Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Eight: The Allies of Convenience

Aerie was a very pleasant companion, and quite a dichotomy with her guardian, Minsc. She was shy and unsure of herself, especially when it came to dealing with others, stuttering and finding it difficult to speak—quite the opposite of Minsc's loud boisterousness. Part of it, Hikaru suspected, arose from the painful past she revealed to him—that she was an Avariel, a winged elf, and that her explorations of the lands of the landbound (forbidden lands to her people) led to her capture by some human slavers. She was sold to a circus and kept in a cage as a novelty, until her wings rotted from atrophy. Once they were surgically removed in order to save her life, she was no longer of any use to the circus, and, without any way to return home, was left as a lowly servant to the troupe. At least until Minsc had stumbled into her life. Aerie didn't share all the details of their meeting, but somehow she went from the circus to Minsc's village in the north, and was adopted by the people as one of them. Her talents with magic led her to becoming one of their witches, and so she became Minsc's witch as he traveled about to complete his djemma, his warrior's journey.

She was also sympathetic to Hikaru's plight, and, after he had explained all of his matters to his new companions, they had both readily agreed to assist him until he had finally met up with his comrades and returned home.

"To be falsely accused by villainous fiends!" Minsc opined. "Oh tragedy! Minsc and Boo and Aerie will certainly stand as stalwart friends of the brave Hikaru and aid him in return for the help he has given in rescuing our witch! Any who stand in our way shall feel my righteous steel in their hearts!"

And so with this encouraging thought, they continued to travel for clues…until the day of the grand announcement.

"I-it's good that you finally got word like this," Aerie commented. "Y-you know…where your friend Kain Lockeheart is heading, right? S-so we should be able to meet up with him in Orimus. B-but you know…it's still surprising…that you're friends with the son of the Grand Archmage…."

And so they began the journey to the ruined capital…and found themselves standing in front of a rather foreboding forest.

"Is this really the way?" Hikaru asked without much hope. "There isn't any way to go around?"

The only land route through this northern waste to Orimus lay through a forest that, just by it's name, didn't comfort Hikaru at all: 'The Dread Woods'. The trees seemed inhospitable and mystic even to his magic-ignorant eyes, he didn't relish the thought of spending any time in them. He had been raised, as has been noted, to survive most anything, but something like this….

"T-there isn't," Aerie said, almost with a sigh. "W-we could take a ship, but…considering your…position…we might run into trouble, and we'd have nowhere to run to. We could try to make it to Avalon and pass wide around them via the main continent, b-but…that might take too long…and be just as dangerous…."

"Bounty hunters, or dark things man was not meant to know," Hikaru muttered. "Well, if it saves time, I guess it's what we'll have to do…."

"Never fear!" Minsc assured him. "Minsc's righteous fury will put to bed any dark creepies or things that go bump in the night that inhabit this dark wood! All unnatural monstrosities will prove no obstacle to our noble quest!"

"It's clear that as an ally of justice I have a long way to go," Hikaru replied with a chuckle. "I'd give an arm for a measure of your fearlessness, Minsc. But you are right. If he have to go forward, we'll just have to defeat anything that gets in our way. Let's go."

8-8-8

They traveled through the dark and twisted forest, finding what paths they could. It was very slow going, as the growth choked and confined the very air, turning the entire mass into a maze. Even light magic couldn't seem to fully dispel the gloom, and the tension in the air was ever-present.

"It's hard to know how far we've managed to even travel today," Hikaru remarked as the darkness came and they had to stop for the night. "And I don't know if I feel better or worse that nothing attacked us all during the day…."

"It is outrageous!" Minsc replied, voicing his own sentiments on it. "The creeping darkspawn hide in the shadows and taunt us with this darkness, but do not show their faces to us so that we can smash them with the fist of justice!"

"W-well, for now we should be grateful for the peace," Aerie attempted to soothe her gargantuan guardian. "For now, we should rest. Tomorrow…we'll see what happens then…."

Grumbling, Minsc turned his attention to setting up camp. Hikaru and Aerie joined in on their own tasks, but it wasn't long before Hikaru stopped them. "Look over there." He pointed. The other two gathered around. A light flickered in the distance, visible even through the gloom and the thickness of vegetation. "It would seem someone beat us to setting up a campfire."

Boo squeaked. "You're right, Boo," Minsc said thoughtfully. "The dark denizens of this foul place would hardly need fire for light or heat, for their eyes and hearts must be full of cold darkness. Those at that camp must be poor lost travelers such as ourselves."

"Or it could be a magical trap," Hikaru pointed out. "But…I do agree with…Boo this time. It just doesn't feel like this is supposed to be a trap."

"I-I agree," Aerie admitted. "S-shall we…go investigate?"

The group made its way through the tangle towards the light. It wasn't long before a voice caught their eyes.

"Again, a feast of sparklebunny! A third day in this foul wood is not doing wonders for my mood. Will we ever find our way out of it?"

There was an indistinct reply from another voice that they couldn't make out.

"Bah, I forgot; your mood is always the sourest, regardless. Still, this forest…." Just at that moment Hikaru and company came creeping carefully into view of the camp. Two figures leapt to their feet, noisily drawing steel.

Hikaru held up his hands. "Don't attack. We're friendly." He surveyed the pair as they warily eyed him. The foremost, the obvious speaker, was dressed in rugged but heavy and serviceable armor. It looked to have once been the glamorous armor of an important military figure, but long days of the truly rugged lifestyle of the vagabond had dulled the shine and obscured the crests, yet it appeared to retain all its strength and protective ability. His sword was heavy and broad, a weapon normally used in two hands, yet the man pointed it easily with one hand as he used the other to brace himself in preparation for a swift rise from his crouched position. The thing that stood out the most about him, however, was his hair, which also stood up the most; his shocking red mane rose up and out, like a pompadour that had overgrown its boundaries and eaten the gardener.

His companion was smaller, also dressed in practical armor but of a much lighter variety, leathers that didn't look like they had ever been remarkable in any way. She was lithe and thin, smaller, Hikaru thought, than Akari or Kiami, with short blond hair in pigtails and a scar across her cheek. Her sword was much lighter and shorter than her companion's, but it was also held in one hand—in her case, the other was being employed with another weapon. Hikaru was still rather a novice with magic, but it was obvious even to him that the woman was holding some sort of spell in one hand.

It was the woman who spoke first. "Words like that will commonly hide an enemy. Give us a good reason why we shouldn't spit you where you stand."

Hikaru considered this as Aerie moved in behind him, also showing peaceful supplication, and Minsc waited behind, not quite ready to make himself vulnerable to these potential hostiles. "A reason? Considering you've been traveling in these foul woods for a while, I suppose it would be reasonable for you to be mistrustful of strangers like us. I suppose I can't honestly come up with a way that I can prove that I'm not a threat to you…but is there something I can do to prove it to you?"

The woman considered this. "Well, if you're truly willing, I suppose you could toss that sword at your side to us here. If you're really trustworthy, and you're willing to show us some vulnerability, that will go a long way towards proving your words."

The words disturbed Minsc, who hurried forward his hand on his own hilt. "What treachery is this!? What travelers would dare ask another man to disarm himself and part from his fondest tool, his sword, simply to earn a bit of trust? Do you even understand what you demand!?"

Despite Minsc's words, Hikaru gave this request some thought. Like many swordsmen, particularly those of an eastern bent, his sword was such a prized treasure that it was a gravest insult to even suggest parting from it. On the other hand, her point was valid, and Hikaru did not wish trouble this night from these travelers. Weighing his own skill against their concerns, he decided that, if this turned out to be a trick, he had enough confidence in his unarmed skills that he could hold out until the moment he was able to recover his sword. So, slowly, deliberately, he unbound his blade and tossed it lightly towards them, close enough to the fire that it was beyond his easy reach, but not far enough or with enough force that it might disturb the fire and/or serve as an apparent distraction. "There. I'm unarmed. Is that enough, or do you need more?"

The red-haired man moved forward and scooped up the curved blade with his off-hand. He inspected it. "Woah. What manner of sword is this? This curved style is strange…it's got some length, but why would you need a sword that's so thin? I have never seen its like before.

"But," he continued, glancing back at the young man, "he does seem to be a living, breathing human, and not after our lives. The walking dead do not have the imagination to play games like this."

"You always act as if that's our only concern," the woman said with a sigh, quenching her spell and sheathing her sword. "But you're right…I think these three are harmless. If they wanted to take us, they already have an advantage in numbers, after all."

Minsc calmed quickly as Hikaru's sword was returned and the trio were welcomed into the camp. The two vagabonds introduced themselves as Largo and Pirogoeth, with no other titles or places of origin. The other three responded in kind, with Minsc introducing Boo as usual.

The rodent seemed to attract Largo's bizarre attention. "Woah…isn't that a genuine miniature giant space hamster!? Sw33t [Sweet]! Go for the beer, Boo! Go for the beer!"

"Ignore him," Pirogoeth politely instructed Hikaru and Aerie as the pair began to animatedly discuss the rodent. "He's a brainless fool I've been forced to endure for some time now. Regardless, what brings you into this dread forest?"

"W-we're on our way to Orimus," Aerie replied. "Going through this wood i-is the only real way we have to reach it."

"Orimus?" the woman said with a raised eyebrow. "Never heard of it. Is it far?"

"You've never heard of it?" Aerie's eyes were wide with surprise. "I thought everyone knew about the Old Capital…."

"Old Capital…." Pirogoeth considered this. "This forest…I wonder…."

"You've been in this forest for some time?" Hikaru asked.

"Three days now," Largo grumped in reply. "No matter where or how we wander, we cannot seem to shake this accursed place. There is no game or al3 [ale] in these woods to sustain us. There is an 3vil [evil] enchantment here…."

('There is something about this man's speech that plays with my sense of reality,') Hikaru thought. ('He also seems…somewhat familiar….')

Suddenly an unearthly howl pierced the air, and all five jumped to their feet, brandishing their weapons. Lurching into the light came a dozen human forms, their bodies patchwork amounts of skin, flesh, and bone. They raised their mangled arms and started to stumble more quickly towards them.

"Zomb13z [Zombies]!" cried Largo. "Prepare to defend yourselves!"

Aerie and Pirogoeth began to chant in separate but equally alien tongues; Pirogoeth first released a blast of fire into the midst of the oncoming swarm, turning a few to ash. Aerie finished next, and a burst of shining light shocked its way through the gloom and destroyed the presence of a couple more. Meanwhile, Largo, Minsc and Hikaru moved in to fight with their blades, cleaving various body parts and cutting the bloodless corpses to ribbons.

The others seemed grimly accepting of the scene, but for Hikaru, it was yet another completely new, surreal sensation. He was not raised in an ivory tower, and had some grasp of popular memes and themes of fantasy fiction, but to actually experience it, to put his sword against humanoid foes that did not bleed, or feel pain, or hesitate or even seem to think, was chilling to him. Still, he had been trained by some of the greatest fighters in the world, and he let his well-honed instincts do for him what his rational mind could hardly conceive, and he did his work alongside his two older companions.

In mere moments it was over, and the dozen monstrosities lay unmoving on the ground. Largo snorted. "Such a weak horde…this was no thr3at [threat]. Merely a f3int [feint]. The darkness mocks us…."

Suddenly a high-pitched laugh sounded, and one severed head turned to look at them. Its eyes lit up and it spoke. "Well said, oh empty-headed warrior. This is merely a greeting. You have trespassed upon the grounds of the lady…she will play with you before she has your blood." Then, in an explosion of dust and flame, the head vanished entirely.

The group exchanged a concerned look. "T-the lady…that sounds…" Aerie began.

"Like the vampire's master," finished Hikaru. "Oh, boy. Has she tracked us down, then?"

"A vampire?" queried Pirogoeth with a quiet mixture of interest and concern. "A true, blood-sucking vampire? You've attracted that for an enemy?"

"Zounds! Our enemies mount, indeed," Largo said. "But that would explain some of the 3v11 [evil] in this place."

"Let the vampire come!" Minsc boasted. "If it wishes to feed on us, we shall give it our cold steel for its meal and see how much of a stomach ache it gets from that!"

"Squeak," said Boo.

8-8-8

They managed to get a meal down and slept, somewhat restlessly, until what passed for morning. They kept watches for safety, but nothing bothered them throughout the night.

"In this situation, we're probably better off together," Pirogoeth noted. "We can group up, at least until we get out of this foul forest—whether we have to kill a vampire or not." Her proposal was met with general agreement, and so the party of five (six including Boo) began their march anew into the forest.

Largo was animated, talkative, somewhat wild…to a degree, even more than Minsc. He complained loudly about the lack of beasts to hunt, and occasionally dashed off into woods to attack a seemingly offensive tree. Strangely, nothing attacked him when he did this, although Pirogoeth did ask their new companions (in all seriousness) if they would prefer that she drop a fireball on his head to satisfy his dangerlust.

Aerie did her timid best to be sociable, discussing magical arts and secrets with Pirogoeth—after some persuading, for Pirogoeth was much quieter and more reserved than her companion, but she was agreeable enough with her level-headed fellow mage. Aerie then later attempted to calm Largo down by asking about his past, about how he and Pirogoeth met—and Largo regaled her quite cheerfully with a tale. He was a legionnaire of the army of Reaht, leading his force…in an invasion of Pirogoeth's kingdom. Just when Largo was ready to slay this queen, however, a 'Dark Horde' suddenly moved in and destroyed both the invading army and the remnants of the kingdom. Only Largo and Pirogoeth were left, and since that time they had traveled together, trying to find the evil mage behind this Dark Horde and put a stop to him.

Hikaru listened attentively to this tale, digesting it. As Orimus had been unfamiliar to the pair, so the nations and kingdoms Largo discussed were unfamiliar to Hikaru. True, he was still a relative stranger to the world of Arcanus Myrror, but the state and condition of the prevalent kingdoms had been an important part of his group's travels, both before and after the scattering, and so the alien nature of these described events and places was still puzzling. He couldn't decipher what it meant, but he knew this…disjointing of realities was important somehow.

The day once again passed without incident, until the evening when they came across a stream of water.

"This is new," Pirogoeth remarked, crouching down by the riverbed. "We haven't found so much as a spring before in all our days of fighting our way through this forest. Furthermore, this water isn't tainted—some power, small but potent, is keeping it pure. This would be a good place to rest, and perhaps tomorrow we should continue following it."

Agreed, the party began to set up camp. Heartened somewhat by this good omen of a water source, they prepared a more significant meal and passed the evening more at ease, swapping more tales and actually considering if an escape from the place was imminent. The nearly invisible sun had set and the moon had well risen before they considered bunking down for the night.

Hikaru actually took a stroll away from the camp along the riverbed, considering matters—in truth, his initial foray was to answer the call of nature, but after this duty was done, he decided that the situation was good enough to allow him a brief moment of indulgence. The whole region of forest around the small river seemed completely different—there was even a decent opening in the canopy overhead, allowing the moon's full light to shed itself over him. He gave it some consideration; he had learned that the lunar cycle of this world was longer than that of Earth, and so a moon like this was all the more precious and beautiful. Like all Japanese people, the pieces of his name were important to him, and the 'Tsuki' in his family name was translated as 'moon'—in fact, his full name could be rendered roughly as 'moonlight', and so he felt a kinship with the heavenly orb….

A rustle in the bushes attracted his attention, and his hand went to his sword. He briefly wondered how a threat could have gotten so close before realizing that there was no threat here, at least none that his warrior's senses could decipher—no bloodlust he could sense, no smell of death and decay, just a sound…now, a low growl that was partly animalistic and partly…sultry? Curious, he took a few careful steps toward the bush….

"Oh, a charming young man," the growl said in a comprehensible slur. "So…might you be willing to help me pass my energy this evening…?"

As Hikaru froze, trying to translate the meaning of these bizarre words, a form leapt out of the bushes and tackled him, dropping him to the ground.

Again, the lack of true killing intent dulled his normally sharp warrior senses and reflexes, and he was completely taken aback by the incomprehensible nature of this assault. The attacker was a woman, perhaps in her early twenties, quite comely, with long dark blond hair…and two long fox ears emerging from her head and a bushy foxtail flickering from her rear. She wore a black dress that was cut generously low, giving Hikaru a healthy view, and she had the assets to make the view more than appreciable. And the purpose of her attack was tentatively given as she immediately leaned her face in to kiss Hikaru fully on the lips.

Hikaru was a young teenager, about fifteen years of age, one raised by the most gentle and upright masters who nonetheless could be brutal when they felt the need—the perfect recipe for ensuring a moral straightness (along with two attractive female childhood friends who could respond lethally to perceived ecchi thoughts). Nonetheless, he was a healthy young man, a normal human, and so while he did not engage in any of the usual teenage sexual fantasies and the like, he was perfectly susceptible to the sexuality that this strange creature was assaulting him with. He had been given many lessons, particularly by his master Serge Devaux, about 'how to treat ladies' and/or 'how to deal with girls', but, even with the broader lessons granted by his constant sparring with two beautiful girls his age, he had nothing in his experience to deal with the scenario 'a voluptuous female of a slightly alien persuasion assaults you with the intent to romance'.

She sat on his prone from and held his hands down as she released her kiss. She began to explore the area around his face and neck with her mouth, kissing and nipping, and making rather bestial growls all the while. In the midst of this assault, Hikaru was mostly frozen, but finally one fact registered on his conscious mind and helped bring his cool warrior focus back: he recognized this girl. Only vaguely, and not directly, but she was one of the faces he had seen in that moment that was burned into his memory: the day of the attack on the Gateport, when his friends had all been scattered. This mostly-human woman was one of those who had attacked the party.

"W-wait a minute!" he gasped as he got his faculties and body back under his control. "You—you are one of Eminus' minions, aren't you!? Why…what are you doing here!?"

The woman paused her action and raised her head, looking down curiously at Hikaru for a few seconds. He carefully began to probe his predicament now that he had his senses, with care and not desperation, and was astounded at how strong and controlled her grip was—despite her lack of great mass, her hands were clamped around his wrists like vices and could not be budged. In her eyes there was curiosity, and, Hikaru noted, just a touch of madness—some light that wasn't normal human consciousness.

"Oh," she said finally, "you are one of those children from back then. Well, you're a little young, but we can still have fun enjoying my passions tonight…."

"No! More than that…is this something you should be doing with your enemy?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter right now! The fire burning in my breast is ready to consume me! I must…."

Finally a few figure burst into view from the same direction that the woman had leapt. "Sherufanir!" the girl snapped out. "What are you doing!? Get off of him!"

"But, Ellis-chan, you know what time it is…I must do something about these feelings inside of me!"

The newcomer was also familiar to Hikaru—she had been at that same event. Short with long pink hair in pigtails, tall, sharp elf ears, and a more modest white pseudo-dress with adornments and odd bonnet (which dress nonetheless could not conceal her own assets), she had a unique appearance all her own. Ellis sighed. "Yes, I'm well aware about the conditions inherent to your race, Sherufanir, but you can't go assaulting travelers like this! It's wrong! Not to mention that we are in a dangerous place with an important duty to perform." A hulking shape, again familiar, came stomping up behind her, she continued, "Borgnine, please remove Sherufanir from her victim and take her back to camp."

The ogre-like beast, purple-skinned, dressed in midnight-colored armor with long white hair, complied, pulling the protesting woman effortlessly from off of Hikaru and then thundering away. Ellis smiled politely at the young man on the ground, even as he stared up at her warily. "I'm sorry about that, sir. Sherufanir is a half-neocolom, and they get…frisky at the time of the full moon. Their animal side takes over, and all that…are you all right?" She leaned down and extended a hand to him.

Hikaru merely stared at her, leaning up enough to be ready to rise, but he did not take the hand. "I'm not sure whether I should be grateful or not," he said quietly.

"A-aha, y-yes, lots of men that Sherufanir…bothers…say things like that…" Ellis began, but then she really looked at the young man underfoot and the light dawned. Her face became a very expressive demonstration of surprise and she exclaimed. "W-wait, you're…one of those kids!"

"Yes…one of those kids. And what is the Obsidian Star doing here?" Hikaru made a masterful leap to his feet, pushing himself away so there was some distance between the pair. He leaned forward and put his hand to his sword hilt as he finished his question.

Ellis sighed. "This is not a complication that I wanted." She gave him a look of almost petulance through half-closed eyelids. "If you really want a fight, I'll give it to you, but I'd really prefer not to right now. I think, in this situation, we should be cooperating."

Hikaru considered her words carefully. "You aren't behind the darkness of this forest, then?"

"No, not at all. We've come here to deal with it. The threat here is a real danger to both of us…."

"Hikaru? Where are you?" Minsc suddenly burst onto the scene. He glanced between Hikaru and Ellis in surprise. "Oh? What is this! Has Hikaru found a damsel in distress in this forest? Oh, how his valiance never fades, even in this place surrounded by darkness…."

"That's not exactly it," Hikaru muttered as Ellis gave him a questioning look. He returned Ellis' stare and continued, "I suppose we should gather everyone together…both sides…so that we can discuss 'this situation'…."

8-8-8

The two gathered groups stared at each other. For Hikaru, the only member of the opposing four he didn't recognize was the tall raven-haired man in the coat. Sherufanir swayed as she stood, keeping herself in place but with that madness still evident in her eyes. Borgnine stood silently to her flank, apparently ready to grab her at a moment's notice, and Ellis stood in front, resignedly absorbing the suspicious stares of the other party.

"So, what is this about?" Pirogoeth asked to break the silence. "Who are these people?"

"My enemies," Hikaru answered quietly. "The Obsidian Star."

"Enemies?" demanded Minsc in surprise. "But…how can this be? A charming elf girl, a friendly beast-girl, a humorous ragamuffin and a noble hulk like this are your enemies? They do not seem to be bad sorts to Minsc, or to Boo, either!"

"It's true," Ellis explained with a sigh. "We are technically enemies, but right now, that's the least of our worries—for either of us."

"What's this about, Ellis-chan?" Winfield asked the girl. "Who is this kid?"

"He's one of Kain Lockeheart's companions," Ellis explained wearily.

"Ah…one of the ones you messed up at Ouritel's Gateport, eh? Well, that does complicate things…."

"In any case," Ellis continued, "we're here more or less for the same purpose. There's a darkness in these woods that needs to be put down. That's what we're here for. Right now, you're the least of our concerns. I would like to propose a truce; no, an alliance. Until we safely leave this forest, we should work together. Whether you have a purpose here or simply want to leave it, it's in your best interest to take care of this as well."

"That sounds reasonable," Pirogoeth said. "Do you know something more about this darkness, then?"

"We know what it is, and where it is. We aren't very far—we should be there sometime tomorrow, so you don't have to worry about being in our presence for very long."

Largo nodded. "If you can help us destroy this evil and get out of here, we'll be more than happy to have your aid."

Aerie gave Hikaru a careful look. "Hikaru? What do you think?"

Hikaru was silent as he considered. Pirogoeth said in the face of his reluctance, "Whatever is making you hesitate, it's foolish, Hikaru. You can't be picky at times like these."

"Foolish to hesitate?" Hikaru queried carefully. "You don't know these people…."

"I don't," she insisted, cutting him off. "You're right. I don't know you much better. But I do know that they are people like us, not monsters. Largo told you our story earlier today; you were listening, right? People are rarely as monstrous as others might view them. Largo came with the intent of destroying my kingdom; it would be easy to see him as evil. You obviously have bad history with this party, but can you honestly tell me that they are worse than this darkness in the forest?" She shrugged. "They don't seem like it to me."

Hikaru sighed. He had only heard stories of the Obsidian Star and did not have much experience with them; and in all honestly, what he had been told, and what he remembered from that battle, seemed to conflict with this demure and peaceable elf-girl. However, what Pirogoeth said was true: at the moment, they were, at worst, the lesser evil. "Yes," he said finally. "Right now, I suppose we have no choice but to give you the benefit of the doubt. But if you make a move against us, you will find me a vengeful tiger."

Winfield chuckled. "You've made an interesting enemy, Ellis-chan! This boy is pretty frightening…."

"Enough, Winfield." Ellis turned and directed her party to do the same. "It's very late. We'll return to our own camp for the night and tomorrow morning we'll go together to put an end to this darkness."

"But if Hikaru-kun wants to join us, he's more than welcome…" Sherufanir said dreamily before she was hurried away by Ellis and Borgnine.

8-8-8

The enlarged party set out the next morning. Ellis led her group first, because they knew the way, and, as she said, "So that you can keep an eye on us all you like." She seemed quite resigned to the fact that Hikaru's trust was not easily gained.

Again her frankness and understanding of Hikaru's position and sentiments surprised him…and troubled him slightly as well. He had grown up with dreams of being a sword of justice, and to him the world was black and white—there were the good and the evil, and uninvolved people might walk the line, but those who served the side of evil were not supposed to be understanding, supportive and noble. What made this alien situation even worse was the fact that Ellis, the main mouthpiece of the group, seemed resigned to the fact that Hikaru was her enemy, but did not attempt to explain herself or excuse her actions in the slightest.

He kept himself close to their party, the better to keep an eye on them, as he digested all of these thoughts. To his surprise, Sherufanir fell back to speak with him…and, to his relief, she seemed far more in control of her faculties than she had the previous night.

Which, of course, was the reason for her approach. "I apologize for…our first meeting," she told him, with a mixture of coyness and cheerfulness. "As a neocolom, I am almost as much animal as human, at least at certain times…the full moon brings out the beast in me. It must have been frightening to as young a man as you."

Hikaru was once again unsure how to respond. The normal gentleman's response would be to assure her that there was no problem with her actions the previous night, as white a lie as it might be—but in this case, Hikaru felt such an assurance could be misinterpreted. "It's over with," is what he settled for. He hurried on with the comment, "That seems a most…inconvenient condition you have…."

Sherufanir giggled. "At times…but it simply makes me more honest than anything. Honesty…is something you don't have trouble with, it would seem…unless it is in your enemies?" She winked at him.

Hikaru was taken aback by this. "W-what? No…not at all…."

"Ah! And that is dishonesty. You seem a very simple, honest sort. You are a hero trying to save the world, yes? And people bent on destroying the world should not be as understanding and pretty as Ellis is, yes?"

Hikaru didn't respond; it seemed she was baiting him, and he didn't want to play her game. "If you wonder about it, you might as well ask her. It is as charming Pirogoeth-chan said last night…oftentimes differences of opinion are all that lead to perceptions of evil. If it bothers you that much, you can ask her about it. Or you can simply continue hating us until one of us is defeated. It doesn't matter much in the long run, so you'll just have to do what makes you feel better." And so she wandered back up to the front of the group.

8-8-8

They paused for a mid-day meal when Ellis announced they were close to the lair of the monster they were hunting. She suggested they fill their stomachs so they could be at full strength for the upcoming battle.

Ellis again began to lead her party to a discreet distance, but Hikaru stopped her. "We might as well stick together this close to the enemy's den. After all, I would like to know anything you can tell me about our opponent."

As Ellis hesitated, Sherufanir smiled and announced, "Educate our valiant swordsman and his companions, Ellis-chan. I will get the dinner ready." And so she set about busying herself.

Ellis sighed and smiled slightly. "Yes, it will certainly be easier if we tell you all we know." She sat down and Hikaru settled next to her, with Pirogoeth next to him. Largo and Minsc were engaged in one of their more obscure 'warrior-friend' conversations while Aerie prepared their party's meal.

"Our opponent is a powerful vampire matriarch," Ellis told them. "She's…taking advantage of our work, to be honest. With the crisis arising from Earth being cut off from Arcanus Myrror and the upcoming Memorial Festival, the nations are generally distracted, and so she can take advantage to spread her influence and take slaves for work or food. She has a large force of vampire spawn, as well as many other necromantic minions, undead and the like. This is her true home, hence its corruption, and here she can be killed—that's why we've come here."

"And it is really magnanimous concern that has led you here to deal with her?" Hikaru demanded. "Being Good Samaritans now because you're sorry?"

His tone was calm, but the words were obviously accusing. Ellis flushed and glanced at Pirogoeth, who considered her with a far different expression. "Pirogoeth…what I'm talking about—Earth, Arcanus Myrror, Memorial Festival—they mean nothing to you, correct?"

Pirogoeth nodded. "…Yes. I've never heard of most of the places you all seem to be familiar with. That means that this vampire's power is…somehow warping worlds?"

Hikaru stared at Pirogoeth. Yes…it seemed from their conversations as if Pirogoeth and Largo were as alien to Arcanus Myrror, or more so, than he was, but that thought just didn't make sense…how was this possible…?

"Earth and Arcanus Myrror are connected worlds, one of low-mana, and one very high-mana," Ellis explained to the former queen. "I don't have the time to explain all the implications, but my faction has plans for this world that required us to cut off the travel between those two. Now Arcanus Myrror is alone, a stranded world…but Earth isn't the only other world it is connected to. This vampire's powers, the corruption she's created in this forest, are warping the fabric of reality. Because there is no outlet to Earth, these powers are breaking into this other world. The world Pirogoeth and Largo originally came from. If her powers continue to grow in this situation, she will cause a break between the two worlds and disaster to both of them."

"There was no magical gate or portal we passed through," Pirogoeth announced. "Until we traveled with Hikaru and his friends, I never suspected that we could have traveled between worlds. But that is actually promising. That means that the wood that Largo and I originally entered is…merging with this forest, in this world. Right now, we are actually, all of us, in a phased magical realm between the two worlds. It is not simply this vampire's power, but her similarity with the darkness inherent in the forest on our side, that has caused this merging. And that also means that, if we kill the vampire responsible and break her power, we should each return to our original world."

Ellis looked relieved and nodded. Evidently she was concerned with how Pirogoeth would respond to the idea that she and her friend had been torn from their plane of existence; luckily her own understanding of magic was sufficient that this matter was a simple matter to her. Pirogoeth rose and turned away. "Now, our two muscle-bound warriors are causing difficulties for Aerie, it seems. I should go help her finish. Excuse me."

Hikaru and Ellis watched her go, and then fell silent. Finally Hikaru offered, "You are…not at all what I imagined the Obsidian Star would be." As she looked at him in surprise, he continued, "You are far more…human than I would have thought. But…even more so, reasonable to a fault, it would seem."

Ellis gave a half-laugh and half-sigh. "Evil people should be sacrificing infants to demon gods and the like, right? Or they should be fanatical deranged cultists who really believe that their wicked ways are correct, and try to convert others? Even if they have good hearts, they must be deluded enough to try and convince everyone else? There certainly aren't many of us, honestly, who would willingly follow something like the Obsidian Star. I've grown up with it; I understand better than anyone just what they mean. But I understand, too, that we are the minority. Sherufanir, Winfield, all of us—those of us you've met who aren't creatures of the Obsidian Star, like Nagi, Dynamis, or Eminus-sama—we are only following the Obsidian Star because we were saved by the Obsidian Star, as ironic as that sounds. I've been with him for over a dozen years, I've grown up following him, but I still don't know Eminus-sama's real, personal motives. He follows the objective of the Obsidian Star, he obeys his orders, but he travels about, emotionlessly, on his own whims. For years he went around 'collecting' people like us, mostly by accident. He visited war-torn societies and bereaved countries. Not as you'd expect an 'evil' person to do…throwing himself into the war, pain, and misery. He visited the places of battle afterwards and saved anyone who was lying living amongst the dead. Children were usually taken to the nearest available orphanage, but some of us refused to be parted from him. It's an odd…habit for someone who's part of a cult that's trying to destroy the world. But it's what he's been doing, and so most of us serve him out of loyalty and repayment."

"And yet…you talk so easily about how your 'cult' wants to 'destroy the world'."

"To save a forest, sometimes you have to burn it," Ellis explained. "Most, but not all. This world is already sick…we, whose homes were destroyed by senseless war and only live thanks to Eminus-sama, we understand that better than most. We've weighed our feelings and the things we've seen and have decided that this is the only thing we can do, to try and help create a better world from the ashes of what remains. The Obsidian Star will have their part…we're just trying our best to create a better world with what comes after, for humans and all our races. Vira-Lorr, Yayoi, Luana, Ryuryu—we've all discussed it at length and have come to that agreement. But we know that there are others like Kalan Lockeheart and his son who can't accept this kind of situation. That's why I won't try to convince you to join us, or anything of the sort. I don't believe I'm right, or that you're right—we're both right in different ways, and it would be rude of me to do anything but accept the feelings you put into your blade. I sometimes wonder if it had better if I hadn't been rescued…but this is the path I'm on and the choice I've made.

"But for now, that doesn't matter. Right now, both of us want to keep this darkness from spreading and damaging this world of ours…we both need to destroy this foe. After that…who knows?" She glanced up. "It seems the food is ready. Let's eat, and then go on to the battle."

8-8-8

The group surveyed the dark fortress before them. It seemed a warped and twisted castle, constructed of dark stone, black granite intermingled with obsidian, with towers, gargoyles, high parapets and extraordinary turrets. It was also far from a traditional castle in its build—there was no moat, drawbridge, portcullis, inner courtyard, or any such usual castle accompaniment. It was closer to a castle-shaped building, just one solid piece of architecture, but it seemed disingenuous to refer to it as a mere 'mansion' or something of the sort. There was a large, arched, double-door, wooden and iron-bound, in the center of the wall facing them. As they considered it, the doors suddenly opened outward, yawning invitingly towards them.

"It seems we're expected," Hikaru noted. "Not that I expected any less."

Ellis turned and hunkered down so that she could address the group. "All right," she said. "We have to come up with a plan…it seems we have no choice but to enter through the entrance, so…."

"Well then, let us push onward! Let our singing steel cut off the throaty laughter of blood-sucking leeches!" With this ramble, Minsc, sword out, started charging down towards the castle.

"That's right! Death to l33ches [leeches]!" Largo added, charging after him, also with his steel in his hand.

Ellis turned and watched the two charging. Then she turned an open-mouthed, wide-eyed stare to the rest of the group. "D-did they just…really…?"

"Hurry, Ellis-chan, or you'll get left behind!" Winfield cried, hurrying after the two mad swordsmen.

With a sigh and some kind of curse or epithet in her native tongue, Ellis started to give chase as well, with the rest at her side or even ahead of her.

They slowed down as they entered the dark abode. Minsc and Largo were at the front of the great entrance chamber, their swords shedding light, and they glanced around waiting for dark hordes or the like to jump at them. There wasn't much here at the moment—there were stairs leading up some distance, but even concentrated light revealed no door against the landing at the top of those stairs. Two short hallways to the left and right also ended in empty, bare walls.

"Hmm…it seems our mistress of this place has an odd sense of humor regarding her architecture," Sherufanir noted. "She doesn't want anyone traveling around without her whim, I would wager…."

A moment later the doors suddenly slammed shut. The next instant the lights they carried were all snuffed out. A few seconds after this, as they clamored and attempted to adjust, a bright spotlight flashed down, beaming right on top of them. "Welcome, welcome!" a soft voice seemed to purr from everywhere around them. "What an interesting collection of guests. We have…the boy from Earth…the other one. We also have…some of that Obsidian guard, or whatever they are? Even a pair that aren't from around here, and a few inconsequential others. Well, let's begin the welcoming party, shall we?" A blue light suddenly dimly illuminated the top ofthe stairs, revealing a throne that hadn't been there a moment before. Seated on the throne was a woman with pale, almost white-ivory skin, dressed in a revealing, almost fragmented black dress, with short black hair. The blue glow made her odd appearance all the more strange and ghostly as she considered the group…with inhuman red eyes that glowed bright, fierce and clear, even in the unnatural light. "Now, then…why don't you play with my children a little, for starters…?"

The walls to either side of them open or burst or some such thing…they could not see, but from both sides suddenly came a swarm of unnatural humanoid creatures. Most of them hairless, of pale skin, with long claws and fanged teeth, they leapt upon the reluctant allies with speed and ferocity.

Blades flashed, one gun fired, spells exploded, and the mêlée commenced. It was a long moment of insanity, and there was little the mortals could do against the horde except struggle with their might against it.

Hikaru wasn't satisfied with the status quo, however. It was obvious that these creatures—a mixture of undead he didn't recognize, with some obvious vampire spawn, all of whom seemed very resistant to damage—were going to take far too much trouble to eliminate. The one at the top of the stairs was the ringleader, obviously the 'lady' that had been responsible for their troubles for a while now. If they were going to get out of this alive, they couldn't play with the 'children' all that long….

Hikaru sheathed his sword and set himself, then made a wide swing from his draw, releasing his built-up ki. A half-dozen creatures leaping once again upon him were thrown back, blasted away, and Hikaru immediately stepped up the stairs and charged towards her.

The woman smiled a sharp-fanged grin as Hikaru reached her. She caught his blade as it came flashing out. "So, the little mouse wishes to play with me," she purred. "Well, perhaps you will be an amusing toy for me, Bodhi? We shall find out…."

Hikaru withdrew and sheathed his blade. "A creature of blackest night…if there is no other, then I will be the light that will disperse your darkness…."

Bodhi glanced at him askew. "…What was that? You talk as if you were some sort of drama character, some hero in a fairy tale speaking with words that will recorded for the ages. I guess you really are a child…."

Hikaru, teenager that he was, couldn't help but blush at the comment. Yes, it was his dream to be a 'hero of justice', and so he did idolize such characters…perhaps there was no thought that his words would be in an epic, but a poetic soul will wax poetic….

Bodhi suddenly charged in, sending him flying with a mighty kick. He recovered quickly and blocked her next strike, but he was soon on the defensive against her assault.

('So fast…so strong…she has far more power than Sendô-san, even more than Hinamori-san…she might be at the level of my masters….')

A slash of Bodhi's claws cut through his guard and threw him back again. As Bodhi began to charge in pursuit, however, a blast of light energy intercepted her. "Ray!" An orb of light gathered in front of Ellis' wing-tipped staff, then started spraying more bolts Bodhi's way. She danced and dodged around the attacks, prancing like an animal.

When the spell concluded, Ellis reared her staff back and prepared another spell. Bodhi quickly stopped and launched herself Ellis' way in response. However, Hikaru suddenly appeared before her, gripping his sheathed sword. An unleashed strike forced her backwards. "Impulse!" Ellis snapped, and a blast of pure magic energy assaulted her as well.

Hikaru followed the spell in, but Bodhi slapped him aside, and then charged in at Ellis. A surge of darkness flowed from her claws, slamming against a barrier the elf-girl hurriedly raised, but it soon burst and she was thrown back. "You play well, little mice, but you're only children," Bodhi hissed. Hikaru came in at her again, and she turned to meet him. "You aren't experienced enough to play with me. Fighting, magic…you are skilled, but I have lived a long time. I am master of both."

('It's too true,') Hikaru thought as he fought off her attacks. ('It has only been a short time, and I have only caught a glimpse of how great this world of magic is. My ki alone isn't enough to deal with a foe like this. If I could only grasp mana as well…perhaps I could break through her powers….')

She beat back both Hikaru and Ellis and then rounded on the elf girl, snatching her up and holding her aloft by the throat. "You are by far the more dangerous here…ah, and you will make such a sweet little meal as well…elf-blood is so precious and rare…."

('P-punishment, then? Only fitting, after all….')

As Ellis thought her despairing thoughts, Borgnine suddenly burst from the mass combat down below and descended upon the girl. "You will not hurt my master!" he roared, and began to attack her with his energy-charged attacks.

The first few blows connected with the vampire as she rounded on him, dropping Ellis, and he sent her flying across the now-crowded landing with a savage strike. He pursued her, but she once again recovered with that inhuman fortitude and began to round on him. Despite her difference in size and seeming fragility, it wasn't long before she began to turn the tables even on him.

Still, this time her foe was her equal in fortitude, and even as her claws raked him and her spells seared his inhuman flesh, he endured the blows and kept fighting.

For Ellis, it was enough. She reached out and recovered her dropped staff and pointed it Bodhi's way. She began to chant in her native elven tongue. Borgnine, well-conditioned to his master's magic and techniques, left away as she finally culminated her spell: "Shine Storm!"

The white light filled the chamber, spreading out and engulfing nearly everyone. It passed over the mortals without harming them, but the remaining undead below battling the rest of the team screamed and burned under the light. Bodhi herself disappeared in the midst of it.

The light finally faded, leaving the party behind…and Bodhi in the midst. A dark nimbus was surrounding her, which slowly faded away as she stood there, panting. She growled like an animal. "You little mice…pushing me like this…you'll pay…!"

And as she gathered power around her, Hikaru suddenly leapt into the air behind her. He held his hands on his sheathed sword, left on the scabbard, right on the grip, and both were surrounded by a nimbus of white energy. She turned slowly to him, and his sword came out in a slash of light energy. The blade tore through Bodhi's head, leaving her corpse to fall slowly to the floor. It disintegrated into black mist en route.

As the group considered this moment, panting, there was a groan and a tremble from the castle…and then everything was still.

Winfield looked around, worried, for several seconds, and then his face lit up in a smile. "Well, is that all? It looked like that was going to be dangerous for a minute. I thought the castle might collapse on top of us. Is it over?"

"Not quite," Pirogoeth said. "The greater majority of her power was destroyed with her corporeal form—Hikaru's attack was good, but true-blood vampires are notoriously hard to kill. The source of her power—probably her coffin, if all the reports are true—is still in the castle, and until it's destroyed, the warp due to her power won't heal, and there's always the possibility of her eventual return."

"It s-should be in the basement," Aerie pointed out. "Those with darker powers—vampires especially—the more dark power they accumulate, the more bound they are by the restrictions of a vampire…."

Their ability to light the room themselves returned to them, they quickly found that the previously blank side walls had opened, and one led down into a basement area. There, in a crypt-like cellar chamber, was a large black sarcophagus on a raised stand in the back.

"So this is the evil coffin, the source of the vampire's power?" Minsc demanded. "Well, let us destroy it! Foul black deeds shall be smashed from this world!" Minsc raised his sword and began to charge it gleefully.

Sherufanir tripped him, sending him sprawling. "Your enthusiasm is refreshing, dear Minsc, but against something like that, even your berserker strength would be useless. It's infused with magic—only magic can break it. What do you think, Ellis-chan?"

The elf-girl nodded. "…It'll take quite some magic to break. I can't do it alone. Aerie? Pirogoeth? Can you help me out?"

The two blonds nodded, and all three strode forward. They raised their weapons and chanted over the bed of death, their separate alien languages making a discordant yet somehow beautiful chorus. The non-mages stood in back, watching with mixed expressions, as the magic built visibly around them.

Finally the sarcophagus began to crack, shatter, and finally burst, vanishing even as it exploded. The palpable darkness in the air that had followed them since they entered finally, slowly, methodically, began to lift, and the smell of stale, dead air retreated as well. At this same time, as they remarked upon this change, Largo and Pirogoeth began to fade away.

"Well, it seems that worked," Pirogoeth remarked. "I suppose we're going back to our original world now. It was good to travel with you, short as it was…it was nice having people to talk to for once…."

"You weren't l33ches [leeches]," Largo added for his own farewell. "It was an honor to fight alongside you all. Minsc! Continue to kick the a55 of 3v1l with your mighty conscience!" With a thumbs-up accompanying him, the warrior faded alongside his sorceress companion.

"And that's that," Winfield sighed, looking around at the remaining group. "Well, now that it's finally over…now what?"

8-8-8

Hikaru sat alone, staring at his sword. The fire of the camp was only partially visible through the trees. Right now, the state of things didn't matter much one way or the other. Simply the feeling….

"There you are," came the sigh next to him. He turned to see Ellis standing by him, looking quite weary and exhausted. "You took some hard hits in that battle. Haven't you been treated yet?"

"What about you?" Hikaru retorted. "You took it worse than anyone. You should have been the first to be looked at…."

"I was. Your friend Aerie is a skilled priestess and sorceress in her own right." She raised a hand and began to chant, and light poured over his wounds.

She sighed again and sat down next to him, leaning against the tree when she had finished. "All better?" she murmured. He nodded, and she continued, "That's good. I don't think I have anything left now…."

They sat in silence for several long moments. "Aren't you going to ask me?" she finally demanded.

"No. I think, now, I finally understand. In a perfect fairy tale, of course, it's easy to know sides, good and evil, the rest—the heroes are the valiant, struggling men and women with love in their hearts, and the villains are all evil monsters like that Bodhi. But even if there's magic, this world…isn't just some fairy tale…."

"Hmm…that's right…you're rather new to this whole magic experience, aren't you?" Hikaru glanced at her, and Ellis continued, "We have tried to get information on you all, of course. It's rather surprising just how many of you, of Kain Lockeheart's party, knew nothing about magic until this past year…six months, really. Still, for a novice at magic, you're surprisingly strong…and that finish there was quite impressive. You saved us all, I think. No one else was in better shape to deal with her at the end there, either…."

"No, that was just luck." Hikaru glanced at his sword again as he held it up. "I'd never done something like that before, and I don't know if I could do it again. Ki I've been practicing since I was tiny…I have no parents, but was raised by five true masters of the martial arts. But magic…it's totally new to me. I've only been training with Kain-kun and his students and friends for a little over a month…before coming here, at least. So I've only seen a bit of magic in action, and I could never dream of doing any of it myself."

"Yet you took the remains of my spell and wove that energy into your sword. That was something…even a magical swordsman would have to be very skilled to pull off a technique like that. You have a lot of talent, Hikaru." She turned away and smiled slightly. "Ha…sympathy, is it?"

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Just remembering a warning I got recently." She rose and turned towards the light. "I'm going to sleep. You should, too. Tomorrow morning we'll go our separate ways. After that…." She paused, and there was definite sadness evident in her voice. "I suppose we'll next meet in Orimus."

Hikaru watched her go. There was a lot revealed in that quiet declaration…

8-8-8

"I'm…almost sad to see them go," Aerie sighed, glancing back at the forms as they finally vanished from sight. "They…didn't seem that bad…."

"Perhaps they weren't," Hikaru replied thoughtfully. "And perhaps that is the greatest evil of all…that conflicts like this should be brought out in the first place….

"In any case, we might as well get going. Our next destination is Orimus. There…you should meet the rest of my friends…."

F I N

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Sherufanir, Largo, Pirogoeth, and Bodhi

It's finally over! No more swapping back and forth between characters…next Act, we will focus on Yue and what's happened to her, and then back to Kain, and we'll focus on the main events for quite a while. It's fun scattering people, but it's also absurdly hard for me to write at times….

A lot of this chapter focused on the emotional struggles of Hikaru. In a way, I might have gone a little overboard with the Sympathy for the Devil theme and Hikaru's part in that sentiment, but that's one of the theme of Negima that I've adopted: overboard feelings. Yue's insane reaction to her jealousy towards Nodoka, Chisame's over-the-top overreaction to everything…when I recall those, it doesn't seem so bad. But I wanted to make it show, even more than I did back with Mai and the rest: not everyone here is bad. Some are being manipulated, some aren't even sure they're doing the right thing, but because of time and chance, this is how everything has fallen. I really did like Ellis from the get-go of RoAW, so I had to paint her in a semi-heroine light here.

Well, let's move on to the characters….

Sherufanir is one of the three women chosen by Dyshana in the second generation. She is, as described, a half-neocolom who gets 'frisky' during the full moon. She was never one of my favorite characters, but she did appear during the Gateport incident, and her full moon episodes were always pretty amusing, so I decided to have her with just to show them. Skill-wise, she's rather close to Fyuria, so I didn't feature a whole lot of combat from her (RoAW is not nearly as bad as FF7 when it comes to interchangeable skills, but it is up there). The neocoloms were an animal-human race of RoAW so I decided to have them be non-yôkai beastmen here.

B orgnine is the third character gained in RoAW, Ellis' personal summoned monster. Called a 'larva' in that game, they are described as gods (kami, in the Japanese powerful spirit sense of the term) summoned by true High Elves. His bestial appearance makes him easy to mistake for a monster. He has no emotions or feelings beyond loyalty to his master, although Ellis is fond of him and treats him well. He's a rather quiet and seemingly dour character, but with Ellis here, she needs her guardian, too. He's a good character, a powerful brawler, and has the best HP in the game.

M egaTokyo, of course, tells the story of Piro and Largo, two American fanboys (of differing genres) who are stranded together in Japan. Because they are both gamers, some of their stories and interactions revolve around games, and sometimes stories are told about their in-game characters. Largo always keeps his name and characters simple, and they are very much an extension of him. Piro, on the other hand, truly uses gaming as an escape, and prefers female avatars, such as Pirogoeth. He also plays these characters quite differently—usually far more destructive and vicious—than he is in 'real life'. Since I already brought Piro and Largo in with mini cameos back in Act 6, I decided that it would be fun to have their fantasy alter egos appear in the magical world. Hikaru's group was a great place for them, for multiple reasons (for one thing, early on, Rodney Caston, Largo's creator, insisted on a conscience for Largo based on Boo). Of course, they were somewhat upstaged by Ellis and co., but that's okay, because they were only cameo characters, not even from this world. They made all the mark they needed.

A nd then there is Bodhi. Since I brought in Aerie and Minsc, who are partially connected by vampires, introducing a vampire was a great villain for the piece. You see, in BG Minsc's ranger foe (favored enemy) is gnolls, since they kidnapped Dynaheir. With Dynaheir dead in BG2 and gnolls unimportant, they became vampires instead, and if I recall correctly Dynaheir was killed by Bodhi in front of Minsc, or was involved in some way (regardless, as the villain Irenicus sister and his co-conspirator she was as responsible). When you finally confront Bodhi late in the game, if you are currently romancing a character, Bodhi kidnaps said character (such as Aerie) and turns them into a vampire to fight you in that final fight with her. You are forced to slay your beloved, but can undergo a mini-quest to bring her back. This Bodhi has no real connection to the BG Bodhi—she's just an old, evil, powerful vampire than they have to squish. The name and image is more homage than anything. But she was a good and convenient villain in any case.

So, that's it for Hikaru and party. Now, as I said, in our next Act we have a new heroine to follow: Yue. And more friends to introduce. Oh, joy….