much rest?" The Knight gently stroked the wolf's temple, her hand glowing briefly with moonlight. "A few days, at least. He's had it rough." Davin let out a breath. "Well, that should give us enough time to go to the Ryukins, hopefully." "Huh?" Mika blinked in puzzlement. "Why're we going back there?" Wordlessly, Davin handed a piece of parchment down to her. Mika took it curiously and began to read... then abruptly began pushing the geomancer toward the doorway. "What're we standing around here for?! C'mon, move it, move it, move it!" "Simmer down, midget," Davin said with a grin. "You'll wake up the big guy. Besides, it'll take a little while to get the Excelsior ready and collect everyone back together - Kyle's already taking care of it." "Still," Marcine said slowly, as if reluctant to bring this point up, "all the report said was that your mother was last seen boarding a boat to the Ryukins. That's not a lot to go on." "True," he admitted. "But there's one guy who should be able to get us more information... and I think I know just the way to butter him up." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Every inch of her body ached. She tried to lift herself up, but the sheet that covered her body felt heavy as iron. An involuntary gasp of discomfort escaped her lips as she struggled helplessly in the bed. "Madonna." She froze instantly. Could it be...? With considerable effort she forced her eyes open and stared up at the blurry figure before her. "D... Daro... van..." The ancient mage smiled down at her. "You've finally awoken, I see." Unbidden tears rolled down the Knight's face, and her heart soared despite the pain. "My love... I can't believe that-" "Shhh. You need to rest." "Rest?" Memories began to return to her. "The priest... he... I was..." "Dead," Darovan replied simply. "Yes. The power of Phoenix brought you back... but not before Siegvin took your Heartstone." Another wave of fatigue washed over her, and she closed her eyes. Of course. That was why she felt so weak, as if part of her was missing... The mage patted Madonna's hand. "Sleep," he insisted. "We'll talk later." "All right." She opened her eyes for a moment. "Darovan... how long until...?" "Soon, my child. Soon. Then you and I will rule together, just as I promised." Madonna smiled at that, then closed her eyes and fell into a deep and restful sleep. Darovan silently left the room, pausing only to favor the slumbering Knight with a flat, emotionless gaze before closing the door behind him. -=-=-=-=-=-=- Designed for battle, the Excelsior contained not only weapons and defensive systems, but also those amenities necessary for the command process. One such facility, a large meeting room next to the airship's hull, had been adopted by the group as an informal gathering place, and most of them could be found there during extended trips. This voyage proved to be no exception; the only faces missing from the room were Jil, who was piloting the ship, and Tharlo, who still hadn't quite adjusted to that mode of travel. And, technically, Mika, whose own face was pressed against the window as she watched the clouds pass by. "Are we th..." Her sentence trailed off and she looked around nervously. "I mean, how much longer?" "It shouldn't be too much longer," Marcine assured her. "With all the different systems keeping it in the air, the Excelsior moves pretty fast." "So, we're really going to the Ryukins, huh?" Pearl stretched a bit in her chair. "I've always wondered what it's like there." "It is a most beautiful country," Shizuka said in her usual quiet voice. "This one is gladdened that we are returning there; it has been some time since she has seen her homeland, and she feels a bit homesick." Marcine turned toward the young ninja in surprise. "I didn't realize... Shizuka, I'm sorry for putting you through this. We've dragged you all over creation..." The girl shook her head. "There is nothing to apologize for, Mistress Cavanaugh. This one made her own decision to follow you, and it has been a... fulfulling experience, for the most part. Still, she does look forward to returning; the sakura should be in bloom, if she remembers correctly." "Sakura?" For a moment, Shizuka's normally somber expression was replaced with a warm smile of remembrance. "This one could not possibly explain. You will understand when you see it." There was a sudden shout of frustration, and Mika pushed away from the window. "I can't take it any more! I'm going down to the engine room and see if I can't make this flying junkheap go faster!" "Just be patient," Davin said, not looking up from the scroll he was perusing. "It's not like we'll find our parents the moment we get there anyWAAACK!" The abrupt choking noise had been caused by a small arm wrapped around his throat as Mika, filled with nervous energy, pounced on his chair from behind and caught Davin in a chokehold. "And what are *you* doing over here, anyway?" she demanded. "Let me breathe, and I'll tell you," he croaked, and she reluctantly loosened her grip. "Actually, I'm going over this 'prophecy' I found in the Academy library a few years ago." "Prophecy?" "That's what it looks like, anyway. I don't know where it originally came from; it was being used as a bookmark when I found it. Piette and I translated what we could, but it didn't seem to mean anything, so we pretty much forgot about it." He frowned slightly. "With everything that's been going on, though, it's gotten close enough that I don't think it's a coincidence." Kyle, who had been dozing in a chair before Mika's initial outburst, took his feet off the table. "Well, let's hear it, then. Anything's better than listening to the rugrat complaining all day." "Hey!" Davin chuckled. "Okay, but like I said it doesn't tell a whole lot about what's going to happen at this point." Taking a deep breath, he began to read aloud. "Dark clouds will come upon this world. But, heroes will arise to meet it. Together they shall stand To prevent a new war The dark clouds will number three. Two greater, one lesser Forsooth, one greater will crush the one lesser And havoc shall be apparent." Stine rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It doth have the ring of truth about it. Verily, we doth be in a time of havoc, and war be upon us." "Exactly," Davin agreed. "And my hunch is that the greater 'clouds' are Siegvin and Darovan, with Lambert as the lesser cloud. Siegvin killed him, so it works out there." "It's still pretty vague," Kyle noted. "Yeah, I think that's required for ancient prophecies. Anyway, the real puzzle is this next part, where it lists the twelve heroes." Mika grinned smugly. "In other words, *us*." "...I'm still not really comfortable with the whole 'hero' concept," her brother admitted, "but we do keep getting drawn into things, don't we?" "Davin," Marcine said kindly, "we're trying to save the world from Siegvin, Darovan, and whatever the Three Gods sacrificed their freedom to contain. I don't think it's too prideful to be called 'heroes', even if we're doing it because we have to." He smiled at her. "I guess you're right." The young alchemist behind him bounced impatiently, briefly choking him again. "So, what's it say?" "Well, let me see... there's a 'master of the land'..." "That'd be you." "I guess so. Next one is 'one who strikes with a sword most skilled'..." "Me!" Zarela piped up. "Er... Actually, I had you down as a 'master of the holy blade'," Davin told her. "That's me, too!" the knight replied confidently. "I'm two heroes' worth of sword-swinging excellence!" Everyone stared at her for a moment, then Davin shook his head. "...let's move on. 'One from a land to the east' - you were born in the Moon Empire, right, Pearl?" The dark-skinned woman nodded, and Davin hesitated as a thought struck him. "'Lassenkirche' isn't a Rupantaoan name, is it? It sounds more Russan than anything else." She shrugged. "When I came of age and was eager to learn, Ateh Gyn introduced me to Cid, who took me to the Church lands to train. During that time I lived with Uncle Onias, and took his last name to avoid rumor and confusion. I kept the name after he became High Priest, and it sort of... stuck." The elementalist nodded, then turned his attention back to the paper. "'One from a land underground' - Tharlo, obviously. 'One who brings beasts to do his bidding...'" "You mean Stine's on the list, too?" Mika asked with a mock-pout. "Rats. I was hoping we could dump him..." Stine crossed his arms smugly. "At least Stine *doth* be in yon prophecy," he pointed out. "We have yet to hear thine own name, ragamuffin." "...what did he just call me? What the *heck* did he just call me?! Seriously! Did he call me a muffin? What?" Davin chuckled. "Well, as far as I can guess, the next line refers to Mika... 'One who holds the little feathers'." "There! You see, I..." She stopped, then looked over her brother's shoulder. "Huh?" He pointed to the relevant line. "I *think* that's what it says. Admittedly I did this part myself, without Piette's help, so the translation's kinda sloppy. Still, you were given the Phoenix Down, so I thought..." "May I see it?" Davin passed the scroll over a fuming Mika and handed it to Marcine. The young mage looked over the scroll thoughtfully. "It's a variant of Manakyr," she announced finally. "You did a good job, but there's a few mistakes... that line should read 'One who walks light as a feather'." Mika's mood immediately brightened. "And that's Shizuka!" The ninja blushed and looked down. "This one is not worthy of inclusion on such a list of heroes." "That's *not* true," the alchemist insisted. "We wouldn't have made it this far if not for you!" "She's right, Shizuka," Kyle added. "You're as much a part of this group as anyone." She blushed even harder, though a faint smile played at her lips. Sensing the ninja's discomfort, Marcine looked down at the paper in an attempt to change the subject. "Um... next is 'one who brings new life to others'." "I haven't figured that one out," Davin admitted. "Maybe it-" "It refers to Mistress Mika." All eyes turned to Shizuka, who in contrast to her previous embarrassment seemed oddly confident. Mika looked puzzled. "Who, me? But I don't..." "Has Mistress Mika forgotten how she returned this wretched one to life?" The ninja shook her head. "No, more than that... you have given this one reason to live when she was willing to die." It was Mika's turn to look uncomfortable, and she rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed grin. "Aw... anyone woulda done it... well, what's next?" Marcine scanned down the page. "Let's see... 'holy blade', we've done that one... 'One with a spring like a frog.'" "And that's gotta be Kyle," Davin added with a grin. The Dragoon hmphed in annoyance. "Probably another one of your translation errors." "Well, I was never very-" "Um... actually, Kyle," Marcine began hesitantly, "that one's on the mark." "Hey!" There was general laughter at Kyle's discomfort, and he crossed his arms with affronted dignity. "Jeez, I don't look *that* silly when I'm jumping, do I?" "Give it up, frog-boy," Zarela told him. Marcine stifled another giggle, then continued. "Next is... 'One who will bring down the heavens'." "That's another one I haven't gotten." Davin pondered for a moment. "If I had to guess, though, I'd say it refers to you." The mage blinked. "Me?" "Yeah. It's hard to say for sure, since it refers to what this person *will* do, but it looks like you're central to this whole affair - you probably have a better chance than any of us to 'bring down the heavens'." "Um... I don't know if I like that very much." "I might be wrong," he admitted. "Still, it's something to think about." She nodded, then returned her attention to the scroll. "'One whose blood is...' No, that should be 'One who has the sea in her blood.'" "That'd be Jil," Kyle decided. "And the last one is 'One who will give up all.'" Davin shook his head. "Another mystery. I just can't figure out who-" "Syeira!" He turned to look at Mika, noting her determined (and slightly tearful) expression, then slowly nodded. "Syeira." "You're right," Marcine said finally. "It all fits." "Well, almost. Even taking Syeira into acount, we're short one name - if I'm 'master of the land', Stine 'summons beasts', and Zarela's 'master of the holy blade', then who 'strikes with a skilled sword'?" "Me!" "...Zarela, I *really* don't think you can be counted twice." She turned her nose up with asperity. "You're just jealous because you're only half the hero I am." "...right." Without warning the room shook briefly, then Davin felt a bit lighter. "We're descending," he realized. "We must be close to Suzaku." "Already?" Mika wondered. "That was fast." Memory of the girl's prior impatience leapt to Davin's mind, but he decided not to comment. "We'd better get on deck - the Emperor's guard's probably won't be too happy when a Church vessel appears in their back yard." Marcine nodded, setting the scroll down. "I hope you're right, and he does know where your parents are." "It's worth a shot, anyway. And we have to start somewhere - we might as well start at the top." -=-=-=-=-=-=- Though he walked quickly at first, Kyle found his steps slowing until he walked alone with his thoughts. *Almost* alone... "What's wrong, Kyle?" He looked up then away, trying to hide his expression. "It's... nothing." "If it's 'nothing', then why are you lagging behind everyone?" Marcine moved around in front of him, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. "Come on, you can tell me." The Dragoon hesitated a moment longer... then sighed. "Well, I couldn't say this in front of Davin or Mika, but... Marcine, have you considered the implications of the two of us meeting their parents?" She blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?" "Well, think about it: why are they in the Ryukins in the first place?" "Because Lambert wanted Davin's mother killed," she replied promptly. "And how did Lambert try to kill her in the first place?" "He... attacked their village, right? And that was when Davin's father was..." Her sentence trailed off, and her expression changed to one of shocked realization. Kyle nodded. "...killed by *our* father." "My Gods..." "Do you see what I mean? Having the two of us show up is likely to bring back some painful memories." "But we didn't do anything!" "I know that. So what? We're Cavanaughs, and we share part of Father's blame." There was a pause. "I... I don't think we should go down there. Davin's been looking for them for so long, we shouldn't taint their reuinion." A long moment of silence passed, then Marcine slowly shook her head. "No... I think we *need* to go down there." He looked at her, startled. "Marcine?" "We're going to have to meet them sooner or later anyway. And... and if we carry Father's shame, then that makes it even more important that we seek their forgiveness as soon as possible. We both know Father made his mistakes, but he at least tried to be a good man. We owe this not just to them, but to him as well." He sighed. "You've got a point, I guess. All right; we'll go." "You could stay here if you wanted..." Kyle smiled, though it was a slightly sad expression. "I can't let you take all the heat, sis. Besides, Father was also my commanding officer, so that's got me coming and going..." Suddenly he was caught in a tight hug, and Marcine rested her head on his shoulder. "It's going to be all right," she assured him. "I hope so, Marcie. I hope so." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Young lady, do you have *any* idea what you're suggesting?" The First Archbishop of the God of Wisdom, a position that would later be known as High Priest, frowned as he peered down at the figure before him. "You've been travelling from village to village, rabblerousing, upsetting people needlessly, and now you claim that the Gods themselves have spoken to you." Looking very small and alone in the middle of the council room, a simple wooden staff held before her, Clea Manakyr closed her eyes before responding. Though she was nervous - terrified, actually - she refused to let it show. "Yes, your Holiness." The Archbishop of Purity shook her head. "Quite apart from anything else, you're merely a simple peasant. Don't you think the Three would have spoken to us, their most devoted and pious followers, before deigning to contact you?" "I'm not sure why they chose me," Clea responded carefully, "but they seemed to think that I have an... an aptitude necessary for the task they have given me." "And that is?" "I seek to free the Three from their prison and allow them to return to us." At this, sudden laughter echoed around her, and she gripped her staff tighter. "At least you're not *too* ambitious," the Archbishop of Wisdom interjected, grinning. "Why not take hold of the sun at the same time?" "Easy there, Iridos," the Archbishop of Courage said, frowning slightly. "Let's give the girl a chance." He looked at Clea, his expression stern yet not forbidding. "Now, then, lass... how do you intend to do this?" Her gaze fell briefly. "I'm... to be honest, I'm not sure yet, your Holiness. All the Three told me is that it may be possible, using the gift they have given me." "And what gift is that?" She took a deep breath. This was it. "Lord Iridos, please watch closely." "Pardon?" Clea closed her eyes again, with a quick prayer that *this* time it would work as well as she had practiced. Holding her right hand forward, palm face up, she began to speak. "Untainted light, enter my hand..." Iridos scowled. "What is this nonsense?" "...and grant me your all-embracing purity!" "Young lady, if you-" "Holy!" She lifted her hand high, and suddenly a bright flash of light illuminated the chamber. The Archbishops reflexively covered their eyes; once they had adjusted to the brightness, they looked down at the girl before them... and a gasp of amazement echoed throughout the room. A tiny sphere of pure light danced in her open palm, looking for all the world like a miniature sun. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "It's so..." For once words failed Mika, and she finally settled on, "...pink!" "It's beautiful," Marcine breathed. "The sakura blooms for only one week each year," Shizuka explained. "It is a time of celebration and togetherness among our people, and a sign of the arrival of Spring." Davin grinned. "Togetherness, huh? That's a good sign." Sitting between Marcine and Mika, he didn't have a very good view of the cherry trees lining the road, but that was okay; he'd never been much of a flower person to begin with. Besides, he couldn't really complain - it wasn't every day that he got the chance to ride in an Imperial carriage. As he had predicted, the Ryukin soldiers were none too pleased when the Excelsior landed near the outskirts of Suzaku, and before the boarding platform could be lowered a multitude of samurai were already surrounding the airship. The presence of Shizuka prevented any immediate unpleasantness, but gaining an audience with the Emperor was a different matter entirely. There were channels to be followed and palms to be greased; it seemed that it would take days, even weeks, before they could speak to that august personage. And then help had arrived, from a very unexpected source. Davin looked across at the other seat of the carriage, where their benefactor was wedged between Shizuka and Tharlo. "I'm glad you happened by when you did, Hiro" he said. "Our time's a bit short to worry about red tape. Thanks." "Oh, it's no problem," the young samurai replied, grinning a bit awkwardly. "As the Emperor's official investigator and 'knight errant', it's my job to show up whenever things like this happen. Admittedly we've never had a big metal ship land near the city, except that one time when my great- uncle Suranpu - he was an inventor - tried to make a boat out of iron and its engine blew up and it crashed into the palace..." He paused, trying to remember what he'd been saying. "...but I figured that this was almost certainly included in my job description." Davin chuckled despite himself. "Knight errant, huh? That title hasn't been used for a few hundred years in the Church lands." "The Emperor gave it to me himself," Hiro replied proudly. "He said he read about it in a history book, and it would fit me perfectly. Basically I travel to outlying provinces and kill monsters, mediate village disputes, and so forth." The geomancer nodded. Long journeys away from the palace, doing useful things while managing to stay out of people's hair... it seemed like a good use for the somewhat absent-minded samurai. Still, Hiro definitely had a talent for swordsmanship, and that wasn't even including his special blade techniques. Davin wondered if- "There be more of 'em," Tharlo commented as he gazed out the window, breaking Davin's train of thought. The geomancer peered out the window to his left and saw, through the translucent drapes, a squad of samurai kneeling humbly before the carriage. "That's the third group so far," Davin noted. "The Emperor's definitely mobilizing his forces." "Well, yeah," Hiro replied. "That'd be because of the war." "War?" The samurai scratched his head. "I'm not privy to all the details," he admitted, "but as I understand it the accounts we've been getting from the mainland have been pretty strange lately. Tienne getting attacked twice, ancient mages, flying mountains... we weren't able to make heads or tails of it. When we heard that the Church had allied with the Moon Empire, though, a lot of people figured that you were banding together to invade us." "The Church wouldn't do that," Marcine protested. Davin hesitated. "Well, I'm sure that Lambert, for one, could have come up with a plan like that... but practically speaking, right now the Church isn't in any condition to put up a decent fight, much less invade." "Right," Hiro agreed with a nod. "We've gotten reports to that effect... but just to be on the safe side, the Emperor has been gathering his armies. Just in case. Really, you guys are lucky you didn't get attacked as soon as you landed - tensions are pretty high at the moment." "Well, I hope he can see now that we have no intention of invading." "Oh, I think he'll come around. He seems pretty happy with his new toy..." As if on cue, a metallic clanking noise outside the carriage grew closer, accompanied by enthusiastic shouting, and with a slightly exasperated expression Mika pulled the drapes aside and poked her head out. Trotting alongside the carriage with rather jerky and awkward motions, unnerving the chocobos that were pulling the Imperial conveyance, the spider-walker stumbled along the road. The Emperor waved down to them, a broad smile evident on his wrinkled face. "Hully up!" he called cheerfully. "Byakko just a rittle ways further! Come on - I'll lace you! Rast one there is rotten sashimi!" The spider-walker picked up speed and pulled ahead of the carriage; Mika gave it one final wave, a forced smile on her face, then pulled herself back in and pouted. "Why'd you have to give that to him, Big Brother?" she complained. "It's for a good cause," he replied, grinning. "It helped us get closer to finding our parents, right?" "...Yeah, I guess you're right," she said with a smile. "I'll forgive you this time." "You're too kind." Davin ruffled her hair, eliciting an annoyed squawk, then found his gaze returning to Hiro. It certainly had been an amazing coincidence that the samurai had shown up when he had, and his skill with a sword was top notch... oh, well. It was worth a shot. "Say, Hiro..." "Yes, Davin?" He hesitated a moment longer. "Um... we're heading into some serious trouble these days, and we could use someone with your skill. Would you be interested in joining us when we leave?" A hard nudge in his side told him that Mika didn't exactly approve of Davin's offer, but he ignored her as Hiro considered the request. "Gee... I'm honored by your offer, Davin, really I am. I'll ask the Emperor and see what he says - I'll need his permission first." Davin nodded. "Fair enough." The carriage continued on until, at the top of a hill, it paused so that its passengers could view the city laid out below. "It looks like a big cat," Mika noted. "Sort of." "That's Byakko," Hiro replied. "Like I mentioned last time, he's the white tiger god." Davin remembered Hiro's descriptions of the four gods. Phoenix, dragon, tiger... and turtle mating with snake. "Remind me never to go to Genbu," he claimed. "It's not that bad," the samurai replied, though he didn't sound convinced. "All things considered. Anyway, we're headed to the High Claw, the one nearest the head. According to the Emperor, that's where we'll find who you're looking for." Sudden anxiety rose up in Davin - what would he say to her? What would she say to him? - but he forced it down. Whatever would happen, would happen. "Let's go." As the carriage rolled down the road, Marcine turned her face toward the window to hide her expression. Kyle's worries still echoed in her mind, and despite her reassurances a core of doubt gnawed away inside her. But she knew she had to come along, and not for the reasons she'd given him. Davin was finally going to be reunited with his mother, and she'd do anything to share that moment with him. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- With a sigh, Clea fell back into a chair and rubbed her temples. Her recent experience had been draining, but at least it hadn't become violent... She felt familiar hands at her shoulders, and she closed her eyes as the tension was massaged away. "You did the right thing," the young man behind her said reassuringly. "I hope so," Clea replied. "I just hate the idea of turning anyone away, especially someone as talented as him. I want to teach this gift to everyone - it can help us so much." "Not the way *he* wanted to use it." "No, I suppose not." She turned her head and smiled up at him. "Thanks." He grinned. "Any time, sis. So, how's the research coming?" "It could be better," she admitted. "I have a general idea of how it's going to work, but there's so much that I still don't understand. Everything has to be perfect..." "Oh, you worry too much, Clea," her brother admonished. "Just give it a try, and if it doesn't work you can try again." She shook her head. "It's not that simple. I'm only going to have one shot at this - if anything goes wrong, the consequences would be..." She hesitated, searching for the right word. "...bad." "Okay, okay. Anything I can do?" "...Actually, there is, now that you mention it. I need you to find some people for me." "Who?" "Well, for starters... have you ever heard of the warrior named Gilgamesh?" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The people of Byakko knew about the small, unassuming house in High Claw. Gaijin lived there; foreigners, outsiders, and the Ryukin tendency toward xenophobia made it an insult. But they were gaijin who had been part of the scenery, as it were, for several years, and though not everyone accepted them, they were at least tolerated by their neighbors. It wasn't often that gaijin were allowed to live in the Ryukin lands, much less in one of the more influential districts of Byakko. These three in particular had arrived on the island with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and a rather hunted look. According to rumor, however, they had somehow attracted the eye of the Emperor himself, and he had arranged for their new home. He had even been known to visit them from time to time, a fact that had done much to gain their acceptance in the local society. Though modest compared to the lavish buildings surrounding it, the house was still considerably grander than anything its inhabitants were used to. Among the several luxuries it offered, the house contained a small but respectable library of Ryukin literature on the second floor. It was here that Karella Highwater often found herself on slow afternoons, either reading the ancient texts of this ancient and complex culture or poring over... The Book. The Book was the cause of it all; it was why she'd been chased from her homeland, lost everything she'd held dear. She probably should have thrown it away or burned it years ago; every time she opened it, it brought back a twinge of memories she would rather forget. But she knew she couldn't do that; it was far too important to- "" She looked up, removing her reading glasses as a rather plump Ryukin woman bustled in, and smiled fondly. Karella had tried to break the woman of the habit of using such honorifics, but apparently it was too ingrained in the Ryukin culture to remove. The fact that the woman had served the Emperor for most of her life probably had some influence, as well... The woman bowed quickly to Karella and the other occupant of the room, who was knitting quietly by the window. "" "" Karella asked. "" A slight twinge of irritation briefly marred her expression. "" Behind her, Lynn Gilchrist chuckled. "" Glancing at Midori, the other woman switched to her native language. "Oh, you're just saying that because he's sweet on you. I noticed how much he was staring at you during his last visit." "That *was* odd, I'll admit," Lynn agreed. "It was more like he was comparing me to someone he'd seen... Well, he can look as much he likes, as long as he doesn't try to steal me away from the oaf downstairs." Karella grinned. "Speaking of which, we'd better go get him." She nodded at the agitated woman hovering nearby. "" The servant bowed nervously, hesitated, then scurried off. "I wonder what he wants this time," Lynn said, setting her knitting aside and struggling to her feet. "Maybe it's another question and answer session about the Church," the other woman replied, helping her friend to stand. Lynn put a hand to her swelling belly for a moment before making her way toward the door. "Gods, I hope not. I just can't stay up until three in the morning right now. Where does he *get* all that energy?" "I'm sure he'll understand if you drop out early," Karella said reassuringly as they left the room and descended the nearby staircase. "The last thing he wants is to..." Her sentence trailed off as she stared at the sight before her. "Yorick Gilchrist, what in the name of the Three Gods are you doing with that thing?" The tall, heavyset man, a former blacksmith, merely grunted as he pulled a massive katana down from its decorative holder on the wall. "Gettin' ready." Lynn scowled. "Ready for what? The *Emperor* is here, you know." "It ain't the Emperor I'm worried about." He swung the no-daichi clumsily a few times, narrowly missing a priceless ancestral vase. "His carriage is here, but there's also some big metal contraption along with it... and it's got a Tri-fan on it." His wife's heart suddenly skipped a beat. "The Church..." "Lambert," Karella decided in a tightly-controlled voice. "After all this time, he's finally found us..." "More fool him, then." Yorick moved toward the front door, holding the blade awkwardly. "You two stay here - I'll handle this." "Yorick, you're going to get yourself killed!" "Yeah, well, at least it'll be a clean death compared to what they've probably got in store for us. Besides," he added, "they killed my best friend, and took my daughter away from me. I owe 'em one." The two women had no answer to that, and with sword at the ready he made his way outside, his rage barely kept in check. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Marcine gasped as the large, heavily-muscled and -bearded man emerged from the house; he looked rather like a dwarf built to a larger scale, and the huge sword he carried didn't exactly make him seem harmless. "Davin..." He looked over her shoulder, a slow smile spreading across his face. "My Gods... it's him! Mika, it's *him*!" "Where? Where?" The young alchemist squirmed past them, her eyes widening as she peered out the carriage window. "That's...?" "It's really him, Mika," he replied, his voice thick with emotion. "That's your father." "...Papa..." She stared at the bear-like man for a long moment, then suddenly turned and caught Davin in a fierce hug. "Big Brother!" He returned the hug, his eyes clenched shut to hold back tears. "We made it, Mika. We finally found them." Several seconds passed, then the mood was broken when Hiro cleared his throat. "I hate to spoil things," he began, "but that guy looks ready to cut someone up." Davin squeezed Mika one more time. "Well, let's go introduce ourselves." She smiled, sniffling briefly. "That's a good idea." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Come out, you bastards!" Yorick roared, his patience reaching its limits. "You found us, huh? Come and get us!" There was a short pause, then the door of the Emperor's carriage opened, and out stepped... He scowled. "What the hell's this? When did the Church start hiring *children*, for Gods' sakes?" The young man and even younger girl stared at him, then suddenly the boy grinned. "Oh, come on. We've been looking for you for five years, and *that's* what we get?" "Yeah, yeah, you've been lookin' for us." He waved the no-daichi before him. "And unless you want me ta give this to you point first, you'll run right back to Lambert and tell 'im you never saw us!" This only seemed to amuse the boy further, and he glanced down at his companion, who still hadn't moved. "Well, we know where you get your temper from, anyway." Yorick frowned. "What's that?" But the girl didn't respond to the comment, and instead began to walk toward the large man before her. Yorick raised the sword, but hesitantly - no matter what he'd said, he couldn't bring himself to harm a girl. Besides, there was something about her that- "Papa?" The world stopped around him, and he stared at the red-haired girl before him in shock. There were ribbons in her hair, bright yellow strips of fabric, the same kind that he had once... She stepped forward again, her gaze locked on his face. "Papa? Is it... is it really you?" "...Mika?" He shook his head unbelieving. "No... you can't be. You were... Mika was..." "Papa!" Suddenly she rushed forward, and without thinking Yorick let the sword drop from his hands as he knelt to meet her advance. She threw her arms around him and began to sob helplessly, five years of bottled emotions finally set free. "Papa, it's you! It's really you!" "Mika..." He held her carefully, as if afraid of shattering this fragile dream. "By the Gods, Mika... how can this be? We thought you were..." There was no response as his daughter continued to cry into his shoulder, and with sudden joy and relief he hugged Mika tightly, unashamed tears rolling down his cheeks. After a long moment he looked up at Davin. "If this is one of Lambert's tricks..." Davin wiped at his eyes before replying. "C'mon, Mister Gilchrist. It hasn't been that long, has it?" Yorick stared at him, then his eyes widened. "Davin... I'll be damned!" He raised his voice. "Lynn! Karella! Come out, quick!" The door opened, and Davin's heart jumped in his throat as two women emerged. One was a petite woman in her late thirties, with short red hair and quite obviously pregnant, and she leaned on her companion for support. The other woman was a few years older, her chocolate brown hair caught in an approximation of the Ryukin style, and slight wrinkles around her eyes. The pair walked forward uncertainly, trying to make sense of the situation, then the pregnant woman gasped as she saw the young girl in her husband's arms. "M.. Mika...? The young alchemist looked up through her tears. "Mama!" Her father released her, and Mika rushed to Lynn's side, trying (with little success) to throw her arms around her waist. A moment later her mother had solved that problem by carefully kneeling, and the two held each other joyfully, sobbing with each breath. Though he was aware of this, Davin was only focused on one thing. He stepped forward slowly, not daring to take his eyes off her. "Mom..." "Davin." Though brimming with tears, her eyes shone with pride. "I always knew you were still out there. And what a fine young man you've become, too." A broad smile grew on his face, and he spread his arms out toward her. "I'm home." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Inside the carriage, Marcine made no effort to hide her emotion as she mopped at her face with a handkerchief. "That's so wonderful..." A slight sniffle across the row caught her attention, and she wordlessly held out a spare hankie, which was quickly accepted. "This one is grateful." "Don't mention it." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Once the crying was done with, at least for the moment, Karella straightened up and dabbed at her cheeks. "Davin, how in the world did you two find us? And what is..." She looked up at the spider-walker, which was parked a discreet distance away. "...*that*?" He followed her gaze. "Well, *that* is a little gift we brought the Emperor - he'd aided us in the past, and it helped smooth the way to finding you. As for *how* we found you... well, that's a long story. Have you heard about what's been happening over the past few months?" "Not much," she admitted. "The people of Ryukin don't usually pay much attention to outside news." Davin considered for a moment. "...I think even the short version should wait until you're all sitting down. It's a bit much to take in all at once. To put it simply, we needed to find someone who knows more about Clea Manakyr's research than we do; fortunately, we happened to-" "Clea Manakyr?" Karella's expression was suddenly guarded. "I... have studied her work, but it's forbidden knowledge. Why do you need to know something like that?" "Because," he told her grimly, "the mage-tyrant Darovan has returned, the Three Gods have been freed, and it looks like only Clea's spell will set everything right again." "That... that can't..." She faltered, then tried again. "Even if that were true, it won't do you much good; only the one called Darovan's Legacy can cast the spell." He smiled. "Funny you should mention that..." He turned and waved at the carriage, and one by one its occupants began to emerge. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A single candle flickered over Clea's desk, and she shook her head to try to dispel her fatigue. It had been risky, performing the experiment when she was already exhausted from lack of sleep, but something had compelled her onward. For months she'd sensed a presence on the edge of things, watching from afar and waiting for the right time to strike. Time was of the essence; if she didn't complete her research soon, it might be too late. But if all went well, it looked like her research had finally paid off. With a weary smile, she looked down at the miniature mask in her hand, its surface dotted with tiny multicolored gems. Before, the gems had shone with magic, and the wood itself had glowed with a faint light. Now, however, the carving lay inert, and her willing test subject was nowhere to be seen. It would take some time before she knew for certain, but at the moment it looked promising. Well, time to get some sleep, she decided. Her former student had been seen in Tienne earlier that day, and Clea knew she'd need all the rest she could get before she met him again. She made a few last notes in her journal, then stood up with an effort of will and set the leatherbound tome on the table next to her experiment. Clea examined her life's work fondly, patted its glass surface, then left the laboratory, closing the concealed door behind her. She would never return. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "CAVANAUGH?!" The burly man quickly rose to his feet, his fists clenched, when the two siblings were introduced to him. "You mean their father was that bastard Armand?!" "Yorick," his wife snapped, "calm down!" "I ain't gonna calm down! That piece of trash killed Vingerd... hell, he wiped out our enitre village! I'm gonna-" "My father," Kyle interrupted coldly, "is dead." The Dragoon glared at the blacksmith angrily; beside him, Marcine's gaze was turned downward. "Good. I hope he died bleeding in a ditch - it's no better than he deserves." With a surpreme effort, Kyle kept his own hands from balling into fists. "As a matter of fact, he died saving my sister's life!" Suddenly Marcine's hand found its way into his, and he took a deep breath. "I'm not condoning what he did, but he tried to be a good man. It was Lambert's order-" "Get out." The smith was shaking with rage. "Get the hell out of my house, damn you! I won't have my home fouled by a filthy Cavanaugh!" As the two men exchanged glares, Davin scowled in exasperation. "I won't let you talk about them like that. You don't know what-" "You stay out of this, boy," Yorick rumbled. "Hell, you of all people should agree with me on this!" Davin stared at him, trying helplessly to find something to say that would defuse the situation... And then the day was saved by a swift, well-aimed, and forceful kick to the shins. Yorick bellowed in pain as he clutched at his wounded leg. "Mika!" he shouted. "What the hell did you..." Then he saw them. Tears, angry tears, rolling down his daughter's cheeks. "...how *dare* you?" she demanded. "How dare you ruin everything like this? I was so happy, but then you had to go and... and..." "Mika, I..." "These are my friends, Papa! They've both saved my life - I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for them! I... I know you're mad, but they're not the ones to blame! If you send them away, then..." She hesitated, then glared up at him. "...then I'm leaving too!" "Mika!" "I will! I'll leave, and you'll never see me again!" With that she turned around, standing with her arms crossed and her back to him. Yorick looked at his wife helplessly. "Dear, you tell her. Explain why I'm doing this." Lynn's expression, however, could have frozen lava. "You're on your own, 'dear'," she replied. "Actually, if Mika had been a bit slower with that kick I would have beaten her to it." He looked between the two redheads, then sighed in defeat. "All right. They can stay." Davin coughed. "Well, now that that's settled, why don't we take this inside? I'd say that we've given the neighbors enough free entertainment for one day." The wisdom of this decision was accepted by general acclaim, and before long the entire group - warriors, parents, Emperor and samurai - were gathered in one of the house's larger rooms. Davin started things out with his well-practiced rendition of What Has Happened, interrupted only occasionally by questions from his audience or overeager alchemists, beastmasters, or swordswomen. By the time he finished, the sun had already set and the exotic scent of Ryukin cooking filled the air. The kitchen bustled with activity, suggesting that Midori was pulling out all the stops for such honored guests. As Mika's parents inundated the elementalist with questions, finding it difficult to believe such an outlandish tale, nobody noticed that Karella Highwater was oddly quiet, lost in her thoughts. No... *someone* noticed; she'd looked up once or twice to see the dwarf (an actual dwarf!) gazing at her with a strangely penetrating stare. It was unnerving, to say the least. "...so, that's how we got here," Davin said finally, waking her from her musings. "Until we have some solid knowledge about what Clea was trying to do, we're kind of at an impasse. All we've had up to now are second-hand accounts and vague prophecies - we've done what we can, but we need facts." Karella sighed. "And I suppose it's up to you? Nobody else can do it?" He shrugged, grinning faintly. "Sorry." "It's all right. You get used to that kind of thing when you're married to a 'Warrior of Light'." She considered the matter reluctantly. Perhaps she could avoid telling him... "All right. Let's start with Clea herself. She was born in a small village north of Tienne, a few generations after the Three Gods performed their Sealing. When she was sixteen, her home suffered a wasting plague that sapped the villager's strength. Her personal account claims that she prayed to the Three Gods for assistance, and that's where it all began..." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This is where it all ended. Tienne was still in the process of recovering from the mighty duel between Clea Manakyr and her former student. The exchange of magical blasts had been bad enough, but the appearance of Bahamut had more than tripled the devastation caused by the rest of the fight. Yet there was nothing to do but rebuild, and the lengthy task of cleaning up the mess was well underway. All but unnoticed by the weary laborers, two armored figures made their way through the rubble-strewn streets, finally approaching a battered but still intact building near the edge of town. The door hung ajar, showing evidence that looters had already passed this way. The taller of the two, clad in emerald green armor, stepped inside and peered around the dust-laden room. "I didn't know she had a hidden laboratory." "Not many people did," her companion replied, his ebony plate mail seeming to meld with the shadows around him. "When you're working on something as important as this, you don't want many interruptions." "Good point." The woman hesitated, watching as her friend examined the walls, muttering to himself. "Are you sure we should be here, Gawain?" "Why not?" "Well, Darovan said that-" He groaned. "You're not buying into that pretty little speech of his, are you, Gaia?" "Well, no, but you have to admit that it *does* answer some questions." Her fellow Knight paused in the act of prodding a brick. "I'll grant you that Clea was acting strange at the end there. I tried to tell her she was being paranoid, but she wouldn't hear of it. And yes, she did sometimes leave Council meetings in a bad temper. But claiming that she was plotting to overthrow the Church...!" "The evidence he gave the Archbishops was rather compelling," she pointed out. "Look, I *know* Clea. All she ever cared about was freeing the Three!" "What if the Council refused to let her try her experiments?" Gaia pressed. "What if her only option was to seize control for herself?" He stared at her, searching for a reply, then looked away. "I... I don't know. I just don't trust Darovan. Clea sent him away because he was too obsessed with power; this just feels like one of his scemes." "Madonna trusts him." "Yeah, and so does Gilgamesh. That's why I have to play along for now. Some day, though, there'll be a reckoning. Count on it." A stone shifted under Gawain's fingers, and he peered closely at the wall. "Hel-lo. What's this?" He pressed harder, and the concealed door swung open silently. "I knew it was here somewhere." The two Knights peered down the pitch-black stairway. "Dark," Gaia noted. "Let me try something..." Gawain held up his hand and concentrated; a moment later, the darkness seemed to shrink back into itself, held at bay by the Heartstone of Shadow. "These are useful little toys, aren't they?" "And they're not even fully attuned to us yet," he agreed as they descended. "Still, I'm a bit worried about what's going to happen when they are. Clea did say that we may experience a physical change, based on how closely we become attuned to the Stones." Gawain frowned. "I'm not exactly looking forward to that myself. But it's for the greater good... provided that Darovan continues Clea's research." "Don't be like that," Gaia chided. "He said he was going to." "And that worries me, too..." Then they stepped into Clea's laboratory, and froze with shock. It was clear that the tools of her research was collected on a single large table. Stacks of paperwork, bizarre twists of glass and metal, and multicolored crystals covered its surface; these, however, were insignificant compared to the tall glass cylinder that served as the table's centerpiece. And there, floating placidly in the cylinder, was... "My Gods..." Gaia shook her head in disbelief, unable to tear her eyes away, until Gawain grabbed her by the shoulders. "Not a word to Darovan, do you understand?" he ordered. "Not a *word* until we find out what's going on here!" "I... yes, I... I understand." "Go get Percival - he trusts Darovan even less than I do." She nodded and, with one last look at Clea's experiment, hurried out. Gawain took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts, then noticed the journal left on the table. Weighing his options for a moment, he picked up the book and began to read. "Oh, Clea," he murmured, "what have you been *doing*...?" -=-=-=-=-=-=- Davin frowned thoughtfully. "So, the Three Gods chose Clea to arrange their freedom and gave her magic so that she could do it, wandered from village to village doing good deeds and telling people about what she wanted to do, then went to Tienne where the Church officially recognized her holy quest. Where did the 'Cult of the Manakyr' come from, then?" "At first, what Clea lacked was a practical understanding of magic," his mother explained. "She could cast spells, but she didn't fully grasp how or why they worked... and she needed to have this knowledge if she was to succeed. For the next few decades, much of her time was spent researching the nature of magic. She began to teach others with the gift as well - not only so that they could aid in her studies, but also so that she could improve her own familiarity by explaining it to someone else. Then approximately seventeen years after the Gods spoke to her, she took on a student that was more interested in using magic for the sake of his own ambitions than aiding Clea's work." "Darovan," Kyle said with absolute certainty. "Indeed. She sent him away, and he was later taught by the Sleeper named Odin, who for reasons unknown showed him how to perform Callings. He returned to Tienne and defeated Clea, then gained acceptance by claiming she had been driven mad by her obsession with freeing the Gods, and had been planning to take over Tienne in order to complete her goals. Saying that he didn't wish to dishonor her name, he stepped into command of her collection of mages and dubbed them the Hand of Manakyr. In time, of course, he would reshape this group into the Manakyr Empire - Darovan had something of an ironic bent to him, I suspect." "What about the Knights?" Marcine asked. "We heard that they allied themselves with Darovan for a time." Karella nodded. "He was... is... apparently quite the charismatic speaker; he convinced them that he was planning to continue Clea's research, and they agreed to follow him as they did her. This alliance was strained when he began to defy the Church, and though he managed to keep their trust with the help of one of their own - his lover, Madonna - soon his lust for power became fully apparent. Before long, the Knights had begun to break apart; some left and went into seclusion, some tried to rejoin the Church but were spurned, and some just... vanished. I think the Church may have prevailed against Darovan sooner if they hadn't refused the Knights' aid, but now we'll never know." Davin pondered this. "Okay, so let me ask you this: where did the whole thing about 'Darovan's Legacy' come from? Why is Marcine the only person who can finish Clea's work?" "Hmm. There's another factor, but I think the main reason for that is because her final spell was far too... too *personal* for anyone else to cast it." "I don't understand." "Well, I'm no expert on magic, obviously, but from what I've gathered not everyone with the gift can cast every spell." Pearl, who had been poking uncertainly at a plate of Ryukin cuisine, looked up and nodded at this. "I can vouch for that. Master Cid taught both me and Syeira equally, but she was much better at it than I was. She managed to learn most of the common spells, while I only figured out how to cast a few clairmantic magics - spells that she couldn't cast for the life of her. Even reading them from scrolls, they just wouldn't 'take'." "Really?" Marcine asked. "I've never had any problem learning new spells. It just comes... naturally, I suppose." "Precisely." Karella emphasized her statement by pointing her chopsticks at the young mage. "You have an innate talent for magic, and from what you've told me your personality is very similar to that of Clea herself. Her spell is so complex and intricate that I suspect that only someone that thinks the same way she did would be able to complete it." "I think I see," Marcine said after a moment's pause. "It seems odd, though - if that's all it took, wouldn't Darovan or the Manakyr have been able to find *someone* to cast the spell in the two thousand years since Clea's death?" Davin's mother chuckled. "Thankfully, Darovan outwitted himself there; when the Sleepers Sealed themselves so that he couldn't use their power anymore, he was able to pervert the magic, changing it from a defensive barrier to a prison... and at the same time, distrusting his own apprentices, he ensured that only he could remove the seals. After he was captured, the Manakyr couldn't finish Clea's spell - in addition to sharing Clea's personality and thought process, the caster would have to be able to affect the Sleepers themselves." "Darovan's Legacy, in other words," Davin concluded with a nod. "And with the Cavanaugh line directly under the Church's nose for a thousand years, the Manakyr couldn't exactly experiment." "Right. As for Darovan himself, there's a very simple reason he couldn't complete Clea's work." She looked up at Midori and said a few words in the Ryukin language; the woman bowed and scampered off, and Karella looked contemplative for a moment. "Some time ago," she began finally, "I was able to acquire what is apparently Clea Manakyr's personal journal. It contains specifics of her work, the final experiment she had been working on, everything. I suspect it was the only copy - without it, Darovan would have been set back quite a ways, and he lacked Clea's insight into the nature of magic." Her son's brow furrowed. "It can't be her actual journal, though. Not after two thousand years, unless it's carved in stone or something. And if it's a copy, we don't know how accurate it is..." "It's accurate. Don't ask me how I know," she added, "but what I have is the original and only copy of Clea's journal. In it, Marcine, you should find everything you need to know to cast the final spell." At that moment Midori returned, carrying a large leatherbound tome. At Karella's word she brought it to Marcine, who took it with both hands and carefully opened it. "It looks fairly new," she remarked. "Only ten years old at most." "So," Stine rumbled, his dinner long since finished, "what doth this grand magic be, that hath evaded man and Sleeper for centuries? More importantly, will it actually work?" "As far as I can tell, it should work." Karella sat quietly for a moment again. "Your suspicions about Clea's spell are correct. She required the Mask of Slydgirag to power the spell, potent magic from each element to both activate the mask and form the barrier, and the souls of the Knights to maintain it. However, there still seemed to be something missing; she had enlisted the aid of a minor Sleeper, Sylph, to test her theories, and each time she performed her experiment the barrier would collapse." Davin remembered Tharlo's words from Dwarvenhome, that Clea had always preferred testing her theories to the fullest before putting them into action. "So the 'dark entity' the Gods imprisoned was another Sleeper?" His mother shrugged. "That, I'm not sure of. Clea never mentions exactly what it was; she spoke of it as being different, but similar in nature to the Sleepers. Apparently Sylph was weak enough that Clea's scaled-down experiment would trap it just as the full spell would trap the dark entity." The geomancer considered this. Oddly enough, he *had* heard of Sylph before - Master Benedict had mentioned it in his Elementalism class, referring to it as a very advanced spirit that had thus far remained unsummoned, which wasn't terribly surprising if it was actually a Sleeper. "Shortly before Darovan slew her," Karella continued, "Clea realized what she'd been missing; the spell lacked cohesion, each individual part of it being forced away from the others by the sheer power involved. The only thing that could bind it all together..." She took a deep breath. "...was a soul. A soul willing to sacrifice itself to this one goal." Silence fell, and the gathered companions looked at each other uncertainly. Finally a small, slightly afraid voice spoke up. "Y... you mean for us to win, someone has to... to die?" "Not exactly 'die', Mika," Karella responded hastily. "But the forces involved would..." She hesitated, then deflated slightly. "I suppose that... yes, the one who makes this sacrifice will no longer exist." There was another pregnant pause, then Davin shook his head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he announced. "We don't even know for sure if it'll work." "I agree." Marcine set the journal aside. "I refuse to even attempt something like that if there's no guarantee it will succeed." "It *will* work," Karella replied. "I'm positive." Davin looked at her, puzzled. "Mom, how can you be so sure? If Clea never cast it herself-" "Just before Darovan killed her," she interrupted, "Clea cast her final experiment, using a fragment of her own soul in the process. The result was..." And then she stopped again, looking uncertain. "Was *what*? Mom, is something wrong? We need to know the details before we can do this." "I... Davin, you just need to trust me..." "Tell 'im." Karella turned and looked at the squat figure who had remained quiet during the whole conversation. "W-what?" "Tell 'im what became o' Clea's experiment, and where Sylph be right now," Tharlo replied, idly polishing his metal hand. "He needs ta know, if he's ta have any chance against Siegvin." As the assembled companions looked at each other in confusion, Davin's mother stared at the dwarf, stunned. "You... you know?" "Aye. Percival was always a good friend to my people, and he told us what to expect when the Legacy appeared. There be signs, too, if one knows what ta look for." He nodded at her. "Tell 'im. He'll nae accept it from anyone but you." Her gaze remained locked on the dwarf for a long moment... then she let out a breath, suddenly looking ten years older. "All right. I understand." Davin shook his head. "What's going on? Mom, what's he talking about?" She sighed, closing her eyes. "Davin, Clea's final experiment was... it's..." Then she looked at him, her eyes brimming with sorrow and regret. "...it's you, Davin." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Knight of Time held the slumbering child carefully; Kirin wasn't very confident in his human form, but his natural appearance was highly unsuitable to this task. "He was in Clea's lab, eh?" Gaia nodded. "We had to get him out before anyone found him. Can you imagine what would have happened if the Council found out about this?" "But whose child is he?" She hesitated briefly. "From what we've been able to determine... he's Clea's son." Kirin looked at her askance. "I may not be human myself, but I *think* we would have noticed if she was pregnant." "She wasn't," Gawain replied, then nodded at the book he carried. "Clea *made* this child. In order for her spell to work, she gave it a soul - part of her own soul, in fact. I don't know that she realized what the result would be," he added wryly, "but at least we know that it works." "Amazing," Kirin murmured. "But if he was made from Clea's soul..." "I know, he doesn't look at all like her. She did mention that the amount of magical energy involved, not to mention contact with a Guardian, could have unusual effects..." "A Guardian? You mean...?" "Inside that tiny body," Gaia finished for him, "is Sylph, spirit of the forests." "You're sure?" She raised an eyebrow, treating him to an amused look, and he shook his head. "Right. Forgot who I was talking to for a moment there." "Clea planned to set him free after she was sure that the trap would hold, but..." Gawain shrugged. "I see." Kirin looked down at the child, who shifted in his sleep. "Why bring him to me, though?" The Shadow Knight sighed. "Frankly, we're out of options right now. We thought about raising him together as best we could..." "Together? Are you two...?" When his two fellow Knights blushed and looked away, Kirin chuckled. "I see." "But we realized that we couldn't risk the chance of Darovan finding out the child's true nature," Gaia added quickly. "Ever since he formed the Hand of Manakyr, strange and sinister things have been happening. He's been defying the Church left and right, and has become obsessed with completing Clea's research. If he were to get his hands on her final test run..." She shuddered briefly. "That's why we've brought him to you," Gawain said. "We thought that if *anyone* could tell us what to do next, it would be the Knight of Time." Kirin smiled at them. "I'm glad to help, of course. Though I'm still not fully practiced in my new skills, let me see what I can do..." With that he set the child down beside him, then took a few steps back. He lifted his hands and concentrated; the Heartstone around his neck flared with power, causing a wavering column of energy to appear around the child. As Kirin muttered to himself, sweat beading on his brow, the boy's appearance and size fluctuated with each passing second, shifting him from toddler to old man and every age in between. For a moment his appearance was that of a young man, lithe and athletic, and Gaia idly raised a finger to her lips in contemplation. "Well, he'll be handsome enough, anyway." At her side, Gawain snorted. "Yes..." They looked at Kirin, whose gaze was focussed on something beyond their ken. "I *see*. Interesting..." He lowered his hands, and the child returned to normal. "Quite an impressive future, this one has. Of course, given the circumstances that's not surprising..." The other two Knights exchanged glances. "So," Gawain said finally, "what should we do?" "Hmm? Oh, well, you two should probably take a vacation; things will become quite unpleasant for Knights in Tienne before too long. I hear the Moon Empire is nice this time of year..." Gaia stared at him. "But what about-" "I will take care of the child," he assured her. "I know just where - and *when* - he needs to go. I'll have to take the book as well." For an instant Gawain was suspicious - was Kirin going to betray them to Darovan? - then the feeling passed and he handed the book to his fellow Knight. "I hope you know what you're doing." Kirin sighed. "So do I," he admitted. "The future is difficult to see with any certainty. But I'm positive that, a long time from now, someone will arise who can finish Clea's work... and this boy will need to be there." "You're taking him...?" "Into the future, yes. It will be difficult, but it has to be done." He noticed Gawain's troubled expression, and his gaze softened. "Don't worry," Kirin assured him. "He will be well taken care of, and will be raised by loving parents." Gawain nodded, a bit stiffly. "I understand." He picked up the child and held him tenderly. "So long, little one," he murmured. "Take care of yourself, okay?" He held the boy out to Kirin, who took him awkwardly. As the Knight of Time began to concentrate again, Gaia slipped an arm around her lover's waist. "He'll be fine," she said, squeezing him gently. "And who knows? Maybe we'll see him again." Gawain looked at her, and she shrugged. "The Heartstones have given us all the time in the world, my love. We can wait." He chuckled. "I guess we can, at that." There was a flash of light, and Kirin vanished with his precious cargo. -=-=-=-=-=-=- "...Kirin appeared before me while I was investigating an old ruin along the coast," Karella continued. "I'd heard that Clea had done some of her own research there; it turned out to be only a rumor, but I left with more than I'd bargained for... "One moment I was alone, and the next he was standing before me, holding you in one arm and a book in the other; Clea's journal, to be precise. He introduced himself and asked me to take care of the child as my own. I was hesitant at first - who wouldn't be? - but there was an urgency in his voice that changed my mind." She looked down. "And I have to admit that I *wanted* a child to raise. Vingerd and I had been trying since we were married, but..." As Karella's sentence trailed off sadly, Davin continued to stare at her in shock. What kind of bizarre joke was this...? His mother chuckled. "You should have seen your father's expression when I came home after only three weeks with a little baby boy! He adjusted quickly, though, and soon it was as though you really were our son." She paused to take a sip from her cup of tea; there was no other sound in the room. "As the years passed I studied Clea's journal; I hadn't believed Kirin when he told me who and what you are, but as I learned more about her work, I realized that he'd been telling the truth." She frowned. "Then somehow Lambert found out about the journal, and arranged to have our village attacked in order to remove all evidence of Clea's work. He always had been fond of overkill. Lynn, Yorick and I managed to escape, but we couldn't find you or Mika in the confusion and we assumed that you'd been killed with the rest. At any rate we didn't have much time to look for you; Lambert's spies followed us all the way to Ashgar, where we found a ship willing to take us to the Ryukins. Not even Lambert could catch us here. We were brought before the Emperor..." At this she bowed as best she could to the wizened old man, who smiled at her. "...who was so fascinated by our story and my research that he allowed us to stay as honored guests. But we had given up all hope of seeing you again... until today." Finally Davin found his voice. "You... I don't... don't understand. Are you saying that... that I'm not a real person?" "Davin..." she began. "No! What do you mean, 'Clea made me'?! That... that can't be..." She looked away. "I'm sorry, Davin. I never wanted to hurt you - that's the last thing I wanted to do! But... you have a right to know." He shook his head, trying to dispel the feeling that his world was falling away from him. "Even if... if Kirin brought me from the past... look, Gawain said he and I were related, so-" He caught his mother's expression, and he frowned tightly. "Tell me." Karella hesitated. "Gawain... was Clea's younger brother. He would be your uncle, in a way." Davin closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He tried to collect his thoughts, only to find them scattering hither and yon. How could this be? True, he'd always known he wasn't Karella's real son, but *this*... He heard Kyle talking, though to his ears the conversation seemed muted. "Tharlo, you already knew about this?" "Aye. Bein' connected with a Sleeper like that... well, things are bound ta show through. See, Sylph be where all geomantic powers came from, just like the Three Gods provided True Magick, and this lad's got a way with the spirits that I've naer seen; that's what confirmed my suspicions, though there's been other signs." Signs... Davin remembered how he'd been drawn to elementalism after flitting from subject to subject at the Academy... how he'd managed to draw upon the Holy Blade, a legendary power all but lost to geomancers... his utter terror when he was Petrified, dark and enclosed yet oddly familiar, which made it even worse... Johannes and Gaia, both seeing something in him that they'd once seen before... He stood suddenly, attracting the gazes of his friends and companions. "I'm... I'm going out for a little while. I'll..." He paused, groping for something to say, then hurried to the door without another word. As it shut behind him, Marcine got to her feet as well. "I'll go with him," she announced. "Me, too!" The young mage hesitated, for reasons she couldn't define, as Mika hurriedly tried to untangle her legs from under the low Ryukin table. "Um... I don't..." Mika hopped to her feet, Shizuka rising next to her. "C'mon, let's go! Time's a wa-" Her sentence stopped suddenly, and as her eyes fluttered shut she fell back into the ninja's arms. Marcine looked at them in surprise, and Shizuka nodded to her. "Go to him, Mistress Cavanaugh. He needs you." Marcine nodded gratefully, and followed after Davin. When she had gone, all eyes turned toward Shizuka, who began to look supremely embarrassed. Finally Jil cleared her throat. "That seems a bit o' overkill there, lass." Shizuka blushed. "This one made certain not to injure Mistress Gilchrist in any way. She deeply regrets-" "Mind ye," the captain interrupted thoughtfully, "t'was a lot simpler than what I was thinkin' of. At least ye didn't use any rope or muzzles." A brief smirk crossed the ninja's expression, so quickly that it was almost unnoticable. Almost. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The light of the newly risen moon shone down through the branches of the sakura trees above him, casting random shadows on his features. He watched without really seeing as pale petals fell to the ground; they danced softly in the breeze, turning and spinning in their descent. Marcine watched him pensively for a long moment, her heart racing. She could only imagine how this news was affecting him. He'd been looking forward to finding his mother for longer than Marcine had known him, but when it finally happened, something like this comes out. To discover, in one instant, that something you'd taken for granted your entire life was a lie...! Davin reached out and plucked a sakura petal from the air, holding it gently. Perhaps Marcine knew what he was feeling, after all. "Davin?" He released the petal, letting it fall to the ground, but didn't turn to look at her. She timidly stepped closer to him, trying to find the right words to say. "It's... a lot to take in, isn't it?" There was no response, and she looked down at her hands. "Are you mad at her, Davin? For not telling you?" Davin shook his head. "No," he replied, "it's not that. I don't think I would have believed her when I was younger, before we went through all this nonsense. I just feel..." He faltered. "Lost?" she suggested, and Davin nodded. "Uncertain? A little scared?" "Can you blame me?" he asked bitterly. "This is hardly what I expected to hear when I found my mother!" "I understand." He looked up at the moon for a long moment. "All my life," he said finally, "I thought that maybe, someday, I'd find my real parents. I'd be able to ask them why they... why they abandoned me. I wanted to know who they were, if I had any other relatives. I wanted to know my real family" He closed his eyes. "So much for that idea, huh?" Marcine took another step closer. "But you *did* have a family," she reminded him. "A family that loved you very much. Mika doesn't call you 'Big Brother' as a whim, Davin. She depends on you." There was a pause. "We all do." Silence reigned for a long moment, then Davin lifted his hand and touched an overhanging sakura branch; an instant later his skin took on the appearance of tree bark, and he regarded it ruefully. "You know," he said slowly, "when I first joined the Academy, I bounced from subject to subject, never really finding anything I had a talent for. I was so proud of myself when I finally started to do really well with geomancy - here, I thought, was something I was genuinely good at." The magic faded from his hand, and he let it fall to his side. "Now it turns out that none of it actually came from me." Marcine hesitated, one hand absently toying with the hem of her sleeve. "Does it matter where the power came from?" she asked. "We would never have made it this far without it. It's part of you." "I suppose..." He shook his head. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. Everything seemed so simple before, but now..." He clenched his hand into a fist. "...now I don't even know who I am." A faint gust of wind swept past them, causing the sakura petals to whirl and spiral vigorously. "I know who you are," Marcine said softly. "You're Davin Highwater. You're the adopted son of Vingerd and Karella, and Mika's Big Brother. You're the one who saved me from the Church, and from Siegvin, and from Darovan." He started to protest, but she pressed on. "You're the result of Clea Manakyr's magic, and you were born from part of her soul. You were created in an attempt to restore balance to the world. "You're a good man, a brave man. You're someone who was willing to throw his future away just to save my life. You're one of the most decent, caring people I know, and..." Then she moved against him, wrapping her arms around his chest from behind and laying her head against his back. "...and you're the man I've fallen in love with." Davin's heart skipped a beat. "M... Marcine?" She closed her eyes, smiling as she held him close. "I've been trying to say that for a while, but the time never seemed right. I don't care where you came from or how you got here. All that matters to me is that you're here with me now." She hugged him tightly. "I love you, Davin. Now, and forever. Whatever happens, I want you to always remember that." Slowly Davin turned around in her grasp, staring down into the face that had so very much become part of his life. "Marcine, I-" "Shh. You don't have to say anything." She lay her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Just having you here is enough." With a tender smile he embraced her, and sakura petals danced around them. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Welcome, Blight. How good of you to join us." The demon cringed slightly as Siegvin called out to him. Blight had made no noise when he materialized in the fallen Sleeper's cavern, a mere shadow among shadows; the sudden acknowledgement of his presence had come as a shock. It was that damn Eye, he realized, and he cursed Garland for giving it to Siegvin. He bowed to cover up his momentary uncertainty. "I bring news from the King of Demons, my lord." His face unmasked, the sickly yellow glow of the Mystic's Eye emanating from one eye socket, Siegvin merely smiled. "Ah, yes. How is the old fool?" Beside him, Garland shifted uncomfortably at this insult. For his part, Blight remained impassive. "He is doing well, now that he has been freed. His imprisonment left him... disoriented-" "Don't you mean 'barking mad'?" Blight ignored this. "But with his unSealing he has returned to us and has regained his full strength." Siegvin chuckled. "I see. And to what do I owe the honor of your presence? What is your message?" The demon hesitated only briefly. "He has commanded that I serve as our liason to you, Lord Siegvin. No lesser of our kind would do." "Really? Well, I don't know what to say!" The fallen Sleeper stood from his marble throne, his sarcastic comment still echoing across the chamber. "Truly I am blessed by such an overabundance of attention!" Blight bowed once again. "It is the least we could do." "Of that, I have no doubt." His expression turned thoughtful. "'No lesser of your kind', you said?" "Yes, we-" Siegvin's movements became a blur, and before Blight could react the Slayer was already stepping away from Garland, casually inspecting the black blood staining the crimson Ashura Blade. Behind him, the demon knight's body fell to the floor; his head rolled to a stop a few yards away. Blight stared at the corpse as it began to crumble into ash. Death was not the final end for his kind... unless the weapon used to deal the killing blow was one of Ashura's Blades. With one quick motion, Siegvin had consigned Garland to eternal oblivion. The True Death. Not that Blight had been particularly attached to Garland, of course, but it *did* serve as an unpleasant reminder of his own situation. One false step... "That's more like it," Siegvin declared, and treated Blight to a warm smile. "I think we're going to be good friends, you and I. Don't you agree?" Trembling nervously, Blight nodded. "Whatever you say, Lord Siegvin. I am yours to command." As the chuckling Sleeper returned to his throne, however, the demon couldn't help but notice a flash of green light out of the corner of his eye - the Heartstone of Wind, swaying gently as it dangled from its display stand. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "You nerve-pinched me." "This one apologizes profusely." "You *nerve-pinched* me!" "This one is stricken with remorse. She begs your forgiveness for-" "Are you kidding? That was *cool*! Do it again! Better yet, do it to Zarela!" "HEY!" The conversation (such as it was) was cut short as the front door opened. Davin entered a bit uncertainly, his arm around Marcine's waist - a fact noted with approval by more than a few of their companions. For her part, however, Mika looked at him with a worried expression. "Are you okay, Big Brother?" "I'll manage." He gave his mother an apologetic look. "Sorry about that." She smiled fondly at him, relief evident on her face. "There's nothing to be sorry for." Davin grinned at her, then sat down, Marcine at his side. "Okay, then. We know Clea's spell will work, provided we get everything together." Pearl frowned. "Do we really need to cast it ourselves, though? If we just keep the Heartstones away from Siegvin, and Marcine away from Darovan..." He shook his head. "I thought about that, but there's a pretty high risk that sooner or later, one of them will be successful. The two of them killed Clea before she could finish her research - it's a good bet that casting the final spell will put an end to their plans." "But, the price..." "Yeah, I know." Davin sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Kyle leaned forward. "You're forgetting the other option - taking out Darovan and Siegvin ourselves." The geomancer raised an eyebrow. "That's something of a tall order," he pointed out. "True, but we'll probably have to face Siegvin for the other Heartstones anyway." "Good point. Still, I'd like to talk to Fenris before I think about that; we really don't have a good idea *what* Siegvin's capable of, or what his goals are." "Clea's journal may provide some clues there as well," Marcine added. "If he's trying to cast a variant of her spell, I might be able to figure out what his version will do. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try." As his companions began to talk, discussion what may await them in the future, Davin found his gaze drawn to the book resting on a nearby table. To think, he mused, that something written almost two thousand years ago would turn his life upside-down as soon as he set eyes on it. It was going to take some adjustment, knowing what he knew now, and just the thought of facing up to his true nature made him nervous... A small hand slipped into his, and he turned to meet Marcine's gaze, her smile reassuring. ...but he had a feeling that, somehow, it would all turn out okay.