Chapter 3: In The Clouds

[~Hidan~]

They had somehow made it all the way back to Falgon within the night. Belial had summoned a great beast to take them there as fast as they could get there. The city they had only been to a few weeks before was now thriving once again and greeted them with open arms. Sleeping didn’t come easy to most of them. Malice and Magus paced back and forth both thinking of the loss of Nichi but unable to say anything about it. Titania had managed to fall asleep but could be heard talking in her sleep, a nightmare had her as well thinking of Nichi. Even Osirus and Belial were in morn of Nichi.

Brain wondered who this person was. Brain sat on top of the town’s water tower playing cards by himself and listening to music from his computer. The man known as Glenn sat at the base of the tower sleeping, holding his sword near.

Brain thought about the happenings of the day and then dug through his backpack in search of food. He pulled out a health bar and started chewing on it. The stars never came in so clear in Japan. He watched as shooting stars came and went. This place was a paradise; he didn’t even need his gas mask to breathe the outside air.

As the sun rose group gathered around the base of the water tower.

“Good morning all, though I doubt this is a very good morning for most of you.” Brain said as he climbed down from the tower.

Malice lightly shook his head. “Well we were not meant to loose the battle. It would seem we are in a seriously bad situation. Does anyone have any ideas what we can do next?”

Everyone just sort of looked at each other with a blank look on their faces.

“I have an idea.” A voice said from behind.

A short man with a long orange beard and long whit hair said coming towards them.

“Hello my name is Gregory Highwind.” He smiled “But most people just call me Captain.”

Malice looked at the man inquisitively. “Your idea is?”

Smiling again very widely Captain went on to say. “Well ye know of the great Galmon Crater do you not?”

Malice looked puzzled. “You mean the legend of the crater created by a giant ship that landed in the mountains but disappeared just leaving behind the giant Crater?”

“Well I says it isn’t no legend m’boy it’s real we just need us a way to get in, and me thinks that boy right there can do it.” Captain said pointing at Brain.

“How exactly are we to get there? It’s supposed to be on the southeast continent that no one has set foot on because of the reefs around it.” Malice said sternly.

“We isn’t taking no boat m’boy we is taking an airship! Me own airship.” Captain said grinning.

“What the hell is and airship, I mean I get the idea from the words but is that even possible?” Malice said looking very confused now.

“They are real! In my world they are everywhere we use them for travel all over the planet.” Titania said.

“We have them in my world as well, though I doubt that they are like the one the good Captain is speaking of.” Brain said.

“Me ship will be ready in the morning I’ll show you to your rooms” Captain said smiling.

“One second what do you have to gain by helping us?” Belial said taunting.

“I get to see the greatest city in all existence.” Captain said with a boy’s enthusiasm

A few hundred feet outside the gate of town in the valley was an awe inspiring machine flying only a few feet from the ground. Six giant propellers held it in the air and on large one in the rear would propel it. The occasional puff of smoke rose from centers large black stack. The entire ship ran in the length of 500 feet long and had 20 cannons to a side.

All silent with amazement they followed the captain onto the ship each taking to their rooms for but a moment before exploring the ship.

“It will take one month and 20 days to get to the crater once we leave.” The Captain said as he left to his room. “Make sure ye bring your fighting spirit the skies are not the safest place I have known.

A new adventure started and they left behind the place they had grown to know as a home. The people of Falgon and the other cities could be seen from the airship on boats heading to the surrounding islands to escape the flood of demons on their way.

Sleep came easy that night.

[Zerlina]

It was dawn when they first heard it- a ringing that was almost like the chiming of silver bells.

Pulling himself out from under his moth-eaten covers, Malice made his way up to the deck, expecting to see the source of the noise that had so gently roused him from his sleep. Swallowing a tired yawn, he pushed open the outer door and was instantly presented with a serene orange sky and the thrilling feel of fresh air. His vision hazy from the shock, he searched for the noise but found no bells or chimes. Giving up, he decided to return to his cabin; he stopped before he could go inside. Finding that the lure of the sky was far too seductive, he turned and made his way along the deck, taking in the sights of the world below.

“Have you ever been up this high before?”

Malice jumped, thinking he had been alone. Placing a hand on his dagger, he turned in the direction of the voice.

“Oh…” he said, relaxing as soon as he saw who it was “No, Titania, but I’ve never really tried.”

She leaned over the creaky deck and he could not see her expression.

“Some of the others are up already…I know at least Magus and Brain are.” She told him, dryly.

“Brain…he’s sure got a lot of energy.” Malice leaned on the deck, too “I think he’ll really be able to help us out…but at the same time, he’s really young and I don’t think he knows how to control himself.”

“Just ask Osirus.” Titania laughed.

“Poor guy. Wouldn’t wish that one on anybody.” Malice muttered, sympathetically “…so what are you doing up here this early?”

“What are you doing up here this early?”

“I asked first.”

“Fine.” Titania conceded, “I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing.” She replied.

Malice shook his head “I don’t believe that.”

“Fine…you win.” She sighed, “I was thinking about what we’re all doing here.”

“I know what you mean” Malice said “Gracia’s still standing and we’re going to some crater. But you really have to think of it logi-”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” She interrupted, still staring downward at the sky.

“Then …what do you mean?”

“I mean what we’re all here for.” She said “Why are we here. Why am I here? Why are Magus, Brain and Glenn here? How come I’m not home, they’re not in their own world?”

“You still want to go home, then?”

“No.” she answered, “And you don’t have to hide it from me either.”

“Hide what?” he questioned, and she shuffled a bit.

“Hide the fact that no one ever goes home from here. I know already. And I know why you didn’t tell me in the first place.”

“…I just didn’t think you could handle it then.” Malice said, defensively.

She seemed not to have heard, and it made him uneasy. After what seemed like forever, she sighed and once more tried her best to make him understand.

“Did you know that when I was born, they told my mother not to bother even naming me, because I was hopeless.”

“Titania-”

“…my mother… she cried and cried until her voice was sore from sobbing…”

He turned to look at her.

“Then one day she found me and I wasn’t moving. She ran to find my father in his workshop, and when they returned they found me with my arm outstretched like this” she extended her hand as if reaching for a cloud “I wanted something on the window sill. And when they looked they saw that it was a-”

“Feather.”

Titania turned to look at Malice

“…how did you know?”

He shook his head “I guessed.”

Tilting her chin, she studied his face, once more trying to find some kind of explanation or reasoning in his eyes. There was none that she could find.

“You’re lucky you have blue eyes” she said, turning back to look off the deck “Where I’m from they say that those who are blessed with them will eternally bring with them the ocean of home.”

“The ocean?” he asked, and no sooner had he spoken did images of calm cliffs and waters flash through his mind like lightning.

“My home. It was next to the ocean.”

The images repeated themselves like persistent memories.

“…the cliffs were red at dawn…”

Suddenly, he was back on the shores of the sea, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face

“…and as children we used to run barefoot through the shallow water…”

Eyes closed, he could hear the echoing of giddy laughter, and feel the sand move beneath his feet.

“…mother helped on the fishing boats, and used to send our dinner home with the young boys…”

Instantly, the sour stench of freshly caught trout, infected his mind.

“…then at night the moon would rise above the water, and I’d go out into the sea to try and catch its reflection…”

The water rose around him, black and starry from the night. No matter how far he ran, his goal was always out of reach, pulling itself further and further into the horizon. It seemed to elude him at every turn and sprint, letting its beams ripple and shimmer in the water but never touch him.

“That’s what they named me for, you know?”

“What?” Malice asked, suddenly snapping out of whatever vision had possessed him.

“Titania. It’s the name of the moon where I’m from.
Legend says that there was once a maiden named Titania who used to wander at night with a lantern, trying to guide the ships to the shore. Back then, the darkness was impossible, because there was nothing in the sky.
When she became older, Titania fell in love with a sailor, but was discouraged when she found that she could only protect him from the shore, and that he would not bring her with him out to sea. She cried to Siren, the goddess of the ocean, asking to always be able to watch over her love. Taking pity on the maiden, but not having the power to change the sailor’s mind, Siren brought Titania into the sky where she could shine her lantern for all to see, and always be able to guide the ships to safety.
That’s how our moon was named.
They say that Phoenix was of the sun, and that the two kept each other alive. That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier- Phoenix kept me alive when I was a baby. He didn’t let me die.”

For a while Malice did not react, but after some time he nodded, letting her know she could continue.

“That’s what I meant when I said I was thinking of why I’m here. Why am I alive and why is Nichi stone? Why are you here instead of dead on the battlefield? That general could have killed you if he wanted, but he didn’t- why was he there instead of someone else? Is this the result of coincidence? Or is it fate?” She turned once more to look out to the sky “My mother told me that because I was kept alive it meant I would serve some sort of purpose. I spent so long wondering about my purpose… searching for it. Do you think that my purpose is here? Will I finally catch the moon? Or will it always just be out of reach?”

“…we all have our own moons to chase.” Malice said, after some time. “And they always seem so far away…”

Surprised at his answer, she turned to look at him.

“…we follow the moon and run deeper into water, until we can’t breath anymore.” He continued “And just when we’re about to drown we realize- the moon wasn’t ever in the water. It was in the sky the whole time. If only we had thought before we ran, maybe we would have realized that it was right in front of us, just waiting for us to look at it and realize the truth...”

“The truth?”

“That we can reach for it all we want, but unless it reaches back we’ll never touch it, and never know what it really means.”

Titania smiled “Maybe it was reaching for us the whole time we were in the water, and we just didn’t see it.”

The air fell cold and the sound of the airships propellers buzzed through the air as words ran out but thoughts did not.

Breaking the silence, Titania turned to look at her friend.

“Malice…”

“Hey!” came a voice from around the side of the airship “You should all be careful.”

It was The Captain.

“The winds are pretty calm right now, but things are going to get turbulent up ahead. I’m trying to warn everyone. Do you know where the others are?”

“No.” Malice replied.

“I do. I’ll take you to them.” Titania said, and left without saying another word.

Sighing, Malice leaned over the deck once more, his blue eyes reflecting in them the red glow of the sunset.

Those memories…they weren’t mine… he thought, remembering the odd images that had flashed through his mind.

Unsure, he went to follow The Captain and Titania, deciding that the company of the others would distract him from his thoughts. As he left, the moon dwindled behind the sunlit clouds, making its last appearance of the day before disappearing into the blue twilight.

[FFnut]

**************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, In The Sky

Magus stared out over the railing towards the clouds. Brain walked up next to him. "So, Magus... what're you doing here?"

Magus just glanced at Brain. "You wouldn't understand... say, what world are you from anyway?"

"I'm from Earth. I'm from a place called Japan. Why?" he asked.

Magus gasped, the wheels in his head turning faster than they usually did. If he's from my Earth, I would know. I've met everyone everywhen there looking for Schala. This means he's from an alternate Earth. Not mine. Another one. This could mean that all worlds spring from the same source. A few things change and bam, it's a completely different world. If only it were possible to return home... "So... Earth... alright, then. I was just curious. I just-" The black wind blew, catching Magus off guard. He looked up to the sky, wondering what was happening where...

**************************************
Earth, The Year 3,000 BC, The Ocean Palace Ruins

Doreen woke up from a long sleep. She lifted her head and looked around, rather groggy. She racked her brain trying to remember what had happened. Her brothers had been sent to the Guru so that he could save everyone from some sort of monster that was being summoned. She noticed an odd, pulsating portal in the room. She cautiously wandered in...

***************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Airship Cabin

Glenn was woken by a pair of screams that permeated his mind.

Big Sis! She's coming here, Mune!

Oh no, oh no! She'll beat us up if she finds out that we left Earth to come here with Glenn!

Yeah, and if she finds out that the prince and the Prophet are the same guy she's gonna flip out!

"What art thou frightened by now?" asked Glenn sleepily.

Glenn, Glenn, Glenn! Our big sister is here! She's gonna hurt us bad if she finds out that we're here!

You have to hide us!

"Masa! Mune! Quiet thyselves and allow me to rest!"

****************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Gracia Castle

Aikia was fighting back demons as hard as she could when a giant shapeshifter appeared.

"WhERe iS HE? wHEre dId hE go? WheRe Is mAgUS?!"

Aikia caught her breath for a minute. "Magus? He's taken to the sky. You can't catch him."

The constantly morphing monster cackled with delight. "I BeG tO DiFFEr!" It began to mutate wings and fly off after the airship. "YoU'Re mINe, jANUs!"

**************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, In The Sky

Magus recovered from his shock. "It's gotta be that shapeshifting Lavos Spawn... Brain, could you go get Glenn for me? I have something really important to tell him."

Brain nodded and ran off. Magus looked out to the horizon. He fingered the crystal in his pocket. "The Lavos Spawn is as good as dead. After what it did to Schala..." He trailed off.

((Nobody TOUCH Doreen. She'll show up when she's supposed to so she can berate Masa and Mune.))

[~Hidan~]

Brain found and sent Glenn to talk with Magus about whatever he needed. Brain sat down in his room leaving the door open in hopes that someone would come in and talk to him. He really didn’t know what was going on and while he managed to be strong so far, but things were starting to get to him a little. He pulled out five compression cubes from his backpack and decompressed them. One was a full wardrobe of cloths, one full of food. One was a satellite launch pack. One was filled with drinks and a machine to refill them, the other was filled with two small SMG guns and a larger anti tank type gun, plenty of ammo and a machine to refill them. He also had to force swords and two powered swords.

As he was loading on of the SMG’s the girl he had been introduced to as Titania walked in. “Whoa were did you get all this?” She said looking around the room that was now almost like a room that had been lived in.

Brain smiled. “Its part of my job to carry around all this equipment, in my world I am a covert operative for the military. I carry all this so if I ever find myself in a bad situation I can survive for over a year.”

Titania looked puzzled as to what exactly he had just said. “What’s a covert operative?”

Brain thought about this for a moment. “I’m a spy for the most part, and I am adept in doing a lot of damage with only a little equipment. I am a one man army.”

Titania looked at Brain inquisitively. “What do you fight against in your world?”

Brain thought about the last couple of days fighting. “Other humans, evil people that try to disrupt the world by killing innocent people, that is who I fight, that and giant machines that have been given the will and power to think for themselves.”

Titania closed her eyes and tried to vision what he must be talking about. “So when you arrived here where you scared?”

Brain shook his head. “I was excited. If felt great to be here and to actually fight for once. I haven’t ever gotten the chance to see if I am any good as a fighter; no wars have broken out around where I lived recently.” He looked out his window. “I am a little worried now but at the same time I am very happy to be here.”

Titania smiled a little. “I was really scared when I first got here. The others have been nice to me but so far non of them have really opened up to me, it seems most of them are too toughened by war to be able to open up well.” She let out a short sigh. “I’ve been here a month and I still feel like I don’t now the people I have been traveling with.”

Brain looked at Titania with a soft smile on his face. “I’ve never been close to anyone in my life; my parents gave me to the military when I was only 6 months old. I have been nothing more then a tool of war since I was born. I wasn’t aloud to have friends, and I didn’t really feel like I had family either. I was a living breathing weapon that was only as valuable as how much damage I could inflict.” Smiling a little bit more he went on to say. “I was even up for sale to other countries. To be free of that is a blessing that his has given to me.”

Titania couldn’t grasp what she had just been told. Rather then saying anything she just tiered up and grabbed onto Brains back hugging him from behind. She stayed like that for a moment before Brain turned and sat her down on the bed.

“Don’t cry for me. I had purpose in my life at least. So now with a free and clean slate I get to decide what I fight for.” Brain smiled. “Thanks for the hug though, it’s the first one I have ever gotten.”

Titania dried her eyes and smile with her head cocked to the side.

Just then Malice came in the room as well. “I heard crying is everything ok?”

Titania nodded still drying her eyes. “Brain was just telling me about his world and how sad it is.”

Malice nodded. “Well just to let the two of you know the captain says we are in for some rough winds.” He walked out of the room.

Waiting until Malice was out of listening range Brain asked. “So he seems kind of cool and well tough, not really a talker is he?”

Titania shook her head. “He doesn’t really seem to be the type to open up.”

Brain shrugged. “I don’t know why I am opening up, it’s completely against my nature yet I feel like I don’t need to be so strict on myself seeing as I’m not in my world anymore.”

Brain turned on his computer and put on some music. Titania and Brain just sat in the room staring out the window humming along with the song for a long time.

[Zerlina]

When at last the song was over, the sound of the propeller once again became dominant, reminding them of the quest and all that had to be done.

“He’s interesting.” Titania said, looking at Brain’s computer “What’s his name?”

The boy laughed “That’s my computer. It only talks because it’s programmed to.”

“Oh…” she said, confused but not willing to admit it.

“It does a lot of things. So long as I have batteries.”

“Batteries?”

“Things that power it up.”

“Oh. Like magic!”

“No.”

“Oh.”

She shuffled a bit.

“Do you have anything like this where you’re from?” Brain asked, after some time.

“No…we make our own music.”

Deciding not to bring up the fact that his music was all recorded previously, he smiled “Oh? How’s that?”

“Well…we have these things called instruments…”

Brain nodded, pretending he didn’t know what they were.

“They’re little devices that have strings you can pluck, or that you blow into to produce a sound.”

He smiled “Do you play an instrument?”

“Yes.” Titania said, removing an object from her apron; its once polished silver had become scratched and tarnished in places “This is called a flute.”

”Play something!”

“No…” Titania answered “It’s enchanted. Playing a song will cause something to happen.”

“Like what?”

“To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure.”

“Why’s that?”

“Erm…because…” she tried to think of something better than because I’m a miserable failure “…umm…it’s…not to be used until really necessary.”

“Oh.” Brain said, sounding a little disappointed “Your world is so fascinating. There’s magic there?”

“Yes.” Titania answered “But I think your world sounds more exciting. Where I come from, everything is very strict, and traditional. Maybe you know how it’s like, because you were sold to your mili…tary?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Titania seemed proud of herself “Sold to your military. With us it’s different. You’re trapped in another way. There’s so much tradition and so many old ceremonies that you feel you’re about to drown in them. You have absolutely no say in your life. Not in anything.”

“Anything at all?”

“Nope. Everything you’ll do until you die is decided from the time you’re born. What you’ll study, your livelihood, your entire future. The truth is, I was really glad to come here. It got me out of a lot of trouble and granted me the opportunity to be free.”

“Then we’re sort of the same that way.”

Titania nodded “Freedom was something I used to fantasize about. I’d go out to the edge of town and see the fields far away. I’d wonder what it would be like to be there. Sometimes, I’d stand for hours, arguing with myself- should I leave or should I stay? I never did leave. I never felt what it was like out there- if I could go back I would. I just…I was always in love with the idea of being free, but then when I’d think about how safe my home was, and how it was all I knew, I could never make the leap.”

Brain nodded “What was your home called?”

“Madain Sari.” She answered “It was beautiful.”

“I’m sure it was.” Brain commented “Do you want to go back?”

“No.” Titania shook her head “I haven’t told the others, but my home is gone. It was destroyed in the storm that brought me here.”

“How do you know?”

“The eidolons told me.” She said, forgetting that he would not know who the guardians were “One night I was asleep and Phoenix spoke to me in my dreams. He said not to weep for the people of my homeland, for now they wandered somewhere far away, in a land of mist and fog. He said that soon the day would come when they would be born again, and when that happened it would be to satisfy the need of the planet. He calmed me down, consoled me, and he taught me a song that he said was brought to our land long ago. He tells me it’s a key. That’s all that he will say.”

“Can I hear it? Maybe I will know.”

Titania looked unsure, but she saw that Brain would not let her out of it.

“A-alright, but don’t laugh at me…” she pleaded.

“I won’t.”

She swallowed and took a breath.

“Lonley is the wanderer
Who walks along the lark
Looking for the bloody tower
Looking in the dark

For paradise is lain before him
By the riverbed
And though his foes are slain below him
He is torn instead

For ages doomed to wander
Wander, wander with the lark
Wander for his paradise
That’s looming in the dark

‘Oh please my dear
Take heed my love
The end is close at hand
The world has now begun to move
Though we don’t understand

The world is yours
Your child, your love
Its life can be anew
If you can find the paradise
That’s searching now for you’

And so he wandered
All his life,
His gaze turned up ahead
He would have found his paradise
If only it weren’t dead

For on the road below him
Where his foe had once stood strong
The doomed lark lay there dying
His paradise was gone”

The last notes echoed through the halls and dissipated. Titania looked down, coming out of the trance that the song had put her in.

“…I don’t see how that will help us.” She said, trying to avoid looking at Brain for fear of his reaction “It’s very vague. I don’t know who or what the lark is…or the bloody tower…or why on earth the paradise disappeared.”

“Hey, was someone singing in here?” Malice asked, appearing in the doorway.

Titania nodded “Yes. But weren’t you out warning the others about the winds?”

“Oh…uh…right. I was.” He answered “…but now I’m back.”

Titania laughed “Sure. So what do you think of the song?”

“Very pretty.” He said, leaning on the doorway “Very sad. I wonder what Phoenix meant when he said it was a key.”

”I said that a long time ago!”

“So?”

“So you should have been warning the others, not eavesdropping. What if they get hurt in the wind?”

Malice shook his head “I had stuff to do here still. Besides, nothing will happen to them. I know the wind.”

“Eh?” Brain asked, confused.

“I’m Theiran.” Malice answered, non-chalantly

“Eh?”

“That means I know the elements. Particularly the wind.”

“Oh.”

“So… what’s going on in here?” Malice asked, looking at the various weapons in a confused manner.

“They’re like magic, but not!” Titania said, excitedly, clearly proud of herself.

“How’s that?” Malice asked, sitting down with them and looking at the objects suspiciously.

“They’re from my world.” Brain explained “Where I’m from there’s no magic, so we make devices to help us instead.”

“No magic? So…then what do you do if you’re in battle? Just use swords?”

“No. We use those things.” He pointed to some of his guns.

“How does that work?”

“You point and shoot.”

“Shoot?”

“It fires metal at whoever you’re aiming at.”

Titania squirmed a little “That sounds really…terrible…”

“And like it requires no skill.” Malice added, with a clear pride in his own techniques.

“Well, it’s fast, and effective.” Brain said, picking up one of the objects and pretending to aim at the wall.

Titania immediately moved, unsure if he was trying to shoot her or not.

“Relax!” the Earth boy said “It only hits whatever’s on the end of this tube here.”

“Can you…please put it away?” Titania asked “I know that those are common in your world, but not here…and not where I’m from.”

“Fine…” Brain muttered, putting his weapon away.

“We probably have those here in Palis.” Malice told Titania “Somewhere far away, most likely. Either that, or we had them at one point and thought they were useless.”

“They’re not useless at all.” Brain argued.

“Well, we have magic here, so we don’t need little machines to do our work for us. We take care of things ourselves.” Malice replied, and it was clear that his mood was not in its best condition.

“We use our own bodies, too.” Brain said, with a relaxed tone that made Malice’s colour go even further downhill “And that’s all we use. We don’t need odd powers to get rid of each other.”

“Right, of course not. You just point and shoot.”

“If you saw what war was like where I’m from, you wouldn’t make it sound so easy.”

“Well if you knew what it was like to fight down in the mud, using your mind and body all at once, you wouldn’t make battle here sound so easy.”

“I never said it was!”

“You guys…” Titania started, but she was cut off.

“You implied it.”

“I did not! How can you know what I’m thinking or implying?”

“I can hear. That’s how.”

“What the hell is going on down here?” Belial muttered, making his appearance in the doorway.

“Better not come in. It’s crowded already.” Brain said, putting his guns away.

Belial merely smirked “Captain says we’re approaching the area where the shrine is located. There’s nowhere to land the ship, though, so he’ll have to dump it somewhere outside the Rorrim Mountains. We can go through a cavern to get in.”

“When are we going to arrive?” Malice asked, calmly.

“We’ll land in about 20 minutes.” Said Belial.

“Alright, then. Everyone should get ready. We’ll depart as soon as possible.” Malice looked at Brain “Bring only what you yourself can carry, and what won’t slow us down or draw attention.”

Clearly irritated, Malice left; Titania followed him.

“So, really…what was happening?” Belial asked, looking clearly amused.

“Nothing. What’s that guy’s problem?”

“Talk to him in another half hour. He’ll probably treat you like his best friend.” The demon laughed “Then the next half hour he’ll try to kill you.”

“That bad, huh?”

“No. Just lately.” Belial answered, “So, uh…what are those things you’ve got lying around?”

[Zerlina]

*

“Malice, is something wrong?” Titania asked, following him up a flight of stairs.

“Nothing... and everything!” He replied, sighing, “I know I was a little harsh with that kid.”

“Kid? I think he’s older than me…”

“Doesn’t matter. I know I was harsh with him, but it’s just everything that’s going on here. I feel trapped in this thing, and with all this stress…it’s impossible!”

“I know things got hard on you after Nichi…anyways, I know things are hard for you. But why don’t you spread some of the pressure? We can’t do everything, but I know we can help. Just let us.”

Malice shook his head “There’s only so much you can do. And besides, if we have more than one person making the decisions, we’ll never get anywhere. Brain will want to fight without thinking, you’ll want to stay put, Belial will want to destroy the damn airship, and Magus…well I don’t know. He’ll want to do something unproductive.”

Titania nodded, not arguing with anything.

“At least before I just did what I was told. It was tough, but I did a good job of it. Now I feel like if I make one wrong move, everyone will suffer.”

“No one will blame you if you make a mistake. Messing up is something everyone does.”

Malice shook his head “Everyone says they don’t blame you, but really they do.”

“I won’t blame you.”

He laughed “You won’t say you blame me. But how can you help it? Even I would blame me.”

Titania shook her head and laid a hand on his shoulder “We’re all behind you. We don’t want to see you fail. We only want to help.”

Malice stopped walking and sat down on the stairs, burying his face in his hands “I know that you all want to help, but there are things which I have to do alone. I can’t depend on you always.”

“And we can’t always depend on you.” She sat down next to him “Malice, I know you have more responsibility than you used to- and you definitely have more to worry about than me. But that doesn’t mean that the rest of us don’t feel what you’re feeling. I can only speak for myself, but I think that we all know that anything we do can be critical for ourselves or someone else.”

“I know you mean what you say.” Malice said “But I don’t think you fully understand.”

“So explain, and let me understand.”

“I’m trying to. But I don’t think anyone can really know until they’ve tried these shoes.”

Titania stared down at Malice’s feet.

“I don’t think they’ll fit.” She said, and smiled at him.

Malice forced a laugh when he saw how much she wanted to cheer him up, but still did not feel right.

“Thanks for talking with me…” he said, deciding it was the effort that counted.

Titania smiled, but could tell she had not improved his mood at all “Talking… I guess that’s all I can do to help?”

Malice nodded “I have to face these things alone. I know you don’t understand, but it’s true. I can’t let you all-“

“You don’t have to protect us.”

Malice looked at her, and then down the hallway to where some of the others still slept.

“I do have to. I can’t just decide I won’t. It’s not something I could do.”

“Well then let us protect you too. You shouldn’t have to take all of our pain. I know the others…well maybe not Belial…would give anything to keep you safe.”

“You would?”

“Yeah. I would- I mean, we would.”

He smiled.

Realizing she was caught, she shrugged and decided she might as well give an explanation “Up until just now you’re the only one who actually cared about what happened to me. When I came here, you knew and cared about what I was going through, when all the others just thought to leave me alone and let me figure out the world for myself. I still remember when you followed me into town. And then during the trip to Gracia, you helped me so much. I wouldn’t have been able to do all I could if you hadn’t been there for me. I just feel like I owe you something.”

“You don’t owe me anything.” Malice shook his head.

“I do.” She persisted, and then got an idea “Here…”

A bit awkwardly, she unfastened a necklace which had become so much a part of her that the others hadn’t noticed it. Hanging off the silvery chain was a small coin, plated on one side with a glossy red material. Etched into it was the shape of a bird amidst a flame.

“This is an eidolon pendant. They say that when you wear it, the guardian whose image it bears will protect you.”

“So that’s Phoenix, then?” Malice asked.

“Right. You’re quick to pick up on these things!” Titania remarked, and stared at the object in her palm, suddenly realizing that she’d had that pendant since she was a baby.

“You don’t have to give it to me…” he said, noticing that she was slow to part with the object.

“No, no. You need it more than me. Phoenix has already saved me twice. Now it’s your turn.”

Silently, Malice lowered his head and let her place the chain over it, so that it fell and rested on his neck.

“It suits you.” Titania said.

“But now you seem like you’re missing something.” Malice commented.

She stared downward, trying to see where her necklace used to sit.

“It’s fine.” She said “It’s better that my collar looks bare than you go wandering unprotected. At least this way, even when you have to deal with things yourself, Phoenix can help you.”

“Thanks.” Malice said, fingering the necklace “It means a lot.”

Titania smiled “You really mean that?”

“I do.” He said “It’s good to know I’m not as alone as I thought.”

“You want to be even less alone?” she asked

Malice nodded.

“You should probably apologize to Brain then. Or at least coax an apology out of him!”

“Naw.” Malice said, “Tough guys like me don’t apologize. I’ll just be nicer to him later and it’ll be over.”

“Are you sure?” asked Titania, laughing at the title her friend had given himself.

“I’m sure!” Malice answered, with a bit of a smile “Leave this one to me.”

Titania had a bit of a smirk on her face “I suppose that I could…but just this once...only because you’re my friend and I don’t particularly hate you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Malice laughed.

“So you’re feeling better?”

“I’m feeling better.”

“Next time don’t take it out on others, ok? It’s not their fault that you have so many troubles”

“Alright.” Malice answered, finding that she had the irritating ability of saying things which would normally make him angry, in a way that was impossible to argue with.

“I’m going to make sure Belial hasn’t unmade Brain, or the other way around.
I think that Magus and Glenn are up on the top of the deck, maybe you should go tell them about where we’re going.”

“Ok. We’ll meet outside in 15 minutes, alright? Make sure the others are there. And none of those shooting things.”

“I’ll try my best.” Titania answered as she descended the stairs.

Looking upward at the outer door, Malice rose to his feet and made his way to the deck, deciding he would pay Magus and Glenn a visit.

[~Hidan~]

Belial sat down on a chair backwards and looked over the strange weapons that Brain was messing with. “You seem to carry some interesting equipment my friend, I have seen similar in the past but nothing quite like this.” Belial picked up one of the pistols and began to do the western gunplay moves with it.

Really glad that none of the guns were loaded Brain just smiled and nodded. “So I am told you’re a demon right?”

“Right.”

“Doesn’t that make you the enemy?”

Belial smiled. “No not right now, I’m not one of the ones trying to destroy the planet you see?”

“I see.”

“Osirus and I are both neutral demons we only play on the will of humans, the ones we are against are directly taking over the humans instead.” Belial said as Osirus entered the room as well.

Osirus looked at Belial and then at Brain. “I like this one, he’s got a real fighters spirit along with a true and honest heart. He’ll suffer the most if he gets close to someone that dies, this will be most interesting.” Osirus said as he opened his book and left the room.

Brain just shrugged and went back to looking over this equipment. “He seems interesting, very morbid and very strait forwards.”

Belial nodded and was about to speak as Titania entered the room looking at Belial and Brain in surprise that neither of them had an angry look on their face. “Better rest up guys we’ll be heading into the ruins soon.”

As Titania started to leave the room Brain spoke up and asked. “So what exactly are we going into these ruins for?”

“Well we think there may be clues to a power that may help us in the war against the demons.” Titania said.

“What kind of power?” Brain said scratching his chin.

Titania didn’t know what to say “It’s a suggestion that was passed between the captain, Magus and Malice. I wasn’t really given the full details, but this is supposed to be the resting spot of a book that will help us find the power.”

Brain grabbed the case that seemed to have nothing in it. Just gave a head motion towards the deck. The others were already out on the deck looking around the area. Brain started pulling legs out of the box and then opening the side and top. Five small tubes sat inside and a long barrel stuck out of the top. He clicked a few things and then walked back and motioned for everyone else to stay back as well. Several seconds later with a small puff of smoke the tubes started to fire out of the barrel. Souring high into the sky and disappearing. Brain just smiled.

“What in the hell was that?” Magus said pulling himself back to his feat after being scarred back by the first hissing sounds.

“That my friend is a satellite system. Let’s see how I can put this. I shot 5 small things into the sky so far that they can see the entire planet, the send me information to this and tell me were we are in the world and how big the world is. It’s just a really nice map.

Everyone just looked at Brain like he was nuts and went on to deciding who would go into the ruins and who would protect the airship.

Malice spoke up first. “I think it would be best if Magus, Glenn, Titania and I went into the ruins and that Brain, Belial and Osirus protect the ship for now.”

“Yes sir!” Brian said with some charisma. “We’ll do out best sir!”

Belial and Osirus just nodded and sat down and started talking about things only demons would think to talk about.

Malice didn’t know if he should be insulted by the response that Brian gave or not. Asking Brain to talk with him for a moment in private they went down into Malice’s cabin.

“Yes sir?” Brain said confused why he was down there.

Malice looked him in the eyes. “Are you playing with me kid? What is with the whole sir thing?”

Brain didn’t know what to say. “Well I took it that you were the leader of these people, you’re the one who has it together and seems to be worried most about protecting everyone so I thought it was only right to treat you as my superior and call you sir.”

Malice nodded. “Well you don’t have to call me sir; I’m not use to it. If you remember the statue that was near us when you first met us, that was our old leader, I just took over. I have to say I’m not use to it yet.”

Brain nodded and walked out of the room back to his. “I’ll take good care of the ship while your gone Malice take good care of the others while you do whatever it is your doing.” Brain said as he entered the room.

Belial and Osirus helped the others get off the ship while this was going on and Malice came up and joined the others on the land, he was very happy to be back on solid ground.

“We should be back by tomorrow. If you don’t see us by then please come and find us.” Malice said waving to the Captain and the three staying onboard.

[Zerlina]

The ominous airship rose before them, dark and malevolent against the pale morning sky. Its propellers still fanning slowly in the wind, it seemed to the group to be the last, faint sign of civilization. Though they had traveled before, Gracia had become the familiar to them, and just as it had been difficult for each to leave their home, it was painful to leave the final sign of the city they had spent months fighting for.

“Come on, everyone. The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll be back.” Malice said, being the first to turn away from the ship and walk toward the caverns; his steps were slightly shaky for he was unused to the unmoving ground. Obediently, the others followed, none of them saying a word.

Amidst an eerie silence, they marked their way through the dampened grass, nervously anticipating whatever darkness lurked within the cave ahead.

“We’re going in there?” Titania asked, after some time.

Malice nodded, “That’s the only way into the forest.”

“Forest?” Magus questioned “You mean, the cave’s not all we have to get through?”

“Right.”

“Then what makes you think we’ll be back in a day?”

“Nothing.” Malice answered “It’s just I think that Osirus, Belial and Brain will do better in a group with each other, rather than with us.”

No one argued with him, and soon all that could be heard was the swishing of armour and the gentle pat of footsteps. When at last they came to the entrance of the cave, Malice stopped and turned to his friends.

“There’s no turning back after this.” He said “If anyone wants to stay on the airship, say so now.”

As was expected, there were no protests.

Taking a deep breath, Malice began to enter the cave.

“Wait!” cried Titania.

Thinking she wanted to quit, Malice stepped outside once more and turned to look at her.

“…there’s something written on that rock there…” she said, pointing to the side of the cave.

Taking the initiative, Magus moved toward the inscription and looked hard at it.

“…it’s no use. I can’t read it.” He said “Glenn, do you want to try?”

The knight obliged, but found the same results as Magus- it was illegible.

“Titania?” he asked. She shook her head.

Giving up on the others, Malice moved toward the inscription and began to speak aloud, recognizing that the language was Theiran.

“Beware traveller
For evil lies beyond what you may perceive”

He stared at the others, realizing the weight of the text.

“Though fog may veil a stealthy warrior
In the end it only can deceive

And those who know
Of where the noble truth doth lie
Will find illusion is their light and woe
And so, gentle warrior, look not unto thy side
For there is nought a rusted blade what can defeat this foe”

“…what the croak dost thine poem mean?” Glenn asked after some time.

“I’d think out of all of us, you’d be the one to understand it the most.” Titania muttered, plainly.

“So no one understands it?” Malice inquired, and was met with no response.

“Whose bright idea was it to write a warning in verse in the first place?” Magus said, after pondering.

“One who fears that their instructions will be understood by the unworthy.” Glenn guessed.

“Or maybe someone who thinks any clear warning will be erased…” Malice added.

“This doesn’t sound like a friendly place.” Titania spoke up “Are you sure it will be alright for us to go inside?”

“You can always turn back.” Magus stated.

She shook her head “I’m not scared.” She argued, defensively “I’m just not sure if you’re all alright with it.”

“Come on.” Said Malice “Whatever’s in there can’t be worse than what we had to fight in Gracia.”

The others nodded in agreement, and then slowly followed their leader into the darkness of the caves. No sooner had they entered did the air turn stale and cold, and the smell of rotting flesh infect them.

When they had been traveling for some time and the doorway moved out of sight, they realized the first of their troubles: the cave was blindingly dark.

“I wonder if this is how it feels to be dead.” Magus said “To have your eyes open and not know what lies in front of you.”

“Stop it. This place is creepy enough.” Titania muttered.

“She’s right.” Malice said “Do you think it would be possible to get any light in here?” He would have turned to the others, but didn’t know where they were.

“I could start a fire, but I’ve got nothing to hold it. I’d be wasting all my power here if I had to keep the thing going for so long.”

“It’s too bad Belial isn’t here.” Someone said, but it was unclear whom.

“…Oh great!” Titania interrupted, coughing “I think there’s some kind of fog here.”

“How can you tell? You can’t see a thing.”

“I can feel it when I breathe. Can’t you guys?”

There was no answer.

“…is that a no?”

Silence.

“…hello?”

Arms outstretched, she felt around to see where the others were, but was met with nothing.

*

“Malice, come over this way!” said either Glenn or Magus.

“No.” the leader answered “The ground is sloping up in the direction I’m going. I think this is the way out.”

“It’s not.” Came the argument “Follow my voice, I’m pretty sure the exit is this way.”

Sighing, Malice followed “You’d better be damn sure of yourself. If we get lost, there’s no way we’ll find our way out.” Finding that he could no longer distinguish the direction that the others were going in, he called out “Say something!”

The only answer was his echo.

*

Along the corridors and tunnels of the caves, the four wandered separately, each having followed the sound of their friends and each having ended up alone.

“Ow!” came an effeminate exclamation “Who just bumped into me?”

“Titania, is that you?”

“Yes. Who’s that?”

“Glenn.”

“Glenn? Where’s Malice and Magus?”

“I regret to admit that I don’t know.”

“Why did you all leave me alone?”

“I assure you I did not. It was you and the others who exited my presence.”

“…I guess we must have all just wandered off.”

“Yes, that does sound quite possible…” he agreed “Do you think you would be able to produce any kind of illumination?”

“I could try.” She said, and felt along the floor for something that could be set aflame. Finding a long object, she picked it up and after a few attempts managed a spell. Slowly, the cave flickered with an eerie light before revealing the images of Glenn, Titania, and a bouncing white flame- a bouncing white flame that was lit on an aging bone.


“Ack!” the mage cried and nearly dropped the thing “…Glenn…do you want to take it?”

He nodded and seized the object, his gauntlets clinking as he did so.

“It’s amazing how quickly we got lost.” Titania said, wiping her hand on her apron.

“Indeed.” Glenn agreed “It seemed we were speaking only a few moments before.

Before she could answer, there came a voice from around the corner. It was Magus.

“Hey, is that light I see?” he asked.

Slowly he approached the others, and then stared at the flame “Interesting torch.”

“Magus- is Malice with you?” Titania asked, ignoring his comment.

“No. I thought he was with all of you.”

The two shook their heads.

“Malice?” Titania yelled, and was met with no answer but her own echo.

“He can’t have gotten far.” Magus muttered “We were just speaking to each other...”

*

“Glenn? Magus? Titania?” Malice yelled, hearing his name being called, but not knowing where it was coming from.

“We’re right here.” A masculine voice commented.

Once again, Malice’s name was called from somewhere far away. He could tell whose it was.

“…is Titania here?”

“I’m right here.”

His name was called again.

Not liking what was going on, Malice tensed up “Where are you?”

“Beside you.”

“Give me your hand.”

“Pardon?”

“There’s a gap in the ground up ahead. I’ll need to lead you all one by one. Give me your hand.”

There was no answer, and as was expected, his palm was left empty.

“Malice!” his name bounced off the walls again.

“I’m coming!” he yelled back, and began following the voices of the others.

After some time, he saw ahead of him a white light.

“Is that you guys?”

“Indeed.” Answered Glenn.

“…that’s funny…because you were all just over there.” He pointed back to where he’d come from.

“No. We’ve been here for the last ten minutes. Maybe you heard us talking” Magus said.

“Maybe…” Malice said “But I really felt like I was walking with you guys.”

Titania shrugged “Like Magus said. Maybe you just heard us talking.”

Malice nodded, conceding to what seemed obvious “Alright. Well…let’s stick together from now on. I think it’s easy to get lost in here.”

“Not only that, I’m not getting a good feeling from this place.” Magus added "There's an evil here which I think is aware of our prescence. Malice, are you sure your route is the only way out?"

"This is my first time here, too."

Magus shook his head "Since that bone was lit, the evil has died down a little, but I can still feel it close by." He turned to his Theiran companion "You show us the way out, but I'll walk with you- we should try to avoid the areas where the feeling is very strong."

"I could feel something before, too. Maybe that means it's very powerful." Titania said "I'm pretty sure I can't do what Magus can."

"Perhaps it was simply the cave that caused thy fear." Glenn mused.

"I wasn't scared." She said "I only felt like something wasn't right."

"I know what you mean." Malice agreed "...come on. I think I know which direction is the way out.”

That said, Magus joined the front and the two began to lead the way through the cave.

[Zerlina]

*

Past the dismal labyrinth of the cavern, over the pitfalls and stones, up and out through the light of the
tunnel, there lay a forest.

As the afternoon sun rose to an intense climax, a flock of blackened crows called and flew up from out of a tree, shaking branches and causing many leaves to flutter to the ground. Slowly, a gentle fog rolled along the deceptively peaceful grounds of the wood, as if to warn the creatures that lived there of the new presence.

How harmless it all looked- shallow meadows, fields of beautiful white flowers, mountains, and calm trees. It was glorious and calming, yet not completely settling; something was wrong. Something felt too perfect.

[~Hidan~]

Brain sat down on the deck of the boat and thought about how safe the others may be. Belial and Osirus had gone into one of the cabins and were playing poker, Brain had refused to join in. Captain was sound asleep in his cabin and they sat at around two hundred feet in the air.

Brain had a strange feeling about what was going on here, like something was out of place; he knew everyone had gone to their cabins or into the caves. Yet there across the boat from him stood a man in black armor tapping a gigantic sword on his shoulder.

That’s all the man did for the longest time. Brain watched him for several hours before the man finally turned towards Brain. The figure looked a lot like someone he had seen before. As it got closer he started to realize it was the man he had seen in the town he landed in. Only last time he had seen this person they were in the form of a statue.

The figure sat down next to him and smiled. Putting down his sword the figure started to gesture for Brain to copy what he did. It started to make symbols with its hands. Brain copied them but the first few times only got a puff of smoke out of it. The fifth time nothing happened but then the Figure started speaking.

“It’s been a little while since I could speak. Thank you for taking the time to learn the curse seal.” The man said while smiling. “How is everyone?”

“It would seem that they are much better of then you my friend, who are you by the way?” Brain said looking over the exquisite armor that the man was wearing.

“Oh they must not have told you, I’m Nichi. I use to be part of all this but it seems you were chosen to go on in the fight and not me.” Nichi said

“What do you mean by that?” Brain said looking rather confused.

“Well to make it a short story we are somehow connected in existence. However only one of us can exists in the same universe at the same time. Having the fate of you coming to this world, I in turn had to leave this world.” Nichi said “You were chosen to stay here because you’re the one who’s got the highest chance of success for the war.”

Brain thought for a moment about this. “So in a theory I am you? I just look different?”

“I guess that’s what could be said.” Nichi said looking over Brain. “We need to do something about this equipment that you use. It doesn’t suit you or this world.” With a snap of his fingers all of Brains equipment other then his wrist computer disappeared.

Looking a little unset Brain looked at his body. “How exactly am I supposed to be helpful in a world of Magic and Demons without any weapons to fight?”

Nichi sighed “Well for one your plenty strong if you just listened to your body enough to unlock its power. Secondly I’m going to give you a weapon, it may change form once in your hands though.” Nichi handed over his giant sword to Brain which turned solid once touching Brains hands. It however did not change as Nichi thought it would.

“So I’m supposed to fight with a sword that I can barley…. Wait a second how is this thing so light?” Brain said looking down at the huge weapon.

Not really sure what to say Nichi just shrugged. “Well maybe your stronger then you thought.”

Brain stood up and started playing around with the sword. “This is actually pretty cool I can fight well with this thing for its size.”

Nichi sighed as he noticed his time was falling short. “One more thing I’m giving you. This is very important so listen up.”

Brain sat back down next to Nichi and listened closely. “Ok?”

Nichi looked at Brain and then pulled up Brains hair from the back of his neck. “There is a mark here; do you know what it is?” Nichi said looking at it still. Brain shook his head no. “Well I had one when I was alive to, though I never figured out how to use it or even what it was until I died.”

Brain looked uneasy. He put his hand on the back of his neck and sure enough he could feel a slight raise in the skin. “So what is it?”

“Well when I was born in my village there was a great demon that had recently been killed. Fearing its return they locked his spirit in my body.” Nichi said. “So part of locking it to me leads to it either being passed down to my children or to the one closest to being like me.”

Brain shook his head. “So I’m carrying the spirit of a demon in me?”

“Exactly, and he is your slave. He needs you to be a live for him to be alive. Which means you can steal his strength once you figure out how to talk to him.” Nichi went on to say. “Lucky for you, you may have a chance of tapping this power, being that I’m dead I can’t.”

Brain just thought of his genetic transmutations. “I was genetically altered when I was born, I am supposed to have the power to turn into a humanoid like creature, I haven’t ever been able to do it because of my age but can I still do it?” Brain asked hoping the answer was no.

“Well I don’t really know, all I can say is you are human now, when you lived in the other world you were mostly filled with nano machines, they aren’t there anymore.” Nichi said.

“How do you know so much, I mean I would think you’d only know about this universe?” Brain said looking a little puzzled.

“When your dead all the universes are one, and all of time is one.” Nichi said looking up at the sky.

“I see, so I have to learn a lot more about myself to be able to help save this world don’t I?” Brain said thinking about how the others might be doing in the cave. “Will I see you again if I need help?”

“I’ll be around; I am bound to your spirit as well, just like the demon.” Nichi said “I need to go now, tell the others nothing of this but take good care of them.” With that Nichi vanished.

Brain sat for a little thinking about how to talk to part of him that was not normally open to talk to. So he just went to sleep focusing on the idea of talking within.

[Zerlina]

((;) I’m on a writing roll! Poor FFnut…))

As a warm fire crackled in the hearth and the strong scent of cigarettes clouded the air, Belial leaned back and placed his feet on a chair. Around the small room was scattered cards, empty bottles and gray and white ash.

“Full house.”

“Dammit!” exclaimed Osirus “…you’re cheating. I know it.”

Belial merely smirked and shuffled the deck.

“It’s that little pixie, isn’t it? She’s telling you what my cards are.”

“Who, Ensayne? I think she’s asleep.”

“That thing never sleeps. She’s watching. I know it.”

“Are you going to keep making excuses for being a pansy, or are you going to play?”

Osirus took a sip of some kind of liquor and wiped his mouth.

“Fine. Deal. Two drops of three.”

“One drop of two.” Belial interjected.

“Don’t push it.”

After about two hours and a lot of cursing, the game moved onto its last leg. Osirus, having not won a single game, was by this time surrounded by several empty liquor bottles.

“Hey, watch it. We might not be able to stock up for a while.” Came a voice from the doorway. It was Brain.

“What do you know? You just got here.” Osirus said, his face flushed from the alcohol.

“I know that there’s someone out there who gave his life so you could continue on, and you shouldn’t screw it up.” He answered.

“What? You mean that ninja guy?”

“Nichi.” Belial corrected.

“Right. Nichi.” Osirus said.

“Exactly. He gave a hell of a lot, so you’d better respect the chance he’s given us.”

“Look whose telling us what to do all of a sudden.” Osirus laughed, “Come on, Belial. Let’s show him who he’s really talking to.”

“No.”

“What?”

“No.” Belial repeated, “He’s just a kid. I have better people to save my energy for.”

Defeated and tired, Osirus spat into an ash tray “Fine, whatever. Are we continuing this game or not?”

“Yeah.” Belial said and looked at Brain “Like losing at poker?”

“Not really.” He replied “But I’ll join anyways.”

Irritated, Osirus kicked a chair from under the table, to indicate where the boy should sit.

“So two drops of three?” Brain asked.

“Sure.”
*

It had taken all day, but the group had finally made their way out of the cave. As dusk dwindled above the forest, their eyes basked in what was the first natural light to be seen for many hours.

“Alright.” Malice said “We’re all here?”

“Indeed.” Replied Glenn.

“Good. I think we’d better make camp. Magus, you come with me and get some firewood. Titania, you can get the water, and Glenn…you can go get water too.”

“I can carry it myself.” She said, plainly.

I know Malice thought, but shook his head “Doesn’t matter. Glenn’s going. We’ll meet back here in twenty minutes and then set camp.”

The group split into two, one going east to the sound of a river, and the other going north into the woods.

“So…what are we going to use to hold the water?” Titania asked as they reached their destination.

Silence.

“…perhaps we could…” Glenn began after a while “…I’m afraid I haven't an idea.”

“We really should have thought of this before hand.”

“Should have.”

“How about we sit and figure this out?” she asked, her feet sore.

“That sounds a valid idea, m’lady.” He answered and waited for her to sit before doing the same.

“I’d much rather stay here.” She laughed, “I don’t like fighting. And besides, I love the water.”

“And I.” He agreed, “There were many times I found safety in the belly of a river.”

“You…what…?” she asked, as she removed her shoes and let her feet hang over the edge of the bank.

“I found safety in the water. Has Janus not spoken of mine past?”

“Janus? Oh- Magus. No…he hasn’t.”

“I um…was once creature of amphibious nature…”

"...what?"

"A frog, m'lady."

“Oh…is that why you always croak?”

“Indeed.”

There was an awkward silence.

“I beg thy forgiveness, but mine feet are sore as well.” He said, sitting on the river-bank and placing his feet in the water.

“Oh, you don’t even need to apologize.” Titania laughed “Just do what you like. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of code of conduct here anyways.”

“How so?”

“Well everyone’s killing each other, and here we are in the middle of nowhere. I doubt that manners are on the priority list of this world.”

Glenn laughed, “I suppose not.”

“…so how do you like it here?”

“I’ve seen places that were much stranger.”

“Well how do you like the group, then?”

“I find them reasonable.”

“You don’t find them a little…cold?”

“Cold?”

“You know…unapproachable?”

“It will do thee good to remember that they are all warriors in their own right. Not becoming close to each other is a tactic of war.”

“How?”

“Perhaps this sounds morbid, but what if someone were to die?”

“Oh…that’s a terrible reason not to know people!"

“Perhaps yon mind advises against it now, but how didst thou feel when thy comrade had turn'd to stone."

“I felt sad.”

“And how well was thy acquaintance with him?”

“I had only known him for about a month, and I was always in the infirmary, so no…not very well…”

“And yet thy heart still felt sadness?”

“It did.”

“Imagine if there had been more effort to know- if there were friendship .”

“But that’s just it. I regret that I never really got to be his friend. I would put off talking to him, and then suddenly it was too late to.”

“…so thy tears were shed for regret?"

“Yes...I think...”

“…and now it is thy belief that the others are impossible to approach?"

“I do. Most of them I hardly speak to. With Malice I feel like we’re being friendly, but he’s always hiding. It’s like we’re speaking to each other, smiling and laughing, and yet at the same time he’s not being his complete honest self.”

“Would it be imposing to ask if he was not the only one to hide. Did thee choose to show thy 'honest self?'"

“I think so…but it’s hard to tell. I’ve changed so much since I’ve come here that I’m not sure who I really am anymore.”

“That surprises me quite a bit.” Glenn contemplated “I regard thy airs as joyous ones most of the time."

“I do act like I am. But I have to. So many times during the war we felt as if we were about to lose. I would pretend I didn’t know, and wash the blood from my hands so that the others would not know of how many injured men were in the infirmary. I feel like none of us want each other to know of what’s going on. I, myself, indulge them. But in truth, I feel like I’m always on the brink of defeat.”

“Thy feelings are not the only of their kind, m’lady.” Glenn said, moving his feet about in the river “I myself find I’m often disheartened in war. But that is the way it is and those who attempt to change it are fools. Besides, sometimes it’s better not to know all that is happening. Though we pretend to be brave, most of us would much rather live and die in ignorance.”

Titania smiled “…why can’t the others speak so honestly? Both you and Brain…you’re so open- like real people. You listen and speak like friends.”

“I find that sometimes the most popular tactics of war are the most ill-advised.” Glenn replied, “…I prefer to know who I am traveling with. Besides, it would be fairly draining to be constantly with people, who are less interesting to speak with than small bundles of twigs.”

Titania laughed, “I suppose so.”

“Suppose so?” Glenn grinned “I think you should be absolutely certain!”

“Fine. I’m absolutely certain.” She said, a smile on her face.

“Now, see? Was it so daunting a task to find someone with whom thy speech could be free? How silly!”

Titania faked offense, and splashed some water in his face, like she used to do to her friends at home.

“There, that makes it official.” She said.

“Pardon?” he questioned, drying off.

“It's a Madain Sari custom.” She laughed “That means we will be friends. And be honest. Agreed?”

“Hmm…agreed.” He answered “And as thy words were ‘completely honest,’ I believe I should speak up.”

“Go ahead.”

“The truth is… I’m a very vengeful person.” He replied and splashed a handful of water at her face, making her stumble and accidentally fall backward into the river.

“Eeek!”

SPLASH

[Zerlina]

*

“It will do us well to hurry- half of an hour has already passed.” Malice urged his companion forward.

“I don’t think we’re going in the right direction.” Magus said, “We’ve been walking for far longer than we should have been. Maybe we should call the others.”

“No. I do them to try and follow us and then get lost.” Malice answered, “Come, let’s mark our footprints and then try to find where we got off-track.”

Arms full of firewood, they turned and changed directions.

“…how long do you think it will take us to reach the old shrine?” Magus asked.

“No longer than three days if we’re lucky and don’t keep getting lost.” Malice answered.

His companion nodded and they continued down their path.

“Stop!” Magus yelled.

“What is it?”

“There’s something not right here..”

“Are you sure it’s not just your imagination?”

“I’m absolutely sure.”

They placed their firewood down and tensed up, ready to fight.

Above them, the canopy shifted. Uneasily, Malice looked upward to find nothing but empty trees and darkness.

“It must have le-”

No sooner had the warrior begun to speak did he suddenly feel a pull from above. Thinking quickly, Magus grabbed onto the legs of his targeted comrade, and tried to keep him on the ground. Bowing to the might of the wind, the leaves flew about and swirled through the air. Managing to subdue his attacker with the elements, Malice pulled himself back to the ground and nearly landed on his friend.

“What the hell is going on?” he exclaimed as he looked around “There’s nothing here but trees!”

“Come on.” Magus insisted, “Let’s just get out of here and try to find the others. If something happens to us, they’re not going to last.”

Malice nodded in agreement and the two picked up their firewood. Their pace greatly heightened, they made their way back to the meeting place.

*

“I suppose that makes thee just as vengeful.” Glenn said, as he wrung out his drenched hair.

“Sometimes the bitterest people are the ones you least expect.” Titania replied.

“I shall do my best to remember that.”

“…Hmm…” she said, looking at him “I think if you braid your hair it dries nicer.”

“I assure thee that’s the least of mine worries.” Glenn mumbled, “If the others don’t arrive soon, we shall freeze to death.”

“Oh, right.” Titania agreed “I wonder where they are- it must have been an hour by now.”

“An hour and a half.” Came a reply from the woods; fatigued, Malice and Magus came to the clearing.

“Malice, you’re bleeding!” Titania said, running up to him.

“We were attacked in the forest by something invisible.” He answered

Magus dumped his pile of wood on the ground and set it ablaze.

“This forest doesn’t seem too safe. We should retrieve what we need as soon as possible and get back to the airship.” He said, his face aglow with the orange fire.

Seeming to not have heard him, Titania looked at Malice’s bleeding shoulder“…come and sit down.”

“I’ll be fine.” He muttered, but allowed himself to be led to a spot near the fire.

“I can’t repair the wound, but I can try to numb the pain for you.” She said as she placed a hand on the gash.

Malice flinched but said nothing, being content to let her heal him.

“…what happened to you two?” Magus asked, after a silence.

“We were attacked…” Titania answered.

“…by invisible water beasts…” Glenn added on.

“…with fangs…”

“…that were invisible.”

They laughed.

“So did you get the supplies?” Magus asked, a little confused.

“We had nothing to carry it in.” Titania said, removing her hand from Malice’s shoulder, and adjusting his vest so that it covered it once more “We thought we could go back tomorrow and see what all four of us could figure out.”

“That’s a good idea.” Malice said “For now, let’s just stay here and cook what we can without water.”

That said, Magus removed from under his cape a small supply bag, and from that took out some meat. With care, he pierced the objects with sticks and passed them around.


For a while they ate, and conversed. Malice, speaking very little, and Glenn speaking quite a lot.

“…how’s your shoulder?” Titania asked, after some time.

“Better.” He replied, “How’s your clothes?”

“Still soaked.” she muttered “Glenn?”

“Drenched, m’lady.”

Magus smirked “I guess that makes me the best off for tonight. I’ll keep first watch, then.”

There was no argument from the group who began to settle down for the night. Leaving her spot, Titania moved to sit beside Malice, allowing for Magus and Glenn to speak to each other.

“So what really happened?” he asked as she took another look at his wound.

“He splashed me in the eyes and I fell. Then I pulled him in.”

“Sounds like he deserved it.”

Titania laughed and ripped the hem of her dress. Dutifully, she wrapped it around the wound.

“It’s still bleeding, so that means it must be deep. Don’t take this bandage off, alright?”

“I won’t.” he said, watching her as she tied the object.

“Please don’t do this again. You’re scaring me.”

“Hey, I couldn’t help it.” He said, “It’s not my fault I was ambushed.”

“I’m serious. Be more careful next time. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Since when do you have to look out for me?”

She smiled and shrugged.

“We all have to look out for each other. If we don’t, then we might as well travel by ourselves.” She said as she adjusted the bandage.

Malice merely smiled and let her finish wrapping his shoulder.

[FFnut]

(("Poor FFnut", huh?))

*****************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

Magus sighed. "Now what do we do, oh great Sir Ribbit?"

Glenn sat next to Magus and plunged the Masamune into the ground. "Art thee suggesting we leaveth them behind?"

Magus shook his head. "No, I mean about Schala. About the Lavos Spawn. They're not going to leave me alone, I can tell you that much."

Glenn shrugged. "We may deal with them when the time cometh."

A feeling of evil began to blow around Magus. Everything started to turn dark, very dark. Soon he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. A few minutes later the darkness parted and Magus saw...

Glenn saw Magus stumble away and draw his scythe. The knight pulled his blade out of the ground.

"How'd you get here?" the dark mage asked.

Glenn shook his head. "What... what dost thou mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Slash. How the hell did you get here? Where's Glenn?"

Glenn shook his head. "Magus... I am not Slash..."

"Bullshit. I worked with you for ten years, Slash, I think I'd be able to tell you apart from a human." Magus bolted back towards the camp with these words.

Magus dodged through the woods, coming back to the clearing where Titania and Malice were. They looked up, startled by Magus's sudden entrance. "What's wrong?" asked Malice, standing up.

Magus blasted a spell at Malice, knocking him back a few feet. "What the hell did you do with my friends?"

Titania rushed over to Malice's side, trying to heal the damage the spell had done, only to be met by a spell herself.

Magus walked over and leaned over Malice. "What's wrong? Need that wench over there to heal you? Why not do it yourself? Or have you finally realized that you're inept at magic?"

Malice's feet caught Magus in the chest and he sprawled backwards. Malice stood up, hatred in his eyes. "You're dead, you murderer."

Magus pushed himself off the ground, brushing himself off. “Oh, come on," he said, gesturing to the girl. "I’ve seen that mage get out of worse problems than this one.”

Glenn scrambled into the clearing to find Magus and Malice squaring off with each other. Magus whirled around. “And you too? Fine then. I’ll finish you all off later.” Magus ran off into the forest, Malice quickly running after him.

Glenn picked up Titania. Using the little water magic in him, he managed to cast a curing spell to help her back on her feet.

Titania looked at the man. “What… why would Magus do something like that?”

Glenn shook his head. “Something may have happened to him. He believed I was… one of his enemies from our world. And he attacketh you two as well…”

Titania shook her head. “He called Magus… a murderer…? Did he really think I was dead?”

Glenn shrugged. “Doubtful. Whatever hath affected Magus could also be affecting Malice. Malice could thinketh he’s someone else too. We’d best follow them both, lest someone truly be hurt.”

The two of them took off after their friends who were suddenly enemies.

((Heh, and the evil magic of Phantasm rears its ugly head. Magus thinks that Malice, Titania, and Glenn are three of his old allies who he turned on and who hate him. In his mind, Malice is Ozzie, the leader of the three and basically a magician who can construct impregnable barriers around himself or others – although the rest of his magic is pretty weak. Titania is Flea, a magician who, despite having characteristics that ONLY females should have, is a man. Glenn is Slash, a swordsman who’s actually quite decent at swordplay. Malice also sees Magus as Boiz, so it’s easy to see why he wants Magus dead.))

[Mong00se]

((I think you're referring to Boiz, not Dacono. I have nothing to do with Dacono))

Malice stood in the forest clearing, staring down one of the most dangerous of the Theirian mages. Last time he'd met with Boiz, he'd underestimated his foe, and he'd suffered for it. And now, with his hands resting uneasily on his sheaths, he looked up at Boiz, waiting for him to make the first move.

Malice's mind spasmed, and reality shifted. In front of him stood Magus, looking back at him holding his head in equal pain. Suddenly, the delusion left and the bloodthirsty eyes of Boiz stared back at him.

"You traitors, I'll make you taste my scythe," said Boiz in an unparalleled fury. He lunged forward.

It was not the scythe that caught Malice offguard, but the comment. He was knocked sprawling by what seemed to be a flaming sword. His rubbed his eyes to clear his daydream, but low and behold, in front of him stood the insane form of his nemesis and once friend.

"What is this insanity you speak of? What Scythe carry you. May you be vanquished by the skies," stated Malice, his adrenaline pumping.

"You call me on my insanity?" Boiz repeated, a strange tone in his voice. "What say you magician, embrace my darkened fury."

Boiz lunged forward again, his sword erupting and spewing embers. Malice easily dodged, rising above his foe and striking him hard on the back with a swift kick. Boiz sprawled forward, but caught himself and vaulted upward. He turned to face Malice.

The eyes! They did not possess the furious lust that usually guided them. Instead they were determined, eyes of a warrior who has just watched a loved one die.

Boiz lunged one more time, and Malice parried the blow, holding his daggers in an X to hold the sword at bey. The two stood weapons locked and stared into eachothers eyes, staring eachother down. Malices mind shrieked, and he closed his eyes to get a grip on the pulsating pain. He opened his eyes, and he saw no sword, but instead the scythe his foe had spoke of. The pain repulsed through his head, and when he opened his eyes again, he stared into the crimson fury of Boiz.

Malice backed off, focusing the wind into his palm and pushing his enemy backward. Boiz flew back against a tree, where he slumped. He shot no fire back. Malice grabbed his head as the pain shot through it one more time, threatening to tear his mind from his body. As he did, Boiz got up, and taking advantage of the situation, he let loose an elemental blast. This blast hit Malice with immense force, and yet he felt no passion from the flames. Instead he felt cold, as if he had just been attacked by an opposing element. Shaking his head, he slowly got up.

"Wha.. What is going on?"

((FFNut, if you keep this fight going, I have some crazy dagger idea's to try out. be prepared to get pwned :P :D))

[FFnut]

((Bah, you're right, I meant Boiz. Glad to see your writer's block's gone, though. I was starting to miss the way you did fight sequences.))

*****************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

Ozzie stumbled up, slowly. Magus chuckled. "What's wrong? Where're your world-famous barriers?"

Ozzie flew forward, and for a second Magus thought he saw daggers in his hands. He blinked and Ozzie's claws slammed into him, knocking him back.

Magus spit blood before standing up. "Well, looks like you've got some skill after all. But just because I've known you since I was a kid doesn't mean that I have any pity for the likes of you."

Ozzie laughed. "Then try this one!" Magus was blasted backwards by a powerful gust of wind. He struggled to get up, only to be met by another blow from Ozzie.

The scythe twirled. "I always wanted to try this one out." Magus hurled the scythe with incredible precision, catching Ozzie's arm. Blood spurted out of the wound as the scythe curved in midair and came back to Magus's hand.

"Gah!" screamed Malice.

Magus shook his head. Malice? What the...

Ozzie was clutching his wound. "You... you're going to suffer for that one..."

Magus gripped his scythe. "Y'know, if I didn't know that you were entirely incompetent, I might actually be afraid right now." He stared into Ozzie's blue eyes and... Blue eyes? Ozzie's eyes aren't blue!

The beady brown eyes focused in on Magus's. "Die." Ozzie's voice was a snarl.

The two daggers were at the front of Ozzie's lunge. Magus was caught off his guard by the claws while trying to figure out where the blades had come from and how they had vanished so quickly.

Ozzie spit in Magus's face while he laid on the ground. "I thought you said I was the incompetent one." He raised his claws for a final blow and brought them down.

A quick blast of lightning jolted the Mystic back and Magus hopped back on his feet. Wiping the saliva off his face, he spoke. "I was just trying to give you a chance by holding back my full power. But if you insist..."

[Zerlina]

“M-!”

Glenn caught Titania before she could run to her friend.

“He’s bleeding!” she yelled, struggling to free herself.

“Forgive me, but to intervene now would only be foolishness!” he exclaimed, gripping her arms so that she had to face him “Who knows what poisons their minds- they may see either of us as an enemy, and that will be the end.”

“But his arm! And Magus, too! They’re going to kill each other, Glenn!”

“I do not like it either! But running out there will not help anyone!” he insisted “Think for once! There is no way to help if we are dead.”

She stopped trying to run, and conceded defeat.

“What can we do, then? One of them will murder the other!” Her gaze darting back and forth between two, she pleaded with Glenn. Her voice cracked with exapseration.

Unsure of the answer himself, Glenn thought for what seemed like an eternity.

“…have you a spell?” he asked, finally.

“I could try to think of something, but it might take a while.”

“Try. I will do mine best to think of another way out. The situation does not look good, though…” Nervous and scared, he watched the scene in the clearing “…let us split up and watch from both sides. Remember to think before acting!”

She nodded and the two parted ways, each going to opposite ends of the clearing; Glenn hiding behind Magus, and Titania behind Malice.

[Mong00se]

The flames that usually eminated from Boiz's body intensified and grew. The sudden flare surprised Malice. There was an oddity about these flames though: they were filled with an outside element, a dark presence about them. Malice shook it off, returning his focus to the battle. He brushed off his vest of dirt, once again revealing the air insignia on his right breast, over his heart. He took stance and readied his daggers.

"Let's dance," he said determined, and shot forward upon the wind. He sliced forward, his daggers gliding smoothly through the air that seemed to part for his attack. Boiz nimbley dodged, jumping up and over Malice. When he looked backwards, Malice wasn't there.

**

Magus looked backwards towards what once stood Ozzie, but nothing was there.

What, he thought. Ozzie can't simply disappear.

He looked around, scanning the area, but to no avail. Frustrated, he swung madly his scythe, but as he did so, he was struck from behind by Ozzie's foot. This was an unorthodox move. Ozzie had always fought by staff, and never by hand or foot. He was a spellcaster, and he stayed true to his trade. Something wasn't right.

A pain shot through Magus' head again, but this time it was worse. Before him no longer stood Ozzie. Nothing stood in front of him. He still stared at the forest, though through a tainted universe. He saw the outline of the trees, but they were black. The sky was black, except for the ultraviolet light of the sun. The outlines of the trees were a static white. Magus gripped his head and tried to shake the thoughts from his head, turning his thoughts to Schala and his friends. That's when the oddities hit him.

The daggers.
The blue eyes.
The disappearing.

Was he fighting Malice?

No it couldn't be he thought, and the ominous black terrain once more became the dense green canopy of the trees.

"Now I will show you my real power," said the voice of Ozzie from the other side of the clearing. He spread his arms so they were 90 degrees from his body, a perfect symmetry. Magus noted as his clawed seemed to detatch themselves from his arms.

"Here we go," Ozzie said.

**

Malice prayed to the goddesss of the wind as he raised his daggers, pointing the blades outward. He summoned the guardian wind to aid him, and he threw his daggers forward with incredible speed. In the hands of the air the daggers flew hence, slashing at Boiz's side. Malice's hands, now outstreched forwards, turned inwards. With his palms facing up, he raised his hands at the wrist, and the daggers came to a complete stop. His hands parted to opposite sides of his body, and with it, the wind danced and the daggers parted. With a great fury, he waved his hands. The daggers danced to their conductor, and flew back and forth, slashing at Boiz at each pass. Malice waved his hands wildly as he lead his brutal symphony. Finally, he called forth his daggers, and with a stunning finale, they pierced his enemies sides one last time before returning to their master's hands. Boiz's limp figure collapsed to the ground.

Malice panted as he walked over to Boiz. Boiz looked up with terror in his eyes, a terror that Malice had never seen before. Fueled by the lust of battle, Malice smiled sadistically. He unsheathed a single dagger, and pointed it at Boiz's throat. Revenge was definately bittersweet.

**

Magus looked up at Ozzie as the pain flared through his sides. He rested himself on one arm, and though the pain was unbearable, he knew he must bear it. He couldn't die without saving Schala.

The pain of his side was suddenly pushed aside as the pain shot through his skull. Magus cursed at the timing, but it was cut short by another wave of pain. Magus looked up, and gasped. He stared into the eyes of Malice.

"No," Magus said weakly, staring at the framiliar dagger pointed at his throat. "Malice, please don't."

Malice looked down at him, expression unchanged. He pushed the dagger closer towards his friends throat. Though the comment from the villain was more of a plea for help than anything, Malice was fueled by revenge. He readied himself to strike.

At that point, enough was enough, and Titania stepped in.

[Zerlina]

Her mind was flooded with choices, none of which she could make. Her decision torn between her two friends, she simply ran to where the fight had come to what might be a violent finale.

“Stop! Malice, stop!” she yelled, coming up behind him and pulling his arms back so that he could not use them.

Realizing that Magus might retaliate, Glenn followed suit and held down his friend.

“I’m so sorry!” she cried, keeping a tight grip on his arms so that he could not free himself. Internally, she thanked the eidolons for the melancholy injuries he had taken in.

“What are you doing?!” The Theiran yelled, trying to free himself. He twisted about, knowing that he still held his daggers, but thirsting for revenge.

“Back off, Slash!” Magus warned, ready to attack Glenn.

“Janus, you know not what you do!”

There was a loud bang as Magus’ fist met the side of the knight’s face.

“Magus, stop it!” Titania yelled, still trying to restrain the struggling Malice.

Angered and confused, Magus turned toward the girl and nearly caught her in a spell once more. Titania, realizing that she had turned Malice into an open target, pulled him quickly to the side and dodged the attack.

“Glenn, what should I do?” she screamed

The knight was too busy to answer. With all his strength, he jumped on his friend, attempting to bring him down. His efforts were in vain, and no sooner had he tried to stop the fight was he his with a dark spell.

“Janus! Janus!” he yelled, trying to calm down the angered man.

“Leave this to me, Glenn!” Malice yelled, struggling furiously to escape.

“Please, calm down!” Titania cried, her mind telling her to avoid Malice’s senseless daggers, her soul telling her to restrain him, and her heart telling her to keep him away from harm.

“What the hell are you doing?” he yelled, confused “Boiz is right there! Don’t you know what he’s done?”

“That’s not him!”

“I know it was him! We all know he did it! Now let go of me before I have to do something I don’t want to!”

What he said did no good, because she was sure his threats were empty.

“I can’t let you kill him! Malice, it’s not him! Listen to me, it’s not him!”

“What lies has he told you?” the Theiran yelled, finally freeing himself of her grip.

“Your daggers!” she screamed, clutching her hands, which ran with blood.

He shook his head, but was already approaching his enemy “I didn’t mean to! But I can’t deal with this right now. He’s here!
Glenn! Leave him to me!”

The knight did not hear him. His armour making a loud bang, he landed on his back, Magus having sent a swift spell at him.

“Janus, thou art mistaken!”

“Ha!” he replied “Stop talking in such poetic tones, and accept your doom!”

“Haven’t you taken enough life?” Malice’s fist met the back of Magus’ head and pushed him forward; before he could land, the wind caught his injured body and tossed him further.

Rising to his feet once more, the mage shot his opponent a condescending look “You challenge me on the circumstance of death!?” he laughed.

“Let’s finish this!” Around the Theiran, the air began to rise. Swirling forward in a horizontal whirlwind, the sudden burst of air hit Magus with such great force that he could hardly stay grounded. Struggling to make his way through the obstacle, the mage began to form his own dark spell. Spinning through the center of the vortex, the sudden pulse of dark energy moved through the wind, until suddenly both powers fell.

Stumbling for an immediate lack of energy, Malice hit the ground. “W-what sorcery is this?” he cried

Unknown to him, Magus had fallen to the same fate, and he clutched his head in pain “Are you afraid to fight fair?” he yelled, thinking his opponent had caused the effect.

The two struggled, but in less than a few moments, each fell unwillingly into a forced unconciousness.

“Glenn, are you alright?” Titania asked, as she let herself rest on the ground, clearly exhausted.

“I shall manage.” The knight muttered, “And you?”

“I’m fine.” She replied “Just a little bit of a cut.”

Raising his head, he stared at her hands “Luck seems to have been on your side. It is not deep. The pain is probably from the shock.”

“Right. I’ll heal it later.” She nodded “What will we do with these two. It is inevitable that they should awake.”

“We may only hope that they will see clearly when they rise.”

“And what about us? What if we start seeing each other as enemies?”

Glenn thought hard for a moment and stared at the unmoving bodies of his friends.

“We will separate them so that when they awake they do not see each other. If they are still under the illusion, we will be able to tell. If not, they can travel together once more.”

Titania nodded, and the two made their way to their respective friends.

“Meet back in this clearing soon if possible.” Glenn said.

With pain and effort, both managed to take the injured to separate spots in the wood.

*


“…what... ?” came the first word at sunrise.

Head pounding, Malice sat up and looked around. He found himself near the edge of a cliff, submerged in endless woodland- above him the forest rose high and the birds chirped; below him the ground was hard and dry. Between the miniature valleys of the cracked earth, ants crawled in and out of their homes like tiny armies, each with the same thought in their mind- protecting their queen and home. Malice watched the creatures for a while, until the sound of the chirping morning herald called his attention.

His weight resting heavily on the ground, he could not mustre the energy to stand. It was such a dominating feeling that had overcome him only a few hours before, that still it lingered over him like a hazy opressor. Obligated to remain where he was for lack of will to do otherwise, Malice turned to gaze upon the east where the sun rose. There he saw a solitary figure only a few metres from him, sitting and keeping some kind of guard. She did not face him and yet he knew who it was.

“What’s going on?” the Theiran asked.

“Last night you had a fight.” Titania answered, dryly, her voice falling quickly in the cold morning air.

His eyes turned down as he thought, Malice searched through the universe of memory which resided in his mind. Straining to find some thread of what had happened the night before, he was silent for some time.

“That's right, I fought...with Boiz…”

“No.” Titania corrected “With Magus.”

Malice shook his head “No. I was in the forest with him, and he had a…scythe?”

The memory shot through his mind like lightning, and he brought his hand up to his temple as if in pain.

“Something happened to you two yesterday. You were fighting each other."

“But I saw him.” Malice insisted, and rose.

“It was some kind of illusion.” She said “Only an illusion.”

“Then how…” he looked at his own injuries.

“Glenn and I had to break you two up.” She muttered, coldly.

Malice was quiet as he came up behind her, his memory slowly being lured out of hiding.

“Your hands?”

“They’re alright.” She answered, “Like Glenn said, it was just the shock that made it seem so painful.”

He shook his head “I didn’t mean to. I’m very sorry.”

“Don't worry about it." she shrugged "How is your arm?”

“It does not pain me so much anymore. Now it's simply a bother."

“That's good. It bled for quite a while last night, and didn't settle down until a few hours ago. You’re very lucky to be alive.”

He looked at the two bandages, one on his arm the other on his shoulder.

“Thank you.” He said, but his voice was hollow and it was clear his mind wandered.

There was silence, until finally Titania turned to face him.

“I’m sorry I’m not much to talk to. I’m just about ready to fall asleep.” She laughed “I couldn't rest last night for obvious reasons, and now it’s still impossible, because I’m not sure if you’re a figment that will throw me off a cliff in my sleep.”

“How can I prove I’m not?” he asked, smirking as he sat down once more.

“Don’t throw me off a cliff in my sleep.” She answered, her wit having dulled from lack of rest.

He smiled as she yawned, clearly amused by her inarticulate speech.

“How about we rest here for another few minutes?” he questioned, “I need to think some things through, and you can take a quick nap.”

She nodded “Don’t run off, though. You don’t know what strange condition you might fall under."

He smiled and turned away “Just go to sleep. I’ll wake you up when we have to leave.”

She gave him a thankful expression but then shook her head.

“I don’t need to sleep…”

“I have to think things through, you might as well…” He turned once more to look at her; she was out cold.

Malice smiled and turned to look off the cliff which he sat upon. To his disappointment, there was no way to see what lay ahead of them- the entire forest was flowing with fog.

[FFnut]

****************************************
Nowhere, Never, The Darkness

Frozen.

Floating in the darkness.

Even now I feel the nothing creeping around me.

I hate this place more than is possible. I want nothing more than to escape and go back home...

What is this feeling? Remorse? Impossible! I am (Janus Zeal) Magus, lord of the Mystics! I will return home to (The Kingdom Of Zeal) my castle! I will summon Lavos to (get revenge) destroy everything and everyone!

If only they could see me now. Great Lord Magus. Missing his home. A failure. I miss the ones who cared about me. I miss (Schala) Ozzie most. Ozzie raised me to be the leader of the Mystics, only (The Gurus) Ozzie believed I could have more powerful magic than (my sister and mother) the other Mystics.

I don't care. I'll destroy all the worthless humans. I'll rip them apart. They'll feel pain. I'll get revenge on (Lavos) them!

Revenge for what? What did they ever do to me?

(They didn't do anything to you. The war with them was a cover.)

What?

(A cover so you could destroy Lavos. Get revenge on him taking you away.)

Away?

(Taking you away from Schala.)

Schala...

Schala...

"Schala!" cried Janus.

(Don't worry, Janus. Everything will be alright.)

"B-b-but Schala... where'd she go...?"

"She came to Palis," answered Magus. "She came here and I followed her."

(That's right, Magus.)

"What-what's Palis?" asked the young boy.

"It's a place. A place far away, in another dimension," responded Magus. "Don't worry. She'll be safe."

"No she won't!" Janus's cry echoed throughout the nothingness. "She won't be okay! That monster's going to kill her!"

Magus shook his head. "No. No. NO! She's still alive. She has to be. That Lavos Spawn didn't kill her."

"Are you sure? Did you see her alive?" Janus whispered.

Magus shook his head, sinking to his knees. "No..."

(Pull yourself together! You can't have an identity crisis now! Not while your friends are relying on you!)

"How can you have an identity crisis? You're not even real," said Janus. "I'd never grow up to be something so mean, so blindly believing in something."

Magus looked up. "You have no idea, Janus. You have no idea what your future is like."

"Or maybe you've forgotten your past, Magus. Maybe you forgot what you used to be like and how they can never be connected."

(Come on! Fight back! You can do it!)

"They are connected. Important things can change a person, as long as one thing stays constant."

"Oh? What is that constant then, Magus?"

"Schala. I still want to save Schala. Even when I was Janus I'd never give up hope that she was going to live forever. Even Janus didn't think Schala would die."

"And you still uphold that belief?"

"Even beyond the end of time."

(YES!)

*************************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

Magus woke with a start. Glenn froze, sword ready in case Magus tried to hurt him again.

(Calm down, calm down. Hey, boys, guess who the prophet was?)

Doreen!

(No, silly, he wasn't me. He was the prince!)

Big Sis! You found us!

(Yeah, and I had one hell of a time trying to get that shadowy thing out of Magus's dreams. I sifted through his memories while I was in there, so I know his whole story.)

Yeah, nobody should mess with Big Sis when it comes to dreams!

Glenn glanced at the sword. "Care to introduce us?"

Oh! This's our big sister Doreen. We haven't seen her since Zeal fell!

Yeah, Masa! It's been a long time since we hung out with her!

(Well then, you two, feel like squeezing over a bit?)

The sword flew from Glenn's grasp, floating in the air. Suddenly the blade became thinner and more jagged, and...

...a second blade extended from the bottom of the hilt.

The now two-ended sword floated back into Glenn's hands.

(MASTERMUNE!)

Magus grinned. "Nice sword. Think you can handle it?"

Glenn twirled the Mastermune expertly. "I shall manage," he said, also smiling.

*************************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

In the darkness, a shadowy creature howled in rage over losing its hold over one of its prey. Angry, it focused more of its illusory powers on its remaining quarry.

[Mong00se]

((I didn't understand a damn word of that))

[FFnut]

((Alright then, FFnut's Post For Dummies:

There are three... I dunno, shaved hamster essences or something. Their names are Masa, Mune, and Doreen. Masa and Mune were combined to form a legendary sword called the Masamune. Original, huh? The Masamune is Glenn's sword. Their big sister, Doreen, came to Palis. The name Doreen in Japanese is pronounced the same as "Dream", so Doreen has the ability to enter dreams. Magus was knocked out from Titania's spell, and Glenn was watching him. Phantasm also has the ability to enter dreams, according to Titania's post.

Magus was floating in the darkness of his dreams, where Phantasm was selectively eliminating some of his memories so that he'd forget exactly what his past was. Doreen showed up, looked at his real memories, and tried to help him remember. Eventually a discrepancy in his memories made him realize that what he was remembering was wrong. In a last ditch attempt to keep Magus from breaking away, Phantasm recreated Janus, a version of Magus... well, due to the time problems, let's just say ten years younger in chronological age. Magus and Janus converse for a bit, with Doreen trying to help him reassert himself. Basically, Phantasm was giving him an identity crisis. Magus manages to remember what made Janus into Magus, as they were both very different in many aspects, and he breaks free of Phantasm's spell.

After Magus breaks free, Doreen starts talking to Masa and Mune. Eventually she joins with the sword - see the post for the description of what it looks like now - and the sword is renamed the Mastermune.

And for future reference, Masa, Mune, and Doreen do NOT use quotation marks - Masa uses bold text, Mune uses underline, and Doreen uses parentheses.

Wow, this explanation is almost as long as the original post...))

[FFnut]

*************************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

Malice sat down next to Titania's sleeping form. "Hey." He rubbed her shoulder slowly and stared into the fire. After a few minutes, he realized something was wrong. "Titania? You alright?" He shook her vigorously. "Are you okay? Wake up!" He shook her even harder, then looked up helplessly at the stars. "Please... get up..."

*************************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

Glenn dove through the woods with certainty, Magus following him.

"You're sure this is the right way?"

"Wouldst the Mastermune's empathies lie?"

"I guess not..."

They emerged into the clearing where Malice was over Titania's body. He looked up and drew his daggers.

Don't hurt him! He's Magus!

Malice blinked. "Wha...?"

Oh boy... what happened to her?

"Where are those voices coming from?"

"We'll tell you later. What's wrong with Titania?" asked Magus.

Malice just glared at him. "How do you know her name, Boiz? Been spying on me?"

"Doreen, wanna wake him up?"

(Can't. He has to be sleeping for that to work.)

It's alright, me and Mune can do it!

Malice was knocked backwards in pain. "GAH!"

Mune, I meant wake him up!

I thought you meant put him to sleep!

"Wilt thou silence thyselves and snap him out of his illusions?"

Fine. Mune, let's do it!

The blades of the Mastermune began to glow and suddenly Boiz became Magus. Malice shook his head. "What the..."

(Oh no. This is bad.)

Magus rolled his eyes. "Perfect. What's bad?"

(The girl. She's not just sleeping. She's in some kind of memory-coma. I can't fix this. You guys have to.)

"What do we do?"

(Me, Masa, and Mune can teleport you all in. You have to find her amongst her vanishing memories and... I don't know, give them back to her.)

"How?"

(Search me. Getting to her is the first thing. Once you're there you can figure out what you need to do.)

Alright, sis! We're ready!

(MASTERMUNE!)

The blades began to glow brightly. Soon everything grew dark around the three men. The next thing they could see was the mixed-up memories in Titania's mind.

((The Mastermune is still with them, so Masa, Mune, and Doreen can offer their advice should it be needed.))

[Zerlina]

They looked about them, and saw that they had entered the infinite. No matter which way they turned, nothing made sense and nothing ever ended. In every direction there were buildings, fields, winters, summers, all linked to each other like spiders’ webs, and yet all fading.

“Where are we?” Glenn asked, and his voice bounced off the non-existent walls.

Malice turned and looked in every direction “I don’t know…it looks like Madain Sari- but look, there’s Gracia…”

No sooner had he spoken, did the ground beneath them begin to shift and groan. Letting out a creaking cry, the walls of the ancient city crumbled and collapsed into rubble, sending up a cloud of smoky dust. Unmoved by the event, Magus moved toward the ruins and lifted some rock; no sooner had he touched it did it disintegrate and turn his fingers a muddy chalk.

“It looks like the same thing is happening to her. Only Doreen wasn’t here…”

“What do you mean?” Malice asked.

Magus did not answer “Come, we’ll have to find her first.”

Without another word, the mage turned and made his way down a random passage; the others followed. With each step, the smoothened ground sloped downward, and the air turned darker. They seemed to be walking on a road –one which was now covered in a thin layer of water. To the left were the ghostly ruined buildings of an ancient city and to the right were dismal versions of the fields and towns that they themselves remembered. As they came close to the edge of a raised street, they saw a city square with an old, stone fountain. Before they could explore further, there was an ear-piercing screech and suddenly the scene turned to an empty darkness.

Glenn turned to comment to his friend, when suddenly he looked alarmed “Malice!” he exclaimed.

“I know…we’ve got to look faster…” the Theiran replied.

“Indeed we do! Thy image fades!”

Confused, Malice looked at his hands; they were fading, and seemed almost ghost-like.

Magus shook his head “If this is happening to you, it will happen to us all. Come, let us hurry before she destroys us, too.”

“Destroys?”

“Us being here makes us part of her memory. Once she forgets us, we will disappear.” He turned and began to walk, but Malice stopped him.

“Wait!” he exclaimed, “We cannot keep on wandering aimlessly. There is not enough time! Besides, I think I can make a guess at where she is…”

“Even if you know, how will we find it?” Magus questioned, sceptically.

With a victorious smirk, Malice turned and pointed upward in the distance “The moon will guide us.”

Taking the lead, he made his way across the road, and began to climb up a dark hill.

“Hurry, we haven’t much time!” he cried back, and the others followed him.

At the top of the hill stood a house that would have been cheerful were it not for the darkness. With some effort, Malice climbed over the gate, which would not open, and pushed his way in through the door. Sure enough, on the opposite side of the room was another exit- one which led to a flight of redstone stairs.

The others followed him and soon they found themselves making their way down the most inconvenient set of stairs ever constructed. Winding back and forth, they followed the path until once more the ground began to shake. Picking up their speed, they hurried downward, reaching the shore of an ocean only to find that the motion was not caused by the destruction of the staircase; it was the footsteps of what stood behind them.

Letting out a growl, which made them turn with dread, Zera Shaal appeared, his prescence veiled in a heavy fog. With him came the memories of the storm. The sky bleeding crimson and the sea crashing violently, the monster seemed to them to be much larger than they had remembered.

“Let’s finish this quickly!” Malice yelled to the others, as he drew his daggers with his faded hands.

Its yellow eyes staring at its prey, the sleeper demon growled once more and prepared for battle.

[FFnut]

************************************************** ***************
Titania's Mind, The Last Seventeen Years, Memoria

Glenn readied his double-bladed sword while Magus drew his scythe. A split second later all three of them were flat on their backs.

The sleeper howled its unearthly howl an began to charge again.

Reach for a dream, thought Magus. Reach for a dream of the gods. Grasp a memory of the cosmos and use it.

(Damn! What is this thing?)

"It's Zera-Shaal, a sleeper demon," said Magus. "You would've had fun playing with him, but Titania already killed it. This is just her memory of it."

(No, it's not that. It's the aura I'm getting from it. It's almost like it's not a real memory.)

The demon charged and knocked them all back. It screamed in agony as Glenn plunged one of the Mastermune's blades into its side.

A quick claw swipe later and Glenn was on the semi-ground next to Malice.

Malice struggled to stand up. "This... it's pretty strong for a memory..." His dagger fell through his fading hand. He looked at it, surprised. "Huh...?"

"The longer we stay here, the more we fade. We can't..." Another slam and Magus was smashed up on a wall covered with paintings of mythical creatures. Glenn soon joined him.

Malice glanced at the Eidolon Wall. How do I know what that's called? Enraged, he jumped on the sleeper and began to beat on its back with his gauntlets.

The sleeper tried to reach around, but couldn't. Soon its arm began to extend, a shadow reaching from the sleeper's claw.

C'mon, Glenn! Magus! Get up!

Glenn managed to prop himself up with the weapon. He looked at Magus, who was on the floor. "Art thou... wilt thou accompany myself into battle?"

Magus sat up groggily, shaking his head. "Look, we'd need Titania's help to take this thing out. There isn't much we can..." His fingers found a flute on the floor by the wall. He looked up, noticing the painting of the flaming bird glowing. This is it!

Magus hurled the tiny instrument at the huge beast. The spot where the flute touched it suddenly erupted in shadow. The flute soon faded, but the darkness continued to engulf the demon.

(That's the thing that was in your mind, Magus! That shadowy thing!)

Its disguise removed, the giant shadow began to try a new tactic. Shards of memories began to float around it. Soon the shadow had taken on the form of their old friend.

He flexed his muscles and drew his sword. The black armor he wore began to give off a deadly glow. "Never thought I'd see you guys on the other side of the battlefield," he said with a smirk.

Malice stepped back, and Magus dropped his scythe. "Nichi," they both whispered at the same time.

Glenn, however, gripped the Mastermune tightly. "Thou'rt nothing but a shadow of a memory. If they refuseth to harm thee, I wilt duel thee myself."

[Zerlina]

Magus and Malice watched from behind as Nichi’s shadowy figure rose tall before Glenn. With each step closer he seemed to grow; his yellow eyes flickered with the electricity of the storm. Raising the legendary sword that had doomed him, Nichi outstretched his chain-covered hand and signalled for his opponent to come. Feet apart and firmly on the ground, Glenn bent his knees and clenched the handle of The Mastermune. Seeing he was ready, the malevolent Nichi smiled; with a strike of violent lightning, it began.

Running quickly at his opponent, sword drawn and temper high, Glenn brought up his weapon. Using the weight to his advantage, he pushed it downward at Nichi- but the villain had anticipated the move and already brought up his own sword to catch the blow. With little effort, he twisted his blade and let Glenn’s slide unwillingly off. His opponent’s defense down, Nichi kicked him hard in the stomach; his boots were chain and metal. Hit by the heavy force, the knight bent over and nearly dropped his weapon. Swallowing hard, he brought up his gaze to plan his next attack; it was too late. As if it were a blade itself, Nichi rammed the golden hilt of his sword into the side of Glenn’s head. The Knight screamed and tried once more to fight, but it was in vain. Raising his sword high above his head, Nichi smiled at his helpless prey.

“You should have listened to the others.”

He plunged the sword into Glenn’s back.

*

The windows crashed and shattered, standing no chance against the violent winds. Barefoot, Titania ran through the home, her feet bleeding from the broken glass. Throwing open doors, she screamed for her parents, only to find every room empty and dark.

"Papa are you in here!?" She pushed open the entrance of his workshop, only to find his lifeless form on the now scarlet floor.

In shock, she covered her eyes stinging eyes. Turning and running in the other direction, she moved by compulsion to the backdoor which lay open. The lightning striking hard in the stormy sky, she hurried down the stone stairs; they crumbled behind her.

*

“You bastard!” Magus screamed at his old comrade as he watched him twist his blade further into the dead man’s back.

“He deserved it.” Nichi answered, coldly “He shouldn’t be here. None of you should.”

“Change your form, monster!” Malice demanded “You are not of her making, and you are not Nichi! Have you no dignity? Show yourself!”

Phantasm simply grinned “Her? Do you mean that thing up there?” He pointed to the stairs.

No sooner did they look did she disappear, only to be swept onto the shore before them, confused and in pain.

“Tania! Tania!” Nichi was gone and now a child was crying “Do you see these men? They’re the ones who’re doing this! They’ve killed your parents!”

The mage looked at the little boy and then at the others. She turned to the child, but as if to answer her question she suddenly found two knives in her hands. She looked at them, but did not move; her heart beat quickly and her mind ran. As it did, the storm grew more intense, and through it, Magus and Malice could feel her emotions.

“Please Tania, they’re going to kill me too!”

She shook her head, blankly “Run then! These men would hurt you. I don’t know why, but they seem-”

“You will not listen to me? Have you no idea who I am.” Suddenly the child’s voice echoed in a godly manner, and Titania was struck with flame. She screamed and when she looked up again it was the figure of a bird that stood before her.

“Kill them in my name!”

Catching her breath after the pain, she turned to the others; the air filled with hesitation and fear.

“That one first.” Fire swirled around the fading Malice as if to direct her.

She swallowed and did not move. Turning her gaze back to Phoenix, pleadingly, she cried “What harm has he done you? This man seems to be good natured!”

She was hit once more with flame “Do as I say and do not question my words!”

Screaming, she turned to look at Malice who already seemed ready to fight.

*

“Tania! Tania!” Nichi was gone and now a child was crying “Do you see these men? They’re the ones who’re doing this! They’ve killed your parents!”

Magus and Malice looked at each other, knowing what was about to happen.

“How long can you hold her off for?” Magus asked.

“With both of us alive? Not very long…”

“Try. I will retrieve Glenn. We don’t know if his death in this place is the same as a death in the outside world. Distract them both, and I will attempt to do this and destroy this monster before it can take another one of us.”

“Hurry. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep it up…”

“She doesn’t want to fight. Find a way to use that.”

The two turned to each other, both with a look of fear and hesitation. As the inevitability of battle came before them, the sky turned black, and the storm grew heavier.

Who are you? Malice heard her voice inside his head …I know we’ve met before

[FFnut]

************************************************** ***************
Titania's Mind, The Last Seventeen Years, Memoria

Magus stumbled through the ever-changing environment, looking for Glenn's fallen form.

(Magus! Hurry up! We're over here!)

"Yeah, yeah, speaking into my mind really helps me discern your location by following your voice, Doreen..." he muttered.

(Alright, fine. I'll tell you from here. Technically, the Mastermune didn't come into her memories - rather, a look-alike was created. We're able to track you guys from outside her while you thought we were in the weapon Glenn had. To bring the three of you in here, each one of us coded to one of you - we did it according to affinity to the sword. Since Malice has the least to do with the sword, and I'm the strongest, I coded to him. My power is what keeps him in here.)

"Okay, so how is this going to help me find Glenn in this?"

(Well, Mune's the weakest, so he's with Glenn. You don't really need to find Glenn to save him.)

"Huh?"

I'm keeping Glenn in here. If I stop using my power, he'll get sent out fine.

(He's not entirely dead yet, but he's so close it makes almost no difference. We can't undo death in this place, but anything up to it we can get rid of.)

"Okay, so... Mune gives up and Glenn's free?"

Basically, yeah. And if I give up then you're gone, and if Doreen gives up then Malice is out too.

(This is a one-time thing though. We can't send you guys back in if we don't snap her out of it this time.)

"Glenn dies... or he can't help us. Alright. Mune, drop him."

*************************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

Glenn woke with a start next to Titania. He felt his wound... only there was none.

Yay Glenn! You're awake!

"Ugh... what hath occured?"

Well, you almost died but you didn't die and then I stopped using my power and you were okay and everyone else is still trying to help her!

"...Allow me to speaketh with Doreen," he murmured.

I can't, she's not here, she and Masa are still in the memory place with Magus and Malice trying to get the evil shadow thing out of her head and now she's turned all evil and trying to kill them!

Glenn sighed and lifted the sword from the ground. "Well, I doth suppose we shouldst await them."

Okay! That reminds me of this one time in Zeal when me and Masa were...

Glenn looked to the sky while Mune continued chattering. "Oh dearest God, striketh me down now..."

[~Hidan~]

The sun rose and set, again. Brain started to get impatient with the rest of the group being gone so long, though he had no idea what he could do to help.

Brain sat looking down at the enterence of the cave.

…
..
.

The concentration brought about nothing new. He still felt weak and unable to find the power he was looking for. Belial and Osirus had already explained that they were higher species then the humans inside the Chimera Woods. So Brian felt powerless. Then a thought came into his mind. ‘The demon inside him needed him alive to continue living as well’.

The floorboards of the ship creaked.

Belial sneezed.

Then only the wind rushing past Brains head as he fell at full speed towards the ground.

Five thousand feet up and the only thing below him were rocks and trees. The world seemed to be getting bigger and bigger as he fell. Brian started to panic, so far nothing was trying to save him and he had been falling for a while. ‘Shit, I’m about to die’ he thought.

Blue sparks started to crackle around his Brian’s body as a great power formed within him.

A quite voice of a shy sounding girl spoke to him. “Brave, stupid but brave. For now I’ll lend you ten percent of my power. I hope you use it wisely.”

The wind got louder.

Osirus felt his hair stand on end.

A loud thunder blast could be heard for miles. Even inside the dream world Titania could hear its rumble.

Out of a small crater Brian came standing tall and smiling widely. Brain hurried inside the cavern. Not taking long to get into the Chimera woods. Looking around he could see footprints of where the others had been. Following them he got to a point were they had obviously split up. White wisps seemed to be everywhere in this place they all came after him with great hast and then would run away in the same kind of way.

After thinking a bit about what set of footprints to follow Brian decided to follow what he thought looked like Titania’s tracks.

(ooc Brain is immune to psychological magic, he wont fall into any sort of illusion.)

[FFnut]

************************************************** ***************
Titania's Mind, The Last Seventeen Years, Memoria

Malice stared down at the young Titania with the child-Phoenix behind her.

(C'mon Malice. You have to have some sort of plan.)

The Theiran raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

(Let's just say I'm the reason you're in here, and you can save Titania. But you have to figure out how to save her on your own.)

"How? Phoenix saved her life twice, she'll only listen to it," he whispered.

(What about introducing some outside element? One that'll bring up residual memories?)

"What are you... UGH!"

Malice was slashed across the chest by the crying girl. Blood flowed freely from his new wound.

(DAMMIT!)

The adept felt the gash with one hand. "Huh... how...?"

Titania looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "YOU! Why... why did you..."

The voice of Phoenix grew louder. "KILL HIM NOW!"

(Magus said you had to use her unwillingness to fight against her! You can't die here!)

Malice looked into the small girl's eyes. "Why... why would you do this?"

Titania looked back. "B-b-because Phoenix s-s-s-said..."

Malice tried to stand up, but fell back down. "What did Phoenix say? Why would he want you to kill me?"

"You k-killed my mommy and daddy!"

"Do... do you really want to kill me?"

The girl looked at the ground. "Because..."

"FOR REVENGE!" Phoenix's voice echoed throughout the memory-world, as it shed its child form and became its true fiery splendor. "He killed your parents in cold blood, Tania! Do the same for him!"

"You can't prove it."

The flaming bird, the crying girl, and the wounded man all turned towards the source of the voice. Magus stepped out of the doorway (which quickly vanished) with his scythe in hand. He grinned.

"We didn't do it, Titania. Phoenix did."

The young girl turned to the bird with a confused look. "What?"

"Phoenix killed your parents," continued Magus, "and it tried to frame my friend here for it. It wants him dead for no crime, so it committed one to make you do it."

The bird's aura burned brighter. "If I wanted him dead, why wouldn't I do it myself then?"

Magus raised an eyebrow. "If you don't want him dead, why are you egging her on to finish him?"

"He committed an awful crime against this girl. It's only fitting that she dole out the punishment."

"Or maybe you can't do anything. Maybe you know that we won't kill her, because she's our friend. We wouldn't hurt her, past, present, or future. And you're trying to use that against us."

Ready, Magus!

The dark wizard grinned again. "Report, Masa."

This fiery bird is called Phoenix. Its feathers are known for their ability to call it for assistance in some cases.

"And in other cases?"

In other cases the feathers do the same thing the bird itself can do - bring people back to life.

Magus simply nodded.

The bird glared at him. "And the point of that was?"

Magus walked over to Titania and kneeled, so their eyes were on the same level. "Phoenix brings people back to life. Why didn't it bring your parents back?"

Titania turned, the knives Phoenix had given her still in her hands and dripping with Malice's blood. Why? Phoenix, why didn't you bring my parents back? Why can't you bring them back to life? Then I won't have to kill him. I don't want to. Her thoughts reverberated through the minds of all that were present.

"Titania, I saved your life," said Phoenix in a last ditch attempt to keep her on its side. "You couldn't possibly hurt the one that saved your life."

Magus smiled yet again. "Unless you're not the real Phoenix."

Three weapons slashed into Phoenix in rapid succession. The former two were Titania's knives. The latter one was a scythe.

Shadow flowed as blood from the great bird's wounds. It slowly turned its head. "Fine..." it rasped. "I needn't stay here any longer. You'll all fade as memories here." As if to emphasize this point, Malice's gauntlets fell off of his fading hands. "The memories will decay without my help now. I'll return to the waking world... goodbye, mortal meat-bags."

The bird faded into an indistinct shadow which soon vanished entirely. Magus turned to the Theiran. "Good luck, Malice. The dark thing's gone. You need to figure out a way to fix her memories." He looked to the sky. "Doreen, help him out. There's gotta be a way to replenish her memories."

Malice nodded, still clutching his chest. "Where are you going?"

"I've got a feeling that Glenn's going to need some help hunting a damned memory-killing shadow. Masa, take me out."

Aye aye, Magus!

Magus soon faded. Malice looked at the young girl, who was watching the point where Magus disappeared from.

(Well, Malice, looks like we have our work cut out for us. Any ideas?)

((This is to say nothing of the obvious overpoweredness of Brain there, but we'll worry about that later. I'm not sure how to get the memories out of Malice, but something's gotta work...))

[Zerlina]

“Dammit!”

The world seemed all the emptier as Magus left.

I need to get her out now before I have to leave too…

Her eyes swelling with tears and her hands covered in silvery blood, Titania lay with her face upon the shore, angrily digging her knives into the sand. For a moment Malice watched, unsure of what to do. As he stood there, he observed that she was not a child at all, but rather the way she was they had first met- the day of Zera Shaal’s death. She’s changed so much he thought, and began to wonder about his own demeanor since he’d first come to Gracia.

Looking at his fading hands, he swallowed hard, and sat beside her, trying to be as calm as possible while the world fell around them.

“Your parents…?”

She looked up at him and nodded “I just saw my father on the floor…”

“Do you know about your mother?”

She shook her head “No. I was supposed to go out and find her, but the storm became too strong, and I just-”

“It will be alright. I’m sure she’s fine.” He spoke with the sweetness usually reserved for children.

“I don’t know what to do now.” She muttered, more to herself “Everything’s falling apart.”

“Well first of all…give me those knives…” He motioned for the objects, and she obeyed, sitting up and passing the weapons to him; they fell through his hands.

“Why is that happening to you?” she asked, as the blades hit the ground, their weight forcing the sand to shift to their form.

“It’s…it’s nothing. Don’t worry.”

“No, no…something’s wrong! And your chest! It’s bleeding…” for a moment she seemed unaware until finally it dawned on her “…I did that…”

“You thought that Phoenix was commanding you. I understand.” He tried to put a hand on her shoulder but his form was far from solid. Realizing the urgency, he moved the conversation “Listen, I know that this is hard, but you’re going to have to listen to me.”

Unsure, she looked at him, searching his eyes for anything suspicious; they were blue, she noted, and as she did so, the sea re-appeared.

“Fine…I’ll listen…” she said, still disturbed by the wound on his chest.

He was silent- that was as far as his plan had gotten.

“First-”

“Look out!” she interrupted and pulled him back as a rock from the cliffs came tumbling down toward him.

“How did you-!?” He suddenly realized that his form had started to materialize again “…Titania, do you remember me?”

“How do you know my name?”

“It doesn’t matter! Do you remember me?” he repeated, a little louder.

She searched his face “I can’t remember ever meeting you.”

“But do you know me?”

“How can I know you if I've never met you?”

“Just pretend that doesn’t matter. Don’t try to make sense. Do you remember me?”

She looked once more at his eyes and as she did so, the ocean deepened in colour and calmed.

“I think you look familiar.”

He nodded, seeing she was beginning to recall him “And look!” he took her hands, moving them so her palms were face-up “Look at your hands! How did you get these cuts?”

She stared at them in confusion “I…I don’t know.”

“It was an accident.” He spoke rapidly, in a desperate attempt to make her remember before it was too late “Last night in the woods, Magus and I were fighting.”

Suddenly they were no longer on the shore of Madain Sari, but in the forest of Phantasm

“Yes, that’s right! This is it!” he exclaimed, pulling her to her feet “And do you remember this?”

He showed her the pendant, which hung off his neck.

“That’s from the High Priestess!” she cried, “How did you-?”

“You gave it to me. On the airship.”

“But I’ve never been on an airship…”

“Yes you have! With Magus and I- and Glenn, Belial, Osirus, and…that kid…Barn…I think…”

“I don’t know these people!” she cried.

“You do! You do! Remember when you first came to Palis and you met us all?”

“Palis? I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” she exclaimed, starting to get frustrated. She tried to leave, but he would not let her go.

“Listen to me!” he cried “You can’t leave and you have to listen or you’ll be lost here.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t know who these people are! I don’t understand!” she yelled back at him.

As she spoke, the destruction became more intense, her memories shattering and collapsing into dust. The forest disappeared and the stormy shores returned. Above them, the sky grew more violent and the earth began to shift beneath their feet. Malice became more frantic.

“Listen!” he cried, “Try to remember- this place! Or some other place! Anywhere or anyone!”

“I’m trying!” she screamed, frustrated “Can’t you see I’m trying? I don’t know of anywhere else, and I don’t know you!”

[Zerlina]

(Malice, I'm sorry, but we're going to have to pull you out)

"What do you mean!?" he cried, looking around for the source of the voice, but knowing he would not be able to find it.

(You'll die in there unless we take you out. I'm sorry.)

Titania looked around, confusion and fear in her young eyes.

“Who is that? Who are you talking to?” exasperated and scared, she questioned him urgently but he did not answer.

“I can’t leave!” he cried.

(You’ll die- both of you)

Knowing he was powerless to stop the will of The Mastermune (at least from where he was), he turned to Titania, who now seemed so small amongst the apocalyptic backdrop.

“Listen to me, and listen carefully.” He said, and she made no effort to interrupt him “Remember. And when you do, find your way back to us. This isn’t the end and we’re not abandoning you.”

Though she did not know who he was, she was reluctant to let the last of the strangers leave. Unconsciously, she gripped his hands, making him realize he had not released her palms.

“I can’t stay here...” He said, knowing he had no choice.

(Malice, hurry it up)!

“…they won’t let me.”

She gave him one more pleading look, but he dropped his eyes, too ashamed to meet her gaze.

“Find your way back to us.” He repeated, and then was gone.

There was suddenly a void, and the voice that had distracted her had now left, letting the darkness become the reality once more. Numb from the swift meeting, she stood, frozen, on the shore as chaos closed in on her like a snake devouring a mouse.

She could not have cared less.

The people in her life had vanished from her memory, or had been killed in the storm, and now as she looked upon the endless ocean, to the unraveling of the universe, she could see only emptiness. Suddenly, the pain and anger of abandonment ripped through her body, and she collapsed to her knees, looking up toward the smoky sky.

“I give up!” she screamed, throwing her arms open to the storm “What more have you to take?”

The rain did not answer, but fell upon her hair and face, as if to torment her further; yet as the storm had grown, the wind had stopped and its awful howl did not burn her ears as it had before.

Soon the horizon gave way to the darkness, and as she stared upon her own doom, she screamed once more to the un-hearing heavens.

“Make me watch no longer!” her voice cracked with a burden of strain and sobs, and around her the still-existing cliffs bounced her voice back “Are you so cruel that you will make me watch? You took everything and now you make me watch?”

Again there was no answer.

Rising to her feet, she stared out at the ominous sky, her small figure seeming a ridiculous opponent “Fine! If you won’t do it, then I will!”

Shedding her senses, she ran into the ocean, her feet pressing into the passive sand and piercing the clear waters, until finally she stood waist-deep in it.

For once in her life, she would not run, and she would not shrink behind the shadow of others for safety. She was no longer a child, clinging to the coat-tails of her father, never leaving the yard for fear of what others would say- of course: there were no more others. They were all dead.

Her very being burning with an unseen fire, she tilted her chin upward to look straight at the orange and gray monsters, which loomed menacingly in the sky. Rain splashing into the ocean and through her now fading body, she laughed, a moment of pure bliss having taken over all the fear. Finally she had proved them all wrong and now as she stood, waiting for death, she knew in her heart that she had done at least one thing right.

“You are nothing to me, Storm!” she screamed, victoriously, her voice still cracking “Take me now for all I care- I have beat you! I have lived, and you never will! I have lived”

She laughed as the rain fell rhythmically upon her, now more like helpless music, than the terrifying wrath of heaven; she reveled in the coolness of its touch. Finally, as the sky seemed to burst in a fury of light and shadow, she was left alone without sight and without sound. There was nothing, and though her eyes were open, there was nothing to see.

“I have lived…” she whispered, weakly, as the last of her consciousness washed away and she gave up her shallow breath to the cold, gluttonous sky. As her pale form sunk helplessly into the water, the world fell dark and all that was left was the gentle sound of the rolling waves.

*

“You had to make me leave?”

(I did. You would have died).

Malice was silent.

For a time no one said anything, until finally, there came the sound of footsteps along the cliffs.

“Is it back?” Malice muttered, sarcastically “Is it here to get the rest of us?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Was the only answer “And I’m a he. Not an it.”

“Oh. It’s you, Barn.”

“Brian.”

There was no apology.

“Why is everyone so quiet?” the soldier asked, taking a seat “You think you’d be happier to see me.”

His joke seemed to make no impact.

“Where’s Belial?” Magus asked, seeing that no one else wanted to say anything “Shouldn’t Osirus and him be with you?”

“Of course they didn’t come.” Malice interrupted “They don’t care.”

“In so many words- yes. They don’t care.” Brian said, suddenly seeing the girl’s sleeping form “What happened to-”

“At the moment it is beyond our knowledge.” Glenn interjected, still rubbing the non-existent wound in his back “And we will not know until she wakes up, or…”

“…until she wakes up.” Magus finished his sentence “Malice, do you know of any way we can help from here?”

The Theiran raised his head and looked at his friend “If I did, I would be doing it right now.”

“She’s still breathing…” Brain commented, seeing her chest rise and fall.

Malice looked up once more, and sat next to her, deciding to try one more time to get through.

“Wake up…” he muttered “Please, wake up…”

*

Slowly, the waves swayed, invisible in the darkness of the abyss. And yet from it there seemed to have been spawned a new kind of light- one which was peaceful, serene, and gentle. Shakily like a new-born fawn, it crept across the moving ocean, lighting it up as it went.

Wake up.

Adrift in the ocean like shipwrecked wood, Titania raised her head, conscious for the first time in what was an eternity.

Are you lost?

She shook her head.

“I don’t need help.”

The voice seemed not to hear.

Are you hurt?

She did not answer.

Can you hear me?

“I can.”

Listen, and try to remember.

Her ears perked at the words, and she raised her head, but then let it fall again.

“I don’t need any help.”

It ignored her.

Do you remember your home?

She listened and said nothing.

The wood floors were so eaten by ants your father had to cover it in rugs. None of them matched.

A small, un-repressable smile tugged at her lips as she imagined the sight.

When you were small, you used to pretend that they were different kinds of wheat and pretend you ran a farm. Your mother told you not to day-dream, and your father told you to think better than farms.

Their voices, which now seemed so sweet in the cold of the night echoed through the sky and she found herself sitting on the floor of her home.

The other children would make fun of you because you had soot on your face from the ovens, and you did not want to ever go outside. They didn’t know why.

“I was ashamed!” she cried, as if in argument, though she knew by now that the voice could not hear her.

Do you remember your father? He used to tell you fairy tales, and make ones up about you. Do you remember your mother? She would bring home dinner from the sea and you would have to watch her. It made you sad to see her kill the fish..

The voice went on for some time, pulling up images and memories of safe places, of times of learning, and times of great importance. Finally, and with greater weight than the times before, it chided her with the memory of the storm.

When you were seventeen you were sent to find your mother, because it was storming out, but you stalled, and went with your friend instead. By the time you were done, it was too late. You ran to the Eidolon Wall but your mother wasn’t there. The city in ruins, you could not return and so you cried to Phoenix who brought you here.

She stood before the Eidolon Wall, it’s brick glowing red with the fire of a hundred generations. As she stared at the carvings and words of the ancients, suddenly her life came flowing back to her, as if it were there the whole time.

“I know what happens next…” she muttered, walking to the statue of Phoenix.

Though there was only blackness in the sky above, and the storm seemed not to come, she stood firm and looked at the effigy without fear and without regret.

“Send me home.” She said.

*

As if coming out of water, Titania opened her eyes and coughed, gasping for air and trying to sit up. She looked around her to see her friends, who had come near at the sight of movement. Overwhelmed with joy at the sight of their kind faces, she smiled at them, pulling them into a tight embrace.

“I remembered.” She whispered to Malice “And I found my way back.”

[~Hidan~]

The others seemed to be finally free of the dream world. Brian however stood there glassy eyed and smiling like a madman.

~~~

Deep inside his own mind Brian’s memory replayed the great battle of seven hundred years ago.

A great warrior stood weapon in hand commanding a great demon army. Hector, Bathoris, Kain, and Valmarus stood in front of the great warrior reading over battle plans. The figure turned so that Brian could see its face. It was a girl with a beautiful and kind looking face, however somewhere in the face Brian could see his own face there.

She started to speak to the demon lords that were reading themselves for the war; she had the same voice as the demon that had spoke to him while he fell from the airship. Quickly visions of a past life ran through his head, visions of hate, murder and war. Something inside him snapped and he started to realize he was not here to be helping the mortals, but rather to be helping the demons destroy this world.

~~~

Brian’s eyes opened a dark shadow formed around them. He started laughing madly.

“You’re all going to die, die! DIE DIE!!” He said laughing as more and more black lightning crackled around his body.

Malice and Titania still dazed and hurt from the encounter with the mental onslaught were unable to move. A gigantic ball of black lightning came from Brian’s hand Malice and Titania sat holding each other in fear of being destroyed. Osirus caught the ball of lightning in his chest knocking him back at first then sending him flying into the woods as it exploded. Osirus now stood in-between Brian and Belials comrades.

“Someone better get them out of here, this guys a whole different class of badass then we are Belial.” Osirus said as a wall of book pages came up in front of him to deflect what may be coming next.

Brian just kept laughing and laughing. “You’re all going to die why you are trying to save yourselves. Your have no chance none at all, and you still fight It.” the insane laughing continued.

The ghostly form of Nichi stood next to Osirus now. “It would seem I misjudged my choice when I brought you to this world.” Nichi turned to Malice and Titania. “We are expecting another guest soon please be waiting for her to arrive.”

Nichi cast a barrier to back up the one that Osirus had put up himself. Another ball of lightning came crackling against the back of the wall slowly burning though. Osirus caught this one and also was thrown into the woods. Nichi put up another barrier and hoped to the gods he could hold it off, with no real body to take the impact Titania and Malice would surely be killed and just as he thought that Magus joined in to protect them. “I’m staking my life on this barrier we best not fail them Nichi.” Casting another even greater barrier Magus turned and winked at his old friend.

The next lightning blast came and was tearing away at the barriers when a great explosion came from behind them. The lightning blast disappeared just before making its way through the barrier.

A girl stood on the other side of Titania and Malice. She seemed a little dazed and very confused. “Whoa a forest, no shit a real forest. I could have sworn we had destroyed them all a long time ago.” She said this as she ran over and hugged a tree. The girl stood there holding the tree tightly. On her back was the same sword that Nichi had wielded the day he died. She wore a lightly clad set of black plate armor and long dark blond hair that went down most of her back in a braid.

Brian looked at her and smiled wildly.

She stretched and then took in her surroundings. “So what is going on here? Hmm” Looking down at Malice and Titania who seemed scared, and then looking at the ghost form of Nichi who she recognized from a dream, then looking at Magus who was sweating trying to keep up the barrier. Finally she looked at Brian who was smiling like a pervert who just got his first peak at someone’s underwear. It made her shutter with disgust.

“Please help us Syne! We need to get him away from here.” Nichi said motioning at Brian.

Drawing her sword she nodded. Using her sword like a giant fan she swung it and made a vortex of dust and leaves that headed right into Brian’s side. Brian tried to dodge it by jumping back but the top of the vortex bent to grab him and threw him into the air. Then jumping high into the sky she hit him broad side with the sword knocking him into the woods.

Nichi and Magus sat down exhausted by the power use they had just endured. “Thanks Syne.” Nichi said.

“No problem at all it was no problem.” She said this as she walked over, then tripped on a root and fell on her hands. “Hehe. Happens all the time, no worries.” She said with a smile and a little laugh.

Titania and Malice had gotten themselves over to sit and see what was going on. Osirus and Belial, while burned up a little seemed fine and joined the rest of them again.

Nichi smiled. “Well good to see you all are alive and somewhat ok still. I’m sorry that you all seem to have had such a rough time here. I am also sorry for replacing my help with the evil half of who I am.”

“The evil half of who you are?” Malice said inquisitively.

Explaining the situation Nichi went on to explain that the three of them, Brian, Nichi and Syne were all once the great demon that ruled over Palis 700 years before. When Nichi died he wanted to draw the good side of him to help finish the war, but it would seem that that’s not what the world wanted so it sent him the evil side first.

“I see so you all have been drawn back to this world.” Titania said.

Nichi nodded.

“So I’m supposed to fend off him? The pervert?” Syne shuddered.

“Something like that.” Nichi looked at his body which was once again disappearing. “It would seem I must go for now once again. Be safe.”

~~~

Meanwhile in the woods Brian had gotten to his feat and had opened the full power that he was entitled to. “It seems that its time for me to return to the command of the army, my army.” He said as he laughed.

[Zerlina]

((Ah yes, aren’t you all sick of me posting so much? Well I’m posting one last time before I head off to vacation! Twill be back in a week!))

As the moon fell behind the ruddy cliffs, Brian trudged away, his feet dragging in the soggy mud. A revelation had come over him, and in an instant he felt as if his recent life were nothing but a dream. His real, tangible self had returned to him like a mother to its child, and now he stood, ready to conquer any obstacle.

*

“So erm…who might you be?” he asked, turning to Syne.

“Well that depends who’s asking…” she answered playfully, as she dusted off her clothes “Be you a friend or a foe?”

Her voice fluctuated in a humorous manner despite the danger of the moments before, and as she looked around the fire it was clear to the others that she would not have a hard time adjusting.

“Friend, hopefully.” Malice answered, with a curious smile tugging at his lips.

“Then I am Syne Rya.” She said, in a mockingly regal tone, as she bowed “And who might you be?”

“Malice Aquino.”

“And Glenn!” came an excited voice from a corner that the others had nearly forgotten.

“When did he get here?” Titania asked Magus “Was there a storm when I slept?”

He looked at her perplexed “You mean to say you don’t remember him?”

She shook her head.

“We’ll speak about it later.” Magus muttered and then turned to the new-comer “I am Magus.” He said in his usual deep tone.

“And Titania!” came an effeminate chiding.

“And who’re they?” Syne pointed to the two shadow figures who had already begun a new poker game.

“That would be Belial and Osirus.” Magus said, knowing they could not be bothered to speak to the new girl.

“Well then!” she announced in a bubbly voice. “Now that I know all your names, I suppose you have to be nice, or else I can turn you all in!”

Belial looked up from his cards, as if ready to throw one at her.

“Oh, I’m only joking.” She said, realizing that no one had understood “I won’t actually turn you in to anyone. I wouldn’t even know who to talk to.”

There was an awkward silence.

“Well that’s a relief.” Magus said, faintly “Come, sit! Tell us who you are!”

“Yes, yes. Speak to us. Anything that will stop us from falling asleep.” Malice agreed, and soon everyone had found a seat by the fire.

“Well…what would you like to know?” she asked, stretching her legs out on the ground.

“How is it that thy lovely presence has come to grace us here in this world?” Glenn asked, his gaze seeming to be absent and glossy.

“Hm…there was a storm. Then I was here. Next!”

The others seemed dazed by the quickness of her speech, and so there was a long silence.

“I have a question for you.” Malice spoke up, in a serious manner “What is it that Nichi meant when he said he ruled over Palis 700 years ago?”

“I think I can explain that.” Syne said, feeling quite intelligent “Though keep in mind, I am only repeating information. I’m not too sure about it all.

Once there was a great Demon Lord who ruled over this place. Somehow he was destroyed, and his spirit was divided into three in order to stop him from returning to the world. Nichi, and I are part of him, and so is The Pervert.”

“Brian.” Malice corrected.

“Since when do you know his name?” Magus laughed.

The coming of Syne had seemed to lighten the mood, and though the group knew they would not be able to sleep for the next few days, nor even let their guard down, they were for a moment joyous, basking in the presence of one who had not yet felt the burden of the world. In her all of them saw themselves in a time long forgotten, and though they would not admit it, most of them wished they could return to it.

[Zerlina]

*

As time rolled on and the fire began to dwindle on its last embers, the effects of the night had worn through their soft demeanour. Conversation had run thin, and now that there was not even warmth, the fight against sleep was becoming unbearable.

“I think that…I think that I’ll try to find more water…” Titania said timidly, and yawned, for though she had slept it was not a peaceful one, and she was as worn as the others.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Syne asked.

“If you’d like.” She yawned once more.

The two set off, wearily, wanting nothing more than to rest their eyes for just a moment, but knowing that there would be days ahead of them before they could. It was an odd sight to see them walking, for they contrasted not only in their height, but in their manner- while Syne moved with a carefree bounce and attractive sway, Titania walked slower, and more conservatively; while Syne’s hair shone golden in the moonlight, Titania’s remained its usual red-brown; while Syne’s voice was sweet and childish, Titania’s was quiet and timid. It was not only a witness who could see this, but the smaller of the girls, too, and in her tired state, she began to view her new friend with a touch of jealousy. She would never say so out loud, of course, or even hint at it. But the thought was now at the back of her mind and for a moment, she wondered why she could not be so lovely.

“Do you carry that everywhere?” Titania asked curiously, looking at the sword, which hung off of the other girls’ back.

“Yep. All the time! Wouldn’t you?”

“Not really. I think it’s taller than I am.” She laughed, though her voice fell dry from fatigue.

Syne joined in the laughter, but hers over-powered the other girl’s and shot loud through the silence of the wood.

“Tell me. What was it like to be the only girl here for so long?”

Titania was silent for a while; she hadn’t even thought of that. For months, the others had been her family and she had regarded them simply as that- not knights or sorcerers, not men or women, but people whom she trusted her life with and who did the same.

“I never really thought about it like that. When I came there was another girl…well sort of. She was half of Nichi.”

“I thought I was half of Nichi.”

“I think you’re one third of Nichi. She was…his eyes?”

“So what am I?”

“I don’t know.”

They continued walking, being civil but finding it hard to make conversation.

“It will be nice to have another girl to talk to, though. I sort of miss that. Though I never really talked to girls when I was home, either.” Titania spoke up after a while, breaking an awkward silence.

“Who did you talk to, then?”

“My father. My mother. The High Priestess.” She laughed, realizing not for the first time that she did not have much of a social life “It does not matter, though. I’ve found my home here. I can’t imagine trading the others for friends and a simple life at home.”

“How long have you been together?”

She thought for a while, and was surprised with the answer “Not more than three months!” she exclaimed, suddenly realizing how short a time they’d spent travelling “But after a few weeks of spending all your time together, it feels like more.”

“I understand.” Syne said, remembering her friends from her own homeland “Are they nice? What are they like?”

“Well, I don’t think you’ll have a problem getting along with Glenn!” Titania laughed, “But hm, let’s see... well I myself avoid Belial and Osirus. They’re in a world of their own. The others seem to be scared of them- I don’t know why- so perhaps it’s good not to bother them. Magus is dependable, but also don’t bother him, because I don’t think he’ll put up with a lot. He doesn’t talk to me too much- I think he’s shy to speak to anyone. (Don’t tell him I said that)! And then there’s Malice. He’s…” she tried to explain but found she could not make any few statements about him. There were simply too many things to name “…you won’t have to worry about him. I’m sure you’ll get along.”

They continued walking, and finally got to the river.

“Is that water safe?” Syne asked.

“For drinking? Yes. For swimming, no.” Titania said “There’s something not right about this forest, and if I were you I wouldn’t trust myself to it.”

Syne nodded “…how old are you?” she asked after a while.

“Seventeen, I think.” Titania answered “You?”

“Eighteen. What do you mean ‘I think’

“I mean I can’t remember.” Titania laughed “I know I’m seventeen but I feel like I’ve been here forever. Not only that, I haven’t really been asked my age since I’ve left home. You’ll find things will change for you soon, too.”

“Things can’t possibly be worse here than where I’m from.”

“What do you mean?” Titania asked, kneeling by the water and washing her face in it.

“Well, I was born into a war of sorts. And that’s all I’ve ever known. Every day I don’t know if it’s the last time I see the sun.”

Titania looked up at her, and saw a touch of un-expected solace in her eyes. Giving up on washing, she sat next to her.

“I’m sorry.” she said, consolingly “I was in a war for two months and I couldn’t even take it. I don’t know how you managed your whole life.”

“It doesn’t feel like that- ‘managing my whole life.’” Syne said, leaning back and putting her weight on her palms “I was living every day as it came, and now that I come here…it’s almost like a dream- like I shouldn’t be here.”

“You call not being able to sleep, and having to deal with mind-devouring monsters a dream?”

Syne smiled “I mean the peace. Look around.”

For the first time since she’d come to Palis, Titania looked around and took in the beauty of the forest. The sky seemed to her a deep and seamless ocean, dotted with clear stars, and revelling in a pool of moonlight. Around them, the grass was soft, and the river was peaceful. Trees lined the banks, dipping their branches into the bubbling water and swaying gently in the breeze.

“You’re right. It is quite beautiful.”

“I never would have dreamed of being in a place like this, not fearing that there were people waiting to slit my throat.”

“I hate to break it to you, then- this isn’t a vacation. Life here’s very hard. And it’s not only surviving, it’s keeping everyone safe…body and mind.”

“How do you keep ones mind safe?”

“Well…we’ve not only seen war. We’ve travelled and we’ve dealt with demons, monsters, danger of all kinds. And not only that, there’s pressure. It’s almost like we’re not only doing this for ourselves, but for other people to. And I don’t know why. It’s just something I’ve come to terms with.”

Syne nodded “How is it that you go about dealing with this?”

“Each other.” Titania shrugged “We cling to each other. The others aren’t as obvious about it, because they’re proud, but it’s true for them too. Glenn and Magus, Belial and Osirus. They need each other or else they will be alone and have to face everything alone. I think it’s really the only thing that’s keeping us going- waking up and not thinking ‘I might die today,’ but waking up and thinking ‘I have someone near me who matters, and I matter to someone near. Even if I never wake up again, at least I’ll have spent another day close to him.’”

Syne smiled and nodded, dipping a canteen into the river “I did not have that where I came from. Perhaps it will change here and I’ll find the same thing.”

“Perhaps.” Titania smiled, gathering water as well “No- not perhaps. You will. Welcome to Palis, Syne.”

[FFnut]

*************************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

Magus, Malice, and Glenn sat around the dying fire. Magus looked up at Malice and grinned. "I've yet to receive an expression of thanks for making that barrier, Malice."

Malice looked up, eyes squinting. "Screw you."

Magus shrugged. "Just the response I expected. Either way, I have a question. Why wouldn't Titania remember Glenn?"

Malice indicated himself. "Remember way back when I was captured by the demons? Titanis healed me and I started to remember things that I shouldn't have been able to."

Magus nodded, getting a clearer picture.

"Now that I think about it, I can remember remembering the things I shouldn't have remembered, but I can't remember those things now. That make sense?"

Magus nodded again. "That's why you recognized stuff from her world. She gave you her memories. You gave them back while we were in there, but..."

"...'twas before she hath met myself."

"Exactly," said Magus and Malice at the same time.

((Yeah, yeah, it's a short post, but at least it might explain why Titania forgot Glenn. I'll make a longer one when I'm less tired - probably next weekend.))

[~Hidan~]

Syne thought of what Nichi had told her. She really did not understand just what was going on and why she was here other then she was supposed to help save the world from an army that part of her once ruled over. “Titania, what is your dream?”

Meanwhile someplace deep in the woods a great power started flowing through Brian. Marks of torment came all over his body. With a giant blast of fire and lightning Brian took off into the sky heading to the great spire.

Hector stood in the meeting room of the great spire when Brian appeared in the room.

“Who is this little shit?” Kain said as he came in the room.

Hector looked at Kain and shrugged. “Don’t know, why don’t cha find out?”

“I wouldn’t be rude to our friend here. “He may just get mad and kill us all.” Came a voice from just out side the door. Bathoris came in and got down on one knee presenting himself to Brian. “It is good to have you back sire.”

“Eh? Who is he?” Kain said pulling at his goatee.

“You have to be a moron not to know who this is, its Kani Dokri” Bathoris said still bowing.

The other two quickly got on their knees and bowed before their great leader. In unison they said. “It is a great day now that you’re back master!”

[Zerlina]

((No I'm not back. I'm on my cousin's computer))

Titania laughed and leaned back on her palms, letting her feet hang into the water “Hm…I suppose it's do something that others will really appreciate. I want to make a difference in someone's life- for the better. I want to...I don't know. I want to do something right for once...really do something right. I feel like I can make a difference and it's in there somewhere, but I just don't know how. I want to find that, and I want to make it happen. I don't want to screw up.

And maybe this is one and the same, but I want to find what my purpose is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…my papa always told me that I must have some kind of purpose- it’s a long story. Anyways, I suppose I’ve always wanted to know what that was. I think that coming here has something to do with it, I just don’t know what. Being here feels right- it’s hard to explain. It just feels right.”

Syne smiled and nodded “I know what you mean. It’s the same with me. I feel at home here already.”

”It’s like this land is familiar, and even some of the people are familiar.”

“That’s right!” Syne agreed “I feel like we’ve already met.”

Titania nodded, enthusiastically “So I’m not the only one to think so! I thought I was losing it…or not getting enough sleep. Both are very likely.”

They laughed and for a moment tired eyes were lit with the glow of friendship. Slowly, the merriment dissipated and yet the girls still sat with smiles upon their young faces.

“Do you feel like you’re closer to some than others?” Titania asked.

“I do. With some I feel like family, with others I feel like…” Syne trailed off.

“Like what?”

“I feel like they’ve hurt me. But I’ve never met them before so it’s impossible.

“You feel like I’ve hurt you, don’t you?”

“…how did you know?”

“Because I feel guilty.”

“Do you think that has something to do with the Old World?”

“The what?”

“The Old World. In the portal Nichi explained to me our past. He called Palis 700 years ago the ‘Old World.’”

“Oh. I suppose that makes things easier…”

“So do you think that it has something to do with that?”

“Maybe.” Titania answered “…do you remember anything from your old life?”

“Sort of. It’s hard to explain. I see images but they come and go and they aren’t very clear. It’s almost like when you have a dream and the next day you try to remember it. You know it happened and you can almost figure it out, but for some reason you just can’t remember things fully.”

“Maybe that’s what Brian felt. Something triggered him to remember the past, though.”

“Brian’s the perv, right? Well…I don’t know about that.”

“You were once the same being, weren’t you?” Titania asked.

Syne shuddered “Supposedly. But I find it hard to believe that in my past life I was a psychotic demon warlord.”

“I do too.” Titania agreed “But maybe that wasn’t really who you were. Maybe that was who the others were. Specifically Brian.”

“Perhaps.”

“…you know what’s odd?”

“What”

“I feel like I know you. And a little less like I knew Nichi. But with Brian…it was like I’d met him but didn’t really know him.”

“That’s odd.”

”It is. How could you know one part of a person and be a stranger to the other.”

“Well…maybe it’s a coincidence. The fact that you even feel like you know me is very odd.- though I can’t say impossible, because I have the same reaction.”

“I wonder if we really have met and it’s just like you said- things come like dreams and you can’t remember them.”

“Well wouldn’t you notice?”

“Now that I think of it, I’ve had strange dreams before- ones I didn’t remember having. I can’t see anything specifically… it’s all a mess! I’m not even sure if that’s a coincidence or not, though...”

“Well, maybe we can piece something together.”

“Alright, that sounds like a good idea.”

Syne thought for a while “I think it’s safe to say you were in the Old World.”

“Maybe. I don’t want to say anything for sure.”

“Well…let’s assume. You feel guilty about something.”

“That’s right.”

“And I feel hurt.”

There was a pause.

“What kind of a hurt?” Titania asked.

“Like…betrayal.”

“That’s what I expected. Whatever it was, I don’t think my whole heart was in it.”

“But it didn’t matter, because whether or not you really wanted to, it made a difference. One that made things bad for me.”

“Difference…” Titania said out loud, thinking for a while “Do you think then maybe that’s it? All of us-all of us in the group, I mean- we all made a difference back then?

“Maybe!”

“But wait…that can’t be right. How old is Belial?”

“Perhaps old enough to remember.” Syne mused.

“…do you feel like you know Belial?”

“I’m not sure. Do you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve always avoided him.”

“Maybe then that has something to do with it. But then again maybe it’s not everyone.”

”Maybe it is.”

“Now we’re just going around in circles!”

Frustrated, Titania buried her face in her hands.

“This is too much to figure out in one night. We should rest.” Syne suggested.

“Or at least try to. Let’s head back. The others will know what to do.”

“I’m pretty sure that they’re as lost as we are.”

Titania shook her head “No. One of them will know.”

”The best they could do is pretend.”

”Well that’s good enough for me.”

Titania prepared to leave without another word, but Syne stopped her.

“Are you sure about that? It doesn’t seem right.”

“I trust them. Something that they make up will be far better than something I make up.”

“How do you know?”

“I know, because I know.” Titania answered, turning to her new friend with a sense of frankness “Just listen to them. They’ve been here longer and they are all skilled warriors. It is not our place to question them. It’s for our own good. My papa used to tell me:

‘If you are to cross a field of swords, you do not ask the blind man to lead the way.’

The stubbourn and proud fool will find her feet bloody. Understand?”

“No.” Syne answered “We are both warriors in our own right and it is stupid to pretend that we’re not. The bigger fool is the one who thinks they’re blind when they can better see the field before them.”

Titania’s cheeks flushed with silent anger- how could this girl question the word of her father? Still, she said nothing.

“Come, let’s go. We’ll find the others.” she said.

Syne sighed, seeing that her point had fallen on deaf ears.

They walked for a while in silence, until the glow of the fire came into sight. As the smell of smoke flooded them and the gentle crackle of tiny embers filled the air, Titania turned to Syne.

“…so what’s your dream?”

[~Hidan~]

Syne thought of just what her dream really was. “Well I use to think I would help end the war and finally set the world to peace in my lands.” She then looked around and let out a sigh of relief. “But I’m here now so I get to save a world that I can save. My world will never be free from war, even if everyone put down their weapons it would only take a few days before they tried to kill each other again.”

“Sounds like a painful place to live, you must have lost a lot of people dear to you.”

“I did, mom, dad, two of my brothers and my little sister all died in war.”

“So what is your dream now that you’re here?”

“You know first I have to get use to being free from my world before I can really think about that.” Syne stretched her arms above her head and started to skip a little. “Maybe I’ll get to live the dream of being in a world of peace one day.”

Titania smiled widely and laughed a little. “You know that sounds like a good dream.”

They walked a little further and arrived at the camp. The others didn’t have the energy to do much more then wave at them.

“Belial can I ask you a question?” Syne said with a silly smile on her face.

Belial pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and nodded.

“Were you around for the war that ended 700 years ago?”

Nod

“Do you remember it?”

Nod

“Can you tell us about it?”

“Nope, I already answered more then one question. Ask again some other time.”

“Ok, thanks for being nice.” She giggled

[FFnut]

******************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, The Spire

Brain stood before the bowing demon lords when the doors flew open. A man dressed in official-looking armor and holding a broken pendant walked in.

"Who is this?" asked Brain maliciously.

The newcomer merely glared at him. "I'm not here to deal with you, boy. My problem stems from another."

Brain simply raised a hand. "You think yourself to be better than me?"

"I don't think of myself as better than you. However, I know that I am better than anyone from my world. And if my... brother, so to speak, doesn't deal with a certain someone from my world, he's going to find himself to be in a world of pain," said the man.

"Begone, Gamma. We'll deal with this later," hissed Kain from the corner of his mouth.

Brain sneered. "You know him, Kain? Tell me, of whom does he speak?"

"I - or, my 'parent' - controlled the evolution of humanity on my world. Somehow, though, my 'parent' was destroyed by a number of lesser creatures. One of those worthless things came here. Thus, myself and my three 'brothers' came here through the same portal and now we're going to destroy this worm."

Brain simply smiled. "And what would this worm's name be? Perhaps he is one of those who travelled with me for a short while."

"His name is Janus Zeal. Sound familiar? Didn't think so. Luckily, my 'brother' Beta went back to that war zone to kill him."

Brain's eyes narrowed. "War zone? The war that Valmarus led on Gracia?"

Gamma simply smirked. "I'm off to check on the girl. Her power can have tremendous effects if applied correctly."

*************************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Chimera Woods

The entire group, exhausted, watched the last dying embers of the fire.

A screech from the sky sounded.

The fire burst back into life.

Magus got up, scythe ready, staring at the sky. A gigantic shape-shifting thing floated down on constantly shifting wings.

"I hAVe yoU NOw!" howled the monstrosity.

"Lavos Spawn," said Magus.

"Run. Now," said Glenn.

Instead of heeding Glenn's advice, the others drew weapons as well.

"I'll be damned if I let you fight this alone," said Malice.

"WHaT A coiNCiDenCE! yoU'lL be DamNeD anYWAY!"

Flames burst from the creature's transforming mouths. Belial, Osirus, Glenn, and Syne dove out of the way. The other three were not as lucky.

Titania cried in pain as the flames caught her robe. A quick chant later, Glenn had put the fire out with some water magic.

Malice stood and took the heat. The fire was painful, but nothing compared to some of the stuff Boiz had thrown at him.

Magus charged directly into the flames, chanting the whole way. Magic began to flow around him as the fire burned his skin.

The monstrosity directed all of its flames onto Magus. The man's skin began to burn away from the intense heat as magic began to radiate from him.

A dream of the gods. Listen to the great symphony of the multiverse. Hear every star in the galaxy. Listen to each star's song. They coalesce into a single song. A single harmony. A single note.

That note.

It is Fire.

The fires from the monster began to swirl around Magus's scorched body. His own magic began to permeate the flaming tornado surrounding him. Darkness flowed out of every wound, every pore, every orifice of his body. A voice, like a god's, came from him.

"DARK FLARE!"

Flames of pure darkness engulfed Magus and the creature, which promptly cried, "NoOOOooOOoOooOOooOOOoooooOOOooOO! i HavE FailEd!"

The darkness vanished. Magus's smoking body fell to the ground. The Lavos Spawn managed to get up, trembling. Its shifting had slowed considerably and it appeared to be panting heavily. Glenn stepped forward, weapon in hand. "Thou... thou art an abomination. Thy eternal torture shalt never be harsh enough for the likes of thee!" Two quick slashes followed.

The monster howled and took off, oozing important-looking bodily fluids profusely. It managed to slowly fly away, albeit barely.

The smell of acrid smoke filled the air in the camp. Everyone quickly checked to make sure nobody was hurt, only...

Glenn, Titania, Malice, and Syne surrounded Magus's scalded body.

(He's in no condition to talk, or even be conscious right now. I'll go into his mind and tell him to explain everything when he comes around again. But right now we're going to need as much healing power as we can get to keep him alive.)

Ouch! That looks really painful. He's barely got any skin left!

Yeah, are you even sure that all his blood didn't evaporate in that heat?

Mune, you're not helping!

Well neither are you, brother!

(Both of you shut up! We need him healed as fast as we can. C'mon, you tangible people, do something!)

************************************************** **
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Outside The Spire

Gamma looked around, the empathic feeling of pain coming from Beta. He soon saw the digusting morphing thing float over.

"Beta! What... what happened?" gasped Gamma.

"JanUS... usEd my FirE agAiNSt Me... wiTH hIs dArkNeSS iNFuSeD... aNd... He wAS bURNeD tOO... BuT... tHE OThEr oNE... iS HErE... WitH THe sWorD anD AlL tHReE Of ThE sPIrItS..." uttered Beta.

"The other one? What do you mean?" asked Gamma.

Beta finally stopped shifting, a single human mouth his only speaking appendage. "The... Frog..."

With a loud groan, Beta finally perished.

[Zerlina]

Three rounds of fighting had left them exhausted, and even as they stood in peace, it seemed as if the very air were wearing them down in a silent battle.

Healing. The word filled Titania’s ears with good entry, and she was glad to hear it. It had been so long since she had been able to use her magic for that which did not cause harm, and the act was beginning to make her forget.

With a sudden glow to her previously pale skin, she kneeled before and looked onto the injured man with the tenderness of a mother. Placing a hand on his unconscious arm, she examined the burns, knowing that –at least for the moment- his lack of awareness was his greatest benefit.

There was silence save for the wood, when at last there came a gentle glow, first only over the shape of her small hands, but soon covering Magus’ body like white fire.

There was something odd then in both of their presences, as if the flame connected their spirits until it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. It became clear then, to the others, that her magic was not merely spells conjured up from a book, but the deepest part of her shared with an injured soul.

The fire spread and then evaporated into smoke; for a moment Malice felt as if he could see images amongst each gray tendril- once again in that ungraspable, dream-like remembrance. He knew that he had seen that flame before, and that it had once been part of him– perhaps still was.

*

In a place beyond the understanding of mortality, Brian sat upon an opal chair, staring at the faces of his Generals with a look of sudden fulfillment; he had his control back, and now whatever the obstacle, he could rise to power and shape things to fit his dementia.

“Tell me, Bathoris,” Brian began, his words seeming odd when clouded by his youthful voice “You who have prepared for me all of this time- what do you suggest I should do first?”

The demon grinned his terrifying smile as he looked at his master, his eyes shadowed by black light “Do you not wish to continue your campaign? Finish what you started?”

There was a silence as he thought over it “That is indeed the final goal, but I am unsure of where to start.” His hesitation, of course, was not over ignorance, but rather over the sensation that a child receives when he is presented with a room full of toys “Shall I first start with them?”

“That would be a wise choice.” Kain advised “Destroy them before they awaken too. As they are now, they have not met the power of their past lives”

Brian laughed “What power? What they accomplished was mere coincidence. It took no skill. First, she betrayed me…left me to be slaughtered by the enemy. But I knew…I knew the whole time that something was wrong, and when they came I was ready for them.” a smile tugged at his young lips “I killed the him. And I enjoyed it, too… his arrogant face crying out from the pain of the sword- my sword! I drove it into him three times for good measure, and watched him squirm as his spirit left.”

“But the woman!”

Brian shot a look at the demon who had dared pull him from the high of victory, down to his bitter defeat “…yes, of course. I have not forgotten. How could I?” He pressed his fingers into the table and pulled them back, as if digging into flesh.

“It does not matter now.” Kain interrupted “You have returned, and she is dead.”

“Indeed.” Brian looked up from his invisible victim “Has her spirit returned to Palis yet?”

“No.” Valmarus answered.

“Good. I should not like a repeat of that day.”

Hector smiled as he turned to his master “Lord Kani, while we are at your service and willing to inform you of the state of our world, I find it is of great importance that I bring to your attention the issue of your body.”

“Ah yes,” Brian nodded, having wondered about it himself “Well, continue…”

“After that day 700 years ago, we saw to it that your body be hidden. Because we all did not trust each other, we entreated one of our kind with the task of placing you somewhere. We put a seal on him so that he would not be able to tell anyone of the location but us. It is a secret he has kept to this day.”

“And who is this demon?” Brian cocked his eyebrow.

“Belial O’Shauva.”

*

The white fire finally evaporated into the cool night air, and slowly Magus opened his eyes, Doreen having been ready to pull him from his unconsciousness when the time was right. He looked about, and saw his friends standing around with concern in their eyes.

“What-” he began to get up, but fell back down, grabbing his back in pain.

“You can’t stand for a while.” Titania said, blankly, “You’re lucky to be alive and you’ll need to rest for a while.”

He looked at his arms and saw that his burns were gone “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” she said as she withdrew to the fireside; it was clear that she was tired.

“What was that thing?” Syne asked crouching down near him.

“Lavos.” Magus answered “They’ve followed me here from my world.”

“Oh.” Syne acknowledged, unsure of what else to say.

There was pause.

“I don’t think we should stay here any longer.” Malice said “There’s too much that has happened. We should continue on east a little- we can’t sleep anyways.”

“I’d agree except that I can’t walk.” Magus muttered.

“Is there anything that can speed up this process?” Malice asked, turning vaguely to the others.

“I could try.” Titania said, pulling herself up and kneeling beside the fallen ally once mo re.

“Here, don’t watch.” she whispered quietly to Magus, placing a hand over his eyes.

Again the white light returned and spread over his body. This time, however, it was not as peaceful and as concentrated as before- now it seemed almost forced. When at last it was done, she removed her hand and nearly fell backward, as if off-balance. Slowly, Magus rose to his feet and stretched.

Malice looked him over and seemed pleased “Good then, let’s go.’

“Put out the fire first.” Titania said, coughing a little “the smoke’s thick, and we’ll burn down the forest if we leave it.”

“What a shame.” Magus muttered sarcastically as he began to throw dirt on the flames

“Alright, it’s gone. Let’s go.”

Wearily, the others began to follow, Titania being the last to finally remove herself from the site. Pulling her cloak tight around her cold shoulders, she followed them, lagging behind slightly, from fatigue.

“Syne, did Nichi say anything about the significance of the stone we’re looking for?” Malice asked, turning to the girl.

[~Hidan~]

Syne thought for a moment about what Nichi had said on her way to Palis. Nothing was mentioned about what they did but just that they were important. “I really don’t know anything more then that they are important.”

“I see.” Titania said

“Maybe he will come back and tell us more later on after he has regained some more strength again.” Syne said pulling at her imaginary goatee.

As the sun began to come up they could make out the outline of a large building in the horizon. Everyone gave out a sigh of relief as they ran towards the entrance of the shrine. They had finally made it to where they had been traveling to.

Syne sat down on the steps to the main room and sighed. “Magic barrier.”

“What?” Malice said walking right past her.

“Nichi said the stones were behind magic barriers that keep anyone linked to Kani.” Syne said. “You guys go in I’ll wait here for you to return.”

“Ok, it doesn’t look like I can go in either.” Titania said pushing hard against the invisible wall.

Malice, magus, Belial and Osirus had no problems entering the shrine; Syne, Titania and Glenn were forced to stay outside.

“Please come back as fast as you can.” Titania said to the others as they entered the shrine.

“We’ll be back as soon as possible.” Malice said

[Zerlina]

Titania wandered along the barrier for a while, tapping it and running her hand along the hard air that the others had so easily passed through.

“Whoever built this shrine must have wanted to keep us out.” She said.

Syne nodded “As Nichi said, we are all connected to Kani.”

“We can’t be the only ones.” Titania pointed out, turning to face her new friend “That wouldn’t make sense…I felt as if I knew Malice. And he was able to enter.”

“Perhaps the architect did not want to keep him out.” Glenn stated “Only us.”

“That would make sense. Perhaps he was not a threat to whatever is in there.”

“And we are?”

Syne nodded “Titania, I felt betrayed by you. That must have meant we were on the same side. And Glenn…” she turned to face him “I feel almost as if we were once together, but for some reason there was a parting of ways. Perhaps we chose different paths.”

“You remember a lot, Syne.” Titania said “I can’t even believe any of this. How is it possible that I could have forgotten an entire lifetime?”

“But that’s just it…” Syne began “It’s impossible. Somewhere inside of us it’s still there. I think we see more of it than we know…we have to think from now on.”

“Perhaps we should think back.” Glenn added “Try to remember those instances where things might have seemed familiar, or people might have.”

“I think I know a time…it’s really striking me as odd…” Titania said “When I first came here, we rested at an inn. For some reason I didn’t feel like I could stay there…it was almost like something was pulling me from the outside- some sort of impulse. I felt I had to leave and I had to leave right away- or else. Then when I got to a square, I found that Malice had followed me. It was almost like something unfinished had finally been taken care of. I don’t know how to explain it any other way than that, and I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s exactly what it felt like.
Afterwards, I went to trade in some of my stones for shoes. There was a man in an alley and I asked him for help, but he did not respond. He kept on whispering things- things I couldn’t understand. He called me by a different name, and I thought he was crazy. Finally, he stepped forward and all of a sudden I was scared. At that time I was so sure that I was going to die- that he had a knife with him he was going to use to plunge into my heart. I went to run, but then suddenly there was a rush of wind and I was back with the others.
After that I tried not think about it. I didn’t know why I was so sure he was going to kill me- and in that way. I just knew. When I thought about it, I figured I must have been paranoid, and he must have simply been insane, or a drunk... something like that. But now that all of this has come up, I’m beginning to wonder.”

Syne nodded “We must keep our eyes open and not pass these experiences off as oddities or déjà vu. Anything could be our true spirit trying to emerge.”

“Why do you call it our ‘true spirit?’” Titania asked, “This life is not fake. It’s not a mirage.”

Glenn nodded “I must agree. Perhaps this is simply a continuation of our old lives- assuming that this theory is true.”

“It is not a theory.” Syne stated, “I can tell you that it is completely true. This is not the first time our spirits have dwelled in this planet. We were away for a while and now we’ve returned.”

“All at the same time?” Glenn asked, “That’s too much of a coincidence.”

“Exactly.” Syne agreed.

“Not only that…when we were moved here we all ended up close to each other- we weren’t randomly thrown about. We were called.” Titania noted.

“The planet needs us back.” Said Syne, putting everything together, “It needs us and it’s brought us here for that reason. Something is going to happen, and don’t be surprised if we’re involved.”

Suddenly there came a loud crash from within the Verity Shrine, followed by a cry of pain. Instinctively, Glenn and Titania made a dash for the entrance but were stopped by the barrier.

For a while they tried to push through it, pounding on it, using spells- but to no avail!

“We can’t help them!” Syne yelled after a while, “And besides…we have a bigger problem…”

Slowly, the two turned, and there, looming before them was a dark figure, clad in black armour and shadowed against the dawn. Standing even higher than Syne, the human-like creature moved toward them at a menacingly slow pace. Weapons drawn, they stood their ground, ready to fight.

“Do not waste my time.” The creature said, raising his hand and knocking Titania and Glenn to the ground with some sort of magic “I’m here for only Kani.”

“My name is Syne.” She stated, boldly, tightening her hold on her sword “What business do you have with me?”

The creature laughed, “Do you not recognize me?”

“How can I when I cannot see your face?” she questioned, keeping a hard stare.

The others tried to stand but felt the air pushing weight on their bodies; they could not move.

“If you wish to see my face, you can view it later. Come- or else.” It said, coldly.

“Syne, do not listen to him!” Glenn cried, struggling against the suddenly strong force of gravity.

“I’m not going anywhere.” She answered them both.

“Fine…” the creature said, but surprisingly did not draw its sword “You have been warned, Syne. Stay here with these two snakes, but don’t think you have seen the last of me.”

With a grotesque smirk, Hector stepped into the light so that they could see his face.

“You will return to us, Kani.” He muttered, arrogantly, then turned to the others “And as for you, Llideah, Noah…” with yellow teeth he grinned at the struggling companions “Get used to this feeling” He struck them hard with black magic and they cried out in pain “You haven’t seen the last of me either.”

The demon raised his hand. Suddenly, from the ground came a smoky spiral, which wrapped around his body before consuming it. In seconds, the smoke disappeared and the creature was gone. No sooner did he leave were Glenn and Titania freed from their invisible hold. Syne did not even see them; her eyes were fixed upon the spot where Hector had vanished.

“Syne…?” Glenn spoke up.

“Noah…Llideah…” She whispered with cold lips, the names striking through her like lightning.

[FFnut]

***********************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Verity Shrine

Malice, Magus, and the two demons walked through the halls of the shrine, looking for the stone.

"Dead men, dead men, swinging in a tree. How many dead men do you see? Tongue turned blue and face gone gray, watch them as they twist and sway. The first one killed the butcher man then cooked him in-"

"Shut up, Osirus!" growled Malice.

"Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood with an old nursery rhyme I heard a long time ago."

Magus raised an eyebrow. "That's supposed to lighten the mood?"

"Or scare the crap out of all of you. Both are acceptable."

Belial's fist connected with the back of Osirus's head. "Shut up or else that kid Brain won't be the only one who's dealt a blow to your crotch in recent memory."

Suddenly Magus whirled around, noticing a figure looming over him. The shadowy figure cackled. "Well, well, well. What have we here? You're... you're that girl's brother, aren't you? And... you're also Variel? How very odd!"

Magus drew his scythe. Malice and the demons turned and prepared their weapons too.

The shadowy demon laughed as a huge scimitar composed of some sort of liquid-like metal extended from his hand. "You like it? It's only held into this shape by my power. Were I to let go of it, it would simply fall apart."

Magus buried his scythe deep into the demon's chest. The blow was met by a horrific snicker. "I'll deal with you later, Variel... oh, unless you've forgotten the last time? Either way, you don't interest me nearly as much as he does. You've both decided to protect the other two... Variel and Noah... and Gadriel and Llideah... Yes, Gadriel, we've met before. You'll protect Llideah until the end, but the end will come far too soon..."

The scimitar flashed through the air, leaving a huge scar across Malice's face. Malice screamed in agony, a scream that shattered the stained glass windows throughout the shrine simultaneously.

"Feel your powerlessness, Gadriel! Suffer at the hands of Lord Kain!"

Kain. The word echoed throughout Magus's psyche. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Dreamstone pieces of Schala's pendant that he'd found. Kain. The murderer. The one who had Schala the whole time. The one who must be allied with the Lavos Spawn. The bastard. He murdered the only one who ever loved me. The only one who ever-

The scimitar slashed Malice's face a few more times, until Malice fell to the ground. Belial and Osirus were lifted into the air and thrown against the wall. Kain raised his sword and brought it down on Malice's exposed neck.

CLANG.

The sword bounced off the magical barrier that Magus had just created to protect his friend. "Not bad, Variel. Then again-"

Lightning shot from the mage's hand, touching the bottom of the scythe in the demon's chest and being conducted into the monster.

Kain began to tremble. "How... my god... Variel... GRAH!" The energy rebounded out of Kain and launched itself back at Magus. Belial floated off the wall, still unable to control his movements. "Valmarus can deal with you idiots - trying to seal the portals," said Kain, "bah! I only need this one. But don't think Gamma won't hear about your whereabouts, Janus Zeal."

Everything turned pitch black, and by the time everything had returned to focus, Kain and Belial were gone. Osirus slid from the wall as Magus and Malice managed to slowly and painfully get off the ground. Magus grabbed the Dreamstone pieces he'd dropped, shoved them in his pocket, and trudged further into the shrine.

[Zerlina]

“How’s your face?” Magus asked after a while.

“Fine.” Malice answered, though his blood-covered hand lay over his right cheek “Things could have been far worse. And you? How is your pain?”

“I’m alright.” Magus answered “I wonder where Belial is.”

“I don’t know.”

“I never did find him particularly pleasant, but like it or not I think we’re going to have to find him. He’s one of us.”

Malice nodded “We will. But first, let’s finish what we’ve come here for. There’s no sense in turning back, and there’s no time for grieving. We’ll just have to continue.”

“Indeed.” Magus nodded “How deep is this damn building anyways?”

The two continued talking as if nothing had happened, and as if they were alone- but as is known, that was not the case. Lagging behind them with an unreadable demeanor, Osirus was eerily silent; the darkness hid his face.

Belial…he had it coming, the bastard. he though as he moved through the shadowy halls Still…they’re probably going to kill him. Or worse… Dammit! being with these assholes has made me soft.

He kicked up a rock and it smashed to pieces as it hit the wall

What the hell is wrong with me. Every man for himself. That’s how it should be. So what do I care if they skin him alive? It’s not my problem…it’s not my problem, it’s not my problem…

“Hey, Osirus, can you see a way out of here?”

“It’s not my damn problem!” Osirus kicked up another stone and it nailed Magus in the back.

“What the hell was that for?” the angered mage yelled, turning and facing down his assaulter.

“Don’t f*cking talk to me, you damn human!” Osirus muttered “The only reason I associated with your kind is because of Belial’s screwed up vision of reality. Don’t think you can tell me what to do now that he’s gone!”

“He wasn’t telling you what to do!” said Malice “He was only asking for help! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Shut up. Both of you shut up. This is how it’s going to go- we’re going to get that stone, and then we’re going to save Belial’s sorry ass.”

“Yeah. We decided that ten minutes ago,” Magus muttered “Maybe if you paid attention once in a while instead of just pissing everyone off, you would know that.”

“I don’t need to pay attention to you. Who the hell do you think you are?” Osirus yelled, and suddenly Magus struck with some kind of magic.

“Stop it!” Malice screamed and suddenly the wind caught the demon, throwing him into the wall “I don’t know what the hell has got into your head, but get it out! All of us are upset about Belial but we have to finish this first! There’s still the beast in this forest we have to worry about, and if we can’t even survive each other, there’s no damn way we’re going to survive that!”

“Whatever, I’m sick of this.” Osirus muttered, rising to his feet and brushing off his clothes “Go and find your stone, I’m going ahead and finding Belial.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Magus said, holding back his desire to set the demon on fire “If you go alone, you’ll be killed, and that won’t do anyone any good.”

“If I’m killed then at least I’ll have done more for him than you!” Osirus answered as he began to leave “Oh, and by the way…you might want to hurry up with your little treasure hunt…”

“Why’s that?” Malice asked, his hands already at his daggers.

Osirus smirked and was gone.

[~Hidan~]

((Sorry this took so long to post))

Osirus disappeared running past Syne.

Titania just blinked and watched him run off. “What do you think that was about?”

Glenn just shook his head.

Syne was still repeating the names under her breath unshaken by the fleeing Osirus. Titania and Glenn sat down next to the shaking and now crying Syne.

“Noah and Llideah... Noah and Llideah….” Syne said softly as she cried. Without warning Syne just grabbed hold of both Glenn and Titania and held them tight.

“What’s wrong? What did you remember?” Titania said holding on to Syne’s arm.

“I don’t remember anything, that’s just it, all I know are these strange feeling of sadness and joy.” Syne said as she cleared her eyes of tears.

Magus and Malice came out of the shrine holding a small emerald ring in a glass case. “We got it…..” Malice said yawning. “Let’s get out of this place asap.”

Syne, Glenn and Titania all nodded.

“Did you get a visit as well? And where is Belial?” Glenn said with a raised eyebrow.

Magus nodded. “Kain gave us a pleasant welcome and seems to have run off with Belial.”

“I see.” Titania said shaking his head. “Why would they take him but no one else?”

Syne shook her head. “Yeah let’s just get out of here.”

Malice nodded and started leading the way out. For some reason on the way out of the forest there seemed to be a simple path leading out. However looking back it was invisible.

“Very interesting, the forest doesn’t want people finding their way in but you can easily leave it.” Glenn said pointing out the strange aspect of the trail out.

Only an hour later and everyone was back on the airship ready to leave. Syne stood awestruck at the sight of the colossal flying ship. “This is truly amazing.”

Aboard the ship everyone with little talk decided to go to their rooms and fall asleep. Syne spoke to the ‘Captain’. “Nichi spoke of a place called Dimarus. Then we are supposed to go to old’s Grove.”

“What about going after Belial?” Malice said overhearing the conversation.

“That’s up to you. What should we do about it?” Syne said yawning.

Thinking for a moment about what they should do about Belial, Malice decided not to go after him. “I don’t think we should worry too much about him, He’s a demon after all he should be able to fend for himself.”

[Drazniich]

The air near Malice began to form and spiral, twisting what once was a solid image. Black flames began to trace around in a growing ring.

"Couldn't take care of himself if I payed him to, actually." Osirus snarled as he stepped from the vortex in reality. Dragging behind him, shackled and dazed, was Belial, barely concious of what was going on. "You'd think that he could."

Belial shook his head till he felt at least a little more coherant. "wherererewe?"

Osirus just mussed up Belial's hair. "So, who or what are we killing now?"

[Sorry guys, I'm back, better post tomorrow.]

[Zerlina]

The creaks of the ship, together with the sound of the propellers formed what was now a familiar lullaby. Throughout of the ghostly passages, shadow and darkness spread, leaving only a few hallways illuminated by the spilling moonlight.
On the rim of conciousness, Titania lay in her bed, burrowed comfortably in the moth-eaten sheets. From the ceiling, there swung an old oil lamp, whose rusty handle creaked along with the rhythm of the ship. Peacefully, she turned, and as she did so, the sound of tiny bells swayed gently into the air.
Confused, Titania, sat up and waited, listening carefully for the sound once more. For a while there was nothing, but as she lay back down, it came again.

“Hello?” she called out, her eyes darting to every corner of the lonely room “Is someone there?”

Silence.

“I know you’re here…” she continued, her voice falling dry over the creaky ship “Show yourself!!”

The only answer was her own echo.

Deciding she could not sleep, knowing some speechless being was wandering around, she got out of bed and walked cautiously to the door.
Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle the bells’ delicate ring returned, as she made her way out into the hallway. There, outside her room, a pool of moonlight spilled gently onto the floor. She stared at it for a while, and as the bells returned, she followed its path outside; the light beneath her feet rippled like water and she did not cast a shadow through it.
As she emerged on the deck, she did not speak, because the silence of the night seemed to forbid it. With every step she took, her fear dissipated, and when finally she reached the deck it was gone. The moon and something else seemed to be calling to her, and she did not want to let it go. Slowly, raindrops began to gather until they fell in succession. But even as they did so, they did not stay and did not leave behind any evidence of their existence; everything was dry.
The chime of bells returned, but now they seemed more a part of her than anything else; when she walked, they sounded, and when she stopped, they were silent. Something now, a gentle noise, pulled her forward. It was beautiful, familiar, and yet mute.

“Where are you?” came a voice of the same tone.
“Out in the rain.” Titania answered.
“Come, and we will finish this now.”
“Indeed.” She said, and turned the corner; there was Syne, caught up in the same sort of trance.
“No rules.” Said Syne, as she drew her sword.
“And whoever wins…”
“…will decide what happens.”
Syne smirked, taking her stance and preparing for the fight “We will start ten paces away.”
“Fine.” Titania answered, holding out her hands, fingers apart. A blue light appeared and illuminated her face. From the magic came a smoke, which wound itself into an unearthly javelin, twisting in a serpentine manner.

The two walked their five paces and then smirked like friends in the rain as they prepared for the start in their heads. A ghostly lightning struck, and in an instant, the two ran at each other.
With a suddenly new strength, Syne pulled her thick sword backward before pushing it down at Titania. The mage dodged it, jumping back and landing with a strange lightness.

“You’ve gotten better.” The taller girl said, bringing her sword back up as if it were thin wood.

“So have you.” Titania answered, swinging her javelin low into Syne’s ankles.

The thick object hit her with a painful force, but she did not falter, and instead hurled her sword sideways to knock Titania over; the edge of the blade cut her arm.

“That almost hurt.” The mage laughed, thrusting her own weapon at Syne, who parried it and then drove the handle of her sword into her opponent’s shoulder.

Titania cried out, but did not take long to recover. She threw up her hand, and soon formed a blue flame around it. In an attempt to control it, Syne grabbed the mage’s wrist, but the fire only grew and caught painfully onto her arm.
She stepped back for a moment, and as another strike of ghostly lightning appeared, she seemed to take another form- like the light of the sky illuminated her true self. When the night flashed, she was no longer Syne, but a tall and shadowy figure. However, when the darkness returned, so did the form of the Zabasu.
Within moments, Syne pulled her own dark magic into her hands, striking the ground hard with it and causing the ship to shake. Titania struggled for a moment, but soon jumped onto a railing. Bringing back another blue flame, she leapt once more and set the flame to her javelin, which she thrust at her opponent.
With reflexes as fast as sky fire, Syne caught the object, now seeming unharmed by the magic on it. She swung it sideways and as she did so, threw a wave of Titania’s own magic back at her, before abandoning the weapon completely.
The mage jumped once more, leaving the railing which burst behind her as the enchantment hit it. Agilely, she crossed the deck and took back her javelin.
Eyes dark and fierce with the passion of battle, the two circled each other, weapons drawn and ready to use at any moment. The rain fell heavily now and as the peace of the night gave way to a storm, lightning flashed once more. Titania faltered, the brightness catching her eye. Syne took the moment and in a second, was before her. She made a series of strikes, which Titania blocked, but could not aggress against. With nowhere else to go, the mage moved backward, until her heel hit the edge of the ship where the railing had been destroyed. She lowered her weapon and stared at Syne, both of them knowing that with one strike she would be dead. Lightning flashed once more, and so, over Syne’s form appeared the image of Kani, who stared down at the smaller girl with an unreadable expression, which she returned.

“Go ahead.” Titania answered, her voice sounding different now. She dropped her weapon “I’m waiting.”

He stared down at her with his sword drawn, as if calculating what best to do “You’ve always expected the worst in me, Llideah. I’m not going to push you over.”

“Why not?” she asked, still bold “So that you can embarrass me forever with stories of how you’ve defeated me in a duel.”

“Everyone expected me to win. They already know.” He answered, arrogantly “Even before you came, they knew.”

“What good is it then to let me live? Let me die now with honour rather than live with the shame of knowing you had to spare me.”

“The first of those things –dying at my hand- is more common than the other. Why do you wish for it?”

“Because unlike you, I am not scared.”

He laughed “You are trying to make me angry now. Don’t start- I know you too well! Go!” He stepped back so that she could walk away “Go home and I will speak of this to no one.”

She stared at him quietly, unsure of whether it was a trick or not “Are you lying?”

“If I was, would I tell you?”

She smirked and took a cautious step forward, before picking up her javelin “So now who will decide? Who will be the keeper of fate?”

“I will.” Kani answered, and Llideah faltered, “I’ve won. I will speak of it to no one, but you must acknowledge that I’ve won.”

She smiled, bitterly “Very well, then.” She drew a stone from her apron “I believe that this is what you want.”

He smirked and looked at the object hungrily before taking it.

“All is fair in-”

“Don’t say it.” She muttered, clearly not in the mood for any joke or reasoning he could think of. Sternly she stepped forward and looked straight at Kani “If I thought for a second that you would abuse this object, I would not give it to you. This stone is tied to me, and even if you bear its physical presence, it will always hold its true form in my soul. Take care in what you do with the object, and know that at any moment, I can put the spiritual form into another object which you do not posess.”

They looked at each other seriously for a moment, the bitterness of a failed duel and a loss hanging over Llideah, while that same hungry look that had possessed Brian took over Kani’s face. His eyes affixed on the stone, he smirked at the defeated “I will use the object as I wish. It is mine.” He said “And if you have any honour you will always acknowledge that. Do not threaten me now with tales of how you will take back my prize- accept your loss and let me be.”

She felt her hands tighten as she let her weapon disappear into the smoke it came from “Fine.” She said “I will ‘let you be.’ But I’m not going home.”

She began to walk away, but he threw his sword and it embedded itself in the ground before her.

“Where are you going?” he clenched his new stone, protectively, as he watched the white figure in the rain.

“I’m visiting a friend.” She said, continuing on “A friend of Noah’s.”

“Noah!” he laughed, but his heart sank at the mention of his old friend “He’s a fool, and he is dead to me! ”

“I know.” She answered, as she disappeared into the darkness “And you are dead to him.”

*

Below the deck, Belial and Osirus continued through a game of poker, while Magus, Glenn and Malice sat in the corner, sharing what few bottles of liquor the demons had not consumed.

“That table looks a little uneven, doesn’t it?” Magus remarked, staring at the piles of money and goods, which lay on Belial’s side of the game.
“Quite.” Answered Glenn as he took a small sip from an unlabelled bottle.
“Aw, hell!” came a cry from Osirus as Belial pulled more objects onto his side of the table.
“You’d think by now he’d figure out that Belial always wins…” Malice smirked as he drank.
“Some people are just slow, I guess.” Magus laughed.
“I can hear you.” Muttered Osirus.

Titania walked along the halls, and when she saw the others she peered in through the doorway.

"Am I interrupting any male bonding?" she asked, as she looked about the room.

[FFnut]

****************************************
Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, The Sky

Magus looked up uninterestedly at the girl who'd entered the room. He felt a strange presence, as if she were not herself. He stood up, feeling an odd urge inside of him. Walking out the door, he beckoned for her to follow.

"Come to see me, Llideah?"

Titania shrugged. "Depends on who you are. Noah told me to meet his friend here."

Magus laughed. "That all depends on what Noah meant by friend. I am more of a guardian than anything else. The seven of us are to make sure everything runs smoothly."

"Seven?"

"Yes, seven. There are seven of us, and we're supposed to make sure that everything happens as it's supposed to. But it's not - not yet, anyway."

"What are you talking about?"

The darkness swirled around him. "Two of us have been sent to guard certain people. We're supposed to make sure that, at least, those two people fulfill their fates. But I changed the rules."

"What?" asked Llideah.

"I've cast a spell, and a dangerous one at that. I was excommunicated from the Seven because of it. It's a good thing I was. I was going to be reporting when they attacked."

"They?"

"The demons. The other five were slaughtered - Lord Nihel, ruler of the Seven; Safriel, Lady of Pain; Dakael and Kadael, the twins; and even Lord Arel, the Unfated. Only I and Gadriel survived."

"So what happened?"

"I cast a spell. I chose several souls to be sealed until the correct time. Specifically, the events that are unfolding shouldn't be unfolding for seven hundred years. So I sealed the souls of you, Noah, Gadriel, Kani, and myself. Seven hundred years from now, our souls will be bound to others. These other people will be our vessels to reenact these events. In seven hundred years, we will have this conversation again, Llideah, and we won't even realize that it's been so long. When that happens, I will protect Noah, just as Gadriel will protect you. After our seven hundred year intermission, we'll act out this exquisite play once more, but this time the ending will change to the way it's meant to be. I feel sorry for our new hosts, but it's necessary to keep them. When it's all done, we can depart for the afterlife and leave them to their normal lives, but-"

"Wait. You're denying us all the afterlife?"

"Twisted little game, isn't it? But necessary. Sorry, Llideah, but there's still a few more acts to go before we can take our final bows."

The darkness suddenly lifted from Variel's shoulders, and the sun shined down on the deck once more. Magus blinked, turned on his heel, and went back into the cabin.

[Zerlina]

As Magus left, a sudden cold filled the air, and almost as if she was pulled from under the water, Titania felt the sounds and lights of the ship return to her. She was dizzy, and her head pounded, causing her to pull up her hand to her temple. Something wasn’t right, and the shaking of the ship didn’t help. Every voice and every laugh that shot through the air caused her more and more pain, and as she began to stumble aimlessly, a darkness fell over her vision. Black blotches covered everything and the noise ran together until finally she hit the ground, her weight pressed against the floor and wall.

Ruthlessly, images swarmed her like flies on a corpse and with each one a silent scream broke through the air and shot through her ears. Amidst the noise and pain there was a face, looking down at her from within a shadow. It seemed to be speaking, but all she heard was noise and shrieks. Its eyes black and its hands covered in blood, it opened its mouth once more, letting out a hiss even though its lips were wide apart.

“You asked for this.” It said, its black teeth chattering in its decaying and unstable face “You asked for this!”

Through the chaos, it raised its hand high above its head, letting its knife catch the light for a brief moment before slicing through the darkness and diving toward her.

In a flash it was over, and Titania awoke with her hands over her heart. For a while, she looked around, her breath heavy and her stature rigid. Finally, as it became clear that whatever spirit had come, was gone, she sat up.

“Hector…” she whispered, exasperated “It was Hector…”

But what was that? What just happened? she brought her hand to her throbbing temple and let her head rest against the wall. Not soon after she had wondered, the answer came to her as if through some kind of common reasoning.

Of course- it was a warning.

Like a dream, the conversation with Magus came back to her- but he was speaking differently, and he was calling her by a strange name.

“After our seven hundred year intermission, we’ll act out this exquisite play once more” His voice ran in her head.

It would happen again. But if that were true, then everything would happen again. Everything.

Her chilled fingers found their way back to her chest and she clutched at it, instinctively trying to grab at her necklace. Where was her necklace? She thought back and remembered, then let her hand fall to the side.

Silent and cold, she sat for a long while, breathing in the musty air of the ship, knowing that she had seen the death this path would lead her to. Or would it? Magus had said that the ending would play out differently- would that mean that she would be spared? The answer, it seemed, would matter to more than just her-Llideah was not the only one to die that day, and somehow Titania already knew who else would fall.

You are the first, my dear, but don't fret because you will soon have company. What is happening now will happen to them and when it does, my world will return. This is no longer your time, but ours, and when we awaken we will bring to all of you the suffering we had to endure. What you have seen is what I have seen and what I wish to let you know. The others- they will learn soon too...of what pain this caused us and what this will lead to. Be thankful you have had your vision for theirs is coming and will be much worse.
You will be my Cassandra, but your friends will be the ones who suffer. Just as I suffered and just as those that I loved suffered.
Remember- their visions are coming and when they do the darkness will be much stronger than it is now. Be thankful this was yours for theirs will be strong enough to kill.

The voice came and left with the swiftness of a shadow. Leaning back against the wall, Titania closed her eyes to rest them for a while, and as she did so she felt the heat of the torches warm her cheeks as if to comfort her. For a brief moment she became a child again, sitting obediently as the heat wrapped around her like a blanket. Slowly, her eyelids grew heavy, and there, exhausted and tucked away in a corner of the ship, she felt the influence of sleep fall undeniably strong upon her. Afraid of whatever might come to her in her dreams, she forced herself up and made her way back to the others, hoping that they were still awake.

*

As Magus returned to the room, the euphoric smell of smoke and liquor filled his head and brought him back to reality. At a table in the center, Osirus and Belial still enjoyed their game, while at the back, the others continued their conversation, stopping only briefly as Magus entered.

“Art thou sound?” Glenn asked, noting that his comrade had left so suddenly.

“I’m fine.” Magus replied, taking a seat next to his friend.

“Why did you leave?” Malice inquired, as he took a sip from an unlabelled bottle.

“Why not?” Came the answer.

Something was different about Magus now, and even as they sat in the safety of the airship it seemed that he was aware in the way a watchman is. Even as Malice and Glenn resumed their conversation, he seemed almost rigid and protective, always making sure that both the knight and the demons were in his line of sight. The former was in some kind of danger, while the latter were not to be trusted.

“We should be arriving shortly.” Said Malice, “We’re making another stop.”

“Where?” inquired Glenn.

“Syne said that Nichi mentioned a place called Dimarus. From there we are to go to Old Grove.”

“Do we have a map of the area?” asked Magus, his gaze still dealt between Glenn and the demons.

“No.” Malice answered “The captain may know something, and if he doesn’t then we’ll have to figure it out for ourselves.”

Titania came into the room without a word and took a seat between Glenn and Malice, while Magus watched as if expecting her to suddenly attack the unaware knight. She caught his glance and for a moment challenged it with her own, before breaking into an awkward smile and looking away.

"So what have you all been talking about?" she asked, shuffling a little further from Glenn so as to appease Magus "Has anything happened? Where's Syne?"

"Nothing's happened, and Syne's probably asleep." Malice answered, " I suggest you all get some rest- we might arrive as early as morning."

Stretching his arms and leaning back a little, Glenn yawned as if agreeing with the proposal "Tis a sound idea." he remarked "Methinks I will retire..."

"I will too." Magus said, rising and waiting for his friend "What about you all?"

Titania shook her head, while the demons simply ignored him.

"I think I'm going to think for a while and sort out our plans." Malice said "We need to know what we're doing. I'll try to talk to the captain- he may know of our destination."

"You won't be able to think if you're tired." Titania protested "Go with Magus and Glenn. I will speak to the captain."

Her suggestion was not entirely for the benefit of her friend. In fact, she had a strong desire to interview the captain about the whereabouts of the demons- specifically Hector.

"I think I should feel better informed if I did it myself." Malice said, shaking his head "None of you worry about it. Just get some sleep and be ready to leave by tomorrow."

[~Hidan~]

Syne opened her eyes and stared into the night sky. The eerie night had made her remember things that no normal person should be able to remember. He past life was the of part of the evil demon known as Kani. Somewhere deep inside the monster was her, the little piece of reason that kept the world from being destroyed. Or at least this is what Nichi had told her about it.

“It’s a long road to fixing things.” Syne sighed.

With no one to answer her she didn’t have much to say.

With no idea of where to go to next, Syne had left the decision in Malice and Titania’s hands.

The world was so much different then her own, she still had much to learn. The past memories helped but things had changed a lot since the great wars.

Just as she started to think of good times in her own world Belial came over and sat down. “Death is the opening to a new world I was once told. So what’s that world like?”

Syne frowned “Jerk, I was enjoying my memories until you asked that stupid question.” Lying back Syne went on to answer the question. “Seeing as I don’t remember dieing I can’t really say much more then the world I was brought to was filled with hate and war only.”

“Is it so much different from here?” Belial asked

“I never remember sleeping there.” Syne said rolling over.

“I see, so you can find a value in being here?”

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I loved it here.”

“Maybe we’ll see this world be a even better off, then maybe someone even as scarred as me will be free to be happy.”

“Maybe…..”

Silence once again filled the night. The airship hovered quietly above the forest.

[Zerlina]

The chilly night air whipped about as it tangled itself in the propellers of the ship. Carelessly, Malice shoved the rotting door open, allowing the red glow of the hallway’s torches to spill into the dark. With a sigh, he worked his way across the creaking floorboards, the smell of smoke and liquor still hanging onto him from the time he’d spent watching the poker game. As he approached his destination, it suddenly dawned on him that he was not alone. He stopped, if only for a moment, and soon walked forward, his hands already brushing the sides of his daggers. Without warning, he turned, and drew the weapons, stepping back and getting ready to strike.

“It’s me, it’s me!” came a voice “Don’t attack, it’s me!”

He paused, and lowered his daggers, but did not put them away. The night was so dark he could not see, even though this creature was clearly close by.

“Who is ‘me?’” he asked, the Theiran accent in his voice echoing through the air.

“Is it so late, and my voice so coarse that you cannot recognize it?” came a nervous laugh.

With caution, he stepped forward and bumped into the speaker, taking a step back so that he did not fall.

“Ah!” she cried, “Maybe I’m smaller than you, but I think you’d still mind where I am.”

At this, he put his weapons away.

“It’s too dark. It’s impossible to see.” Malice explained “Perhaps you should have said something instead of following behind me.”

“Well, I needed to speak with you but I wasn’t sure how to start the conversation.” Titania answered, clutching at her dark cloak and realizing it was probably the reason why he could not see her.

“What is it about?”

“…maybe you should sit…”

He shook his head “I have to speak to the captain before he falls asleep and lets his workers take over. ”

“It’s not the best news.”

He shrugged “…I cannot agree unless you tell me.”

“Well…when you and the others were down below the deck, I was outside, and something odd happened.”

“What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“…Malice, I don’t want you to go around without being careful anymore.”

“That doesn’t explain what happened. Tell me.”

“It’s hard to explain. You’re not going to believe me.”

“I will. But tell me what happened.”

“I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Promise me first you’ll be careful.”

“I will…” he said, unsure of how to be any more careful than he already was.

“Well… I was coming down the stairs and all of a sudden my head hurt, and I became dizzy, and then there was a voice. It was a woman and she was talking to me- choking me. There were bells and the sound of steel and hooves, and everything was dark…but not like now. It was moving and it was painful and noisy. It made the world go away and left me alone. Even though I was downstairs I suddenly wasn’t there anymore and there was this horrible sound that was like a scream but not. It kept on crying out and I think it was looking for me. When I looked up, I saw this man staring down at me- only it wasn’t a man…” she fumbled, her words coming out all at once, with very little attention to speech or explanation “Do you remember in Adinem when I first came here? Do you remember the square? That’s where I was. I couldn’t see beyond his face but I knew that I was there. He grabbed me and then told me that I had ‘asked for it.’ There was pain here.” She put her hand over her heart “Even the darkness turned darker, and I felt tired and I wanted to scream, but this world had no sound besides that noise that was always playing and cutting at my ears.” If Malice was able to even make out the words she was saying, he was lucky. Everything spilled out of her mouth quickly and it was almost impossible to tell what was happening “Then after that it went away. The darkness left- not quick like a nightmare, but slowly: like a tide. And then there was that voice again, and she spoke to me. And she showed me things- things that will happen. Or…that did happen…what I mean is…” she was flustered “What did happen and what will happen…”

Malice listened, not fully understanding, but trying to. Suddenly, he heard the captain’s footsteps. Turning, as if suddenly forgetting what was going on, he tried to catch the other man.

A sudden anger filled Titania and she caught his arm, pulling him back so that he had to pay attention. Embarassed, she slowly let go and looked away so she could deliver the information without having to see him.

“Malice..." she began, her voice falling cold and distant over the air "...she showed me...she showed...”

There was a silence; Titania still did not look at him for fear of what his face might say. With quiet words, she finally raised her chin and when he saw her he knew what she was going to say.

"Neither of us is going to live."

[Mong00se]

Normally, Malice wouldn't believe a statement like that. His mind had not been clear lately, his focus blurred. The time that had passed since entering the forest almost seemed forgotten to him, as if it had never happened. He just felt different, like a whole different person, a pawn in the grand scheme. Even his friends had been acting weird lately. Malice tried to think back to when he had first noticed the change, and then it occured to him. The last time he'd felt focused was before Nichi's death. Was the stress of leadership becoming a burden? He shook the thoughts from his head, a task which he had become far too accustomed to over the last few weeks.

Malice looked forward. Titania was looking at him with pleading eyes, tears welling within, waiting to be released. Her face bore the same sincerity that he had always seen. Titania was not a girl to pull any tricks, and if she was blindsiding them all, well then they were in trouble, because they would never see it coming.

'I...I believe you Titania,' he said, shocked that he was uttering the words. The idea sounded proposterous. Their lives were in danger? Well that was certain. They lead themselves into evil, and where evil lay, disaster struck. But there was something not right about what she had said. Something inside of him had known that information already. He quickly overshadowed those thoughts, and looked to Titania. He put on a facade, a fake smile, to try and reassure her. 'I'll watch my back Titania. Just make sure you watch yours! Thanks for the heads up.'

Titania smiled and wiped away her tears. The two stood facing eachother awkwardly, as if waiting for the other to say something, and it was Titania who finally turned and left, uttering a quick thank you.

Malice scratched his head as she disappeared into the black night. His goal suddenly came rushing back, and he dashed down the hall in search of the captain.

The captain seemed ready for his arrival. He stood, pipe lit in his mouth, facing the doorway.

'Ahh Malice, I jes' sent someone teh look for yeh,' he said, a swagger in his voice. 'I know ye're planning on headin' North, but I must ask you a small favour. I jes' got word that there's a city to the east, Ramodin. They say they're bein' overrun by enemies. I know ye've got other plans, but could ye help 'em?'

Malice was not one to say no, but he knew where their real mission lead them. We must continue North. This is a diversion. It is obvious, he thought. He looked up at the captain, who bore a manipulative twinkle in his eyes.

'Yeah,' he said despirited. 'Take us to the village.'

He turned around to leave, ignoring the captains words of praise. Sick of being pushed around, and unsure of his state of mind. He retired to his chambers.

((-Sorry if that was sketchy. I'm unsure where to go at the moment, but I felt like I should post. If theres anything you want me to change, let me know. I'm trying to build my character here a bit, because I have big plans for him soon!-))

[~Hidan~]

They were heading east. That’s what Malice had told the others. A village needed their help so of course no one could disagree. Anyways it wasn’t like it was a very long distance from there to the town. Ramodin was a small town just to the west of Cana. So if they stopped forces there they would slow the progression of all the forces heading west towards the last remaining untainted cities on the main continent.

Syne sat near the top mast watching the horizon. The steady darkness in the distance calmed her mind. The many memories that she had to think through were anything but easy to decipher. She now could remember why she felt strange feelings towards Titania.

Below Syne could see Titania watching the ground below her moving past swiftly. The lights of demon camps could be seen in the horizon. Nothing else could be seen.

Belial and Osirus sat on the duck playing cards, which they had been doing for the entire time she had known them.

With a light change in the wind Malice landed next to Syne. “Do you know what is happening here?”

Syne just let out a long sigh.

“You do know more then I do at least, what is it that you know?” he said taking a seat next to her.

Syne sighed again and shook her head. “I don’t know much but I fear for her safety out of all of us. She had the biggest role in our past life.”

Looking confused Malice tried to start a question but the words wouldn’t come to his lips.

“Look I don’t know all the details but she’s the one that killed me. She killed herself at the same time.” Syne said looking sadly at Titania.

“But why does she think I’m in danger?”

“That is because she is being manipulated by Kain right now.” Syne said “Kain is controlling the memories that she can receive from her past. I don’t really know how I can stop it. But that is what is happening right now.”

Malice let out a sigh. “So she is not in the best frame of mind right now.”

“That’s what I know right now. I wouldn’t try telling her of this. Kain will loose his control soon; his mana power is very low. Out of all of the servants of Kani he had the least power in that area.”

Malice nodded.

[Zerlina]

The sun began to spill over the peaks of the eastern mountains, painting a stream of orange beneath an otherwise shady sky. The airship glided through the clouds with ease, and despite the looming danger, seemed peaceful.

Pale hands resting on the rail of the deck, Titania looked down at the rivers and lakes below. From in the clouds they seemed so insignificant.

So tiny.

And yet she knew that if you were walking through them, they would be almost impossibly complicated. Such were things. You live through them for an eternity, and then when they’re over, they seem all a moment. So fast.

So small.

She stared at the rings on her fingers -symbols of her life in Madain Sari. As the air chilled and thickened, she realized that she could no longer remember what it was they stood for. It was as if something had pushed the memories from her mind and now all that she had were these remnants of a moment gone by. Even the sunrise –once a sign of life and comfort- seemed hollow. There was some meaning in it she had lost, and though she struggled and grasped to remember, it tore away from her like a frightened bird.

“You’re such a fool…” she muttered to herself out loud, as she took off her rings and dropped them into her apron.

“You are.” Came a voice; it was Belial’s “And more than I thought. Since when does the priestess talk to herself?”

His tone always annoyed her and had a way of making her angry, yet she was not scared of him. In her mind, she had no reason to be.

“Since when? Since Spades couldn’t even be strong enough to rescue himself,” She muttered, a new bitterness in her voice “since he needed help from his friend.”

“The poor bastard didn’t rescue me.” Belial answered with an aggravatingly calm tone, obviously better at this game than his new opponent was “He came and got himself in trouble and I had to save his ass.”

Titania laughed, but it was not pleasant “And that’s why you were so dazed when you returned.”

“I was ‘dazed’ because I did all the work.” He answered.

“Fine.” She lied “I believe you. Now go off and let me be.”

This was too much. How could she think to be so dismissive of Belial? As soon as the words emerged from her mouth, she regretted them and prepared for any kind of pain that might result. Surprisingly, there was none.

Syne watched the conversation from where she sat, and finally turned away, making her way across the ship to where there was plenty of room.

When she had first come, it had seemed as if everyone knew more than her, but now that she had gained her footing, it became clear that she was the only one who understood. While they all smiled to each other and worked for whatever obscure goal it was that they had, they were all at the same time dying. It was as if she were on a ship of ghosts; a place full of hollow people who were crumbling into themselves while at the same time saying how great they felt. She wondered about this- how and when each of them had given up and retreated into an internal cave, shrinking away from the sunlight and withering away into corpses. How long had they hid themselves for? How long would it be until she did the same?

She drew her sword and swung it at an invisible creature, playing back the techniques in her head.

Step, swing, step, pull.

Step, swing, step, pull.

This way, she shut the world out for a time and lived for the pulse of her hands, the beat of her heart; this way she could hide and forget; this way, she too, gave up.


*


“What troubles thy mind, Malice?” asked Glenn as he climbed to the upper deck “Hast thine eyes not met the joy of sleep in these past hours?”

“…”

“Thou hast stirred for all the night, then?” Glenn remarked, taking a seat next to his companion “Fret not, if that is all that troubles thee. For we have all experienc’d such dilemma. It passes and should bring no burden beyond this day.”

“It is not unrest that bothers me, Glenn.” Malice answered, after some silence “Maybe I seem upset, but . I’m only just planning what we’re going to do when we arrive.”

“Ah, hast thou knowledge of the land, then?”

“…I do…” he said, sounding surprised by his own answer.

“Then it is best that you do plan. Shall I leave you?”

“If you’d like…” Malice answered.

Glenn rose and turned away “It is still dawn. Prithee, sleep now and later we shall all bear the load. Do not continue, else thou shall find thyself beneath the weight of anxiety.” He smiled and disappeared into the fleeting darkness.

For a moment Malice thought, but as he saw Belial cross the deck, he was reminded of the task at hand.

Titania turned and stared at him as he disappeared into his thoughts. She began to move toward the upper deck, but something stopped her; some force wrapped around her like a serpent, holding her back and whispering in her ear. As she stared upward, the ghostly stranger met her gaze with his hollow, glossy, tired eyes, making her realize how many miles and how many walls they had begun to build between them. It seemed that the same thoughts passed through both minds, though neither spoke and neither moved.
As the air fell cold in the orange sky, Titania turned to look off the deck, unable to watch any longer. To her, he had seemed so distant.

So small.