Chapter Two: Background

by: frost2light

Yzak Joule stalked the dark hallways like a snow tiger, furious yet nowhere to vent his frustrations

"Kuso! Kuso!" Yzak Joule howled out, a silver wolf mourning, his eyes bright with anger and hatred, his fingers clenched tightly over the tiny piece of cloth that showed they tried, its small flutter in the wind a joke. "We should have been here earlier. We could have stopped her! We could have…" His voice trailing off as his shoulders shook with the suppressed grief and helplessness. Yzak had always been emotional, no matter how hard a façade he put up, Dearkka Elsman knew that Yzak was brittle and needed only a small push to shatter. The deaths of so many had succeeded in putting a strain on Yzak, he took his duty seriously and not being able to do it right, was something unacceptable for him.

A perfectionist to the core.

"We could not have done anything else. The information came in too late."

"So we should find someone who can get the information faster! These are people's lives, damn it!" Yzak snapped back, even though knowing him throwing a tantrum did not help matters and that Dearkka was hurting as much as he. Watching a person die, even if neither knew each other, was not a laughing matter. In fact, it would just feel like a small part of you died along with the deceased, especially if you could have prevented it, if only you were faster, stronger, more capable.

Dearkka did not reply, merely walking closer to put a slightly trembling hand on Yzak's thin shoulders, knowing that Yzak needed the time to cool off. He had always been the hot headed one. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the blood seeping into the pavement cracks, travelling where gravity wants it to. He turned a few degrees away, not wanting to see the woman's tortured mouth, crushed skull and blank, dead eyes. But, the images were imprinted deeply on the surface of his eyeballs, like an image captured by a camera, that one flash leading to all eternity, adding to a lengthening gallery of lost souls that they could not help, could not save. Nothing could change the fact that he did not need to see to know what it would be like. He had, in the past, seen enough. None of the victims had gone peacefully, how could one when one's soul was ripped away forcefully? It was not their time to die, not at all.

"It's the last one, Dearkka…would we be in time? Or do we have to be bystanders again in a war that should not have happened?" Yzak mumbled, his brilliant blue eyes bleak, voicing out the doubts Dearkka felt. Though the time was late, apparently this part of town still held those who came back in the wee hours of the morning, proven by the muffled shouts from below and peppered by a few high shrieks of fear and disgust, the people around the area was accumulating, brought together by the death of a completely innocent woman. Hearing the commotion, Dearkka knew it was time to go, they could not afford to be seen here, it would complicate matters and waste precious time. None would believe their absurd story of being from a place that came before this time, all of them would snicker and point their fingers at them being delusional and making excuses for pushing a helpless woman to her death. It had been the same years ago when they were young. Nobody believed the words of a child caught up in his own mind.

I'm sorry I could not save you…but I will not allow you to die in vain.

"Yzak…we have to go." Dearkka said, his voice low but firm, applying gentle pressure Yzak's shoulders, guiding the distraught teen away from the horrific scene down below. He could not help Yzak's internal turmoil, he had his own to deal with, but he could stay strong and be the pillar that supported the other. He had always thought of Yzak as the younger brother that he never had and protected him as such, but God forbid if Yzak knew or acknowledged his brotherly affections, his pride would not admit that he needed anybody to guard his back much less being the shield to protect him. He had to admit that Yzak was certainly one irritating human being at times.

Meanwhile, Yzak seemed to be coming out of his slight daze and with his mind clearing, he could see what Dearkka was talking about and responded to his persuasion with a nod. Glad that he was not alone in this awful situation, a small part of him wished he had the bravery to admit to Dearkka that he was grateful for his companionship, appreciated all the times when Dearkka had to cover his back, almost always forgetting about taking care of his own, but the bigger, more dominant part of him pushed that thought away, men did not say mushy stuff like this, only women did. Looking back once more before going, he whispered a silent goodbye and apology to the deceased, he too realised that there was indeed nothing else they could do, there was no turning back the time, only gritting their teeth and continuing on with their future. Going back the way they came, both of them could hear the cackling of gleeful laughter that whispered through the wind, soft, inconspicuous but definitely there. It was goading them, taunting their fraying patience and helplessness, preying on their anger and hatred.

"Too late, too late, stop me if you can…before the last one."

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Two hours ago, at precisely the moment Anisha Lettie entered the unknown woman's tent, Murrue Ramius and Mwu La Flaga tightened their grips on each other, their fingers interwoven so tightly an outsider would have had trouble differentiating which was whose. Both of them were looking intently towards where their square table stood with crystals of different sizes, clarity and colours lay, casting rainbow sheens around the room when they allowed the illumination from the candles which were placed all around to be bounced off their smooth surfaces. Murrue's mouth was moving, eyes closed in concentration, her tongue slipping smoothly over words that was age old, forming spells she had worked hard in the past to learn.

She had been one of the many advisors the King had in his court, her master a man of many eccentricities, almost to the point of being dysfunctional, but he had been brilliant, a shrewd observer that allowed nothing to escape his piercing gaze. She had been his protégé, the girl genius who had mastered all spells thrown at her, no matter how high the level it had been. Many had been envious, some had attempted to befriend her, some had openly ignored her, most had been downright hostile. She had ignored all of them, acted cool and aloof, although at that young age, she could not understand the reason why they hated her. She was no genius, what came to her was gotten through hard work. When all others had slept, she had stayed up reading, pouring over those ancient, hardly decipherable scripts that were brown and brittle with non use and a scrawling cursive in fading black ink that looked more like worms on paper than anything useful.

But, she persevered through it all. A pact, promise she had made to her parents and to herself. Her parents had died smiling when she had vowed in front of them that she too would follow in their footsteps and protect what was precious to her. She loved what she did and she knew, with knowledge came power, and with power came the ability to defend, that was why she read voraciously, spent every waking hour doing at least something, never one to sit back and relax. It had been quite apparent to others except her that she was slowly working herself to the ground and sooner or later her death. In fact, it was because of this potential loss, the Queen herself had taken it into her own hands to remedy the problem. To Her Highness, love was the potion for everything and that was when Mwu La Flaga, the man who resembled the sun came into her life.

"Your Highness, as much as I appreciate your gesture, I do not need a bodyguard." Murrue Ramius said through gritted teeth, the only thing holding her back from throttling the smirking, gleeful, meddling woman in front of her was the fact that they were both best of friends and a rather small but quite important thing called status.

"Oh but I insist. He is quite a darling and besides, he has a gorgeous smile…and body, I'm sure you would be able to find something to do with those incredible assets." The Queen, ever the tease said deadpanned, but Murrue could see the amusement in those brown eyes and the King who was shamelessly eavesdropping at the side, hiding a smile behind a book and a laugh with a smothered cough.

"Very well, Your Highness, it's quite apparent that your minds have been made up."

And with those words, everything started sliding south and into the drain, the beginning of a string of unfortunate circumstances, or maybe it was premeditated, who knew except God? But the only one thing that turned out right was the fact that she had met Mwu La Flaga.

Focusing back to the task at hand, she took in the formation of the Crystals in front of her. Crystals had always been more than a tool for the people of the Crystal Kingdom, it had been vital. To them, they were part and parcel of who they are and both human and mineral is linked inexplicably to each other, both responding to their own unique wavelength. This connection brought power to those who sought, knowledge to those who understood, and contentment to ones who were looking for it. They were more than stones or decorative pieces of jewellery unlike current times where people wore them for beauty or good luck. It is generally known that different people who were born under different astrological signs had a crystal that belonged specifically to that one person; these were what connect the best for them, enabling them to fully utilize the crystal and themselves to the optimum level. These ninety percent of the population formed the basis of the Crystal Kingdom, and they were known as the Dabblers.

However, in some rare cases, one crystal was not limited to one person, a group of high level specialists could manipulate more than one stone, these people were called Users or for those who are truly gifted, they could borrow almost anything that came in touch with them and they were known as the Connectors. These chosen ones have an extraordinarily high tolerance of what the crystals need, it was a give and take situation. The way the Crystal is used is essential to its growth; it requires to be challenged constantly by its owner and its partner in order to develop in strength and power. They were almost human like in that particular sense, given a choice to shine or stay dim; the Crystals leap to their owner's calls. A capable User or Connector would be able to bring out the good of a Crystal, but a truly worthy one would be able to bring out the best and create miracles.

However, it is not easy to be classified as worthy, for the Crystals are not simple accessories, people who knew better, the Wise Ones, would liken them to have a life of its own, possessed by spirits living in them, lending their power who those they deem capable and would treat them accordingly. Being able to fully utilise a Crystal demands a strong physique but most importantly, an unbreakable spirit and mind. Using Crystals drains one's strength if used too long, but the main challenge and most serious consequence was being in constant danger of being dominated by the overwhelming presence of a Crystal. If the battle between human mind and Crystal was lost, it would mean the sealing off of one's own mind in an unbreakable prison in one's own body, it was the ultimate tug and war of strength between human and Crystal.

Yzak Joule and Dearkka Elsman, both of them Users yet they had not been from the Crystal Kingdom. Dearkka had been from the royals of the sea and Yzak a descendent of the original line from the land. Both of them had been "gifts" from one Kingdom to another, a show of peace and harmony. Yet, even though the differences were apparent, the Crystals had reacted to them, acknowledging their existence, allowing them control of what they could offer. In turn, they treated the Crystals with respect, gaining the ability to control two or more stones, each utilising what they could to turn the best out of their partnership. It had been quite unusual, many rumours sprouting out like mushrooms after the rain, following them doggedly, creating an atmosphere of doubt and jealousy, resulting in many treating them apprehensively, always on the guard, never really truly trusting these two foreigners who were not from the Cyrstal Kingdom yet unbelievably able to master the ways of the Crystal.

Thankfully, neither of them reacted to this discrimination as they had found their own niche and group of people who accepted them as they were. Those had been the happier days. Murrue could still remember Nicol Amalfi's music, Miriallia Haw's vitality, Kira Yamato's gentleness and Cagalli Yula Athha's intensity. They had been a completely disorganized bunch of people, so different yet bonding together so naturally, things had been so much better then.

But things are different now.

Concentrating intently on the formation in front of her, she closed her eyes before touching each crystal, slowly and surely, never neglecting any of them, starting from the ones inside, her lips moving silently in a chant. With each touch, the Crystals responded and started glowing, pulsing with life, a low musical hum filling the room that was felt instead of heard. Murrue's lips curled up in a smile for a moment, her head bowing slightly in gratitude, thanking each Crystal for the role all of them were playing, showing her appreciation the way she was taught so long ago. Finishing the small but necessary ritual, her brown eyes opened and surveyed the arrangement in front of her, checking briskly for the final time for any mistakes that could prove fatal. Everything had to be perfect.

There were crystals of different colours and sizes, all laid out specifically for a reason. The bigger crystals, no matter the colour or type, were arranged in a wide circle, taking up two thirds of the table, forming a border, guarding a lone translucent, pale green one in the middle and the ones around it. These were the Guards, the defence mechanism that allowed nothing in and vice versa. The remaining others, the Magicians were scattered at the four points of the table, but inside the border by the larger crystals, five gathered together in each group, glowing pearl white from within, casting an ethereal, almost magical beauty towards the other three different points which formed a network of straight lines that were naked to the inexperienced eye. They were in charge of defending Anisha Lettie's soul, the ones that Murrue hoped were enough. All of the lines that were emitted connected and bounced off each other, it created an impenetrable defence.

But two hours later, the outcome had been the same as before.

It had failed.

"We were too late…again." Murrue said dejectedly, stating an unchangeable fact, her voice distant and fatigued after the long period of time that sapped away her energy, leaving her feeling disorientated and bone tired, breaking the solemn, tense silence that enshrouded the whole room. She had tried. God knows she had pulled everything she could remember, everything her master had taught her about defensive spells, she had even successfully harnessed the energy needed, so where did it go all wrong? Dejected, disappointed and feeling so helpless, Murrue wiped away the moisture that had trickled into her eyes, as her palm came away wet, she herself did not know if it were sweat or tears. They were supposed to have a fighting chance, her inner self screamed as she stared woodenly at her palm, she knew she had started out strong, that she had a chance, but it seemed in that all too brief a moment, the fact remained that no matter what she did, Anisha Lettie did not respond.

Not even once.

But she did, for that brief second…

Murrue stared ahead, eyes unwavering towards the object which had once been a jade crystal that had represented Anisha's soul. Previously, it had been a beautiful translucent deep green the colour of the surface of an ocean seen overhead, the shimmering nuances dancing with the light, a colour that brightened every corner, so much alike the person herself. Anisha was a woman that had her ups and downs, but she had never given up, she had moved on and tried to put the past beyond her. It had been hard but things were beginning to look up for her, her business in jewellery, though small and unsteady at first had started thriving in the past few months, she had even met a guy that could potentially be her future husband, the man she would rely and have a family with.

But all that taken away from her…against her will. How could they? How could anyone?

As Murrue ran through the details, her eyes blurred and this time she knew for sure it was tears, because all that remained of Anisha, that clarity and vividness and life, was a dull, muddy stone that barely glimmered. Murrue had continued trying, not giving up, finally getting that one breakthrough, that one brief second when she had been able to pierce through the shroud in Anisha's mind and told her to stop. But, that lucidity lasted a mere second, not enough, never enough, before the mist pushed her out forcefully, slamming the door hard in her face, snapping that brief contact she had with Anisha, laughing cruelly at her attempts, never disguising their contempt and scorn for her pathetic and sorry attempts. She could still hear their exaggerated saccharine sweetness of a bully and Anisha's pitiful calls for help.

I'm sorry…

I'm so so sorry..

Murrue did not look at her lover, could not bring herself to speak, afraid that the thickness in her chest would spill out along with the desperation, the helplessness, her despair. She did not have the luxury of breaking down, not now. The blonde man sitting beside her said nothing either, no words to reassure her, placate her, not because he did not care but because nothing could ease the pain he knew both of them felt. He merely sat there, unmoving, his fingers tight around the woman's, willing all his warmth, all his reassurance that things, though looking extremely bleak at the moment, would get better. He wished fervently that his optimism would be transmitted to her.

Go on and try once more…I won't give up till the end.

Reaching out hesitantly as if hearing the man's unspoken words, feeling his nearness, his sudden tightening of fingers, brought her unsaid amounts of comfort, much more than mere words could convey and she tried again. Murrue's free hand brushed lightly over the muddy green crystal which was hexagonal in shape, she needed to make sure, and there was still hope…if it could just respond. "Anisha, if you can hear me, please, don't give up. Please…"

And respond it did.

Murrue's eyes widened slightly, her slumped shoulders straightening distinctly and the words that were burned eternally into her skull rode confidently on the tip of her tongue, ready to launch itself on command. But, a second later, before anything could be done, the crystal dimmed drastically, flickered once, twice, a dying flame within and extinguished itself, leaving a black stone that cracked, a breaking, splintering sound so familiar after six before, the ragged zigzag line running from the top right through the middle before reaching its end and shattering into millions of smaller fragments before dissolving into dust. Retracting her hand immediately as if burnt, Murrue stared helplessly at the black ashes in front of her, her body trembling like a leaf in a particularly strong wind, brown eyes wet with unshed tears, tears that she blinked back forcefully, not allowing herself to cry.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered to the dead, hoping they could hear her apologies and forgive her for being a step too late, " I'm so so sorry…."

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The man watched silently as the scene unfolded in front of his eyes, the images blurring once in a while but coming back to its original clarity as he sat in the dark witnessing the failures of the people he knew. If he wanted to do it, it would be now, right at this moment when their defences were down and their guard weakened by the physical and mental onslaught with evil. His expression unreadable, he wasted another minute pondering his choices before finally making up his mind. He stood and retrieved what seemed to be a large package, untying the brown string that held the papers together, pulling out object after object that stayed hidden in the shadows. When he finally finished with his arrangement, his mouth split into a huge grin, "Let's see what all of you are made of. Let's see if you will be able to challenge Evil straight on."

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"Murrue…" Mwu La Flaga said softly, feeling his chest constrict painfully when Murrue looked at him so desolately, so pained. He pulled her close into his embrace, willing his warmth to seep through her hurt and heal whatever wounds that she had, just so that she can rise like a phoenix and fight again. He tightened his arms around her slim body and wished he could be the knight in shining armour that chased off all nightmares, all demons and created a beautiful happily ever after for his princess, but he had no powers, not the ability to foresee the future, not the elemental gifts that slept buried beneath till the time was right, he was just a human man who loved with all his being a woman he had no way of helping. The feeling of inadequateness gnawed persistently at him, he had no role in this battle, except the one that had been assigned to him all those time ago. He had been Murrue's bodyguard in more ways than one. He was the person who had made sure she ate and slept properly, that she was healthy, he was in other words a wife to her husband. Many male pride and ego could never accept playing second fiddle to anyone, much less a woman half his size, but he did not care, to him, power and pride meant nothing if he could not even take care of the woman he held closest to his heart. Together with Murrue, Yzak and Dearkka, it was the nearest thing he could call a family.

I will be their pillar of support, their emotional balance in this crazy world, someone has to be the cheerful joker in this cynical, depressing world of heroes who think they are all alone.

Kissing Murrue lightly on her forehead before pulling back to face her, to look deep within her eyes, to transmit his conviction, his beliefs that they would be all right, that they could get through this just as how they did in the past, he smiled gently, his thumb brushing away the tears with equal softness as he spoke, "We won't give up till the very end, if we don't throw in the white flag, we still will have chances, it may be slim, but there is still a percentage that we can turn the tables. Don't give up yet Murrue, not until we complete what we were born to do."

And I will stand by you till the very end.

Touched by Mwu's sincerity, Murrue nodded, "I know…I cannot afford to break down now. There is still one more, one more important piece, the King, if we can prevent that, if we can successfully combine the others, find them, we can stop It, we can stop that monster from destroying a peaceful land, prevent it from becoming what our Kingdom became so many years ago."

Death and destruction…so much blood..it seemed that the sky was raining with them, those colours painted the snow of the Cyrstal Kingdom crimson red, layer upon layer upon layer, not knowing where it started and where it ended, everything just screamed of despair and helplessness and unneeded cruelty. Lives were thrown away for a witch who never knew the value of a single life.

The death of a kingdom because of a death of a king.

" Murrue…I know what had happened, I still remember most of it, but, there is nothing we can do if we live in the past, we have to move forward, focus on something that we can do, its better for us and for the two who have come to rely on us." Mwu spoke urgently, his voice still soft but firm, the look on Murrue's face was familiar, the shadows and the worry lines etched deeply by the sides of her mouth and eyes, he could see it in his own whenever he was reminded of the past, but he could not afford to allow Murrue to be dragged down into the past, so much so she feared the future and what it may bring, it clouded her normally clear and sharp mind and neither of them could afford something of this magnitude at the current moment.

"But…."

"No buts." Mwu cut her sentence short, his finger on her lips silencing her protests, protests that were the same as his deep down inside, but he had to be strong for a woman with such a burden, he had to make sure his shoulders were broad and sturdy enough to carry both their worries and not fail. If one did not believe in their ownself, then they needed people around them to believe for them. Mwu would be that someone, he guarded Murrue's sanity so much more fiercely than he guarded his safety. It was what bodyguards do, it was what he had been assigned to do all that time ago, and he had never forgotten that. It was a responsibility he prided himself over and never regretted for that one moment.

"You don't have to be with me, you know that." Murrue said, almost sadly, feeling a wave of depressing thoughts crash through her, she understood what was going through Mwu's mind, regretting half of it yet selfishly not wanting to let go. Facing life alone without him, without light, without his warmth, oh she knew she would be able to survive, to function, but to live, to truly be alive? She doubted it. Even she did not hold such high regard for herself. No man is an island, and no woman wanted to be alone.

Not after she had tasted love..

(But…he just takes you as responsibility, something he was given…)

Responsibility? If it was just responsibility, a duty to protect her, she did not want that. She wanted everything, his heart, his body, his soul.

(How would you know? You have never asked him..)

Murrue stepped away from Mwu and turned, heading towards the kitchen, pretending to pick up a glass, hoping that her shaking hands could be covered by her back, but knowing it was futile under Mwu's sharp eyes. She tried blocking out those suddenly loud whispers of doubt which planted seeds in her conscience, but they continued on relentlessly, biting on with no intention of letting go.

(He doesn't love you…its just an obligation.)

Who are you! What are you doing?

(Do not think you can lie to yourself, you know it too, don't you?)

Stubbornly holding on to the glass, griping it so hard her knuckles turned white, she heard Mwu's footsteps and felt his breath tickling the base of her neck. She shivered, wanting to run and hide yet hoping fervently that Mwu would just embrace her once again, holding her tightly against his chest, allowing her to hear the steady beats of his heart, just to overcome her irrational fear and get rid of the uncertainty that pulled her down into a dark abyss filled with mistrust and reservations. She hated being a weak willed woman who only knew how to simper and faint at the slightest disturbance, she hated being the one who was so emotionally vulnerable she had to rely on a man to survive. She had always prided herself on her self restraint, her self control, her will. But after she met him, things just were not rational anymore.

(Yes, you are weak, you cannot survive without him…)

(What would you become if he left you now?)

Shut up…what are you doing to me?!

"Murrue…look at me. Please." A low plead that showed how much he cared, worried that something was wrong. A small, conscious, awake part of her knew that it was not an act, not something that came from a loyal servant, sounding more like an anxious man bothered over his loved one and that part of her struggled furiously to get out of the catch and pull of quicksand which only ended with darkness that beckoned.

What is wrong with me?! Why am I trapped in here? Mwu! Help me!

"I'm sorry. Do you mind if you left me for awhile?" Murrue heard herself answer wearily as if all her energy had been exhausted, spent, that part of her just wanting to curl up, not wanting to face death and the probability that her lover just was not the one who willingly stayed. If given a choice she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep away the troubles, run away into that welcoming darkness that would envelop her and push away all her worries and pain.

Who is this?! Damn you! Get this spell off me right this instant! What are you trying to do?! Damn it answer me! Don't hide behind those pathetic whispers!

(Ohh…you can detect my presence pretty puppet?)

You!

(Yes, my doll, its me, I'm flattered you remember me.)

What have you done to me?!

(Don't get so excited darling, its just a game, don't you really want to know what is in his heart? Don't you want to see if he's truly staying because of that stupid notion called love?)

Damn you…

(You do want to know, you should have just said what you wanted, it would have been easier would it not?)

Let me go!

(Don't be such a spoilsport, let's just see what happens next, shall we?)

(Let's see where your limits are!)

Mwu!

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The hooded man chuckled at the reaction the brown haired woman, the amount of fight she had in her, he was impressed. He had known beforehand that Murrue Ramius would be a woman to be regarded with seriously but she had exceeded his expectations, she was indeed a person who could stand in Evil's way, but would she be able to fulfil that promise, he would see. It was going to be interesting what this couple would do. He had to ascertain some things before he revealed himself to them. He had to be convinced that they were what she had told him they would be. He was not about to offer his help to people who did not earn them, and personally, he suffered no fools, despite what she wished.

"Well then Murrue and Mwu, show me what you got."

Author's note: Its been awhile since I've updated I know, but I was hoping to be able to create something realistic for this, an alternate world where the characters came to be in, so please forgive me if I took too long. Any constructive comments are welcomed and everything that you say means a lot. So tell me what you think about the newest addition. Till the next time!