Aren't I a smart one? LoV is a day late… so I start a new multichap (wrote it all today, too)! Warning; updates for this will be extremely sporadic. I just despise leaving something that's done un-posted. It's like throwing out half a soda, or watching half a sports game. I can't do it.
So, this is… interesting. Notice the M-rating; first multi-chap I've made that will be M. Won't be the last, as I have three in mind that will fit into that category. The M-rating doesn't really apply to this chapter, but you'll know it when you see it.
This fic is actually a prologue of sorts to my eventual post-DD continuation fic; I say of sorts because while it definitely does take place before the end of DD, I hesitate to call it a true prologue, as so many characters are not accounted for and such. Oh well.
At its core, this is a Jenna/Isaac love story, taking place during and just after the Eclipse. There are some very interesting moments though, and I'm having fun writing this.
Oh, and the best thing about this fic? I almost named it Sol-Mates. I love how freaking corny and stupid I am.
One last thing, don't expect the continuation fic soon either; it's on the back burner. Well, here we go!
Chapter 1: The Reign of Shadow
The rapier sliced through the air so quickly, that even if the sun had been out, its rays may have been too slow to catch it in their grasp. Of course, the sun hadn't been out in what felt like forever, but one problem at a time.
Jenna quickly turned away from the shadowy beast she had struck down, and swung again; sure enough, one had crawled behind her, and had been a foot away from sinking its pincers into her back.
Its halves collapsed onto the ground, a shrill and un-natural cry emitting from its mouth (or at least that's what she called the little veiled carvings on their putrid heads). Normally they would go on crying for a while, unless you killed them right. Thankfully, Jenna happened to be VERY good at killing things from years of experience.
Out of all the things she despised most about these shadowy monstrosities, their slinking nature was at the top of the list. They were creatures of darkness, and seemed to always be behind backs, always lurk in the corners of eyes, and always exist just beyond reach. If ever there was a fitting metaphor for her life, they were it.
"You don't like the light? THEN BURN!" She screamed, throwing her sword into the air and glowing briefly before sending Searing Beams into all directions. For five seconds, the entire world was alight with the orange flares of her attack, and the singeing screams of the Eclipse-spawn.
Jenna glanced around her, a tinge of disappointment in her face; they had all fallen, and all that remained was the flames quietly dying on their unholy bodies. The fire would grow dark as it faded, unable to gain the sustenance required to feed itself from anything touched by the Eclipse.
"Jenna!' Came a cry from her right, drawing her eyes away from the decaying corpses to a short blonde man moving towards her. "What have I told you about fighting these things? There's no point to it!" Ivan shouted, carefully wading through the darkness, peering down alleyways and such as he made his way toward her.
"I'm looking for survivors," Jenna semi-lied flatly, blindly firing a beam into the darkness behind her. Sure enough, it split a dark beast's skull in two, and sent the monster crumpling to its limbs. She was searching for Caron… but she couldn't deny that part of her wandering into the shadow was to relieve tension. Who could blame her? She had enough tension in her that it would snap anyone else. But not her; she was used to the world being cruel to her. She had come to expect it.
Ivan gulped as he watched her effortlessly dispatch the creature; Jenna sure hadn't lost a beat when it came to combat. In fact, she seemed to have gotten better. MUCH better. Perhaps he should have taken her lead and spent more time training.
"Jenna… even if you weren't lying," Ivan began, panting; he was nowhere near in as good shape as her. "That pursuit's foolish… anyone, as sad as it is, who hasn't been taken to the shelter we've made in the north of town has to be, by now…"
"Oh, I'm sure Garet will be pleased when I tell him that you gave up on his wife that easily," Jenna seethed, summoning a small light in her hand to ward off the creatures around them. Ivan quickly leapt into its radius, becoming much more at ease when he reached it. "And as for being foolish, why don't you have a lantern?" She asked, and he sighed.
"I-I don't want to give up on Caron, but the chances that she's alive…" He grew silent, and Jenna immediately felt overwhelming guilt for baiting him like that. Even if the nosy fool had deserved it for constantly chasing her when she left to let out steam. "Never mind that," Ivan said, regaining his composure. "I didn't bring a lantern because I didn't think it was worth the wasted fuel, and that I could defend myself if need be."
"Are you sure?" Jenna quipped, trying to lighten the mood, and pinching Ivan's rolls. "You'd claim that fighting these monsters is dangerous and asking for injury, and yet you could probably truly use the exercise."
Ivan blushed, and coughed under his breath. "…It's not my fault I married a baker," He replied weakly, and Jenna, despite the situation, chuckled. "But… that's not the point," He continued, clearing his throat. "I know you're worried about Isaac and Matthew, not to mention Garet and the others… but taking it out on these things isn't going to help matter. I mean, look OUT!"
Before he had even seen the danger and screamed, Jenna's arm had shot out to her left, and grasped the dark skeleton by its decaying throat. "I wish you could speak, so I could hear you beg," She growled, before squeezing, and snapping the creature's neck clean.
Ivan gulped; he didn't know what was more terrifying, the actual attack that had occurred, or the cold anger Jenna has displayed in ending the monster's life. "…I mean, look at the bright side, at least the kids weren't with them at the plateau, and—"
"Oh, thanks for reassuring me!" Jenna interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's so great that, instead of being with two of the most powerful warriors this world has ever known, our kids are wandering around Weyard, possibly inside the Eclipse, by themselves!"
"They'll be fine… they no doubt have grown strong during their journey, and if our exploits are any indication, they probably have picked up some allies along the way," Ivan said soothingly, moving closer to Jenna and lightly massaging her shoulder. "Jenna, I know you're worried as hell; so am I. Karis is my pride and joy, Isaac and Garet are my two closest friends, and Matthew and Tyrell mean so much to me that they're basically family as well."
He paused, biting his lip as he tried to pick the right phrasing. Up until now, she had remained silent, and seemed to be listening and contemplating his words, which was all he could hope for. "But," He continued, staring at her face, "Standing out here alone and throwing fireballs at these monstrosities is only asking for something to go wrong. Imagine if Isaac and Matthew came home to find you dead, for that reason."
"They all deserve to burn, especially if they hurt my husband and my son," Jenna whispered, her voice shaking, and tears beginning to well in her eyes. She felt like a dam creased with cracks and holes, moments from bursting open. She kept trying to hold it in, or let it out in violence, but neither were working.
"You know that they never stop coming," Ivan whispered; sure enough, just outside of the light, a circle of red eyes and black masses paraded, light growls and rumblings of hunger their chorus. "We need to do whatever we can to survive, and help and protect everyone in Kalay who is still with us. I know, with Caron, it's hard, but…"
"…I heard that she was last seen around here," Jenna whispered, the tears now falling plainly down her face. "I wanted to check it out, but… fine, I just wanted to kill them, alright? I wanted to set them on FIRE! They're monsters, they DESERVE it! I knew this would happen, didn't I tell Isaac? I TOLD him if he left, that something like this would happen! People always leave me, and either never come back, or come back so broken and so…" Jenna burst into tears and sobs, collapsing into Ivan's shoulder.
The force nearly knocked him over, but he did his best to stay upright, and patted her on the back. Ivan actually agreed with Jenna in that regard; he knew Isaac was worried about the dangers of her living so near Mt Aleph, but he honestly didn't know if Jenna would even want to live without Isaac… not after Felix disappeared so long ago.
Part of the reason she also resided in Kalay was in order to protect it, but Isaac had made it clear to him once in a conversation that he simply didn't want to risk losing Jenna again for anything in the world. Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on the sun being swallowed by darkness that spewed out monsters.
"There there…" He said calmly, stroking her long auburn hair. "It's going to be okay. They're all fine; I'm sure of it. If they weren't, I probably would have had a vision about it." He neglected to mention that he had received absolutely no visions even hinting toward the Grave Eclipse; a fact which worried him greatly. "And we'll be right here when they come back."
"What about Caron?" Jenna whispered, squeezing him tightly. Ivan felt his ribs bend a little further than he preferred, but he remained silent, knowing how much she needed his care.
Ivan gulped, and replied "…Well, we'll just have to—"
"Help…" Came a feeble voice from behind them, and they both whipped their heads in the direction. It had been most definitely human, as indicated by the monsters that had surrounded them immediately turning toward the source of the sound as well. Before they could move even an inch towards the direction of the noise, Jenna was upon them.
Ivan, who had begun to wonder whether or not Jenna really was in any real danger while wandering alone simply because of how powerful she seemed, immediately realized that the feeble monsters of the Eclipse probably couldn't so much as scratch her.
In less than a second, there wasn't a single one of them left standing. Her speed had been incendiary, and even he with his fantastic eyesight hadn't been completely able to keep up with her movements. He made a small note in the back of his mind to not make Jenna angry. Ever.
"…Do you think it could be?" Ivan asked, but Jenna gave no reply, but a finger over her mouth. The Mars Adept closed her eyes, and listened intently; she heard a faint noise from a nearby house a moment later, and dashed inside, even as more monsters began to creep forth. Ivan gulped, and pulled out his own short-sword; he had hoped to avoid fighting himself, but if it was necessary, he would make do.
After less than ten seconds of repelling numerous monsters with his sword and copious amounts of Psynergy, which thankfully was much less rusty than his physical combat, Jenna ran out from the house, carrying a frail body in her arms.
Ivan took one look at the person and gasped; it was indeed Caron, but she was in such terrible shape… her skin was pale and wreaked of death, and her entire body looked to be nothing more than bone.
"She… she looks…"
"No time for talking, run!" Jenna shouted, dashing past him towards the north half of Kalay, where the palace stood and where encampment had been set. "Keep them off of us, would you?" She asked, as her hands began to glow red. Ivan nodded as numerous Auras started to flow into the decrepit woman, who seemed on the very bridge between life and death.
"She looks so ill…" Ivan muttered as he sent Plasma after Plasma; their numerous use of Psynergy had attracted some truly terrifying and large creatures, with so many eyes or mouths they looked like something out of a nightmare. Jenna would occasionally assist him in repelling them, but for the most part focused on healing Caron.
"We don't look much better, buddy," Jenna replied bitingly, and Ivan had to agree with her. Jenna, while still fair, looked worn and ragged; the glow she naturally exerted in combat was freely visible, but even it couldn't mask the obvious effect the constant shadows had instilled. Her eyes were dark, and her hair was fading… and he hardly doubted he looked much better. He just hadn't wasted time finding a mirror to check.
"True point… what do you think—"
"Ivan, I love you, and I know that you really enjoy conversing, but please, shut the fuck up and cover us! We'll talk later!" Jenna shouted, slinging a fireball behind her and straight into a flying skull with a red aura that had been about to take a bite out of Ivan.
The Jupiter Adept swallowed, and complied, focusing all his efforts on protecting them from both land and air-born threats. Within a minute, the familiar glow of the encampment became visible; they were nearly there. Ivan felt his breath fading, but he ignored the feelings and pushed onward… until, suddenly, from behind him he heard a roar.
It was a roar unlike any he had ever heard before. A roar that sent chills through every part of his body. It sounded like the end of the world, and as he turned to discern its maker, he felt his heart stop. The end of the world was a very good description for what was now chasing them, and gaining quickly.
He had seen some downright disturbing monsters spawned by the Eclipse, but this was in a category of its own. It was long and lanky, with at least eight crooked, twisted arms that coiled and shot this way and that; in some ways, they were more like tentacles or tendirls. Its feet were giant lumbering husks that looked like miniature canoes, and its chest was gnarled and broken, like the roots of a tree wrapped together.
Finally, its head hung as its most gruesome feature; two cords sprung from the top of its torso, each holding a different part of its face. The lower was its mouth, sickles of thin white teeth that resembled stilettos, while the upper was a pulsing red globe, that Ivan realized, with the feeling of vomit rising in his stomach, was an eye.
"Take her, you can't face that thing!" Jenna shouted, flinging Caron into Ivan's arms, and turning toward the monstrosity. Ivan wanted to turn around and help her, but after stumbling briefly while trying to secure Caron, it dawned on him that he needed to trust her. If anyone could stop it, it was—
"AHHHH!" Ivan stopped dead in his tracks to turn and see Jenna hunched over, and a large amount of blood covering the ground underneath her. The twisted being seemed to smile, its black jaw widening, as crimson blood dripped from the tendril that had whipped the Mars Adept. Its smile didn't last long.
Ivan couldn't even hear the name of what spell Jenna shouted, but he didn't need to in order to know that she wasn't very pleased to have gotten injured, and that as a result it was probably damn powerful. Understatement of the century. A God-searing flash shot in every direction, and Ivan could only squint through it enough to make out a gigantic ball of fire emerging from Jenna.
For a good five seconds, he was nearly completely blind. All that appeared before him was blinding yellows and whites. He did not panic, and began to blink and drink a sip of a potion strapped to his side.
After many blinks, his eyesight returned slightly, and he gasped at the sight before him; where the monster had been, there was a gigantic crater, and a withering pile of dark ooze, which he assumed was its remains. At least three buildings have been demolished, and that was a conservative estimate judging by how many more looked on the brink of collapse. He couldn't believe Jenna had that kind of power.
Jenna stood, shaking slightly, but standing none the less. She stared at the destruction in her wake for but a moment, before swinging herself around and moving decidedly forward, nearly falling more than once. While Ivan initially feared she would be ambushed by more creatures, it seemed as if the light from her attack had driven them all back, if not destroyed them. So strong had the light been that even now, a slight glitter held in the air, rather than the usual purple mist.
Ivan, thinking quickly, sprinted back to the camp, Caron in his arms. He was bombarded by questions for a moment before the villagers noticed Caron, at which point great amounts of cheering erupted. Ivan ignored both, making sure one of the town's healers was going to heal Caron before running as fast as he could back outside, coming to Jenna within five seconds.
To his surprise, she was turned away from the camp. Before he could ask why, she pointed toward the crater, and said, "Look." He followed her directions, and grimaced; whatever had been attacking them was now beginning to reform, and quickly, by the looks of it.
Ivan didn't want to give that thing another chance to destroy them. He began to say, "…We should kill it now, before—"
"No," Jenna interrupted coldly, her eyes harder than he had ever seen them. "It's weak, and it can't hurt us now. I have other reasons as well… we'll discuss it in the camp." Without another word, she began to limp the other way, casting small Auras as she did so. He frowned as he realized her leg had been hit too.
"Here, I've got you," Ivan whispered, lifting her arm over his back on her weak side.
For the first time in the day, Jenna truly smiled. "Thanks, Ivan… I know I've been a bit of a bitch today, but I couldn't have gotten her back safely without you. Thanks for being concerned and looking out for me."
"No problem; that what friends are for," Ivan replied, his heart leaping a little in his chest; he had always favored the Mars Adept, and despite him being the one who could read minds, he always had a feeling that she knew this. "I probably would have been more use to you if I had been in shape… I'll get on that."
"Sounds good; you can get on my regiment," Jenna replied with a nod as they neared the entrance. Ivan gulped, and swallowed; training regiment? He had heard horror stories about the things Jenna did to stay in shape… he had no idea where she found the time. Let alone the energy. He was busy enough with his writing, mechanics, and studies of Alchemy to get any real training time in, while she seemed to get twice as much done in the least.
Jenna was well loved around the city for her constant giving of help to anyone who needed it, and while of course Lady Layana and her advisor, Austin, ran the town, many viewed both Ivan and Jenna as town leaders as well.
They finally reached the city's encampment, and Ivan ushered Jenna in gingerly. Even so, he doubted she needed it; after her Auras, her leg and arm were about as good as new. How she had Psynergy in her left after that attack, he knew not.
"I'm fine Ivan… thanks," She said kindly, removing her arm from his back, and walking fairly steadily on her own. "Where is Caron?" Jenna asked one of the captains, Korcher.
"In Medical Tent number three, mam," He said steadfastly, and Jenna nodded.
"Thank you," She replied, bowing slightly before moving in that direction. Ivan bowed as well, but turned before he followed her, sending one last gaze out into the darkness outside the camp.
Squinting hard, he could just make out a lumbering black mass moving down the street. His heart sank and the hairs stood on the back of his neck; whatever that thing was, it was dangerous. Possibly more dangerous than any enemy he had ever faced. And as he turned to catch up to Jenna, the creeping feeling that they hadn't seen the last of that monstrosity gripped him and shook him to his very core.
…Would you believe this started out as me wanting to write a Jenna/Isaac lemon? Really sexy chapter, right! Yeah… I don't even know how I got derailed that much. I'm happy with the result, though (sexytimes do come later).
Before I get into this chapter, that's actually an issue I have with a lot of fics with sexual content; they all seem to be oneshots. Granted, not many fics have sexual content, but still; I find it odd. There aren't many where there's a legitimate build up between characters that leads to then sharing a loving moment with each other. I don't know, I just find it weird.
This chapter was supposed to tease a lot; the monster, Jenna's psyche, what's happening with Isaac. I also find it really interesting to discuss what actually happened in the middle of the Eclipse in places like this; eventually I might have a series detailing what went on in different places. It would be fun to write.
Ivan was always a bit more timid than Jenna, and that's reflected here. I had to do a balancing job of getting her angst and despair across without it seeming over-the-top. I really am glad I got to showcase her battle talents though; I loved fighting with her in Lost Age. So deadly and versatile. In my opinion, if Jenna was left alone and didn't travel to the Goma Plateau, she would definitely spend a lot of time training.
I also just get interested in what she spends her time doing (she is one of my favorite characters, after all) post Lost Age. So, that gets explored a little I guess. The next chapter will be a continuation of this, but I have no idea when it will be posted. It might be a while. Thank you for reading!
Edit: Went back and did some light editing (nothing more embarrassing than spelling the word your fic is named after wrong inside the fic) to coincide with the second chapter's posting.
