Old AN: Ok! A new chapter, and some minor revisions to the previous chapters (very minor, you probably won't notice the difference). So, that's now UE and SotB updated, and a new oneshot up! Enjoy people!

Thanks go out to my lovely reviewers, Mimic Shalle, Alphax1 and Yukiko Shiroryuu. Sorry for taking so long, college has restarted and it's crazy this year. Classes of 50 + students! :3

February 2013 – rewrite complete! (Not that this chap really needed any work.)

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Previously

He didn't say anything about his 'clinginess' mainly because he really didn't want to try and explain the oddly possessive feeling that was growing in his chest. In part it stemmed from needing reassurance that David was unhurt but another part was a growing need to protect those he loved (those he saw as :his:, who no-one had the right to touch but him), wrap them in cotton wool and hide them somewhere safe, somewhere the Conqueror couldn't reach.

Unexpected Events

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Some time later and the two of them still sat there, content for now to just forget the outside world and it's troubles, the late morning sunlight slanting across the floor to shine off of tousled hair.

Sitting back with a sigh, David slowly got to his feet along with Rush, feeling slightly embarrassed at his lack of control, even though it was perfectly warranted, and not quite sure what to say under the circumstances. Seeing this, Rush gave him a small sympathetic smile, resisting the urge to point out just how much the Marquis looked like a little kid.

David's nightshirt was a rumpled mess, slipping off his shoulder slightly, his cheeks were flushed and his normally silky smooth hair was a rat's nest of tangles.

His hands still shook slightly, hanging forgotten at his side and his eyes looked so lost, like his whole world had turned upside down and nothing was as he'd left it. The only times Rush had seen him anywhere near this rattled and vulnerable was after finding out about Emma's death, and seeing the Conqueror kill Hermeien in such a cold blooded fashion.

Mentally shrinking back from that memory, Rush tried to disperse the awkward moment, feeling the need to be active lest he also get trapped in his own turbulent emotions, before remembering the incident that happened just a few hours ago.

"Ah, I'd say we should get you back to your room to get dressed, but there's no need."

At the questioning look from David, Rush rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, looking slightly apologetic, before pointing to a small table near the door, where a neatly folded pile of clothes sat, the unmistakable sight of David's coat lying next to it.

"Emmy kinda knows you're here, she stuck her head around the door a couple of hours ago, didn't say anything though. I pretended to be asleep, but I don't know if she saw through it or not, and she brought those through about half an hour later."

Another moment of silence ensued, as David felt faintly mortified at the thought of Emmy seeing him fast asleep in Rush's bed and probably making embarrassing assumptions.

Knowing David probably needed more than a few minutes of 'alone time' to really think about what happened, (heaven knows Rush certainly did), Rush zeroed in on the scattered jumble of items on the floor.

"Dave, you better get dressed first, we can get some breakfast after. I made kind of a mess last night looking through my stuff, so I'd better tidy it up. I'll wait 'til you're ready, kay?"

Turning away before David could notice the deeper meaning behind his last words, he bent and started picking up odd items from the floor and tossing them haphazardly back into his closet.

Deciding he was better off not knowing what Rush had been looking for after seeing him pick up a tube of lipstick and a cloistral belt of all things, its many straps hanging from his arm like tentacles, David retreated quickly to the adjoining bathroom after grabbing his clothes.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Taking comfort in the familiar, somewhat mechanical motions of dressing, David managed to centre himself, pushing back what had happened to try and focus more on the here and now. After getting dressed, David found a perch on the edge of the rumpled bed, feeling rather numb, which he knew detachedly was probably a sign of delayed shock.

One thought jumped to the fore, and he suppressed a shudder. Just how strong was the Conqueror really, if he could throw Rush about like a rag doll? A cold chill settled over his skin as he felt even more overwhelmed by it all, the part of him that didn't feel numbed hating the weakness and hopelessness that lurked at the edge of his mind.

Almost reflexively, he reached out mentally for Kellendros, and started when he realised she wasn't there. Searching his memory, he remembered that penetrating warmth and how it had forced her out.

Paling at the thought of her unbound, and judging from his recollection, extremely angry in the middle of a city full of innocent people, he leapt to his feet just as Rush stepped into the room, shrugging on his blue patterned jacket.

"Dave, what's wrong? You look pale as a ghost."

Pacing agitatedly, David spun to face Rush.

"In the dream, when you pushed Kellendros out, you broke the bond. She's now unbound and probably very angry, in the middle of my city. That's what's wrong."

Blanching at the impact of those words, Rush snatched the talisman from the bedside table and hurried to the door.

"We'd better check on her then. You'll need to show me where the Gae Bolg's kept, that's where she'll be since it's technically her body."

Nodding, David took point and led the way, thanking the numbness that suppressed his anxiety and mentally donning the mask of control he needed as the Marquis.

Ignoring the glances from passing servants and guards, David led them steadily downwards, through sparsely lit halls and down steep stone staircases, before eventually going down a tiny spiral staircase that opened into a windowless and rather dilapidated corridor.

No one had been down here in a while; the dust was thick on the floor and rusted iron torch brackets (in desperate need of a clean) showed just how old this section of the castle was.

There were only dim crystal lamps to show the way, some obviously on their last legs, as the crystals had definitely not been charged in years. Stopping in front of a faded tapestry, he pulled it to one side to reveal a surprisingly plain, blackened door.

"This is a secret way into the Gae Bolgs' chamber; the main doors are guarded by Celapaleian soldiers. They should have been removed with Athlum's independence, but Qubine and Ghor don't trust me not to move against the Conqueror, and Ghor especially holds the power to keep them there now he has retaken the position as head of the Congress. The soldiers wouldn't let me through if we were to try and enter there. They don't know about this entrance however."

Motioning for Rush to hold the tapestry, David removed a stone from the wall opposite the door, working it free with the tips of his fingers and pulled a key out of the hole it left. Putting the stone back he turned and unlocked the door, slipping inside and motioning for Rush to follow.

Stepping through Rush was greeted with the sight of a huge domed chamber, hundreds of metres wide. The floor was a solid expanse of stone, it's pitch black surface polished smoother than glass, creating the illusion of an endless abyss below his feet.

It was only broken by the darkened mirror image of himself reflected in the stone, courtesy of the flames that lit the chamber. Intricately sculpted marble pedestals, their squat bulk shaped like a mass of billowing silk, were scattered around the room, each supporting a large bronze bowl.

The fire that leapt within each one danced over the polished metal like a living thing, tongues of red-gold spilling over the edges to reflect on the mirror-like surface of the obsidian rock below.

Massive granite pillars circled the chamber, each one carved with Remnant symbols that spiralled up the body of the pillar and were inlaid with slivers of light crystals to make them glow. The domed roof was lost in darkness and shifting shadows, but hanging from the dark vault were thick chains that bound the gleaming form of the Gae Bolg, suspending it about three metres above the floor, light playing over its surface in an almost innocent display.

Glancing back at the door, totally hidden in the shadow of one of the pillars, Rush stepped up beside David, whistling quietly at the sheer scale of the chamber.

"I guessed you didn't just stuff it in a broom closet when you weren't using it, but this… it's massive! Are we still in the castle?"

Eyes troubled as he stared at the Gae Bolg, David answered distractedly.

"No, we're actually underneath it here; this is part of the cave system that runs under Athlum, though the monsters were cleared out years ago. There's a passage that opens up into the large interior courtyard we use for practice, and from there the Gae Bolg can be taken out of the city when needed."

Not sure what David was seeing to cause such concern, Rush walked towards the large Remnant, wanting to get a better look. He had only ever seen it the once, back on the Yamarn plains, though he had seen the ex-machina enough times to recognise the similarity between the two.

Stopping directly beneath the bulky cannon, Rush tipped his head back and considered the glowing shape. It didn't look any different from his memory, but when David appeared at his shoulder he still looked worried.

"She's not luminescing… is she aware she's free, Rush? I thought she would be showing signs of luminescence, or (heaven forbid) even Collapsing, not sitting here placidly…"

Frowning, David lifted his arm, hand outstretched towards the cannon and with a look of concentration on his face. Recognising the pose, Rush stared in surprise, before glancing up in alarm and snatching his wrist, pulling it down.

"What do you think you're doing, you can't bind her now! Besides no luminescence, you said yourself she was furious, and you heard what she said in the dream, she'd kill you if you tried that."

Mask slipping slightly, David flinched at the angry tone in Rush's voice, stepping back quickly. Despite his outward acceptance of the situation, inside he was still reeling, and it would take more than a heartfelt talk and a hug to dispel all his worries and uncertainty.

He knew intellectually that Rush was his friend, and would not knowingly hurt him, but emotionally he was still unsure, so moments of anger like that would certainly make him nervous for some time to come. The earlier reassurance was really just a balm over his damaged trust that would take time to heal. Pulling free from the tight grip on his wrist, David gestured up towards the great Remnant, mixed emotions crossing his face.

"Then what am I supposed to do?! Unbound she is a threat to my city, and I don't know of another way to deal with this, unless you think you can do something?"

He would have continued, but his aborted attempt at binding seemed to have alerted the Remnant to their presence. Giving no warning, the Gae Bolg came to life, energy snaking along the long barrel and over it's golden skin before sinking into the chains, heating the metal to extreme temperatures in seconds.

Glowing white-hot, the metal bubbled and melted, the chains tearing apart like soft cheese, giving a muted groan as the cooler central core of the links snapped in two. With barely a sound, the metal failed, sending the Remnant plummeting to the ground and straight for the two young men beneath it.

Alerted by the faint sound of the chains snapping, Rush's power flared to life, pale green light blanketing his skin and gleaming in his eyes as it slowed time within the chamber. Without that power they would have been crushed, the sheer size of the cannon and the short distance between them leaving no time to move out of the way.

As it was, Rush grabbed David around the waist and back pedalled swiftly, power receding only when they were out from under the Remnant. No longer slowed, the great cannon hit the ground with a thunderous crunch, the impact fracturing the stone beneath it.

Wincing at the loud sound, the two boys retreated further, stopping a good six metres away from the Remnant. Shaken by the near miss and the abrupt, tight hold, David pulled away quickly, tactfully ignoring the brief look of disappointment that crossed Rush's face, and nodded a quick thanks before turning his attention back to the now brightly glowing cannon.

Small arcs of lightning were crackling over every inch of metallic skin, occasionally lashing out to strike the floor, writhing and snapping like angry snakes. When nothing else happened for several moments, both young men relaxed a bit, though Rush still stood slightly in front of David in an unconscious protective gesture.

Narrowing his eyes, David thought hard as he stared at the Remnant, wondering why she hadn't done more to try to hurt them, before realising the answer was obvious. Speaking more to himself than Rush, the young Marquis muttered quietly, voice rising in volume as he spoke his thoughts aloud.

"Of course, she doesn't have the power. She can't attack us, even though she desperately wants to…"

Unsure where this was leading, Rush waited for David to finish, not taking his eyes from the other Remnant.

"Kellendros has been bound for so long that she's become used to taking the power she needs from her bonded. Without one, she has too little energy to do anything substantial, much less seriously damaging!"

As though trying to prove him wrong, the Gae Bolg let out a fresh burst of energy, lightning leaping into the air only to strike the ground a moment later, leaving the smell of ozone to itch at their noses, but none of the myriad bolts hit anywhere near the two boys. They could practically see the Remnant fuming with anger, the blue-white colour of it's energy taking on a faint red tinge, the flames from the bronze dishes reflecting demonically on it's golden surface.

Face troubled, David turned away from the cannon, touching Rush's arm to get his attention.

"Rush, could you… could you use your power to put a shield around her, or something to stop people getting too close, and keep it there for an extended period of time?"

Surprised at the request, the boy took a moment to answer, wondering what David was thinking.

"I don't really know… I don't think I could make a shield with my own powers, but I might be able the put something up with the Talisman's help. Why though? She can't move, and this place is guarded against anyone coming down here."

Gesturing to the far end of the chamber at the shadowed shape of an arch that Rush hadn't noticed before, David explained.

"You are adamant that I not bind her, and these caves amplify any sound, despite being sealed by gates thick enough to put the drawbridge to shame. The guards might have heard the noise Kellendros made by falling. If any come down to investigate and get too close she could kill them. She's also very manipulative, and I wouldn't trust her not to have some plan to regain a bit of power, so leaving her here unbound and unprotected is almost asking for something to happen."

Seeing the possible danger that prompted David's concerns, Rush sighed and nodded.

"Ok, I'll give it a shot. The shield you've seen before is the Talisman's, and it only lasts a few minutes at most, so I can't use that… I don't know how good whatever I come up with will be, or how much power I'll need to use to hold it. I don't exactly have much practice doing this, so keep your fingers crossed…"

Closing his eyes, Rush reached up to grasp the Talisman hanging around his neck, feeding the knowledge of what he wanted to make to the compact Remnant, knowing that it would help if it could.

Feeling it warm up against his hand he took a deep breath, power simmering under his skin as he felt the little Remnant respond to his thoughts, reaching out in it's own way to help him direct and shape his power.

ooooooooooooooooo

Unsure what to expect, David watched as green light gathered and shimmered under his friend's skin. When it started to leech into the air around him like faint, glittering mist David couldn't help but back away a few feet, nervous despite the past reassurances.

Stepping around to the side, the young Marquis saw the thin mist ripple and shimmer as it started to move, expanding in waves, coiling tendrils reaching towards the centre of the chamber where the Gae Bolg lay. Unlike true mist it didn't thin or thicken, keeping the same translucent quality all through the glimmering cloud of light that now blanketed the ground in front of him.

Noticing a faint tingle on his legs, David looked down only to start in shock. The mist was swirling gently around his knees, the outer edges having reached him several moments ago as the stuff expanded, though he hadn't even felt it until now.

Trying to ignore the strangely pleasant sensation, David saw that the mist had now surrounded the cannon shaped Remnant, leaving a rough circle of clear ground around it. Fairly sure now that the mist wouldn't do anything untoward to him, the Marquis moved forward to see Rush's face, but made sure to stay far enough away so as not to disturb him.

Studying the look of concentration on the boy-Remnant's face, David's eyes wandered over his skin, looking at the sheen of light that both covered and shone through his skin.

At a brief nudge from his memory, David looked for any sign of the symbols he had seen in the bedroom, when the boy had apparently been luminescing, but found no trace of anything save the pale shifting light.

So focused was his inspection that he started in surprise when the boy opened his eyes. Surprise turned to outright unease as he took an involuntary step back, sucking in a sharp breath. He had seen Rush's eyes when he used his power before, a pale green film of light that covered their surface but left the pupil untouched.

This was nothing like that.

The pale green light was not covering his eyes, but radiating out from their depths with frightening intensity. Both iris and pupil had been swallowed up by the light, just a bright glowing circle of energy, and even the sclera were no longer white, but glowing faintly with the cast off light from the centre of his eyes. They glittered eerily in the light from the flames, and David could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and stand on end as he watched.

More than a little glad that piercing gaze was focused on the Gae Bolg and not himself, David saw the Remnant (no, not the Remnant, it was Rush too) slowly lift the arm that wasn't clasping the Talisman, hand open with fingers spread and palm downward.

In response to this the mist abruptly surged forward and upward, pulling away from his legs and into the beginnings of a shifting dome forming around Kellendros.

Once the arm was level with his shoulder Rush slowly clenched his fist, tilting it so the palm was facing the building dome. Immediately the mist started seething, leaping up to complete the top of the dome before writhing chaotically. Glancing at Rush, David could see sweat start to break out on his forehead, though that was the only outward sign of the strain this was causing.

Looking back at the dome David could see it was changing, the mist starting to melt away from the bottom edge. What was left behind bore some similarities to the Talisman's shield, the same shifting diamond pattern within it.

It wasn't made of light like the other however. It looked almost like semi-frozen blue-green water, smooth and flowing in places, visibly rippling, but with harder jagged pieces that moved over its surface, glinting like ice.

It didn't look very sturdy, but then again neither did the Talisman's shield, so the Marquis trusted it would hold, at least for a while. Looking at Rush he saw the light fading from his skin, receding until there was only the glowing green flecks in otherwise grey eyes.

Blinking slowly, the teen stared at the dome, then at David, and let a small smile curl the edges of his lips before his knees gave out, sending him tumbling to the cold stone floor.

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Done!